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.

Mark 3:23-27

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23 So Jesus called the people together and taught them with stories. He said, “Satan will not force himself out of people. 24 A kingdom that is divided cannot continue, 25 and a family that is divided cannot continue. 26 And if Satan is against himself and fights against his own people, he cannot continue; that is the end of Satan. 27 No one can enter a strong person’s house and steal his things unless he first ties up the strong person. Then he can steal things from the house. ~ Mark 3:23-27

Today, we return to our study of the gospel according to Mark. As we have been seeing, the popularity of the Lord Jesus was on the rise. Of course, most of the people were attracted to the lesser more than the greater, meaning, they were most interested in the physical healing more than the spiritual healing. And, due to this they pressed in on the Lord Jesus so much that He was in danger of being run over by them.

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "So Jesus called the people together and taught them with stories. He said, “Satan will not force himself out of people."

The primary means by which the Lord Jesus taught was to tell stories. He knew we could only engage His reality with the eyes of our hearts, so He chose common stories to enable us to get to the heart of the meaning. The Lord Jesus often concluded His stories by saying, "He who has ears, let him hear." These ears are the ears of the heart, and to hear with these ears means to understand and respond to the deeper spiritual meaning in the story. 

The Lord Jesus came in order to extend the invitation into His kingdom across cultures, eras, generations, and languages for centuries. In His invitation, the Lord Jesus incorporated common, everyday stories to illustrate His culture. By doing so, He enabled the willing of heart to understand and enter God’s kingdom. 

In v.24-26 of today's passage we read, "24 A kingdom that is divided cannot continue, 25 and a family that is divided cannot continue. 26 And if Satan is against himself and fights against his own people, he cannot continue; that is the end of Satan."

Mark’s account of this parable omits two key elements included in Matthew and Luke. Mark’s first omission helps provide the parable's context; it’s the story of the Lord Jesus healing the blind, mute, demonized man by driving out the demon who had afflicted him. Mark's second omission is the crowd’s response: They were "amazed" and asked, "Could this be the Son of David?" The "Son of David" was a Messianic title, tantamount to being the Messiah.

There are 46 verses in the Bible that mention Satan. And, there are 32 verses that mention the devil. The Bible tells us Satan is cunning which means he is deceitfully clever and resourceful. And, the religious leaders of Israel accused the Lord Jesus of using Satan to cast demons out of demon-possessed people. If that were the case, He would have created anarchy in the underworld.

Satan's primary means of deceiving has always been doubt and fear. He knows the mind’s weakness and he uses it to influence his fear upon us. In order for us to live in victory, we must do what Paul instructed: "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." That means when we recognize a thought that begins to give safe haven in our souls to fear, it is imperative that we immediately replace it with the truth of God’s Word. Left to ourselves, our imaginations quickly grow into full-blown scenarios that cripple us with fear. But when confronted with truth, imaginations give way to fear unmasked to what they are: unreal.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "No one can enter a strong person’s house and steal his things unless he first ties up the strong person. Then he can steal things from the house."

First-century Jews expected the Messiah to bind the devil, as is mentioned in Isaiah 49:24–26. Isaiah foresaw a day in which the Lord would act decisively to redeem His children and take back what their enemies had taken. Isaiah 49 is about the Servant of the Lord, so we see that this recapturing of what had been lost was to be the work of the Servant, the same individual who atones for the sins of the people. So, in binding the strong man and taking back what the enemy had claimed for Himself, the Lord Jesus proved His identity as the Messiah by going to the cross of Calvary.

The strong person here is Satan and his house is the sphere where he has been given control; in this case in the souls of people. Yet, the Lord Jesus is stronger than the devil, and, He demonstrated He was stronger when He entered his domain, bound him, and set free those who are bound by him. 

The binding of the devil was guaranteed by the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, the result is not only the deliverance of the demon possessed, but the deliverance for all mankind who are willing to be defined by the Lord. In the near future, after the Tribulation, this binding will be experienced for a thousand years when the devil will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit. And, after those one thousand years of peace on earth, the final phase of the binding of the devil will be executed, when the devil and all that follow him will be eternally tossed into Hell.  

Mark 3:20-22

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20 Then Jesus went home, but again a crowd gathered. There were so many people that Jesus and his followers could not eat. 21 When his family heard this, they went to get him because they thought he was out of his mind. 22 But the teachers of the law from Jerusalem were saying, “Beelzebul is living inside him! He uses power from the ruler of demons to force demons out of people.” ~ Mark 3:20-22

Today, we return to our study of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ through the eyes of Mark and Peter. From a historical point of view, Mark's account is the oldest of the Gospels, and, it was a main source for the writings of Matthew and Luke. And, through our study of it, we will learn to see the heart of our Savior. And, as we see His massive heart for us, we will become more and more willing to be defined by Him, and, we will learn to see all things through His eyes.

