The history of the calendar is quite interesting. Quick: How many legs does an octopus have? Eight, right! Because “oct-” is the prefix meaning eight. Then why is October the tenth month? (And, “sept” means seven, “novem” means nine and “dec” means ten, as well. Why does February have 28 days? Well one legend says it is because one Caesar couldn’t dream of allowing another Caesar to have more days in the month named after them (July is named for Julius and August for Augustus). And the doozy of all calendar issues, in my mind, is that our first president never had his twenty-first birthday. He was 20 and the next time the calendar date came around to the date of his birth, he was 22.
But how we view the calendar affects some key dates for those who believe the Bible. This last week, our church, following the Jewish calendar celebrated Pentecost (or the Feast of Shavuout (or Weeks) as it is called in Leviticus 23), while many churches celebrated this day on May 15. The reason for this difference is because of the dates related to Easter (this year on March 27) while Passover fell on April 23-24. If Jesus, as the sacrificial lamb was killed with respect to Passover (He was, see Matthew 26.17-19, Mark 14.12-16, Luke 22.7-15, and John 18.28, 39 and 19.14), and His resurrection is celebrated on Easter,* then how can this discrepancy be? Well, the answer is relatively simple (man tried to make a system that works), while also being complex (the simplest way to say this is that most calendars are based on a solar calendar while the Jewish calendar operates on a lunar calendar).
*This post is about the dates of celebration, not the attempts to mix holidays such as the birth and resurrection of Jesus with traditional pagan holidays that were celebrated at the time. That post must wait for a later day.
First, let us see how the dates are given. Passover (Pesach) is always on the 15th day of the seventh month, or 15 Nisan. (The Jewish new year changed dates which made the first and seventh month switch places after the Law was given in Leviticus 23. Again check how our calendar changed in the date of the new year from the spring in 1752 to January 1 in 1753 – an eight month year for comparison with 11 missing days in Sept. of 1752 to sync calendars between the British Empire (Church of England) to a change made in the Roman Catholic Church in 1582.) The problem is that just like the calendar you may use daily, the first day of the seventh month of the year changes year after year after year. For instance, this year the first day of our seventh month (July 1) is Friday. That would make the 15th of July on Friday as well. But last year July 1 was on Wednesday (remember this year is leap year) and next year July 1 will be on Saturday. Thus, July 15 obviously moves as well.
This would be no problem except that Jesus rose on the first day of the week (Matthew 28.1, Mark 16.2,9, Luke 24.1, John 20.1,19). According to the calendars of that day – which must serve as the context for working from that statement – the first day of the week was Sunday. Thus, the idea is that we celebrate Easter always on Sunday. But if Jesus was killed on or near 15 Nisan, and rose three days later, what happens when 15 Nisan is on a Monday? Are we to celebrate Easter mid-week?
And thus the challenge. So, in 325 AD, the Church, meeting at the Council of Nicea decided on a few pertinent matters for the church. One such matter was to settle a long debate on when Easter should be celebrated. The decision was that it should always be celebrated on a Sunday (following the idea that Jesus rose on the first day of the week) and thus created a formula that Easter would always fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal (Spring) equinox. Thus, Easter’s date will fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21. This year, the first full moon after March 21 was on March 23rd, so Easter was March 27. (We should realize that some, like the Eastern Orthodox Church does not follow this convention – they always celebrate Easter after Passover.)
As for the Jewish calendar (and this is simplified), because they use a lunar calendar (again, simplified), which has 29 to 30 days each month (instead of our 30 and 31 in most cases), they have fewer days each year which produces the need to have a leap month every three years or so to ensure that Passover (Pesach) is in the Spring (which the accompanying feast must be at the Spring harvest). This 13-month year is referred to as a pregnant year because of the added month. This may sound odd, but recall my first paragraph for how we have arbitrarily manipulated the calendar. However, the Jewish approach has been consistent for thousands of years even if not always as scientific as it is today.
So, should when should we celebrate Easter? Well, technically, the Bible doesn't say we should, however the greatest event in history does deserve something, doesn’t it? While I think the early Councils were beneficial for various reasons, I think they erred on this issues. We celebrate the birth of Christ on a certain date regardless of day, so why not the resurrection? Sure, it would change the meaning of Good Friday, but it didn’t look good on that particular day, and it likely was Thursday anyway (again, another post – around Passover next Spring).
I hope I haven’t confused the issue further, but again this is both a simple and complex issue. Ignore the complexities if you must and just realize that different calendaring systems will produce different dates for differing holidays celebrated by different faiths. But for those that want to dig a little deeper, this issue may just be scratching the surface for you. Dig deeper if you will, but don’t overlook that the most important fact is that Jesus did die and He did rise regardless of the dates we choose to celebrate.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
A Feast to Remember (3000 souls of wheat)
This past Sunday was the beginning of the Feast of Shavuot. This feast is also known as the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Pentecost (which means 50). I know many churches celebrated Pentecost on May 15, but the difference in dates must wait for another post (which I plan to do in a post on Friday). You can find more about Shavuot (pronounced Shah-voo-oat) on my previous post here. In this post, I want to provide a little more depth on what happened at Pentecost!
It was on the day of this feast that the Holy Spirit descended as tongues “as of fire” on the disciples’ heads (Acts 2.3-4). Peter then gave a message imploring many of the same people who were responsible for having Jesus crucified, to now put their trust in Him, And they did! In Acts 2.41, we are told that 3000 souls were added to their number on that day. But why 3000? Well, the Bible has an answer, and it is found in Exodus.
Many people know that there are 10 Commandments, whatever they might be. Most of these people probably know of the incident with the Israelites making a golden calf. This calf was formed while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law from God and was made because the people did not know what had happened to Moses and therefore did not know if he was coming back. When Moses (and Joshua) came down they heard the camp and then saw the golden calf.
After confronting Aaron, Moses called for all who were on the side of the Lord (Exodus 32.26). He then instructed these men to kill his brother, his neighbor, and his companion. The number that was killed was about 3000 men. What is also important to note is that Jewish tradition says this happened during the time which would become Shavuot.
Now, if we also understand that Shavuot was one of the three feasts where every able-bodied Jewish male was to go to Jerusalem (see the church’s blog), then on the day of Pentecost most of the people gathered there would have been Jews. (The term Jew is derived from the name of the tribe of Judah, and became common after the captivity in Babylon. Judah was one of the 12 tribes of Israel, so the Jews were direct descendants from the Israelite tribe of Judah (and Benjamin)).
So, at the time the Law was given, 3000 Israelites lives were removed from the community. But on the day the Spirit came, 3000 Jewish souls were added to God’s Kingdom!
But why should we consider these souls as wheat? This has to do with further understanding the Jewish Feasts as given by God in Leviticus 23. Shavuot is named because it begins 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits. While Shavuot takes place in the late Spring, Firstfruits takes place at the time of the early Spring harvest – a harvest which consisted of barley. According to 1 Corinthians 15.20-21, Jesus was THE firstfruit (the first to be resurrected).
Next comes the Feast of Shavuot during the late Spring and consists of wheat. The 3000 souls were a part of this harvest, as a result of the presence of the Holy Spirit as are all believers since until the great harvest to come in the future at the Feast of the Tabernacles (see Zechariah 12.10). This becomes clear when we see what was said about Jesus regarding the types of baptism He would bring – Spirit and fire. In Matthew 3.11-12 and Luke 3.16-17, this comment is made by John the Baptizer about Jesus. John then says that Jesus will separate the wheat from the chaff with the wheat being preserved (because of the Spirit) and the chaff being burned (by the fire). So, what, or, more correctly, who does the wheat represent? Souls that have been saved. We must recall that John’s father was a priest so John was well accustomed with the Jewish feasts, though he likely did not realize how prophetic these words would be.
Let me boil it down succinctly adding in Passover.
So, what is the point? The Holy Spirit is still at work in the world today continuing to harvest the “wheat” until the Lord returns again. And for those who call themselves Christians, it is not enough to be harvested. We are to follow Jesus and thus we are not only be a part of that harvest, but we are to harvest as well. For Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9.37-38).
The question is, how will we respond?
It was on the day of this feast that the Holy Spirit descended as tongues “as of fire” on the disciples’ heads (Acts 2.3-4). Peter then gave a message imploring many of the same people who were responsible for having Jesus crucified, to now put their trust in Him, And they did! In Acts 2.41, we are told that 3000 souls were added to their number on that day. But why 3000? Well, the Bible has an answer, and it is found in Exodus.
Many people know that there are 10 Commandments, whatever they might be. Most of these people probably know of the incident with the Israelites making a golden calf. This calf was formed while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law from God and was made because the people did not know what had happened to Moses and therefore did not know if he was coming back. When Moses (and Joshua) came down they heard the camp and then saw the golden calf.
After confronting Aaron, Moses called for all who were on the side of the Lord (Exodus 32.26). He then instructed these men to kill his brother, his neighbor, and his companion. The number that was killed was about 3000 men. What is also important to note is that Jewish tradition says this happened during the time which would become Shavuot.
Now, if we also understand that Shavuot was one of the three feasts where every able-bodied Jewish male was to go to Jerusalem (see the church’s blog), then on the day of Pentecost most of the people gathered there would have been Jews. (The term Jew is derived from the name of the tribe of Judah, and became common after the captivity in Babylon. Judah was one of the 12 tribes of Israel, so the Jews were direct descendants from the Israelite tribe of Judah (and Benjamin)).
So, at the time the Law was given, 3000 Israelites lives were removed from the community. But on the day the Spirit came, 3000 Jewish souls were added to God’s Kingdom!
But why should we consider these souls as wheat? This has to do with further understanding the Jewish Feasts as given by God in Leviticus 23. Shavuot is named because it begins 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits. While Shavuot takes place in the late Spring, Firstfruits takes place at the time of the early Spring harvest – a harvest which consisted of barley. According to 1 Corinthians 15.20-21, Jesus was THE firstfruit (the first to be resurrected).
Next comes the Feast of Shavuot during the late Spring and consists of wheat. The 3000 souls were a part of this harvest, as a result of the presence of the Holy Spirit as are all believers since until the great harvest to come in the future at the Feast of the Tabernacles (see Zechariah 12.10). This becomes clear when we see what was said about Jesus regarding the types of baptism He would bring – Spirit and fire. In Matthew 3.11-12 and Luke 3.16-17, this comment is made by John the Baptizer about Jesus. John then says that Jesus will separate the wheat from the chaff with the wheat being preserved (because of the Spirit) and the chaff being burned (by the fire). So, what, or, more correctly, who does the wheat represent? Souls that have been saved. We must recall that John’s father was a priest so John was well accustomed with the Jewish feasts, though he likely did not realize how prophetic these words would be.
Let me boil it down succinctly adding in Passover.
