Mark 5:18-20

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18 As Jesus was getting back into the boat, the man who was freed from the demons begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus would not let him. He said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man left and began to tell the people in the Ten Towns about what Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed. ~ Mark 5:18-20

We return, today, to Mark 5, to the story of the man who was demon possessed with up to 6000 demons. Miraculously, after the townsfolk had tried for years to control this erratic man, the Lord Jesus delivered him from the control of the dark side which had tormented him incessantly. 

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "As Jesus was getting back into the boat, the man who was freed from the demons begged to go with him."

Once this man had been delivered by the Lord Jesus, he did not want to live another day without having Him in his life. This is the way it works, once we have truly come into a personal relationship with the Lord, we want to hang out with Him all of the time. The once demon shackled man "begged" the Lord to allow him to go with Him. 

That word "begged" is a common word in Mark's gospel. The demons who were once in this man from the Gadarenes "begged" the Lord Jesus to let them go into the pigs. And, now the previously demon-possessed man "begged" Him to let him go with Him. This is what a tormented soul who has been made alive to God desires. For the first time in his life, he desired to be with the One who is wholly. 

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus would not let him. He said, 'Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.'"

The Lord Jesus sent this guy to share his story with his people, but he had no witnessing training. If we have a story with the Lord, we need no other training. This man, by the way, is the first preacher the Lord Jesus ever sent out. He had not yet sent the apostles out to preach the gospel. This is the first person the Lord Jesus ever sent out to preach His name, and he is a Gentile who had a really messed up past. And when the Lord gave him a testimony, it was a heck of a story. And, it was powerful because he had been demon possessed for so long. And, the people knew his story. From the moment we were born again, we were given the desire to tell others the great things the Lord has done for us. This is one of the greatest signs that we have entered into a personal relationship with the Lord.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "So the man left and began to tell the people in the Ten Towns about what Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed."

The name of the region where this man lived was Decapolis which was a region of ten cities east of the Jordan River. This delivered man worked his way through those ten cities telling the people about his miraculous encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Mark 7:31-32 we read, "31 Then Jesus left the area around Tyre and went through Sidon to Lake Galilee, to the area of the Ten Towns. 32 While he was there, some people brought a man to him who was deaf and could not talk plainly. The people begged Jesus to put his hand on the man to heal him."

The once demon-possessed man had been sharing his story about how the Lord Jesus had delivered him from demon possession for months before the Lord Jesus returned to that area. As, a result, when the people learned that the Lord Jesus had returned to the area, they responded differently than they had before. They brought this deaf man to Him for healing. The once demon-possessed man was given a story by the Lord Jesus that enabled him to tell the whole region who the Lord Jesus was; and when He came back, the crowds were prepared to receive Him and His message.

"Everyone was amazed." There were amazed by the story of the once demon-possessed man. The Greek word used in Mark 5:20 translated "amazed" means "to admire with wonder." This was the first missionary the Lord Jesus ever sent out. And, his story with the Lord Jesus was a story about God's grace.

"Lifestyle evangelism" is an evangelism strategy that focuses on our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus lived in the presence of those who have yet to enter into a personal relationship with Him. This is done with the goal of attracting them to the message and to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Acts 5:13, Christians of the early church were known for their good works, being "highly regarded by the people." The combination of a vibrant personal relationship with the Lord and a vibrant sharing of that faith with those who know not the Lord around us is the most effective way to being a witness for the Lord Jesus. The key in all of this is that we have a daily and vibrant walk with the Lord Jesus. So, look to Him daily for the stories that He will give you so that you can be like the once demon-possessed man, telling others about what the Lord Jesus has done in your life.

Mark 5:11-17

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11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on a hill near there. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us into the pigs; let us go into them.” 13 So Jesus allowed them to do this. The evil spirits left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of pigs—about two thousand of them—rushed down the hill into the lake and were drowned. 14 The herdsmen ran away and went to the town and to the countryside, telling everyone about this. So people went out to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who used to have the many evil spirits, sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were frightened. 16 The people who saw this told the others what had happened to the man who had the demons living in him, and they told about the pigs. 17 Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area. ~ Mark 5:11-17

Today, we return to our study of Mark 5 where the Lord Jesus and His disciples are on the eastside of the Sea of Galilee in a gentile area known as the area of the Gerasene people. Among the Gerasenes, faith in the God of the Bible was lacking. As a result, the demonic activity there was high because there was low impact of the truth. The people there had long rejected the truth, and so, the work of the enemy was heightened.

After arriving in this area, a demon possessed man ran down to meet the Lord Jesus and His disciples. After a short discussion the Lord Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man. And, this is where we pick up the story.

In v.11-13 of today's passage we read, "11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on a hill near there. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us into the pigs; let us go into them.” 13 So Jesus allowed them to do this. The evil spirits left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of pigs—about two thousand of them—rushed down the hill into the lake and were drowned." 

When the demons were cast out of this man, they entered into a large herd of pigs. And, all two thousand pigs rushed down the mountainside and drowned in the sea. Unable to destroy this man, the demons destroyed the pigs. The pigs' death was a testimony to this man and a to all who looked on that this once bound man had been freed from the demons. The Lord Jesus allowed the demons to overtake the pigs because it provided proof that they had left the man. The demons did not want to leave the man, but they had to because the Lord Jesus was there to bring deliverance to him. This was the Lord Jesus' way of making visible His ability to free a person from the stronghold of satanic deception.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 The herdsmen ran away and went to the town and to the countryside, telling everyone about this. So people went out to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who used to have the many evil spirits, sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were frightened."

All of the people of the area came to see what had happened that day. And, when they arrived on the scene of the miracle, they saw the man who was once uncontrollable and out of his mind, sitting with a sane mind at the feet of the Lord Jesus. These deceived people saw what the Lord could do in a person's life. It was obvious that the once bound man had been set free and the people had no more reason to fear him as they had before. 

But, all of this frightened the people of the Lord Jesus. They lacked the ability to recognize God in their midst. So trained were they by the deceptive powers of darkness, they could not see the light. Before, they were frightened by the demon-possessed man, but now, they are frightened of the Lord. This man who was so violent, was made obviously harmless, yet the people were frightened more by his deliverance than they were of his bondage. This story describes the trauma of holiness that we see throughout the Bible from those who come into the presence of God and are at odds to Him.

When the truth came to this people, they were so defined by error that they could not recognize the truth. We see this in Romans 1 where the Apostle Paul informs us that the God of the Bible who was invisible and unknowable to sinful man, made Himself visible and knowable. He has given us visible proof of His existence in the creation and through our conscience to apprehend His existence.