When we became believers in Christ, we entered into His discipleship program. Discipleship takes us from being focused on ourselves to being focused, to some degree, on others. This is the point of our sanctification which incorporates the process of discipleship. It is our justification before God through Christ alone that gets us into heaven, and, it is our sanctification that gets heaven into us now. Our justification is about our salvation, and, our sanctification, for the most part, is about the salvation of others.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus went home, but again a crowd gathered. There were so many people that Jesus and his followers could not eat."

Many people clamored to be near the Lord Jesus who was so involved in ministry that He did not eat. This is the way of God, and, it includes humility and selflessness. The presence of these characteristics in our ministry is a sure sign that we are doing ministry the way the Lord desires. 

As the result of trusting the Lord Jesus as our Savior, God lives inside of us. His expression in, to, and, through our lives is determined by our willingness to depend upon Him and to let Him express Himself. And, to the degree that we yield ourselves to Him determines how much of Him we will experience for ourselves. Once this happens, we are positioned for Him to express Himself through us. And, once we have experienced this, we will want more of Him and His expression through us.

To yield to God is simply to allow God to define us. And, we do this best by bending our wills to His definition of things. Before we met the Lord, we were in the practice of yielding ourselves to our understanding of the way things should be. The Bible calls this sin. And, sometimes when we bend our wills to God's will, we will forgo even eating for the sake of the salvation of others.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "When his family heard this, they went to get him because they thought he was out of his mind."

The half brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus were not "born again," therefore, they lacked the ability to appreciate and understand His ministry. This explains why they thought "he was out of his mind." They failed to understand His real nature and His real calling. They thought that His decisions were absurd and they were afraid of what would happen to Him. This is what the flesh (evil desires of this world that are yet in us) does to us: it motivates us by an unwholesome fear and it clouds our ability to think logically with reference to the most important things in this life.

When the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ defines us, others will think that we are out of our minds. The Lord Jesus always lived to be defined by His Father, and, this is what happens in our lives when we are going through His discipleship program. Through this process, we experience the "exchanged life" which is eternal life. And, this eternal life yields "the substance of things hoped for." It is not less than sight, it is more than sight. It is our hearts ability to see and relate to God. Christ dwelling in our hearts is the key. 

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "But the teachers of the law from Jerusalem were saying, “Beelzebul is living inside him! He uses power from the ruler of demons to force demons out of people."

Those who should have understood the ministry of the Lord Jesus concluded something quite illogical. "Beelzebul is living inside Him." Beelzebul is a reference to Satan as king of the underworld. Yet again, the religious leaders' ill-informed theology threw them under the bus. They failed to see the real identity of the Lord Jesus, even though His miracles and message could not be more clear. This is the nature of deception, for it is guided by the rejection of a proper understanding of God.

God, through our acceptance of His Son as our Savior, cherishes us as His children. His acceptance of us is equal to His acceptance of His Son, the Lord Jesus. When we have believed in His Son, He sees us through the lens of His Son. As a result, we are wise to be defined by Him daily. When His value system becomes ours, it will alter our thinking and our choices. And, as a result, we will see anew through His eyes. Our thinking and our choices will be informed by the selflessness of God rather than the selfishness of this world.

At the end of the movie, Bruce Almighty, there is a great scene where Bruce, played by Jim Carey, is awakened while laying in a bed in the hospital. He had been run over by a truck and lived. God, played by Morgan Freeman, asks Bruce, "What do you want?" To which Bruce answers, "Grace" which was the name of his former girlfriend. Then Bruce goes on to say, "I want her to meet someone who sees her the way I do now ... through your eyes." This captures what ministry is all about. Seeing others through the eyes of the One who gave His only begotten Son to be the Savior of all who are willing of heart.

Mark 3:13-19

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13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons. 16 These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter), 17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), 19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). ~ Mark 3:13-19

Today, we return to our study of the Lord Jesus through the gospel given to us by God through the pen of Mark. Mark’s most significant personal connection to the Lord Jesus was through one of the first to be called by the Lord Jesus to follow Him, Simon Peter, who was likely Mark’s source for the material in this gospel. 

As we read in Acts 12, Mark’s mother’s house was a regular stop for Peter, so much so that the workers in their house recognized Peter by voice alone. And, according to Mark 14, it appears that Mark was present at Gethsemane when the Lord Jesus was arrested and was taken off to be crucified by the Jewish religious leaders. Mark was that young man seen watching the proceedings from a safe distance.

