Prayer And Healing
PRAYER AND HEALING
MARK 1:35-45
We see Jesus’ prayer as the vital initial ingredient contributing to his power and authority.
The story of this day in the life of Jesus concludes with the account of Jesus rising early in the morning to pray quietly before the day’s work. This was no doubt his normal practice. For his prayer life, study 6:46; 14:32-39; 15:34; Luke 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18,28f.; 11:1; 23:46; Matthew 19:13; John 11:41f.; 12:27f.; 17. The force of his example was profound: his disciples asked to be taught to pray as he did (Luke 11:1-4), and he gladly responded to their request: see Mark 9:29; 11:17,24f.; 12:40; 13:18.
Probably Jesus prayed especially on this occasion because he was seeking guidance for the future. It was not an easy decision to leave a place of successful ministry and excellent prospects (1:37), but Jesus had to go to the surrounding towns (“villages” is a better translation): it was, he said, for this task of preaching to all Israel that he had come out, ie been sent by God.
So Jesus embarked on a wider ministry, although he returned more than once to Capernaum. One final incident is related, typical of this period of work. Leprosy is a word loosely used to cover a number of skin diseases ranging from true leprosy (Hanson’s bacillus) to ringworm. Jesus’ motive in healing was again compassion (1:41); the NEB, following a different Greek text, has “in warm indignation,” which would refer to Jesus’ anger at the work of evil in the world.
An important element in the story is that Jesus sternly commanded the man to keep quiet about his cure, except for registering himself with the priest who acted as the health official in a community where the physical and religious effects of unclean diseases were closely linked (Leviticus 14:1-32). Frequently Jesus sought to keep his miracles as secret as possible and silenced the demons who revealed his identity, but his wishes were hard to put into effect (1:45). Why Jesus sought to work in secret has become the major problem of interpretation in this Gospel. It is most reasonable to believe that Jesus himself was anxious not to make a public display which would precipitate a popular uprising. The people were looking for a Messiah who would fit in with their own preconceived ideas and would readily rally to Jesus if he gave them any excuse to do so. He made a “secret revelation” of himself so that those with eyes to see might recognize him as God’s messenger, and to those who accepted him he revealed himself more fully and openly. The way in which even they often misunderstood him showed how right he was to adopt this manner of working.