The Means or the End?

The Gift or the Giver

All cards on the table. Sometimes I just want Jesus for what He can do for me. Can you blame me? He can do a LOT!

I admit it. Too often I want the healing more than the Healer. I want the teaching more than the Teacher. I want the saving more than the Savior. I want the gift more than the Giver.

The Hero of the Story

Here’s the deal. Jesus doesn’t just provide the means to the end. He is THE End! Hmm, maybe that’s why He tells John, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev 22:13).

In other words, Jesus is THE POINT! He’s the Reason. He’s the Hero of THE entire story.

A Near Riot Near the Lake

That sure seems to be one of the big ideas behind Mark’s report of Christ’s crazy day at the lake (Mk 3:7-12). A desperate mob hunts Him down when they get wind of His many miracles.

There’s a near riot of people suffering with all sorts of longterm health issues. If that’s not wild enough, several different demons try to blow His cover before it was time.

These folks don’t appear to have any desire for what we like to call a “personal relationship with Jesus.” They just want what He can do for them. Nothing more. Nothing less. They want the means without the end.

Wanna Get Away?

Mark picks up the story along the shores of the large freshwater lake known as the Sea of Galilee. “Jesus went out to the lake with His disciples, a large crowd followed Him” (v7).

If you’ve been following along in John Mark’s bio of Jesus, you may remember what just went down. After being showed up by Jesus for the fifth straight time, local religious leaders got together to plot His murder (Mk 3:6).

It’s kinda like one of those Southwest Airlines commercials. “Wanna get away?” That’s exactly what the Son of God and His guys did. Just like so many of us like to do, they went to the lake to get out of the spotlight and get some rest.

A Healthy Gathering

But as you’ve already noticed, that didn’t last long. A big crowd is just over their shoulder. So much for a quiet day at the lake.

Just how big is this crowd and who’s in it? The original language gives us a few hints. First of all, we see that it’s “large” (πολυς/polus). This word describes a relatively large quantity or measure of something.

It can mean much, many, numerous, great, plentiful, loud, deep, or even long. “Large” points to the upper range of anything, big but not the biggest. Let’s just say this is a healthy gathering chasing Jesus down the beach.

Local Celebrity No Longer

And where are they from? “They came from all over, Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon” (v8). Well that escalated quickly. No longer is the Rabbi/Carpenter a local celebrity. His appeal has spread throughout the entire region.

Christ is clearly a hot ticket among the Hebrews. You see that by all the folks from various regions of Israel, such as Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.

He’s also getting traction among people living in lands of both Jews and Gentiles, like Idumea and the eastern side of the Jordan River.

The Twin Cities

For the first time we see a boatload of non-Jews coming to Jesus. Tyre and Sidon are the Minneapolis and St. Paul of Phoenicia. These Twin Cities are in what we know today as Lebanon.

They’re appearance in Galilee is a shocker since First Century Phoenicians aren’t worshipers of Yahweh.

It’s Jesusmania!

As if we didn’t already know, Mark gives us the reason for big crowd along the lake. “The news about His miracles spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see Him” (v8). The amazing stories of Jesus’ healings and exorcisms are in all the papers. He’s trending on Twitter.

This thing is getting big and it’s getting big FAST! He’s no longer just a local sensation in Capernaum. Forget Beatlemania. It’s got nothing on the craze over the Christ. Yup, you got it. This is Jesusmania!

Taking No Chances

Our Savior won’t get caught by surprise. He preps with His posse in case things get out of control. “Jesus instructed His disciples to have a boat ready so that the crowd would not crush Him” (v9).

He instructs His boys to have a boat nearby. You never know when an excited audience might take the ugly turn into deadly riot. Jesus may be God but, remember, He’s in human form. No reason to take unnecessary chances.

Miracle Medicine

It’s obvious from the get-go that this was not just a good idea but a lifesaver. “He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch Him” (v10). Word of Jesus’ ability to provide miraculous medical treatment is spreading like wildfire.

Think of how people go to Mexico or Europe when they read on the internet that some doctor has a unlocked the cure for cancer. They don’t care about the physician’s credentials. They simply want to get well and will do anything or go anywhere for healing. In 30 AD, that just happens to be Galilee.

An Act of Desperation

The excitement level of the big crowd explodes. Suddenly the sick “eagerly pushed forward” toward the Great Physician. Mark uses a Greek word here that describes their desperation. Επιπιπτω/epipipto describes falling or descending upon someone.

This is a compound word that means “land (Gr. -πιπτω/-pipto) on (Gr. επι-/epi-).” Picture somebody throwing themselves on another suddenly. It’s when you shift your weight so that somebody else is supporting you completely. It’s an act not just of excitement but desperation.

