Mark 8:34-38-- Dying Daily

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Jesus stops speaking privately to his disciples and begins to speak to both the crowd and his disciples.  While speaking to the disciples, he spoke straightforwardly (v. 32).  But now he his speaking as if he were saying a parable—with double meanings.  To the crowd, Jesus would be speaking a common speech that any revolutionary would give.  “Recognize that if you grant me authority that there will be battles fought, and you have to be ready to die the death of a revolutionary.  You will lose your life, but you will gain much in the next life.  Acknowledge my authority to everyone, and I will declare you to God.”  A speech like this is given to revolutionary Muslims or Zealots even today to stir up revolutionary ideals.  

But the disciples, in the context of what Jesus just told them, should understand it in a different way.  Jesus is acknowledging his authority, but also his example—he is planning on dying at the hands of the authorities himself, and so anyone who would take him as an example or authority has to be ready to do the same.  Death will mean the extinguishing of this life and of all the glory of this world.  But there is a resurrection coming that will cause the reversal of everything in this life—so those who give up their lives in this age will gain it and more in the next.  Those who teach what Jesus taught and recognize him as authority is not just a part of a revolution, but they are the chosen of God who will suffer and be resurrected on the final day and gain the glory of God.  Those who deny Jesus’ authority or teaching, however, will be shamed before God on the final day.  

However, it is to be remembered that Peter himself later denies Jesus and is accepted by Jesus because of his repentance.  Because the crowd misunderstood Jesus here, they acknowledged him as the revolutionary king coming into Jerusalem.  Because the disciples didn’t fully understand, they fled at his arrest.  But when Jesus’ words came to pass, it all became clear.

"Here, it looks like this one is your size"

At one point in the life of Francis of Assisi, he traveled to a Muslim land and insisted on seeing the king of the region.  Once in front of the King, Francis preached the gospel, using very strong words, so that he might be martyred in Muslim lands.  The King shook his head and sent Francis home, who instead taught many disciples the way of poverty and brought a renewal to the church.

When I was a young Christian, there was nothing I wanted better than to die for Jesus.  I wanted to be a missionary so that I could die a glorious martyrdom. But I would treat those around me with disdain because they didn't hold to the same extreme beliefs I had.  I was willing to die a great, glorious death, but I was less ready to die daily.

It is so easy for us to see persecutions and hatreds against us, and decry them publicly.  When Jesus faced persecution and hatred, though, he took it in silence, accepting the little deaths that led to his death.  Many of us are willing to be martyred as long as we are fighting all the way.  But Jesus shows us that taking up the cross isn't something that happens once at the end of our lives.  Rather, we should be practicing cross lift-ups daily.  We should accept the anger of others, take on the daily martyrdom of our soul.  In this way we will die daily and be ready for the death that leads us to God.

Mark 8:31-33- Everybody's Working for Rejection!

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

With just his disciples, Jesus teaches the disciples a more complete idea of what it means that Jesus is the “Christ”.  He tells them that being the Christ isn’t just an opportunity to rule the world.  Rather, it is initially just the opposite.  He said that he would have to suffer much.  That he would be officially rejected by the current rulers of Israel-—he elders and the chief priests that constituted the government of Judea, not counting the Roman governor.  And then he would be killed by them and risen from the dead in three days.  

However, this prophecy did not make sense to the disciples, who understood the “Christ” to take a straight path to power—through armed forces, probably. Since Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, he felt it was his responsibility to correct Jesus when he was thinking negatively, so he rebuked him.  Jesus, however, stared at his disciples and then called Peter “Satan”.  “Satan” was an official title of God’s court, indicating one who accused others, or a prosecutor.  Satan is also the one to tempt others to disobey God, which is what Peter is doing to Jesus here.  Peter is telling Jesus that there is an easier route to becoming the son of God other than the cross.  Historically, this is true.  People have become emperors through battling armies, conquering nations, through proclamation of the people and many other ways.  But Jesus’ response is not that there aren’t other ways to become the Christ, but that this is God’s chosen way.  All the other ways are human, not established by divinity.

As creatures, we have an antipathy to suffering.  As human beings, especially modern ones, we have an antipathy to meekness.  It seems unnatural, hateful, and the final choice.  To chose the path of meekness and suffering when there are still other options seems unhealthy and frankly stupid.

But this is exactly what Jesus is doing.  He is choosing the route of not just agony-- enduring agony can be respected-- but humiliation and rejection.  This path is the only way the work can be done.  Choosing to be not only one-down, but to be placed at the bottom rung of the social ladder is something no one would choose if there were another option.  But Jesus insists that this is the only way to be the Christ, at least the Christ that can be effective to deliver the world.