Mark’s gospel portrays the Lord Jesus as constantly on the move. The forward motion in Mark’s writing keeps the knowledgeable reader’s mind continually looking ahead to the cross and to the resurrection. In this account, thirty-nine times Mark used the word "immediately," giving a sense that the Lord Jesus’ time on earth was short and that there was much to accomplish in His few years of ministry. 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him."

Perhaps, the most profound witness that we can provide for the Lord Jesus is the witness of our transformed lives which only He produces. We can not change ourselves. In actuality, we are dying to our old selves and we are now learning to say "yes" to our new selves, and, our new selves are, in actuality, the presence of the Lord Jesus in our lives. 

The Christian life is what some have described as "the exchanged life," which is taken from Isaiah 40:31 which reads, "Those who wait on have the ability to renew their strength." The literal translation of the Hebrew word for "renew" is "exchange." Literally it means, "Those who wait on the Lord will exchange their strength for His strength."

The transformation of the believer in Christ happens always from the inside out. It happens as we daily learn to allow Him to be the center of our lives, which enables us to choose to be defined by Him. When we choose to be defined by Him, we will obey Him. Notice that these twelve men were called to be with the Lord Jesus. This is the point of all of our spiritual disciplines: to be with Him. For the twelve, to be with Him meant that they would be influenced by His culture. When we have been with Him, His presence is heightened in our lives.

If we present Christianity as merely peddling an ideology, offering it to people as great moral teaching, we miss the point. The point is to have an encounter with God which alters our culture and we begin thinking and living according to His word. As a result, we will be effective witnesses when we are able to communicate with people what it is to have a personal relationship with God. And, the real nice thing about God, He values and uses our uniquenesses.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons."

Before the Lord Jesus sent the 12 out to preach as apostles, they are to be with Him as disciples. A disciple is a learner. Any disciple has to learn from the Lord Jesus before he can be His ambassador. So, like the first disciples, we must hone the craft of being with the Lord, watching and hearing Him with our hearts on a daily basis.  

In v.16-19 of today's passage we read, "16 These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter), 17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), 19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him)."

This list of "the twelve" as they are called, appears four places in the New Testament: It appears in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and, in the book of Acts. Interestingly, this list appears not in the gospel according to John. When this list is given, it is presented in three groups of four men, and, Peter is always mentioned first. Judas Iscariot is always mentioned last because he betrayed the Lord Jesus, and James always appears before his twin brother, John.

Of the twelve, the Lord Jesus only gave another name to Simon, James and John. Simon Peter and James and John, the sons of thunder. This marked them as belonging to an inner circle with the Lord Jesus. And after this, when the Lord Jesus went to do something special He took with Him Peter, James & John. He dealt more intimately with these three. In doing so, He designated them leaders, the means by which the others would be reached. The Lord Jesus reached the few in order to reach the many. 

The first to be on the list is always Simon Peter whom we know to be impetuous. He didn't wait for things to happen; he liked to make things happen. Simon Peter struggled with patience. He didn't have a lot of it. Peter was the guy who got in trouble after he said, "You're the Christ, the Son of the living God." On the heels of that statement, the Lord Jesus told the disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to be killed. Peter vehemently objected, revealing his poor theology. Then, the Lord Jesus puts him in his place by saying to him, "Get behind me, Satan!"

Peter was the guy in the garden who took out his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. And then, the Lord Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword away, Peter. If you live by the sword, you'll die by the sword." Peter eventually denied knowing the Lord, but he was eventually restored by the Lord, and went on to be a great leader.

The key to it all is being defined by the Lord Jesus which does not happen over night. So, be patient with yourself and with others. It is a good practice to learn to follow the Lord. We do this by talking with Him and listening to Him with our hearts. In order to hear Him best, we must make sure our hearts are being modulated by being in His word. Our faith in Him is illustrated by the old tuning button that used to be on radios. As we modulate the button, our hearts will better hear Him. And, the modulation button is His word informing our faith in Him.

Mark 3:7-12

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7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. 9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was. ~ Mark 3:7-12

The four Gospels are designed to provide proof of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ to a different group. All four Gospels tell us the Lord Jesus Christ is no mere man, prophet, or religious leader; they inform us, He is God. And, eternal life comes to those who believe the evidence of His deity. 

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him."

There were there, that day, tens of thousands who came from all over the area. It was the miracles of the Lord Jesus that was attracting the people. In their eyes, He was a spectacle causing His popularity to rise. And, even though His following had a gradual rise, today's passage underscores the emptiness of popularity. 