In a good way, this is an embrace. Like when John leans his head against Jesus at dinner (Jn 13:25). Or how about the time a dad is so excited to see his runaway son return from the pig sty (Lk 15:20).

By Any Means Necessary

In negative sense, it’s an attack. Like today at the lake. Suddenly there’s lots of pushing and shoving. This is about getting near the front by any means necessary. The irony is they came for healing and now are in danger of getting hurt.

They don’t want Jesus. They don’t want to talk to Him. They just want to get their hands on Him. They don’t care about who He is. They only want what He can do for them.

Got the T-Shirt

The words are hard to type because it’s so personal. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Given the t-shirt to Goodwill. I’ve done over and over and over. Sad to say, you can pretty much bet the ranch that I’ll do it again.

It usually happens when life goes off the rails somehow. Big trouble at work. A “heated discussion” at home. A breakdown on the interstate. A dicy diagnosis from my doctor. Jesus is near the top of my 9-1-1 calls. My divine phone-a-friend anytime I’m in a pickle.

It goes a little something like this. Money problems. Run to Jesus. Marriage problems. Run to Jesus. Job problems. Run to Jesus. Health problems. Run to Jesus. I think you get the idea.

His Greatest Gift is Himself

Dr. Luke paints the picture of two sisters who have different views of Jesus. Martha sees the Lord as the One to give her what she wants. In this case, it’s help from her sister. Meanwhile Mary simply wants her Savior.

Christ personally corrects Martha by saying her sister has figured it out. “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (Lk 10:42).

Mary realizes He’s not just the means to the end, He is THE END! He’s the Point. He’s the Reason. As Max Lucado likes to say, “God’s present is His presence. His greatest gift is Himself.”

Top of the To-Do List

God says so all throughout His Word to us. Check out these lyrics from the Psalms. “Whom have I in heaven but You? I desire You more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever” (Ps 73:25-26).

In His most famous sermon, Jesus told us to put one thing and one thing only at the top of our to-do list each day. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything that you need” (Mt 6:33).

God Loved, God Gave

I need to make it my mission to seek Him, look for Him, pursue Him. Jesus compares our search for the goodness of God to the ultimate treasure hunt. He tells the story of one guy who cashed in all his chips in order to his hands on nothing but God (Mt 13:44-46).

Specifically, that Gift is none other than the Son of God Himself. Jesus tells a dude named Nick one night that He’s THE Gift. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

If you’ve grown up in or around church, you’ve heard that verse so many times that it loses its power. Pump your brakes and look at this amazing truth one more time. God loved. God gave. Jesus is the Gift.

More of Himself

God Himself gives Himself as the greatest blessing. Even the guy who wrote most of the New Testament is lost for words when it comes to the idea. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift!” (2Cor 9:15).

So just like those desperate folks in Galilee, I need to remember that Jesus isn’t the means to the end. He is THE End. As Vaneetha Rendall Risner puts it, “The best gift God can give you is not health or prosperity or happiness in this world, but more of Himself.”

Coming out of the Woodwork

But there are more than just people with serious health problems there along the lake with the Lord. Mark tells us there’s a significant number of folks under demonic control there too. All through the Gospels, demons come out of the woodwork whenever Jesus is around.

“And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of Him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of Him shrieking, ‘You are the Son of God!’” (v11).

It’s a Throwdown Showdown

What a wild scene! The crowd crushes closer to get the hands on the Christ. Now demonically possessed people are raising a ruckus by flinging their victims at the feet of Jesus.

In John Mark’s play-by-play, he writes that these evils spirits “throw” (Gr. προσπιπτω/prospipto)” their hosts down. He uses a verb with same root word (Gr. προσπιπτω/prospipto) as when the sick people “eagerly pushed forward” to get to Jesus.

In this form, it means to fall forward in front of or even prostrate oneself in submission before another. These agents of Satan totally freak out when God is in town. Call it a throwdown showdown.

Unholy Screams

I’ll bet their unholy screams would send shivers down your spine. I love how the NLT translates the original language here as “shrieking” (Gr. κραζω/krazo). It not only means to cry out or shout with great intensity and volume but implies an unpleasant nature of the sound. Think fingernails on a chalkboard turned up to eleven.

Shrieking demons have a bad habit of revealing His supernatural identity (Mk 1:23, 26; Mk 5:7). Interestingly, the Lord tells them to stuff a sock in it. “But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who He was” (v12).

Seeing Him for Who He Is

Unlike the many people who saw Him as the means to the end, the evil spirits see Jesus for who He really is. The Son of God. Since they’re spirits, they see the spiritual world. They know full well He’s the means to their end!