Sinful people who love their sin more than the truth deliberately refuse to acknowledge the revelation of God. As a result man's moral capacities are darkened and they turn off the revelation of God. Then they do something so detrimental to their souls, they cease to be thankful to God. All of this has a deadening effect upon our ability to respond to truth. This is the deceptive work of the enemy. Compounded deception is very hard to undo.

In Romans 1:21 we read, "Nor were they thankful but became futile or empty in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools." 

Those who reject knowledge of God end up as "fools."  As I am sure that you know, the temperature of the sun is 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit and the Earth is 93 million miles away from the sun giving us the temperatures that we enjoy on this earth. If the Earth were the slightest bit closer, we would all burn up. If we were the slightest bit farther away, we would freeze to death. And, add to that, the Earth spins on its axis 365 and 1/3 times as it makes its journey around the sun. As a result, we enjoy the four seasons that we have. Otherwise, life, as we know it, could not be sustained on this planet. The alternate freezing and burning would be too much. This is why the Earth is tilted on its axis 23 degrees, which contributes to the four seasons that we do enjoy.  

One would have to be a "fool" to say all of this is a product of time plus chance plus nothing. As described by the Apostle Paul further in Romans 1, the progressive nature of rejecting the truth leads to senselessness. This is the nature of Satan's way, degeneration.

In Mark 5:16-17 we read, "16 The people who saw this told the others what had happened to the man who had the demons living in him, and they told about the pigs. 17 Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area."

One would think that this kind of miracle would cause a revival in that whole area, but it sadly did not. The people begged the Lord Jesus to leave. Instead of wanting to hear more, they were motivated by their fear more than the potential birth of faith in the God of the Bible. These people were more afraid of God's presence in their lives than they were of the demons that once possessed the cave dwelling man. Rather than rejoicing over the deliverance of the man from demonic possession, the people begged the Lord Jesus to leave because they loved money more than the rule of God in their lives.

Here in Mark 5, we see the parables of Mark 4 being played out in the life of this once demon enslaved man. After meeting the Lord Jesus, his heart was now characterized by the good soil in the parables of the sower and of the seed. No longer was he enslaved to evil, now, he was enslaved to good, bearing good fruit a hundredfold. And the people in the town were the opposite, they remained dead to God because of their unforgiven sin.

Mark 5:1-10

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1 Jesus and his followers went to the other side of the lake to the area of the Gerasene people. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, instantly a man with an evil spirit came to him from the burial caves. 3 This man lived in the caves, and no one could tie him up, not even with a chain. 4 Many times people had used chains to tie the man’s hands and feet, but he always broke them off. No one was strong enough to control him. 5 Day and night he would wander around the burial caves and on the hills, screaming and cutting himself with stones. 6 While Jesus was still far away, the man saw him, ran to him, and fell down before him. 7 The man shouted in a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I command you in God’s name not to torture me!” 8 He said this because Jesus was saying to him, “You evil spirit, come out of the man.” 9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “My name is Legion, because we are many spirits.” 10 He begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of that area. ~ Mark 5:1-10

Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/mark_twain_118453?src=t_control

Today, we transition into Mark 5 where the Lord Jesus and His disciples had arrived on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the area of the Gerasene people. Among the Gerasenes, faith in the God of the Bible was lacking. And, if a believer in the God of the Bible visited there, his faith had better be strong due to the strong influence of the demonic world. The demonic activity there was high because there was a low impact of the truth. The people there had long rejected the truth, and so, lies abounded as if they were the truth. 

In v.1 of today's text we read, "Jesus and his followers went to the other side of the lake to the area of the Gerasene people."

The Lord Jesus took His disciples to the land of the Gerasenes to create a context wherein the disciples' faith would grow even more. As on that day, the Lord tests our faith, in order that we might grow in our trust of Him. And, if our faith is strong enough we will see that He can handle whatever problem comes our way. But even if our faith is weak, He still does not allow our faith in Him to collapse. In such a context, He holds us up and sees us through. And, through the process, He lays the foundation for stronger faith as we witness His might and His power. 

In v.2-5 of today's text we read, "2 When Jesus got out of the boat, instantly a man with an evil spirit came to him from the burial caves. 3 This man lived in the caves, and no one could tie him up, not even with a chain. 4 Many times people had used chains to tie the man’s hands and feet, but he always broke them off. No one was strong enough to control him. 5 Day and night he would wander around the burial caves and on the hills, screaming and cutting himself with stones."

This man who lived in a graveyard was controlled by demons. He was a man who was more comfortable with the dead than he was with the living. We wonder what preceded this man's life, causing him to be demon possessed. Demons do not just enter someone without their consent. There had to be certain precedents before the demons entered him. Perhaps this man had dabbled in the occult or something of the sort. We are not sure what preceded this man's condition, but, we do know, he opened the door to the demonic in some way. This is why we must be careful about those things that we avail ourselves to. Not that believers can be possessed, but, we can open ourselves to demonic oppression.

All attempts by the townspeople to control this demon possessed man were to no avail. This is what we do to people we do not understand and cannot control, we send them away. For some time this man was isolated away from the people, and alone. This man approached the Lord Jesus who had just arrived in the boat with His disciples, after the storm. The possessed man was like the storm. Both the storm and the man, were uncontrollable. That was until the Lord Jesus came upon the scene.

Before he was possessed by demons, this man had a home and friends. We know this, because the Lord Jesus, at the end of the story, sent him back to both. But he lived isolated away from humanity in a cemetery of open tombs cut out of the side of a hill. These tombs contained bodies which were laid out to decompose. The condition of this man's existence was deplorable. 

Mark says that he had been previously bound. Over and over again the community had tried to restrain this once sane man. The people repeatedly tried to control him because he was out of control and he was a serious threat to their community. With the increasing difficulty that this man posed, the more they tried to control him. However, at some point, he tore off the chains and the shackles that bound him and he ran away seemingly free, but he was so very far from freedom.

Like many, this poor man probably thought God could never love him, but we could never be too far gone for God. One of the greatest things about Him is that He goes out of His way to save the unwanted. No one is outside of His reach. However, God has never been known to force Himself on anyone. He awaits the cries of those who long for true freedom, His freedom. All of the people had given up all hope for this man, and we can understand why, when we look at his desperate condition. The disciples believed the Lord Jesus was just traveling across the lake to get to a place where He could get some rest from the clamoring crowds, but, it is obvious that He came to save this unloved and unwanted man. 