- On Passover, Jesus was the Passover Lamb which was slain.
- At the Feast of Firstfruits, Jesus was resurrected representing the first born from the dead.
- At the Feast of Shavuot, after the wheat harvest, 3000 souls were saved.
- The 3000 saved souls replaced the 3000 individuals killed according to Exodus 32.28.
- The souls, from the harvest of wheat, match the statement made by John the Baptizer about Jesus winnowing the wheat after they were baptized by the Spirit.
So, what is the point? The Holy Spirit is still at work in the world today continuing to harvest the “wheat” until the Lord returns again. And for those who call themselves Christians, it is not enough to be harvested. We are to follow Jesus and thus we are not only be a part of that harvest, but we are to harvest as well. For Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9.37-38).
The question is, how will we respond?
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
The Feast of Shavuot
During this year-long review of the gospel according to Mark, one of the main intentions is to better understand Jesus in the culture in which He lived. One fundamental aspect that most certainly paints a picture of the Jewish world is the celebration of the various feasts. Fairfax Baptist Church has decided to study, and even participate, in each of these feasts (as best we can) over the course of this year. As such, we took a break from our current study to focus this past Sunday (June 12) on the Feast of Shavuot, otherwise known as the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost. (Many churches celebrated Pentecost on May 15th, which corresponds to seven weeks after Easter. But Shavuot is seven weeks after the Feast of Firstfruits, not Easter. I will detail this difference in a separate blog later this week.)
Leviticus 23.15-22 describes The Feast of Weeks, which is the second of the three “solemn feasts” that all Jewish males were required to travel to Jerusalem to attend (Exodus 23.14-17; 34.22-23; Deuteronomy 16.16). These feasts were:
Shavuot is named because it starts seven full weeks after the Feast of First-fruits. Because it takes place fifty days after the previous feast, this feast came to be known, especially to people today, as “Pentecost” (which means 50.) Many Jewish traditions relate to this day although some of the traditions began after the time of Christ. Some of these traditions include:
The Bible says that is was on this day that Peter preached according to Acts 2 and 3000 souls were saved on that day. I will have more to say about this on my personal blog later in the week. Three common themes can be found in each of the Jewish feasts. These themes are God’s protection, God’s provision, and God’s promise. Related to the Feast of Shavuot, we see each of these as follows.
God’s Protection
God’s Provision
God’s Promise
I hope this brief article helps to pain a clearer picture of this feast. As for how the harvest of Shavuot relates to the other firstfruit harvests and Jesus baptizing by Spirit and fire, I will cover these in another blog tomorrow, and then on Friday, I hope to post about the difference in the dates for celebrating Pentecost (which ties back to when and how the date for Easter is calculated).
Leviticus 23.15-22 describes The Feast of Weeks, which is the second of the three “solemn feasts” that all Jewish males were required to travel to Jerusalem to attend (Exodus 23.14-17; 34.22-23; Deuteronomy 16.16). These feasts were:
- Passover, in early spring, included firstfruits from the first harvest, barley.
- Shavuot, in late spring, included firstfruits from the wheat harvest. Among the many offerings given, was a “wave offering” of two loaves of leavened bread. This was the firstfruits offering.
- Sukkot, in the fall, was the final harvest and included firstfruits of olives and grapes.
Shavuot is named because it starts seven full weeks after the Feast of First-fruits. Because it takes place fifty days after the previous feast, this feast came to be known, especially to people today, as “Pentecost” (which means 50.) Many Jewish traditions relate to this day although some of the traditions began after the time of Christ. Some of these traditions include:
- Moses received the Law from God on Mount Sinai during the time that would become Shavuot.
- King David is believed to have been born and to have died on Shavuot.
- The book of Ruth is read on Shavuot because she was an ancestor of David, and because of God’s command to not reap the harvest to the edge of the field (Lev 23.22) being given in relation with this feast.
- The waving of the two loaves (as commanded in Leviticus 23.16) has come to mean one of two possibilities: 1) one loaf represents the Jewish people, the other Gentiles. 2) each loaf representing one of the two tablets Moses brought down from Sinai.
The Bible says that is was on this day that Peter preached according to Acts 2 and 3000 souls were saved on that day. I will have more to say about this on my personal blog later in the week. Three common themes can be found in each of the Jewish feasts. These themes are God’s protection, God’s provision, and God’s promise. Related to the Feast of Shavuot, we see each of these as follows.
God’s Protection
- Acts 2.27-28, 31 reveal that God did not abandon Jesus.
- And that those who believe on Jesus will not be abandoned.
God’s Provision
- Acts 2.17-18 speaks of God’s renewal of man.
- Acts 2.32-36 speaks of God’s salvation for man.
God’s Promise
- 2.30 reminds us that God promised David a descendant would sit on the throne forever.
- 2.39 shows that God’s salvation is for all people – whether near or far.
- 2.41-47 fulfills the beginning of the promise to build the church (Matthew 16.18). In fact, this portion of Acts is known as the birth of the congregation (Hebrew, kehilah).
I hope this brief article helps to pain a clearer picture of this feast. As for how the harvest of Shavuot relates to the other firstfruit harvests and Jesus baptizing by Spirit and fire, I will cover these in another blog tomorrow, and then on Friday, I hope to post about the difference in the dates for celebrating Pentecost (which ties back to when and how the date for Easter is calculated).
Thursday, June 9, 2016
"Follow Me"...Beyond the Law
One word that really stirs up most people in many churches is the word “change.” I believe many churches would use their bylaws to ban the word if they only thought about it. Now, the reality is that word is not so bad. You probably change your clothes daily, and perhaps moreso. But some changes are even welcome. For instance, we have had many advances (that is, positive change) in the technological realm. How about telephones? Does anyone want to return to the party-line? Most people would say they don’t even want a cord! What about medically? Many people now have a “minor surgery” related to your heart (e.g. replacing a battery for a pacemaker), Considering something related to the heart as minor would have been inconceivable thirty to forty years ago. So some changes are, indeed, welcome.
But what about in the world of religion (or church)? If you attend some place of worship, you likely know who sits next to you, behind you, in front of you, etc. The truth is that nothing is wrong with that because some habits are ok. Some traditions or customs are fine. Some even have a biblical basis. For instance, many churches ask the congregation to stand when Scripture is read. Why? Because that is what the Jews did when Ezra began to read according to Nehemiah 8. But Ezra and the others with him taught all day. Today, people complain if “we aren’t out before xxx.” Take away the air conditioning (how is that for positive change?) and the exit time will be much earlier!
The truth is people have always been this way. Some truly thrive on change. Others do not. But in the religious realm, change is often offensive. For a church that uses a bulletin, people are less concerned if a change to the order of service is printed, especially if an explanation is given. But, Jesus didn’t provide a bulletin. Nor did His adversaries. However, as we have already established, in Mark’s account of the gospel, the next bit of action is always imminent.
Last week's post shared of two people that Jesus restored. Both instances – the paralytic man and Levi – caused others to question Jesus. This post unpacks two encounters where the actions of Jesus followers caused a stir among those who were observing Jesus with a close eye. Then Jesus pushed the envelope causing two disparate groups (the Herodians and Pharisees) to join forces to find a way not just to discredit Jesus, but to destroy Him. We turn to these three encounters now.
Jesus Introduces a Change in Timing (Mk 2.18-20)
Jesus’ ministry was continuing to gain notoriety. Mark 1.28 mentioned His fame spreading, but since then, He has healed a man with leprosy, healed a paralytic man, and associated with a tax collector and many of his friends. The leaders were looking for a reason to discredit Jesus, but His popularity would have made this difficult. In their eyes, He has done some suspicious things like associating with sinners and tax collectors, and perhaps committed blasphemy (which was punishable by death) when He told the paralytic man that his sins were forgiven. But this incident and the next incident are indirect attacks at Jesus. In this text, “the people” note that Jesus’ disciples do not fast like the disciples of John the Baptizer and the disciples of the Pharisees.
The question here comes from some unknown group – the text merely says “the people”, but make no mistake, it was a people with an agenda. The question was about the disciples. “Why are they not fasting?” The underlying question is, “Jesus, if you are in charge of this group, why don’t you make them fast like other leaders?”
Jesus responds to this by stating that the time is not appropriate to fast. Jesus uses the analogy of a bridegroom at His own wedding. Such would be the time for a feast. The time for Jesus disciples to fast would come soon enough, but now is not that time.
This is important because Jesus doesn’t discredit fasting. He simply states that this isn’t the time for those that recognize what is happening. The Pharisees often fasted (every Monday and Thursday) because of tradition and in hopes that God would restore His people. Well, God sent Jesus to restroe the people, so there was no longer reason for the Pharisees to fast. John’s disciples, on the other hand, were likely fasting because he was imprisoned. In fact, Jesus suggests the same idea and more will happen to the bridegroom. Such an event will require fasting to begin at that time. Let me explain.
In the Jewish culture a wedding celebration lasted seven days for a virgin bride and three days for a widow. In such a case, who does the leaving? The guests. The bridegroom stays to be with His bride. But here Jesus says the bridegroom is “taken away” meaning the bride (His followers, the church) will naturally fast when that occurs. (Another mention of fasting by Jesus is in Matthew 6 where He teaches, “When you give...When you pray...When you fast.” We are given instructions on the how, so that implies that we do. But not out of ritual or custom, but out of love. As both Jesus (Matt 5.16) and Paul (1 Cor 10.31) state, what we do should be for the glory of God.
This leads to the next encounter. In the next short story, it is the Pharisees, this time, asking the question. They question Jesus (like the previous group had), but again the question is about the disciples. “Why do they do what they do on the Sabbath?” The most obvious reference is to plucking heads of grain. But Jesus and his disciples are walking, and no more than one-half mile was permitted. Any greater distance was work. (The Pharisees had written on 39 separate instances regarding what was proper or illegal on the Sabbath.). Here, the issue isn't timing, it is understanding.
Jesus Presents A Change in Understanding (Mk 2.23-28)
Jesus did not argue their interpretation, but rather its application. He cites an example from the Old Testament where David and his men were hungry and ate from the bread designated only for priests. Jesus use of this story is particularly interesting because David lies (twice) in this sequence to get what he wants (1 Samuel 21). But Jesus uses this story not merely because of a tie to food, but because of the similar nature of David’s life at this point. David was the chosen king, but had to wait until Saul, who was trying to kill him, was no longer in charge. Likewise Jesus was the chosen Messiah, but the leaders of the day were out to kill Jesus. In both cases God would vindicate His chosen one at the appropriate time.
It is here that Jesus makes His stunning statement that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Again, such a statement may be logical to us having nearly 2000 years of reflection. But again, let me provide you with a quick review of something I covered a few weeks ago – the 1st Century understanding of the Sabbath.