So why did Jesus want them to shut up? Wasn’t He trying to get the word out? Theologians and Bible scholars have cussed and discussed this question for the past 2,000 years.

Staying on Schedule

I’m certainly not smart enough to figure it out but I think my old prof Doug Bookman is on to something. He says Christ only had three-and-a-half years to accomplish His mission before His crucifixion. In order to stay on schedule, He had to manipulate the political and religious powers.

In other words, Jesus is doing just what He tells the Twelve to do before sending them on assignment. “Be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves” (Mt 10:16). Don’t be naive. Know there are enemies. Understand the big picture.

A Grip on the News Cycle

In this case, it’s keeping viselike grip on the news cycle and release of information regarding His mission. Christ couldn’t let the power brokers know His true identity too soon or it would be all over.

The word would get out fast enough when the time is right. In the meantime, who He is and what He’s doing is under a news embargo. Jesus certainly is not going to let the Prince of Lies put his evil spin on the Good News.

You may wonder if the Lord still has His embargo in place. Absolutely not! He makes it clear that we’re to tell everybody we meet about Him (Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15; Lk 24:47-48; Acts 1:8)! Make Jesus famous everywhere you go! There are no restrictions on that!!

His Eternal Benefits Package

The best way to give Him glory is by finding our ultimate pleasure in Him. There’s not doubt our Savior does amazing and miraculous things. But that’s just part of His amazing eternal benefits package.

In Him alone, there’s contentment. In Him alone, there’s fulfillment. John Piper famously says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” In other words, Jesus isn’t the means. He’s THE End.

©2017

Jay Jennings

Limp Limbs and Hard Hearts

Pick One

What’s worse? A limp, lifeless limb or a rock hard heart?

Oh, I’m not asking because one is that much better than the other. Neither is exactly an all-expense paid trip to Sandals.

But which is the best of the worst? If someone forced you to pick, what would it be? A physical deformity or petrified ticker?

That’s the question on the table at a worship service one weekend in Capernaum (Mk 3:1-6). But before get there, let’s back up a bit in Mark’s bio of Jesus.

Setting the Scene

The time is the First Century. The place, Israel. Specifically, Capernaum, a little backwater fishing village on the north shore of Lake Galilee.

There’s a hot new Rabbi from just up the road in Nazareth named Jesus who’s all the buzz. His own cousin believes this relative is the One God has promised to send for centuries (Mk 1:2-3, 8). The Carpenter’s Son is packing them in wherever He goes (Mk 1:28, 32, 37, 45).

The Worst of the Worst

Jesus has started assembling a team. Let’s just say that His choices are, um, curious. Four crusty commercial fishermen (Mk 1:16-20) and a rat fink Roman tax collector (Mk 2:13-14).

And have you seen who else He’s hanging out with? These people are the worst of the worst! Nothing but losers, rejects, and outcasts (Mk 2:15-17).

Who Does He Think He Is?!?

Meanwhile, religious leaders are about to blow a gasket over Jesus. He doesn’t seem to give a flying flip about their complicated rules about obeying God.

He heals and forgives sin without their permission (Mk 2:6-12)! His crew has the unmitigated gall to break their bylaws by grabbing a snack on the Sabbath (Mk 2:23-28)! Who does He think He is…GOD?!?

The Gathering

We pick up the action as villagers gather for a time of worship. “Jesus went into the synagogue again” (v1). The word “synagogue” (Gr. συναγωγυ/sunagoge) is a compound Greek term that literally means a “bringing (Gr. -αγωγυ/-agoge) together (Gr. συν-/sun-).”

Just like “church” doesn’t mean the building but the people, it’s the same with synagogue. It’s the gathering or uniting of people. But the synagogue is WAY more than a group of people that gets together once a week. It’s the center of life in the village.

And it’s not exactly like you have another choice when it comes to worshiping God. Capernaum Community Church may not be a megachurch but it IS the only game in town. You don’t exactly do a lot of “synagogue shopping” in 30 AD.

A Second Sabbath at the Synagogue

This is the second time we see our Savior gathering with God’s people on the Sabbath. If you’ve been following the story in Mark’s story of Jesus, this is the same synagogue He attends back in the opening chapter (Mk 1:21-26).

People are still talking about what happened that day. As if His amazing message wasn’t enough, He performed a quickie exorcism right before everyone’s eye.

Catching Jesus’ Eye

At some point after He arrives the second time, somebody catches His eye. He “noticed a man with a deformed hand” (v1). Mark doesn’t mention his name. Neither do Matthew or Luke in their versions of the same story (Mt 12:9-14; Lk 6:6-11).

