The passage
      v29-31. Mark sustains the sense of drive in Jesus' mission by telling us that he "immediately" moves from the synagogue to Simon and Andrew's home. Mark notes that the four newly called disciples have continued with Jesus. The fever of Simon's mother-in-law is obviously serious as she is unable to wait on her guests. A fever in the ancient world was often life-threatening and the complicated remedies and incantations of the time were next to useless. Mark notes the simple but powerful application of Jesus' healing power. On numerous occasions Mark mentions the touch of Jesus, or as here, his grasp.
      v32-34. The "day in the life of Jesus" continues after sunset (after the Sabbath) with a descriptive episode of healings. Mark underlines the large number of people who press in on Simon and Andrew's front door and goes on to explain that there were many healings of great variety, including exorcisms. The episode illustrates Jesus' power and authority. As for the demons, they knew who Jesus was and in accord with ancient belief, would have used Jesus' name to gain control over him, but Jesus had control of them and would not even let them speak.
      v35. Early in the morning Jesus heads off to a solitary place for prayer. This may be his practice, or Mark may be illustrating how the press of the crowds, due to his popularity, was already forcing Jesus to adjust his personal behavior.
      v36-37. The popularity of Jesus, his personal magnetism, is underlined in the statement of Simon. The authority of Jesus' teaching and his power over sickness and demons, is identified as the reason.
      v38. This verse is surely the punch-line of the episode. Jesus came to proclaim (communicate with authority) the gospel (understood). The miracles visibly proclaim this message rather than verify it, cf. Matt.12:28. So, rather than stay and heal, Jesus must go and preach, preach to those who have yet to hear the message.
      v39. Mark gives a thumb-nail sketch of the Galilean mission. Jesus covers the "whole" of Galilee, preaching. The preached word is associated with the sign of exorcism and at this stage, much of the preaching is at local synagogues.

Two Thirds Sky
      In a recent Australian documentary, "Two Thirds Sky, Artists in a Desert Country", the work of five Australian landscape artists was compared as they wrestled with images of the Australian desert. Idris Murphy, a committed Christian, was able to speak of his work in theological terms. For Idris, the Australian desert is not unique, in that it is part of a world-wide landscape, but it is particular. Wrestling with its particularity is the task of Australian landscape artists who seek to communicate its essence. For Idris, the essence is the nature of God hidden in creation's design. As a startling sunset can communicate this essence, so the painting, serving in a sense as the Holy Spirit, seeks to communicate that essence to the beholder.
      Jesus' miracles are like paintings. Although some see them as acts of kindness, or examples to follow, or proofs of Jesus' divinity or even an authentication for Jesus' preaching, Jesus' miracles have an independent and therefore, far greater worth. Their essence communicates divine truth. The apostle says that the creation reveals God's "eternal power and divine nature", but the miracles actually communicate a more profound truth, "that the Kingdom of God has come upon you."
      In our passage for study, we see Jesus healing Simon's mother-in-law, healing the crowds and driving out demons. The disciples, understandably, see themselves as social workers and try to bring Jesus back to the coal-face of human misery. Yet, Jesus did not come as a social worker, but came to communicate a mystery long hidden - "the incomparable riches of his [God's] grace." So, Jesus must move on to other towns and villages to, as he says, "preach there also."
      In following the master our task is the same, to communicate the essence of God's grace in words and images. The word of grace is easily communicated through the media - a parish paper, a television advertisement, ..... The image of grace is not so easily communicated, but is often more powerful than the words. A gracious life may say more than a word of grace. An unmarried mother refused a christening at her local church images one thing, Christ telling a woman taken with adultery "neither do I condemn you", says another.
      As the artist strives to distill the pure essence of a landscape on canvas, so should the believer distill the essence of grace on the canvas of their life. For Jesus, the casting out of demons, more than anything else, communicated the dawning Kingdom and its gift of freedom. For we children of the Kingdom, set free by the grace of God, the pure essence of His message of grace is distilled in one particular gracious quality, and that is forgiveness.

v30
      katekeito (katakeimai) imperf. "was in bed" - was lying down, aside. Indicating the severity of the fever.
      puressousa (puressw) part. "with a fever" - being fever-stricken, suffering with a fever. The participle probably forming a consecutive clause expressing conseqence; "she was laid up in bed because she had a fever." Such often ends in death. Modern antibiotics have removed our fear of what is actually a serious illness.
      legousin (legw) pres. "they told [Jesus]" - Possibly an impersonal plural here, so "Jesus was told that Simon's mother-in-law was sick", CEV.

