Let there be light, but tone it down some, will ya!

 

At the beginning God expressed Himself.  That personal expression, that Word, was with God, and was God, and He existed with God from the beginning.  All creation took place through Him, and none took place without Him.  In Him appeared life, and this life was the light of mankind.  The light still shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.  --John 1:1-5 (Phillips)

 I'll never understand those people who wear sunshades at night.  Is their sense of style so powerful that they must project a cool image even at the risk of stumbling over obstacles in their path?  I'm always suspicious that they are trying to hide something that their eyes might reveal, namely bloodshot eyes that would show how tired they were, or maybe dilated pupils that would reveal that they were under the influence of some mood altering substance.

Shades do have a purpose during the day.  They might help us see more clearly when looking at the direction of the sun, the brightest natural object on Earth.  They help reduce glare and focus more clearly on the thing which holds our attention.

When Jesus was on earth, He was the center of attention wherever He went.  Jesus said in John 18:12, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life."  Those who followed Him were bathed in that light, but may not have fully appreciated the light because of His brightness.  Therefore He gave them "spiritual sunshades" in the form of Parables.  When understood in their proper context, parables will reduce the glare of misunderstanding and help bring His message into clearer focus.  At the very least, they were intended to help avoid pitfalls and stumbling blocks in their spiritual path.  For those who did not follow the light so closely, who lived in darkness, the "spiritual sunshades" blinded them further, so that they fell prey to the pitfalls and stumbled over the stumbling blocks.  I think this is why Jesus said in Mark 4:11-12, when the disciples asked Him about the parables, He said, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that 'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven'."

Mark continues this theme in chapter 4, verses 21 through 23:

And He said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?  For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." --Mark 4:21-23

As we delve further into our expository study of the book of Mark, we come to three pivotal parables that Jesus shared with His disciples about sowing seeds and reaping spiritual fruit.  It was broken down to them in ways they could understand, but when told to the Pharisees, they could not stop Him from introducing a New Covenant (holding fast to the Old Covenant as they were) because His words were about simple farming practices--sowing seeds, the germination and growth of those seeds, and reaping the harvest.  When taken literally, His words were harmless.  When seen through spiritual eyes, however, His words were powerful and profound.

Sowing the Word

And He said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.  For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."  --Mark 4:24-25

A lot of people misinterpret this passage, and use it to promote a prosperity gospel.  The more you give in the form of money and possessions, they say, the more money and possessions you will get back.  This is not what He was saying at all.  Look at these same words in Matthew 13.

To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  This is why I speak to you in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear.  --Matthew 13:11-13

This is spiritual form of the adage, "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer," but it is not speaking of monetary wealth.  It is focused on spiritual truth.  The more spiritual truth you have, the more you will get; but if you allow lies and deception to rule over you, even the tiniest bits of truth you may have acquired over time will be plowed under.  In essence, the Pharisees were burying the light that they did have under traditions and misinformation.

Do not be deceived by the lies that the world throws at you.  Instead, accumulate biblical truth and apply it to your life, so that truth can be multiplied in you.  "Give, and it will be given to you.  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.  For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38). 

Seeds will grow--Promise!

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.  He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.  The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  --Mark 4:26-29

Farmers in that day probably did not know how seeds germinated and grew.  Science has advanced over the last 2000 plus years such that grade school kids are now taught that a seed, properly cared for, will break open and divide, sending roots downward and green stems upward.  Flower seeds will produce flowers, wheat seeds will produce wheat, and bean seeds will produce beans.  It really is miraculous, if you think about it.

The cycle of seed germination cannot be rushed.  It will happen in the time that God ordained at the creation of the world.  In the same way, baby Christians do not become mature in Christ overnight.  They must be fed, first with the "milk of the word" then with "meat" (see 1 Peter 2:2, 1 Corinthians 3:2).  They must be discipled and taught so that they can eventually feed themselves.  Only then can they be expected to be ready to feed and grow others in the faith.