It makes you wonder if that’s how everybody in town knew him. The man with the deformed hand. Kinda like the crazy cat lady on the corner or the homeless guy at the exit ramp.

Too many times we slap a label on somebody instead of asking them for their name or if we can help. Labels not nearly as messy as getting to know someone.

An Atrophied Hand

Whatever the case, the dude clearly has a disability. According to Mark, his hand is “deformed” (v1). The author uses a word (Gr. ζηραινω/xeraino) which describes something that’s dried up, shriveled, or deprived of fluid.

More than one Bible expert says the grammar here tips us off that this isn’t a birth defect but the result of an injury or disease. If that’s the case, it’s’ easy to picture the man’s hand atrophied after lack of use.

It should come as no surprise that Dr. Luke makes a note in the chart that it’s the patient’s right hand (Lk 6:6).

The Real Cause

We never find out how it happened. Is it an injury? Was he attacked? Did he suffer a stroke? Is it a case of MS?

The big answer is that sin is the cause. Yup, that’s right. Sin. Our first parents first let the monster out of the cage into God’s perfect creation (Gen 3:1-9).

A Broken World…and We Broke It!

Whether we’re the victim of our own rebellion or someone else’s, we can trace it all back to sin. We live in a broken world.

Don’t believe me? Just click on your favorite 24-hour cable channel. Subway terrorist attacks. Nuclear threats. Mass killings. We live in a broken world, alright. And we’re the ones who broke it!

Here We Go Again

Meanwhile, back in the synagogue, we soon see that everyone there is NOT a fan of the Nazarene. “Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched Him closely. If He healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse Him of working on the Sabbath” (v2).

Here we go again. The religious police look to bust Jesus and His boys one more time. This is the fifth time in Mark’s Gospel they’ve tried taking down the Son of God. Gotta give the Pharisees credit for one thing. They are a persistent bunch.

Oh-for-Four

They hated it when Jesus not only forgives but heals the disabled dude (Mk 2:1-12). They lose their minds when He parties with sinners (Mk 2:13-17).

They freak out when He feasts instead of fasts (Mk 2:18-22). They accuse His crew of working on God’s day off when they’re simply hitting a drive-thru (Mk 2:23-27).

For those scoring at home, they’re oh-for-four. Hmm, I wonder how this will turn out?

Our God-Given Day off

Notice a few interesting points Mark makes in this verse. First of all, it’s Sabbath Saturday, the God-given day off for rest and worship (Gen 2:2-3; Ex 20:8-11).

The Pharisees tried to help out the Almighty by closing what they see as loopholes in the holy law. They meticulously defined limits on what you could and could not do. How far you could walk. How hard you could work.

Setting the Trap

As a result, they “watched Him closely” (v2). Mark uses a Greek verb here (Gr. παρατηρεω/paratereo) meaning to observe with total focus and tunnel vision.

When used in a negative sense (as Mark clearly does here), it means to lie in wait or lurk. They’re setting a trap and just waiting to ambush their prey. Go ahead, Jesus. Perform a miracle. We dare you!

Locked and Loaded

What exactly are His enemies hoping to see? “If He healed the man’s hand…” (v2). Did you catch that? If. They clearly believe Jesus COULD heal. It was only a matter if He WOULD heal.

And if Jesus has the nerve to restore this guy’s atrophied hand, they’ll be all over Him like white on rice. The Pharisees are locked and loaded, just waiting “to accuse Him of working on the Sabbath” (v2).

The Devil You Say!

When we peek behind the word “accuse” (Gr. κατηγορεω/kategoreo), we see a legal term meaning to bring formal charges against someone. Again, they’re actually HOPING Jesus breaks their rules.

It just so happens to be the very same word the Apostle John hears over the heavenly loudspeaker describing Satan as “the accuser (Gr. κατηγορεω/kategoreo) of our brothers and sisters” (Rev 12:10).

Let’s just say anytime someone in the Bible compares you to the devil, you might want pump your brakes and take a long look in the mirror.

Enforcing God’s Rules

These Jewish leaders think it’s their job to enforce God’s rules. There’s just one little problem. His laws about working on the Sabbath have absolutely nothing to do with helping people and everything to do with glorifying God (Gen 2:1-3; Ex 20:8-11; 23:12; 34:21; 35:3; Lev 23:3; Dt 5:12-15).

As a matter of fact, Jesus has already dropped the mic on these knuckleheads about this once before (Mk 2:27-28). God created the Sabbath to serve us, not the other way around. He should know since His Heavenly Dad put Him in charge of the Sabbath.

