5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Imagine your car won’t start and you try to attach jumper cables from another car’s battery. Sparks fly at the first contact, and you realize that the unseen electricity is a powerful force. The beginning of Jesus’ ministry was like that. Like a jumper cable, his touch unleashed a powerful force.
In the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, the story of Jesus unfolds in a surge of power. Mighty power from on high is revealed in his baptism. Next, Jesus’ power attracts his first disciples. Then he preaches powerfully in the synagogue and, to the astonishment of all, heals a man with an unclean spirit. It is a dramatic stand off against the powers of evil. The power continues as Jesus heals Peter’s mothe in law. He takes her by the hand and restores her to health.
Word of these dramatic healings races through Capernaum, and by nightfall the whole town has gathered outside the door of Peter’s house. The ministry has powerfully begun.
Deacon Dick Folger