As mentioned, the crowd that pursued the Lord Jesus that day was attracted to His miracles instead of His message. As a result, the Lord Jesus began de-emphasizing His miracles. More than the human body, He came to heal man's heart. 

The people wanted miraculous healings, but the Lord Jesus wanted to provide for them the teaching that would heal their souls. Popularity is always a danger to us because, most often, it distorts our message. Popularity will always tempt us to emphasize the secondary, causing us to miss the most important. 

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him."

The Lake of Galilee is thirteen miles long and about seven miles wide, and, the Lord Jesus used it to retreat from the large buldging crowds. This large group of people was in danger of crushing the Lord Jesus because He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was."

When demons saw the Lord Jesus they always identified Him as the "Son of God." Yet, the Lord Jesus rejected their testimony because they were out to mislead the people into following their agenda rather than God. Though what these demons said was true, it was nevertheless misleading. As a result, the Lord Jesus rejected their testimony. 

When we are yet to understand what a given moment or a given truth is about, we are tempted to make out that we understand. It is always out of this context that we are in danger of falling into the trap of image. And, it is then that we are in the danger of manufacturing what we think God has made it about. Inevitably, we make it about something that is lacking in substance. As this passage points out, real life is not about the temporal or the image that may be put forth. No, real life is about the eternal and the substantive, real life is about a personal relationship with God. When we make it about image we show we lack substance. 

As the Lord Jesus was going about healing the sick and teaching the misled, no one tried to dismiss Him as a fraud. He performed miracles daily, underscoring His undeniable testimony as the "Son of Man," and the evidence of His deity. 

The religion of the so-called leaders of Israel was in opposition to the Lord Jesus because their teachings led the people to hell. Behind all of the religious were the activities of the demonic. In fact, at that time demon possession was at an all-time high. If the teachings of the religious leaders had been of God this would not have been the case. 

We live in a time when the presence of demons has not been all that obvious, because, for some time, we have enjoyed the residue of the impact of the teaching of the word of God in this country. As we go further from the influence of the truth in and on our culture, we will see an uptick of the demonic in our world.

When the Lord Jesus came on the scene, the demonic world responded quickly to Him which underscores the authenticity of His person and His message. When the Lord Jesus walked this earth and demons saw Him, the one possessed by the demon would be thrown to the ground by the demon. The verb used to describe this action is used eight times in the New Testament, and every time it describes an inferior bowing to a superior. The demonic world knows the identity of the Lord, and, they respond accordingly. 

The religion of the Pharisees was a system that emphasized the distance between God and the sinner. Though God was at work in the nation, He was yet distant. When the Lord Jesus began His ministry, He confronted this distance that was created by our sin. The law kept us at a distance and frightened us with the wrath of God, whereas, the Lord Jesus came in order to make it possible for us to know the forgiveness of our sin and that we would know God as our Father.

Mark 3:1-6

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1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him. 5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus. ~ Mark 3:1-6

Today, we come to Mark 3:1-6 where the Lord Jesus healed the deformed hand of a man in a synagogue on the Sabbath. The Lord Jesus is widely considered to have performed at least 37 miracles during his three-year ministry, from turning water into wine at the beginning to the second miraculous catch of fish towards the end. He also healed people, lots of people, with approximately two-thirds of his recorded miracles involving healing, and that doesn’t include casting out evil spirits or raising three people from the dead.

In v.1-3 of today's text we read, "1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone."

The Lord Jesus deliberately called the man with the deformed hand to the center of the room. He did not want any of those assembled to miss the healing that He was about to perform.  The purpose of God's miracles is to position us to hear and see most clearly the good news of the prospect of forgiven sin which is what enables us to have a personal relationship with God. Yet, the religious leaders of Israel were hard-hearted. In fact, they were there that day in the synagogue waiting for an opportunity to discredit the Lord Jesus. They were looking for Him to do or say something that would enable them to nullify His effect on the people.

Hard-heartedness: I find it much easier to spot it in someone other than me. The Pharisees, much like most of the American modern day media, are in the mode of watching and hoping for the Lord Jesus to slip up. At the heart of all judgmental people is a hard heart. This heart given to judgement is mired in fear. The Pharisees feared losing their status, money and followers.

In v.4 of today's text we read, "Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him."

Just then, the Lord Jesus asked His critics, the Pharisees, a question that they would not answer. The question was clearly a life or death question. When the religious leaders refused to answer His question, the Lord Jesus became angry for what a hard heart does to the human heart. A rigid, Pharisee-like approach to life imprisons us in our take on life. It leaves no room for mistakes, and it has a hard time receiving and giving grace. A hard heart doesn’t nurture self or others, it strangles the life out of all. 