Jesus teaches us that this path isn't only for him on the cross, but also for all of us who follow him.  He states that not only should we honor him for his humiliation, but accept humiliation in our daily lives as well.  "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."  "If anyone is to enter the kingdom, he must be humble like this child." Again, this is unnatural and hateful.  But it is the only way to receive the blessing of God.

This requires the wisdom of the Spirit.

Mark 8:27-30-- Who Am I To You?

Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, "Who do people say that I am?" They told Him, saying, "John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets." And He continued by questioning them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ." And He warned them to tell no one about Him.

This is the second time Mark emphasizes people’s various opinions about Jesus (Mark 6:14-15)—this time Jesus is taking a survey from his disciples.  As was said in the previous chapter, some thought that Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead—partly because his message was so similar, but also because of the injustice of his death.  The idea presented in Mark is that some might consider that God would raise someone from the dead if their death was unjust.  Others say that he is Elijah, because it was prophesied that Elijah would come before the final day of God (Malachi 4:5-6).  Others say that he is a prophet of old, like Elijah, who did miracles, but not the same as Elijah.  

Then Jesus persisted in asking the disciples about their own opinion.  The disciples didn’t want to give a wrong answer, but Peter didn’t care.  He ventured an answer—that Jesus was the “Christ”.  The title “Christ” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Messiah” which means, “anointed one” usually a title reserved for a king or priest.  In this case, Peter says that Jesus is “the” Christ, or the ruler of God’s coming kingdom, the son of David.  Jesus does not confirm or deny Peter’s statement here in Mark, but in Matthew in the same story, Jesus confirms what Peter says (Matthew 16:16-17).   Jesus warns them to tell no one this, even as he told the demons to be quiet about his identity as son of God or told people not to tell others about his healings.  He does not want his true identity to be known until God revels it himself.  Also, Jesus does not want the revelation of him as the king and representative of God to be confused with incomplete notions of who he really is.

In any relationship, it is most important to know who we are.  Not who we are objectively, necessarily.  A woman can be a boss when she's at work, and objectively she has authority to tell people what to do.  But at home, she could be mommy or honey or master (to the dog) or neighbor.  No one is just one thing, who we are is partly made of the relationship we have with those who we are interacting with.

Even so with Jesus.  The response of the crowd indicates that Jesus is seen as important, but also at a distance.  If Elijah or John the Baptist came back that would be amazing, but does it really mean that much to me?  And can I expect to have a relationship with a celebrity?  

But if Jesus is my King, that means something.  It means that it's a choice I'm making that others may not make.  It means that I can't keep Jesus at a distance, but he will be significant for my life.  And it means that the relationship between Jesus and myself is defined-- He is my ruler, my Lord and I am to do as he says.  If that's the relationship between he and I, then everything in my life changes. 

Mark 8:22-26-- Walking, Not Jumping

And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" And he looked up and said, "I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around." Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."

There are a number of blind men that Jesus healed in his ministry (Mark 10:51-52; John 9), but this is the first of two healings of blind men in Mark.  This story is unusual in the Bible, because it is a healing that was miraculous, but not instant. The blind man was brought to Jesus by others who asked Jesus to heal him.  Again, Jesus shows that the faith of one’s friends or supporters is enough for Jesus to heal someone (see commentary on Mark 2:1-12).  Jesus used spit on the blind man’s eyes and laid his hands on the eyes.  Jesus sometimes used his spit to heal people (Mark 7:33; John 9:6).  It seemed that Jesus knew that his healing might not be complete, for he asked him if the man saw anything.  His sight was not completely healed, so Jesus laid hands on him again.  Then Jesus commanded him to go straight home and not to enter the village.  Since everyone Jesus told to be quiet about their healings proclaimed it to everyone they met (Mark 1:44-45; 7:36), Jesus is trying to avoid the situation by telling the man not to be where people gather.  Many commentators see the healing of the blind man to be used by Mark as a symbol of the disciples’ lack of understanding.  Blindness is often used in Scripture as a metaphor for lacking understanding (Exodus 23:8; Isaiah 32:3-4; John 9:39; John 12:40; Romans 2:19; II Corinthians 4:4; II Peter 1:9).  The context of the surrounding stories is about the disciples’ only partial understanding of Jesus’ teaching, even as the blind man was only partly healed at first.

Often we are taught, or it is implied, that once we become a Christian, we have arrived.  Everything that we need is right there, we have the whole kingdom and the whole Spirit and we don't need anything else.  Some of us are taught that our salvation is guaranteed, so we don't need anything more.

