Seeking the Light

Mark 4: 1 – 20 The parable of the sower

Mark 4: 1 – 20 The parable of the sower

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered round him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ‘Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places , where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.’

Then Jesus said, ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.’

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,

‘ “they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

And ever hearing but never understanding;

Otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!” ‘

Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?’ The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown in rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because ot the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this world, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.’

* * *

The parable of the sower describes what happens to good seed when it is sown into a typical plot of land in first century Judea. It’s not immediately obvious what the story means, and the disciples asked Jesus to explain it. He did so, and he also explained why the story wasn’t immediately comprehensible. It was so that “they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, And ever hearing but never understanding; Otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!”

This is a quotation from Isaiah. He said, ‘Go and tell this people: “Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.” Make the heart of this people calloused: make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’ (Isaiah 6: 9 – 10). These verses must be read in the context of Isaiah chapter 5, which describes how the people of Judah have become greedy, unjust and dissolute. Worst of all, verse 12 says “but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands.”

In Isaiah 6: 9, the prophet is satirising the people of Judah, in effect saying, “Go ahead then. Keep on living the way you are. Don’t look at the political situation which says you’ll be conquered. Don’t bother listening to me. You’ll all be killed, of course, and your houses torn down, but don’t let a little thing like that worry you.”

In other words, the prophet wasn’t describing what God wants for his chosen people, he was describing the inevitable consequences of their sinful behaviour. And perhaps it’s the same here – and now. Many of those who hear the words of Jesus have calloused hearts. What they hear, or read, doesn’t evoke the desire to know more about him, and about God. They “have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands.”

Jesus doesn’t want people to be condemned; his whole ministry is about forgiveness and life. But it seems here as though he’s pointing out the inevitable consequences of rejecting his teaching.

Once Jesus has told the disciples what the parable means, it all makes sense.

Or does it?

Why does Jesus tell the parable at all? The ground on which each seed falls is fixed.

Or is it?

The only reason I can see for Jesus telling the parable at all, is that we have some choice in how we respond to his teaching. The parable makes us aware of opportunities to do better.

Can I do anything about my hard heart? Can I do anything about the fact that my spiritual hunger is meagre? Can I do anything about my greed for worldly things? With God’s help I can. The parable gives me a spiritual checklist. I can confess my sins in these areas and pray to improve. I can’t do it on my own, that’s perfectly true, but with the help of the Holy Spirit it’s possible.

We can also, perhaps, help others. If people are going to hear and understand when we speak to them of Jesus, we probably need to do some spadework first. We must show love, to help soften a hard heart. We have to pray and trust in the Holy Spirit so that we can communicate the satisfaction of a life lived with spiritual values. We have to make sure that we are giving generously to those in need so that we have the right attitude towards possessions.

And, of course, to win a harvest the seed has to be sown, which means both studying the scriptures prayerfully, and telling people about Jesus, which is what this blog is all about.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you for calling me to study your word. Thank you for your guidance. Please help me to be a better follower of Jesus, in whose name I pray.

Amen

Mark 3: 20 – 35 Jesus accused by his family and by teachers of the law

Mark 3: 20 – 35 Jesus accused by his family and by teachers of the law

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.’

So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: ‘How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.’

He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an impure spirit.’

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting round him, and they told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’

‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked.

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’

* * *

When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’

This is a very telling sentence.

Jesus’ behaviour was arousing controversy. People were coming from many miles around to be healed, to see miracles and to hear Jesus preach. Worse, learned men had come from Jerusalem to see Jesus, and were antagonistic. The reputation of the family would be damaged. And who knew where the enmity of the teachers of the law might end?

Family has a great deal of influence even today. The intervention of Jesus’ family is understandable; by going to take charge of Jesus, they were acting to preserve their good name.

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.’

Another powerful sentence. The teachers of the law weren’t speaking idly. In Mark 3:6 we read ‘Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.’ The accusation that Jesus is possessed by Beelzebul paints him as an opponent of all right-thinking Jews, and paves the way for a blasphemy charge – for which the penalty was death.

Jesus is scathing in his response. A kingdom divided against itself will surely fall. A household divided against itself will surely fall. How, indeed, can Satan drive out Satan?

Jesus then tells them, ‘In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.’ The strong man of this parable is Satan, Jesus is claiming that he can heal those possessed by demons because he has defeated Satan and tied him up.

These are all illustrations – parables. What if we don’t find them particularly convincing?