In v.6-8 of today's text we read, "6 While Jesus was still far away, the man saw him, ran to him, and fell down before him. 7 The man shouted in a loud voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I command you in God’s name not to torture me!' 8 He said this because Jesus was saying to him, 'You evil spirit, come out of the man.'"

These three verses prove that demons have faith. In fact, their faith is orthodox faith. And, their theology of God is spot on.  This is why they promote false teaching, because they know the truth and they do not want any human to know the truth. When this man saw the Lord Jesus, immediately he knew who He was. He came running to Him and cried out, "Son of the Most High God," which is the highest name a nonbeliever can know or use to refer to God. It is used all through the Old Testament by members of the Gentile nations. Interestingly, in the first part of this gospel account, until we get to the middle of it, demons were the only beings who recognized the Lord Jesus as "the Son of the Most High God." The first time a human made that statement is at the end of the book. It was the Centurion soldier at the foot of the cross who said it.

In v.9-10 of today's text we read, "9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “My name is Legion, because we are many spirits.” 10 He begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of that area."

This man's name was Legion, which in military terms, meant up to 6,000. This man had up to 6000 demons in him. No wonder he was so strong. When the man spoke to the Lord Jesus, he used a Hebrew idiom of conflict, meaning, "What to me and to you?" Then, after the demon identified the Lord Jesus as God, the demon begged the Lord not to torture him.

This man was defined by shame, brokenness and hell itself. His way of handling his inner turmoil was to cut himself. The demons in him were the complete opposite of the Holy Spirit who is patient, gentle and loving. The spirits in this man were of Hell. They belong to Satan. But, the Lord Jesus loved him enough to endure a violent storm and the uncontrollable faith of the disciples to get to him. This is the heart of our Savior who left heaven to come to this earth so that the willing could know the life of God in the souls of men.

Mark 4:35-41

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35 That evening, Jesus said to his followers, “Let’s go across the lake.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him in the boat just as he was. There were also other boats with them. 37 A very strong wind came up on the lake. The waves came over the sides and into the boat so that it was already full of water. 38 Jesus was at the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a cushion. His followers woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are drowning!” 

39 Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm. 

40 Jesus said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 The followers were very afraid and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” ~ Mark 4:35-41

Today, we complete our study of Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus has been openly teaching the crowds and privately explaining His teachings to His disciples. Today's passage is brought to a head by the Lord Jesus when He asked His followers two questions: "Why are you afraid?" and "Do you still have no faith?"

Our pursuit of God is always fueled by our questions. And, our questions exist due to our doubts. In the end, doubt does not have to be our enemy. In fact, our growing faith in the Lord is dependent upon such.

In v.35-36 of today's passage we read, "35 That evening, Jesus said to his followers, “Let’s go across the lake.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him in the boat just as he was. There were also other boats with them."

After teaching the large crowd that had gathered on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, the Lord Jesus and His disciples traveled in a boat across the sea. What we have here is the setting wherein the faith of the disciples was challenged and subsequently strengthened, even though they did not display great faith in the Lord that night.

You will remember the Lord Jesus had taught the parables of the soils and the seed. And now, came the application of the truth for the disciples. So, the Lord had to get them out on the Lake where the context would be such that they would experience for themselves what He had been teaching them.

In v.37 of today's passage we read, "A very strong wind came up on the lake. The waves came over the sides and into the boat so that it was already full of water."

The sea's location makes it subject to sudden and strong storms as the wind comes over the eastern mountains and drops suddenly onto the sea. It is surrounded by mountains up to  3,000 feet, and, storms are especially likely when an east wind blows cool air over the warm air that covers the sea. The cold air, being heavier, drops as the warm air rises. This sudden change can produce surprisingly furious storms in a short time.

But, as in our lives, these sudden changes did not surprise the Lord Jesus. The questions of the disciples that evening were much like those that we find ourselves asking Him today. And, if our faith in Him is the most important thing we possess, the most loving thing He can do for us is to lead us into moments where we are more convinced that we need Him for this is, in essence, what faith is.

In v.38 of today's passage we read, "Jesus was at the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a cushion. His followers woke him and said, 'Teacher, don’t you care that we are drowning!'"

The Lord Jesus was sleeping as the storm came upon them, causing the amount of fear in the disciples to increase. It was at this moment that they woke Him. And, the question they asked revealed their shallow theology. When we possess shallow theology, we will be most concerned about our welfare. However, when our theology is most aligned with God's word, we will rest in His sovereignty.

In v.39 of today's passage we read, "Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm."

Although the disciples had seen Him heal the sick and cast out demons, they could not have imagined He would give orders to the wind and the sea to be quiet. In fact, He spoke to the wind and the waves as if He were commanding sickness or a demon out of a person. His authority, extended over all, even over creation.

The miracle that night was not in the stilling of the storm; it was in the suddenness with which the stillness came. All of a sudden the wind, which had been roaring and beating against the boat was, all of a sudden, absolutely still. And the waves, which had been dashing over the bow, filling the boat, threatening them, mounting up higher on every side, were suddenly stilled. This is what caught the disciples attention. All the way across the lake to the other side, and to the mountains on the east, the whole lake suddenly stilled, and they realized that this was indeed a supernatural stilling of the storm.

In v.40-41 of today's passage we read, "40 Jesus said to his followers, 'Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?' 41 The followers were very afraid and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" 

We become afraid when we lose faith in God. And, the significance of this event is that our faith in the goodness and care of God in our lives is the antidote to our fear. The word translated "very afraid" is a sense of deep respect which has "awe" at its heart. Thus, out of the failure of their faith there came this deeper impression, this glimpse into the mystery of the identity of the Lord Jesus, which filled them with a deep sense of awe. It is this failure in faith that creates a doorway to greater vision. And, it is through such doorways that our faith is strengthened. Biblical faith consists of believing that the kingdom of God triumphs in the person of Jesus Christ. When the disciples awakened the Lord, they didn’t believe that He could do anything about the storm. After He had calmed the storm their fear was transferred from the storm to the Lord Jesus.

The tragedy of faith today is that we are no longer afraid of God. I'm not talking about the type of fear that makes us run from Him. I'm talking about the type of fear that makes us all fall down before Him in worship. The cause of all of this is the very popular me-centered teaching that attracts thousands, but transforms no one. We have made Christianity so comfortable with the temporary that we treat it like the kingdom of this world. But this world is not our home. We have come to the place where we treat our health and the pursuit of wealth as more important than God. 

