Historical Context - Pharisees and Herodians

Two Becoming One, For a Common Interest

Throughout history, alliances have been formed for the common good and for bad. An alliance doesn't just have to be between two countries; you can see alliances formed on a playground, when kids start clustering in groups or dividing themselves into teams to play tag. An alliance is essentially a connection through which a common interest is shared. A marriage is an alliance between two people who decide to share their lives together. Even in our own community two opposing groups the Tarkio Indians and the Fairfax Bulldogs came together to form the East Atchison Wolves (two high schools in neighboring towns which have combined efforts for certain activities). Today we will focus on two opposing groups who came together for one common interest to destroy Jesus and all that he represented.

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.

"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.

• 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?

• Osama Bin Laden
• Abraham Lincoln
• Billy Graham
• Hillary Clinton
• The apostle Paul
• Barack Obama
• Judas Iscariot
• Donald Trump
• Andy Braams (me)
• You

Some of those individuals may be favorable to you. Others not. But here is something we all know, yet we cannot accept. Jesus loved or loves each one of those people the same. He died for every one of them.

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?

"Follow Me"...in My Authority (Part 1)

During the month of May, many people all over the country graduate from many types of schools having attained various levels of education. But while graduation brings one type of freedom to many, it brings a new level of responsibility to most. And that responsibility is still directed by some level of authority. The authority may be in the form of new professors, new coaches, or new bosses, but some level of authority remains. The question is how do you let that authority guide you? Do you rebel? Do you cherish it? Ultimately, how you respond to these individuals can say a lot about how you respond to the one with true authority – God. After all, He is the author – so he has author-ity.

And Jesus, the Son of God (and, indeed, God in the flesh) had authority. In fact, it as an authority that was unparalleled in the first century. For Jesus, the base was Capernaum. And this is the setting for the message this week as we look at the authority of Jesus.

Jesus had the authority to teach.

Jesus begins by teaching in the synagogue. This was not because He was Jesus, or because He was a “pastor.” It was because He was a layman. Scribes could teach, and so could laymen if they had established some credibility. Teaching in the synagogue was done while sitting on what was called the Moses Seat. The chief aim of the teaching was to present an understanding of Scripture. Now, we must understand that this meant the Old Testament. This is obvious on the one hand, but easy to miss on the other. We look back with the truth of the New Testament at our fingertips, but the pages were not yet written. Indeed, at least physically, Jesus was in the process of providing the stories that were to be recorded. We cannot overlook this fact.

Mark does not provide any details for what Jesus was teaching on this day. To Mark, what was being taught was unimportant, and I think we can learn something from that. We do not come to worship Jesus because of what He said or what He did. Those things are important, but what is most important is who He was – and who He is! What He taught and what He did emanate from who He is.

What Mark does provide is a detail that Jesus’ teaching was different (v. 22). Jesus was not discussing what others thought (which is what the Scribes usually did). Jesus taught as if He knew what Scripture really meant. Of course He did, because He is the living Word of God, just as Scripture is the written Word of God.

As we turn to the next section notice that happens while Jesus is teaching.

Side Note: So what gives me, or other teachers any authority today? This question is all the more valid because the Scribes knew far more about the Torah – the first five books in our Bible, than I may about any one part of the Bible. In fact, they were experts in the Torah, highly respected, and their word was binding. It has been suggested that their power was greater than the high priest – at least, in function. But what makes me different, and you as well if you have your faith in Jesus, is that they did not have the constant presence, if any presence, of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would guide His followers into all truth (John 14.26). That does not mean that I understand everything perfectly, but it does mean that I, and you, can interpret the Scriptures by the same power that inspired them (2 Timothy 3.16).

Jesus had authority over demons.

While Jesus is teaching, a man, who is obviously demon-possessed, shows himself. Now what is important here is that Jesus was teaching, not looking for a fight. But this man, possessed by multiple demons (notice the word “us” in verse 24) appears to be infringed upon. The statement, “What have you to do with us?” is basically like saying, “Why are you here? We aren’t bothering anything.”

What we can gather is that this group of demons was comfortable in the synagogue. It was their home. Per the law, the man should not have even been in the synagogue because he was unclean. That was not a concern for these demons apparently or they would not have been so bold in this gathering place.

