Mark Study 15
The Turning Point (Part 1)
Mark Study #15 by Michael Spencer
Step into the study, pour yourself a cup of coffee, get comfortable and let's enjoy the Gospel of Mark. 
Our scripture this week is Mark 3:1-19. 3:1 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. 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. 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.
This section contains a healing story, a summary of the status of Jesus' ministry at its zenith in Galilee and a listing of the apostles. It is a good place to pause and take a look at where Jesus is in the "way" and what Mark is showing us in the story. This chapter does present some of the turning points in the book of Mark that determine the entire direction of what will happen.
Over and over the Gospel writers remind us that Jesus was in the synagogues. On fourteen occasions in the gospels, Jesus is called rabbi, four in Mark. He was an established teacher within Judaism and spent more time teaching the Jewish scriptures in Jewish places of worship than in any other place. I say this simply to remind you that the Jewishness of Jesus is important. Any serious student of the New Testament needs to feel this in his/her bones and resist any and all attempts to make Jesus into a modern American Christian. Some of our problems in this area are as simple as a lack of appreciation for the Old Testament or as serious as open anti-semitism. The more we know and appreciate Judaism, the more we appreciate true Christianity, despite the significant differences between the two. The ideal Christian, according to Paul, was Abraham! Perhaps keeping this in mind will help us in our communication with Jewish friends. Jewish evangelism is very misunderstood today, and part of the problem is the poor attitudes of Christians towards Judaism. It reminds me of the teenager who is too busy spending time with friends his own age to visit his grandparents. Such lack of respect speaks of ignorance and arrogance.
Mark connects the discussion of the Sabbath in Mark 2 with the controversy over healing on the Sabbath in Mark 3. By this time, some- and we are not told exactly who beyond verse 6- are looking to "accuse" Jesus. Luke's report of the response to Jesus' first sermon (Luke 4) shows that those who considered themselves the custodians of Pharisaic Judaism were on high alert to the significance of Jesus' message, particularly as it referred to himself. Accusing Jesus may refer to a formal accusation or merely a spontaneous attempt to stir up the crowd against him. It is clear that the enemies of Jesus are going uphill, because his popularity with the people is obvious.
The matter of healing on the Sabbath is addressed by the Jewish commentators of the time, but in the context of Physicians caring for the sick (not permitted) or saving a life (permitted.) Healings wrought by God through prayer were not addressed, so Jesus' critics seem to be on the extreme edge of interpretation to say that he should not pray for a sick person. This seems to indicate that Jesus himself is the point of contention. It also may indicate that these critics did not realize Jesus healed by miraculous pronouncement rather than through the application of medicine or cures, which would not have been permitted.
One of the characteristics of Jesus that comes through in all the Gospels is his use of questions. He often answers his critics with questions, or reshapes question into other questions, using on his opponents a deeper insight than they hoped to trap him with. The synoptic Gospels do not present Jesus as argumentative, but as quick-witted, brilliantly analytical, sharp and intuitive in his responses to those who opposed him. The religious leaders may have considered Jesus something of a self-taught country boy who could be easily tangled up with a complex question (see Mark 12:18-27). What they discovered was someone who responded with questions, parables and pronouncements, but who did not stop to argue. Only Matthew 23 shows an extended response to the Pharisees and this is probably a collection of sayings, as Matthew obviously like to do. Many Christians could learn from Jesus at this point. Many believers love to argue or are easily drawn into arguments and often make fools of themselves. In my ministry setting there is much debate between Christians and non-Christians and Christians lose their cool and demonstrate their ignorance by shouting twice as often!
Jesus' question "nails" the Pharisees on two levels. First, he points out the obvious. What "expert" in the law of God could say it was ever wrong to do good? Hendriksen points out that two Old Testament passages motivating Jesus were probably Isaiah 56:6 and 58:6-14, passages that connect the Sabbath with serving the Lord by releasing the oppressed, the very thing Jesus was doing. Yet, these men find fault with Jesus himself. The second level of Jesus' response is the unusual mention of killing. At many points in his Gospel, Mark uses irony as a device for revealing what is really happening. Who is thinking of killing at the moment these words are spoken? The leaders have murder in their hearts, even as they sit in the house of God on God's day. Jesus' divine insight into the human heart is evident here. The silence of these men is ominous in the face of Jesus' searching question.
