Working With Or Against God
Video: https://youtu.be/j2dvmu_vgXE
We ended last week in the Gospel of Mark chapter 3 with the religious and political leaders devising plans on how they might kill Jesus. One could try to argue that this was all due to misunderstanding. They didn’t know that God could be human, but then Jesus puts the most obvious question before them. These leaders refuse to answer, showing that it was not a misunderstanding at all, but it was pride, ego, selfishness, greed and so much more. Just a reminder the question in ch 3 vs 4 was “what is right on the Sabbath to do good or evil, to save a life or destroy it”. We all know the answer and those listening to Jesus did too. To some degree this pride and resistance can feel like an extreme for us, who are these people that can get in the way of such good? The Gospel of Mark continues today by showing us that we can all be those people that get in the way of God’s work. So the bigger question remains, how can we get out of God’s way and work with Him?
From chapter 1 we saw John the Baptist working for Jesus, as He prepared the way for Jesus. He was calling people to repentance, to turn back to God and after Jesus’ baptism he knew he had to decrease in importance so Jesus could increase. There are plenty of people that we have seen who give up everything to follow Jesus: the fisherman of ch 1 vs 16 and the tax collector of ch 2 vs 14 . On the opposite side, in ch 1 vs. 45 we have seen how a healed man can make it harder for Jesus, by making it about the miracle more than about God. We have seen how the crowds that just want something from Jesus can get in the way of people actually hearing the good news. We have even seen how people will resist God because they are too proud or self-centred. Today, we will see that the difference between following Jesus vs. getting in His way is a fine line that takes courage, humility and obedience.
As we read through chapter 3 vs. 7-12, we see that Jesus tries to withdraw with His disciples, even if just for a moment, but there is such a crowd that follows Him that it is not possible to withdraw. In order to be heard and seen Jesus had to get onto a boat, so people wouldn’t crowd Him. His popularity and His miracles were growing, how could this be a bad thing, don’t we want that today? Yes, we do want more people to come to Jesus Christ and we do want more people to see His miracles, but if you are like me, you have never realized that His popularity might get in the way of people actually seeing Him. We can make our faith so much about us getting something from Jesus that we actually get in the way more than we help. Is our faith primarily about how I feel, what I get, or is it about bringing others to Jesus? When we talk about Miracles, is that a primary selling point, or is it about a relationship with Jesus that can change us and this world which in itself is miraculous? Sadly, I have seen that too often, in my faith too, that turning to Jesus has been more about what we get than what it means, who it points to and what we can do with Him.
A reminder again, turning to Jesus to ask for something, or miracles is not a bad thing, but if we are spending most of our time asking what we get out of a relationship, it is not really a relationship.
So now, we have seen how hard it could get for Jesus to minister, to preach, even to heal. Jesus is a smart and diligent man, who also has a vision for the future of the Kingdom ministry and so He knows it is essential that He shares the work. So in vs. 13-19, Jesus chooses 12 of His closest followers to go out and preach, heal and exercise demons.
As His disciples, we are meant to share in Jesus’ work too. We are meant to do the same things He does, in all of their grandeur. The disciples could not have known Jesus for long, we are talking about months not years and yet even with their lack of experience and knowledge, Jesus knew that with faith and a relationship with Him they could do what they needed to. They could preach a kingdom of repentance, redemption and new life, while showing it in their works. What is more, so can we. We can step out in faith, saying and doing wondrous and magnificent things to the glory of God.
Two things to note. FIrst, Jesus chooses 12 at first for a reason. 12 to the Jewish people would have immediately reminded them of the 12 patriarchs and the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus' statement about God’s Kingdom becoming present, was becoming manifest by establishing a new but significantly jewish people. They all have a name. They are all important parts of God’s growing kingdom with Jesus at it’s centre.
You’ll also notice that Mark immediately tells us in vs. 19 that one of the 12 disciples, Judas, will betray Jesus. This is some very obvious foreshadowing, but it is more than that. With us, Jesus knows full well what will happen, as we see later at the last supper, but Jesus knows that even Judas, who would turn away from Jesus in the end, still could be an instrument of sharing God’s faith. I think this very idea can shed a whole different light on the brokenness in the church and the power behind welcoming even the most broken, but that is a sermon for another time.
In vs. 20-35, we get a story of an accusation against Jesus that He is working for the prince of demons, squished between two stories about Jesus’ relationship with His family. This is meant to help us parallel the two stories and understand that the same thing is happening in both.
So, Jesus replies to the accusation of who He works for by telling them a parable, which will lead into more parables next week. This parable is all about unity and working together or the inverse. Jesus talks about a house, but today it might be easier for us to talk about a family business. If one brother spends his whole time trying to run a different kind of business from his father, a fair amount of their work will be in vain. But even worse, if another brother decides that he wants to overthrow his father or make the business fail, how can that family business last? If you are like me, I am sure in this example you are already thinking about solutions, next try applying those to the Kingdom of God and see where that would lead.
Jesus at first makes this parable about the exorcisms, by saying I can’t be working for the devil. “How can Satan drive out Satan”. If Satan was against Himself see that his kingdom is falling and so turn away from your wickedness. Then Jesus continues with the parable of the strongman, saying to each of us: “don’t you see the truth behind these exorcisms? The devil is being driven out because I have tied up the strong man and taken away his armor.
But then Jesus goes on, telling us that blaspheming against the Spirit is the worst crime. This might seem out of left field, but Jesus is relating this to His last parable of the strongman to give it a dual purpose. You see when you are given the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the power and potential of God and His Kingdom to work in you, but if we tie up that strongman in us then God’s Kingdom can be overthrown in us; thankfully we cannot tie up God’s Spirit working in the world. Because of God’s power and love, God’s Kingdom can never truly fall, but we can resist Him to such a degree that it doesn’t live or thrive in us.
That is physically what is happening in the case of Jesus and His family. First, in vs. 20 and 21, Jesus’ family sees the massive crowds and all the life-giving work Jesus is doing and they say He is out of His mind. Why? I am not completely sure. Maybe because He isn’t taking as much time to eat, or sleep, or connect with them or whatever else, but they are only seeing what they want even if it may be what they think is best for Jesus and so they are trying to tie him up, to limit His good work. Then later in vs. 31-35, Jesus’ family shows up wanting to see Him, looking for special treatment because they are family. Today, we might even think Jesus’ response is a little cold, but family priority, or prioritizing those you love can just as easily get in the way of sharing Jesus’ love, so Jesus tries to shift our thinking, work and priority. Our priority should be first to become a family member of God by doing what He commands and then by looking to our brothers and sisters, wherever they come from, because together we are sharing Jesus and His growing Kingdom.
I know this is a lot to take in, because it is for me. But it is important that we keep contemplating how we are working with or against Jesus. We have things in our life that are important to us, or ways of doing things that we think are right, or things that make us feel good, but are they actually practicing God’s self-sacrificial love? Are we tying up the Holy Spirit in us or are we letting Jesus ty\ie up the devil in us? Are we empowering Jesus by following His commands or are we empowering our desires and so getting in His way? It is easy to get in the way, but we must be faithful and courageous to step out, even in our unknowing or weakness. Lastly, being like those 12 disciples can be scary. We might not believe that we can do miracles, but even if we are too scared to try performing or praying for miracles, we can always preach, we can always tell the story. The whole Gospel of Mark is a beautiful way in which a future disciple, gets out of the way and shares Jesus with us and all those around him. Any of us can do the same, because God’s Spirit lives in us. AMEN
The Gospel of Mark is telling Jesus’ story - it is preaching.