Interestingly, there is nothing wrong with the Sabbath, as God gave it to man. But these men had added so many man-made rules to it that they had destroyed it. Their zeal to maintain it ruined its purpose. In a single moment, the Lord Jesus cut across all their pretense, and, their immediate reaction was to be so angry at the threat the Lord Jesus represented to their favored position in society that they immediately went out and joined their enemies, the supporters of Herod who was the villain in the Christmas story. Herod was a wicked king who saw the baby Jesus as a threat and wanted to murder him. The religious leaders sought help from the supporters of Herod, seeking their counsel on how they might kill Him. The Lord Jesus always drove evil right out into the open, where it was visible for all to see.

In v.5-6 of today's text we read, "5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus."

In Matthew's account of this story, the Lord Jesus asked the religious leaders, "Which of you, if you had an ox that fell into the ditch on the Sabbath wouldn't help it out?" You help out a stupid animal because you own it and it's your livelihood, it will bring you a profit, but you won't help out a human being made in the image of God?"

When the Lord Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand, I'm sure there were present there that day those who thought this command from the Lord Jesus was cruel. The Lord always gets us to the place in life when He gives an impossible command, but, whenever He gives a command like this, He always gives the power to accomplish the command. The Lord Jesus is always true to the truth.

The withered hand of that man that day was hardened, and, it was an analogy of the hardened hearts of the religious leaders. Much worse than the hardened hand of the man were the hardened hearts of the religious leaders. The withered hand of that obscure man that day in that synagogue served as an illustration for the hard-hearted. Any heart hardens when it is not receiving the love it needs to thrive. The Lord Jesus always uses His word in the process of revealing His heart to and for us. And, sometimes, He must reveal to us the hardened condition of our hearts before we can see and appreciate His heart of love for us. Our responsibility is to be soft enough for the Physician to do His work on us. Depending on our response to God's word, it will either harden us further or it will soften us. The choice is ours.

Mark 2:23-28

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23 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. 24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

25 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”

27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” ~ Mark 2:23-28

Today, we conclude our study of Mark 2. As we close out this chapter, we notice that it was the Sabbath, and, the Lord Jesus and His disciples were traveling on foot to another town. As with all of the gospel writers, Mark presents to us not only the events of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ but the reality of His identity. This is not merely a story of just any man, this is the story of the God-man who came to earth to introduce man to the truth.

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. 24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?"

On this day, after the disciples plucked grain in a field, the Pharisees accused them of breaking the Law. For many first-century Jews, the Sabbath was not simply a day of rest, it was connected with their national identity & their hopes. For the Pharisees, keeping the Sabbath was a sign of loyalty to God and to country, and picking grain constituted a violation of the Sabbath law.

For the Pharisees, the disciples had technically broken God's definition of the Sabbath. In plucking the grain with their hands, they were reaping; in rubbing the grain with their hands, they were threshing; in blowing the chaff away, they were winnowing. And all of those three things together constituted; they were preparing a meal, because, then they ate it afterwards. This is how insane it had become to keep the Sabbath in that day. The religious leaders had made it about something that God did not. 

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions."

Nine times in the Gospels it is recorded that Jesus said to his accusers, "Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures?" The fact that it was mentioned that many times shows how important the Lord Jesus thought it was for these religious leaders to know what the Bible actually says.

Then, the Lord Jesus answered His accusers by reminding them of the story of David and his men eating bread in the temple which is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1-6. David and his men were fleeing for their lives and they were very hungry. In desperation, they entered the tabernacle, took the showbread, which God Himself said was designated for the priests only. These twelve loaves of bread, served as a symbol for Israel, prepared fresh each week, were placed on the table in the tabernacle. After a week, only the priests, could eat it. But David, because of the hunger of his men, dared to go in and take those loaves of bread and pass them out among them.

This bread, as are many things in the Old Testament, was a picture of the Lord Jesus. In John 6:35, the Lord Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." And, God never reprimanded David for eating the sacred bread. 

In Mark 2:27-28 of today's passage we read, "27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!"

The Sabbath was God’s gift to mankind. But, the Pharisees had hijacked it by making it a badge of national loyalty. In their view, man should serve the Sabbath. The Pharisees had dehumanized the Sabbath. However, we learn from the Lord Jesus, the Sabbath is a gift from God to mankind. We do well to observe the Sabbath, because it serves to give us a day to recuperate from our long week of work. 

The Sabbath is good for the soul, and, we must remember that it is possible to honor the letter of the Law while violating the spirit of it. If we start with the letter of the Law and not the spirit, we can always find a loophole in the letter that enables us to violate the spirit. It is possible to hijack biblical positions and practices by making them badges of loyalty, just as the Pharisees had done. 