One of the characteristics of Mark's Gospel which I treasure and which has deeply influenced me is Mark's portrayal of the emotions of Jesus. Verse 5 is a powerful picture. Jesus looks around the room of silent conspirators and expectant people. What a look this must have been! Mark loves this phrase and uses it several times. (3:5,34;; 9:8; 10:23; 11:11) Then Mark reports two emotions of Jesus: anger and "deep distress" or grief at their hardness of heart (AV and others are stronger than the NIV's "stubborn.") Jesus is angry without sin, a possibility for any person, but an absolute for himself. God is angry (See I Kings 11:9 or Micah 7:18 and many others) and installed this emotion in human nature. In our fallen condition, however, anger is often the prelude to sin (See Genesis 4:1ff). Anger is a often a manifestation of our self-centeredness and determination to have it "our way." Jesus, on the contrary, is angry at genuine evil, as he is on other occasions. His anger grows out of clear moral vision and a Biblical worldview.
Moral health in an individual or society absolute demands the capacity for righteous anger at what is truly evil. By this measurement, the West is in trouble. America and Europe in particular are becoming embodiments of Philippians 3:19, those who "glory in their shame." We have learned how to bend language and reasoning to accommodate any and all kinds of evil and sin by calling it good. And, according to the twisted views of our culture, who is most deserving of condemnation and labeling as truly "evil?" Why the one who would dare to pass moral judgement on anyone or anything! We need to hear the words of Isaiah 5:20 "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." Spiritual and moral maturity is measured, according to Hebrews 5:14 "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
Many of my readers have probably heard of the frequent "dumping" of newborn babies by middle-class teenage girls in America. One girl went to her Prom, gave birth in the bathroom, probably suffocated the child and went back to dancing. Such episodes are becoming common. I recently watched a news talk show where this was discussed. Not a single panelist said that the availability of legal abortion right up to the ninth month had anything to do with this sort of behavior. No one saw a connection between the cheapening of human life apparent in a procedure like "late term abortion" and this infanticide by middle class teens. In fact, one panelist said this was evidence we need more abortion!! Such is the level of moral reasoning in the U.S., where evil is spoken of as good and educated, sophisticated people cannot see their own barbarism for what it is. On another program discussing the same topic, Dr. Deepak Chopra, a prominent and bestselling author, refused to say such behavior was morally wrong, but merely a manifestation of our anger at ourselves.
Jesus models the sort of anger that ought to be present in any of us in a world of abuse, hunger, greed, lying, manipulation, exploitation and killing. May God help us be faithful to the moral vision that Jesus lived out. Let us learn to despise that sort of moral weakness and cultural compromise that says strong moral convictions are intolerant and bigoted. May we, like Jesus, be capable of anger at what is truly evil.
But interestingly, Jesus has another emotion- grief. He is saddened by the "hardness of heart" he senses in the religious leaders. He knows the tragedy of men who can look at what is truly good, and in the name of God, are willing to kill it to preserve themselves and their opinions. Jesus' anger does not lead him to sin because it is mixed with the love of God for fallen human beings. This also is a model for us. Are our hearts ever broken over sinners? Are our eyes ever wet with compassion for the lost and the broken? Can we be both angry at sin and compassionate to sinners? Jesus was such a person and those filled with his Spirit should and can be like him. When we think of something like homosexuality, can we be morally offended and compassionately motivated at the same time? Only Jesus can make this difference.
