Peacemaking is not "making nice-nice".

Jesus shows us that peacemaking is complex.  Jesus was far more concerned that the Pharisees understood that keeping the rules was not God's priority, than he was over gaining their favor by making peace with them. 

Mark 3:1-6 Again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ² They watched Jesus to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³ And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come forward." ⁴ Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. ⁵ He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Here is one more place where Jesus really confuses me until I stop to think about it. 

He says in the sermon on the mount "blessed are the peacemakers."  But here, Jesus is seemingly anything but a peacemaker.  He runs into a man with a withered hand. It would be such a nice thing to do to heal him.  But wait! It is the Sabbath.  Jesus is going to break the law if he heals the guy on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees will see it, get mad, and begin to plot to destroy Jesus!  Yep, their hearts are so hard that they are going to try and destroy Jesus because he heals a guy on the Sabbath!  That is just how Pharisees roll.  They rolled that way two thousand years ago and they roll that way today too.  You point out that their culture isn't (their hearts aren't) right in God's eyes and they will plot to destroy you.

So what choice does Jesus have?  He doesn't have to heal the man on the Sabbath.  The man can be healed 24 hours from then.  Jesus wouldn't be breaking a law after the Sabbath is over.  No big deal to wait.  Right?  Why not be a peacemaker - respect the Pharisee's laws - fit in with their culture - and heal the guy tomorrow?  What difference is one day going to make to the man or to Jesus?  And it will appease the Pharisees.  Peace will be made and all will be well. 

However, instead of making peace with the Pharisees by fitting in, Jesus creates conflict!  He intentionally creates conflict.  This is not the act of a peacemaker.  Or is it?

To top it off, Jesus chooses to create this conflict around the act of healing.  This is significant.  In the gospel of Luke, Jesus is constantly healing people by telling them to "go in peace." Jesus brings peace when he heals!  When Jesus transforms our bodies and our hearts, he creates shalom - peace - a divine wholeness.  Jesus is never more of a peacemaker than when he transform us. 

One can only imagine the shalom Jesus brought to the man with the withered hand when he healed him.  Peace came upon the man as he is healed.  And when we offer transformation (whether it is supernatural or not - whether it is physical or spiritual) we bring about the peace of Jesus.  Jesus encourages us to bring this kind of peace to the world:  "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God!"  This is real peace - real shalom.  A far cry from making nice-nice.

On the other hand, there was no peacemaking with the Pharisees in this story.  Jesus intentionally created conflict.  Which goes along with something Jesus also says in the gospel of Luke, "Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!"   Had Jesus appeased the Pharisees in this story, he would have only pacified them temporarily.  Without the transformation that Jesus offers, they still would not have experienced shalom. In fact, "Jesus looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart."  Jesus does not bring false, temporary, imperfect peace.  He realized their hearts must be transformed to experience his peace - and without that transformation, he could only bring division.  And so they went out to plot his destruction.

Jesus teaches us about being peacemakers in this story.  His shalom comes to those who let their hearts (and bodies) be transformed.  This is true peacemaking.  He offers no phony, no pretense, no "go along to get along" appeasement to those who are too attached to their old ways and to their own comfort zones to allow him to transform them.  To those, he brings division. 

Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that being a peacemaker is far more than just appeasing others? 
Peacemakers know Jesus' transforming power is what brings about true shalom.  What kind of peacemakers are we?  Ones that encourage transformation or ones that just make nice-nice?  Are we willing to create conflict rather than appeasement?  Oh my, that is a hard one!  And what if it means others will conspire against us to destroy us?

Human need is a priority over religious law

Jesus teaches that human need is a priority over religious law

Mark 2:23-28 ²³ One sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" ²⁵ And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? ²⁶ He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions." ²⁷ Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; ²⁸ so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."

I was tempted to summarize this teaching by saying, "Rules are made to be broken," but it just sounds so wrong and trite.  I couldn't bring myself to do it.  And in fact, the Old Testament laws were given as a blessing to the people of God. They were to keep us healthy and from harm.  They were to give us a way to live in God's community that would set us aside from the world.  A way that would show God's abundance and grace to outsiders.  A way to even invite the outsider to become family.  They weren't made to be broken, but to nourish us.