v31
      hgeiren (egeirw) aor. "helped her up" - he raised, lifted up. Obviously, a two handed lift descriptive of the immediacy of Jesus' healing power.
      krathsaV (kratew) aor. part. + gen. "took her hand" - grasping, grabing hold of, taking. Descriptive of the hands-on approach of Jesus, an approach indelibly marked on the disciples memory and carried into the oral tradition.
      dihkonei (diakonew) imperf. "began to wait on [them]" - she was serving, waiting on. Indicating the completeness of the healing; "she gave them something to eat."

v32
      oyiaV adj. "evening" - evening. The Sabbath was ended. Mark seems to make a point of both Jesus and the crowd obeying Sabbath regulations, although he may just be telling us that the crowd was keen to see Jesus and did so as soon as they were free to make a move.
      edu (duvw) aor. "[sun]set" - go down, set.
      eferon (ferw) imperf. "the people brought" - they were carrying, bringing. Probably an impersonal pronoun; "all who were sick or had demons were brought to Jesus", CEV.
      touV kakwV econtaV (ecw) pres. part. "the sick" - those bad having. Those having it bad, ie. the sick.

v33
      oJlh hJ poliV "the whole town" - Hyperbole = "a large crowd"
      hn ... episunhgmenh (episunagw) perf. pas. part. "gathered" - was having been gathered together, assembled. Pherephrastic pluperfect = "was gathered."
      proV + acc. "at [the door] - to, toward. Expressing movement toward, so "pressed in at the front door."

v34
      pollouV "many" - The statement "Jesus healed many" is not implying that it was only "many" and not "all" who were healed, but rather that the "all" were "many".
      poikilaiV adj. "various" - diverse, manifold, various. Indicating Jesus' ability to heal a full range of diseases.
      hdeisan (oida) pluperf. "knew" - they had known. Mark notes that Jesus silenced the demons. This may have something to do with the messianic secret. In the early stages of Jesus' ministry, he limited his self revelation, both his person (used the title "son of man", an unclear and mysterious messianic title) and his work (the way of the cross). Yet, it is more likely that by silencing the demons he was again demonstrating his power and authority over them. They knew Jesus and by using his name they would try to claim authority over him, but Jesus didn't even let them speak.

v35
      prwi ennuca lian "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark" - early nightime exceedingly. This description illustrates how early Jesus gets up in the morning, either as is his practice or to avoid the crowds (ie. he is either very pious or very popular, or both!).
      anastaV (anisthmi) aor. part. "Jesus got up" - having arisen. The participle probably forms a temporal clause, "in the early morning, long before daybreak, he got up", Moffatt.
      aphlqen (apercomai) aor. "went off" - went away. Jesus went out of the house and out of Capernaum, and went away from the crowds. Mark uses this word in the sense of going away from people rather than going away from a place. He "went out and away", Moule.
      eiV erhmon adj. "to a solitary place" - deserted, desert. "An isolated spot", TH.
      proshuceto (proseucomai) imperf. "prayed" - The imperfect tense expressing continued action, probably up to the point where he was found by his disciples. So, Mark is describing what Jesus is doing when the disciples found him. "He was praying there when Simon and his friends tracked him down", Barclay, ad.

v36
      katediwxen (katadiwkw) aor. "went looking for" - hunt down, pursue closely, track down, follow after. It was obviously Simon and the other three disciples who tracked Jesus down. "Tracked him to his retreat", Swete.

v37
      legousin (legw) pres. "they exclaimed" - they say. Historic present tense expressing what was happening at that time.
      oJti "-" - Introducing direct speech.
      panteV adj. "everyone" - all. Emphatic position where "all" is placed before the verb to emphasize its completeness.

v38
      agwmen (agw) subj. "let us go" - Hortatory subjunctive = a command or exhortation.
      ecomenaV (ecw) pres. mid. part. "nearby [villages]" - having, possessing. The middle has the meaning, "neighboring", "next to".
      kwmopoleiV (iV ewV) "villages" - village, town, market town. Possibly a small village, although Jesus probably means other market towns like Capernaum rather than just all the local villages.
      exhlqon (exercomai) aor. "I have come" - I go out, come forth. Possibly come out from Capernaum, or came out on mission, or even, came forth from the Father. Second option is best: "I want to proclaim my message there too, for that is what I came to do", Barclay.