Jesus Praying

 

Mark 1:35-38-- Jesus' Prayer Life

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, "Everyone is looking for you." He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for."

Jesus struggled with time to pray alone. He prayed with his disciples, and he showed his devotion to Yahweh by reciting the “Shema” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) daily. But to be able to listen to the Father and gain strength by praying alone was hard to get. To do this, sometimes he would get up before anyone else, sometimes he would tell everyone to go away, sometimes he would stay up after everyone was asleep. But as often as he could, he sought time with the Father.

After his disciples found him, he told them that staying in Capernum to have a healing ministry was not his purpose. Rather, he needed to travel around to many towns and to teach them about the kingdom of God. There was a sense of urgency about his message that meant that everyone needed to hear this message as quickly as possible.

It is important to have two kinds of prayer-- regular, rote prayer that we might have with others, such as in a worship service, or reciting the Lord's prayer daily. Also we need personal, interactive prayer with the Father, mixed with silence, listening, crying out and adoration.

If we are to be like Jesus, we want to keep ourselves busy enough with serving others that we struggle with finding time for prayer. But we need to keep up the struggle, despite our busyness.

Mark 1:32-34-- Raking in the Crowds

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city had gathered at the door. And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

After casting out of the demon and healing a severely ill woman, Jesus’ ministry is different. Many crowds begin to follow him around, not to hear his teaching, but because he heals and casts out demons. People feel the spiritual oppression that they are under and are clamoring for the freedom that Jesus offers.

Popularity, like authority, is something that should be granted, not sought.

Mark 1:29-31-- Peter's Mother-In-Law

And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

Simon—one of the disciples Jesus called "Peter"—lived in Capernum where Jesus was teaching. His mother-in-law was severely ill in bed. Jesus used his authority to have the illness leave her. The language used here is the same as a resurrection—he “raised” her from the bed, as if she were dead. In response, the woman was healthy enough to provide service for Jesus and his disciples by offering them food and lodging. From this point on, Simon’s house is called “his,” or Jesus’, house in Capernum.

This is the only description we have about Peter's mother in law, and it is amazing. She's sick in bed, possibly at death's door, and certainly unable to get up. She is healed by Jesus and without waiting a moment, she offers hospitality to a large group of men who showed up at her house. She reminds me a bit of my grandmother who would get a huge dinner ready for her son's football team in an hour's notice.

If all of our conversions were that way-- healing and then instant service to others.

I wish I knew her name...

Mark 1:22-28-- Confronting The Possessed

They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are-- the Holy One of God!" And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.

Jesus began his ministry by teaching. In the context of teaching about the kingdom of God—God’s time of coming when he sets free the oppressed—a man comes who is oppressed by an evil spirit. An evil spirit is not necessarily one who is rebellious against God, but one who wants to judge and destroy humans (see I Kings 22:19-23). This spirit wanted to make public to the human world what has only been made known in the spirit world—that Jesus is the chosen one of God. Jesus recognized that the Father did not want this information known to humans, so he told the spirit to be quiet. Then, because of the oppression the spirit caused his human host, Jesus exiled the spirit—cast him out of the region ruled by God. Jesus did this by the power to rule that the Father had given him, and so Jesus was able to just command the spirit. This displayed his authority to all the people watching, although they did not understand what that authority meant.

As disturbed as people who are under demonic control are, Jesus recognized that they are not the enemy. The person needs mercy and deliverance. It is the demonic force that needs confrontation.

We meet people we strongly disagree with often. Sometimes, in a church context, we might confront them, or consider them "evil." In a biblical definition of evil-- doing harm to another-- that might even be true. But the real enemy is not the person who confronts us or does us violence. Rather, the real enemy is the satanic force that has lied to that person. Every person we must treat with love and mercy, doing what we can to help them. Even if they destroy our reputation or even our lives, it is better to face the displeasure of men rather than God.

Calling Fishermen

 

So what did he call them? Musta been something nice for them to drop their nets and follow him...

Mark 1:16-21-- Gathering Students

As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.