However, rules can't take into account every scenario.  They can't anticipate every possibility.  The law can't love us - it can't put others before itself.  And Jesus makes clear in this text that the law isn't to be used to keep our basic needs from being met.  Yet, Jesus' disciples weren't starving on the brink of death.  Neither were David and his men.  It wasn't an emergency - but they were hungry.  So what is to guide us when the law can't?  Here Jesus is with the disciples and he guides them against what the law says.  God has given  him the authority to do that.

What guides us now - if the law can't always guide in every circumstance?  And Jesus isn't here in flesh to ask?  Remember in the prior chapter, Mark tells us what Jesus has come to do... "to baptize us with the Spirit".  When we are baptized with the Spirit, then we are guided by the Spirit.  The Spirit guides us where the law can not go.  I guess the fear is that we will use this "loop hole" for our selfish desires and personal gain.  Anytime we want to break a law, we will say, "I needed that - so it is okay."  And we all know of people who have done this.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit carries a huge responsibility.  To know the heart of God means we walk closely in relationship with God loving the things that God loves.  Are you walking close enough to God to know what God is telling you to do?

We must never forget that the law is good and was to protect and nourish us.  But one must never forget that Jesus recognized that human need (hunger, in this case) had priority over the law.

Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that human need had priority over the law?

Fitting Jesus into our way of being is clearly not the way to go.

Jesus wants to transform our way of being - rather than fit into our old lives.

Mark 2:21-22 ²¹ "No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. ²² And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins."

I went to see a congregant who was upset with me.  "Upset" is really an understatement - she gave me quite a tongue lashing.  What it boiled down to is that she didn't know how I voted and that really bothered her, because she wanted me to preach her political view from the pulpit.  I am not inclined to preach any political view from the pulpit - nor am I inclined to support certain candidates from the pulpit.  I believe as soon as a pastor associates themselves with a political party, they spend their time defending that party.  And since no party is all good or all bad, it puts you in a spot where you start to tailor the gospel to support your political party.  I am far more interested in teaching the truths that Jesus taught rather than trying to make Jesus support my politics.

So I refused to take a political side.  I have political opinions and I vote, but I keep them to myself.  However, she believed (and she'd heard on tv) that if a pastor didn't support her political party that she should leave that church and find one that does.  And she'd been a member at that church almost her whole life.  So when her pastor wouldn't take a stand for her political views, she became unraveled.

I talked to her about Jesus' message to the world - how he came to transform everything about us so that together with other transformed people, we could reach out and care for a world that needs him.  He taught us to live in a way that demonstrates his love to outsiders - always inviting them in - to become part of our community.  This way of being doesn't depend on a certain political party being in control.  Jesus' community is not of this world.  We can be followers of Jesus in any political climate.  So my goal was to teach my congregation about Jesus and they could vote however God led them to vote.

But what she said to me next - I will never forget, because it sums up our human condition.  She said, "there is more to the Bible than just Jesus."  In other words, I had convinced her that Jesus' teachings weren't about supporting the right political party.  And she didn't like it - suddenly she really didn't like Jesus or me.  So when Jesus didn't fit into her way of being, her wine skins burst and she decided she didn't need Jesus.  She would find support for her politics from somewhere in the Bible that Jesus hadn't gotten his hands on.

In the text today, people want Jesus to affirm their way of being.  To tell them that the way they are (their culture, their rules, their theology) is right.  That is like putting a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old coat or  new wine into old wine skins.  It won't work.  It will come unraveled.  This is because Jesus wants to transform us - not fit into our old way of being.

Give Jesus permission to transform every part of you.  This is scary.  But it is the way of Jesus' followers.  We don't try to get Jesus to support the way we are - we let him change us - take us to places that aren't comfortable - that are hard.  Following Jesus is about being transformed not getting Jesus to support us the way we are.

Do we ignore Jesus' teachings that he didn't come to support our old ways, but to change us completely?

Not so much with the rules.

