Mark 1:29-39
Chapter 1
Heals and Exorcises Around the House
After leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to Simon and Andrew’s house, along with James and John.Since Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, they immediately informed him about her.
Jesus went to her and, taking her by the hand, lifted her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sundown, people brought all the sick and those possessed by evil spirits to Jesus:
the whole town was pressing around the door.
Jesus healed many who had different illnesses and cast out many demons, but he did not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.
Jesus’ Prayer and Mission
Very early in the morning, before daylight, Jesus went to a secluded place where he prayed.
Simon and the others also went out looking for him;
and when they found him, they said:
“Everyone is looking for you.”
Then Jesus replied:
“Let us go to the nearby villages so I can preach there too; that is why I came.”
So Jesus began to preach in all the synagogues throughout Galilee, and he also cast out demons.
Commentaries
Heals and Exorcises Around the House – Jesus’ Prayer and Mission.
The reference to the house (1:29, 33; 2:1f.15; 3:20; 7:17; 9:28, 33; 10:10) likely alludes to the community’s gathering place, where Jesus continues to act and many people gather. The prostration of Peter’s mother-in-law symbolizes the exclusion faced by elderly and sick women. Jesus goes to her, touches her, and lifts her up (31). Jesus’ healing power reaches everyone who approaches him. Through his example, he demonstrates the importance of prayer at the beginning of the missionary journey.