Nathan E. Lewis

Jesus of Nazareth possesses a dual nature: he is simultaneously fully divine and fully human. As a man Jesus needed his rest like any of us. He also needed solitude to renew his spirit exhausted from interpersonal interaction and spiritual confrontation. Mark’s Gospel supplies us with a sample of Jesus’ schedule. At sundown in Capernaum, Jesus begins to heal the sick and to cast out the demons. Mark notes that the entire city gathered around Jesus. Archaeologists estimate Capernaum to have been home to 1,500 residents in Jesus’ day. And so, Jesus could have been busy healing and casting out demons for several hours into the night. After an exhausting evening, Jesus rises early in the morning while it is still dark to pray in a desolate place. He prayed until the disciple’s search party found him. His sweet moment of solitude and prayer is broken by Peter saying, “Everyone is looking for you.” In the late morning, Jesus transitions from prayer to leadership announcing that he and his disciples are departing Capernaum to preach extensively throughout the region of Galilee.
Much has been recommended regarding early morning prayer in the Christian tradition. Many of us have read Martin Luther’s quote: “If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Continue reading »

Taylor Mali’s poem, “Typography,” is a brilliant analysis of our present language and culture. Should any of us take his advice, then we would be counter-culture. Apparently, a student of Mali, Ronnie Bruce created the animated version and posted it without Mali’s permission. Mali’s response was to post it at his own web site, recognizing its value. Bruce’s work will introduce more people to the beauty and relevance of poetry. His animated version exposes Bruce’s command of language and his grasp of his teacher’s poem.

Our text this morning is structurally part of the preceding text. Mark writes of Jesus expelling the demon from the man in the Capernaum synagogue, and then he tells us of his healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, finally reporting that he healed many of the sick in Capernaum casting out many demons. Mark writes his gospel to showcase the Son of Man coming into this world with visible and powerful authority over the spiritual and material realms. He not only combats the devil and his minions but he also eradicates the consequences of the common curse. Continue reading »