The demons refer to Jesus as the Holy One of God. This is very significant. One belief in that day was that the use of the name of a spiritual adversary gave you control over it. So, the demon states who Jesus is, correctly mind you, thinking they would have the upper hand against Jesus. However, Jesus reveals that true power does not require calling them by name. Nor does Jesus need any special incantations or magic phrases. He simply tells the demonic presence to be quiet and leave. This is not a request. Rather it is a strong command. The demon has no choice but to leave – and to be silent. The demons shriek, but it is not understandable. (I will cover this idea of silence below.)

So, Jesus was teaching and the devil was looking to disrupt the situation, but Jesus did the disrupting! If you are scoring at home, this makes the score – Jesus 2, Devil 0 (the first being in the wilderness).

Jesus had the authority to heal.

The next small part mentions the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. (This miracle is one reason that I believe that Peter is the story-teller in Mark’s account of the gospel.) The text provides evidence that Peter was married which makes the Catholic understanding (that priests must be single) more difficult to explain. A couple of Catholic resources I checked suggest that Peter had been married before Jesus called him, so, in essence, he was a widower and was not married when He began His journey with Christ. This sounds reasonable other than Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 9, which suggests that a woman is present with Peter. Some Catholics suggest this was his sister, although one of the great early church leaders, Clement of Alexandria, writes that Peter was married, had children, and she was actually a martyr for her faith (which Peter witnessed).

Speculation aside, what we do know is that he did have a mother-in-law whether he was still married or a widower. We also know that Jesus healed her. This, too, is significant because she is female. HE (Jesus) touched HER (generally forbidden in those days, especially for a rabbi) and she was lifted up. The words “lifted up” are the same Greek word (egeiro) used of Jesus rising from the dead. The text does not say she was dead, but she may have been very ill, perhaps near death. But by the touch of Jesus, she was healed.

Her response to her healing? She began to serve. Some use this text to show that women should serve men. However, the word is the same word that Jesus uses in Mark 10.45 to show a purpose in His coming – to serve. Really, it is service that is the mark of discipleship as we will see later in Mark 9 and 10. We also musts not overlook that her service is on the Sabbath (see verse 21). In fact, we see, in verse 32, all kinds of people showed up to for healing after sundown. Why? Because they could not walk very far (nor expect to be healed) before the Sabbath ended, which brings us to our last portion of the this week’s teaching section.

Jesus had authority over the Sabbath.

What a busy day! But that day was the Sabbath. It was permissible to teach, but the exorcism of demons and the healing of the woman should not have been. However, Jesus reveals His authority over the Sabbath with these healings. A closer look at how the Sabbath was understood at this time in history may help. The Sabbath had become a symbol of the true rest (eternal rest), and peace (shalom) that is to come – and will begin when the Messiah comes. Therefore, Jesus is showing that God’s peace and rest (the true Sabbath – or Shabbat) has come upon them. Sickness, disease, death, and demons are no match for the Kingdom of God. God created. God rested. But now God is restoring – and bringing in a perfect rest and peace – and doing so on the Shabbat).

As we conclude this passage, we see in verse 34 that, again, Jesus did not allow the demons to speak – “because they knew Him.” Doesn’t that seem a little odd? He says the same to some of the people He heals as well (see verse 44, next week). So why did Jesus tell the demons to be silent?

Some have suggested that it has to do with secrecy. In fact, one claim that pervaded much of the twentieth century was that Jesus did not know He was the Messiah. Except Jesus does say so later. My thought, and I am far from alone on this, has to do with the nature of demons. Remember demons are the minions of Satan, whom Jesus refers to elsewhere as the Father of Lies. So even though the demons rightfully know who Jesus is, being liars themselves, they would spread false testimony about Him.

As for the people being told to be quiet, Jesus did not want people to come to Him only for what they thought He might do for them (as a miracle-worker). Rather He wanted to be able to do what He truly came for – to have them believe in Him as the Son of God that they might be truly healed (redeemed) from their sin.

True Authority: Caesar or Jesus?

As we prepare to conclude this post, we have overlooked two key verses – 27 and 28. The people knew authority – or, at least, they think they did.

If you recall, on the first week of this series, I mentioned that Mark wrote this account of the gospel to the Romans. Thus, Mark was writing to a people who believed that all authority belonged to Caesar. Mark shows, however, that what man considers authority often lacks in comparison to what real authority is. God is the author, and therefore the author-ity is His. It was on full display in the person of Jesus. And it was unlike anything these people had imagined, for they exclaimed, “What is this? A new teaching with authority!”

