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dickonai is in the imperfect tense. The N.I.V. recognizes this by translating "began to
wait on Him", rather than "ministered" of the A.V.
The day, which was the sabbath (Mark 1: 21), closed with a beautiful sunset scene. It
was evening (Mark 1: 33; Matt. 8: 14) and crowds came as the Lord Jesus stood at the
door of Peter's house and healed all and delivered them from demon possession. Satan
and the powers of darkness did their utmost to nullify the Lord's work at His first
coming, as they will do so again at the end of the age just prior to His second coming
(I.Tim.iv.1), hence the constant reference to demonism and the casting out of demons.
Matthew tells us that this was in harmony with Isa. 53: 4, "He took up our infirmities
and carried our diseases" (Matt. 8: 17, N.I.V.). This does not mean that diseases were
transferred to Christ, but that He removed the sufferings of those who were ill and
showed His sympathy with them by healing. Dr. A. T. Robertson shows that bastazo
occurs freely in the papyri with the sense of "lift, carry away". Moffatt translates: "He
took away our sicknesses and bore the burden of our diseases".
After these three miracles of healing we have three miracles of power over the forces
of nature, over evil spirits, and over sin and its consequences (8: 23-34; 9: 1-8). But
before this the Lord gives warnings to two would-be disciples. To the first who, with
self-confidence, promised to follow Christ fully, he was reminded of the cost of doing so:
"Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place
to lay His head" (8: 20, N.I.V.).
At other times the Lord stressed this, reminding His hearers of not putting the hand to
the plough and turning back (Luke 9: 62); taking up the cross with its suffering
(Matthew 16: 24), hating one's own father, mother and wife (Luke 14: 26), and selling
all one's possessions and giving to the poor (Matt. 19: 21). The pathway into the
Kingdom was far from easy and this the scribe who addressed Christ had yet to learn.