Jesus' ministry was not focused on rule keeping.


Mark 2:18-20 18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" 19 Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.

Why can't they fast while the bridegroom is with them? Our boys are home from college and seminary for a few weeks. Everything in our lives comes to a joyful stop when they are home! We can't eat healthily, because we try to have all their favorite foods on hand (which are our favorites too!). We can't get anything productive done. We just do the bare minimum of the mundane stuff so that we can spend time just being with them whether it means late night discussions about politics (we haven't gotten in bed before 1 am since they arrived home), cooking a meal together, or going some place fun. It isn't that we couldn't theoretically fast during this time, but it would be wrong - we need to be with them! We will have plenty of time to fast when they have gone back to school.

The religious people of Jesus' day (especially the Pharisees) fasted. They had determined that to be right with God - to get God's blessings - you needed to fast - no matter what else might be going on. They fasted several times a week and then on special occasions too. The rules say you fast no matter what. And fasting means you separate yourself from others and pray. But Jesus was only going to be on earth a little while. It was more important to spend time with him than to keep the rules. The rules they kept to make God happy actually kept them from getting to know God. What rules are we keeping that keep us from experiencing God?

I was at a meeting of folks who had gathered to explore what God was calling their church to do and be. The guest pastor was telling them how his church had become one of the fastest growing churches around. He talked about how his congregants invited outsiders to become part of small groups that supported each other - and how so many people wanted to join that they had a hard time creating enough small groups to hold all of the newcomers. He challenged them to try the same thing.

But these folks had a hang up... "if we start getting a lot of newcomers and start all these small groups, how are we going to monitor what the people who join them believe and do?" In other words, how can we make sure they agree with our theology and keep the rules that we set for them? The rules were more important than the people. More important than Jesus' command to reach out and invite others in. These people wanted to practice their religion - keep their rules and make sure others kept them too. They couldn't see that their worries over "rule keeping" was costing them the experience of being part of God's mission.

Likewise, the people in the scripture today wanted to cling to their religion rather than the life that Jesus offered. They had Jesus with them in flesh and blood. The creator of the universe wants to spend time with them and all they want to do is keep the rules and make sure he keeps them too. What rules do you keep that keep you from a relationship with God?

Do we ignore Jesus' example that his ministry did not center around keeping a list of rules? It centered around God's desire to be in relationship with us and for us to be in relationship with one another.

Know you are sick

Jesus seeks out those who (know that they) need him.

Mark 2:14-17 ¹⁴ As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. ¹⁵ And as he sat at dinner in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples-- for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

The problem with Pharisees (both the ones that lived in the 1st century and the ones that live today) is that they don't know they are sick.  They believe that if they follow their list of rules and make sure everyone else follows their list of rules too, then God will be forced to bless them.   This is the way of religion!   Religion tries to control God and this is their way of controlling God - forcing God to bless them because they have behaved! Truth of the matter is... "They got nothing!"  They can't even see that they are sick.

Shockingly Jesus states, "I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners."  He has come to call those who know that they are sick sinners.  The Pharisees are the "righteous", but only in their own minds.  They've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what set of rules to follow and a lot more time trying to figure out how not to break their fine set of rules.  Whoo hoo!  Quite a fascinating life they have ahead of them... getting up every day as a slave to a long list of rules.   Sadly, many (if not most of us) who call ourselves Christians live this way even today!

Stop admiring the rule keepers!  Stop thinking they are disciplined and godly!  They are so far gone that Jesus isn't even going to waste his time trying to "call" them!  He isn't even going to say, "follow me" to them.  There is no point.  They don't think they need him. 

Jesus didn't come to further the cult of rule keeping.  Our life's purpose is not to keep a list of rules, but to walk in relationship with God - serving God and others.  In the last chapter, John wrote how Jesus would make this possible: "Jesus has come to baptize you with the Spirit."  And when that happens,  we are guided by the Spirit not by a list of rules.  We will live in relationship with God not a relationship with a list of rules!  This is a far more abundant life than rule keeping.  The rules can't tell you who needs your help today.  They can't tell you who to marry or where to spend your time or money.  The rules don't love you - they don't want to see you at your best.  God does.