However, the way of salvation isn't a gate that we pass through, but it is a path that we walk.  And the path has bumps and bandits, mountains and migraines.  The path isn't easy, and we don't receive everything we need right off. 

Look at the disciples:   It took them three years to get the basics, and after they were still learning and growing and trying to get along with people.  Discipleship is a life long process because we never become perfect and we always struggle with our human weakness.

Jesus is our God, but isn't it interesting that as powerful as he is, he does not choose to heal us completely the first time.  He does not choose to grant us everything we need to be a full disciple as soon as we are saved.  Perhaps he doesn't want us to be complacent.  Or perhaps he knows that, as humans, if we jump in the deep end the first time swimming, we will drown.  He eases us in, a step at a time, giving us a lifetime to grow.

This means that we aren't finished and we always have to be listening for opportunities to be a better disciple.  No matter how experienced we are, we can always learn something else.  Let us walk with humility, letting God teach us daily.

Mark 8:13-21 -- Teaching the Life of Faith

Leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side. And they had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. And He was giving orders to them, saying, "Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 

They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? Having eyes do you not see? Having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?" 

They said to Him, "Twelve." 

"When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?" 

And they said to Him, "Seven." 

And He was saying to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

Mark is now concluding his subject of the disciples’ ignorance.  They quickly leave the region where the Pharisees argued with Jesus, and Jesus gives them a warning about the Pharisees and Herod.  The symbol of leaven is used to describe a thing easily overlooked that becomes pervasive (cf. Matthew 13:33).  A Jewish tradition is to search for leaven all throughout the house on the day before Passover to make sure that none accidentally enters the bread (based on Exodus 12:15).  Jesus is warning about the Pharisees and Herod in this.  What is the leaven?  It could be looking for signs (as in the last story), as Herod might be known to seek signs (Luke 23:8).  In the context of Mark, however, what both Herod and the Pharisees have in common is a seeming to be religious or seeking God, but not actually having the reality of it.  Thus in Luke’s version, the leaven is called “hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). 

However, the disciples, when the heard the saying, completely misunderstood it.  They were thinking about the bread they had forgotten to bring on the journey across the sea.  When Jesus mentioned “leaven” they spoke of this concern.  For Jesus, this was the last straw.  

Back in 4:11-2, Jesus separated his disciples from the crowd due to their faith.  This faith, Jesus explained, was to give them greater understanding than the crowds.  However, when Jesus taught them about the provision of God, in two separate episodes, the disciples didn’t get it.  They were still thinking in a “poverty mentality”—that there is never enough for the need.  Jesus had been trying to look at God’s supply, which should free them up to do God’s work, whatever it may be.  Now Jesus is comparing them with the crowds, who were judged with ignorance so that they would not understand.  Jesus is seeing his disciples in the same situation, because he had taught them something clearly two times—even granting huge baskets of excess in order to make his point—but the disciples were still in fear of not having enough.  In his exasperation he has them repeat his lessons, and after they give the correct answer, he asks, “Do you not yet understand?”

Jesus has made it clear that faith is a lifestyle, not a doctrine.  In practice, this is exactly what most Christians believe.  That if a person becomes a Christian, they need to conform to a certain kind of lifestyle, and then they belong to the in group.  

Unfortunately, most Christians misunderstand what lifestyle Jesus is talking about, just as much as the disciples misunderstood what "leaven" Jesus was talking about.

Most Christians think that the "right" lifestyle is a morally conservative lifestyle.  People who don't drink, who don't smoke, who don't use foul language.  People who have sex the right way, who follow copyright laws, who who put their grocery carts back in the proper places.  People who go to church every week, pray everyday, read their Bibles, follow the proper fasts and do everything their clergy tells them to do.  It's nice, and there's some good things there, but it's not the way of Jesus.

What Jesus had been trying to teach the disciples is the pattern of a faith-based lifestyle.  This is a life that steps out and takes chances based on God's power, love and promises.  It is a life that expects God to do crazy things to display His mercy and compassion.  The faith life expects God to act in unexpected ways and sees it happen.  The faith life prays, not out of duty, but out of expectation that God will fulfill his promises, even if it seems unlikely.  

The faith life can feed people from almost nothing.

The faith life can heal people without insurance.

The faith life can provide housing when it doesn't make sense.

The faith life gives out of love when there is nothing left.

The faith life loves when no love can be expected in return.

The faith life needs no resources, because God is enough.

The faith life empowers the weak, upholds the imprisoned, enriches the poor and restores the sick.

This is the life that Jesus showed us.

This is the life he expects us to live.