In John 5:39-40 the Lord Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life."

The Pharisees were so focused on observing the Sabbath, they didn’t recognize the Lord of the Sabbath when He showed up. Pride always crouches at the door of our hearts, ready to corrupt even the purest of intentions. And, when we open the door to pride to enter, we open it for God's grace to exit. 

Mark 2:18-22

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18 Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?” 19 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. 20 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 21 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. 22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.” ~ Mark 2:18-22

Today, we return to our study of Mark 2 where in v.18, the Lord Jesus was questioned why His disciples did not fast. Now, the purpose of biblical fasting is to gain deeper fellowship with God. Mind you, fellowship, not relationship. We can not do a thing to gain relationship with God. This is why the Lord Jesus came to die on the cross. When He died He paid the penalty for our sin. Even though we can not produce a relationship with God, we can contribute to our fellowship with Him. We can go deeper in our fellowship or daily walk with Him.

In today's passage, the Lord Jesus provides three illustrations that show why fasting for His disciples was inappropriate at that time. In this passage, the Lord Jesus taught that He came to this earth not to polish up the old system, but, to give something totally new. He came to this earth in order to grant the believer "new birth" wherein eternal life is realized within the believer.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?” 19 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them."

In this passage, the Lord Jesus compared Himself to a bridegroom, and His friends or those who believe in Him, He likened to His wedding guests. And, we all know that a wedding is a time for celebration, not for mourning. The prophets Isaiah & Hosea predicted that the coming of the kingdom of God would be like a wedding in which God, the bridegroom, would marry His people. In the Lord Jesus, God was there to marry His people. If ever there was a time for joy, this was it.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."

There was coming a day when the Lord Jesus would hang on that accursed tree for six hours so that the willing of heart could be forgiven by the righteous arbiter of the truth, God Himself. While the Lord Jesus was with His disciples, they were to rejoice. But, when He would soon leave them, after His death, it would be necessary for them to fast which is to give up certain things so that we can see Him with our hearts more acutely. Learning to see Him with our hearts is the work of the Holy Spirit and we do not do that naturally.

In v.21-22 of today's passage we read, "21 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. 22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins."

In these two verses we discover that a new piece of cloth, when it shrinks, causes an old garment to tear; and new wine causes old wine skins to burst. In each case the new forces a response that the old is unable to produce. For the disciples, to fast while the Lord was with them would be like sewing a new patch of cloth on an old garment or pouring new wine into old wine skins.

Religion is here illustrated by old garments and old wine skins. The old was analogous of those who resisted the free gift that God offered through His Son. The Lord Jesus wanted to stretch those who were trapped by their religion, but they had become too hardened of heart.

On the other hand, the new speaks of "eternal life" delivered into the believers life through the Holy Spirit. When we believe on the Lord Jesus to be our Savior, it is then that the Holy Spirit makes us alive to God. The beauty of eternal life is that only God can produce it in us. We can not manufacture it. The bridegroom gives us new clothes to wear for the wedding, and, He pours the new wine of his joy into our hearts.

The Lord Jesus has always been opposed to man's attempt to reach the eternal. Generally, we do this through being religious, thinking somehow we can impress God enough to make Him accept us. Very often man has been known to utilize fasting to try to earn God's favor but this is not the way it works. 

Like the religious leaders of Israel, we have been known to use the Bible as a self-improvement manual, but our self-improvements have never impressed God. And, if we use the Bible as if it were a manual on trying to impress God, then we will miss what it means to have a personal relationship with God. This is not God's idea of eternal life.

On the other hand, if we view the Bible as a means to knowing Him, then this analogy of the bridegroom and the bride will be relevant and pertinent to us. It is through this type of human relationship that we can understand the relationship with Him that the Lord Jesus died to give us. This relationship known as "eternal life" in the Bible is a magical experience with God wherein we on a daily basis we are given the ability to see His heart for us. It is pictured in that moment during a wedding when the groom sees his bride coming down the aisle. The purity and the joy involved in the union of the two is most powerful! This is what the Lord Jesus came to offer mankind, and sadly, the religious leaders of Israel did not get it.

Mark 2:13-17

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13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. 15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” ~ Mark 2:13-17

Today's story is about spiritual healing which begins with the forgiveness of sin. The problem is we can not heal ourselves, only the Lord can do that. Levi, also known as Matthew, became the disciple who penned the gospel according to Matthew. Before he met the Lord Jesus, it did not appear that his life would turn out as it did. 