A Sabbath Showdown

Clearly Christ is more than ready for another showdown with the Pharisees over what should go down on the Sabbath. He knows EXACTLY why they’re here and what they hope to do.

In his take on the same event, Dr. Luke points out, “Jesus knew their thoughts” (Lk 6:8). You do realize we can never pull a fast one on the Son of God, don’t you?

Can Everybody See?

The Lord invites the physically challenged guy to step forward in the synagogue. “Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, ‘Come and stand in front of everyone’” (v3).

He wants everybody to see what’s about to go down. He doesn’t want anybody…including the Pharisees…ESPECIALLY the Pharisees…to miss one bit of what’s about to happen. Move on in, folks. Can everybody see?

Out from the Shadows

Put yourself in the man’s sandals for just a moment. Your shriveled hand is an embarrassment and shame. It limits everything you do. Jesus has to call you front and center because you’re hiding in the corner where no one could see you.

When God gets involved in our healing, there’s no longer any reason to be ashamed of our brokenness. Don’t hide. Let everyone see what Christ can do. Why? He specializes in turning our awful into awesome.

A Question for the Know-It-Alls

Just as He calls up the man with deformed hand, Christ calls out the religious know-it-alls. Before He does any healing, Jesus has a little question for them. “Then He turned to His critics and asked, ‘Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?’” (v4).

Hey boys, since you’re such hot shots when it comes to God’s law, here’s a question for you. If you’re going to do something on the Sabbath, what would it be? Helping or hurting? Good or evil? And in doing so, our Savior flips the script.

Sins of Omission

Jesus not only turns the table on the Pharisees, He also makes a much bigger point. NOT doing what we know we should do is the same as doing what you shouldn’t do. In other words, not doing good IS doing evil. The sin of omission is the same as a sin of commission.

Stephen Short puts it this way in the International Bible Commentary. Jesus claims that refusing to heal the man would technically be a ‘work’ just as much as to curing him, and an evil one at that.

Fixing a Flat

Let me give you an example. Let’s say you’re on your way to church one Sunday morning. While you’re driving, you see a single mom broken down on the side of the road, struggling to change a flat tire.

Do you (a) put the hammer down and head to church because you shouldn’t be working on the Sabbath, or (b) pull over and help because it’s the loving thing to do? Hint: God won’t mind if you’re late to church.

Just in case the light bulb hasn’t come on yet, Jesus’ kid brother James puts it this way. “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17). See any loopholes about the Sabbath anywhere in there? Didn’t think so.

Crickets

Jesus’ question to His enemies shuts them up and shuts them down. “But they wouldn’t answer Him” (v4). Crickets. Silence. Dead air. He’s exposed them in front of everybody on their home court. Awkward.

But this isn’t simply about winning an argument. The Son of God is furious over their total lack of compassion. “He looked at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts” (v5).

There’s more than one medical problem in the room. There’s obviously the poor guy with the atrophied hand. But our Savior also sees their hard-boiled hearts…and He doesn’t exactly need an EKG to do so.

Scar Tissue

It should come as no surprise that Jesus diagnoses the Pharisee’s heart problem using medical lingo in the original language. “Hard” (Gr. πωρωσις/porosis) describes a callous, scar tissue, or any thick growth of tissue which results in insensitivity.

Robertson’s Word Pictures says the root word is actually a kind of marble. While marble may be great for countertops in your new kitchen, it’s the wrong thing when it comes to your heart.

Feeling Deeply about the Lack of Feeling

Jesus is both angry and brokenhearted at what He sees. On one hand, there’s the band with the shriveled hand. On the other, there’s the uncaring Pharisees and their rock hard hearts.

The Lord feels deeply about their total lack of feeling. His heart breaks anytime we show our lack of one. What a powerful reminder that He ALWAYS cares more than I do. Every. Single. Time.

Shattering God’s Heart

Our hard hearts shatter God’s own heart. Anytime scar tissue builds up and dulls our emotions, bad things happen. Let’s review.

Pharaoh had a rock for a heart and refused to release God’s people (Ex 4:21; 7:3, 14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:12, 34-35; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 6). Solomon instructs his kids, “Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart falls into calamity” (Prov 28:13 ESV).

Not once but twice, the writer of Hebrews quotes the Psalms and tells us to not make the same mistake God’s people did in the desert. “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Ps 78:32; Heb 3:8 15).

A Hard Time with Hard Hearts

When the Pharisees point out that Moses signed off on quickie divorce, Jesus says the Big Mo only handed down the command “as a concession to your hard hearts” (Mt 19:8; Mk 10:4). Even Jesus’ own crew continually had a hard time with hard hearts (Mk 6:52; 8:17).