But first we need to see ourselves as the tax collectors and sinners see themselves... broken and in need of Jesus.  Desire to hear Jesus say, "follow me."

Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that we can't follow him until we know we need him?

Have faith on behalf of others

Jesus demonstrates that having faith on behalf of others - makes a difference.
Mark 2:1-12  When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the Word to them. ³ Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." ⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ "Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" ⁸ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and take your mat and walk'? ¹⁰ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-- he said to the paralytic-- ¹¹ "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home." ¹² And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

Here is an interesting theological question: "If Jesus could forgive sins prior to his death and resurrection, then why did he have to die?"  Now you can spend a lot of time trying to figure it out.  You can get hung up on it like the scribes in the story did and fail to see the real story here.  You can let the question derail you completely.

But don't.  Hear the real story that is unfolding....

These incredible four friends won't take "Jesus is too busy for your gimp buddy" as a final answer.  They are willing to climb to the roof with their paralyzed friend in tow, dig through the roof, rig up a way to lower their friend, and then exert all the energy it required to lower the dead weight of his body into the house!  Picture these four friends sweating and grunting as they work hard and fast to help their friend.  Would you and your friends do this for someone else?  If not, why not?

Have you set up boundaries that keep you from putting yourself out for others?  Boundaries that keep you from getting your feelings hurt?  Are you more concerned with yourself than your friend?  Are your three best friends just not that committed?  Are you afraid to hold hands and sing Kumbaya?  If so, then maybe you have overlooked something important in this story!

In this story, it isn't the man's own faith that moves Jesus to heal him. It says, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven!"  

Be the kind of person who has faith that will go all out for others.  Seek out the kind of friends who will stand with you to help someone else.  Risk the hard work, the slap in the face, the hurt feelings, the grief of rejection, the looking like a fool carrying your gimp friend to the roof!  Risk breaking the law and getting sued for damaging someone's house as your break through their roof! 

When people tell you that your friend isn't worth it - when your friend has hurt you so much that any reasonable person would give up - when your friend is indifferent to your help, keep on keeping the faith for them anyway.  Go all out to carry the dead weight of your friend's body to Jesus. 

Do we ignore Jesus' demonstration that having faith on behalf of others matters?  Who needs you and your friends to lower them through the roof today?

Love trumps following a bunch of rules

Jesus demonstrates that love trumps keeping a list of rules.

Mark 1:40 - 45 40 A leper came to Jesus begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." 41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.


The leper is an outcast in society forced to live outside of the community.  He wasn't allowed to get close to Jesus or anyone else.  Jesus would become unclean if he is within speaking distance of the leper.  But the leper bucks the rules and so does Jesus.  The man falls on his knees before Jesus.  Jesus could have healed the man without touching him, but he stretches out his hand and touches him.

What rules might we be following instead of following Jesus' example of putting compassion before the law?  Who are the outcasts that need your gentle touch?

Maybe you are like me... and can also identify with the outcast?  Maybe you don't fit in - maybe "the community of God" has told you to live outside their walls - that you make them unclean?  How would it feel to fall at Jesus' feet and feel his hand grab hold of yours? 

Healed for Service in Jesus' community

Jesus shows us how he rolls... healing people for service in his kingdom.

Mark 1:30-31 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

People often ask me who is going to heaven and who isn't.  I reply that it is the wrong question to be asking.  One that Jesus really doesn't concentrate on during his ministry.  Despite what our modern American culture has made Christianity into, our faith is not about getting us a ticket to heaven - it is about serving Jesus (and others!) now and for eternity. 

In the early church, when the believers encounter someone - they never ever ever ask, "if you died tonight, would you go to heaven?"  It is an irrelevant question.  One you will not find in scripture.  Instead, they ask, "Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit?"  "Are you a servant of Jesus?"  Paul teaches that it is when we profess our desire to serve Jesus that it is then that we are baptized with the Holy Spirit.  Being baptized with the Spirit is how we are able to serve Jesus.  "Have you been baptized with the Spirit?"  This is the same question as "Are you a servant of Jesus?'  This is the right evangelical question to ask.  Jesus didn't come to pass out tickets to heaven, he came to baptize us with the Spirit (Mark 1:8) so that we could be his servants.  And by serving him, we serve others too.