We should never be surprised when on the heels of being taught by the Lord Jesus that He takes us into an arena to practice what He has taught us. This is what today's passage is all about. The disciples failed the test. Yet, with God, failure isn't the opposite of success. That night the faith of the disciples grew and informed their theology correctly. And, even though the disciples failed their examination of faith in the Lord Jesus, the groundwork was laid for a new expression of faith the next time they were under such a test. 

Mark 4:30-34

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30 Then Jesus said, “How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.” 33 Jesus used many stories like these to teach the crowd God’s message—as much as they could understand. 34 He always used stories to teach them. But when he and his followers were alone, Jesus explained everything to them. ~ Mark 4:30-34

Today, we return to Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus is teaching the disciples about the Kingdom of God. The term "Kingdom of God" occurs some sixty times in the first three Gospels. If we have a kingdom, there has to be a king. And, this King is our Heavenly Father. 

Broadly speaking, the Kingdom of God is God's operating system for the universe. It reveals how things really are supposed to be. And, more narrowly, the kingdom of God is the spiritual rule of God over the hearts and the lives of all who willingly submit to His authority. 

In Matthew 6:32-33, the Lord Jesus said, "Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Seeking the kingdom of God is seeking to be defined by God. It is taking to heart what God has said on a given subject. And, as always, God has our best in mind for us. If He says, "Wait to have sex until you get married," then we wait to have sex until we get married. If He says, "Do not drink alcohol to the point of getting drunk," then we do not drink alcohol to the point of getting drunk. The "kingdom of God" is merely the definitions of God applied to our daily lives.

In v.30-32 of today's passage we read, "30 Then Jesus said, 'How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.'"

In His teaching, the Lord Jesus frequently used the mustard seed as a symbol of faith. In fact, in Matthew 17:20, He said, "... if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

The mustard seed is a great symbol of faith because it has certain qualities: First of all, it has an inherent capacity for growth. A seed is able to grow, and so can faith. In fact, faith that is not used will not grow; but if it is used, it grows. When we trust Him in little things, we learn to trust Him in the bigger things. But, the issue really isn't the trust. The issue is knowing Him, and, we do not know Him without placing our trust in Him. And, the more we get to know Him, the more we will love Him.

The mustard seed bush is no more than eight to ten feet in height. It is a rather insignificant and unimpressive bush. Here, the Lord Jesus illustrates the absurdness of faith that grows. For us humans, in our fallen state, faith in the God of the Bible, is not normal. But, it is possible for humans to have faith in the God of the Bible which grows with use. So, the Lord Jesus uses this parable of the lowly mustard seed to illustrate His point. He is using the absurd to illustrate the absurd.

In doing so, the Lord Jesus is communicating a secret of His kingdom. This mustard seed is supposed to be lowly and unimpressive, yet it becomes something that has a great effect on others. And, the purpose of the seed is it grows up to be a bush which provides shelter for the birds. And, the mustard bush provides more than just shade for birds, it also provides a spice that makes food taste good. In addition to that, it also has medicinal purposes.

In v.33-34 of today's passage we read, "33 Jesus used many stories like these to teach the crowd God’s message—as much as they could understand. 34 He always used stories to teach them. But when he and his followers were alone, Jesus explained everything to them."

By using parables, the Lord Jesus was able to share truths that immediately connected with His listeners. When these truths corresponded with things from their daily lives-like bread baking, farming, and traveling, His hearers largely understood. As a result, the people became more engaged so that in their minds they experienced the story for themselves. When the Lord Jesus taught in parables, He engaged the people’s imaginations, allowing them to arrive at the most important truths in life.

If we are willing to let Him, God will build His kingdom wherever we are today. When we trust in Him, deeply, concluding He is truly with us and He is actively guiding every one of our steps, we can let go of the anxious worry that we tend to hold onto. We can be fully where we are, in each moment, and enjoy our incredible Creator and His work in and through our lives.

George Mueller was a German Christian whose most impressive work was done among and for orphans. On one occasion, the orphans were dressed and ready for school, but there was no food for them to eat. Mueller ordered the three hundred children into the dining room and had them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. Mueller knew God would provide food for the children. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. “Mr. Mueller,” he said, “last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. So, I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in.” Just a moment later there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. So, the milkman asked Mr. Mueller if he could use some free milk. Mr. Mueller smiled as the milkman brought in ten large containers of milk. It was just enough milk for the 300 thirsty children.  Such is the nature of faith in God and His kingdom which makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. 

Mark 4:26-29

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26 Then Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who plants seed in the ground. 27 Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows, but the person does not know how it grows. 28 By itself the earth produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. 29 When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it, because this is the harvest time.” ~ Mark 4:26-29

Today, we return to our study of Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus has been teaching the people who had gathered around Him at one of the lakes that come off of the Sea of Galilee. After teaching the parable of the soils, the disciples later came to Him asking for the explanation of the parable. This parable describes the various responses of people to hearing the Gospel. In order to understand the remainder of His parables, we must understand this one.

Whereas the parable of the soils featured four types of soil, the parable of the seed in today's passage features only one type of soil: good soil. This parable is found only in the Gospel of Mark. Three things are done by the one who casts the seed to the ground: he casts the seed, he sleeps, and he harvests. The soil does three things: it produces the stalk, then the head, and then the full kernel. The man's actions resonate with that of the rhythm of the seed and of the soil. Illustrated here is that the Word of God always accomplishes His purposes in the hearts of the willing.

The believer's role in someone else coming to faith in the Lord Jesus is likened here to a farmer who plants the seed and then goes home and goes to bed. There is no need to stay awake 24 hours a day. We are not responsible for what happens when a person is presented the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. This is the wonder of it all. God does all of the heavy lifting.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "By itself the earth produces grain." From the Greek word translated "produces" here, we get our English word "automatic." This word refers to something that happens without a visible cause. The word translated "by itself" is actually placed in an emphatic position at the beginning of the sentence in the original text. It is used only one other time in the New Testament. It is found in Luke’s account of Peter’s miraculous release from prison in Acts 5. 

All of this is to say, our justification and sanctification in Christ is not produced by any human means. The whole process is divinely automatic. We can not start it, and, we can not stop it. Once it begins, it continues to the end. Oh, there may be a few hiccups here and there, but it will continue til the end. We have no role in the actual work of salvation, but we get in on the harvest.

In v.27 we read, "Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows." 

