Jesus gets famous

Thursday night was reading the first chapter of Mark's gospel, where Jesus first starts getting famous.

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 'What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!'
'Be quiet!' said Jesus sternly. 'Come out of him!' The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
(Mark 1:23-26)

One thing that surprised me about this ^ bit in particular was that someone with a demon in them (whether that means he was literally possessed by a bad spirit or if it was some kind of biological illness) was actually allowed into the synagogue, and whether everyone knew he had a demon in him. And I suppose it was lucky he was allowed in, because otherwise he wouldn't have been healed.

Another thing that I noticed throughout the chapter is how Jesus responded to his new popularity. After the exorcism in the synagogue, it seems Jesus was swamped with people who wanted to be healed (29-34). But rather than taking the show to the big city, he goes out into the country for some time out, and then does a regional tour:

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. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: 'Everyone is looking for you!'
Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.' So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.