In this little two sentence story about Simon Peter's mother-in-law, we see how Jesus works.  Simon's mother-in-law is sick.  She may even be too sick to know how bad off she is.  Either way, like all of us, she is broken.  Her family and friends tell Jesus about her. Have you ever prayed for someone who is sick - spiritually or physically?  Then you have told Jesus about them too!  Is there someone you should be telling Jesus about even now?

Well, after hearing about her, Jesus goes to her, takes her hand, and heals her.  She doesn't do anything to deserve it.  She doesn't even ask for it.  She just accepts it - says thank you - and begins to serve "them".

 


If you are serving Jesus, it is because he has healed you and baptized you with his Spirit.  If you aren't serving him, then accept his healing power, say thank you, be filled with his Spirit, and begin to serve him and others just like Peter's mother-in-law did!

Do we ignore that Jesus heals us to serve him and others?

Jesus had a discipline of praying

Jesus demonstrates the discipline of praying.

Mark 1:35 ³⁵ In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

Jesus had a discipline of praying.  Praying in the morning, in the dark, alone, and in a deserted place.  How might our lives change if we followed his example?  Wouldn't our lives have a focus on God - what God is doing in our lives and the world - what role God wants us to take in his mission - who we need to love on and care for - would it take away uncertainty and the fear that goes along with it to know that we are part of something bigger than ourselves? 

 

When Mother Teresa was being interviewed, she was asked what she asked God for when she prayed.  Her answer was that she didn't speak - she listened. 

Do we ignore Jesus' example of praying?

When I think of Jesus praying, it amazes me to imagine the trinity having a conversation.  Present is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  What do you think they spoke about?  What language did they speak in?  Below is a famous depiction of the trinity having a chat.  Notice how there is an opening in the table, how their body language is turned toward someone not present in the picture.  Perhaps that is an invitation to join them at the table?  If you sat down with them, how would you join in the conversation?  Would you turn the conversation around to focusing on your needs and desires?  Or would you listen to what they were up to using what they spoke about to guide your day?  Would you determine your needs by what they were planning?  Or would you tell them your plans and hope they got on board?

First, live out the gospel.

Jesus demonstrates the effectiveness of living out the gospel

Mark 1:23-34 ²³ Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴ and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching-- with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." ...  32 they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. ³³ And the whole city was gathered around the door. ³⁴ And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Why didn't Jesus want the demons to tell people who he was?  Probably because the people had been taught from childhood an inaccurate view of what the Messiah would be like.  And Jesus needed to re-frame their knowledge and gain their trust before he revealed the true nature of the Messiah.  The Messiah wasn't going to free them from Roman oppression, but instead teach them an authentic way of living as God's people - servants to one another -servants even to the Romans!  This is not going to be a popular message! 

Jesus needed to gain their trust by his words and miracles before he revealed himself in full.  He needed to first show his love and compassion for them.  Sharing the whole picture with them at once would have been too much for them. 

Curiously, Jesus was preaching to the most religious people of the day.  And they were sick, hurting, needy, demon filled people.  He was preaching to those who claimed to be "the people of God".  And they were anything but.  This is really not too far from our situation today - many claiming to be "the people of God," but they don't know Jesus.  They have nationalistic agendas that aren't anything like what Jesus called his followers to be.  They've reimaginded Jesus in their own image - a Jesus who serves their interests.

But Jesus shows us how to approach these confused religious people.  It isn't by trying to get a right theological message across or by demanding that they change their ways.  Jesus' approach is to live out the message. He demonstrates God's love and compassion first - through his miracles. 

These Jewish people, just like much of the Christian religion today, has been hearing the wrong message for so long that they associate what they believe with nationalism and family instead of actually walking in a relationship with God becoming servants.  Following Jesus means letting go of so much of what they have believed for so long - it is hard.  Jesus knows this, so he seeks to live out the gospel in front of them.  Jesus lets them get to know him first.  Lets them hunger for what he's got and who he is.  Then he will reveal the whole story.