This is a paradox. The seed goes into the ground and dies. And as it dies, out of it comes life. No man truly understands this miracle. The farmer can't make that happen. No human can make that happen. The best horticulturalists in the world don't know how it happens. Out of the dying seed comes life, and, it illustrates the wonder of the Gospel. When received the Gospel, it gave us life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ gave us the ability to relate to God. But, before the life comes forth, there has to be death. This is the mystery of God's life in a man.

The parables of the Lord Jesus illustrate the kingdom of God in the heart of the willing. We are made in the image of what we desire. When we became believers in the Lord Jesus, we were positioned to learn of His perfect heart for us. And, at some point, we were convinced of the fact that He loves us no matter what. This type of love moves us to want to tell others about Him. We give what we have. If we did not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, we would not have the desire to give to others. 

The seed is the word of God, though rejected by most, it germinates in the hearts of the willing. And, at the right time, it produces a "harvest." The seed is powerful, it does its best work when no one’s looking. Underscored here is the idea that faith involves believing in what we can not see. We must not lose sight of the fact that God most often does His best and deepest work in our hearts in times of apparent barrenness. After all, roots grow deeper when the atmosphere is dry. 

There was a man who one day came upon an automatic water fountain for the first time in his life. But he could not see how to make it work.  It had no tap to step on, nor did it have a button to press. He became very frustrated. He was about to turn away when a janitor pointed out to him a little sign on the wall just behind the fountain that read, "Stoop and drink."  When he stooped over the fountain, he discovered that a beam of light detected his presence and the water automatically came flowing out. This illustrates the value of our thirst. It is only when we stoop that we are positioned to drink! When we die to self, we are positioned to grow in the culture of our Savior. This growth is actually the expression of His life through ours. We call this sanctification. This is the truth taught by the parable of the seed.

Mark 4:21-25

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21 Then Jesus said to them, “Do you hide a lamp under a bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand. 22 Everything that is hidden will be made clear and every secret thing will be made known. 23 Let those with ears use them and listen! 24 “Think carefully about what you hear. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you even more. 25 Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them.” ~ Mark 4:21-25

Today, we return to Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus had begun teaching the crowds using parables. In fact, on this particular day, He used a parable which the disciples later asked for an explanation. The Lord Jesus has just given His explanation of the parable of the sower, and now, He gives more teaching regarding how we must hear in order to be effective in His call on our lives to be His messengers.

In v.21-23 of today's passage we read, "21 Then Jesus said to them, “Do you hide a lamp under a bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand. 22 Everything that is hidden will be made clear and every secret thing will be made known. 23 Let those with ears use them and listen!"

Christianity is unique among religions, for it alone offers a personal relationship with the Creator. Of course, Christianity is not a religion because we could never be able to earn God's favor. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin.

In today's passage, the Lord Jesus taught about our ability to perceive coming on the heels of listening. He began this teaching with an invitation to "listen" in Mark 4:3. Twice he has challenged anyone with ears to hear to "listen."  The reason the Lord Jesus taught using parables was to enable those who are eager to learn from Him to hear and understand. But, when His teaching is rejected, we can expect a measure of hardening of our hearts to the truth. The Lord Jesus made it clear that understanding the parable of the soils was key to understanding all of His parables. The humility that ushered us into God's family is the characteristic that forges His kingdom in our souls.

The parable of the sower accentuates hearing His word deeply, and, as a result, enjoying the results of the power of His word in our lives. The parable of the lamp in today's passage magnifies what is and what isn’t seen. Through this teaching, the Lord Jesus is saying, "See what you listen to." This means if we are to see deeply with our hearts, we must listen deeply. And then, the goal beyond that is that others would come to know Him through our yielded lives. Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, "The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! You are the light of the world."

In biblical days the lamp was a shallow dish made out of clay, just about three to four inches in diameter. This dish had a shallow little lip on one side so that a wick could be laid in it with a few ounces of oil. And, the lamp stand was a little shelf that protruded out of the wall. The brightly lit lamp was not only set on the lamp stand, it shined brightly into the darkness.

I find it reassuring that the Lord Jesus used the clay lamp to illustrate us, His followers. We are but clay pots. And, as a result, we are privileged to be the instruments of God. In those days the jars of clay were common, inexpensive, and frail. And, despite our weakness, God has chosen to use clay pots with the dissemination of His treasure. The greatness of His treasure is in sharp contrast to the frailness of the clay pots. The stark contrast shows that the power is certainly from God and we are merely instruments of His great power. Key here is humility which thrives with such understanding, and, the message shines brightest out of such a posture.

The higher the lit lamp was placed in the house, the more light it dispersed. So the idea here is that the Gospel was never intended to be kept hidden, but to be given out to everyone. Our responsibility is to live in and out of the light of the Gospel to the world as the Lord leads our yielded lives on a given day. As we live our lives organically, His power is shown forth through our yielded lives.

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 “Think carefully about what you hear. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you even more. 25 Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them."  

Our capacity for insight into the truths of God expands as we listen and see more deeply. It is not that we see and hear, it is that our hearts and minds are so focused on the words of the Lord Jesus that His message pushes out the shallow and gives way to His depth. There is a relationship between the effort we put in and the understanding we receive from God. The amount of careful listening we put in, equals the amount of understanding we get. The more reading, seeking, discerning, the more understanding we receive. And likewise, the less of these things we do, the less understanding we receive. 

And, in the end, it is the Lord Jesus who gives us what we really need: His perspective. The more we live in and out of His truth, the less of ourselves we will see. The essence of true spiritual insight and the resulting usefulness is that of being humble enough to seek and listen. The power of the gospel is not the product of human genius, it is that we, as mere clay pots, are weak enough to realize our utter need for Him.  

Mark 4:13-20

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13 Then Jesus said to his followers, “Don’t you understand this story? If you don’t, how will you understand any story? 14 The farmer is like a person who plants God’s message in people. 15 Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who hear the teaching of God, but Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them. 16 Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy. 17 But since they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives, they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they quickly give up. 18 Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, 19 but the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit in their lives. 20 Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more.” ~ Mark 4:13-20

Today we return to Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus is alone with His followers and He is giving to them the explanation of the parable of the soils. This story was something the disciples would all relate to, an agricultural story, a picture that they all knew very well of a man sowing a bag of seed. 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus said to his followers, “Don’t you understand this story? If you don’t, how will you understand any story?"