Mark 8:10-12-- The Only Wrong Question

And immediately He entered the boat with His disciples and came to the district of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, "Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."

Here we have a quick context while Mark warms up to his point about the disciples.  It seems strange that Jesus would refuse to grant a sign when he had already given so many.  Some might ask, “Why doesn’t he just say that he had already performed many miracles as proof?”  Two items—first of all, these are Pharisees who had not seen the work of Jesus, but had only heard about it.  Their first response is that of questioning and testing.  Secondly, Jesus never performed “signs” like Elijah on Mt. Carmel—a blatant display of God’s power to prove who God was.  Jesus was releasing people from judgement who did not deserve it due to repentance.  Jesus only uses “this generation” in a negative light (Mark 8:38; Matthew 11:16-19; 12:41-45; Luke 17:25)—not speaking of all Jews, but only of those who disbelieve in him or in John.  This is not to say that signs are wrong (Genesis 15:6; Judges 6:7; II Kings 20:8) for those who are looking for assurance of God’s promise.  But Jesus recognizes that a sign will not convince the unbelieving (Luke 16:31). 

The only wrong question is the one that is already answered.

The only wrong question is the one asked to pull the rug out from under truth.

The only wrong question is the one that condemns the innocent.

The only wrong question is the one that doesn't seek answers.

The only wrong question is the one that hides one's motivation.

The only wrong question is the one that is used to oppress.

The only wrong question is the one that destroys.

The only real question is one that is listening for an answer.

Mark 8:1-9-- Failing to Learn Faith

In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them, "I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance." And His disciples answered Him, "Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?" And He was asking them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven." And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. About four thousand were there; and He sent them away.

This story seems like just a repetition of a the previous text about feeding the five thousand (6:33-44).  Many of the elements are similar—Jesus having compassion, questions about how much food, giving thanks and breaking the food, the disciples serving the people, having leftovers and a huge crowd.  

Mark repeats quite a bit here to show two things—the continuing ignorance of the disciples, and some items that are highlighted because of differences in the two texts.  The disciples are placed again in a situation where a large crowd of people need to eat.  If they had learned from their previous experience, then they would know that they could just break the bread under the authority of God, distribute it and everyone will be fed.  God’s provision is so sufficient, that no one will be hungry.  But the disciples, although having more bread than the previous time, are still claiming that the bread was insufficient.  Thus, Mark is pointing out their ignorance, although they should have learned.  

A couple items are different from the previous story.  In the previous story, the disciples noticed that the people didn’t have food.  In this story, Jesus goes to the disciples and offers them a test of what he had taught them before.  They failed.  Also the amount of food collected afterward is different.  The first amount of leftovers was twelve baskets—enough for each one of the apostles to carry.  This amount is seven—the same amount as the bread they started with.  They had seven loaves, they fed four thousand people and they came out of it with one basket of bread for each loaf of bread they began with.  That should teach them—but it doesn’t.

It is easy to point out the flaws of Bible characters.  We laugh at the ignorance of the children of Israel in the desert, are shocked at David's immorality, and shake our heads at the disciples continued ignorance.  As usual, it is easy to look at the problems of others and ignore what is in ourselves.

No matter how often I am faced with the same situation, I am anxious about money.  Will I have enough to pay the bills? Can I keep my financial promises?  No matter how often the Lord steps in, I am concerned about my health.  No matter how often the Lord helps others more generously than I, I still worry about them and if they will be safe or cared for. 

Mind you, it is easy to presume that the Lord will do something that He didn't promise to do.  But it is easier to fail in my faith, not believing that the Lord will step in an help when He said He would.  

We live in a society of skepticism   This has its benefits.  Questioning things means that we don't get taken by foolish superstition or presupposition.  But it also means that we are influenced by doubts and questions and frank disbelief in God's power and love.  God save us from that. Just like the disciples, we not only doubt the Lord, we don't give a second thought to Him stepping in with another miracle. 

Mark 7:31-37-- Speech Renewed

"Say 'Ahh'"

Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!" And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. They were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

This is one of two sufferers of deafness and muteness in Mark’s gospel. Again, Jesus wants privacy to keep people from knowing how much of God’s authority he can wield.  He sighs before he heals him—which is elsewhere an indication of displeasure or exasperation (Mark 8:12).  He speaks a command in Aramaic and uses saliva to heal him. Jesus sometimes uses his saliva as a healing agent in his miracles (Mark 8:23; John 9:6). It is an amazing miracle, as the response from the crowd shows.  The crowds opinion is very broad—that Jesus does nothing wrong, everything he does is good.  This is comparable to God’s work, which is all good (Genesis 1:31). 

