“And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.”
News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee — the exorcism's immediate consequence is geographic spread of reputation. Mark uses immediately (euthys) again, and the news spreads with the same urgency that characterizes everything in this Gospel. The whole region of Galilee indicates rapid, comprehensive spread from a single synagogue event. The reputation precedes Jesus; people will already know who he is when he arrives in new locations. This creates both opportunity (crowds will gather) and complication (the crowds may bring the wrong expectations about what the kingdom means). The spreading news is unstoppable despite later commands to silence — the kingdom's arrival cannot be contained.
Church Fathers on Mark 1:28
Since by the envy of the devil death first entered into the world, it was right that the medicine of healing should first work against the author of death; and therefore it is said, 'And there was in their synagogue a man, &c.'
Moreover, how great is the power which the lowliness of God, appearing in the form of a servant, has over the pride of devils, the devils themselves know so well, that they express it to the same Lord clothed in the weakness of flesh. For there follows, 'And he cried out, saying, What have we to do we Thee, Jesus of Nazareth, &c.'
For to come out of man the devil considers as his own perdition; for devils are ruthless, thinking that they suffer some evil, so long as they are not troubling men.
Read all 8 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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