We need to live out the gospel to the religous people of the day so that they can hunger for what Jesus really offers them - a complete transformation - a new way of being.  They can't handle the truth - not yet.

Do we ignore Jesus' example of living out the gospel?

Miracles demonstrate authority

Jesus sets an example of demonstrating his authority through miracles.

Mark 1:23-28 ²³ Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴ and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching-- with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." ²⁸ At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Sunday night I was privileged to celebrate a new building with a Korean Presbyterian church.  As we sat down to a feast after the worship service, my husband and I sat with one of the Korean pastors.  We begin to talk about the differences between how Koreans and Americans practice their faith.  The Korean pastor said that he was very disappointed when he came to America and saw an American Presbyterian worship service for the first time.  He said that when American Presbyterian missionaries came to Korea, they taught the Korean converts to expect the Holy Spirit to be active and strong in their lives.  He said that in their Korean services (even today) they experience the Holy Spirit's power through speaking in tongues, healing, and the casting out of demons.  He said sitting in an American Presbyterian church service was a very very dry experience in comparison. 

But here Jesus is... in a worship service.  A man has an unclean spirit.  And Jesus casts the unclean spirit out. 

What is our reaction to this?  Many of us begin to explain away the unclean spirit.  We certainly don't believe in those.  Right?  Probably just a medical condition.  Mark didn't think so... he heard the unclean spirit speaking in a loud voice - he witnessed it leave the man's body.  Why is it so hard for Americans who believe in God to also believe in unclean spirits? 

My Korean pastor friend went on to say that Americans equate believing in God with faith - they keep it all in their heads.  But for Koreans, it is experiencing God that matters.  For the people gathered in the synagogue, it was experience that mattered too.  When they saw what Jesus was capable of, it was then that they accepted his "new teachings."  Jesus' miracle showed the people in the synagogue that he was the real deal.

What shows people that our faith is the real deal? 

Do we ignore the possibility that like Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit to do miracles should be present in our lives and worship services too?  That maybe we (and others) need to do more than just believe - maybe we need to experience God's power too?

Find people and teach authoritatively

Jesus finds people where they are and teaches with authority.

Mark 1:21-22 ²¹  Jesus and his newly called disciples went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. ²² They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
At first glance, these verses seem insignificant.  But they tell us so much about Jesus' ministry - and they teach us how we should minister too.  Jesus goes to his target audience (his fellow Jews) where they had gathered - in the synagogue.  He goes to them - meets them where they are.  We see Paul mimic this habit of Jesus in the book of Acts when Paul goes to teach in the amphitheatre where his target audience, the gentiles, gather.  Paul meets the people God has called him to reach where they are rather than insisting they come to him.  In our churches - do we seek to meet others where they are or do we insist they come to us on our terms?

Not only is Jesus' style different from the other teachers (the scribes), but he claims the authority of one who has divine knowledge.  He doesn't come saying phrases like "I think" and "It might be" or "I hope."  Jesus is not struggling with theology or practice or faith.  He walks so closely with the Father - that he can teach what has been revealed to him.  How much of what we teach (and all of us teach - we teach our children, our friends, our coworkers, etc) is from a common wisdom base that may or may not have anything to do with what God has revealed to us?  How many of us teach from what we have learned in our relationship with God - from what God has revealed to us and from what God has shown us through our experiences?

Sometime I hear fellow ministers joking about the "preaching fairy" bringing them the Sunday message.  I know it is a joke, but still it makes me cringe.  What all of us teach - whether it is informal or formal - should come from our deep walk with God - teaching only what is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit and then teaching it with authority.  That isn't easy to do.  But followers of Jesus are kind of obligated to live (and teach) that way.

Do we ignore Jesus' example to find people where they are and then teach (live out our lives) with authority?

