By this point in chapter 1, even a casual reader can see Mark’s jumps in narration expressed by words like “at once,” “without delay,” “immediately,” or “straightway.” Most of these translate Mark’s repeated use of euthus (immediately). The expression heightens the sense of rapid development and excitement in the event being described.

After ending his clash with the demons in the synagogue, Jesus immediately confronted the power of disease. He healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever. By the time evening arrived, there was a “traffic jam” of the sick and demon possessed, crowding to Jesus for attention. Almost as an afterthought, Mark noted that Jesus was commanding the demons not to identify him. His goal was not to draw attention to himself, but to meet the real needs of others.

1:29    As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.  As the crowd hurriedly dispersed from the synagogue or continued talking among themselves, Jesus and the four disciples left for their own lodgings. They arrived at Simon Peter’s home, where he lived with his wife (mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:5), his mother-in-law, and his brother Andrew. Jesus and the disciples probably stayed in Peter’s home during their visits to Capernaum (2:1; 3:20; 9:33; 10:10)

1:30    Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her.  Simon Peter’s wife’s mother was in bed, meaning she was lying down; the Greek word katakeimai could be translated “to lie prostrate.” The Greek word for fever in the noun form is also the word for fire; thus, she was burning with a severe fever. Luke (the doctor) wrote in his Gospel that she “was suffering from a high fever” (Luke 4:38 ).

This short passage reveals many details and carefully includes names (1:29). This is the first of many instances throughout this Gospel implying that Simon Peter may have been Mark’s primary source.

It is interesting that Mark records that they told Jesus. These three words give us confidence to come to Jesus with our needs and problems. Often we look everywhere else before turning to God. We look for experts and remedies for everything from psychological ailments to financial shortfalls. But God’s Word teaches us to tell Jesus. All of our problem-solving strategies need to begin with prayer.

1:31    He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.  Without speaking a word, Jesus went to the mother-in-law’s bedside, took her by the hand, and lifted her up to her feet. Jesus’ touch on the woman’s hand brought instant and complete healing, as if she had never been ill. In fact, she went about serving the meal as she had probably planned.

Each Gospel writer had a slightly different perspective as he wrote; thus the comparable stories in the Gospels often highlight different details. In Matthew, Jesus touched the woman’s hand. In Mark, he helped her up. In Luke, he spoke to the fever, and it left her. The accounts do not conflict. Each writer chose to emphasize different details of the story in order to emphasize a certain characteristic of Jesus. Mark showed Jesus’ victory over Satan (1:12–13), his authority over demons (1:23–26), and his authority even over human illness (1:30–31).

Peter’s mother-in-law was healed to serve. Jesus desires that all his disciples be enabled to serve. Yet often we face difficult circumstances with no relief in sight. Peter had obeyed Jesus and left all to follow him; still he had sickness in his family. But Jesus loves us to the end, and he leaves no work half-finished. The fever left Peter’s mother-in-law, and she was completely restored by Christ’s power so that she could serve. Christ gives renewing grace that strengthens us to serve, enables us to persevere, and encourages us to overcome our doubts.

1:32    At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  The people came to Jesus on Saturday evening after sunset. The day had been the Sabbath (1:21), their day of worship and rest, lasting from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. Jewish law prohibited traveling and carrying burdens on the Sabbath, so they waited until sunset (they needed to first see three stars to know the sun had set). After the sun went down, Sabbath was over, and the people searched for Jesus.

News had spread quickly that the demon-possessed man in the synagogue had been freed from the demon, and the people brought to [Jesus] all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. The Greek word for “brought” is phero, meaning “to carry a burden or to move by carrying.” Many of the ill people were literally carried to Peter’s home so Jesus could heal them. The verb is in the imperfect tense, signifying continuous action. A steady stream of sick and demon-possessed people were carried to Jesus.

1:33    And the whole city was gathered around the door.  With a touch of hyperbole, Mark described the scene in front of Peter’s house. The crowd must have been immense so that it appeared that the whole city had gathered there. The people who brought the sick, the sick themselves (perhaps on stretchers), and the people who brought the demon possessed settled themselves in front of Peter’s house and awaited the touch of the divine healer. The Greek for “gathered” (episunegmene) literally means “to go with others and settle down together in a group.” This was no unruly mob; the people had come on a mission and were there to stay until their mission was accomplished.

1:34    And Jesus healed many who had various diseases.  Jesus patiently healed all the sick people (the word many is a Hebrew idiom for “all who were brought,” see also Matthew 8:16). Jesus’ touch took away Peter’s mother-in-law’s fever because it could heal any disease. No disease took Jesus by surprise, and no disease was beyond his ability to heal. He healed them all. And as with Peter’s mother-in-law, the healings were complete—as though the people had never been sick.

 He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.  Jesus’ authority over the demons continued to be revealed as he drove out many demons from the demon-possessed people brought to him. Again, Jesus simply had to command the demon to come out, and it obeyed. However, this time Jesus did not even allow the demons to speak because they knew who he was (as the demon-possessed man in the synagogue had proclaimed Jesus as “the Holy One of God,” 1:24).

Why did Jesus not allow the demons to speak? (1) By silencing them, Jesus demonstrated his authority and power over them. (2) Jesus wanted the people to believe he was the Messiah because of what he said and did, not because of the demons’ words. (3) Jesus wanted to reveal his identity as the Messiah according to his timetable, not according to Satan’s timetable. Satan’s purposes would be served if the people followed Jesus for what they could get out of him, not because he was the Son of God who could truly set them free from sin’s guilt and power. Perhaps some would have preferred Jesus to be merely a healer and miracle worker. The demons called Jesus “the Holy One of God” (1:24) because they knew he was the Christ. But Jesus was going to show himself to be the suffering Servant before he became the great King. It is a recurring theme in Mark’s Gospel for Jesus to conceal his true identity. To reveal himself as the Messiah and King too soon would stir up the crowds with the wrong expectations of what he had come to do.