We need to look at the outcomes of Jesus’ healing work.

The demoniac whose name was Legion was found sitting quietly beside Jesus, in his clothes – he had previously been naked – and in his right mind. He was fit to return to society.

Lepers were cleansed. Jesus told them to follow the requirements of the law, to go to the priests and make the correct offering to certify their cure. They would then be allowed to re-join society.

The son of the widow of Nain, Jairus’ daughter, Lazarus, were all raised from the dead, and were able once again to take part in daily life.

All these outcomes are positive, life-affirming and, above all, they comply with Jewish law.

When Jesus heals, he brings life. He frees the person from whatever had bound them. What he does is the exact opposite of evil.

‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked.

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’

Ah, yes – family!

Jesus’ family are trying to hinder and limit his work. They don’t see it like that, of course; they see themselves as trying to protect him from himself. But Jesus can no longer be limited to a single human family; he has come for everybody, the whole world.

People who do God’s will seek the presence of Jesus. We want to hear his voice and be near him. We cluster round him, and we become his brother and sister and mother.

What a wonderful privilege!

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you for the wonderful gift of Jesus. Thank you for his healing.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Mark 3: 7 – 19 Crowds follow Jesus, and Jesus appoints the Twelve

Mark 3: 7 – 19 Crowds follow Jesus and Jesus appoints the Twelve

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 pressing forward to touch him. Whenever the impure 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 others about him.

Jesus appoints the Twelve

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve 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.

* * *

The ministry of Jesus was phenomenal. People were coming from miles around to hear him, and to be healed. Mark says they were coming from places which were up to 100 miles from Galilee. And that was walking. It would have taken a week to walk to Galilee and back from some of these places.

So many people came and pressed forward for a healing touch from Jesus, that he told his disciples to keep a small boat ready to keep the people from crowding him.

Having established this thriving ministry, Jesus seems to have withdrawn for a short period. Mark says that “Jesus went up on a mountainside”. Although Mark doesn’t say so here, it was typical of Jesus to withdraw to a lonely place when he needed to pray. I think this is the case here because the withdrawal comes immediately before the very important and significant act of choosing those who are to receive authority to act in Jesus’ name; the Twelve.

Jesus’ need to pray for guidance has lessons for us.

The first is that it affirms his humanity. During his earthly life, Jesus was fully human; he could only know what God wanted him to do through prayer. How wonderful that he could accomplish all he did as a human being like us!

The second is that just as Jesus needed prayer, so do we. If we are to do God’s will effectively, we must learn to listen to him.

The third lesson is that sometimes we need to withdraw from others, just like Jesus did. There is a time and a place for everything. Often, we are needed to be busy about God’s work, but sometimes we are called to be still and listen.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you for the life and example of Jesus. Please help us to listen to the quiet voice of your Holy Spirit. Please help us to be obedient.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Mark 3: 1 – 6 Jesus heals on the Sabbath

Mark 3: 1 – 6 Jesus heals on the Sabbath

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shrivelled 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 shrivelled 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.

* * *

At the heart of this passage is the question, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’

At the time of this story there was no such thing as a Christian, or a Christian church. Both Jesus and the Pharisees were Jews, following Judaism and subject to Jewish law. Both Jesus and the Pharisees agreed that the Sabbath should be kept holy; this was one of the fundamental laws given to the Jews by God at Mount Sinai.

‘Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.’ (Exodus 20:8)

The law is quite clear; indeed, it is detailed and comprehensive in its scope. In a society under Jewish law nobody, but nobody, was supposed to work on the Sabbath.

But what was Jesus’ view? Here, in the synagogue, on the Sabbath, was a man with a withered arm. Jesus seized the opportunity, and asked the Pharisees:

‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’

The Pharisees said nothing.

Jesus’ question was not merely rhetorical. He wanted an answer. When the Pharisees remained silent, Mark tells us that Jesus was ‘deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.’

But the Pharisees remained silent, and so Jesus gave his own answer to the question he had posed. He healed the man, then and there, and by doing so he made it abundantly clear that this law must not be viewed as an absolute.

Furthermore, unlike in Mark 2: 23 – 28, this was not an appeal to Jesus’ own authority as Son of Man. He has posed the question to the Pharisees. ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ He expected an answer; more, he very much wanted an answer. He expected the Pharisees to work out for themselves that the law had to be applied humanely.

Jesus had answered the question. More than that, he had validated the answer by the miraculous healing of the man with a withered arm. Were the Pharisees convinced?