The Sabbath had come to mean more than just a day of rest. It was the representation of the complete rest that would be realized when the Messiah came. No more disease, no more hunger, no more meaningless work. It was the true and complete rest, which is later written about in Hebrews 3. And Jesus fulfilled this. He healed disease. He miraculously fed many. And He offered rest from a “works-based” salvation, by instead offering the grace of God (see Matthew 11.28-30).
Jesus celebrates the principle of the Sabbath. In fact, He epitomizes the principles of it. And, in doing so, He crushed the legalism of it. That was part of the problem. A true Jew could be proven externally – by circumcision and by observance of the Sabbath. To break the Sabbath was to break the covenental law of Moses. But Jesus established a new covenant – one that could not be so easily observed externally, but was to be realized internally. Jesus also calls Himself the Son of Man here, and says He is Lord of the Sabbath. Then, He proves it!
Jesus Adopts A Change in Tactics (Mk 3.1-6)
After the first two episodes of having others indirectly question His authority and integrity, Jesus goes on the offensive. It is the Sabbath, and presumably the same Sabbath day from 2.23-28. Jesus and those with Him have gone to the synagogue with Pharisees following closely behind. Why? The Pharisees did not go to worship God. They did not go to listen to Jesus, or even a Scribe, expound on the tenets of Scripture. No, they went to see what Jesus would do on the Sabbath. Specifically, verse 2 says they watched Jesus to see if He would heal a man.
Now, let us go back to Mark 1 where Jesus cast several demons out of a man. The Pharisees said nothing about this. Perhaps, because casting out demons was not considered work. Or perhaps, He was simply under observation and had not offended the religious order of the day by that time. By this time, however, as we have reviewed from Mark 2, Jesus had presumably committed blasphemy, eaten with tax collectors and sinners, not observed the customary fasts, and allowed his group to “harvest” on the Sabbath while potentially walking more than the allowed distanced. Furthermore, Jesus did not show any remorse for these acts. Rather, He challenged those who confronted Him.
Again, lest we think we are better than the Pharisees, consider that without the New Testament to guide us, we might struggle to follow this man. If I had not been a Pharisee, I likely would have been cheering them on. What this man, Jesus, was doing was seemingly counter to everything the Scriptures had taught. Or were they?!?
Regardless, Jesus instigates this incident. He asks the man to come to the forefront. In the synagogue of the day, the seats were typically around the edges, so for this man to come forward made him visible to all. Imagine you are the man. You don’t want attention, you merely slip in to be compliant with the requirements of the day. And now, though you don’t know what is specifically happening, you have become a major character – one that the world will never forget – in a scene between the great protagonist and all of the antagonists there on that day. But realize also that you, acting as the man, have stood. That act required some matter of faith. And because of that faith you are about to be healed!
Again, the man visible to everyone, and Jesus now asks a question that would have been well understood to each one present on that day. The question is from Deuteronomy 30.15 and relates to doing good or evil. This question is in the last of the major speeches of Moses and is just after the Israelites have pledged their faithfulness to God at the expense of being cursed. The question demands a choice. “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill.” Everyone was silent! Jesus knew their intentions. Jesus knew their hearts. The Pharisees knew that any answer would put them at odds with either the people or Scripture. But remember, they didn’t come here on this day for God. The synagogue was the place where people came to celebrate God. But, on this day, the religious leaders had come with intent to do harm. In fact, verse 6 says that it was this moment that led the two groups who largely despised one another, the Pharisees and the Herodians, to begin to plot to kill Jesus. In the very place God was to be honored, they began to seek to destroy His Son. Do evil or do good? The question is answered quite loudly here. Jesus did good, and they did evil!
We are months from reviewing the passage when Jesus summed up the law (Mark 12.29-30). The summation: Love God and love others. Well, isn’t that what Jesus did by healing the man? He showed God’s grace by healing another. But that really isn’t the issue. The issue was not the healing, it was when He did it. It was the Sabbath, and it was permissible to save someone’s life on the Sabbath, but not to heal (another part of the 39 guidelines to the Sabbath). This man had a withered hand, which we should not perceive to be life-threatening, otherwise, Jesus actions would have been accepted by others. We don’t know what time of day this happened, but if it is the day that Jesus was walking through the fields, then it must be mid-morning. For arguments sake, let's assume the time was 10 a.m. Realize if Jesus had waited approximately eight more hours, this healing would not be an issue. But loving God and loving others can’t wait until it is convenient. It must be done when the situation demands it, not when the sun is in a certain place in the sky.
This sums up the whole of Jesus coming and is the heart of what Jesus spoke in the two verses I skipped over earlier. Something new was needed. And something new was here.
Jesus Demands a Change in Association (Mk 2.21-22)
The approach Jesus brought to earth was radically different than what had been seen and tried before. Part of it may have been appealing but only those that didn’t interfere with the religious traditions. For instance, the Pharisees might have been willing participants in helping people find Jesus to be healed if Jesus wasn’t speaking about forgiveness or doing it on the Sabbath. But He was; and He did.
What Yeshua (Jesus) brought was not a patch to put on a garment that was old and just needed a little work. What He brought could not be contained within the old framework of Judaism. No. What Jesus brought was new. It was completely different and needed to be accommodated as such. Patches and old vessels wouldn’t work. In Revelation 21.5, Jesus says, “I am making all things new.” That began when Jesus first entered history, and it continues today. Just like the people of Jesus day, many people in our time like the idea of what Jesus can do for them, but only if it doesn’t mean changing who they are. And while we do participate in those changes, it is Jesus that does the work. It is He who began the work, and will complete it in due time (Philippians 1.6). We just have to be willing to allow Him to work. And while we must share this good news with others, we must let Jesus do the work on others as well.
The fact is we cannot hold on to the old and then add the new to it. Following Jesus requires us to abandon the past and look to the future with a different understanding. As Mark records Jesus saying in 1.15, “Repent” – turn from the old, and “Believe” – turn toward God. The problem is, as I stated last week, you and I struggle to accept the concept of grace. Jesus loves people. We like that, especially related to us and those like us. And because of His love and grace He will save them, so we think, if they will….go to church, read their Bible, pray, sing with more conviction, not work on Sunday, etc. But those things aren’t in the Bible. They are a part of our tradition. And though none of those are inherently wrong, the gospel isn’t Jesus + x. The gospel is Jesus. The issue is people will want to do those things BECAUSE they know Jesus, but they don't have to do those tasks TO know Jesus.
Identity vs. Identification
That is what makes you and I so different from Jesus. Most of us tend to see people for what we think they are, but Jesus sees them beyond their appearance and beyond the law. He sees who they truly are and who they can become. Truly it is a problem of identity versus identification. Identity is who we are, identification is how others see us and, sometimes, even how we see ourselves. For instance, our society today is concerned with gender issues, marriage issues, and bathroom issues. I really don’t think Jesus is worried about these matters. These are symptoms of something deeper. These are issues where people are claiming a false identification not holding to their true identity. That is the real issue. People are trying to change the norms of society, but only for the purpose of feeling better about themselves. The truth is we all do that. And the Pharisees did that too. Prohibitionists did it 100 years ago. The Make Love, Not War movement did it 50 years ago. And now, the current generation has made the issue Gender Identity, but not really Identity, rather Gender Identification. We cannot change identity. We can cover it, mask it, lie about it, etc., but we cannot change it. Only God can do that.
Jesus was less concerned about the customs of His day than He was with the truth of the Kingdom. And my suspicion is that if Jesus were physically here right now, He would be less concerned about which restroom people use rather than why they have created a false identity for themselves. Again, the bathroom isn’t the issue, the identity is. Like the Pharisees, we can make a law to observe which bathroom people use, but it doesn’t fix the problem of who the person is, or who Jesus could help them become. Ultimately, any bit of the false identity prevents a person from experiencing true intimacy – with others and with God. That is just as true for the Christian as it is for the religious, or for someone who has never heard the name of Christ.
JOURNEY:
That is why our JOURNEY letter for today is: E – Evoke.
It isn’t about the inclinations that others have for themselves. It isn’t about our own wishes. It is about Jesus and the need for us to consistently point others to Him showing what He has done and what He can do for them. The truth is that people need change. We do too. Until we stand before Jesus in all of His glory, we are still being molded and shaped, not by the law, but according to His grace. That is why I stand here weekly. That is what makes me tick most hours of each day. And yet I know I have further to go than I have already come. Because I am practical, and I like results, I prefer to set objective measures. But that is the way of the Pharisee. And grace is the way of Jesus. So, with that in mind, what about our next steps?
NEXT STEP(S):
Opportunity: We must look beyond the law (religious and otherwise) to be able to address the real needs of others – needs which can only be filled by Jesus.
Note: The steps are the same as last week. The points behind them are a little different however.
Learn God’s ways. Don’t get stuck in the customs and traditions of judging people for where they are. Help others to discover an identity in Christ (see Ephesians 1) and become what God wants them to be.
Live mercifully. Look beyond what the rules say and determine how to make someone’s life better by granting mercy to someone who needs it today.
Love grace. You and I have received plenty of grace (getting what you don’t deserve) from God. As we better appreciate it, we will find ways to love others by extending it to them as well.
Lead graciously. Everyone you guide will make mistakes. Some will not be appreciative. A few may even be resentful. However, many of us have had guides that we appreciate for their gracious leadership. Most importantly, we should all be thankful that our true Guide, Jesus, has not focused on our mistakes nor our lack of appreciation and enthusiasm at times. May we be an example to others of His grace to us.
But what about in the world of religion (or church)? If you attend some place of worship, you likely know who sits next to you, behind you, in front of you, etc. The truth is that nothing is wrong with that because some habits are ok. Some traditions or customs are fine. Some even have a biblical basis. For instance, many churches ask the congregation to stand when Scripture is read. Why? Because that is what the Jews did when Ezra began to read according to Nehemiah 8. But Ezra and the others with him taught all day. Today, people complain if “we aren’t out before xxx.” Take away the air conditioning (how is that for positive change?) and the exit time will be much earlier!
The truth is people have always been this way. Some truly thrive on change. Others do not. But in the religious realm, change is often offensive. For a church that uses a bulletin, people are less concerned if a change to the order of service is printed, especially if an explanation is given. But, Jesus didn’t provide a bulletin. Nor did His adversaries. However, as we have already established, in Mark’s account of the gospel, the next bit of action is always imminent.
Last week's post shared of two people that Jesus restored. Both instances – the paralytic man and Levi – caused others to question Jesus. This post unpacks two encounters where the actions of Jesus followers caused a stir among those who were observing Jesus with a close eye. Then Jesus pushed the envelope causing two disparate groups (the Herodians and Pharisees) to join forces to find a way not just to discredit Jesus, but to destroy Him. We turn to these three encounters now.