Since we were born sinful, we had to be rescued from the bonds of sin in order to have a relationship with God. Our sin separated us from God. This is why the Lord Jesus came to pay the penalty for sin. He did this in order to free us from the grasp of the devil. Once we are "born again" we are positioned to know the Lord for ourselves and to understand the teaching of the Lord Jesus. It all begins with a heart that is receptive to the voice of God. 

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 The farmer is like a person who plants God’s message in people. 15 Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who hear the teaching of God, but Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them."

In this parable, the Lord Jesus is the farmer who spread His seed or the secret to the kingdom of God. This first type of soil, the Lord Jesus accentuates is the one that is shallow. Due to shallowness of heart, Satan takes away the teaching that was planted. These people are those who never enter into a personal relationship with God because the truth never penetrated their hearts.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy. 17 But since they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives, they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they quickly give up." 

This type of soil or heart shows interest in the truth and even expresses joy over its discovery, but, only for a short time. Initially this person gets excited about the Gospel, but his excitement wanes. His problem is that he gets excited about everything and nothing is all that special to him. So, since this person runs from one thing that excites him to another, he misses the reality of the Gospel. He has never been born again. And, when he gets challenged in his faith, when suffering shows up, his response becomes, "How could a God of love allow this? I'm not going to believe this anymore." The problem was he didn't believe in the first place.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, 19 but the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit in their lives."

This person shows some receptivity to the truth but it really never penetrates his heart because the deceitfulness of riches choke the word right out of his life. This person has a crowded heart. The seed goes in, but there are weeds all around it that prevent it from maturing. The root system of the weeds take up the nutrients in the soil preventing the growth of the seed. And then, when hard times come and God doesn't work in his life like he thinks He should, he turns away from the truth. 

Sadly, the same truth that awakens one blinds another. Just like the same sun that melts the ice, hardens the clay. The same rain that waters the field, floods the river. The same truth that opens a person's eyes, blinds another's because they essentially do not want to get it. 

In this parable, of those who hear the word, 25 percent show no growth at all, while 50 percent the growth is minimal and only temporary, and, only 25 percent show real spiritual connection to God. That means 75 percent reject the message of the Gospel.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more."

This is the one that hears the word, accepts it, and the word bears fruit in and through his life. This is the fruitful heart. Notice the sentence, "sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more." That means to the degree that we invest in God's culture to that degree will we reap of His bounty. The key is yieldedness on our part. And then, it is up to God to produce the results.

Mark 4:10-12

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10 Later, when Jesus was alone, the twelve apostles and others around him asked him about the stories. 11 Jesus said, "You can know the secret about the kingdom of God. But to other people I tell everything by using stories 12 so that: They will look and look, but they will not learn. They will listen and listen, but they will not understand. If they did learn and understand, they would come back to me and be forgiven." ~ Mark 4:10-12

Today, we return to one of the lakes off of the Sea of Galilee where the Lord Jesus had been teaching the crowd. And, now that the crowd has filtered out of the area, the Lord Jesus was alone with His disciples. Being alone with the Lord is such a great thing because He, in that context, can teach more directly. Being driven to be alone with the Lord is so key to our development in His ways. Our problem is, we do not want those things in our lives that push us closer to Him; things like pain, hardship and trouble.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Later, when Jesus was alone, the twelve apostles and others around him asked him about the stories."

After the crowds had gone home the disciples came to the Lord with questions about the stories He had used in His teaching that day. One of the greatest signs that we have been "born again" is that we seek the truth. But, the problem is this: the truth is inconvenient. Most often, we want the truth when it serves our purposes. The true sign that we have entered into God's family is when we are confronted by the truth, and, we conclude: the truth must win. This will never mean that we will be perfect this side of heaven on measuring up to the truth, but it does mean that if we are born into God's family, we will be the servants of truth, not the other way around. 

Our relationship with the Lord is purely based upon what He did for us on the cross. No amount of change in us has ever garnered the favor of God. And, now that we know that our sin is forgiven us through the cross, we have entered into fellowship with God. Our relationship with Him is based solely on the sacrifice the Lord Jesus made on the cross. Now that we are related to the Lord, we have fellowship with Him. This fellowship is the deepening of our relationship with Him.

Our fellowship with God is largely impacted by how we respond to the truth. He is the truth. And, when there is a clash in our lives between our sinfulness and His truth, then we must choose the truth. And, when we choose the truth, we will grow in our sanctification which is what gets His wisdom into our lives right now. 

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Jesus said, 'You can know the secret about the kingdom of God. But to other people I tell everything by using stories 12 so that: They will look and look, but they will not learn. They will listen and listen, but they will not understand. If they did learn and understand, they would come back to me and be forgiven."

The believer who is growing in his fellowship with God will know the secrets of God. The Greek word translated "secret" in v.11 is the word from which we get our English word "mystery." The combination of the words questions and mystery provide for us the makings of the stage where a grand pursuit ensues. This is what our fellowship with the Lord is all about. When we entered into our personal relationship with the God of the Bible, we entered the pursuit. And, the more of Him that we get to know, the more we will want.

The development and the deepening of any relationship is largely based on this pursuit. To the degree that we invest our being in the pursuit of anyone will determine how deep that relationship goes. King David wrote, "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you, O LORD."

Our longings determine our search. The problem is the longing is most often created by thirst, and, we want our thirsts quenched right now. But, it does not work that way. The more arduous the pathway to God will determine the glory discovered at the end of the search. But, we do not want to put in the hard work. We often chose the anesthesia over the deepening fellowship, and, the anesthesia turns us numb to the truth.

There are two kinds of hearers, those who follow and those who don't. This is why the Lord speaks in parables, to aid those who are engaged with the truth and the hinder those who are not engaged with the truth. The group of hearers who follow the Lord is known to be obedient to the truth, and, when this happens, we are being defined by God. To those who are defined by His truth is given the secret of the kingdom of God.

In 1 Corinthians 4:1 we read, "People should think of us as servants of Christ, the ones God has trusted with his secrets."

God entrusts the truth to those who are engaged with the truth. Central to receiving the revelation of God and His kingdom is that we are "servants." The Greek word translated "servants" in 1 Corinthians 4:1 means the person who road on the lowest level of the galley on a ship. In that day, there were three levels on the ships. The bottom group who moved the oars, pushed the ship through the sea were called "the servants."

The life of a galley slave was arduous to say the least. The pain and agony of their strenuous work was exhausting. This is the word used here to describe the one to whom God entrusts His truth. To those with the posture of the lowest slave is granted the deepest insights. We do not serve the LORD without serving His Word for His Word is the revelation of His will.