Matthew was a person with two names and two identities, until he met the Lord Jesus. He was a Jew who collected taxes on the behalf of Rome. Jewish tax collectors were despised by the Jews, because they were known for extorting tax money from their countrymen for their Roman enemies. To the Jews, especially the religious ones, tax collectors were the lowest of the low. 

In Matthew's gospel, Matthew quotes the Old Testament more than any of the other gospel writers. This tells us he was well-trained in the Old Testament scriptures. Matthew was probably of the tribe of Levi and he was dubbed to be a priest. But, he was so disgusted with the religion of his day, he was a rogue who did not want to be a "religious" person. He did not want to join the priesthood, so he became a tax collector. 

In v.13-14 of today's passage we read, "13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him."

 
The last thing a Jew, in good standing, would say to a tax collector, is the first thing the Lord Jesus said to Levi: "Follow Me and be my disciple." By including Matthew on His team, the Lord Jesus risked bringing discredit to Himself in the eyes of the religious establishment. But, since when did the Lord Jesus allow anyone other than His heavenly Father to define Him.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)"

It all began when Levi invited the Lord Jesus to his house for a meal. Levi also invited his other tax collector friends. In that day & culture, sharing a meal with someone meant sharing life with them. One didn’t recline at a table with sinners and tax collectors; one reclined only with those who were the upstanding in the community. Above all, if you preached the kingdom of God, you didn’t recline at a table with tax collectors and sinners. To do so meant you were aligning yourself with the wrong people. 

The level of spiritual immaturity among those who consider themselves as the most "spiritual" is based on their commitment to follow certain rules. On the other hand, God is always consistent in His word to show that spirituality is a matter of the heart. He always accentuates the heart, especially in reference to those who are like Matthew. The religious are quick to accuse the man of God for spending time with the "socially unacceptable," all the while, they think themselves better than those they look down upon. 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”"

For the third time in Mark’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus enters a house. When the religious folk saw the Lord Jesus at Matthew's table, they were beside themselves. They reasoned the Lord Jesus to be a fraud because He spent time with such sinners. In fact, this was the issue that led to their rejection of the Lord Jesus in the end. For the One who claimed to be the most holy and righteous, to be most comfortable with sinners, in the religious mind, proved Him to be a fraud. 

This is the problem with the religious. They incorrectly believe that separation from sin renders them less sinful. They are always cautious to avail themselves to those whom they deem sinful. They lack the heart of our rescuer who led the Apostle to write, "While we were the enemies of God, blinded by our sin, Christ died for us." The wonder of the gospel is not that God gives salvation to the people who deserve it, but that He gives salvation to those who do not deserve it. This is the scandal of grace and it scandalizes every works righteousness system in existence. This is the difference between the true gospel and religion.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." 

Tax collectors and sinners were prevented entry into the synagogue by those who thought their goodness earned or maintained their rightness with God. So, the Lord Jesus Christ came to be like the doctor who traveled to the people's homes. On this day, the doctor entered into Matthew's home. And, in the same way a patient gets cured, Matthew had to admit that he was sick and that something was wrong.

Here, in v.17, the Lord Jesus indicts the "spiritual leaders of Israel" of spiritual malpractice. They could diagnose the disease, but they could not deliver the proper prescription. This is why the Lord Jesus came, to offer those who are ready to admit they are messed up and in need of the cure.

You will remember when the Lord Jesus healed the leper, He restored him to community. When the Lord Jesus dines with tax collectors and sinners: he restores them to community, as well, if they are willing of heart. The Lord Jesus brings together sinners and disciples and seats them at the same table. In doing so, He gave a glimpse of heaven.

The Lord Jesus heals us by calling us into a deeper relationship with Him. In so doing, He extends to us His forgiveness, inviting us to be part of His community. He does not exclude so-called healthy people, whom he equates here with the righteous. Obviously, this was a slap at the "self-righteousness" of the religious. Biblically speaking, the righteous are not those who live perfectly but those who belong to God through their faith in Him. The Lord Jesus did not need to call those who already belonged to God. He came to call those who were sick and of need of spiritual healing.

Mark 2:6-12

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6 Some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this man say things like that? He is speaking as if he were God. Only God can forgive sins.” 8 Jesus knew immediately what these teachers of the law were thinking. So he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up. Take your mat and walk’? 10 But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, stand up, take your mat, and go home.” 12 Immediately the paralyzed man stood up, took his mat, and walked out while everyone was watching him. The people were amazed and praised God. They said, “We have never seen anything like this!” ~ Mark 2:6-12

Today, we return to our study of the gospel according to Mark. And, in today's passage, we return to the story of the paralyzed man whom the Lord Jesus did not initially heal. In fact, the Lord Jesus first addressed the source of all sickness which is sin. And, in order for this man to fully appreciate the physical healing the Lord Jesus was going to grant him, he needed to know first the healing of his soul. So, the Lord Jesus told him he was forgiven of his sins. 