Jesus Introduces a Change in Timing (Mk 2.18-20)
Jesus’ ministry was continuing to gain notoriety. Mark 1.28 mentioned His fame spreading, but since then, He has healed a man with leprosy, healed a paralytic man, and associated with a tax collector and many of his friends. The leaders were looking for a reason to discredit Jesus, but His popularity would have made this difficult. In their eyes, He has done some suspicious things like associating with sinners and tax collectors, and perhaps committed blasphemy (which was punishable by death) when He told the paralytic man that his sins were forgiven. But this incident and the next incident are indirect attacks at Jesus. In this text, “the people” note that Jesus’ disciples do not fast like the disciples of John the Baptizer and the disciples of the Pharisees.
The question here comes from some unknown group – the text merely says “the people”, but make no mistake, it was a people with an agenda. The question was about the disciples. “Why are they not fasting?” The underlying question is, “Jesus, if you are in charge of this group, why don’t you make them fast like other leaders?”
Jesus responds to this by stating that the time is not appropriate to fast. Jesus uses the analogy of a bridegroom at His own wedding. Such would be the time for a feast. The time for Jesus disciples to fast would come soon enough, but now is not that time.
This is important because Jesus doesn’t discredit fasting. He simply states that this isn’t the time for those that recognize what is happening. The Pharisees often fasted (every Monday and Thursday) because of tradition and in hopes that God would restore His people. Well, God sent Jesus to restroe the people, so there was no longer reason for the Pharisees to fast. John’s disciples, on the other hand, were likely fasting because he was imprisoned. In fact, Jesus suggests the same idea and more will happen to the bridegroom. Such an event will require fasting to begin at that time. Let me explain.
In the Jewish culture a wedding celebration lasted seven days for a virgin bride and three days for a widow. In such a case, who does the leaving? The guests. The bridegroom stays to be with His bride. But here Jesus says the bridegroom is “taken away” meaning the bride (His followers, the church) will naturally fast when that occurs. (Another mention of fasting by Jesus is in Matthew 6 where He teaches, “When you give...When you pray...When you fast.” We are given instructions on the how, so that implies that we do. But not out of ritual or custom, but out of love. As both Jesus (Matt 5.16) and Paul (1 Cor 10.31) state, what we do should be for the glory of God.
This leads to the next encounter. In the next short story, it is the Pharisees, this time, asking the question. They question Jesus (like the previous group had), but again the question is about the disciples. “Why do they do what they do on the Sabbath?” The most obvious reference is to plucking heads of grain. But Jesus and his disciples are walking, and no more than one-half mile was permitted. Any greater distance was work. (The Pharisees had written on 39 separate instances regarding what was proper or illegal on the Sabbath.). Here, the issue isn't timing, it is understanding.
Jesus Presents A Change in Understanding (Mk 2.23-28)
Jesus did not argue their interpretation, but rather its application. He cites an example from the Old Testament where David and his men were hungry and ate from the bread designated only for priests. Jesus use of this story is particularly interesting because David lies (twice) in this sequence to get what he wants (1 Samuel 21). But Jesus uses this story not merely because of a tie to food, but because of the similar nature of David’s life at this point. David was the chosen king, but had to wait until Saul, who was trying to kill him, was no longer in charge. Likewise Jesus was the chosen Messiah, but the leaders of the day were out to kill Jesus. In both cases God would vindicate His chosen one at the appropriate time.
It is here that Jesus makes His stunning statement that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Again, such a statement may be logical to us having nearly 2000 years of reflection. But again, let me provide you with a quick review of something I covered a few weeks ago – the 1st Century understanding of the Sabbath.
The Sabbath had come to mean more than just a day of rest. It was the representation of the complete rest that would be realized when the Messiah came. No more disease, no more hunger, no more meaningless work. It was the true and complete rest, which is later written about in Hebrews 3. And Jesus fulfilled this. He healed disease. He miraculously fed many. And He offered rest from a “works-based” salvation, by instead offering the grace of God (see Matthew 11.28-30).
Jesus celebrates the principle of the Sabbath. In fact, He epitomizes the principles of it. And, in doing so, He crushed the legalism of it. That was part of the problem. A true Jew could be proven externally – by circumcision and by observance of the Sabbath. To break the Sabbath was to break the covenental law of Moses. But Jesus established a new covenant – one that could not be so easily observed externally, but was to be realized internally. Jesus also calls Himself the Son of Man here, and says He is Lord of the Sabbath. Then, He proves it!
Jesus Adopts A Change in Tactics (Mk 3.1-6)
After the first two episodes of having others indirectly question His authority and integrity, Jesus goes on the offensive. It is the Sabbath, and presumably the same Sabbath day from 2.23-28. Jesus and those with Him have gone to the synagogue with Pharisees following closely behind. Why? The Pharisees did not go to worship God. They did not go to listen to Jesus, or even a Scribe, expound on the tenets of Scripture. No, they went to see what Jesus would do on the Sabbath. Specifically, verse 2 says they watched Jesus to see if He would heal a man.
Now, let us go back to Mark 1 where Jesus cast several demons out of a man. The Pharisees said nothing about this. Perhaps, because casting out demons was not considered work. Or perhaps, He was simply under observation and had not offended the religious order of the day by that time. By this time, however, as we have reviewed from Mark 2, Jesus had presumably committed blasphemy, eaten with tax collectors and sinners, not observed the customary fasts, and allowed his group to “harvest” on the Sabbath while potentially walking more than the allowed distanced. Furthermore, Jesus did not show any remorse for these acts. Rather, He challenged those who confronted Him.
Again, lest we think we are better than the Pharisees, consider that without the New Testament to guide us, we might struggle to follow this man. If I had not been a Pharisee, I likely would have been cheering them on. What this man, Jesus, was doing was seemingly counter to everything the Scriptures had taught. Or were they?!?
Regardless, Jesus instigates this incident. He asks the man to come to the forefront. In the synagogue of the day, the seats were typically around the edges, so for this man to come forward made him visible to all. Imagine you are the man. You don’t want attention, you merely slip in to be compliant with the requirements of the day. And now, though you don’t know what is specifically happening, you have become a major character – one that the world will never forget – in a scene between the great protagonist and all of the antagonists there on that day. But realize also that you, acting as the man, have stood. That act required some matter of faith. And because of that faith you are about to be healed!
Again, the man visible to everyone, and Jesus now asks a question that would have been well understood to each one present on that day. The question is from Deuteronomy 30.15 and relates to doing good or evil. This question is in the last of the major speeches of Moses and is just after the Israelites have pledged their faithfulness to God at the expense of being cursed. The question demands a choice. “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill.” Everyone was silent! Jesus knew their intentions. Jesus knew their hearts. The Pharisees knew that any answer would put them at odds with either the people or Scripture. But remember, they didn’t come here on this day for God. The synagogue was the place where people came to celebrate God. But, on this day, the religious leaders had come with intent to do harm. In fact, verse 6 says that it was this moment that led the two groups who largely despised one another, the Pharisees and the Herodians, to begin to plot to kill Jesus. In the very place God was to be honored, they began to seek to destroy His Son. Do evil or do good? The question is answered quite loudly here. Jesus did good, and they did evil!
We are months from reviewing the passage when Jesus summed up the law (Mark 12.29-30). The summation: Love God and love others. Well, isn’t that what Jesus did by healing the man? He showed God’s grace by healing another. But that really isn’t the issue. The issue was not the healing, it was when He did it. It was the Sabbath, and it was permissible to save someone’s life on the Sabbath, but not to heal (another part of the 39 guidelines to the Sabbath). This man had a withered hand, which we should not perceive to be life-threatening, otherwise, Jesus actions would have been accepted by others. We don’t know what time of day this happened, but if it is the day that Jesus was walking through the fields, then it must be mid-morning. For arguments sake, let's assume the time was 10 a.m. Realize if Jesus had waited approximately eight more hours, this healing would not be an issue. But loving God and loving others can’t wait until it is convenient. It must be done when the situation demands it, not when the sun is in a certain place in the sky.
This sums up the whole of Jesus coming and is the heart of what Jesus spoke in the two verses I skipped over earlier. Something new was needed. And something new was here.
Jesus Demands a Change in Association (Mk 2.21-22)
The approach Jesus brought to earth was radically different than what had been seen and tried before. Part of it may have been appealing but only those that didn’t interfere with the religious traditions. For instance, the Pharisees might have been willing participants in helping people find Jesus to be healed if Jesus wasn’t speaking about forgiveness or doing it on the Sabbath. But He was; and He did.
What Yeshua (Jesus) brought was not a patch to put on a garment that was old and just needed a little work. What He brought could not be contained within the old framework of Judaism. No. What Jesus brought was new. It was completely different and needed to be accommodated as such. Patches and old vessels wouldn’t work. In Revelation 21.5, Jesus says, “I am making all things new.” That began when Jesus first entered history, and it continues today. Just like the people of Jesus day, many people in our time like the idea of what Jesus can do for them, but only if it doesn’t mean changing who they are. And while we do participate in those changes, it is Jesus that does the work. It is He who began the work, and will complete it in due time (Philippians 1.6). We just have to be willing to allow Him to work. And while we must share this good news with others, we must let Jesus do the work on others as well.
The fact is we cannot hold on to the old and then add the new to it. Following Jesus requires us to abandon the past and look to the future with a different understanding. As Mark records Jesus saying in 1.15, “Repent” – turn from the old, and “Believe” – turn toward God. The problem is, as I stated last week, you and I struggle to accept the concept of grace. Jesus loves people. We like that, especially related to us and those like us. And because of His love and grace He will save them, so we think, if they will….go to church, read their Bible, pray, sing with more conviction, not work on Sunday, etc. But those things aren’t in the Bible. They are a part of our tradition. And though none of those are inherently wrong, the gospel isn’t Jesus + x. The gospel is Jesus. The issue is people will want to do those things BECAUSE they know Jesus, but they don't have to do those tasks TO know Jesus.
Identity vs. Identification
That is what makes you and I so different from Jesus. Most of us tend to see people for what we think they are, but Jesus sees them beyond their appearance and beyond the law. He sees who they truly are and who they can become. Truly it is a problem of identity versus identification. Identity is who we are, identification is how others see us and, sometimes, even how we see ourselves. For instance, our society today is concerned with gender issues, marriage issues, and bathroom issues. I really don’t think Jesus is worried about these matters. These are symptoms of something deeper. These are issues where people are claiming a false identification not holding to their true identity. That is the real issue. People are trying to change the norms of society, but only for the purpose of feeling better about themselves. The truth is we all do that. And the Pharisees did that too. Prohibitionists did it 100 years ago. The Make Love, Not War movement did it 50 years ago. And now, the current generation has made the issue Gender Identity, but not really Identity, rather Gender Identification. We cannot change identity. We can cover it, mask it, lie about it, etc., but we cannot change it. Only God can do that.
