Baruch 2 – The Lord is true to his threats as he is to his promises—both of which are the legacy of Moses to his people (the blessings and the curses). An interesting passage seems to ask the Lord to save his people because only the living can offer God the glory and praise appropriate to God. “Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see, for the dead who are in Hades, whose spirit has been taken from their bodies, will not ascribe glory or justice to the Lord; but the person who is deeply grieved, who walks bowed and feeble, with failing eyes and famished soul, will declare your glory and righteousness, O Lord” (2:16-18).

Blessed the humble, the meek, the poor in spirit—does Christ not evoke the same image for those who are blessed according to his gospel? He is also asking them to “serve” their enemies.  If they do these things, the Lord will restore them. “I will bring them again into the land that I swore to give to their ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and they will rule over it . . .” (2:34).

Mark 1:29-45 – Jesus is in Capernaum, on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee, teaching in the local synagogues and performing miracles aimed mostly at helping people who are sick or possessed by what are described as “demons.” The weird thing about these demons is they are the only “ones” who seem to have a knowledge of Jesus’ “authority.” If anyone has some insights as to why this might have been the case, I'd be interested to hear what you think. I have no clue, except maybe it is just that "demons" - accepted in some way by Jewish thinkers as part of the spirit world - might have been somehow more part of the "world" Jesus comes from. 

Jesus’ powers of healing make him a big draw. He seeks to be alone at times, and is seemingly worried about word getting out about him; still, he is entering the period of his public ministry. Rumors of his powers spread and “people came to him from everywhere” (1:45)