No, they weren’t. Quite the opposite.

Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

The only way I can understand the actions of the Pharisees is that their faulty understanding of the Sabbath blinded them to the truth Jesus was trying to show them. Indeed, the challenge to their preconceptions was so great that they plotted to destroy Jesus.

Just as Jesus expected the Pharisees to apply the law humanely, so he expects us to do the same. Just as Jesus could set aside one of the ten commandments when it needlessly prevented a good action, so can we.

Just as the Pharisees were blinded to the truth by their prejudices, so can we be.

Are there any issues where my prejudices blind me to God’s truth?

‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’

We know what Jesus thought.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Please help me to take your law very seriously. At the same time, please help me to understand when your will takes me outside the guidance of your law.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Mark 2: 23 – 28 Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2: 23 – 28 Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the cornfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some ears of corn. 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.’

* * *

At first sight, this seems a rather trivial incident, and yet it is recorded in all three of the synoptic gospels. Why do they tell us about this action of Jesus?

Let’s look at the context.

We’ve read in Mark 2: 1 – 12 how Jesus heals a paralysed man, using the words, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

In Mark 2: 13 – 17, Jesus calls Levi the tax collector to be a disciple, and he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners.

In Mark 2: 18 – 22 Jesus is challenged by Pharisees about the fact that his disciples weren’t fasting like the disciples of John the Baptist. We understood Jesus’ answer, the parable of the new wine into old wineskins, as meaning that the Pharisees, steeped in Mosaic Law, were unable to accept the new teaching of Jesus.

Taking a look beyond today’s passage, at Mark 3: 1 – 6, we see Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath. He does so in the synagogue, and directly challenges the Pharisees to say whether healing on the Sabbath is legitimate. The Pharisees’ stay silent. Their response is behind closed doors; they conspire with the Herodians to kill Jesus.

Today’s passage, then, is part of Mark’s recounting of how the teaching of Jesus gradually caused the Pharisees to be hostile.

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the cornfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some ears of corn. Mark doesn’t tell us whether they were hungry or not, and neither does Luke, in the parallel passage (Luke 6: 1 – 5). Matthew, however, writes “His disciples were hungry…” (Matthew 12: 1 – 8). It seems very reasonable that the disciples might be hungry. They were trusting in God’s provision for an itinerant ministry, and sometimes, I’m sure, they went hungry. It won’t have been every day they were eating with tax collectors and sinners!

The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?’

Picking somebody else’s corn wasn’t against the law, provided you only used your hand and not a scythe. What the disciples were doing was unlawful because their action broke the Sabbath. In a legal sense, the Pharisees were undoubtedly right. Keeping the Sabbath holy – set apart for God – was one of the ten commandments. It was one of the ways in which followers of Judaism differentiated themselves from the surrounding nations. It was fundamental.

Jesus defends the actions of his followers in two ways.

Firstly, he points to the example of David. David had been forced to flee from Saul, and he and his companions needed food. He went to the High Priest and persuaded him to give him the showbread. This had been consecrated to God, and should only have been eaten by the priests. The High Priest checked with David that his companions were ritually clean, and then allowed him to take the bread. (1 Samuel 21: 2 – 7). In making this defence, Jesus is making a claim that he is equal, or more than equal, to David, who was the greatest king the Jews had ever had.

That’s quite a claim, but the second defence of his disciples’ actions is even more startling.

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.’

This amounts to a statement by Jesus that he has the authority to interpret when it is God’s will that the law about keeping the Sabbath may be set aside. Furthermore, he uses the form of words ‘Son of Man’, with the implication that he himself is that ‘Son of Man’.

And here we have the significance of the passage. Jesus is saying, implicitly, that he is the successor to King David, and uniquely close to God. In fact, he is presenting himself as God’s Messiah. While the statement is not blatant enough to bring an immediate charge of blasphemy from the religious establishment, the Pharisees would have understood what Jesus was hinting – and where his claims were heading.

The nature of Jesus is making itself known, and the anger of his opponents is rising.

How do I respond to this revelation? Do I accept that Jesus is more than a healer and teacher? Do I accept that he is God’s Messiah? Because if it’s true, I must acknowledge him as my Lord – and that means obeying him.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you for Jesus, the Messiah. He is my Lord. Please help me to obey him.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Mark 2: 18 – 22 Jesus questioned about fasting

Mark 2: 18 – 22 Jesus questioned about fasting

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. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wine skins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.’