Another thing to remember is that God is in charge.  We are told to sow good seed.  Whether it takes root, we cannot tell.  How long it will take to bear fruit, God knows.  What joy we experience when we share the word of God with someone, then watch them grow and bear fruit and share the gospel with others.  However, we are to remain faithful, and keep sowing, even if we do not see the results we want to see.

There's a tree in that seed

And He said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."  --Mark 4:30-32

Your voice can change the world.  We have recently heard a lot of messages about politics, because Election Day in the United States is next Tuesday.  We may think our one vote is insignificant, but the message we have been barraged with over the last two months is that our vote matters.  In the same way, you sharing your faith matters.  Who can tell whether the person you share your story with might one day become a great pastor or author, influencing hundreds and even thousands for the Lord.

On a more personal level, this underscores what Jesus was saying about the light.  You know you are called to be a light to the world, but it may seem that the world has buried you and hidden your light.  Do not be discouraged.  We have already seen where Jesus said "Nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light."  On one level, this may refer to our secret sins being brought to light on Judgment Day.  On the other hand, couldn't it also apply to a single, solitary light faithfully shining, by God's power breaking through and shining for all to see?

In Joseph Haydn's oratorio "The Creation", there is a moment where the composer was trying to make a point.  The soloist sings very quietly the text from Genesis 1, setting the tone of overwhelming darkness. "In the beginning," he sings, "God made heaven and earth; and the earth was without form and void."  The orchestra eases in, again very quietly, as the soloist continues. "And darkness was upon the face of the deep."  The chorus adds their voices, pianissimo, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  And God said Let there be light.  And.  There. Was."  The chorus takes a collective breath, and the orchestra pauses, just before the loudest possible dynamic while still sounding musical, the chorus and orchestra emphasize the word together: "LIGHT!!!"

The stark contrast of dynamics (softest, then loudest) in Haydn's piece was meant to emphasize that where once there was utter, overwhelming darkness, now there is light--a light that cannot be hidden, cannot be contained, cannot be ignored.  The only way you can not be profoundly moved by this piece of music is not to hear it.  In the same way, the only way you can not experience the overwhelming Light of the World named Jesus is to turn your back, wear blinders, and bury yourself in utter darkness.

It is only by the Providence of God that you are given a chance to see this Light, to hear this Word, to know this Salvation.  Mark concludes this section on parables with a summation. "With many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.  He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to His own disciples He explained everything." (Mark 4:33-34)

I pray that God will open your eyes to see, your ears to hear, and your heart to respond to this message.  "For it is by grace you are saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves--it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8-9)  If you harden your heart, God will set you in utter darkness.  The "spiritual shades" He provided to the chosen disciples to help them focus on Him will make you stumble and fall to the point you will find yourself in a place of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

Bearing fruit requires deep roots

 

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.  --John 15:8

A fellow once came up to a Baptist preacher in the market, and started teasing him.  "You Baptists," he said.  "You think that you're the only ones going to Heaven."  The wise old preacher replied, "It's even worse than that, Friend.  We believe that a lot of Baptists won't make it to heaven, either."

I grew up in the Baptist church and must have heard that joke a hundred times, but you can really insert any Christian denomination in there and it will be just as true.  A wise evangelist knows that of the millions that went to hear Billy Graham preach back in the day, not all of them responded to the Gospel.  Of the thousands that responded to the altar calls, not all of them became true believers.  Of the hundreds that fill every church in every community in every town across this nation and around the world, only a tiny fraction will come to know God on a personal level.  Nevertheless, a wise evangelist keeps on preaching the word of the Lord.