We may not do everything well.  Frankly, Jesus called all fathers "evil" (Luke 11:13), so at least guys are in trouble in the morality department. Some like to think that everything we do is evil, but I think the Bible gives freedom to say that some of our actions are right and some are wrong.  Sometimes we have good intentions and sometimes not so good.  Sometimes our intentions are so mixed we don't even know. 

And that goes for our speech as well.  James said that our tongue is a fire lit by hell.  That's pretty strong.  At the very least, though, we can say that our speech is at times wrong-headed.  Sometimes we say just the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong way.  Sometimes it's more than sometimes.  Perhaps the mute guy had the right idea?

If Jesus can take a man of silence and give him speech-- that even without asking-- surely he can take our wrong-headed speech and turn it into good.  All things that Jesus does is good, and he is in the healing and transformation business.  He can take our tongue spurred by an evil heart and turn it into something good.  He can take that which destroys and transform it into construction.  He can take a conflict-maker and transform it into a peace maker.  

And since we CAN ask for it, we should.  If we need our mouth to express wisdom, all we have to do is ask for it, and we will receive. 

Mark 7:24-30-- Jesus the Racist

Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race—a Canaanite. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs." And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter." And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.

Although we occasionally see Jesus evaluating whether he should do a miracle or not (Mark 9:20-24; 10:51), and see a time when he is unable to do miracles (Mark 6:5) this is the only case in which Jesus refuses to use his authority to help another.  We see in Matthew that the possibility of refusing is there (Matt. 7:6; 10:5, 14), and has probably been used before.  Jesus refuses to help this woman for good reasons.  She is a Canaanite, a race that God had declared doomed to destruction, not salvation (Deuteronomy 7:1-2; Judges 2:1-3).  And so having some Canaanites be demonized would be their normal state, for they are under perpetual judgement.  At first Jesus ignored her.  When she refused to be ignored, then Jesus insulted her.  Instead of walking away, she accepted the insult and built upon it in order to gain the deliverance of God.  Jesus recognized then that this woman—although a Canaanite—was a woman of faith in Yahweh.  This faith was displayed by her persistence (Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:1-8) and her extreme humility (Matthew 8:5-10; Luke 18:9-14).  Everyone, even those whom God declared to be forever separated from his people, will be accepted by God if they have faith, for example Rahab and Ruth, both in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:2-5; James 2:25-26).

The prejudice of Jesus is deeply disturbing.  It is natural for a first century Jew to have this opinion of a Canaanite, but Jesus?  Well, we thought better of him. His attitude in this paragraph is simply racism.  There is no question about it.  He is judging this woman on her genetic heritage.  

On the other hand... he came all the way to Tyre, where there are few Jews and a lot of Gentiles, and certainly a number of Canaanites.  He was not planning on personally ministering to Gentiles, although he did on occasion.  Why did he come to Tyre?  He was in hiding... but why Tyre?  Because he needed to meet someone there?  Because the disciples needed to learn a lesson?

However Jesus starts out, his conclusion is amazing.  Because this woman who was cursed of God by her birth, Jesus declared her to be a saint of God, one chosen to be worthy of the blessing of the faithful.  This transformation happened in an instant.  How?  By demonstrating her faith.

She did not declare her faith by stating a doctrinal statement.  Or even saying any conventional prayer or liturgical flourish.  Rather, she just cleverly accepted an insult that was given to her by Jesus.  What did this show?  First of all, it showed her absolute faith in Jesus.  Not only that he could do the miracle she was requesting, but that his evaluation of her was correct.  She so trusted him, that his insult was accepted and her humiliation was complete.

And humiliation is the perfect demonstration of faith.

She provides an introduction to Jesus' teaching about the cross and his own demonstration of faith.  The greatest demonstration of faith is the acceptance of humiliation.  This is not self-deprecation, nor is it false humility.  Rather, it is accepting an authority's lowering of your status.  More about this later.  It is enough to know that to have faith is also to accept deep humility.  If we reject all humiliation, then there is a question whether we have the faith of Jesus at all. 

Mark 7:14-23-- Blessed are the Pure in Heart

After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated into the toilet, making all foods clean?” And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

Jesus is concluding the discussion that he has had with the scribes and Pharisees concerning the traditions of men and the commandments of God.  He offers a mystery to the crowds—as was his normal mode (see Mark 4:11-12).  He summarizes his understanding of purity—the outside coming in does not defile, but the inside coming out.  The disciples understood this no better than the crowds.  Jesus seemed surprised and upset at the disciples lack of understanding.  He expected them to understand better than the crowds, even though he did not explain.  This attitude to the disciples is found elsewhere, and it increases throughout the book of Mark, until it reaches a climax in 8:17-21.  