Jesus was less concerned about the customs of His day than He was with the truth of the Kingdom. And my suspicion is that if Jesus were physically here right now, He would be less concerned about which restroom people use rather than why they have created a false identity for themselves. Again, the bathroom isn’t the issue, the identity is. Like the Pharisees, we can make a law to observe which bathroom people use, but it doesn’t fix the problem of who the person is, or who Jesus could help them become. Ultimately, any bit of the false identity prevents a person from experiencing true intimacy – with others and with God. That is just as true for the Christian as it is for the religious, or for someone who has never heard the name of Christ.
JOURNEY:
That is why our JOURNEY letter for today is: E – Evoke.
It isn’t about the inclinations that others have for themselves. It isn’t about our own wishes. It is about Jesus and the need for us to consistently point others to Him showing what He has done and what He can do for them. The truth is that people need change. We do too. Until we stand before Jesus in all of His glory, we are still being molded and shaped, not by the law, but according to His grace. That is why I stand here weekly. That is what makes me tick most hours of each day. And yet I know I have further to go than I have already come. Because I am practical, and I like results, I prefer to set objective measures. But that is the way of the Pharisee. And grace is the way of Jesus. So, with that in mind, what about our next steps?
NEXT STEP(S):
Opportunity: We must look beyond the law (religious and otherwise) to be able to address the real needs of others – needs which can only be filled by Jesus.
Note: The steps are the same as last week. The points behind them are a little different however.
Learn God’s ways. Don’t get stuck in the customs and traditions of judging people for where they are. Help others to discover an identity in Christ (see Ephesians 1) and become what God wants them to be.
Live mercifully. Look beyond what the rules say and determine how to make someone’s life better by granting mercy to someone who needs it today.
Love grace. You and I have received plenty of grace (getting what you don’t deserve) from God. As we better appreciate it, we will find ways to love others by extending it to them as well.
Lead graciously. Everyone you guide will make mistakes. Some will not be appreciative. A few may even be resentful. However, many of us have had guides that we appreciate for their gracious leadership. Most importantly, we should all be thankful that our true Guide, Jesus, has not focused on our mistakes nor our lack of appreciation and enthusiasm at times. May we be an example to others of His grace to us.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Historical Context - Pharisees and Herodians
Two Becoming One, For a Common Interest
At the time of Jesus, there were certain groups—the Pharisees, the Herodians, and Sadducees—that held positions of authority and power over the people. Other groups were the Sanhedrin, the scribes, lawyers, etc.. Each of these groups held power in either religious or political matters. Each of these groups, in many cases opposed each other each placing importance on themselves as individual groups.
PHARISEES
“Pharisee” is derived from Ancient Greek Pharisaios, meaning “set apart, separated” The first main historical mention of the Pharisees and their beliefs comes in the four gospels and the book of Acts, in which both their meticulous adherence to their interpretation of the Torah as well as their eschatological views are described.
The deportation and exile of an unknown number of Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar II, starting with the first deportation in 597 BC and continuing after the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple in 587 BC, resulted in dramatic changes to Jewish culture and religion. During the 70-year exile in Babylon, Jewish houses of assembly (known in Hebrew as a beit knesset or in Greek as a synagogue) and houses of prayer were the primary meeting places for prayer, and the house of study was the counterpart for the synagogue. The Pharisees emerged as a distinct group shortly after the Maccabean revolt, about 165–160 BC they were, it is generally believed, spiritual descendants of the Hasideans
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought in the Holy Land during the time of Second Temple Judaism. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD Pharisaic beliefs became the foundational, liturgical, and ritualistic basis for Judaism (the term “Judaism” today almost always refers to Rabbinic Judaism). Rabbinic Judaism is the belief in Moses as “our Rabbi” and the conception that God revealed the Torah in two parts, as both Written and Oral Torah. Exodus 18 and Numbers 11 show that Moses appointed elders as judges to govern with him and to judge disputes, imparting to them details and guidance of how to interpret the revelations from God while carrying out their duties. Pharisees adhered to the Mosaic and Levitical laws which came in two parts: the Moral Laws (i.e. the Ten Commandments, given by God), and the Ceremonial Laws (proper worship, often established by man).
HERODIANS
A party twice mentioned in the Gospels (Matthew and Mark) as acting with the Pharisees in opposition to Jesus. They were not a religious sect, but, as the name implies, a court or political party, supporters of the dynasty of Herod.
Nothing is really known of them beyond what the Gospels state. Whatever their political aims, they early perceived that Christ's pure and spiritual teaching on the kingdom of God was irreconcilable with theirs, and that Christ's influence with the people was antagonistic to their interests.
The Herodians held political power, and most scholars believe that they were a political party that supported King Herod Antipas, the Roman Empire's ruler over much of the land of the Jews.
The Herodians favored submitting to Herod, and therefore to Rome, for political expediency. This support of Herod compromised Jewish independence in the minds of the Pharisees, making it difficult for the Herodians and Pharisees to unite and agree on anything. But one thing did unite them—opposing Jesus.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
"Follow Me"...in My Authority (Part 2)
Can you think of a moment when everything seemed to come together for you? For the young, maybe it was a birthday or a gathering at Christmas. As we get older, more options emerge such as graduations, getting the perfect job, a wedding day, the birth of a child, etc. As age further, maybe it is some accolades or a certain position that you attain. Whatever the moment, nearly all of us can relate to some point in our lives where everything seemed to be great, or at least ok – even if it was for just a moment.
So did Jesus. In last week’s post, I shared from the initial stages of His ministry in Capernaum. Jesus began teaching in the synagogue where He was approached by a man with many demons. Jesus cast out the demons, then went to Peter’s house to heal Peter’s mother. Later that evening the entire town shows up to be healed. And in the midst of this all, Mark writes, “at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee” (1.28).
This was Jesus moment. This was the beginning of something great. So how did Jesus respond? He left! He got away from all the hubbub of the day and found a place to talk to God. Then, and only then, was Jesus ready to take the next steps of His JOURNEY. Let’s take a closer look at these verses.
Jesus went out to pray. (1.35-37)
Jesus goes to a solitary place. This is not the same wilderness where He was tested, but the word Mark uses the same word (Gk, eremos). The Bible often talks about the wilderness (or desert) as a testing ground for people. This is another test for Jesus. He already had a great deal of fame (v 27-28), and He has had tremendous success after His fame has spread. So, this test is about pride! What does Jesus do? He submits – which is the exact opposite of what a prideful person would do. Instead of getting caught up in Himself, Jesus goes to Dad. “Dad, what are your plans for the day?”
Note: Mark only mentions Jesus praying three times – here, Mark 6.46 after feeding the 5000, and in Gethsemane (13.32-42). Each occurs at night and each is a matter of him escaping the will of the people and yielding to the Father.
We do not know what Jesus prayed specifically, but knowing He prayed is enough. Jesus knew that His power stemmed from His intimacy with the Father. Jesus could not do what He was doing without the Father, and He could not be who He was to be without the Father. Jesus knew that prayer affects us both inside and out.
So what happens? Peter comes looking for Jesus. And the word here has the connotation of a hostile search. It wasn’t merely a matter of “I wonder where Jesus is.” It was more like, “Where is Jesus? We must find Him because all of these people are here and we want to see some more miracles.” In fact, these three verses provide rich insight to the idea of seeking. We can seek something or someone and do so for the wrong reasons. The early disciples did, and often we do as well. Consider the following question: Do you seek Jesus for what He can do for you, or for who He is and what He may ask of you?
In this story, we see how the idea of seeking can be done for the wrong reasons. Only Jesus is seeking what is right.
Knowing this, and having spent time with His Father, Jesus knows it is time to leave.
Jesus went out to proclaim. (1.38-39)
These two verses beg two questions to be asked.
1) What did Jesus preach?
In the NT, to proclaim is to preach. So this is the easier question to answer. Mark provided the answer previously in verse 14 and 15.
That’s the answer. It is short. It is sweet. And this message needed to be heard by the masses. But the masses in Capernaum (where He was) were only interested in His healings, so it was time to go elsewhere.
2) Is preaching really why He came?
This question becomes more complicated when looking at different translations.
If the word out is not included – does this mean the overall reason for His coming? The KJV and the NAS seem to suggest this. If true, then the whole reason Jesus came - not just out to pray, but came to earth - was to preach the gospel. And I do think this reason is a large part of why He came. But a couple of other verses suggest a larger purpose – though both are a part of His overall proclamation. If you recall, I mentioned last week that the words of Jesus and the deeds of Jesus are synonymous.
These ideas are a part of the proclamation because they are a part of the gospel itself. And that is why Jesus came – to share a message from God about what God was doing – through Him. So, yes, in a sense, the proclamation of the good news of God was why He came. Again, His words and His deeds were one, and a part of that good news was Jesus death and resurrection.
But this verse also mentions the casting out of demons. When you confront evil, the enemy will be at work – as a few of us have seen in significant ways recently. So, Jesus confronted evil by proclamation, and ultimately overcame evil by dying and rising again. What an awesome Savior He is!
Jesus went out with power. (1.40-44)
Now we turn to the leper. Jesus has a couple of dealings with leprous individuals during His ministry. But this one is interesting. First, both the leper and Jesus appear to break the Law. As we will see in a moment, Jesus respects the Mosaic Law, but His touching the leper shows His authority over the Law. First, however, we look at the leper.
Leprosy was a disease of the skin. We have come to think of leprosy as a disease where the skin falls off, but that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, according to the Mosaic Law, it was up to the priest to determine if an individual had leprosy, and the scribes considered 72 different skin conditions to have been considered leprous in Jesus’ day.
If the priest did diagnose you with leprosy, it was humiliating. You were forced out of society. No family, no home, no job, nothing. Furthermore when someone was coming your way, you were supposed to cover your lip and yell out “Unclean! Unclean!” (See Leviticus 13 and 14 for details about diagnosis.)
But in this passage the leper doesn’t shout unclean. Instead, he approaches Jesus. This is a clear violation of the Law. And more than approaching Jesus, he asks Jesus if He might make Him clean. Notice He doesn’t say heal me, He says make me clean. Leviticus 14 says that leprosy must be cleansed, not healed. What is remarkable here is the faith of this man. He doesn’t doubt Jesus ability to heal him, he is only sure of Jesus’ willingness. He believes that Jesus can cleanse him, but essentially says, “your will be done.” And Jesus is willing. So Jesus touches the man and heals him. This action is the point where Jesus could be accused of breaking the Law because He touched the man. But Jesus did not; rather Jesus restored the man. Truly that should have been obvious to anyone around. In addition, such an act should have showed that Jesus was more than a man, because only God could truly cleanse. (We will observe something similar in next week’s post.)
