Jesus Heals Many
Mark 1:33 “And all the city was gathered together at the door.”
All
the city was gathered together at the door.
Peculiar to Mark.
Tidings of the two miracles have quickly gone abroad, and as the sun sets, and the restraint of the sabbath is removed, all the city gathers all the sick around His door.
It seemed as if the whole town (hyperbole; cf. Mar. 1:5) had gathered at the door of Simon’s house. In compassionate response to this human need Jesus healed many a Heb. idiom meaning all who were brought; cf. v. 32; 10:45; Mat. 8:16 who had a wide variety of diseases.
Mark 1:34 “And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.”
and suffered not...
The unclean spirits (τὰ)
The article indicating those particular spirits which took part in that scene. Mark's precision is shown in the use of the two articles and in the arrangement of the noun and adjective: The spirits, the unclean ones.
He charged (ἐπετίμα)
The word is commonly rendered rebuke in the New Testament. In classical Greek its predominant sense is that of severe, strenuous reproach for unworthy deeds or acts. It is several times used in the New Testament, as here, in the sense of charge. In this sense the word carries, at bottom, a suggestion of a charge under penalty τιμὴ.
That (ἵνα)
According to the A. V. and Rev. the that indicates the substance of Christ's charge. Properly, however, it indicates the intent of his charge. He charged them in order that they should not make him known.
When they saw (ὅταν ἐθεώρουν)
More accurately as Rev., whenever they beheld. The imperfect tense denotes a repeated act. The ἄν in ὅταν gives an indefinite force: as often as they might see him.
because they knew... The demon’s theology is absolutely orthodox (Jas. 2:19); but because they know the truth, they reject it and God, who is its source.
It seems that these miracles that Jesus had done had spread like wildfire. The whole town knew about it and now gathered at the front door of Peter’s house. Jesus came outside and healed all sorts of diseases and cast out many devils.
As we said earlier, these demons were subject to Jesus’ commands. We see here again, evidence that these demons were the fallen angels, because they were told by Jesus to keep quiet because they knew Him.
As Jesus drove out the demons, He suffered them not to speak because they knew Him. We cannot believe that His rejection of their impure testimony was prudential only, whatever possibility there may have been of that charge of complicity which was afterwards actually brought. Any help which might have come to Him from the lips of hell was shocking and revolting to our Lord. And this is a lesson for all religious and political partisans who stop short of doing evil themselves but reject no advantage which the evil deeds of others may bestow. Not so cold and negative is the morality of Jesus. He regards as contamination whatever help fraud, suppressions of truth, injustice, by whomsoever wrought, can yield. He rejects them by an instinct of abhorrence, and not only because shame and dishonor have always befallen the purest cause which stooped to unholy alliances.
Jesus that day showed Himself powerful alike in the congregation, in the home, and in the streets, and over evil spirits and physical disease alike.
He also drove out exebalen, from ekballō cf. Mark 1:12, 1:39) many demons, but as before (Mark 1:23-26) He repeatedly silenced their cries of recognition, showing that they were powerless before Him.
The miracles accompanying Jesus’ preaching increased His popularity. He performed miracles not to impress people with His power but to authenticate His message (cf. Mark 1:15).
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