In the pattern of the prophets, Jesus called others to follow him (I Kings 19:19-21). What he was actually doing is inviting them to join his “school”, where he would teach them his way of life and teaching, which the “students” or disciples would imitate and then live in the same way. It is shown here what someone must sacrifice in order to be a disciple of Jesus—one’s occupation, one’s family, and one’s home. Some passages in the gospels teach this literally—Mark 10:29-30; Luke 14:26-27,33.

Being like Jesus is a part of being His disciple. Sacrificing for Jesus is a pre-requisite to being like Him. Every life change requires a lifestyle sacrifice and a new way of looking at things. Old jobs, old connections to family, all of this must be seen in a new way. This will be seen as a rejection of that which we would leave behind-- be seen as 'hating' one's family or friends. But this is not necessarily true. But to live a new life means complete change and while this doesn't mean that one has to speak rejection, it does mean that we need to no longer participate in that old form of life.

But different people this means different things. For fishermen, it certainly means that they can't be tied to a dock. For my life, it meant living in poverty much of the time. For others it means separating from family, giving up on one's politics or surrendering habits that keeps one from following Jesus.

Jesus Teaching

 

Mark 1:14-15-- Jesus' Call To Believe

Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Jesus began his ministry in Galilee, the northern region mostly inhabited by Jews, which used to be the kingdom of Israel. Jesus’ first ministry was to go to synagogues and preach. Mark just gives us a summary, but his teaching could be explained this way: “It is time for God’s promises to his people to be fulfilled. It is time for God’s kingdom to come. But God’s people are not ready. If you want to be a part of God’s people, you need to change your life, repent of your sins and have faith that the promises of God are really going to come to pass. This is the good news, but if you do not accept it and act on it then it will be bad news to you.”

The kingdom of God is the nation that God promised to begin a long time ago, where he would establish a king (called “Messiah”) who would rule God’s people and it would be a hub of an empire that would influence the world. God’s people would have everything they need and be secure. But those who have rebelled against God—evildoers and oppressors of God’s people—would be cast out and have no part of the kingdom.

The "hope" that Jesus calls us to is a hope for God's future, not just any hope at all. The faith he calls us to is a faith in a promise for utopia. Only in the context of judgment, resurrection and a perfect society does Jesus' call, teaching, ministry and death make any sense at all. We must hold onto this future-- not created by democracy or revolution or the latest well-meaning talking head or politician. Rather, this future will only come from God. If we do not trust in this future, that is the basis of Jesus' call, then we should also reject Christianity as a whole, for if we reject what we should believe in, then we reject the whole system.

Mark 1:12-13-- Testing In The Wilderness

Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.

Jesus was directed by the newly given Spirit to go to the wilderness, where evil spirits lived, and be tested by Satan, which is a Hebrew word for “accuser” or “prosecuting attorney”. Satan was trying to test Jesus, on the assumption that he needs to prove that he is worthy to be the Son of God, that was declared in the last paragraph. But the Father assisted Jesus by giving him angels to serve him and assist him throughout the time.  The longer passages in Matthew 4 and Luke 4 are certainly more well known, as they give much more detail.  Mark does, however, add the detail of the wild beasts, a threat in addition to his attack by Satan.

If it was necessary for Jesus to be tested by Satan, to fast and to suffer to be ready to do God's work, then it must be so for us as well. It is a part of human nature-- we cannot function well or in a peaceable way unless we pass through suffering. Only when we learn to love and trust in the midst of suffering will we be able to truly love and trust in the ideal circumstances. Because love and trust can only be truly understood in the context of difficulty.

Jesus' Baptism

 

Mark 1:9-11-- Jesus' Baptism

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."

Here we see God appointing Jesus as the Son of God. The text says that Jesus alone saw the vision, and so it was not public yet. But the vision that was seen communicated that Jesus was anointed by God to be king over God’s people and that he received God’s Spirit as evidence that he was king. The Spirit meant that Jesus could use the power of God. But since this was a private ceremony, Jesus could not announce to others that he was king—even as David couldn’t announce it after he was anointed (I Samuel 16).

Jesus was completely submitted to God-- he didn't make a move forward until the Father directed him. He knew he was the appointed Messiah from this moment forward, and he acted with this power. But never for himself, it was always for others. To be able to accomplish great feats, but to rely completely on God-- would that we could have such conviction!

John the Baptist, Today?