After cleansing the man of leprosy, Jesus instructs the man to go show himself to the priest so that he could be declared cleaned of leprosy. Such a declaration would allow him to return to his home, his family, his job, etc. But instead the man goes and tells others what happened. Now, ordinarily this might be a good thing, but Jesus had specifically commanded the man not to do this. The next point will help us understand why.
The man went out – and disobeyed. (1.45)
Remember, this passage started with Jesus escaping the crowds – the miracle-mongers. These people wanted their own version of Jesus, not the real one – a statement that is sadly true for so many in our world today as well. So, Jesus has instructed this man to fulfill the Mosaic Law by going to the priest, and not telling others what had happened. This instruction was so that Jesus could continue to proclaim the gospel without the fanfare that the people wanted to bestow upon Him.
We do not know whether or not the man went to the priest, nor do we know for certain what the man may have said, but Mark uses an interesting set of words in verse 45. He says that the news began to spread and therefore Jesus could no longer openly enter a town. This verse is a double entendre, meaning it has a dual meaning. First, the fame of Jesus, like in verses 27-28, would have meant that as He prepared to enter a town, the people would have met Him with all kinds of requests and false expectations (e.g. Jesus entry into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday). But there is another meaning here as well. It is likely that the leper would have shared that Jesus touched him. That would mean that Jesus was now unclean and therefore according to the Mosaic Law and the customs of the day, Jesus could not enter a town for fear that Jesus would spread leprosy among the people.
The reality is that Jesus touch meant that both He and the leper were clean. But the leper’s disobedience meant that Jesus was now an outsider and His ministry was hindered. Jesus still had the same power. He still had the same authority. But would people be as eager to listen to the message He was proclaiming? Many would, but many likely used this as an excuse not to – just like people do today. Why?
Because while leprosy was and is a real disease, it could be considered symbolic of sin. Leprosy cannot be healed, it must be cleansed. That sounds like sin to me. Jesus had the power and authority to cleanse the leper, just as He had the power and authority to cleanse our sin. Like the leper we must be willing to come to Jesus in all of our sin to allow Him to cleanse us. But unlike the leper, many people enjoy their lifestyle and do not want anything to do with Jesus. However, Jesus message continued to make an impact in His day, and it is still impacting people today. He had whatever authority He needed then, but He has all authority now (Matthew 28.18). And He has given us a great cause - to make disciples for Him by His power and authority.
JOURNEY
That is why our JOURNEY letter for today is: J – Jesus.
He not only showed what true authority was, but has provided an example for us to follow as well. Jesus’ prayer life gave Him authoritative power to proclaim, absolute power over disease and demons, and an abiding power to persevere. Listening and yielding to Him can do the same for us.
NEXT STEP(S):
Opportunity: Spend time learning to listen for God’s voice. John had prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry. But Jesus had to prepare Himself to be ready for each day. He found the time to do so – whatever it took.
So, what about our next steps?
Learn to hear from God. When you pray, take time to listen.
Live after spending time with God. What guidance did He give you today? Follow it.
Love the process and do it daily.
Lead others to discern how God is leading them.
So did Jesus. In last week’s post, I shared from the initial stages of His ministry in Capernaum. Jesus began teaching in the synagogue where He was approached by a man with many demons. Jesus cast out the demons, then went to Peter’s house to heal Peter’s mother. Later that evening the entire town shows up to be healed. And in the midst of this all, Mark writes, “at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee” (1.28).
This was Jesus moment. This was the beginning of something great. So how did Jesus respond? He left! He got away from all the hubbub of the day and found a place to talk to God. Then, and only then, was Jesus ready to take the next steps of His JOURNEY. Let’s take a closer look at these verses.
Jesus went out to pray. (1.35-37)
Jesus goes to a solitary place. This is not the same wilderness where He was tested, but the word Mark uses the same word (Gk, eremos). The Bible often talks about the wilderness (or desert) as a testing ground for people. This is another test for Jesus. He already had a great deal of fame (v 27-28), and He has had tremendous success after His fame has spread. So, this test is about pride! What does Jesus do? He submits – which is the exact opposite of what a prideful person would do. Instead of getting caught up in Himself, Jesus goes to Dad. “Dad, what are your plans for the day?”
Note: Mark only mentions Jesus praying three times – here, Mark 6.46 after feeding the 5000, and in Gethsemane (13.32-42). Each occurs at night and each is a matter of him escaping the will of the people and yielding to the Father.
We do not know what Jesus prayed specifically, but knowing He prayed is enough. Jesus knew that His power stemmed from His intimacy with the Father. Jesus could not do what He was doing without the Father, and He could not be who He was to be without the Father. Jesus knew that prayer affects us both inside and out.
So what happens? Peter comes looking for Jesus. And the word here has the connotation of a hostile search. It wasn’t merely a matter of “I wonder where Jesus is.” It was more like, “Where is Jesus? We must find Him because all of these people are here and we want to see some more miracles.” In fact, these three verses provide rich insight to the idea of seeking. We can seek something or someone and do so for the wrong reasons. The early disciples did, and often we do as well. Consider the following question: Do you seek Jesus for what He can do for you, or for who He is and what He may ask of you?
In this story, we see how the idea of seeking can be done for the wrong reasons. Only Jesus is seeking what is right.
- Jesus is seeking His Father.
- Peter and the disciples are seeking Jesus, but for the wrong reasons.
- Others are seeking Jesus, but for the wrong reasons.
Knowing this, and having spent time with His Father, Jesus knows it is time to leave.
Jesus went out to proclaim. (1.38-39)
These two verses beg two questions to be asked.
1) What did Jesus preach?
In the NT, to proclaim is to preach. So this is the easier question to answer. Mark provided the answer previously in verse 14 and 15.
- The time is fulfilled – the Messiah has come.
- The Kingdom of God is at hand – God’s reign begins in earnest now.
- Repent and believe the gospel – Turn from your old life, and turn to God.
That’s the answer. It is short. It is sweet. And this message needed to be heard by the masses. But the masses in Capernaum (where He was) were only interested in His healings, so it was time to go elsewhere.
2) Is preaching really why He came?
This question becomes more complicated when looking at different translations.
- ESV adds the word “out” – of Capernaum
- KJV – for therefore came I forth?
- NAS – what I came for.
If the word out is not included – does this mean the overall reason for His coming? The KJV and the NAS seem to suggest this. If true, then the whole reason Jesus came - not just out to pray, but came to earth - was to preach the gospel. And I do think this reason is a large part of why He came. But a couple of other verses suggest a larger purpose – though both are a part of His overall proclamation. If you recall, I mentioned last week that the words of Jesus and the deeds of Jesus are synonymous.
- Mark 2.17 – I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners - a part of His proclamation.
- Mark 10.45 – Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.
These ideas are a part of the proclamation because they are a part of the gospel itself. And that is why Jesus came – to share a message from God about what God was doing – through Him. So, yes, in a sense, the proclamation of the good news of God was why He came. Again, His words and His deeds were one, and a part of that good news was Jesus death and resurrection.
But this verse also mentions the casting out of demons. When you confront evil, the enemy will be at work – as a few of us have seen in significant ways recently. So, Jesus confronted evil by proclamation, and ultimately overcame evil by dying and rising again. What an awesome Savior He is!
Jesus went out with power. (1.40-44)
Now we turn to the leper. Jesus has a couple of dealings with leprous individuals during His ministry. But this one is interesting. First, both the leper and Jesus appear to break the Law. As we will see in a moment, Jesus respects the Mosaic Law, but His touching the leper shows His authority over the Law. First, however, we look at the leper.
Leprosy was a disease of the skin. We have come to think of leprosy as a disease where the skin falls off, but that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, according to the Mosaic Law, it was up to the priest to determine if an individual had leprosy, and the scribes considered 72 different skin conditions to have been considered leprous in Jesus’ day.
If the priest did diagnose you with leprosy, it was humiliating. You were forced out of society. No family, no home, no job, nothing. Furthermore when someone was coming your way, you were supposed to cover your lip and yell out “Unclean! Unclean!” (See Leviticus 13 and 14 for details about diagnosis.)
But in this passage the leper doesn’t shout unclean. Instead, he approaches Jesus. This is a clear violation of the Law. And more than approaching Jesus, he asks Jesus if He might make Him clean. Notice He doesn’t say heal me, He says make me clean. Leviticus 14 says that leprosy must be cleansed, not healed. What is remarkable here is the faith of this man. He doesn’t doubt Jesus ability to heal him, he is only sure of Jesus’ willingness. He believes that Jesus can cleanse him, but essentially says, “your will be done.” And Jesus is willing. So Jesus touches the man and heals him. This action is the point where Jesus could be accused of breaking the Law because He touched the man. But Jesus did not; rather Jesus restored the man. Truly that should have been obvious to anyone around. In addition, such an act should have showed that Jesus was more than a man, because only God could truly cleanse. (We will observe something similar in next week’s post.)
After cleansing the man of leprosy, Jesus instructs the man to go show himself to the priest so that he could be declared cleaned of leprosy. Such a declaration would allow him to return to his home, his family, his job, etc. But instead the man goes and tells others what happened. Now, ordinarily this might be a good thing, but Jesus had specifically commanded the man not to do this. The next point will help us understand why.
The man went out – and disobeyed. (1.45)
Remember, this passage started with Jesus escaping the crowds – the miracle-mongers. These people wanted their own version of Jesus, not the real one – a statement that is sadly true for so many in our world today as well. So, Jesus has instructed this man to fulfill the Mosaic Law by going to the priest, and not telling others what had happened. This instruction was so that Jesus could continue to proclaim the gospel without the fanfare that the people wanted to bestow upon Him.
We do not know whether or not the man went to the priest, nor do we know for certain what the man may have said, but Mark uses an interesting set of words in verse 45. He says that the news began to spread and therefore Jesus could no longer openly enter a town. This verse is a double entendre, meaning it has a dual meaning. First, the fame of Jesus, like in verses 27-28, would have meant that as He prepared to enter a town, the people would have met Him with all kinds of requests and false expectations (e.g. Jesus entry into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday). But there is another meaning here as well. It is likely that the leper would have shared that Jesus touched him. That would mean that Jesus was now unclean and therefore according to the Mosaic Law and the customs of the day, Jesus could not enter a town for fear that Jesus would spread leprosy among the people.
The reality is that Jesus touch meant that both He and the leper were clean. But the leper’s disobedience meant that Jesus was now an outsider and His ministry was hindered. Jesus still had the same power. He still had the same authority. But would people be as eager to listen to the message He was proclaiming? Many would, but many likely used this as an excuse not to – just like people do today. Why?
