Earthly Kingdoms vs. God's Kingdom
Video: https://youtu.be/3vWQp5Q5u6Q
Last week we saw the amazing, miraculous and powerful reality that is God’s Kingdom coming into our midst as Jesus calmed storms, cast out an army of demons, healed a lifetime alement and brought a little girl back to life. Mark already began to compare the inability for humanity to save itself and for the salvation that comes from trust and faith in Jesus. We saw this as the disciples couldn’t fight a storm and yet all Jesus had to do was say, “Calm, be still” or when people couldn’t even tie the demonac with chains Jesus just had to say, “Come out of Him, unclean spirit” or how a woman had suffered for decades under blood and doctors, but it only took Jesus’ cloak to heal her, or how Jesus lifted up a dead girl when everyone else had given up.
These may all seem like the most extreme cases, that it could be very easy to say, I am not going through a storm, or demons, or incurable pain, or death, so I don’t need salvation. I would argue that we all are in one or more of these places, but Mark takes another tact as he shows us the difference between God’s Kingdom and ours. So, he gives us three comparisons. We see the difference between those that are offended by Jesus and those that follow Him. We see the difference between community and bounty when we are with Jesus vs. when we think we have everything. Finally, we see that those things that scare us or haunt us when given to Jesus are taken away.
So first, we get this strange story of Jesus going back home. Everyone knows about the amazing deeds of power Jesus is doing and everyone has had a chance to hear the amazing teaching from Jesus, yet just like with many today, Jesus can do everything for us and that is still not enough. These people seem to think that just because they grew up with Jesus and know his parents and siblings that somehow makes what He is doing and saying less. This argument doesn’t make sense to me, but I have seen the same sort of argument from those that grew up in the church or from those that reject the good in Christianity. People can believe that they know something so well that they explain away the amazing and spectacular and so the result is that they actually get in the way of Jesus doing the amazing and spectacular. In a sense, even what they had was taken away. In the end they are offended by the gospel of Jesus, why? It would seem to me that they are offended because they think too highly of themselves and if Jesus was truly something special it would challenge their high view of themselves and pride is hard to refuse. Here we see in reality an example of the seed that falls along the path and is quickly snatched up.
This is immediately compared to the disciples. Where Jesus’ hometown actually got in the way of Jesus' powerful acts and words because of their offence, the disciples become the embodiment of Jesus’ powerful acts and words because they are willing to follow Him. The disciples are challenged to give up on pride, on self-protection and instead trust. That is what we see as Jesus tells them to not take any bread, or money or bag, or extra shirt. The disciples would have so little when they went out in twos that they would utterly depend on God’s providence to feed, house and protect them. This trust and faith would actually make more space for the gospel as it would mean finding houses of peace where God’s Kingdom could be known and shared. The result of following Jesus and this immense trust, is that even more powerful teaching and powerful acts were done in the name of Jesus. More lives were changed. The good soil bears more fruit.
Now we get this long story about Herod that has two sections. First, Herod hears about Jesus, the people guess at who Jesus really is, but Herod believes Jesus is John the Baptist who came back to life. From these words it is impossible to know for sure Herod’s feelings about this, but we can quite easily imagine anyone’s feelings in this belief. Fear, worry, apprehension, because one of our ghosts has come back to haunt us, to challenge us and maybe even take away what I have.
This compares well to our final story. Jesus has stayed behind to pray and be alone with God (something important for all of us, even the Son of God). The disciples battle their way across the sea of Galilee because the wind was against them. They seem to battle most of the night as it was almost dawn when Jesus walks across the water. When they see Him they think He is a ghost. Maybe it was the stress they were under, the time of night, the fact it was on the water, or that they were already scared, but they seemed to think this only meant bad news for them as they screamed out. Jesus says to them, “take courage, it is I. Don’t be afraid”. The ghost that they were scared of, that they thought meant their demise, became their peace and courage when they could see Jesus. We once again see the hope of the good soil, but the disciples still have a way to go as they harden their heart to Jesus. They don’t let Him in.
Finally, we are left with two stories about feasts. They couldn’t be more different. One is in a palace and one is a secluded place by the water. One has more than enough of everything, even entertainment and the other doesn’t seem to have much of anything. One has kings, queens, officials, generals and the other has those most in need of Jesus. Yet, when you really compare the two what we find is that the bounty and splendour is actually with Jesus. Herod’s party is controlled by a grudge, a foolish promise, pride, fear, death and the symbol of John’s head being served on a platter is an awful metaphor of their whole feast - they dine at the expense and destruction of those under them. It would seem all of this elegance is a very fickle and lackluster comfort.
Where people come to Jesus because they know He is offering the words of life. Jesus starts with what seems like very little, but somehow they have more than enough, as everyone has their fill and the bounty is greater than when they started. It would seem again that the disciples don’t completely understand, but the great part is that Jesus does and we see the difference between the seed that is sown among thorns and that in the good soil.
The numbers show us this again. There are 2 fish, 5 loaves and 12 baskets collected in the end. The jewish readers would have immediately connected with these numbers as they were the numbers that began Israel. It started out with two - Abraham and Sarah - then there was 5 - Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah - who gave birth to the 12 tribes of Israel. In God’s economy and work what might start with two or five quickly can become more than enough.
Today, we see the difference between God’s Kingdom and any earthly kingdom, whether that is something large, or even just our personal kingdoms. We all need God’s Kingdom to realize a lasting peace, instead of these fickle comforts. We all need Jesus’ Kingdom to overcome the fear and ghosts that may otherwise control or haunt us. We all need Jesus’ Kingdom so that we might be fruitful, productive and lifegiving in our lives as we act, speak and share Jesus with others. It is not just in the hardest times that we need Jesus, it is all the time. It is all that we are that needs to be guided by the source of all goodness. All that we do, or think, or feel, or say will fall drastically short if we are not following Jesus in them. We have seen that in some simple ways in our readings, but we can see it in our own lives too if we look. We can choose God’s Kingdom and build bridges instead of walls, share instead of take, and live in lasting peace rather than a fickle comfort. The question is, whose kingdom do you want to live in? Our personal kingdoms or God’s Kingdom? Again the choice can make all the difference.