Jesus knew this when He preached to the multitudes by the sea.  We see in the fourth chapter of Mark,

Again, He began to teach beside the sea.  And a very large crowd gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.  And He was teaching them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them: "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.  Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil.  And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.  Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.  And other seed fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."  And He said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."  --Mark 4:1-9

I have been told that the Sea of Galilee is a natural amphitheater.  People who have been on a Holy Land tour are amazed that sound travels so far in that particular area that when Jesus sat on the boat a few feet from the shore, everyone in the multitude could hear His words.  That does not mean, however, that they understood what He was saying.

And when He was alone, those around Him with the Twelve asked Him about the parables.  And He said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that 'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven'."  --Mark 4:10-12

Jesus was explaining to His disciples that they would carry His message forward, but that the message would not be accepted and they would face ridicule, persecution, and even death.  His reference to Isaiah 6:8-13 was meant to encourage them to keep on preaching the Word, no matter what.  The disciples knew the story of Isaiah, how God asked, "Whom shall I send, and who will go out for us?"  Isaiah promptly responded, "Here I am!  Send me." (Isaiah 6:8).  You may have heard sermons based on this verse, but like Paul Harvey used to say, here's the REST of the story.  God told Isaiah, "Got and say to this people, 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but doe no perceive'." (Isaiah 6:9).

Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, and He commissioned the disciples to carry on with His message and purpose, even to the point of death.  He then explains the parable to them.

Vandals

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them." --Mark 4:13-15

Satan will vandalize the beautiful words of Christ so that they do not take root in the lives of many who hear.  He will steal the message of joy and healing, so that it sounds like foolishness to them.  I Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."  It was not bad seed that was sown.  It is not the fault of the sower that the ground was hard and the seed did not take root.  If the seed was good and the sower did nothing wrong in sowing it, why was it not fruitful?   1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Scandals

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.  And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.  --Mark 4:16-17

 The word translated here "fall away" literally means to be caused to stumble.  The Greek word is skandalizo, from which we get our word "scandalized".  In our current culture, we have an idea that tribulation or persecution means beheading Christians for their faith.  What we don't link to persecution is creating a scandal such as a church meeting in person during a pandemic.  Those who fall away because of the danger of persecution or tribulation or scandal were not in the faith to begin with.

Brambles

Now these are the ones sown among thorns: they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  --Mark 4:18-19

Many theologians struggle over this part--some say these are carnal Christians but Christians nonetheless, while others say these were never saved to begin with.  In the Jewish world from which the disciples were chosen, there was no sin greater than idolatry.  Remember the story of Lot's wife?  God called Lot out of the city of Sodom before He destroyed it completely, but his wife looked back longingly, missing what she had left.  She did not receive grace because she looked back, so she was destroyed along with those in the city.  John 15:6 says, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."  So even though these people receive the word and take root and grow, if they allow the thorns and weeds to choke them and make them unfruitful, they are gathered up and cast into the fire.

Let me reiterate--if you call yourself a Christian, but place more importance on what people think, or wealth and riches, or any other created thing over the Creator, then you are as much a child of hell as any murderer on death row.

Examples

But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.  --Mark 4:20

There are people who are ready to hear the word, whom the Holy Spirit has prepared, whom the Father has chosen by divine election, for whom Christ died.  It is our job to sow the seed, spread the word of God, in hopes that the seed will fall on this good ground.  1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."  In other words, be an example by bearing fruit, which can only be done with deep roots grounded in good ground.  Bearing fruit does require deep roots.

 

A house divided

 

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.  --Matthew 12:30

Back in the days before the internet, young people used to play a game called "telephone."  As telephone service improved and fewer people had party lines (look it up), the name changed to "gossip."  In this game, one person would whisper a phrase into the next person's ear, and that person would whisper the same message to the next person, and so on until the last person would say out loud the phrase that he or she heard.   A message that started out, "Tom says why can't we be friends today" would degenerate into the phrase "Mom says my Aunt Phoebe has the bends, but she's okay."  Each person in line would mis-hear the message, try to reconcile it in their minds so that it becomes a coherent phrase, and then share what they thought they heard.