P.S.  This authority stuff isn't popular... most of us feel better living/teaching as if we can't know for sure.  And if you are like me, you are more comfortable saying "this is what I think" rather than "this is what God has revealed to me."  But what kind of disciples are we making if our faith is based on "it might," "it could," and "I hope?"  instead of demonstrating a life of humbly walking with God who has promised to give us all wisdom?

Jesus transforms family values.

Jesus transforms our family relationships.

Mark 1:19-20 ¹⁹ As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. ²⁰ Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

No doubt that Zebedee, like a good father, had a plan for his sons' livelihood - apparently he'd been building a fishing business for them to take over and run. He owned his own boat, had a staff, and his boys were being taught the details of the business (presently, they were mending nets).  So I wonder if he was astonished that day - put out even - when his sons left him afloat in his boat with just his employees?  Who is gonna finish mending the nets?!?! 

Or maybe Zebedee was a man with a heart for God who saw the bigger picture.  Maybe he was thrilled that his sons recognized the huge opportunity and immense responsibility to follow Jesus.  We don't know.  But what we do know is that Jesus transforms traditional family relationships.  He isn't bound by the father's plans for his sons.

Those of us who are parents... do we recognize that Jesus has a call on our children's lives that is far more important than our plans for them?  Do we hold them back to meet our needs or do we encourage them to leave us in the boat and follow Jesus?

As children, do we recognize that following Jesus is more important than following our parent's plans for us?  Doesn't mean the two things can't align.  But one thing is clear: it isn't enough to follow in the paths of our parents, Jesus wants us to commit to following him personally.  And sometimes that means disappointing our parents.

Difficult family values! 

Do we ignore that Jesus has a claim on our children's lives that is far more important than our own plans for them?  How do we support their desire to follow Jesus?

Jesus transforms our professions

Do we ignore that Jesus transforms our professions?

Mark 1:16-18 ¹⁶ As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

When Jesus invited Simon and Andrew to follow him, he transformed their profession which was fishing - from fishing for fish to fishing for people.  How does Jesus desire to transform your profession?  Is there a way that Jesus can transform it from just focusing on the daily business to focusing on God's mission at the same time?  Most of us separate our spiritual lives from our businesses - but is it possible that they be one in the same? 

Do we ignore that Jesus transforms even our professions when we follow him?

Jesus wants a response to his message

Jesus requests a response to the good news.

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

These verses raise three questions for me:  What is the the good news?  What is the Kingdom of God?  And have I responded to Jesus' command to "repent and believe?"

What is the the good news?  There are several things to consider about the good news in these two verses.  It is Jesus' job to reveal it - it is why he took on a human body and is going to engage us; it is from God about God; and it has to do with the Kingdom (or reign) of God.  But other than that, Mark doesn't attempt to define it in a few words.  The whole life, the teaching, the very person of Jesus are going to be needed to define it.  Mark is going to take the whole rest of his book to give witness to what he knows about the good news.

What is the Kingdom of God?  From these verses we learn that  its time has arrived.  In other words, something huge is happening!  All of the Old Testament verses where people sang out "And he shall reign forever and ever" are becoming a reality through what Jesus is about to do. And yet, Mark calls this "kairos" time - it is both already (forever) and yet to be (and ever).  It doesn't run parallel to "chronos" time - which we can measure with our watches.  We also learn that the location of Kingdom of God is "near."  It is to be found in the person and work of Jesus.  And when the Spirit dwells within us... it is found within us too.  And again, Mark is going to take the whole rest of his book to give witness to what he knows about it.

So Mark pulls us into his book... we need to read the whole thing to even begin to understand the good news and the kingdom of God.  Mark wants us to be patient and listen.  BUT one thing Mark is not patient about.  And that is Jesus' command to respond to what it is that we are about to learn by repenting and believing.  Jesus didn't just come to teach us.  He also came to tell us to respond: "Repent and believe!"  Jesus is telling us to respond to the good news that he is going to reveal by turning from our brokenness to following - trusting in - his way.

