(Pericopes of Peter) Mark 3:1-19, Disciples Chosen

Jesus has recently had a dispute with the Pharisees over the Sabbath.  Here another dispute arises, based on another healing.

Mark 3: 1-6
Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.

 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Why is Jesus' angry?  He seems surprised.

What is the response of the Pharisees?  (Who are the Herodians?  What is the relevance of the collaboration between Pharisees and Herodians?)

Mark 3: 7-12
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.

Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.

Why are the crowds coming?

Where are they coming from? (Look at an atlas.)

What is the reason for the boat?  (Explain.  Note that Mark says very little in the way of explanation.)

Why does he give these strict orders?  Why do those he heals disobey it?

Mark 3: 13-19
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve--designating them apostles --that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

What is the point of this section?  Why?

Why are there 12?  (What is the significance of this number?)

  NIV footnotes on verse 14: Some ancient manuscripts do not have "designating them apostles".

(Pericopes of Peter) Mark 2:13-28, Religion and the Broken

Jesus continues his ministry along the shore of Galilee.

Mark 2:13-17
Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.  While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and `sinners'?"

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Jesus continues to reach out to the broken and downtrodden, unlike the religious leaders who tend to push those people away.  This is a major theme in the gospels – Jesus (and Christianity) is for the weak, not the strong!

Sometime ago I read a post by a Muslim teacher on why Islam was better than Christianity.  The main idea of his post was this: Mohammed surrounded himself with powerful men; Jesus surrounded himself with weaklings!  "Look at Peter, for example," the Muslim evangelist said.  The disciples of Jesus were worthless, according to that Islamic teacher.  How true.  But there is Christianity in a nutshell – Jesus reached out to people who need a Savior (and know it), to people who are broken and hurting.

A note -- Levi, son of Alphaeus, is also called Matthew.

Mark 2:18-22

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"

Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.  But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.  And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."

Who is fasting?  Why do you think Jesus is asked this question?

The fasting of John's disciples gave a veneer of religious commitment.  Apparently the disciples of Jesus, following their master, were not as committed, were not as "religious" as those of John!  The outside observers wondered about this.

What is Jesus’ response?  What does this mean? What is the stuff about the new garment, old wineskins, mean?

Mark 2:23-28
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.  The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"

He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."

Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

What do the Pharisees ask?  Why do you think they ask this?  What is their motive?

What is Jesus’ response?  (What does this mean?)

How is this similar to the fasting incident?  What is really going on here?

Note the phrase, "Son of Man".  This is a Messianic term; Jesus is identifying himself as Messiah.

(Pericopes of Peter) Mark 2:1-12, Raising the Roof!

(Continuing a study of Mark, Friday afternoons, as part of Bridges at Sam...)

After preaching in the cities of Galilee, Jesus returns to Capernaum, the home of his disciples.

Mark 2:1-5, Faithful friends raise a roof
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.  So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.  Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.  Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

One of my favorite stories!  As Jesus moves around, crowds follow him.  The home (as suggested by William Barclay) was probably quite open and the crowd would have flowed in and prevented any path to Jesus.  But the roof was probably a place to sit in hot weather and designed to support people.

Why did Jesus first offer to forgive?  Why did he do it in that order, forgiveness (when not asked) before healing (which was the obvious request)?

Mark 2:6-12, The Sabbath interferes
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,  "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things?  Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Get up, take your mat and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." 

He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."

He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

Why did Jesus forgive, then heal?  Why did he do it in that order?  Clearly that matters most, but is incomplete.

Don't miss the sadness in the pharisaic legalism.  To the religious leaders, rules trump everything.

Imagine the reaction of the religious teachers when the man gets up!

(Pericopes of Peter) Mark 1:35-45

After healing Simon's mother-in-law and many in the community of Caesarea, Jesus begins a more general ministry throughout Galilee (northern Israel.)

Mark 1: 35-39, The ministry begins

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"

Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

The ministry begins with Jesus isolated and praying.  (Why does God need to pray?)
Where does Jesus preach?  What are the results?  (Why?)

Mark 1: 40-45, A leper approaches
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"

Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.   Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:

"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

What is Jesus's reaction to the leper's request?  (In verse 1:40 The Greek word translated leprosy here was used for various diseases affecting the skin--not necessarily leprosy.  But clearly this is a serious, incurable disease.)

Why did Jesus give him the strong warning?  What is wrong with the leper telling everyone of Jesus's work?

(Pericopes of Peter) Mark 1:29-34

Jesus has just spoken in the synagogue and healed a man with an "unclean spirit".

Mark 1:29-34 Also a healer!

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.  Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her.  So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.  The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Simon Peter is surely the main source for the gospel of Mark.  One of the early miracles of Jesus is to heal the mother of Simon's wife.  We don't know the severity of the fever but, like a typical mother, once she is feeling better, Simon's mother-in-law begins to serve the small crowd in her home!

The effect is immediate.  After sunset (when it is cooler?) the crowds come.  The "whole town" has heard and shows up as the door.  And Jesus responds.  Once again there are "evil spirits"; once again they are commanded not to identify Jesus!

A few simple observations: Yes, we all need help -- both teaching and healing.  And there are times to identify Jesus (we will see some later) and times to be quiet.

William Barclay suggests that the reason for people bringing the sick after sunset is to avoid working on the Sabbath.

(Pericopes of Peter) Mark 1:21-28

Capernaum is near Nazareth, in northern Israel (Galilee.)  Jesus first begins teaching, as any Jew would, in a synagogue, on the Sabbath (Saturday.) 

Mark 1:21-28 A different teacher!
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.  The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"

The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.  The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."

News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

How is Jesus's teaching received?

A strange event occurs in the synagogue!  What is it?  (NIV footnotes say "evil spirit" might be "unclean spirit".)  What is the effect of the "evil" or "unclean" spirit?  And why does Jesus hush it up?!

Of course news spreads!  Is this good?

(Pericopes of Peter) Mark 1:14-20

Jesus has finished his time in the desert and is ready for ministry.

1:14-15  The kingdom begins
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Does the imprisonment of John stir Jesus to ministry?  Observe that Jesus emphasizes the "good news" (or "gospel") of the coming kingdom.  The concept of repentance is a positive change, in the direction of the kingdom of heaven.

1:16-20 Four disciples
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."  At once they left their nets and followed him.

When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.  Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

There are now four official disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John.  Why does Jesus suddenly pick these people?  (Is it really sudden?  Or does it appears this way through Mark's collapsing of time?)

(Pericopes of Peter) Mark 1:9-13

A pericope is a short dynamic story, somewhat self-contained.  Much of the Gospel of Mark consists of these short events, dramatically recalled by Peter, copied down later by Mark.

Here is the second pericope in Mark's gospel.

Mark 1:9-13  The beginning of Jesus' ministry -- baptism and temptation
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Nazareth is some distance north of Galilee, 70-80 miles. 

Why is Jesus baptized?  What happens when he is baptized?  Theologically, philosophically, this is an intriguing passage.  If Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God, as taught elsewhere in the New Testament – and in the early church – why does he need to be baptized?

Note that heaven was "torn" open!  This describes a dramatic, almost violent, action.

What does Jesus do after the baptism?  Why?

What is baptism?  How is Jesus' baptism different from that of John?

Why does Mark leave out so much?  (Eg. "He was with the wild animals and angels attended him.")  Couldn't he have said a little more??