Mark 1:21–45 displays a certain unity. Temporally, it is marked off from Mark 1:16–20. At first it might seem that Jesus and the called disciples immediately enter Capernaum, but on closer inspection it is clear that there is a seam between Mark 1:20 and Mark 1:21.¹ For Mark 1:21 begins with the historical present: they went into Capernaum (eisporeuontai) and that introduces a new story in a lively manner. If their entrance had been an immediate continuation of Mark 1:20, the imperfect or aorist tense would have been used (see Mark 1:29, Mark 1:32, Mark 1:35, Mark 1:39).

Beginning with Mark 1:21 we find a succession of events that are chronologically connected (temporal connections in Mark 1:23, Mark 1:29, Mark 1:32, Mark 1:35, Mark 1:38–39). There is also a thematic connection: Jesus’ authority that extends even over demons and that supersedes the law of Moses (Mark 1:22, Mark 1:27, Mark 1:34, Mark 1:39, Mark 1:43–44).²