On the other hand, for those who are playing games with the truth, the Lord Jesus spoke in parables, in order to conceal the truth from them. His ultimate goal is to get us positioned to be forgiven our sin and to enter into a personal relationship with Him. So, He allows frustration so that we will turn to Him. He knows what we do not; He knows the answer is the truth.

God has infinite wisdom of all things. The world moves according to His secret will, of which we know little. Wonder is retained by wise pondering. If God never intervened, man would be lost. But, God has intervened by revealing Himself through creation, our consciences, and most profoundly through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 4:1-9

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1 Again Jesus began teaching by the lake. A great crowd gathered around him, so he sat down in a boat near the shore. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water. 2 Jesus taught them many things, using stories. He said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4 While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. 6 But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce a crop. 8 Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced a crop. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Let those with ears use them and listen!” ~ Mark 4:1-9

Today, we transition into Mark 4 where the Lord Jesus has made His way to a lake off of the Sea of Galilee. He taught using parables, in order to reveal the truth to the willing and to conceal the truth from the unwilling. 

We all love a good story because they are known to boost trust, compassion, and empathy. Stories have a unique ability to build connections. The Lord Jesus conveyed truth through telling stories. The Greek word translated parable, is a word that means "cast alongside of" which is used 48 times in the New Testament. The Lord Jesus incorporated parables in one-third of His teaching. A parable is a story cast alongside something else in order to illustrate the truth for those with a willing heart. The Lord Jesus utilized parables in order to convey to them something that was unknown to them up to that point. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Again Jesus began teaching by the lake. A great crowd gathered around him, so he sat down in a boat near the shore. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water."

The first word of this verse informs us it was the practice of the Lord Jesus to teach with the Lake as His backdrop. And, this time, He used a boat as a pulpit, and, He taught the people concepts that are humanly difficult to grasp.  

In v.2-3 of today's passage we read, "2 Jesus taught them many things, using stories. He said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed."

The Lord Jesus taught the crowd this parable about the farmer who sowed seed on three types of ground which all failed to produce a result. This is one of 39 distinct parables the Lord Jesus used. Notice He introduced this parable with an invitation to "listen." This is the key to understanding the different results in this parable.

In this case, listening is believing. God will always appeal to the deepest longings of our hearts because He made us to be in a personal relationship with Him. The Lord Jesus said in John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." 

There are two main ways to get to know anyone. One way is to hear about them from someone else. Another is to hear from them for ourselves. The advantage we have in developing our relationship with God is that He tells us about Himself in the Scripture which is His self-revelation. Essential in knowing God is to come to Him through His written and His Living Word. Of course, the Living Word is the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. 

In Hebrews 11:6 we learn that the Lord Jesus rewards us with revelation about Himself when we seek Him. And, the seed in today's parable represents the Word of God. 

According to Romans 10:17, it is His word that creates faith in us. But not all who hear the word, as in this story, believe. The difference is that of willingness of heart. Faith operates in the arena of our souls which are made up of our minds, our wills, and our emotions. Faith is an act of our wills. This explains the different responses given in this parable. 

In v.4-7 of today's passage we read, "4 While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. 6 But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce a crop."

The first three responses to the seed was not adequate because the soil did not receive the seed so that it could germinate and grow roots. The unwilling heart represented by these three soils was too shallow in its understanding of reality. Receptivity to the words of the Lord Jesus increases our capacity to understand His parables.

Listening is such an art. And, the Lord has been known to speak to us through a variety of means. However, the plumb line is His written word. When we are good at listening to Him, others will think of us as crazy. I believe this explains why so many reject His word. Of course, there are other reasons for their rejection, namely, they do not want someone telling them what to do.

Listening is hard work, yet, the more we do it, the easier it seems to become. When God speaks to us, He will always be consistent with His word, the Bible. Of course, there are many situations in our lives that He doesn't speak to us in His word specifically, so we must be in His word in order to hear His voice. He will never contradict His word when He speaks to us.

When we were born again, we were given new ears. Now, our ears are tuned to the frequency of the voice of the Lord Jesus who said in John 10, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced a crop. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Let those with ears use them and listen!"

When the human heart is left to itself, it will always be barren. If we do not bring it before the Lord, "breaking up the fallow ground," as the prophet said, it will remain as it was when we were born into this world, barren. The prophet said, "The heart is deceitful above all else, and desperately wicked." Solomon said, "Keep your heart with all diligence, out of it proceed the issues of life."

The receptivity of the human heart to the truth of God is evidenced by growth. When we hear spiritual truth, and we give it safe haven in our hearts, more truth will be given to us. This is why some people get bored with Bible study, because they never allow the truth to sink deep enough into their hearts. It is not given the chance to penetrate the heart.

The phrase, "Let those with ears use them and listen," appears eight times in the New Testament. When the Lord Jesus addresses those who have ears, He refers to all who have been given His word, no matter our age, ethnicity, language, or status. But there is a difference between having ears and having "ears to hear." 

To have "ears to hear" means we are allowing the Word of God to penetrate our hearts, leading to a confrontation of our natural way of thinking and God's way of thinking. When God's way of thinking defines us, we will bear His fruit to the glory of God. It is up to us, the hearers, to decide whether to receive His life altering words or not. When we throw the welcome mat out before our hearts for His word, eternal life happens.

Mark 3:31-35

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31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to tell him to come out. 32 Many people were sitting around Jesus, and they said to him, “Your mother and brothers are waiting for you outside.” 33 Jesus asked, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Then he looked at those sitting around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants.”  ~ Mark 3:31-35

Today, we conclude our study of Mark 3 where the overriding theme is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be our Savior from our sinful condition. Mark wrote this Gospel account in order to give us a clear picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and His ministry. The supernatural world understood His identity, but most of the people didn't have a clear understanding of His identity, not even the disciples. In fact, the first in Mark's Gospel, to give a clear statement of His Messianic identity was the Roman Centurion who at the foot of the cross said, "Truly this was the Son of God."

In v.31-32 of today's passage we read, "1 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to tell him to come out. 32 Many people were sitting around Jesus, and they said to him, “Your mother and brothers are waiting for you outside."

You will remember that earlier in this passage the family of the Lord Jesus thought He was out of His mind due to the fact that the religious leaders accused Him to be demon-possessed and thus tried to dismiss Him and His ministry. The half brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus were not "born again," thus, they could not understand what the Lord Jesus was doing. This is what our unregenerate default mode does to us: it clouds our ability to recognize God, His work in our lives, and, in this world.

