Escape from Capernaum in Luke and Mark

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Giuseppe
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Escape from Capernaum in Luke and Mark

Post by Giuseppe »

So Luke 4:41-44 describes Jesus who abandons Capernaum because the people called him the Christ (of the demiurge).

41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. 42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea
And so the same escape from Capernaum as described in Mark.

32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 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.

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
But in Mark (just as in the episode of Caesarea Philippi) the "people" are replaced by Peter & co, who 'persecute' Jesus by following him. But note that the demons "knew" the true identity of Jesus (that he is the Jewish Christ) while in Luke the people "believed" that Jesus was the Jewish Christ of the demiurge, moving him to abandon Capernaum.

So the difference is that in Luke Jesus escapes people who believe him Christ while in Mark he escapes demons who know him as Christ.

The replacement of people with Peter is a strong clue of the Mark's embarrassment for the Jesus's reluctance to accept the view of the people about his presumed messianic identity.
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
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