Mark Remarks on MARK: March 2012

Friday, March 30, 2012

Devil in the Details

In response to those who are unable to attend my weekly Bible study on the Gospel According to MARK (Sunday’s at 10 am at Hollywood United Methodist Church), I share my thoughts and notes from previous sessions. While I’m not a scholar, I am an enthusiast. Enjoy!

MARK 1:22-28

All in one place – in a synagogue in Capernaum; a Shabbat like no other and will be remembered forever – from amazement to jaw-dropping. By the time it was over, the news couldn’t be spread fast enough.

First things first. Jesus had been invited to speak to those gathered at this center of learning. He was looked upon by the Ruler of the Synagogue as a scribe – a Torah-teacher. As such, a scribe “could not bring chiddushim (introduce new interpretations) or posek halakhah (make legal judgments).” [i] That was left in the hands of the rabbis.

Furthermore, nothing was more sacred to the Jews than The Torah. The first five books of the Old Testament (not a single book as we know it but scrolls) were law, absolutely holy and binding, and the scribes were “to extract rules and regulations from every possible situation in life from The Torah. …They were to transmit and to teach this law and its developments.” [ii] What began as a religion had become in the progression of years much more legalistic.

In the synagogue, when words came out of Jesus’ mouth, he spoke as though he had authority from beyond – and from beyond that of any rabbi. This had to be both unnerving and refreshing.

Unnerving because a scribe would always ‘begin with “There is a teaching that…” and would then quote all his authorities.’ [iii] That wasn’t the case. Jesus spoke with finality; yet, he wasn’t ordained as a rabbi. Even if Jesus was a rabbi,… “no rabbi taught against the halakhah (the way to walk) of his own rabbi.” [iv] Refreshing, for as Marc Denton (from the study group) said, “Jesus didn’t use footnotes.” He captured their hearts and minds.

No wonder those in attendance were amazed. Who was this Jesus?!?

…Then there’s a devil in the house.

Okay. Ask a room full of people if they believe in the devil or in demon-possession, and the answers will run the gamut. Put this to a group of psychologists, and the high majority would shake their heads and describe it as mental illness.

But to set the tone of the day – focusing specifically on these verses – let’s zip back 2,000 years. “The Jews, and indeed the whole ancient world, believed strongly in demons and devils.” [v] It doesn’t matter whether we believe in all of this; they did.

Did You Know…?

By AD 240, the Christian Church actually possessed an Order of Exorcists. Jewish and pagan exorcists used elaborate incantations, spells and magical rites. [vi] “The Jews, who believed the Devil caused illness and thus holy men could be channels for God’s intervention, had a long history of miracle workers. (One named Honi lived just before Jesus’ time and is mentioned by the historian Josephus.)” [vii]

Have you ever heard of the word “trepan”? I hadn’t until I read about a research project conducted in an ancient cemetery where several skulls had been “trepanned” – a hole had been bored in the skull (a procedure done while the person was alive). Are you kidding me?!? Why in the world would anyone do this? To allow the demon to escape from the body of the person possessed. [viii] Really?!? Wrap your mind around that!

If you want something closer to today, the belief in demons and healers is still prevalent. Check out this article about faith healers in today’s edition of the LA TIMES.

So, a deeply disturbed man shouts at Jesus, “What business do you have here with us? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!” [ix]

Clearly this man had a problem. And we could diagnosis the man from afar as mentally ill. Yet,… what about “You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!” How did he know that? Lucky guess?!? This exclamation must’ve caught the attention of everyone in the room.

The writer, Mark, included this event, to also establish “Jesus’ credentials, showing even the spiritual underworld recognized Jesus as the Messiah.” [x]

After Jesus shouted for the afflicting spirit to leave this hurting man, it did so. There was no elaborate exorcism, magical rite, trepanning procedure. Just a straightforward, “Get out of him!” No wonder those individuals at the synagogue were mesmerized by what Jesus had done – by words alone.

Then the people at the center of learning (and boy, did they get a lesson on that day) left the building and spread the news about Jesus – by this “new” teaching and curing/ridding a man from an affliction.

I close, sharing something Rev. Kathy said in her sermon a few Sunday’s ago. Reflect upon her words as I find them appropriate.

“This is the Jesus we worship today. The Jesus who bids us to come and follow him, heal the sick, care for the poor and work to reject those systems that reward greed over service; that reward limiting God’s love to some instead of proclaiming it for all; that reward riches on earth instead of riches in heaven.” [xi]

“New” teaching, indeed.

