21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
22 And they were astonished at his doctrine : for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the Scribes.
23 And there was in their syna- gogue a man with an unclean spirit ; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone ; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ? art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
27 And they were all amazed, in- somuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this ? what new doctrine is this ? for with authority commandeth he even
the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they en- tered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up ; and im- mediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were
with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door.
34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils ; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
These verses begin the long list of miracles which St, Mark's Gospel contains. They tell us how our Lord cast out devils in Capernaum, and healed Peter's wife's mother of a fever.
We learn, in the first place, from these verses, the use- lessness of a mere intellectual knowledge of religion. Twice we are specially told that the unclean spirits know our