The Gospel of Mark was most likely written between 65 AD and 80 AD. Historical sources hint that Mark never actually met Jesus, but was a follower of Peter. This is an important distinction as the majority of the New Testament was written by Paul (whose philosophy and approach to spreading the Gospel were often at odds with Peter.) Peter is the disciple who Christ set as the rock his church would be built upon (Matthew 16:18)
Mark 1:21 reads, "They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach." What I thought was really interesting here was the approach that Jesus took in sharing the message He brought. Christ went into the synagogue, a place where there would be learned individuals who were well-versed in their own spiritual path (Judaism.) Rather than "preaching" (something that Christ does in verse 38 when He addresses the masses,) Christ chose to teach instead.
The Greek word for "teach" in this verse is didasko, meaning to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them or to explain or expound a thing. In other words, Christ did not take a confrontational stance - He offered another approach or interpretation to an established system of belief. The distinction here is an important one when we consider the larger flow of Christ's ministry. When Jesus interacted with those who had already found roots in their own spiritual path, he taught (didasko) them. When He taught those who did not have a strong spiritual foundation (the masses), he preached (kerusso), a word which implies a proclomation made with authority. If you've ever worked with a group of students on a spiritual path - especially those who have a measure of knowledge on the subject that you are presenting (such as those Jesus found in the synagogue) - you can't confront their beliefs or you risk alienating your students and closing their hearts to the message you bring. You have to present the information in such a way that you allow your students to come to your position on their own and reach the conclusion by themselves. The distinction between "teaching" and "preaching" when Christ is in a synagogue is illustrated again and again throughout the Gospels.
What's more, the teaching that Christ brought (certainly at odds with Jewish law on many points) was so profound that in two passages (Matthew 13:54 and Mark 6:2) that, "many who heard him were amazed." (Mark 6:2) Clearly, His approached worked. It's worth noting that in Mark 1:39 the verb changes from didasko ("teach") to kerusso ("preach.") Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching [kerusso] in their synagogues and driving out demons. The use of the word kerusso in this scripture (when used in regards to Christ's work in the synagogues) is most likely a literary device. While Jesus did visit the synagogues (an important event certainly worth noting by Mark) where He would have taught those deeply educated in their own spiritual beliefs, the majority of Christ's ministry was among the masses where his primary approach would be preaching or establishing a new foundation with which the listeners could approach God.
However, Christ didn't just preach at the masses - Jesus taught the common people as well when they gathered in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The difference is that when He taught the masses, Jesus did so with authority. "They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law." (Mark 1:21-22) What's interesting is that the Greek word for "authority" (exousia) that is used in this verse has two meanings that are potentially applicable to this passage.
The first definition is essentially the power of government or rule - in other words, one who embodies that type of power. In a traditional sense Christ's divinity was seen through His teachings and He spoke as one who possessed the power of the law rather than someone who simply interpretted it (the "teachers.") This interpretation would certainly be accurate and mesh nicely with modern church doctrine.
The second definition is the power of choice, someone who has been given the freedom or authority to choose their own way, even in the face of contrary tenets. Keep in mind that Jewish law at this time dictated huge swaths of daily life. For instance, Jesus was berated by the Pharisees for allowing his disciples to "pick some heads of grain" as they were walking through the grain fields on the Sabbath. (Mark 2:23) It is clear that, throughout the Gospels, the message that Jesus brought laid out a new path that was founded in love and contrary to controlling doctrine.
Spirituality commonly layers supporting and integrating meanings on top of each other. While we'll never know the intent of either Peter or Mark when this passage was laid down, it fits with the spirit of Christ and His message that both definitions of authority (exousia) in this verse are potentially accurate.
However, what's interesting is that, although the first interpretation of "authority" (Mark 1-21:22) as a reflection of Christ's divinity is the most commonly held , it is probably the less accurate of the two in the broader sense of Christ's ministry.
Mark 1:34 reads, "and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was." Again in Mark 1:43-44, after Jesus had healed a man with leprosy, "Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 'See that you don't tell this to anyone.'" As we all know from Mark 1:45, "Instead he [the man healed of leprosy] went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere."
This strongly insinuates that, unlike the common interpretation of Mark 1:21-22, where Christ's authority was seen as a reflection of His divinity, that it was most likely the alternate definition of exousia as freedom of choice - or as Christ offering freedom from the controlling view of spirituality as presented by the church - that mirrored what Jesus taught when He taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath. If Jesus had intended to allow His divinity to be clearly seen, He would not have commanded both the demons and the man he healed of leprosy to keep their silence where his power (or "authority") was concerned. Christ did not want this aspect of Himself to be known at this point of His ministry. What's more, as the people began to flock to Jesus, He "could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places."
However, again and again throughout the Gospels, Jesus teaches a path contrary to Jewish law and established religious tradition (a tradition which, through the interpretation of the Old Testament, much of current church doctrine is based upon.) In Mark 2:16 the Pharisees confronted the disciples over Christ's habit of eating with "tax collectors and ‘sinners.’" Some people (most likely John the Baptist's own followers, see Matthew 9:14) asked Jesus, "'How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?'” (Mark 2:18) Picking heads of grain was, “unlawful on the Sabbath." (Mark 2:24) Jesus and His disciples were constantly in violation of the modern equivalent of church law and dogma. It's why the Pharisees so adamantly opposed Christ's message. While His own violations of church law (as well as the violations of His disciples) were minor, Christ was clearly at odds with the established church.
In Mark 12:28-34 (a passage we'll be sharing in more depth in coming weeks) Christ was asked by a teacher of the law, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" The answer? Love for God and love for your fellow man. When the man replied, "“You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices," (Mark 12:32-33) Jesus answered simply, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." (Mark 12:34) This is the message that Christ brought - a message of love and freedom from everything that love is not.