In v.33-35 of today's passage we read, "33 Jesus asked, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' 34 Then he looked at those sitting around him and said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants.'"

When word was delivered to the Lord Jesus that His family was outside, everybody expected Him immediately to go out and see them. But He didn't. Instead, He looked around at those seated around Him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants." 

In saying those words, the Lord Jesus made it clear that His family is made up of those who believe in and are being defined by the God of the Bible. This underscores the fact that the Word of God must have the final authority in our lives. It must be the deciding factor in the making of our decisions. 

Biblically speaking, there must always be a priority in our lives of spiritual relationships over any other relationships. Not that we should disregard our family, we should honor all. When the will of any human is not aligned with the will of God for our lives, we must obey God.

The evidence of His identity had piled up, and the people were slow to make the obvious conclusion and to make the consequent confession that the Lord Jesus is God. This went on until after the resurrection. You will remember that when He came back to Galilee, after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus appeared to 500 believers in Galilee. And when the Holy Spirit came in the upper room in Jerusalem, about month later, there were only 120 gathered there. The resurrected Christ was seen by 500 after His resurrection and only 120 were there in that upper room in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit came.

While on this earth, the Lord Jesus provided a lot of evidence for us to conclude His identity correctly. But, seeing is not always believing. The real world is an unseen world, a world that we can only access by the means of our faith, the Word of God, prayer and the Holy Spirit. It is a must that we are defined by the thoughts and culture of God as found in His Word. 

A part of the process of learning to view all things through the lens of the eternal is growing in our faith in the God of the Bible. And, in order for our faith in Him to grow, we must entertain the questions that are created by our doubts. One of the twelve disciples, Thomas, was skeptical about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and wanted proof in order to believe. 

In John 20:27 we read, "Then Jesus said to Thomas, Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas replied, "My Lord and my God!"

In John 20:29 we read. "Jesus said to him, 'Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" 

Our faith demands that we believe without seeing. When we are to be sure of what we cannot see, there is little room for asking for proof!  But, God reveals Himself to us best as we go through the hardest of moments wherein we learn the correct questions to ask of Him. Learning to trust Him, even when we cannot see the outcome of any situation, is what enables us to see Him best, with our hearts. This, in large part, is a must for the development of knowing Him and making Him known.

Mark 3:28-30

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"28 I tell you the truth, all sins that people do and all the things people say against God can be forgiven. 29 But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of a sin that continues forever." 30 Jesus said this because the teachers of the law said that he had an evil spirit inside him. ~ Mark 3:28-30

Today, we return to the gospel according to Mark whose complete name was John Mark. As has already been mentioned, John Mark was present at Gethsemane when the Lord Jesus was taken off to be crucified. Mark was that young man seen watching the happenings from a safe distance. In the book of Acts, John Mark helped Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but John Mark left abruptly, and this created a rift between Paul and Barnabas. I say all of that to point out that John Mark knew failure.

In v.28-29 of today's passage we read, "28 I tell you the truth, all sins that people do and all the things people say against God can be forgiven. 29 But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of a sin that continues forever."

In context, here, the Lord Jesus was teaching the people on the heels of delivering a man from demon-possession, and, the religious leaders of Israel accused Him of casting out the demon by the power of Satan. In His teaching, the Lord Jesus employed a story to help the people to see the reality of what was happening there that day. The Lord Jesus was there to deliver all mankind from the clutches of the enemy, and, to present the gospel of the forgiveness of sin for all who were willing of heart to believe. Failure to do so means no forgiveness of sin.

Many have been very frightened by the words in Mark 3:28-29, and, as someone once said, "This is a passage that ought to frighten the comfortable and comfort the frightened." Some have wrongly concluded that the unpardonable sin is suggesting that the Lord Jesus had a demon, or that the works of God are really the works of the devil. It is important to notice that the religious leaders had not yet committed the unpardonable sin when they accused the Lord of having a demon. Otherwise, the Lord Jesus would never have warned them. By the very words used by the Lord Jesus, we conclude they had not come to that point. But, they were very close. The fact that the Lord Jesus warned the religious leaders makes it clear that they had not yet committed the unpardonable sin. 

The evidence that the Lord Jesus was the promised Messiah was mounting up, but, the religious leaders had not responded affirmatively to that mountain of evidence at this point. All through the Scriptures we note that it is the Holy Spirit's responsibility to point us to faith in the Lord Jesus. This is why the Lord Jesus was warning these religious leaders of rejecting the witness of the Holy Spirit. To reject the Holy Spirit's witness of the Lord Jesus as the Messiah is the unforgivable sin. 

In v.30 of today's passage we read, "Jesus said this because the teachers of the law said that he had an evil spirit inside him."

The religious leaders were close to rejecting the promptings of the Holy Spirit to believe in the Lord Jesus as Messiah when they accused Him of having a demon. And, if they ultimately rejected Christ, then there would be no hope for them, because there is no basis for forgiveness other than faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. We are forgiven when we believe in Him as our Savior, alone, for the forgiveness of our sin. But, if our hearts are resistant and we reject the claims of Jesus as the Messiah, the result is that there can be no forgiveness of sin for us. 

The religious leaders did not conclude that the Lord Jesus was just insane, but, they had to explain the supernatural, the fact that he delivered a man from demon possession. They knew that He had power over the demonic world. In that day, demons were out of the control due to the void of the truth being taught to the people. Since the religious leaders were not in personal relationship with God, their teaching had no authority to turn the hearts of the people to God. 

The religious leaders knew the Lord Jesus had power over the demonic realm and over disease. They had seen His miracles, and, this explains His great popularity at that time. But, they knew they had to give some sort of an explanation for the Lord's supernatural power. Their explanation had to be either God or Satan, because those are the only two supernatural powers. And, since they were unwilling to say it was the power of God, which was the logical thing to say, they led the people to think "He is possessed by Beelzebul."

Like John Mark when he deserted Paul on that first missionary journey, we have all struggled with the thought of whether God has forgiven us of our sin or not. We needlessly question this if we have trusted in the Lord Jesus as our Savior. I find it helpful to recall the words of C. S. Lewis, the great English writer, who once said, "When Jesus claimed to be God, there were only three options: either He is God, or He is a lunatic, or He is a liar pulling off a very, very grand scheme of deception." If we have concluded He is God, then we have not one thing to be worried about because the Lord Jesus took our sin head on at the cross and rendered it void in our account.