馬可向我們介紹了施洗約翰和他勸人悔改、預備彌賽亞來到的事工後，就立刻開始敘述耶穌的事工。耶穌事工的特徵在於祂的信息：「上帝的國近了，你們當悔改、信福音。」（悔改是耶穌事工裡的基本信息，著重要人回轉，離開他們的罪。）我們在十四至二十節看見耶穌呼召門徒，然後，當祂進入迦百農，有一件令人驚奇的事發生了。有一個污鬼喊叫說：「拿撒勒人耶穌，我們與你有什麼相干？你來滅我們嗎？我知道你是誰，乃是上帝的聖者！」

        請注意，邪靈是曉得耶穌的身分，在靈界裡，耶穌的身分並非祕密。只有人才不清楚耶穌的身分。諷刺的是，發出類似信仰告白的竟是邪靈。那當然不一定是相信的信心，但至少是接受耶穌就是祂自己所宣稱的那一位的信心。耶穌直接了當的對付邪靈，把牠趕出去。眾人可以預期的都非常驚訝。他們希奇耶穌的教訓與眾不同，帶有非凡的權柄，耶穌命令污鬼不許作聲，因為牠們曉得祂是誰。在好些情況裡，耶穌醫治好了病人也吩咐他們不要對人說祂的事。我們看見一幅有趣的圖畫；這位救主、彌賽亞一方面在歷史中展露祂的事工，但同時又試著用某些方法隱藏自己。

        我們應當留意效法耶穌的所作所為，不要用醫病和趕鬼的屬靈事工來譁眾取寵。耶穌視醫病、趕鬼是當事者和上帝聖靈之間的私事。我們當然不應企圖渲染超自然的事工過於耶穌自己所採的態度。

        主啊，我們祈求在讀馬可福音時，能對您留下的僕人榜樣有新的看見，使我們能效法您，愛鄰舍如同自己。奉主耶穌基督聖名，阿們！

English

         After Mark tells us about John the Baptist and his ministry of repentance in preparing for the coming of Messiah, he immediately gets into the ministry of Jesus. Jesus’ ministry is characterized by the message, “the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news”. (Repentance is fundamental in Jesus’ ministry. It is seen in terms of turning around and walking away from one’s sin.) We see Him calling the disciples in verses 14-20, then, as He gets to Capernaum, a fascinating incident occurs. An unclean spirit caries out and says, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God!”

         Notice that the evil spirit knows Jesus’ identity. In the spirit dimension it’s no secret who Jesus is. If there is any secrete at all, it’s in the realm of men. Ironically, it’s the evil spirit who makes a sort of confession of faith. This is not necessarily faith to believe, but at least faith to accept that Jesus is who He says He is. Jesus dealt with the evil spirit directly and cast it out. The people, predictably, were astonished. In their amazement, they saw Him as a teacher with a new teaching, with an authority that was absolutely remarkable. A little later on in the chapter, as Jesus was healing and delivering people from demon possession, he commands the demos not to speak, because they knew who He was. Tie this in with the several instances where Jesus tells people He has healed not to talk about their healing, and you see a fascinating picture of a Savior, Deliverer and Messiah who, on one hand is exposing His ministry in history, and even at the same time is trying somehow to hide it.

         Perhaps one observation which can be made here relates to our desire to follow Jesus’ example. We should be careful that we don’t sensationalize the spirit ministries of healing and deliverance. Jesus saw healing and deliverance as a private thing between the person and the Spirit of God. We certainly shouldn’t attempt to make if this supernatural ministry more than Jesus Himself made of it.

         We pray, oh Lord, that as we read the book of Mark, we will receive a fresh glimpse of Your example of servant hood that we can follow in loving our neighbors as ourselves.