Our daily walk with Jesus (Mark 1:16-39)

[Stephan Choe]

July 5, 2024

Leading verses:

35:       "And in the morning, before daylight, he got up and went out. And he went away to a solitary place and prayed there.

38:       And he said to them: 'Let us go elsewhere, to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is what I have come to do."

It is a popular literary style today to trace the events of one day in a person's life.

In his novel "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", Alexander Solzhenitsyn shows how the prisoner Ivan Denisovich Shukhov spent his days in the labor camp: eating, working and sleeping.

In today's text, Mark presents us with a day in the life of the disciples with Jesus.

It begins in the Galilean morning with Jesus walking along the lake. He then visits the synagogue in Capernaum in the morning because it was a Sabbath. He then visits the house of Simon and Andrew in the afternoon. In the evening he heals many sick people there. The next day early in the morning he prays in a lonely place. Then he says to his disciples: "Let us go elsewhere, to the nearest towns, that I may preach there also, for that is what I have come to do."

This is Jesus' daily routine.

This enables us to recognize who Jesus is. In addition, we can orient our daily lives towards and with Jesus so that we can lead a fruitful life.

1 The call of the disciples (16-20)

Verses 16-20 show us the first part of his daily walk:

As Jesus passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brothers, casting a net into the sea for fishing.

Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

As he went a little farther, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee, mending the nets. He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the day laborers and followed him (1:16-20).

Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men".

Peter and Andrew were able to be with Jesus and get to know Jesus through this fellowship, to become Jesus' friends and to experience his most meaningful concern, which is a blessed life for every person.

Andrew and Peter came to know Jesus and found the meaningful life and became disciples of Jesus.

James and John mended their nets. They also followed Jesus when Jesus called them. They came to know Jesus, believed in Jesus and became happy friends of Jesus.

When the Lord calls us, we should come to him, get to know him and find a happy, eternal life.

This incident allows us to reflect on two things:

First, we can find happy, eternal life in Jesus.

Jesus calls every person and offers them the opportunity to get to know Jesus personally and to find happy, eternal life. Jesus wants every person to get to know Jesus and believe in him as the Son of God and Christ. Then they can have happy, eternal life.

Jesus' words "Follow me!" apply to every person. Everyone can accept Jesus' call for themselves. They can get to know him personally, recognize him as the Son of God and Christ and believe in him. Then they will experience forgiveness of sins and happy, eternal life. His invitation is therefore a precious invitation to eternal bliss. Jesus' call is an invitation to eternal bliss.

Secondly, Jesus' call means specifically for some people to become Jesus' disciples. Jesus said this word to some candidates for discipleship, e.g. Peter, Andrew, Zebedee and James. And these people then left their jobs and followed Jesus. And Jesus raised these called ones as his disciples, so that they became apostles of Jesus.

Today, Jesus also calls some people to follow him, so that they leave their professions or their homes, get to know Jesus and then work as good gospel workers. That is why we can call this calling a special calling. This calling is also very beneficial. Those called may leave something and experience some difficulties. But they can experience the help of Jesus and feel the presence of the Lord up close. This is a great blessing from God for them.

2 The word of proclamation (21-28)

Peter, Andrew, James and John went with Jesus to Capernaum. It was the Sabbath. Jesus went into the synagogue and taught. His words were so powerful that people were amazed at his teaching; his teaching had authority.

Everyone in the synagogue marveled at his authority. He did not teach like the preachers of that time called scribes. For he is the Son of God. Even the evil spirits had to obey his word.

A man in their synagogue had an unclean spirit. When he heard Jesus, he cried out loudly: "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God."

When Jesus said to the evil spirit: "Be quiet and come out of him!", the evil spirit came out, and the man was healed.

Jesus' word had the divine truth and authority that freed man from the evil spirit and gave him eternal life.

The word of Jesus has authority. It is the truth. It is the word of eternal life. When a person accepts Jesus' word, the power of death leaves him, and he has eternal life and God's kingdom.

"And immediately his fame spread throughout the whole region of Galilee."

The news spread immediately, like wildfire throughout the whole region.

3 Jesus takes care of the family members of his disciples (29-34)

In the afternoon, Jesus came from the synagogue to the house of Peter and Andrew, because Peter's mother-in-law had a fever and was in bed. Jesus took the mother-in-law's hand, and the fever immediately left her. Out of a grateful heart, the mother-in-law cooked the meal for Jesus and his disciples.

This account reflects Jesus' compassion for Peter's mother-in-law and every sick person. Jesus helped Peter so that he could continue to follow Jesus without worry.

Jesus not only cares for his close friends, but also for each of us when we have difficulties. That's why we can follow Jesus without worry.

When I look back over my life, I realize that Jesus took care of me. He raised Esther and me, gave us enough to live on and raised both sons.

All Christians can rely on Jesus to take care of them.

The following story proves this.

The Sabbath ended at sunset. The people brought to him all those who were sick or possessed by demons. It seemed as if the whole city was gathered at Peter's doorstep. And Jesus healed many who were suffering from various diseases and cast out demons. (Mark 1:32-34).

This shows us that Jesus cared not only for his close people, such as 12 disciples, but for all people. Jesus helps all who come to him. His love and compassion are great, wide, and deep. We should trust in his love and mercy.

But Jesus did not allow the demons to make Jesus known as a healer. Jesus wanted to play down deliverance from demons and physical healing, because his real blessing is faith in him and eternal life. That is why he said to the healed on other occasions: "Go and tell no one."

But they did not obey him. That is why he could no longer work there because of the crowds.

God helps us with our various everyday problems. And we thank God for physical healings or financial help, for example. But these are temporary blessings. What Jesus emphasizes again and again is the healing of the spirit. It forgives our sins and gives us eternal life and the kingdom of heaven. The spiritual blessing is a permanent, the best thing.

4 He prays (35-39)

When you have worked until late in the evening, you want to sleep in.

What did Jesus do the next day?

In the morning, much earlier than dawn, he got up and went out to a lonely place and prayed there.

Jesus' hour of prayer was his consultation with God. He told him about his work and asked him about the direction of his work. Jesus wanted to pray to God in order to have fellowship with the Father. And he wanted to hear from God about the direction of his work. For he did not want to work according to the wishes of men, but according to the wishes of the Father.

When he finished his prayer, Peter and other people came to him and said: "Everyone is looking for you!" By this they meant: "Everyone is looking for you to be healed." First and foremost, people wanted to be healed of their illnesses through Jesus. They wanted Jesus to solve their current problems. 

Jesus replied: "Let us go to the next towns, so that I may preach there also, for that is why I went out."

Jesus acts according to the will of the Father, as Jesus confessed: "The Son can do nothing by himself" (John 5:19).

Jesus is the Son of God who lived according to the will of God. We, too, should live the way God wants us to. Then God will bless our lives abundantly.

We should follow the example of Jesus. We should ask for God's will in prayer. To do this, we should seek God's direction in prayer.

Verse 35:        "And in the morning, before daylight, he got up and went out. And he went to a solitary place and prayed there."

Verse 38:        "And he said to them: 'Let us go elsewhere, to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is what I have come for!"