We should also note that Jesus saw the problem was the human heart, not religion, prejudice or ignorance. The modern diagnosis of these men is that they could be cured with sensitivity training, therapy and exposure to different values. Jesus knows their hearts are hard. Scripture tells us that in our unregenerate condition our hearts are hard, our minds at enmity, our entire being opposed to God and his Kingly rule over us. We are the moral equivalent of Pharaoh, who hardened his heart against God. We are criminals in the universe dead in sin and dead set against the one who can change us. Jesus words in John 3 to another religious leader are appropriate: John 3:17-20 " For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." And think of these words in John 12:37-40 " Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."
The spiritual atmosphere today discounts the truth that men's hearts are set against God. Men are told they are seekers rather than sinners. We are told that entertainment and education can change human nature. We are let to believe than people are merely bored or too busy or distracted, not that they are dead, hardened in heart and enemies of God's rule in their lives. We ought to look more closely at Jesus' response and apply it to our view of our own hearts and the condition of lost people around us.
Jesus heals the man's withered hand. For Mark, this is a turning point. The plot to kill Jesus begins here and will continue throughout the book. The Pharisees do something unusual: they conspire with the Herodians. This group supported the Herod dynasty, which was hated and feared by most Jews. Herod the Great had bought the Kingship of Galilee and surrounding territories from the Romans and supported their power. He was vicious and his military power was considerable. Jews who supported this were hardly in the mainstream of Judaism, which still held a strong streak of nationalism and independence from the Maccabees. Yet it was these two groups that conspired to kill Jesus.
Why such a strong reaction? Why did these groups fear Jesus? We will see some of the reasons next week, but they can be quickly discerned. Jesus looked like a strong candidate for a popularly proclaimed King. Luke tells us Herod knew this from the time Jesus was born. The Herodians could see what was happening and knew Jesus had to be eliminated. Some of the Pharisees apparently saw Jesus as a prophet of such popularity and ego-mania that their spiritual influence was threatened. This was not just another crack-pot self-proclaimed Messiah. This was a miracle-worker, exorcist and healer whose power was undeniable. But since he could not possibly be the Messiah, in their opinion, who was he? Perhaps 3:20ff gives that answer.
We will continue with part II of this study next time.
Questions
How important is the Jewishness of Jesus to the average Christian?
Why do so many Christians find anti-semitism easy to fall into?
Open Christian evangelism is illegal in Israel. Many Jews say Christian evangelism of the Jews is an attempt to exterminate them. How would you respond to that accusation?
List-from the first two chapters of Mark- what Jesus had already done that had offended ther religious leaders?
Why are Christians so often argumentative? Does this please the Lord?
Why do you suppose Jesus so often answered questions with questions?
How should we respond to a hostile, personal, insulting attack on our Christian faith?
How could religious people who claimed to know the Bible so well get to the point of thinking it was wrong to do good on the Sabbath?
Is it really fair of God to hold us accountable for the thoughts of our heart, such as the Pharisees thoughts of murder? Why does scripture often remind us that God intimately knows our thoughts and motives and requires them to be pure?
Why did God give us the emotion of anger?
How would you answer a person who says Christians should never be angry?
Can you give further examples of our moral handicaps in the area of calling evil good (or vice versa)?
How does the use of language effect the way we reason morally?
Can you give other examples of where it is appropriate to feel both anger and grief/compassion?
Many homosexuals believe Christians hate them. Many do. How should we respond to those who are involved in homosexuality and do not wish to change?
Jesus says sin is rooted in the heart. Where do we commonly get rid of responsibility for our sins?
Michael says we are being told we are seekers rather than sinners. Some say it is bad to tell people they are sinners and good to tell them they are seekers. What do you think? What about Romans 3:9-18?
Where is Satan at work in the reasoning of Jesus enemies?
How mad did you get that I said Jesus might have made a mistake? Did you mix your anger with grief at my hardheadedness? ;-) Read my Web Page article on Inspiration for more info on where I am on that issue.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Hendriksen, Mark, Baker books. Part of the New Testament series started by William Hendriksen. Older, reformed but just wonderful for preachers and teachers. Highly recommended, tested and proven.