Because while leprosy was and is a real disease, it could be considered symbolic of sin. Leprosy cannot be healed, it must be cleansed. That sounds like sin to me. Jesus had the power and authority to cleanse the leper, just as He had the power and authority to cleanse our sin. Like the leper we must be willing to come to Jesus in all of our sin to allow Him to cleanse us. But unlike the leper, many people enjoy their lifestyle and do not want anything to do with Jesus. However, Jesus message continued to make an impact in His day, and it is still impacting people today. He had whatever authority He needed then, but He has all authority now (Matthew 28.18). And He has given us a great cause - to make disciples for Him by His power and authority.
JOURNEY
That is why our JOURNEY letter for today is: J – Jesus.
He not only showed what true authority was, but has provided an example for us to follow as well. Jesus’ prayer life gave Him authoritative power to proclaim, absolute power over disease and demons, and an abiding power to persevere. Listening and yielding to Him can do the same for us.
NEXT STEP(S):
Opportunity: Spend time learning to listen for God’s voice. John had prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry. But Jesus had to prepare Himself to be ready for each day. He found the time to do so – whatever it took.
So, what about our next steps?
Learn to hear from God. When you pray, take time to listen.
Live after spending time with God. What guidance did He give you today? Follow it.
Love the process and do it daily.
Lead others to discern how God is leading them.
"Follow Me"...In Restoring Others
What comes to mind when you read the following names?
This past week at our church was a great reminder of that fact. It was Vacation Bible School week so we had children all over the place this week and they didn’t care about any of the items with which we usually concern ourselves. In fact, they didn’t care much about anything while they were here – anything other than Jesus, that is. As adults, we can pretend to do the same thing by putting on a certain “face” to come to worship. But that isn’t what Jesus wants. Jesus wants us. And He deserves all of us because He loves us.
But I am convinced that more than us coming, Jesus is worried about if, and how, we go. What do we take from here when we go? This week, the message is about those who are hurting. What is our response? Some people will not tell us they are hurting, but others do. How do we respond? Well, let’s look at how Jesus responded.
Jesus restores unexpectedly. (Mark 2.1-12)
Last week, the post focused on Jesus leaving Capernaum to go and preach and cast our demons around Galilee. This week, Jesus is back in Capernaum. We don’t know exactly when this was because all Mark gives us is that it was “after some days.” When Jesus left Capernaum it was because everyone sought Him as one who did miracles. Now, we find Jesus back, but teaching – not in the synagogue, but in a home – and possibly the home where He lived.
But in the midst of His teaching, something very unexpected happens. An opening appears in the roof and a man is lowered down before Jesus. Many homes in that day had an exterior staircase up to a flat roof where people could sit (much like many use a deck in their backyard). Many of these roofs were supported by beams from the inside, and made of branches and covered with mud or sod, so it would not have been too difficult to tear the roof open.
The paralyzed man had probably heard of Jesus healing others when Jesus was in Capernaum previously. Maybe the people that brought the man were part of the group that was looking for Jesus last time before He left (Mark 1.37). Maybe they were some of who had been healed (Mark 1.33-34). Regardless, these other people (“they” as recorded in Mark 2) brought this man before Jesus – and Jesus says it was their faith that saved him (more on that in a minute), but it is not too much to consider that the man asked his friends to take him to Jesus.
Anyway, all of a sudden, the roof starts opening up – pieces fall down below – onto Jesus, onto the crowd. Remember, Jesus is teaching – not healing. Healing is not the intent on this day as far as we know. But “they” wanted Jesus to heal this man and had the courage to do whatever it took. Here that courage was to tear down someone’s house! Faith will find a way. It will overcome any obstacle because of the focus and determination of the one exercising their faith. Faith is not just knowing something, it is doing something.
It was the faith “they” had which helped the man get healed. But I mentioned above that something unexpected happened. And it did. The tearing open the roof (of a neighbors house!) was unexpected, the lowering of a man was unexpected, but Jesus not healing Him physically – now that was unexpected! Jesus says to the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” To which His critics rightly say, “Who can forgive sin but God alone?” (For more about God place in forgiveness see Exodus 34.6-7; Psalm 103.3; Isaiah 43.25; Micah 7.18.)
But Jesus perceives their thoughts, so He says to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” Jesus gives the man direction, and unlike the leper last week, this man did just what Jesus commanded. Jesus had the confidence the man would be healed because Jesus has the authority. But the man had to have faith too. Mark tends to provide details and he doesn’t do so here. Mark doesn’t tell us that the man wobbled to his feet – because he didn’t. The man simply got up, bent back over to get his bed, and walked away.
But it wasn’t done as the man might have expected. Sure Jesus healed him. But can you imagine his original reaction? He was lowered down before Jesus and had no idea how Jesus, nor anyone else would react. And Jesus forgives his sins. I can imagine the man saying, “Ok, you forgave my sins, but that is not really what I came here for? See, I was hoping to walk!”
But Jesus had more in mind. We often limit our request to the known. But Jesus wants to take us beyond the known to something deeper. What we want is often far less than what God offers. But because we can’t see beyond the known, we aren’t willing to take what He gives. This man received far more than he came to get.
But it wasn’t just the man who was offered restoration. Jesus offered it to anyone there who believed. Jesus acknowledged the faith of those who brought the man. Jesus offered it to the scribes who were intrigued by the healings, but incensed at His teachings. But Jesus came to restore them as well. They just didn’t think they needed it. And that leads us to our second point.
Jesus restores us undeservedly. (Mark 2.13-17)
Do you remember the names I mentioned at the beginning of the post? Well, the names that you thought were not worthy of God’s love – that is how the Jews of Yeshua’s day felt about tax collectors. We may not like tax collectors in our day, but in Jesus’ day they were despised. First, you had to associate with Gentiles to get the job – effectively you worked for Rome. Secondly, you bid for the job. This means that you chose the job, but even more, you chose to cheat your fellow Jews out of their own money to give it to the enemy. The leper and the paralytic may have been unclean, but they didn’t choose their illness (although sin and disease was thought to be synonymous in most cases in the first century). Thus, a tax collector was more despised than a leper.
But Jesus calls Levi to join Him. To follow Him. Why? Because as the kids learned, Jesus loves us. He died for us. He died for the tax collector, the Pharisee, and anyone in between. Note that the text says Levi the son of Alphaeus. Luke 6 says that James is the son of Alphaeus, so some debate whether Levi is James or Matthew. I propose that the two were brothers. I cannot prove this, but Jesus had already called two sets of brothers (James/John and Andrew/Peter) so why not a third set. This would promote more of a family feel.
But calling Levi had to be another unexpected moment. Levi was not just any tax collector. He was a customs collector meaning that all items for trade (or sale) would be taxed by him. That would include fish which was the business of the two previous sets of brothers called by Jesus. Mark 1.20 suggests that James and John came from at least moderate wealth because they had a boat and servants. So they likely were taxed a great deal by Levi and may have despised him personally. Now, Levi is joining them as followers of Jesus.
Again, consider which person (from the beginning of the post) you would be least likely to choose to spend the next three years. That is likely how Levi may have felt as he joined James, Peter and their brothers. The moment was awkward for Levi, but he followed. And apparently, he told many friends because we find them at a meal shortly thereafter. In our culture, we eat around strangers all the time when we eat at a restaurant. We may do so without ever knowing anything about them, and we might never see them again. However, we do usually concern ourselves over who comes to our house for a meal. In Jesus’ day, the stakes for inviting people into your house was even higher – to have table fellowship with someone (and notice they were reclining – this was not a fast food meal) was to express a deep friendship.
But I want you to notice one more word in this section. In verse 15, Mark includes the word sinners. This word does not necessarily vile offenders. The term has the connotation of people who did not keep the covenant law. That means, as one commentary suggests, they may have taken God’s name in vain, they did not wash their hands when they got home from shopping, they did not go to synagogue (church) they associated with Gentiles (that is, non-believers), and they didn’t keep the Sabbath. (IVP, Mark, p61).
I would suggest that that description fits many individuals today – people in your town, your state, your country, and maybe even you! It was these individuals that Jesus chose to consider friends. Not also that the text does not say that they used to be sinners. They were sinners and there were many. One of the best insights I have ever received from a book besides the Bible was from a book written over fifty years ago called the Master Plan of Evangelism. In the book, the author (Robert Coleman) clearly shows that Jesus’ disciples did not follow because they were disciples. They learned to be disciples. That is, Jesus taught His disciples to be disciples. Specifically, Jesus took a bunch of sinners and turned them into people who would continue His ministry after He was gone.
Jesus has the power to change the lives of those who don’t deserve it. People like you and me. In Ephesians 2, verses 3 and 4, we are told all of us were children of wrath. That is, we, as sinners, deserved the wrath of God. But God, in His mercy, because of grace, through our faith, has not only spared us from the wrath we deserve, but has given us an inheritance with Christ – at least for those who follow Jesus.
Now that is unexpected, and it is certainly undeserved.
Not Just Jesus, But God
Jesus was man, but Jesus was also God. He claimed to be God elsewhere, but in this passage (specifically related to healing the paralytic) Jesus let His actions show who He truly was. Look back to verse 12. Remember the scribes were not happy thinking that Jesus had blasphemed God. But verse 12 shows that the people there (besides the Scribes) gave glory to God for this healing. This is remarkable because in Mark 1, it was Jesus fame which spread (v. 28), and people came from everywhere to be healed (vv. 32-34). But now, in Chapter 2.1-17, Jesus heals one man physically, another emotionally, and both spiritually. But the glory, as seen in verse 12, is given to God. The attention and focus was not on Jesus. It was on God.
The people could see that God was the one at work. God was working in a new way, but they saw it as God. However, the religious people of that day did not see it. In fact, in John 9, in a completely separate incident, Jesus says the leaders were blind to the truth of what God is doing. This reminds me of what Jesus told those listening in His sermon on the mountainside. In Matthew 5.16, Jesus says that we are to be salt and light in order that our good works might cause others to glorify the Father in heaven. And that leads us perfectly to our JOURNEY letter this week.
JOURNEY
The JOURNEY letter for this week is: E – Evoke.
I see a lot of Christians today who are mad at the world. We might say that they are provoked. But we are not to be provoked. We are not to blame others. We are to help them find Jesus. If we are provoked, others will be too. But we can evoke the hearts of others to find the one and only solution to all of life’s problems.
Consider what Jesus did. Jesus was far less concerned with blaming others. Rather He focused on how to save them. If that was His focus, and we claim to be followers of Jesus, should not that be our focus as well?
The friends of the paralytic took every possible measure to get their friend to Jesus. Jesus changed the man’s life. Then Jesus changed Levi’s life, as well as that of the four fishermen who would have had a tough pill to swallow in accepting this new “friend.” So, what do we do with this message?
NEXT STEP(S):
Our opportunity this week is to consider how we might restore others as well. Restoring others means we must learn to value them. Jesus restored the ungodly, the unworthy, and the sinner – including you and I. He calls those that follow Him to do the same.