A hard heart is spiritually fatal. God’s chosen people miss the Messiah because of the hardening of their hearts (Rom 11:25). Non-Jews are alienated from a relationship with God because they have “hardened their hearts against Him” (Eph 4:18).

Heart Guard

That explains why the wisest dude who ever lived made heart health his top priority. “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Prov 4:23).

While a limp limb is nothing to sneeze at, heart hardness has eternal implications. Even for religious pros. ESPECIALLY for religious pros! That’s why Jesus had His harshest words for those who should have known better.

Healing the Hand

Back inside the synagogue, Christ turns His attention to the disabled man. “‘Hold out your hand.’ So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!” (v5). Jesus wasn’t going to let this bunch of bullies stand in His way of bringing healing.

Imagine the scene. You have to think there are cheers and applause. Oohs and ahhs. Something tells me you couldn’t wipe the smile off the man’s face who finally has the use of his right hand again.

Putting a Contract out on Christ

But there’s one group of folks who don’t share in the celebration. “At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus” (v6). Well THAT escalated quickly!

How stony are their hate-filled hearts? Hard enough to murder. While I’m certainly no expert on the Pharisees complicated rulebook, I’m pretty sure plotting a murder does NOT qualify as a good work on the Sabbath!

A Common Enemy

How badly do they want Jesus dead? So bad that they team up with their hated rivals. These supporters of Herod are a secular political party who are blindly devoted to their allegiance to King Herod Antipas and the Roman Empire.

The Herodians have placed patriotism above everything else. Including God. Especially God. Imagine deeply religious people aligning themselves with hardcore patriots against a common enemy. Sound familiar?

God’s Heart Transplant

But did you realize that God can heal a hard heart just like he can an atrophied hand?

God can not only heal atrophied limbs but hard hearts as well. That’s at the heart of the promise Yahweh makes through a prophet named Ezekiel. The divine cure is a supernatural heart transplant.

A New Heart and a New Spirit

“I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey My decrees and regulations. They they will truly be My people, and I will be their God” (Ezek 11:19-20).

And not just a new heart. A new Spirit. The Holy Spirit. In other words, God Himself comes to live in each one of us.

“I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new Spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put My Spirit in you so that you will follow My decrees and be careful to obey My regulations” (Ezek 36:26-27).

A limp limb. A hard heart. I wouldn’t want to choose either one. But we have a Savior who can cure either one, even on the Sabbath.

©2017

Jay Jennings

A Day off after Your Day off

Regular R&R

Ever feel like you need a day off after your day off?

You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Something comes up on a day you hoped to kick back that suddenly kicks your butt. Maybe the boss calls you in when you planned to be out. Maybe there’s an unexpected emergency at home sucks the life out of you. Before you know what happened, you need a day off after your day off.

Did you realize that God’s looking out for you? Yup, the Creator of the universe has your back by building a day off into our week. He knows there’s nothing you and I need more than regular R&R. And by “R&R,” I do NOT mean “rules and regulations!” Instead, He gives us a day to get regular rest and set our undistracted focus on His incredible generosity.

Lazy Saturday

The last thing we need on our day off is a long list of laws. Make sure you do this. Be sure you don’t do that. The next thing you know, we’re paying more attention to rules and not relaxation. But that’s exactly what happens to Jesus and His posse while they were out enjoying a walk together one lazy Saturday (Mk 2:23-28).

Mark tells us how one moment they’re grabbing a snack, the next they’re under arrest by the fun police. The Pharisees bust out the religious rulebook (which they wrote, by the way) and start telling Him all the ways His boys are breaking the law. Suddenly, their day of rest becomes a day of rules. Next thing you know, they’re going to need a day off from the day off.

Saturday’s Alright for Fighting

When it’s all said and done, Jesus goes old school and sets the Pharisees straight on what the Sabbath is all about. Just to be sure they understand who they are dealing with, He drops the mic and tells them He should know since He’s God.

Maybe Elton John is on to something in his hit song “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting." It goes a little something like this. “Don’t give me none of your aggravation. We’ve had it with your discipline.” The Lord seems to live out the lyrics when pokes His finger in their legalistic chest.

Round Four with the Pharisees

If you’ve been following the story here in Mark 2, this is actually the fourth time the Pharisees have freaked out over the radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. First, when four guys drop their disabled buddy through the roof, they grumble when He dares to not just restore the man’s mobility but forgive his sin (Mk 2:1-12).

They blow a second gasket when our Savior attends a shindig with a guest list of losers, rejects, and outcasts (Mk 2:13-17). The third time, the Pharisees get a little back up from the folks following John the Baptizer when Christ and His crew attend one party after another (Mk 2:18-22).