Purity laws in Judaism—whether in the law of Moses or in the traditions of the elders—all have to do with what one touches or eats.  Jesus had already spoken above about the washing of hands and how it is unnecessary to obey God’s commands (Mark 7:5-7).  Indirectly, he spoke to the issue of the impurity of a person because of what one touched, implying that just because you might have touched something unclean, that did not defile the person before God.  Here he speaks more directly on the issue of eating that which is impure.  

Jesus said that the food one eats just passes through one, so it cannot make one unclean.  The food is clean, not because it is excrement (for human excrement is considered impure—Deuteronomy 23:12-14; Ezekiel 4:12-15), but because is passed all the way through the body, without effecting the central part of the soul—the heart.  Jesus is saying that it is not what one touches or what one eats that is significant, but the intent with which they do so.  Thus sin does not initiate from outside, but from inside a person—with thoughts, intents and desires  And it is acting on evil thoughts or intentions which separates one from God—which makes one defiled.  

At the end of this section, Jesus gives a list of sins that are offensive to God and will separate one from him.  Vice lists are common in the New Testament (e.g. Romans 1:29-31; I Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 21:8) and have many things in common.  The vice lists that Jesus uses in other places are based on the ten commandments (e.g. Mark 10:19), but this one is more comprehensive, listing sins that are not only in the ten commandments (thefts, murders, adulteries, coveting) as well as others, all of which are described in the books of Moses  (Evil intent-- Exodus 10:10; Slander— Genesis 27:35; Leviticus 19:16; Sensuality-- II Peter 2:7 [referring to the men of Sodom]; Evil eye—Genesis 34:2; Blasphemies—Leviticus 24:11-16; Prideful/defiant-- Numbers 15:30; Foolishness— Deut 22:21).  They are describing the acts of those who are not to be allowed to remain among God’s people—which is the purpose of all the vice lists.

"Cleanliness is next to godliness" is a cliche, which has been assumed untrue by many, but assumed true by many of our actions.  It is amazing how we in middle class society see people as morally or spiritually unclean because they have a hard time cleaning their body.  If a person enters a church smelling funny or visibly dirty, then they sit in the back, or are given "dirty"looks.  If a person has lice or scabies, it is assumed that they didn't clean enough, even though studies show that isn't true.  

In our age, being dirty is associated with being of a lower class, which is associated with being unspiritual or even immoral.  The homeless and the mentally ill are considered to need "evangelism", although they are in no less need of it than the middle or upper classes.  This is less because of the lack of cleanliness itself than because of the assumption that people who struggle to eat must have spiritual problems, although Jesus said that his family would be people who have problems finding enough to eat or drink or clothes or who are in prison.

Jesus is saying that we need to stop looking at the outward appearance, the physical actions of people, but instead look at the intent of one's heart.  So often we see "rule breakers" or even law-breakers as the problem in our society, when it is really those who break love.  Those who follow love and grace are often those who are breakers of policies and rules because human need cannot fit into a rule.

And men's evil cannot be ruled- or lawed-away, either.  Evil exists in the most pristine of churches, because it travels in the hearts of people, where it cannot be seen.  We cannot be rid of other's evil.  All we can do is examine ourselves, and discover our own evil.  And it is only God who can rid us of it.

Mark 7:9-13-- Set Aside for God

He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH'; but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),' you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."

While Jesus seems to be speaking of the same subject as the last paragraph, the subject is actually slightly different.  In v. 12, Jesus said that the scribes and Pharisees “neglect” to do God’s commands, but they focus on human tradition or law.  In this paragraph, Jesus is giving an example of how the Pharisees actually disobey God’s command in preference to human law.  Jesus uses as his example the fifth command out of the ten—“honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12) and supports it with a command denying evil speech against one’s parents (Exodus 21:17).  The tradition the Pharisees were proposing on the surface seems to have nothing to do with these two commands.  They were saying that one may make a vow to the Lord to dedicate the resources one would normally use to provide for one’s parents in their old age, and to give it to God’s use (possibly the temple).  The word corban is a Hebrew word which means “gift”—in other words, even though someone is using it, it has been set aside for God, and thus cannot be used for one’s parents.  