* * *

The first part of this passage seems straightforward enough. The presence of Jesus on earth is a great cause for joy. Just like a wedding, it promises a new start, leading on to new life. When the bridegroom is with his friends, it would be unreasonable to expect them to fast.

But what about the next part of the passage?

The ‘traditional’ interpretation that I had been taught was that the new garment and the new wine represented the new religion of Christianity, full of the tumultuous life of the Holy Spirit. If you tried to graft bits of this new faith onto the old faith of Judaism both would be spoiled beyond repair.

However, if we look at why Jesus told the parables, we find that the metaphors are back-to-front. He’s telling the parables to rebut the questioners who are suggesting that fasting is necessary. That would be a patch from the old garment of Judaism onto the new faith of Christianity.

In fact, surely the whole premise of the interpretation is wrong? Jesus wasn’t preaching a new religion; he was solidly grounded in Judaism. St Mark, although he was writing his gospel for Gentiles as well as Jews, wasn’t setting out to found a new church. On the contrary, the early church was very Jewish in its teaching. Even after Pentecost the believers persisted with temple worship at the heart of their lives (see, for example, Acts 2:46 and Acts 3:1)

So, why did Jesus choose those particular metaphors to rebut the Pharisees?

Well, as I’ve said before, this blog is a record of how Jesus has been leading me to be closer to him.

I came across this difficulty first when I was studying St Luke’s gospel. I prayed and asked Jesus what the passage meant, and he led me to this website.

https://www.bethimmanuel.org/articles/new-wine-and-old-wineskins-parable-luke-536-39-re-examined

To understand it properly, I suggest you read the whole article; it’s well worth it.

The wider context of the passage in Mark is that the Pharisees are very interested in the ministry of Jesus. At this point in Jesus’ ministry, they are not necessarily antagonistic.

However, Jesus was not recruiting any of them as disciples. He was choosing fishermen and tax collectors, people whose knowledge of the law and the scriptures was elementary. They would have learned the scripture by rote, but would have learned little in the way of sophisticated exposition of its meaning.

And the Pharisees express their feelings by questioning why Jesus’ disciples don’t fast. They’re interested in having an answer, sure, but what they’re really asking is, “Why are you overlooking us, with our education and our experience in understanding the Law and the Prophets? Why are you choosing the unlearned and sinners as your disciples?”

It was to these Pharisees and teachers that Jesus told the parables, and they are parables about people. The old garment is a man who has been trained in the old way of thinking about the scriptures. He will not be receptive to new teaching – the patch of unshrunk cloth. Similarly, the old wineskin is a man who has been thoroughly schooled in the old understanding. He will reject and contradict the new ideas. Jesus is making the point that it is precisely because the Pharisees and teachers of the law are highly trained that they would be unsuitable as his disciples.

There is a lesson especially for me in this. Jesus can speak to me through anybody at all, whether they are highly educated or with very little learning. The truth about Jesus may be passed on by anybody who loves him. I must listen with an open heart.

It is vitally important that I listen to the Holy Spirit, and that means being open to God’s love, and to his forgiveness.

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you for calling me to serve you. Thank you for your continuing renewal of my spiritual life. Thank you for your Holy Spirit’s presence in my life. Thank you for the presence of Jesus with me.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Mark 2: 13 – 17 Jesus calls Levi and eats with sinners

Mark 2: 13 – 17 Jesus calls Levi and eats with sinners

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 those who are ill. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’

* * *

It took a certain sort of man to be a tax collector in 1^st century Palestine. You could make money, sure, you could even become rich, but this came at a cost.

First and foremost, you were collecting taxes for the Romans, the occupying power. You were a collaborator. I imagine this would have brought a risk of physical assault, even death; it would certainly have brought contempt.

Secondly, you dealt with the Romans regularly, and the Romans were Gentiles. That made you ritually unclean. Indeed, the testimony of tax collectors wasn’t valid in a Jewish court of law.

What sort of man would you be?

I expect you’d be callous, not caring overmuch for the opinion of your fellow citizens. Barred from formal religious life, you’d perhaps place your reliance on physical gratification. You would make friends among your own kind – other sinners, other people who shunned the spiritual. You would probably sneer at those who didn’t accept the reality of life. ‘You’ve got to live in the real world,’ you might say. ‘Face up to it; the Romans are in charge. They’ve brought stability and trade, and we might as well benefit from it. It’s the way of the world.’