That sets the stage for round four. These religious bullies don’t like to lose. And because of that, they’re apparently tailing Jesus and the Twelve while their out on a stroll one Saturday. The Pharisees are looking for any reason to bust these boys. A broken tail light. Expired inspection sticker. Anything.

Working for the Weekend

Mark picks it up here. “One Sabbath as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, His disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat” (v23). It’s the Sabbath. Did you catch that? In the Jewish world, the Sabbath happens every Saturday. The word (Gr. σαββατον/sabbaton) literally means a ceasing from work and a focus on worship of God and rest for His people.

Our Creator celebrated the very first Sabbath back on the very first Saturday. “On the seventh day God had finished His work of creation, so He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when He rested from all His work of creation” (Gen 2:2-3).

God had just made everything from nothing and did it in only six days. Not a bad week at work, don’t you think? But Yahweh certainly wasn’t just working for the weekend. He certainly didn’t need a day off. Remember, He’s all-powerful and never gets tired (Is 40:28). But He relaxed as an example for us to follow.

400 Years without a Day off

Fast forward the story a few thousand years and we find God’s people as Pharaoh’s primary labor force as slaves in Egypt. For 400-plus years, they didn’t get one single day off (Ex 1:8-14; 12:40). And we complain when we have to work through lunch. Please.

Everything changed when God used Moses to free His people and put Egypt in their rearview mirror. When the Israelites got to Mount Sinai, God made a point of including this weekly day off and party for His people in His Top Ten.

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work.

“This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day He rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy” (Ex 20:8-11).

A Weekly Festival

Have you ever thought that God created the Sabbath as a weekly, 24-hour festival starting on sundown Friday and ending sundown Saturday? The followers of Jesus shifted the Sabbath celebration from Saturday to Sunday since that’s the day He came walking out of the cemetery. Pretty good reason to party, don’t you think?

In a letter to Jesus’ followers in Colossae, Paul makes a point of allowing each person to determine which day we should relax and rejoice in God. “So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ Himself is that reality” (Col 2:16-17).

No Better Place

So bust your tail for six days. But make sure everybody gets some rest at the end of the week. And there’s no better way to truly relax than to set our undivided focus on God and His goodness. One of the tunes in the boxed set of the Bible’s greatest hits says just one day in God’s presence is better than a thousand anywhere else (Ps 84:10).

The Sabbath is a reminder that rest is a big part of God’s rhythm for us. The LORD makes a personal promise to Big Mo, “I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you” (Ex 33:14). King David sings about how our Good Shepherd rejuvenates us in green fields near peaceful streams (Ps 23:1-2).

The Son of God makes that rest a big part of His message to His followers. “Come to Me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). And just in case you think He’s only talking about some sort of pie-in-the-sky-sweet-by-and-by kinda thing, Jesus recognizes His team’s need for a retreat. “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile” (Mk 6:31).

Hitting the Drive-Thru

Meanwhile back in the farm fields, Christ’s crew grabs a snack by plucking some grain. It’s the First Century version of hitting a drive-thru or stopping at a convenience store. God goes out of His way to give it His stamp of approval. “And when you enter your neighbor’s field of grain, you may pluck the heads of the grain with your hand, but you must not harvest it with a sickle” (Dt 23:25).

The next thing you know, the Lord and His team are hearing sirens and seeing blue lights. “But the Pharisees said to Jesus, ‘Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain?’” (v24). Breaking the law?!? Harvesting grain?!? You have GOT to be kidding!  The boys are simply picking up something to nibble on where they’re on the road.

Granola on the Go

These religious rule makers have have transformed God’s gift of a day off into a legalist “no fly zone” for anything that resembles work. They’re most likely misapplying something Yahweh told Moses on the mountain. “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest” (Ex 34:21).

It’s just one more example of how these hall monitors repeatedly use their twisted interpretation of the Sabbath as their favorite weapon when going after Jesus (Mt 12:2, 10; Mk 3:2-4; Lk 6:2, 6, 11; 13:14; 14:1-4; Jn 5:9, 16-18; 7:22-23; 9:16). They twist a God-given guardrail into a roadblock in our relationship with Him. This isn’t what our Heavenly Father has intended. He has nothing against grabbing some First Century granola while on the go.

When God’s Rules Aren’t Good Enough

You see, the Pharisees apparently thought God dropped the ball and forgot to provide the needed details to His Sabbath rules. His weren’t good enough so they had to help Him out. Glad somebody’s got His divine back.