This game is a lot like the messages going around today about the U.S. Presidential election, but magnified a thousand times.  There are spin doctors and fact checkers, and television and radio commercials that try to crystallize a candidate's position in just 30 seconds.  Most of the electorate don't like the candidate for their own party very much, but they absolutely can't stand the other guy.  We have internet platforms like Facebook and Twitter that magnify messages out of proportion.  That message is posted multiple times, followed by a muted message by some fact checking agency that says something like, "Partially untrue, lacks context," or, "Mostly false."

Solomon once said, "There is nothing new under the sun."  Even back in the days that Jesus walked on the earth there was mis-information.  We see that clearly indicated in the book of Mark, chapter 3, starting in verse 21:

And when His family heard it, they went out to seize Him, for they were saying, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons He casts out the demons."  And He called them to Him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.  But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  Then indeed he may plunder his house.  Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"--for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."  --Mark 3:21-30

The Family Divided

Let's start by looking at verse 21, and try to understand the context of it.  Word had gotten around that Jesus had the power to cast out demons, to free people of unclean spirits, and to heal physical maladies.  Crowds gathered to witness Jesus in action, and many came for healing and deliverance themselves.  The masses of people gathered to be near Him got so large and so out of control that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat (see Mark 3:20).

At the same time, rumors started circulating that Jesus was not who He said He was.  The scribes and Pharisees started spreading false rumors about Him because they could not reconcile His message and miracles in their own minds.  Here are three memes or viral messages that they started:

He is possessed by Beelzebul (or Beelzebub).  This is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshiped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon.  The name is associated with the Canaanite god Baal (or Ba'al).  I believe this line of thinking implies that the religious leaders were shaking their heads, saying that this phenomenon was the same thing that the Jewish people had been fighting since the time of the Judges (see Judges 2:13).

By the prince of demons He casts out the demons.  This twist of logic assumes that since Jesus stood up to the religious leaders of the day, that He must not be a messenger of God, but of Satan himself.  They did not understand the authority given to Him, so the source of that authority was questioned.

He has an unclean spirit.  This is a kinder, gentler rebuke but it still denies the deity of Christ.  It assumes a sin nature shared by all humanity.  All humanity needs forgiveness of sin; Jesus was human; therefore, Jesus needed to humble Himself before God and seek forgiveness.

When these rumors and accusations reached the House of Joseph, their reaction was alarm.  "He has lost his mind!" they thought.  Tradition tells us that Joseph had passed away by this time, because later in the passage it says His mother and brothers came to take Him away.  I think that Mary may have been confused a bit, but she had to have believed in the deity of Jesus.  Remember the angel who appeared to her before He was born?  His half brothers, however, must have had other ideas, ranging from "He is a disgrace to the family" to "He has desecrated the synagogue and broken the Law of Moses" to "He has lost his ever loving mind."  Jewish law demanded that the sons would take care of their widowed mother when their father died, and Jesus was apparently contributing nothing to this task even though He was her firstborn.  They looked at Jesus through the lens of shame, betrayal, and blasphemy.

The Spirit World Divided

Jesus spoke out about these three accusations and rumors using logic, persuasion, and passion.  Since there is no better commentary on Scripture than Scripture itself, let's look at how Matthew described the sermon.

Knowing their thoughts, He said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.  And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  Then indeed he may plunder his house.  Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.  Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.  And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."  --Matthew 12:22-32

Jesus used logic to show that He was not in league with Satan, because Satan would not turn against himself.  Then He aimed the accusations back against His accusers.  If Jesus was sent by God and these religious leaders were attacking His Spirit, then they were committing the unforgivable sin.  It was they who had lost their minds, who had succumbed to evil spirits, and who were beholden to Satan. 