And it is exactly that. This is exactly the way of the world, now as it was then. The structures of trade and tariffs, of wealth and taxation are instrumental in keeping the majority of people firmly in poverty. The way of the world, now as it was then, is the opposite of God’s way.

The Pharisees half-understood this. They recognised that the behaviour of tax collectors and sinners was contrary to God’s will for humanity. What they didn’t understand was that many of them behaved in the same way, making use of society’s power structures to further their own interests.

When they criticise Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners, he responds, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ He doesn’t exclude the Pharisees from his healing message of salvation; instead, he invites them to consider whether they are genuinely righteous.

So who is included in Jesus’ call to salvation?

Well, the disciples, of course.

And the tax collectors and sinners.

And the hypocritical Pharisees.

In fact, everyone who heard Jesus’ message was included in his invitation.

It is the same today. Everyone who hears Jesus’ message is invited to repent, receive forgiveness, and start living in God’s way, and not the way of the world.

We’re all invited! Praise the Lord!

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the life and ministry of Jesus. Thank you that he invites us to live according to your will. Please help me to repent and obey you more and more each day.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Mark 2: 1 – 12 Jesus forgives and heals a paralysed man

Mark 2: 1 – 12 Jesus forgives and heals a paralysed man

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers 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 paralysed man, 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 by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralysed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’

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 this paralysed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk”? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the man, ‘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!’

* * *

This is a rather strange and even humorous story of healing. I imagine Jesus preaching to the crowd while dust and masonry fall around him. It is, though, a story with a very definite message.

The men bringing the paralytic dug through somebody else’s roof to get their friend close to Jesus. What did it take to make them take such extreme measures? They must have been convinced that Jesus both could and would heal the paralysed man. Their action showed in a most definite way that they had faith in Jesus.

And Jesus didn’t let them down. When he saw their faith he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’

Some teachers of the law were sitting there, and they heard Jesus say this. ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ they thought. They were thinking of the elaborate rituals of the temple that the priests would carry out, as intermediaries between God and man.

This was not what Jesus was talking about. He confronted the teachers of the law, asking them why the form of words matters. ‘Which is easier: to say to this paralysed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk”?’

He then said, ‘But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’

The moment of truth had arrived. Those close to Jesus must have held their breath. Would the man stand up and walk? Yes, he did! “He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.”

The Son of Man, Jesus, does indeed have the authority to forgive sins. HALLELUJAH!

There are two points I would make about how this passage is important today.

Firstly, it teaches us important truths about the nature of faith in Jesus:

We need to believe that Jesus can help us
We need to believe that Jesus wants to help us
We need to show our faith by seeking Jesus. When we first put our faith in him, that action may be as little as a whispered prayer of trust and that is sufficient.

Secondly, Jesus did not require repentance from the paralysed man. The mere fact that he had come with demonstrable faith was sufficient for Jesus to forgive his sins. When we come to Jesus in trust, he accepts us. There are no ifs and buts; there is just forgiveness.

Isn’t that wonderful?

Prayer

Heavenly Father

Thank you for your love; thank you for sending Jesus to heal us and forgive us; thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to live in our hearts and teach us your way.

In Jesus name, Amen

Mark 1: 40 – 45 Jesus heals a man with leprosy

Mark 1: 40 – 45 Jesus heals a man with leprosy

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’

Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

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.

* * *

The Jewish law set out in Leviticus 13 & 14 went into great detail about defiling skin diseases, including leprosy. To be diagnosed with such a disease was life-changing. Leviticus 13: 45 – 46 tells us that anyone diagnosed with a defiling skin disease had to live alone, outside the camp. They were cut off from social life and they were cut off from religious life. They were unclean.

The law recognised that people could sometimes recover from the disease. The person who had recovered would be examined by a priest. If he saw no evidence of the disease, the recovered leper went through a ritual and was pronounced clean. They could once again join in normal life (Leviticus 14: 1 – 32).

Today’s passage from Mark’s gospel follows the description of Jesus praying in solitude and deciding to move from Capernaum and tour the other local villages. However, there is nothing in the text that says it followed immediately.

Jesus was approached by a leper. ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean,’ said the man. “If you are willing” and “I am willing” are from a Greek word that implies choice. You use the same word today in a shop to say, “I want…” The leper was asking Jesus if he wanted to heal him, and Jesus answers “Yes! Yes, I do want to heal you. Be clean!”