They were amazed. Essentially, when Jesus speaks, something happens. His word and deed are one. The fame of this man spread quickly and people wanted to be near Him – whether for healing, for teaching, or some other perceived need – they wanted to see this man – Yeshua.

In Rome people would come out to see and worship Caesar. Likewise, in Galilee, people came from far and wide to see Jesus. But did they know Him? They believed He existed. They believed in what He could do. But was He their miracle man or their Savior? More importantly, who is He to you?

The reality is that Jesus was unknown to everyone at this time except the enemy. The disciples were learning who Jesus was. The debilitated and diseased knew He had power. And Jesus proved that no disease was beyond healing. But only the demons truly knew who He was. They addressed Him by title. Yet, they are still bound to hell.

So, the question for each of us is: Do you know about Him? Or do you know Him?

JOURNEY

Our JOURNEY letter for today is: J – Jesus.

The authority Mark refers to is not just to prove that Jesus is God. It is to show that Jesus’ message, as we saw last week in verse 15, is real. “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” God’s Kingdom had come. It was time to repent (turn from the old) and believe (turn to God). Satan has dominion over this world (2 Corinthians 4.3-4), but he is no match for God when His reign is realized.

NEXT STEP(S):

Opportunity: Jesus authority did not prevent Him from showing compassion. People brought the sick and oppressed to Him because of what they saw in Him. How can our compassion toward others help them recognize the authority of Jesus?

So, what about our next steps? How can we maximize the opportunities God provides for us?

Learn – Determine the needs of others.
Live – Find ways to help meet the needs of others.
Love – Seek to understand the deeper need in each situation, including any spiritual need.
Lead – Find ways of meeting more the immediate needs by sharing Christ’s love.
(Leave) – Prepare those you are helping to properly care for themselves for when you are not there.

Jesus has the authority. The question is what do we do with that truth. What will you do today?

"Follow Me"...When I Call

Do you remember elementary school? The idea of school itself brings back many memories. But in elementary school we learned some harsh lessons. Perhaps, few were as harsh as the idea of being chosen for some team. Of course, some people had plenty of different skills and would be chosen first. Others were close friends and would be chosen next. But regardless of what the game or event was, someone always has to be picked last. And, let’s face it, most of the time, most everyone knew who that would be before the choices even began. Each time that person’s self-esteem dropped a little more, and a little more, and well, some never recover.

What if Jesus was like that? He could be. And, if we didn’t know anything about Him other than He was God or the King, then we might say He should be that way. But He wasn’t. And He isn’t. And we will see that today as we look at the next few verses of Mark 1. This week’s focus in on two main ideas. Jesus came proclaiming (preaching) the gospel and He called His first disciples. 

The Message: The gospel of God

Jesus began by preaching the good news. And Jesus is the good news. Again, looking back over 2000 years, we may realize this fact, but imagine being there in that day. Imagine someone standing before you each week and telling you that s/he is the fulfillment of God’s plan. The message shared by this person is “If you put your faith in me, then you will have eternal joy with God forever.” This was the message of Jesus. And this was the message about Jesus. John preached this message and verse 14 says that he was arrested. The word here (Greek – paradidomi) means to be “handed over” or “delivered.” It is the same word that is used of Jesus being betrayed by Judas. It is also the same word that Mark uses to convey that the apostles will be handed over and put on trial.

What scares me about this word is that “handed over” carries the connotation that it was done by someone familiar, someone known, and perhaps even trusted. That was true of Judas for Jesus. And it may be true for some reading this post. The days are coming quickly when the same message that got John and Jesus arrested and killed, the same message that got James and Peter and Paul and other disciples/apostles arrested and killed, will be the same message that gets me and you arrested and potentially killed.

I am not trying to be melodramatic. I am trying to be honest. This message is the good news of God, but much of mankind doesn’t like God’s news. Why? Well, not because of the first part of verse 15: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” Many people view this as simply a time of prosperity and joy. But the latter part of verse 15, gives us the reality of how the former part is realized: “Repent and believe in the gospel.”

As I mentioned last week, John preached repentance. Repentance is to turn from something. We talk about the need to turn from our sin, which is true. But repentance is actually more. It is to turn or change our mind about how we are living. The disciples Jesus called (below) repented and followed. We don’t know that they were sinning. We just know that they left the nets (repenting of their current way of life) to follow Jesus. But repentance is only the first step. Not only must we turn from the old, we must turn to the new. That is belief. Or trust. This is the part that mankind dislikes. “Don’t make me give up what I want to do, and I will be fine.” But Jesus says, we must give up ourselves for the sake of another. And that other is Him.