Do we ignore Jesus' command to turn from our brokenness and follow him?  Are we ready to renounce the reign of this world (its governments, its political parties, its clubs) and instead allow God to reign over us?  Or do we just think it is enough to show up at church when it is convenient?  Give some token amount of our wealth to those in need every now and then?  Pray occasionally when we need something?  Use our old ways for better causes?  Or is Jesus calling us to leave all of our brokenness behind for a whole new way of being?  A way of being where God reigns?  Well, Mark is going to use the rest of his book to give witness to what he has seen and heard...

The Spirit sometimes sends us to where we will be attacked.

Jesus is sent where he will be attacked.

Mark 1:12-13 ¹² At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, ¹³ and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Most of the time, when we talk about being "in the desert", we talk about a time of being alone in a desolate place.  A time in our lives where we are lonely or bored - where we are thirsty for more than what we have. We often refer to "desert experiences" as a time when we experience loss. We see the desert as a dry place where we wait for the healing rains that will jettison us back to life.

But the desert that the Spirit sends Jesus into is not just a dry, desolate place. Satan waits for Jesus there - to tempt him!  To attack him.  There are wild beasts there.

Why would Jesus even go there?  Stay away!  Go some place good, enjoyable.  Go where there is a bigger chance of success.  Rather than take the assignment where Satan awaits, take a good one!  BUT the Spirit sends Jesus there!  The Spirit sends Jesus into a place where he will be attacked. 

We don't often think that the Spirit would do such a thing to either Jesus or ourselves.  We think that if we make good decisions and live right that only good things will happen to us - that we will get the praise and notoriety we deserve.  Deserts are for people who have messed up and need a time out.

But true desert experiences are when the Spirit sends us to where Satan is waiting to attack us.  Jesus knows what is ahead of him and goes anyway.  But he isn't alone.  There are angels to attend to him.

Has the Spirit ever sent you to a place where you will be attacked?  Did you accept it as a place where God wanted you to be or did you try to find a way out?  Has the Spirit ever sent someone you love into a place where they would be attacked?  Did you support them (an angel who attended them)? Or did you encourage them to find a way out believing they'd made a wrong turn?   We have a hard time accepting that places of attack are often places we (and our loved ones) are meant to be.  We don't see these places as places of success where we learn and grow.  We don't see places where we need others (even angels) to help us - places where we don't have the strength to be self-sufficent as places where we've been sent.  Maybe we need to rethink this.

Do we ignore Jesus' example of going to the place the Spirit sends us - even if it means we will be attacked?

Reconcilation to God and others is a trinitarian effort.

In Jesus' baptism, we see that the good news is trinitarian.

Mark 1:9-11 ⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

This is one of those rare times in scripture, when we see the trinity together.  It is not an every day happening that the trinity breaks through into our world.  Mark emphasizes this by saying "the heavens were torn apart."  And then...

• The Father, speaks to affirm Jesus as his son. 
• The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus anointing him for God's work.  
• And then, of course, Jesus is being baptized.

Mark establishes right up front that the good news - the news that we can be reconciled to God and to each other - is a trinitarian effort.  Each person in the trinity plays a role with the common goal of reconciling us to God and to each other.  The good news cannot be separated into just the story of one of the persons of the trinity.  We can not be reconciled to God without the work of Jesus who in his death and resurrection cleanses us.  Nor can we be reconciled to God or each other without the work of the Holy Spirit who sets us apart and transforms us for holy use so that we can work together as the people of God.  The good news is only possible through a trinitarian effort.  But so much of our culture focuses on only part of the trinity and its work.

We focus on just knowing God - believing we can know him without the help of Jesus or the Holy Spirit.  Or we focus on just Jesus - attempting to follow him by our own efforts without the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.  Or we focus on just the Spirit calling ourselves spiritual, but forgetting that the work of the Spirit is made possible only because of Jesus' work on the cross.

The good news is very trinitarian.  It matters that we are aware of this.  It changes how we live.

Do we ignore that the gospel - the good news that we can be reconciled to God and others - is trinitarian?  Each part of the trinity has a role to plan in reconciliation.  If we are to be effective in the ministry of reconciliation that God has now entrusted us with - we need to embrace and celebrate this trinitarian gospel!