NEXT…

Take your troubles to Jesus.

[i] Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 87

[ii] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, pp. 23, 24

[iii] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 24

[iv] Jewish New Testament Commentary, pp. 87, 88

[v] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 25

[vi] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 27

[vii] The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey, p. 92

[viii] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 25

[ix] The Message, Mark 1:23-24

[x] Life Application Bible, NIV, p. 1727

[xi] “Greed” – Jesus: A Rebel With A Cause, March 11, 2012

Thursday, March 22, 2012

When The Teacher Has Lemons...

MARK 1:21

So here we are. Capernaum. Jesus’ new home base.

Stop the presses! “New” home base? What do you mean, “new”?

It has all sort of flowed place-to-place to this point: Jesus was in Nazareth, journeyed to Galilee to be baptized by John, then after arriving lakeside at the Sea of Galilee, he chose four “fisher of men” to be by his side. But was there something missing in the telling of the tale by Mark? Yes, at least according to Luke – just before he reached Capernaum.

Homeboy Jesus had created quite a stir in Nazareth as laid out in Luke 4:16-30. Jesus went all “oh, no he didn’t” when he stated there were times God decided to reach out to Gentiles instead of Jews. Along with,… “Jesus implied his hearers were as unbelieving as the citizens of the northern kingdom of Israel in the days of Elijah and Elisha, a time notorious for its great wickedness.” [i] It’s not surprising to know “all the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Jesus out of town,….” [ii]

Why skip this seemingly important bit of information – the “real” reason for a relocation? I’m not entirely certain but it seems Mark’s tact as a writer was to focus on the positive aspects of Jesus’ ministry (the “nit and grit”) and what he did to change lives. I find though this shift in locale for Jesus insightful and dare I say, strategic, on his part.

First, Jesus was stirring the pot by what he had to say – and the opposing forces grew in their dislike for him. His welcome had outworn his stay in Nazareth so it was time to hit the road.

Second, a move to Capernaum – about 20 miles north of Nazareth – was actually very wise. Additional resources were more readily available in this thriving city of wealth. Some might bristle that I’m trying to diminish Jesus’ works and actions (again with the mystical aspects of his ministry and being). Yet wouldn’t it be prudent to maximize support to further his true purpose in an area of greater opportunities?

Third, “several major highways intersected Capernaum, with merchants passing through from as far away as Egypt to the south and Mesopotamia to the north.” [iii] The city was also the headquarters for quite a number of Roman troops. [iv] Jesus was on the ball by turning his focus on this region to reach as many people as possible, within an extremely diverse population (religious and otherwise), and by doing so, his message would travel far and wide – beyond the boundaries of the city – and much quicker.

Smart, smart, smart.

For those wanting to hang their hat on prophecy… look no further than Isaiah 9:1,2. In the land of Zebulun and Naphtali (where Capernaum was located), the Messiah “will honor Galilee of the Gentiles” as “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” [v]

And with all of this, we’ve only covered the first four words in verse 21 of MARK!

Continuing… “when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.” [vi]

Question MARK

Why would Jesus teach in a synagogue? Isn’t a synagogue a place of worship?

A point of history takes us back to around 450 B.C. When the Jews were in exile and no longer had their temple – a place of worship and sacrifice – they established synagogues (where there were at least ten Jewish families in a town) as places of worship on the Sabbath and as schools for young boys during the week. Later, when the temple was rebuilt, synagogues continued to exist. [vii]

So, did Jesus just walk into the synagogue as stated by Mark and share the message? Not without an invitation. At this teaching institution, the ruler of the synagogue – not so much a preacher as an administrator – would seek visiting rabbis like Jesus to speak. [viii] “There was no professional ministry whatsoever. That is why Jesus was able to open his campaign in the synagogues.” [ix] The synagogue would be where God’s people would gather together.

Why not share the “Good News” at the centers of learning? It makes perfect sense.

NEXT…

The synagogue rocks with amazement at this “Teacher”; and there’s some serious healing taking place.

[i] Life Application Bible, NIV, p. 1801

[ii] NIV, Luke 4:28,29a

[iii] Life Application Bible, NIV, p. 1730

[iv] The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV, p. 1459

[v] NIV, Isaiah 9:1,2

[vi] NIV, Mark 1:21b

[vii] Life Application Bible, NIV, p. 1800

[viii] Life Application Bible, NIV, p. 1651

[ix] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 22

Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Story Behind The Story...