So Jesus has come to announce that the wait is over. The time is at hand. God has returned to visit His people. But where does He do it? In Jerusalem? No. In Galilee – the slums of Israel (as the those in Jerusalem thought. And the message is one that, if you believed it, you would be ready to take on the world. So what does Jesus do? He takes a stroll along the lake and talks to some fishermen. This makes me laugh. Now fishermen were very important in that day, but this goes back to my opening example. If you were going to change the world, who would you pick first – fishermen?

But that’s what Jesus does. He calls two sets of brothers. Mark doesn’t give us any indication that they knew who Jesus was, but other accounts do. In fact, combing through various verses in both Luke and John, I think it is a strong possibility, that Jesus was cousins with James and John and that is why they knew it was time to follow. And being business partners with Andrew and Simon, they would have expected this moment as well. One quick point about these men. Most people tend to think that the disciples were poor, but Zebedee owned a boat, and had hired servants, so James and John, at least, were from a somewhat wealthy family. Next month, I will show why that probably led to some conflict. But for now, let us turn to the words that Jesus used to call these men.

The Calling: The inclusion of man

In the introductory example, I used the idea of being picked for a team. But Jesus didn’t just pick up, He called us. So what is a calling? I will further define that below under the section entitled “I will make,” but for now I present a definition from Os Guinness.

“Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction live out as a response to his summons and service.”

– Os Guinness

So, what was Jesus call? I will break down the components from Mark 1.17 here.

Follow Me

We have accounts in the Old Testament of God calling people as well. For instance, in Genesis 12.1, God commanded Abram to go, from his land, from his father, and to a place that God would show Him. Essentially, the command is the same – Follow Me. And then God provides a new outlook. Abram will be blessed and those who bless Abram will be blessed. The same is true for the disciples of Jesus. They will experience untold blessing by following Jesus, but most, if not all, of those blessings will not happen in this lifetime. And truly we want it that way. Without a doubt we have wants and desires in this lifetime, but even when these wants are fulfilled, we are left for wanting more. Honestly, we should rather want any blessings later (as in the next life) so that we can enjoy them for eternity?

Just like God chose Abram, Jesus chose these men. This is a deviation from the pattern of the day because usually a young boy (age 12) would choose a rabbi to follow, not the other way around. If the boy did not choose to follow a rabbi, he would return home to learn a trade – usually that of his father. But Jesus chose these men, because He wasn’t just a rabbi. Jesus was also prophet and had a different level of authority (as we will see the next three weeks).

I Will Make

A call is to attach yourself to a person or cause and then imitate them or carry out the cause. But to heed the call of Jesus is not only about imitating, it is about letting Him do the making. And why not, according to this verse, He has promised to make us. And, of course, He is the Creator of all things as well (Colossians 1.16). The word Mark uses here for “make” is the Greek word poieo, which is a root for our English word poem or poetry. Have you ever considered your life a poem? You have likely heard someone way, perhaps about you, “Well they sure are a piece of work!” Well, you are. You are God’s handy-work! And the fact is that He is not done with you yet. He is still making and molding you. Sometimes it is painful, and sometimes it is bittersweet. But the finished product will be beautiful if we allow Him to finish because He is the master. He created the world. He is preparing a place for you, but most importantly He is making, and re-making, you into exactly what He needs you to be.

You Become

Frankly, most of us wouldn’t mind Jesus re-making us, but we want to give Him the instructions and the time-frame. Fortunately, that is not our place. And we would miss out on so much if we did. Consider these two sets of brothers. Would they have ever considered themselves to be a part of the greatest movement in history? Probably not. But Jesus saw potential in them that they didn’t see in themselves. And the same is true for us. Jesus sees what we are capable of accomplishing even when we don’t think we have anything to offer. But let me clarify one aspect of this calling and becoming. The “you” here is plural. Our faith is personal, and our call may be unique. But a part of the calling, the making, and the becoming is about being in community. The New Testament doesn’t teach that faith is a private matter. Again, to choose one’s set of beliefs is an individual decision, and may include times of solitude or even isolation. But such a faith should not leave us there. Consider the instances of isolation in Scripture. For Jesus it was in the wilderness being tested, in Gethsemane praying, etc. And even in all of these places, except the wilderness, others were nearby (and angels tended to Jesus in the wilderness.

