Jesus Can Heal | Mark 1:29-34

29And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

This passage raises more questions than answers about divine healing. But here are three things we can know for sure:

Jesus Can Heal

In verses 30 and 31 we see Jesus heal a woman with a high fever, which could have easily been fatal back then. He doesn’t just  heal the symptoms or the root, but both. She is totally healed and even able to serve them. He goes on to heal many other sick people in the city in verses 32-34. Later in Mark we’ll see him heal leprosy, paralysis and a withered hand.

He has the power to completely heal our physical brokenness. What about you? What is your brokenness? It may be arthritis, MS or chemical addiction. Or maybe it is physical brokenness in the brain causing mental illness. Or maybe it’s chemical brokenness causing emotional illness. Whatever it is, Jesus can heal it.

Jesus Can Liberate

In verses 32-34 we see all who were oppressed by demons brought to Jesus and he casts many of the demons out, showing that his has power over spiritual beings as well as our physical bodies. And if Jesus can free people from demonic oppression, surely he can free us from any sort of bondage. Whatever fears, fog or darkness oppresses you, demonic or not, Jesus can free you.

Broken bodies, broken emotions, broken minds, oppression of any sort – Jesus is powerful and authoritative over all of this. But there’s more.

Jesus’ Purpose Runs Deeper than this Sort of Healing and Liberation

Look back at verse 32, “That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.” Then look at verse 34, “And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and case out many demons.” All were brought, many were healed and liberated. Why didn’t he heal and liberate all of them?

Then we have the strange ending to this story, “And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.” He did this back in verse 25 as well. Whenever demons encounter Jesus, they start screaming about his identity and he quickly silences them (see also 3:12 and 5:1-7). He also silences his disciples (Matthew 16:15) and people he heals (Matthew 12:15-16). Why did he not take every opportunity to promote himself as the Messiah?

Jesus could have launched the Jesus Medical Clinic, handed out business cards saying “the Holy One of God,” and had an incredible ministry of healing and liberation as his fame continued to spread (v.28). But he didn’t. He healed many, but left some to go home sick. He freed many, but left some to go home demon-oppressed. His identity became evident to many, but he silenced them. Why? Because he was not trying to heal or liberate everyone and he was not trying to become famous. He was single-mindedly marching to the cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 shows his path:

5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Conclusion

Yes, Jesus can heal and we ought to come to him in our brokenness (James 5:13-16). Yes, Jesus can liberate and we ought to come to him in our bondage. He may heal and liberate us; but ultimately he is about something deeper:

• He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed (Isa. 53:5)
• For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)
• God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)
• All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name (Acts 10:43)
• Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses (Acts 13:38-39)
• He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Rom. 4:25)
• But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8)
• God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting men’s trespasses against them (2 Cor. 5:19)
• God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5:21)
• He gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good (Titus 2:14)
• Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (Heb. 9:28)
• He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed  (Peter 2:24)
• Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18)
• This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10)

Jesus is not a doctor; he is the Savior and the Lord. He isn’t Jesus M.D.; he’s Jesus Christ–the Anointed One, the Messiah. Jesus is not focused on restoring us to physical health in this world, he’s focused on restoring us to God.

Discussion Starters

1. Read the passage together.
2. Have you ever experienced or heard reliable stories of divine healing?
3. Do you believe that God still heals people apart from human doctors and medicine? Why or why not? What scriptures can help us think through this?
4. Read verse 31. What is the significance of the fact that Simon’s mother-in-law “began to serve them?”
5. Have you ever experienced or heard reliable stories of demonic activity?
6. Do you believe that demons are still as active today as they were in Jesus’ time? Why or why not? What scriptures can help us think though this?
7. Why do you suppose Jesus healed and liberated people? Can you think of any scriptures that help answer this question?
8. Why do you suppose Jesus didn’t heal and liberate all of the people who were brought to him? Can you think of any scriptures that help answer this question?
9. What brokenness or bondage in your life would you like your brothers and sisters to pray for?
10. Take some time to pray together.