A New Unity of Family and Spirit

And His mother and His brothers came, and standing outside they sent to Him and called Him.  And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you."  And He answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"  And looking about at those who sat around Him, He said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!  For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."  --Mark 3: 31-35

Jesus officially cut ties with His family, who were at odds with His mission.  Think about that for a minute.  I want to urge those who believe in the veneration of Mary to hear this.  Mary is not some co-equal with Christ, she has no divine powers, and she certainly is not the "Mother of God."  God pre-existed Mary, but He used her to accomplish His purpose in carrying Jesus in human form.  Jesus was sinless; Mary was a sinner, as we can clearly see in this passage.  Mary and her other sons James, Joses, Judas and Simon were ready to take hold of Jesus, quiet His message, stifle His mission, and perhaps even kill Him.  In fact, two of those brothers, James and Joses, were at the crucifixion (see Mark 15:40) where Jesus entrusted the care of His mother Mary to His beloved disciple John.

Mary repented.  So did James, who tradition says wrote the New Testament book of James.  They helped Jesus gather His flock together, so that His followers could call one another brother and sister.  Sadly, Joses, Judas and Simon fell away; they rejected the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit and were thus cast into utter darkness.

The family of Christ Jesus is not limited to His mother and four brothers.  On the other hand, the family of the Holy Spirit does not include the entire world.  The ones included in God's family are limited to those that do the will of God, repent and believe.  The rest have denied God, rejected Jesus, and have thus blasphemed the Holy Spirit.

When the walls are closing in

 

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.  --2 Corinthians 4:8-9

When the Batman television series premiered, I was four years old, and my sister was just a baby.  I remember draping a towel over my shoulders to look like a cape, so that I could run through the house with the theme song running through my head.  "Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na BATMAN!!"  My mother encouraged this nonsense, as she showed me how to put the towel over my head with clothespins that approximated the pointy ears on Adam West's cowl.  It was a wonder I didn't insist on a mask, or else we might have had eye holes cut in all of our bath towels.

As my little sister grew up and was able to run through the house with me, she took on the persona of the faithful sidekick "Robert."  My dad would always chuckle at our costumes, and would ask who we were, just to hear us say "Batman and Robert."  My mom says that when I was away visiting my grandmother, my sister was promoted to "Mat-man!" as she ran through the house alone, dressed as her own version of the caped crusader.

One of the episodes that stands out in my mind was when our intrepid hero was trapped in a room with the walls closing in on him.  He seemed to keep his cool, but I could imagine beads of sweat collecting on his forehead beneath the mask.  Yes, it's cheesy--I was five; get over it.

Often, though, we are in situations where we feel crushed by circumstances.  We feel overwhelmed, as if the walls were virtually closing in on us.  The Bible says that Jesus felt the very same way in His ministry.  Today we will see how He handled it.

Don't Be Distracted

In our study in the book of Mark, we have already seen how the growing crowds that were following Jesus got in the way of His teaching.

Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon.  When the great crowd heard all that He was doing, they came to Him.  And he told His disciples to have a boat ready for Him because of the crowd, lest they crush Him, for He had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around Him to touch Him.  --Mark 3:7-10

I believe that when Satan saw Jesus's compassion and that He was willing to use His healing power to help people, the devil tried to use it against Him.  Jesus may have planned to preach the Gospel, and along the way heal some people.  What actually happened was that so many sick people crowded around Him, He was physically crushed, and practically unable to do what He originally set out to do.  Don't get me wrong, I know that Jesus always knew that he was going to ultimately sacrifice His life on the cross for His people, but that's not what He was doing day to day with His disciples.

I believe His purpose at this point in His life was to preach Good News to the people, to show Himself as the Messiah who had been foretold in Scripture.  Doubtless many healthy people followed Him to hear this message.  However, the sick and the lame pressed in so hard that He had to get into a boat on the Sea of Galilee to keep from being crushed or trampled by them.