Jesus heals the man, warns him not to speak about the miracle, but to go discreetly to the priests and do everything needed to be declared free of the disease. There were still steps the man had to take for himself. He had to fulfil the requirements of the Jewish law, and have his cleansing officially endorsed, just as set down in Leviticus 14: 1 – 32. When that was complete, he would be fit for full participation in the life of society.

Jesus not merely healed him, he restored him to full life in the community. He restored the man’s right to take part in communal worship. He restored him to wholeness.

However, this healing came at a cost to Jesus. The healed man didn’t obey Jesus’ instruction not to tell anybody; instead, he talked freely to anyone who would listen. The result was that Jesus couldn’t enter a town without being mobbed; he had to stay outside “in lonely places.”

In a very real way, Jesus and the leper had changed places. The leper was free to resume life in society; Jesus had to stay outside the towns. Jesus had paid the price for the leper’s healing.

This healing epitomises Jesus’ mission. He came so that humanity could be made whole. He came so that humanity could once again have a relationship with God. Despite our sin, when we approach Jesus for forgiveness and healing, he says, “Yes, I want to heal you,” and our relationship with God is restored. And that healing, that forgiveness comes at a cost, a cost that Jesus pays by changing places with us.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking my sin and weakness so that I may become whole. Amen

Mark 1: 29 – 39 Jesus heals many & Jesus prays in a solitary place

Mark 1: 29 – 39 Jesus heals many & Jesus prays in a solitary place

Jesus heals many

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the house of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately 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 who were ill 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.

Jesus prays in a solitary place

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 that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

* * *

It was the Sabbath, and Jesus had just amazed the townsfolk of Capernaum by his teaching and by casting out a demon. Because it was the Sabbath, with strict rules about how far you could travel, Jesus went to the house of Simon and Andrew. There he found Simon’s mother-in-law, who was ill.

Mark gives us important details about the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law. He is describing a specific woman, with specific symptoms. She was Simon’s mother-in-law, and she was suffering from a fever that was bad enough to confine her to bed. The disciples told Jesus about her. It was the Sabbath; healing her would be controversial. But Jesus is moved by compassion. He went to her, took her hand and helped her get up. The fever left her, and she began to wait on them.

We experience an act of healing by Jesus whenever we are forgiven. Are we like Simon’s mother-in-law? Do we immediately start to serve Jesus with renewed vigour? Forgiveness is a great opportunity for us to rededicate ourselves to the service of Jesus.

Although Jesus carried out many healings later that evening, this was the one that stayed in the mind of the disciple who witnessed it. Maybe it was Simon himself who recounted the story to Mark. For many years, the writer of Mark’s gospel was believed to be a friend of Simon Peter, who was with him in Rome and recorded everything Simon Peter remembered of Jesus’ ministry. I understand this is no longer the accepted view, but the gospel is early – the first of the four – and is believed to have been written in the 70s AD. It is quite conceivable that this healing is based on a direct eye-witness account, and the detail provided supports that view.

The Sabbath lasted until sunset, and as soon as the sun had set, the townsfolk began to bring their sick and demon-possessed to Jesus. Mark tells us that Jesus healed many and drove out many demons. My 21^st century mind struggles with the concept of demon-possession. For Mark, what differentiated illness from demon-possession? Would we reach the same diagnosis today? How could we differentiate between demon-possession and mental illness?

At all events, Jesus must have been busy for hours, and every one of those healings cost him power. We know this, because Mark 5: 25 – 34 tells us about the healing of the woman with an issue of blood. She touched Jesus’ cloak and was healed. Jesus said, “Who touched me?” He knew that somebody had been healed. As verse 30 puts it, ‘At once Jesus realised that power had gone out from him.’ Luke actually puts the words into the mouth of Jesus: “But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.’ (Luke 8: 46) Healing took energy.

Despite finishing late in the evening, Jesus was up long before dawn, when he went to a solitary place to pray. ‘Despite finishing late’? Perhaps I should say, ‘Because he finished late’? Jesus needed the time of solitary prayer to regain strength for his arduous ministry. He also needed guidance as to the next step in his ministry. Should he stay in Capernaum and consolidate? Or should he tour the other villages in the area and spread the word as far as possible? He prayed, in solitude; and when the disciples came looking for him, full of enthusiasm at the response of the people of Capernaum, Jesus was able to say, ‘Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’

Prayer

Heavenly Father

I’m sorry that I cling on to too much self-will. I do not always accept your guidance or obey your commands. Please help me to respond to your love, shown in Jesus, in whose name I pray.

Amen