Jesus, however, sees that the honor of one’s parents is done precisely by caring for them when they are no longer able to care for themselves.  And since the law says that to speak evil to one’s parents is a crime worthy of death, then anyone speaking to their parents of how they will not be caring for them is speaking an evil and thus is worthy of the death penalty.  But this is the very thing the tradition is telling them to do—to dishonor parents by not caring for them and to speak evil to them by telling them how you are going to dishonor them.  Jesus is using this as one example of how the scribes and Pharisees twist Scripture on it’s head to tell people to do exactly what the Scriptures tell people not to do.  Thus, Jesus concludes, the Pharisees are not interested in obeying God at all.  They are only interested in keeping men’s traditions.

As deeply committed religious people, we know instinctively that God is more important than our families.  After all, Jesus said, "Whoever does not hate his father and mother, sister and brother, wife and children and even his own life, cannot be my disciple."  (Luke 14:26)  Our commitment to God should me more than our commitment to our families.  Our commitment to God should be more than our commitment to our fellow church member, the poor or our closest friends.  Always keep God first.

This is true.  And it is not true.  Both.

Because what we often fail to remember is that our commitment to God includes our commitment to our family.  Our commitment to our brother or sister in Christ.  Our commitment to the poor.  Even our commitment to our enemy.  We may feel that associating with a certain family member is a compromise of our faith.  But if our faith is to love, then perhaps it is keeping our faith.  Certainly holding onto our anger and bitterness isn't a real part of our spiritual life.

John takes this principle even more severely: "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." (1 John 4:20) If we fail to care for our family, our poor, our needy, our friends, then we don't have the commitment to God that we think we have.

Jesus says that the bottom line is to always care for our needy, whether they be our parents or our children or our poor neighbors.  If we don't, then we really aren't obeying God at all, no matter what else we are doing.

So what did Jesus mean about the "hating" of family?  Well, our family will tell us that if we really loved them we had to share in their prejudices and hatreds and practices that God doesn't want us to participate in, or else we "hate" them and everything they stand for.  Let's face it, most of our families have things they stand for that we should hate, whether a political ideal or a commitment to money or a certain destructive lifestyle.  Those we should separate from.

But always love.  Always care.  Always meet need.  Because that's what God has called us to. 

Mark 7:1-8-- Wash Your Hands!

The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?" And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."

The fact that some Pharisees and scribes were coming from Jerusalem was significant, for it showed that Jesus was gaining official notice from some of the leaders in Jerusalem.  Not the high priest, but some of the education facilities were paying attention to his teaching.  

As others have done in the past, these officials attack Jesus through the actions of his disciples, which seems unorthodox.  Three things can be seen from this—that first, Jesus followed the orthodox practice (in this case, washing his hands) or else they would have complained about his practice specifically; second, that the disciples were unschooled and clueless about the finer points of the law; and third, that in not correcting his disciples, Jesus didn’t care whether they followed the orthodoxy of his day or not.  Even though Jesus himself practiced proper orthodox actions, he did not insist that his disciples do the same.  

It is well documented that the Pharisees were very concerned with keeping things ritually clean.  Hand washing—as well as the washing of the outside of pots—was considered very significant for keeping all things acceptable before God.  While this may seem ridiculous in modern eyes, the modern focus on cleansing things with an eye to controlling germs would be equally ridiculous in the first century.  But what the Pharisees were most concerned about in the washing of hands is that it is the passed down opinion that God is concerned with this action. 

Jesus’ rebuttal to the Pharisee’s complaint makes it clear that the washing of hands is really unimportant.  That they are focusing on the law invented by men, but not as concerned about obeying the actual commands of God.  Because of this focus, he applies to them a prophecy of Isaiah (29:13) which speaks of false obedience.  Jesus is saying that the scribes are giving the appearance of obeying God, but in reality doing nothing like that.  For this reason, he calls them “hypocrites”—which in Greek literally means “those less than able to discern” and could be translated "actors" or “pretenders.”  Those who seem to do one thing, but in reality is doing another.

We all have traditions that are essential to our spiritual life.  Perhaps it is listening to worship music, perhaps it is reading a particular translation, perhaps it is attending a certain church, maybe it is meditating in a forest. Maybe it is reading the psalms. Maybe it is attending a certain AA meeting. These traditions are good for us, and often they are healthy for our spirit.  

Some of our traditions are so close to our heart that we cannot imagine living without them.  In fact, we wonder how others live without these habits, they are so close to the heart of our spiritual health. We might even claim that they can't be spiritually healthy without our traditions or practices.

We're wrong.  Jesus is just setting us straight on that.

As important as our traditions are, that doesn't mean that someone else isn't just as spiritually healthy without them.  And if we look at someone else's traditions and say, "That's not godly," we're probably wrong.  The great thing about God is that he scattered many different traditions to meet the spiritual needs of many different people.  What seems offensive to us may be essential to another person.  What is at the heart of our spiritual life may be death to another person, as hard it is to believe.