So why was Jesus walking along the shoreline? He was starting a new community. Jesus started His ministry by forming a community of nobodies to follow the Somebody so that anybody and everybody might know Him.

Fishers of Men

Why fishermen? The easy answer, and it is truthful, is that God often uses our past for His purposes in the future. But, as usual, the Bible has more to say about this. And we are looking at this story from a Jewish perspective so let’s examine what a couple of Old Testament writings have to say.

First, the sea (and even water) can represent a mysterious and deadly place.

“You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.”

– Psalm 74.13

Secondly, to be rescued from the water is to be rescued from impending doom as in the first chapter of Jonah, and for Jonah himself in chapter 2. But a couple of other passages relate fishing to the pending doom.

“Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them.”

– Jeremiah 16.16

“The Lord has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks.”

– Amos 4.2

And doom is what fishing is to a fish. If a fish gets hooked, its doom is certain. Unless, the one who catches the fish has mercy upon it. For a true fish, that mercy would mean being thrown back. But for a person, that mercy means you have escaped the coming doom. This is what a fisher of men must do. Fish, so as to catch some, and then show God’s mercy so a man doesn’t want to jump back in.

Let me provide one further thought relating John the baptizer and Jesus to the idea of a fisherman. Where does a fisherman go to fish? To the water. John the baptizer was near the water, but the people were going to him. But Jesus went to the people. Because a fishermen doesn’t just go anywhere to fish, he goes to where the fish are. And that’s why Jesus said, “Follow Me.”

A Difference in Principles

Much more could be said about this small section of verses, and it likely will be as we have just begun our journey through Mark’s account of the gospel. But for now, we must understand is that Mark 1.17 is the entire basis of this series. It encompasses the entire cycle of discipleship. And when combined with Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 11.1 to “Be imitators of me as I imitate Christ,” we see it is still applicable for people living after Jesus’ ascension to heaven.

While the call for follow is still applicable, each person’s calling is unique. Andrew and Simon left their nets. James and John left their father as well. Mary and Martha never left Bethany. But all had their own part in following Jesus. Today, we may be called to leave our homes, our families, our jobs, etc. In some ways, this isn’t as big a challenge in our day because we live in a society that is so individualistic and one that is particularly connected. Telephones, cars, and other technological advances make it much easier to remain in contact with people than it has been in the past – especially the ancient past.

But regardless of however our calling may be unique, the command is to make disciples (Matthew 28.18-20). We are called to fish for men and women and then help them to then fish for others. Again, this is not an option. Jesus makes this perfectly clear, but many people live by a different principle. One principle that is fairly well-known is the Pareto Principle. The principle suggests that 80% of the output comes from 20% of the input source. This principle is well established in many ways, and is evident in many churches (as well as other organizations). The form it takes is that 80% of the work is accomplished by 20% of the people. But, imagine for just a minute, a church in which 100% of the people were following Jesus and making disciples. What kind of church would that be? I assure you it is a church that I would want to be a part of, and many others would too. And whichever side of the 20% you believe yourself to be currently, remember you didn’t choose God, God chose you because of some untapped potential He saw. And thus, the question is, how do you respond?

JOURNEY:

And that is why our JOURNEY letter for today is: O – Observe.

When Jesus calls, we must be ready. Because it is only when we choose to follow Jesus that we can truly know who He truly is and thus find out who we are truly meant to be.

Opportunity: Hear His call and respond. It is time to follow Jesus and learn to fish – for men!

NEXT STEP(S):

So, what about our next steps?

Learn – “Follow Me.” – Jesus words to follow are not an invitation. They are a command. Learn to follow Jesus in all His ways by studying His Word.

Live – “I will make” – Remember, Jesus is the do-er here. We must remain open and willing, but He is the potter and we are the clay. Are you willingly let Him mold you? If not, your resistance is probably causing you more pain than is required.

Love – “You become” – This is the painful process as we are truly remolded. But as we are, we find ourselves more capable of what Jesus want from us – including be able to love others. Who do you need to better love today?

Lead – “Fishers of men” – If Jesus has made you, this is the output. His promise is to make you into a fisher of men, so when we aren’t doing this, it is either because we don’t know Jesus, or we are suppressing His work in our lives. Choose someone to lead you as you also lead others.

(Leave) In our passage today, Jesus was just beginning His public ministry. But He knew the time was short and He had to prepare others to continue before it was time for Him to leave. Who are you preparing to fill your shoes when your time to depart is at hand?