MARK 1:14-20

These next seven verses seem fairly cut and dry. John the Baptist is placed in prison; Jesus travels into Galilee and proclaims the good news; along the way, Jesus picks up four fishermen to begin compiling a “Dream Team.”

…Not so fast.

First, verses 14 and 15. John the Baptist was hauled off to jail, but why? John committed a no-no – speaking his mind to Herod Antipater (nicknamed “Antipas”) about the tetrarch’s incestuous marriage to Herodias (his niece). “Off with his head,” would eventually match demand to deed. A void has been created with John being taken away, and Jesus fills it.

Further into Galilee goes Jesus and he proclaims, “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” [i] which are the core of his teaching. To whom are these words spoken? In much the same way today, his message penetrates the hearts of those in need – the poor, the hurting, the hopeless, the oppressed. The words of Jesus also carry action.

Repent AND believe. Beyond the rants of a street corner zealot on Hollywood Boulevard, there is actual meaning and value behind Jesus’ words. He is offering freedom, justice and hope; yet, you have to follow-through and do your part.

In much the same way as James 4:7-10 lays out a specific order of 10 commandments (“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” [ii]), Jesus does the same. Repentance leads to belief (an added level), but as the study group discussed, it doesn’t stop there. Bethany called it “The Circle” – repent, believe and obey; then when you fall (or fail), you start over.

Then there’s a “cut to” like a film script. We jump from this proclamation of good news to Jesus walking beside the Sea of Galilee.

Did You Know…?

Over the years, the Sea of Galilee has been called Lake Kinneret, Sea of Chinnereth, Lake of Gennesaret, as well as Sea of Tiberias. It was estimated to be 13 miles long, 7 miles wide, 690 feet below sea level – making it the lowest body of fresh water on earth. [iii] Josephus, the governor of Galilee, stated 330 fishing boats sailed the waters of the lake. [iv]

It seems simple enough – verses 16-20: Jesus sees Simon, Andrew, James and John; he says, “Follow me,” and that’s what they do.

Seemingly simple. It is the story behind the story which adds another layer of intrigue.

This wasn’t the first time the paths of Simon (Peter) and Andrew had crossed Jesus’. John 1:35-42 tells us Andrew had become a disciple of John the Baptist. The possibility exists Peter had been too. Then Jesus came along. “They left John to follow Jesus for a time before returning to fishing in Capernaum.” [v] Interesting. Previously they followed Jesus then went back to fishing. So, when the brothers dropped their nets in verse 18 to become “fishers of men,” it wasn’t like they didn’t have an inkling of who Jesus was. “We have found the Messiah!” [vi] That’s what they exclaimed earlier.

And let’s not forget about James (the older brother) and John, sons of Zebedee. Meeting Jesus wasn’t exactly happenstance – although it certainly could be read that way. Word has it that these brothers were Jesus’ cousins. How? Their mother may have been sisters with Jesus’ mother, Mary. [vii] They had a blood connection.

Adding yet another layer to the story beyond the page…. “Zebedee, their father, owned a fishing business where they worked along with Peter and Andrew. When Peter, Andrew and John left Galilee to see John the Baptist, James stayed back with the boats and fishing nets.” [viii] All of these guys knew each other and they were talking with each other, so it wasn’t like they were taken by complete surprise when Jesus appeared where they worked.

Now it may seem I’m deflating the balloon of mysticism around Jesus and these fishermen – that Jesus spoke and they got doe-eyed and obediently followed him. Well, mysticism aside and blood-related or not, something greater is at hand.

What I glean through these verses is utter conviction by the fearless foursome, a full commitment to the cause. For James and John to leave their dad in the boat with the hired hands took extreme courage. It was major risk-taking. The sons were leaving behind a sure thing – financial security. Not only were they leaving the family business, they were leaving their dad to follow Jesus. During that time (and some would say even now), the actions of the four fishermen flew in the face of reason.

“Come, follow me.” When you hear God’s call, when you catch the Spirit, do your actions fly as well in the face of reason?

NEXT…

Jesus strategically chooses a home base; Jesus teaches by whose authority; and there’s some serious healing taking place.

[i] NIV, Mark 1:15

[ii] NIV, James 4:6

[iii] The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV, p. 1458

[iv] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 18

[v] The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV, p. 1399

[vi] NIV, John 1:41

[vii] The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV, p. 1458

[viii] Life Application Bible, NIV, p. 1821