WEDNESDAY:
The next step in studying the Bible is to retell the story.
Learning how to tell the Bible story in your own words… does a couple of things.
First, it solidly commits the story to your memory. Second, retelling the story
helps you to understand it.
Let’s make our first pass at retelling the story. I like to place
the Scripture text, Mark 1:21-28, next to my ‘first’ attempt at retelling the
story. Be sure to be creative when retelling the story.
Young’s Literal Translation
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Allen First Re-Telling
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21 And they go on to Capernaum, and immediately, on the sabbaths, having gone
into the synagogue, he was teaching, 22 and they were
astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as having authority, and
not as the scribes.
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit,
and he cried out, 24 saying, `Away! what -- to us and
to thee, Jesus the Nazarene? thou didst come to destroy us; I have known thee
who thou art -- the Holy One of God.'
25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, `Be silenced, and come forth out
of him,' 26 and the unclean spirit having torn him,
and having cried with a great voice, came forth out of him,
27 and they were all amazed, so as to reason among themselves,
saying, `What is this? what new teaching [is] this? that with authority also
the unclean spirits he commandeth, and they obey him!' 28 And
the fame of him went forth immediately to all the region, round about, of
Galilee.
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Jesus and His
disciples entered Capernaum. They could smell the smells of a seaport that
would have been so familiar to many of the disciples. Peter took the lead
since His mother-in-law lived in Capernaum. The name Capernaum means the Kfar-Nahum
or Village of Nahum. It has nothing to do with the Bible prophet, but
obviously someone important who was named Nahum. As Peter leads them through
the city, Jesus notices a Roman Centurion. This Centurion was paying close
attention to the band of men entering Capernaum. After all, the Roman Army
Officer thought, “What were they up to?” Capernaum was a city not much larger
than Shabbona, and you tend to notice the “new folks.” “I better keep an eye
on them,” thought the Centurion to himself. Jesus didn’t seem to notice the
studied look of the Centurion. Roman soldiers were always suspicious, and
Jesus had to be about His Father’s business. Finally, they came by the town’s
synagogue. It was the custom of prophets to always check in at the local
synagogue. Hospitality was a mandated Jewish custom. Therefore, visitors were
often allowed to speak, especially in the small synagogues. Jesus entered the
synagogue with the disciples. It was a humble building. Jesus remembers
friends who had worked on its construction. There was even a rumor a Roman
benefactor paid for the building. Quite odd considering the times, but Jesus did
not dwell on these thoughts, There were three doors along the south end. As
Jesus’ entered, He noticed three benches along the right side where the “more
important” folks would sit. Everyone else would sit on the native stone
floors in front the Moses Seat. This was the stone seat of teaching
representing the person preaching had the ‘authority of Moses.’
The previous gentleman
just finished teaching and the hazzan
(caretaker) invited Jesus to teach. Whispers took place affirming this new
and marvelous speaker. He spoke with authority!? Jesus concluded His teaching
when a man with an evil spirit rushed up to Him and cried, `Go away Jesus! We
don’t want anything to do with you Jesus… you, you, Nazarene! Did you come to
destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God!” Jesus told the spirit
to be silent and the spirit and came out of the man. Everyone who was there
was amazed!
Is this some sort of
new teaching? Who is this guy in which unclean spirits obey Him? This was the
question circulating among those who had gathered and now filled the streets.
Jesus fame spread
throughout the region. However, standing across the street someone was
watching. He was trying to make sense of what he just heard the people
mumbling as they went past him. The hazzan came past him. They were friends.
The Centurion had been good to the Jewish community. “What happened?” asked the
Centurion. This new prophet named Jesus cast an unclean spirit out of a man
who just minutes before declared Him to be the Messiah. I have to run and
settle down the crowd. We can talk later.” With this the hazzan ran off to a
crowd of folks who were buzzing about just what happened. “Yes,” thought the Army
officer, “I better keep an eye on Him.”
Stay tuned…
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Once, I
write and think through my initial story… then I can make revisions to it as
the week progresses.
See you
tomorrow!
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