This is not to say that there aren't some practices that are better than others, or that some practices are spiritually deadly.  But we are so attune to our culture and habits that it is probably better to stop and seriously consider before we judge another person's practice, or insist that they take part in ours.

Mark 6:53-56-- Busy Jesus

When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

This is the final summary statement of Jesus’ ministry in Mark.  The other ones were found in Mark 1:32-34 and Mark 3:7-12.  Jesus’ popularity was now huge in Galilee.  Crowds of people mobbed him, all bringing their sick or demonized for him to heal.  Many were bringing their sick on planks of wood (such as the young paralytic in chapter 2), so there were groups of people carrying the sick to wherever Jesus was.  Jesus traveled all over—not just ministering in towns, but also ministering to people as he traveled the countryside.  They would all plead with him to be healed, but if someone touched him and he didn’t know it (such as the woman in chapter 5), they were healed anyway.

I read this and all I can think of is this scene in Jesus Christ Superstar:

Jesus, so crazy busy, he doesn't have room to breathe.  He doesn't have any self to give anymore, but still they demand more.  He tried to rest with his disciples, and ended up with a multitude to serve.  Then he tried to get by himself, but had to save his disciples out of a storm.  Now, guess what?  He goes back into the fray. 

I've had days that felt like that.  I so desperately want a Sabbath, but there is no Sabbath in sight.  I wonder what Jesus did in those circumstances.  

Mark 6:45-52-- Crazy Jesus

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, "Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid." Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

After feeding the five thousand and teaching all of them, Jesus decided that it was time for him to get a little rest (that neither he nor the disciples got previously).  So he sent the disciples in the boat across the lake, and then he send the crowd away to go home.  Then Jesus was by himself, praying, asking the Father and listening to the Father.  

It happens, at times, on the Sea of Galilee (or, called the Lake of Genessearet) that strong storms come suddenly.  The disciples came against one of those storms.  In the text it says that the “wind” was against them—meaning the power of the wind.  Rather than pay attention to Jesus’ lesson earlier against the storm—where he showed them that all they needed to do was to command the winds to be silent (Mark 4:37-40)—they were working with their oars, trying to battle the wind in a puny human way.  Jesus was determined to help them, so he used his authority over the power of the water and walked on it to the boat.  At first the disciples were frightened, thinking it was a spirit coming to attack them.  But he commanded them not to be afraid.  As he entered the boat, the wind stopped at his authority.  

Mark then makes a comment on the disciples.  They were supposed to have learned about the authority that Jesus gave them—from him calming the storm, him sending them out to cast out evil spirit, from them distributing the impossible food.  They were supposed to learn that the authority he had to draw on God’s power of provision and protection over against any spirit doing them harm.  But they did not understand.  The term “heart was hardened” is used a number of times in the Old Testament (Exodus 7:13-14; Exodus 9:12; Deuteronomy 2:30; II Chronicles 36:13).  It means to lack understanding in a stubborn, rebellious way.  Sometimes the Lord can harden someone’s heart, but more often than not, they do it to themselves.  In this case, the disciples refused to believe that they had received the same authority that Jesus had.  That they could command the wind and water to obey.  That they could cause the loaves to multiply.  Because the same power that God displayed in the Scripture, that was the power in Jesus and that was the authority Jesus had given them.  Because they refused to pay attention to what Jesus was teaching them, they lacked understanding.

To live the Christian life, the main thing is to just pay attention to Jesus.

When I say "Christian" I don't mean being a good person in society, like being a proper husband or wife.  Because Jesus wasn't that kind of person himself.  He wasn't a very good son (he didn't take care of his mother), he wasn't a very good husband (without a wife), he wasn't a good provider (he quit his job).  

Jesus was a revolutionary and a charismatic.  He saw the world differently than other people, and so reacted differently to situations.  He used his words to make reality change.  He asserted his God-given authority.  He stepped into situations that most of us would have thought to be impossible.

If we would have seen the disciples in trouble in the middle of the lake, we might have done the "good Christian" thing and pray for them.  Maybe we would have prayed "with power" (which would have meant firmly and loudly), but we would have stayed on shore.  Only Jesus saw that the disciples needed more than a distant prayer, they needed his presence, and so he walked out to them.  On the sea.

Jesus doesn't ask for much.  He isn't asking us to do anything he wouldn't do.  But he is asking us to live out radical love like he did.  And if we step out in that love, he promises to help us fulfill it.  

If we pay attention to Jesus' love, we will do, says Jesus, even crazier things than he did.  Cool.