 

Mark 1:2-8-- The Baptist Confession

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'" John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

John the Baptist was appointed by God to prepare his people for his kingdom, which was coming soon (more about that below). Mark sees John as fulfilling the verse in Isaiah 40:3. Although Isaiah was speaking of himself in the prophecy, it applies clearly to John and his calling, thus he “fulfilled” the prophecy—not in being a one time fulfillment, but in repeating a previous calling correctly. He baptized people to repent from their sins and to be forgiven—so they could be accepted by God and so accepted in the new kingdom that was coming. But he did not focus on himself, but he focused on the one who was to come. Even so, in our lives, we should not focus on ourselves or our desires so much as on the One who called us and uses us to call others to him.

John was an amazing man. He sacrificed much for his message. He saw the people of God as ultimately straying from where God had called them. Not just that they were imperfect, but that as a society they were far from the basic standard of what could be called the "kingdom of God". They were not ruled by God, nor were they living according to God's justice, which included equity for the poor and opportunity for the sinner to come to God. John rejected all the leadership of the people of God, from the council to the kings to the scribes.

The church is in a similar state. The church has rejected the justice and economic system of Jesus, which is based on meeting the needs of those at the bottom of society. The church's leadership is as much about hierarchy and prestige and monetary gains as it is about "ministry". It is time for a complete change, a new opportunity to be in God's kingdom. It is time to know what our goals really are, to establish real justice, instead of relying on the false justice that exists in our society.

Perhaps we all need to be rebaptized into a church that focuses on mercy and justice and the needs of the poor. Perhaps we need to be rejoined to Jesus in a new way. We need to be joined to a community that will do what the world does not, in order to replace it, not just to supplement it. It is time for a new revolution to make a new society.

At the same time, John was a humble man. He knew that he couldn't bring the revival that God demanded. Rather, he was only the one to point the way. He pointed the way starkly, dramatically, but it was up to Jesus alone to start the kingdom that John could only see from afar. Would that we had such humility.

Mark 1:1-- The Basics

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

This is the title of the book of Mark. We call it the “Book of Mark” because second century tradition tells us it was written by John Mark, a disciple of Paul and Barnabas and a scribe for the apostle Peter. Sometimes the book of Mark is called “Peter’s gospel” because it is supposed that Mark dictated the gospel from Peter’s rememberances. Although portions of the book were written from people’s memory, the work has so much literary style, it probably. Recent discussions by Richard Bauckham confirms that the gospel of Mark probably depended a lot on Peter's testimony, as well as other eyewitnesses.

But the title Mark gave his own gospel is this: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus was the name “Y’shua” in Hebrew, what we normally translate “Joshua.” It means “Yahweh is Savior.” “Christ” is a Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah” which literally means “anointed one” and is applied to those whom God selected to hold an office, such as priest or king. “Son of God” can mean different things, depending on the context, but it usually stands for one who has been given authority by God, especially one who rules over another, such as a king. So what Mark wants us to pay attention to is that this book is about Jesus who was appointed by God to rule over God’s people.

What Mark-- we'll call him "Mark" for simplicity's sake-- is writing this book for is to help us make a commitment to Jesus. We need to realize who it is that Jesus says he is, that he is God's chosen king, but also that we need to yield our allegiance to Him as king. To surrender to Jesus' rule is to offer him fealty or "faith". This is not simply belief that he is king. Mark instead is asking us to submit our lives to His life and teachings. If we surrender ourselves fully, then we will obtain all the blessings that God has to offer. This is the promise of Mark. The details of that promise are to come.

The Gospel of Mark

Today I'm beginning to post my commentary on the gospel of Mark. The translation I have chosen to use is the New American Standard, which will be written in bold. My commentary will be in regular text.

This commentary will be different from the Revelation commentary, as it will be posted paragraph by paragraph, rather than by phrase. Each paragraph is a separate text block, and though it has a continuum within the book, we will be looking at each individually.

From this, I hope that we will have a better understanding of the gospel, and so be able to live a better life. Any devotional comments will be posted in italics. The regular text is what I consider to be the solid understanding of the text. The italic text is my interpretation of the practical outgrowth of the text in an American context.

Thanks for reading. If you have anything to say, please post it. I'd love a discussion on any aspect of the text.