Mark 1:29-34, The Healing of Many People (The Study of Mark)

Μάρκον 1·29 Καὶ εὐθὺς ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς ἐξελθόντες ἦλθον εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν Σίμωνος καὶ Ἀνδρέου μετὰ Ἰακώβου καὶ Ἰωάννου.  30 ἡ δὲ πενθερὰ Σίμωνος κατέκειτο πυρέσσουσα, καὶ εὐθὺς λέγουσιν αὐτῷ περὶ αὐτῆς.  31 καὶ προσελθὼν ἤγειρεν αὐτὴν κρατήσας τῆς χειρός· καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὴν ὁ πυρετός, καὶ διηκόνει αὐτοῖς.  32 Ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης, ὅτε ἔδυ ὁ ἥλιος, ἔφερον πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντας τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας καὶ τοὺς δαιμονιζομένους·  33 καὶ ἦν ὅλη ἡ πόλις ἐπισυνηγμένη πρὸς τὴν θύραν.  34 καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν πολλοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας ποικίλαις νόσοις καὶ δαιμόνια πολλὰ ἐξέβαλεν καὶ οὐκ ἤφιεν λαλεῖν τὰ δαιμόνια, ὅτι ᾔδεισαν αὐτόν. 

Translation

And immediately after going out from the synagogue, they went into Simon and Andrew’s house with James and John.  And Simon’s mother-n-law was laying in bed sick with fever, and immediately, they are speaking to him about her.  And after going in, taking her hand, he raised her up.  And the fever left her and she waited on them.  And the evening came, when the sun had set, they were bringing to him all who had sickness and were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered in front of the door.  And he healed many of the sick having all kinds of diseases and he casted out many demons and he did not allow the demons to speak because they knew him. Mark 1:29-34

Introduction to Part 1 of the scene

Here is a two part scene. In this first part of the scene, we find Jesus going from a very public place to a very private place.  In this case, Jesus is in Peter’s house.  It is still the Sabbath.  

λέγουσιν αὐτῷ περὶ αὐτῆς. (they were telling him about her)

Since they immediately tell Jesus about Peter’s mother-n-law, this may indicate that they expect Jesus to heal her.

ἤγειρεν αὐτὴν κρατήσας τῆς χειρός (taking her hand, he raised her up)

The literal greek is “grasping her hand, he raised her up”.  This may indicate that he was helping her up.  We don’t have anymore insight into the healing other than once she was up, the fever left her.  This may indicate that Peter’s mother-n-law had to put out a little faith and effort in order to receive her healing.  In other words, she had to be willing to get up in order to receive what Jesus had for her.

καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὴν ὁ πυρετός (and the fever left her)

Here’s our favorite verb ἀφίημι again.  The text could also be rendered “and the fever let her go”.  We may think we see here that the ancients could have seen sickness as a demonic thing, but that’s just not seen in the New Testament.  In most instances, sickness and demon-possession were two different things.

καὶ διηκόνει αὐτοῖς (and she waited on them)

As in "served them food at a table".

Introduction to Part 2 of the scene

Jesus is still at Peter’s house, but now we find that the evening has come, which ends the Sabbath.  The people were not coming because the laws of the Sabbath were not hindering them any longer.  After Jesus’ exorcism in the Synagogue, things really started to heat up.

ἔφερον πρὸς αὐτὸν (they were bringing)

Greek: Continual aspect.  Indicates a continual stream of people coming.

τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας (having sickness)

The literal greek is “having badly”.  An idiom for sickness.

πρὸς τὴν θύραν (in front of the door)

Greek: “to the door”.  Although it was impossible for the “whole city” to be at the door, the text does show us than many people has come.  Jesus had become the “talk of the town”.  Note on ἡ πόλις (po-lis).  For you Superman fans, Metropolis was the city were Superman lived.  Also, Minneapolis or Indianapolis. 

ἐθεράπευσεν (he healed)

θεραπεύω (the-ra-peu-o): therapy, therapeutic.  Notice that the text doesn’t say that he healed all of them.  It just says that he healed many of them.  This may indicate that the healing and deliverance from demons was an individual act and not a collective act.  Person to person.  It’s quick possible that there were so many people that some gave up on their healing and went home.  Note to self: Never give up and always hold out for my healing.

οὐκ ἤφιεν (did not allow)

ἀφίημι again.  In this text, it means “permit”.  With οὐκ, it means “he did not permit”.

Final notes on healing and casting out demons

We find many instances where Jesus heals or casts out a demon.  Many times, he incorporated touching the sick person in order to heal them.  When it came to casting out demons, Jesus never used touching as part of it.  Jesus never touched a demon-possessed person as long as that person was demon-possessed.  One more thing.  Jesus never went out to find people to heal.  They always found him where ever he was.