Another way that Satan tried to thwart His mission was by having all of the unclean spirits testify to His divinity.  Mark 3:11-12 says, "And whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, 'You are the Son of God.'  And He strictly ordered them not to make Him known."  I have written before about bad press, and how it could have hampered Jesus's mission.  The devil tried to insulate Jesus from the people who were trying to hear Him preach, first with a layer of sick and injured people, and then with a layer of people possessed by unclean spirits.  Sure, these people (the sick and demon possessed) needed Jesus, but so did the rest.

Whenever you feel crushed by your circumstances, remember what Jesus did.

Do Disciple Others

There's a commercial series for Southwest Airlines that has the tag line, "Wanna get away?"  Sometimes we do need to retreat to a quiet place and be alone with God, or maybe with a support group of like minded people.  In the next passage, we see that Jesus withdrew to a place away from the crowds, and mentored those whom He had chosen.  

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those whom He desired, and they came to Him.  And He appointed twelve (whom He also called Apostles) so they might be with Him and He might send them out to preach and have authority to cast our demons. --Mark 3:13-15

There may have been many that followed Jesus up the mountain, but those that were there were discipled by Him.  They were spiritually fed, they were taught, and they were given the same authority that Jesus had been given, namely to preach the Good News, to heal the sick, and to cast out demons.  Isn't this what Jesus had been doing all alone until now?

By mentoring and teaching and authorizing the Apostles to do the same kind of work, There were now at least 13 men who could share the work, instead of just one.  These men could insulate Jesus from those crying out for help and healing, so that He could concentrate on preaching the word of God.  Later, we will see how Jesus sent them out in teams of two, six different teams to go and preach and heal and cast out demons in different towns and villages along the way.  In His human form, Jesus could not be two places at once, but with the help of the disciples, the true message could be spread more quickly and efficiently.  To this point, the message had been spread by word of mouth only, but crowd sourcing like this could be dangerous, giving people a false gospel or a false doctrine.  The Apostles spoke for Jesus, even after his ascension into heaven.

All the business gurus who have written books about mentoring as a leadership model owe their wisdom to  Jesus, because He originated the practice.  The difference is that the secular businessmen who promote mentoring do it to maximize profit, while Jesus did it to save souls. 

Delegate the Work

He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom He gave the name  Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.  Then He went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.  --Mark 3:16-20

Here Mark names the twelve Apostles whom Jesus appointed.  What did He appoint them to do?  To preach the good news, to heal the sick, and to cast out demons--the very thing that was taking so much time away from Jesus.  Remember the crowds were so thick around Him that He could not move--He was literally being crushed by all the bodies around Him.  After He had appointed them, the crowds were still there, but the needs were being met more quickly and the sick and the lame were being dispatched more efficiently.

When I was growing up, there was a man in our church who challenged me before I went off to college.  He told me to do two things:  He said I should find a Paul to my Timothy, and also a Timothy to my Paul.  What he meant was that I should find a spiritual mentor, someone who was more mature in the faith who could help me grow in the Lord.  At the same time, I should find someone with whom I could share my experiences in the faith, someone who needed my help in finding grace to grow in Christ.  I should not only be a disciple, but I should also disciple others.

What has God delegated you to do?  Yes, He has given you grace not to be overwhelmed when the walls seem to be closing in on you.  He has also given us a task to do the work.  James 1:22 says, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only."  He goes on to explain:

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.  --James 1:23-25

God does not call us to be a superhero--Jesus fulfilled that role.  He does call us to be a side-kick, a helper, a doer of the word.  In being a servant of the most high God, we find that we can help those who feel as though the walls are closing in on them, in Jesus' name.

 

Clashing with the traditionalists

 

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.  --Colossians 2:8

This week marks the season of Sukkot for the Jews.  The Bible calls it the Feast of Tabernacles, and it is described in Leviticus 23:33-44.  It is basically a harvest celebration, but the Jewish people were commanded to build booths or tents to commemorate the time that the children of Israel spent wandering in the wilderness after they left Egypt on their way to the Promised Land.