So, what about our next steps?
Learn God’s ways. What are your prejudices? We need to identify and rid of ourselves of our prejudices if we are going to better follow Jesus.
Live mercifully. To extend mercy, is to not give to someone what they deserve. Who might find some courage to continue by receiving a little mercy from you?
Love grace. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Learn to better appreciate the gift that God has granted you and let His grace continue to mold you.
Lead graciously. Who might find hope in the true Savior by you being gracious to them as God has been gracious to you?
- Osama Bin Laden
- Abraham Lincoln
- Billy Graham
- Hillary Clinton
- The apostle Paul
- Barack Obama
- Judas Iscariot
- Donald Trump
- Andy Braams (me)
- You
This past week at our church was a great reminder of that fact. It was Vacation Bible School week so we had children all over the place this week and they didn’t care about any of the items with which we usually concern ourselves. In fact, they didn’t care much about anything while they were here – anything other than Jesus, that is. As adults, we can pretend to do the same thing by putting on a certain “face” to come to worship. But that isn’t what Jesus wants. Jesus wants us. And He deserves all of us because He loves us.
But I am convinced that more than us coming, Jesus is worried about if, and how, we go. What do we take from here when we go? This week, the message is about those who are hurting. What is our response? Some people will not tell us they are hurting, but others do. How do we respond? Well, let’s look at how Jesus responded.
Jesus restores unexpectedly. (Mark 2.1-12)
Last week, the post focused on Jesus leaving Capernaum to go and preach and cast our demons around Galilee. This week, Jesus is back in Capernaum. We don’t know exactly when this was because all Mark gives us is that it was “after some days.” When Jesus left Capernaum it was because everyone sought Him as one who did miracles. Now, we find Jesus back, but teaching – not in the synagogue, but in a home – and possibly the home where He lived.
But in the midst of His teaching, something very unexpected happens. An opening appears in the roof and a man is lowered down before Jesus. Many homes in that day had an exterior staircase up to a flat roof where people could sit (much like many use a deck in their backyard). Many of these roofs were supported by beams from the inside, and made of branches and covered with mud or sod, so it would not have been too difficult to tear the roof open.
The paralyzed man had probably heard of Jesus healing others when Jesus was in Capernaum previously. Maybe the people that brought the man were part of the group that was looking for Jesus last time before He left (Mark 1.37). Maybe they were some of who had been healed (Mark 1.33-34). Regardless, these other people (“they” as recorded in Mark 2) brought this man before Jesus – and Jesus says it was their faith that saved him (more on that in a minute), but it is not too much to consider that the man asked his friends to take him to Jesus.
Anyway, all of a sudden, the roof starts opening up – pieces fall down below – onto Jesus, onto the crowd. Remember, Jesus is teaching – not healing. Healing is not the intent on this day as far as we know. But “they” wanted Jesus to heal this man and had the courage to do whatever it took. Here that courage was to tear down someone’s house! Faith will find a way. It will overcome any obstacle because of the focus and determination of the one exercising their faith. Faith is not just knowing something, it is doing something.
It was the faith “they” had which helped the man get healed. But I mentioned above that something unexpected happened. And it did. The tearing open the roof (of a neighbors house!) was unexpected, the lowering of a man was unexpected, but Jesus not healing Him physically – now that was unexpected! Jesus says to the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” To which His critics rightly say, “Who can forgive sin but God alone?” (For more about God place in forgiveness see Exodus 34.6-7; Psalm 103.3; Isaiah 43.25; Micah 7.18.)
But Jesus perceives their thoughts, so He says to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” Jesus gives the man direction, and unlike the leper last week, this man did just what Jesus commanded. Jesus had the confidence the man would be healed because Jesus has the authority. But the man had to have faith too. Mark tends to provide details and he doesn’t do so here. Mark doesn’t tell us that the man wobbled to his feet – because he didn’t. The man simply got up, bent back over to get his bed, and walked away.
But it wasn’t done as the man might have expected. Sure Jesus healed him. But can you imagine his original reaction? He was lowered down before Jesus and had no idea how Jesus, nor anyone else would react. And Jesus forgives his sins. I can imagine the man saying, “Ok, you forgave my sins, but that is not really what I came here for? See, I was hoping to walk!”
But Jesus had more in mind. We often limit our request to the known. But Jesus wants to take us beyond the known to something deeper. What we want is often far less than what God offers. But because we can’t see beyond the known, we aren’t willing to take what He gives. This man received far more than he came to get.
But it wasn’t just the man who was offered restoration. Jesus offered it to anyone there who believed. Jesus acknowledged the faith of those who brought the man. Jesus offered it to the scribes who were intrigued by the healings, but incensed at His teachings. But Jesus came to restore them as well. They just didn’t think they needed it. And that leads us to our second point.
Jesus restores us undeservedly. (Mark 2.13-17)
Do you remember the names I mentioned at the beginning of the post? Well, the names that you thought were not worthy of God’s love – that is how the Jews of Yeshua’s day felt about tax collectors. We may not like tax collectors in our day, but in Jesus’ day they were despised. First, you had to associate with Gentiles to get the job – effectively you worked for Rome. Secondly, you bid for the job. This means that you chose the job, but even more, you chose to cheat your fellow Jews out of their own money to give it to the enemy. The leper and the paralytic may have been unclean, but they didn’t choose their illness (although sin and disease was thought to be synonymous in most cases in the first century). Thus, a tax collector was more despised than a leper.
But Jesus calls Levi to join Him. To follow Him. Why? Because as the kids learned, Jesus loves us. He died for us. He died for the tax collector, the Pharisee, and anyone in between. Note that the text says Levi the son of Alphaeus. Luke 6 says that James is the son of Alphaeus, so some debate whether Levi is James or Matthew. I propose that the two were brothers. I cannot prove this, but Jesus had already called two sets of brothers (James/John and Andrew/Peter) so why not a third set. This would promote more of a family feel.
But calling Levi had to be another unexpected moment. Levi was not just any tax collector. He was a customs collector meaning that all items for trade (or sale) would be taxed by him. That would include fish which was the business of the two previous sets of brothers called by Jesus. Mark 1.20 suggests that James and John came from at least moderate wealth because they had a boat and servants. So they likely were taxed a great deal by Levi and may have despised him personally. Now, Levi is joining them as followers of Jesus.
Again, consider which person (from the beginning of the post) you would be least likely to choose to spend the next three years. That is likely how Levi may have felt as he joined James, Peter and their brothers. The moment was awkward for Levi, but he followed. And apparently, he told many friends because we find them at a meal shortly thereafter. In our culture, we eat around strangers all the time when we eat at a restaurant. We may do so without ever knowing anything about them, and we might never see them again. However, we do usually concern ourselves over who comes to our house for a meal. In Jesus’ day, the stakes for inviting people into your house was even higher – to have table fellowship with someone (and notice they were reclining – this was not a fast food meal) was to express a deep friendship.
But I want you to notice one more word in this section. In verse 15, Mark includes the word sinners. This word does not necessarily vile offenders. The term has the connotation of people who did not keep the covenant law. That means, as one commentary suggests, they may have taken God’s name in vain, they did not wash their hands when they got home from shopping, they did not go to synagogue (church) they associated with Gentiles (that is, non-believers), and they didn’t keep the Sabbath. (IVP, Mark, p61).
I would suggest that that description fits many individuals today – people in your town, your state, your country, and maybe even you! It was these individuals that Jesus chose to consider friends. Not also that the text does not say that they used to be sinners. They were sinners and there were many. One of the best insights I have ever received from a book besides the Bible was from a book written over fifty years ago called the Master Plan of Evangelism. In the book, the author (Robert Coleman) clearly shows that Jesus’ disciples did not follow because they were disciples. They learned to be disciples. That is, Jesus taught His disciples to be disciples. Specifically, Jesus took a bunch of sinners and turned them into people who would continue His ministry after He was gone.
Jesus has the power to change the lives of those who don’t deserve it. People like you and me. In Ephesians 2, verses 3 and 4, we are told all of us were children of wrath. That is, we, as sinners, deserved the wrath of God. But God, in His mercy, because of grace, through our faith, has not only spared us from the wrath we deserve, but has given us an inheritance with Christ – at least for those who follow Jesus.
Now that is unexpected, and it is certainly undeserved.
Not Just Jesus, But God
Jesus was man, but Jesus was also God. He claimed to be God elsewhere, but in this passage (specifically related to healing the paralytic) Jesus let His actions show who He truly was. Look back to verse 12. Remember the scribes were not happy thinking that Jesus had blasphemed God. But verse 12 shows that the people there (besides the Scribes) gave glory to God for this healing. This is remarkable because in Mark 1, it was Jesus fame which spread (v. 28), and people came from everywhere to be healed (vv. 32-34). But now, in Chapter 2.1-17, Jesus heals one man physically, another emotionally, and both spiritually. But the glory, as seen in verse 12, is given to God. The attention and focus was not on Jesus. It was on God.
The people could see that God was the one at work. God was working in a new way, but they saw it as God. However, the religious people of that day did not see it. In fact, in John 9, in a completely separate incident, Jesus says the leaders were blind to the truth of what God is doing. This reminds me of what Jesus told those listening in His sermon on the mountainside. In Matthew 5.16, Jesus says that we are to be salt and light in order that our good works might cause others to glorify the Father in heaven. And that leads us perfectly to our JOURNEY letter this week.
JOURNEY
The JOURNEY letter for this week is: E – Evoke.
I see a lot of Christians today who are mad at the world. We might say that they are provoked. But we are not to be provoked. We are not to blame others. We are to help them find Jesus. If we are provoked, others will be too. But we can evoke the hearts of others to find the one and only solution to all of life’s problems.
Consider what Jesus did. Jesus was far less concerned with blaming others. Rather He focused on how to save them. If that was His focus, and we claim to be followers of Jesus, should not that be our focus as well?
The friends of the paralytic took every possible measure to get their friend to Jesus. Jesus changed the man’s life. Then Jesus changed Levi’s life, as well as that of the four fishermen who would have had a tough pill to swallow in accepting this new “friend.” So, what do we do with this message?
NEXT STEP(S):
Our opportunity this week is to consider how we might restore others as well. Restoring others means we must learn to value them. Jesus restored the ungodly, the unworthy, and the sinner – including you and I. He calls those that follow Him to do the same.
So, what about our next steps?
Learn God’s ways. What are your prejudices? We need to identify and rid of ourselves of our prejudices if we are going to better follow Jesus.
Live mercifully. To extend mercy, is to not give to someone what they deserve. Who might find some courage to continue by receiving a little mercy from you?
Love grace. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Learn to better appreciate the gift that God has granted you and let His grace continue to mold you.
Lead graciously. Who might find hope in the true Savior by you being gracious to them as God has been gracious to you?
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