But it’s so much worse than that. They’ve made the mistake of thinking their manmade rules and traditions are equal with God’s commands. Yeah, not so much. Jesus and the guys are NOT breaking God’s rules. They’re breaking YOUR rules! As a result, they’ve turned this glorious gift of rest, relaxation, and worship into 24 hours of concentrated command keeping.

After they’re done with the Sabbath, folks are going to need a day off after their day off.

Sarcasm, Son of God Style

Leave it to Jesus to deliver the perfect comeback. Let me give you a little tip. You may think you’re hot stuff but you’ll lose every single time you pick a verbal fight with Christ. Grab a good seat for what’s about to go down. The Pharisees are about to get a taste of the sarcasm, Son of God style. Elton’s right. Saturday’s alright for fighting.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?’” (v25). If you’re like me, you may not catch the dig the first time. Our Savior builds His snarky response around the question “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures…?”

It’s His way of saying, “Hey, there’s this thing called Scripture and this guy called David. Maybe you’ve heard of them.” Of course they have! They’re Pharisees. It’s what they do. They have huge portions of the OT, we’re talking entire books, memorized! It’s actually one of His favorite ways to tweak these religious bullies (Mt 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:16, 42; 22:31; Mk 12:10, 26; Lk 6:3).

Israel’s Most Wanted

Jesus reminds them of the story about David they already know (1Sam 21:1-6). The king-to-be and his loyal crew were on the lam. King Saul put them at the top spot of Israel’s Most Wanted. They rolled into a suburb of Jerusalem called Nob in desperate need of a meal.

I’m not gonna lie to you. This particular incident is, shall we say, messy. But then again, David’s life is loaded with lying, lust, adultery, murder, and all sorts of dysfunction. Despite his repeated failures, he had a rep as a man after God’s own heart (1Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22).

In the OT, Samuel tells the unvarnished truth of how David cooks up some cockamamy story about being on special assignment from King Saul. One of those, “If I told you, I would have to kill you” deals. David won’t have to. When the king finds out what happens, he orders the execution of 85 priests, their entire families, and all of their livestock (1Sam 14:18-19). I told you it was messy.

Losers, Rejects, and Knuckleheads

A couple of quick but very important points. First, Jesus believes the OT Scriptures are true and believes David is an historical person. Second, there’s only ONE Hero in the entire Bible. It’s Jesus. The entire story points to Him, predicts Him, promises Him, and makes prophecies about Him.

Every other person in both the Old and New Testaments is flawed and fallen. They are there to show us how God uses an endless parade of losers, rejects, and knuckleheads to accomplish His purpose. He picks horribly flawed and broken people because it’s all He has to work with. And that includes you and me!

The Sacred Loaves

Christ continues His impromptu Bible study with the Pharisees. “He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was the high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions” (v26).

To understand why this was such a big deal, we need to know a little bit about the rules God established for the Hebrew people when it comes to worship. It included placing one dozen loaves of fresh bread in His holy presence (Ex 25:30). That’s one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Relationship over Rules

Every Sabbath, the priests would put out twelve hot and fresh loaves for the LORD. They were the only ones allowed to eat last week’s bread (Lev 24:5-9). When David asked for food, the high priest actually asked God if it was okay to give the future king the bread. Yahweh said “yes” (1Sam 22:10).

Why? According to John MacArthur, preserving David’s life trumped ceremonial rules about who could and could not eat the bread. In other words, God did not want His people worshiping a set of religious rules. He wanted the rules to be a means to deepen the relationship between He and His people. He didn’t want them to always have to take a day off after their day off.

A Blessing, Not a Burden

That’s exactly how our Savior explains it to the Pharisees. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of the people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath’” (v27). God gives us a day off as a blessing, NOT a burden!

He wants us to enjoy a day of worshiping Him, NOT worshiping the Sabbath. Focus on the Giver, NOT His gift. It’s Jesus’ way of saying, “You legalistic knuckleheads just don’t get it. The Sabbath isn’t about what we CAN’T do. It’s all about we GET to do.”  

The Sabbath Is His Idea

Christ then takes it up a notch. WAY up. He tells these self-proclaimed religious experts, “So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” (v28). Uh oh. Jesus pulls no punches. He claims to be God. He’s saying, “I should know. This whole Sabbath thing is My idea. That’s why I invented it and commanded it. Just like the rest of the universe I created. Because of that, I’m in charge of it.”

What’s the Pharisees’ response to Christ’s incredible claim? Crickets. Nothing but crickets. They’ve got nothing. Ironically they’ve been working overtime on the Sabbath trying to trap Jesus. At the end of the day, they’ve got nothing to show for it but egg on their face. Looks like they’re going to need a day off after their day off.

©2017

Jay Jennings