Actress Miyam Bialik (Beaches, Big Bang Theory) has a Facebook page wherein she explains certain Jewish feasts and traditions.  She did a pretty good job describing Sukkot (or Sukkos in the more common Yiddish).  She gives details about the historical and biblical context, and explains why and how Jews still carry on the traditions today.  Interestingly, she says that the booths that they erect each year have the names of their ancestors written on them; some even write prayers mentioning their ancestors on their walls.

While the feast is certainly biblical, the part about remembering or honoring their ancestors is not.  It is a tradition that was added to the celebration over time.  Someone probably decided to list their ancestors on the wall of their booth one year, and others saw it and decided to do the same the next year.  Over time, the practice spread and became part of the annual observance.

You may remember the opening song in the musical Fiddler On the Roof:

Because of our traditions, we've kept our balance for many, many years.
Here in Anatevka we have traditions for everything...
how to eat, how to sleep, even, how to wear clothes.
For instance, we always keep our heads covered and always wear a little prayer shawl...
This shows our constant devotion to God. You may ask, how did this tradition start?
I'll tell you - I don't know. But it's a tradition...
Because of our traditions, everyone knows who he is and what God expects him to do.

Tradition!

Observant Jews always put on their right shoe first, to remind them of God's righteousness.

Tradition!

During the Jewish New Year, they dip apples in honey in hopes that it will be a sweet and fruitful year.

TRADITION!!

In the book of Mark, the Pharisees challenged Jesus three times about breaking tradition.  We will look at these three stories and how Jesus addressed them.

Fasting

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.  And people came and said to Him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.  The days will com when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.  No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.  If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins.  If he does, the wine will burst the skins--and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins.  But new wine is for fresh wineskins.  --Mark 2:18-22

The Old Testament commanded that the people fast one day a year, on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:29-31).  The Pharisees made it a once-weekly observance, and the really devout fasted twice a week.  Jesus saw through this game of "I'm holier that thou" that they were playing.  He even spoke about it in a parable in Luke 18.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."  --Luke 18:9-14

So we know what Jesus truly thought of the Pharisees, who practiced their religious traditions to be seen by men.  However, here in Mark 2, I think He was giving them a chance to repent.  Isaiah 42:9 says, "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."  So Jesus tells them something new: fasting is a practice of mourning, of depriving yourself for purposes of repentance or dedication, or (as Paul said later) to discern the will of God.  Fasting definitely has a time and a purpose.  However, if the answer to all your prayers is standing right in front of you, in the flesh, why in the world would you continue this tradition?

The one time that God had commanded them to fast was on the Day of Atonement.  On that day they went without food in reparation (making amends) or expiation (the act of extinguishing the guilt incurred by something) for their sins.  Under the old covenant, a sacrifice was offered to atone for the sins of the people.  Under the new covenant, Jesus became that sacrifice for us, to make us right with God and to restore fellowship with Him.  That calls for celebration, not mourning; it calls for feasting, not fasting.

Jesus gave two more hints about the new not being compatible with the old.  New, unshrunk cloth could not be used to patch an old garment.  When it is washed, the new cloth shrinks and tears away from the old cloth, making the hole in the garment bigger.  Similarly, new wine expands; so if new wine is poured into old, stretched-out wineskins, then the skin would burst and the new wine would be spilled.

New faith is not compatible with old traditions.

Work on the Sabbath

God commanded a day of rest.  This was a big deal, as it was listed in the Ten Commandments.  "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it you shall not do any work; you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.  For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day.  Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11)

If we want to be like God, then we will set aside one day and do no work.  This day of rest will make the rest of the week more productive, because we were not meant to work ourselves to death.  "Work to live; do not live to work."

Seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it?  Do no work, don't make others (sons, daughters, servants or livestock) work, do not even allow visitors to work.  Yet the Pharisees had to make it difficult.  They set about to define "work", and made a list of forbidden activities that one could not do on the Sabbath.  For example, since one could not sow or reap, plow or grind wheat on the Sabbath, then neither should one continue the process of making bread.  Therefore added to the list of forbidden activities were such things as sifting flour, kneading dough, or baking the bread.  Since you could not shear sheep or weave cloth, or even stretch or dye cloth on the Sabbath, then neither should you sew, thread a needle, or tie (or untie) a knot.

Going to what may seen ridiculous extremes, activities forbidden on the Sabbath might include making a bouquet of flowers or adding water to a vase of cut flowers, because these activities mimic planting or harvesting (causing flowers to grow, or binding them into a "sheaf").  One could not separate rotten fruit from good fruit, because it is too much like winnowing or sifting.  Other forbidden acts included cutting your hair or nails (shearing); applying makeup (dyeing); braiding your hair (weaving); opening an umbrella (building); turning on a light switch (kindling a fire).

So given this tradition, the Pharisees observed Jesus and his disciples walking through a grainfield on the Sabbath, plucking heads of grain, rubbing them between their hands, and eating them.  Heaven forbid!

One Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, His disciples began to pluck heads of grain.  And the Pharisees were saying to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  And He said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him; how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priest to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."  --Mark 2:23-28

I can imagine the disciples following Jesus, who was taking a stroll on a Saturday.  Walking was not prohibited in itself, but walking over a certain distance was frowned upon.  The Pharisees were hypocritically following close behind (walking at least as much as Jesus did), carefully observing what Jesus and His followers were doing.  One of the disciples may have make a comment, "I'm hungry."  Jesus may have told him to grab some natural granola, since it was right there.  The Pharisees were making a list of activities they should not do on the Sabbath, but that they were doing anyway: walking (iffy), harvesting, threshing, separating the wheat from the chaff, preparing food--there were easily a half dozen or so laws that were being broken.

When they confronted Jesus, He quoted Scripture at them.  He reminded them of David, a hero of the Jewish faith, leading his men into the temple.  The men had not eaten, and the priest gave them the bread on the altar. The law said that this bread was for the priests only, yet they shared with David and his men.  Jesus was not only equating Himself with David the king.  He was identifying himself as a priest, one who shared food with His followers even though they were prohibited from eating it.  He identified Himself as a prophet, using the phrase "Son of Man" that God had used to identify the prophet Ezekiel.

This must have made the Pharisees furious.  Not only was Jesus breaking the law of Moses (remember that Moses warned the people that the manna could not be gathered on the Sabbath, so they were to gather twice as much on Friday so that no "work" would be done on Saturday); He was also identifying Himself with Ezekiel, Abiathar, and David.  Prophet, priest, and king.

Healing on the Sabbath

Again He entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.  And they watched Jesus, to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here."  And He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.  And He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.  The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him.  --Mark 3:1-6

Pharisees had already observed Jesus and His disciples unlawfully harvesting on the Sabbath.  Now they were watching Him to see if He was daring enough to perform a healing (presumably the "work" of a physician).  Jesus turned the question back on them--is it lawful to do good or do harm?  In Matthew's account of this event, Jesus goes further.  "He said to them, 'Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value is a man than a sheep?  It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." (Matthew 12: 11-12).  

Mark says Jesus got angry with them for their hardness of heart.  They would rather catch Him breaking their tradition than see this poor man healed.  He glared at them, shutting them down, making them cower as He healed the poor man's withered hand.  It's hard for many of us to imagine Jesus having any emotions other than love and compassion for the sick, but it's right there: He looked at them with anger.

I wouldn't want Jesus to look at me with anger.  The Pharisees went out to see if they could kill Jesus, even if it meant conspiring with the hated Romans, here referred to as followers of Herod.  My response is markedly different.  I want Jesus to look at me approvingly, saying "Well done, good and faithful servant."  I want to accomplish His will by any means possible, even if it means breaking with tradition.