In v.6-7 of today's passage we read, "6 Some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 'Why does this man say things like that? He is speaking as if he were God. Only God can forgive sins.'"

Notice that these "men of God" saw the Lord Jesus as a mere man. This is why they asked this question, they had limited knowledge of the Lord Jesus' identity. Graciously, on the heels of this miracle, the Lord Jesus employs the description of "Son of Man" to identify Himself. 

We learn from Daniel 7:13-14, this description of "Son of Man" was a designation used for the coming Messiah. By using that title of Himself, the Lord Jesus clearly made a Messianic claim. And, as the Son of Man, He claimed authority to forgive sins. And only God can forgive sins. 

The "religious leaders" questioned the claim of the Lord Jesus. This is the problem of all who live on this earth and are not forgiven of their sin: They go to the wrong place with their questions. And, even though you and I are "born again," we have been known to take our questions to the wrong place. Most lack the humility to ask the One who made all because sin has instilled in all of us such arrogance that blinds us to His reality.

All through my life, I have stumbled among many questions, as I am sure you have, as well. At a young age, I was reluctant to take those questions to God because I lacked a personal relationship with Him. We do not trust what we do not know. 

As you probably know, I came to faith in the Lord Jesus just one month short of my eighteenth birthday through my dad's death. And, due to the fact that my mom died when I was five years of age, I knew I needed help. So, I cried out to God. Over time I learned God not only exists, He is involved in my life. And, I discovered that as I escorted the questions of life to Him, He answered. And, the more I did this, the more I got to know Him. I found myself, over many years, becoming more and more familiar with God, His way of thinking, and His culture. What kept me going all of these years has been God assuring me that I was on the right track. He let me know fairly shortly after I became a Christian that He had a plan for me and all I had to do was to respond to the revelation that He gave me.

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 Jesus knew immediately what these teachers of the law were thinking. So he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up. Take your mat and walk’?"

We live in a world that doesn’t attribute its problems to sin. Denial, however, doesn’t make sin go away. Many who deny the existence of sin think the problem is ignorance and the answer is education. They reason that if everyone were educated, the world’s problems would go away. But, some of the smartest people commit the most heinous crimes.

Some of us deal with sin with self-condemning thoughts. Nothing cripples like shame and guilt. We don’t trust the Lord Jesus to deal with our sins; therefore, we punish ourselves. All we succeed in doing this, however, is feeling bad about ourselves. There is a good aspect to guilt, though. Guilt is the nerve ending of the soul. It can serve to drive us to the Lord.

Some of us prefer self-help. We recognize some inadequacy in ourselves and resolve to do better. Or we are over inflated in our abilities and we discover, at some point, we do not know everything. Or, we brilliantly get to the place where we go to God with our questions. 

It is only the Lord Jesus who can effectively address our real problems. The forgiveness that He offers works its way into our hearts to liberate us in the deepest parts of our being. Only the Lord Jesus can offer God’s forgiveness. Just as He exposed the flawed reasoning of these religious leaders, the Lord Jesus also challenges our faulty methods of dealing with sin. He shows us, through His Holy Spirit and His Word, the ineffectiveness of our solutions.

Oftentimes, God allows sin to do its life-wrecking work in us so that we might turn to Him. The real problem is that we’re sinners, and the real solution is His forgiveness. 

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, stand up, take your mat, and go home."

After addressing the religious leaders, the Lord Jesus resumes giving his full attention to the paralyzed man. In v.11, He commands him to get up and go home so that the religious leaders and everyone else can see that he has been healed. The man’s healing served as confirmation for all who could see that his sins had been forgiven.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "Immediately the paralyzed man stood up, took his mat, and walked out while everyone was watching him. The people were amazed and praised God. They said, “We have never seen anything like this!"

This paralyzed man pictures all of us. We were all dead in our sins, paralyzed by our sinful condition. Guilt, manifesting itself in the feeling that we’re not good enough, paralyzes us. It makes us think, “Why even try?” But we who believe in Christ have died with Him and have been raised to a new life through Him. 

The Lord Jesus, through forgiveness and the gift of the Spirit, enables us to know the restorative love of God. The Lord Jesus said God would raise him from the dead. Those who doubt whether forgiveness of sins comes through Jesus Christ might investigate, with an open mind and heart, whether he rose from the dead. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ IS THE SURE SIGN that the Lord Jesus has dealt effectively with sin, and those who believe in him are the children of God.