2.4.9 1.22.2023 Mark 2.13-28 Beginning of Instruction

Start:

Entice: Humans are story-tellers and story consumers whether we get them from Netflix or the local Library.

Longer stories written be read or performed on stage or via radio, television, or motion picture consist of scenes or episodes. This is how most of us expect a “TV series” to be presented. Weekly episodes which are self-contained but contribute to the overall plot. The Gospel of Mark is written in episodes. The episodic nature of Mark’s Gospel is due to his recording of Peter’s “occasional” preaching. Most of us grew up waiting eagerly for next week’s episode of our favorite show. Some shows were very good at providing a cliff-hanger to keep our interest from week to week.

Same bat-time, same bat-channel.

Or one of my favorite teasers from Lost In Space

That’s not how we watch now. On Friday nights I will often pick out new series on Amazon Prime or Peacock, start at episode 1 and stream the whole season.

The episodes still stand alone… you could watch them in weekly fashion, but streaming allows us to watch an entire “season” in an evening.

Engage: When you read the stories of Jesus what stands out? What do you find most interesting or informative? Why?

These questions are important because the episodes of Mark’s Gospel were preached by Peter, gathered, and published by Mark specifically to involve us. In Jesus’ case, the resolution of the plotlines in each episode resulted in Kingdom pronouncements. In comedy, when one tells jokes, the tone, pace and attitude of the story is all about setting up the punchline. That is how Jesus originally spoke, and how both Peter and Mark preserved the stories.

Expand: Today we will look at three episodes. They are self-contained yet they share the same underlying theme. They answer questions about

who is invited to be a part of God’s Kingdom,

according to whose terms?

I believe it is helpful, to change seats if we want to really understand. Here’s what I mean.

Because we are believers seeking to live by faith, because many of us know these stories so well we tend to symbolically seat ourselves

with Jesus, around the table,

or

walk with Him through the fields as a disciple.

I understand why. That is where I place myself. Yet, sometimes for the story to pierce our defenses we need to read like we are the scribes, pharisees or other skeptical questioners. We must resist getting locked into to conventional thinking, allowing our faith to be shaped by predetermined boxes.

Excite: Jesus began a revolution rooted in non-conventional thinking, and His authoritative interpretation of scripture. The reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries and our restoration movement of the 19th century were birthed by those who dared to not merely read the words of Jesus but to enact them.

Explore:

Kingdom stories are origin stories and Jesus wants them to be our stories.

Expand: Today we are going to stream three episodes of the revolutionary non-conventional story of Jesus.

Body of Sermon: Episode one tells us that the Kingdom of God is

1 Inclusive

Mark 2:13–17 ESV

13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

One of the central unspoken questions of the entire NT, beginning with Jesus is this...

Who is the Kingdom for?

1.1 Whoever Jesus Calls.

1.2 Whoever follows.

1.3 Whoever is broken, in need of forgiveness.

In summary, His

Invitation

enables

Participation

in eternal

Restoration

That; friends is Gospel.

Episode two reminds us that the Kingdom of God must be

2 Innovative

Mark 2:18–22 ESV

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

In this episode the overarching question is

What is the Kingdom like?

Jesus’ answer was not popular then. And for many “religious” people it is not self-evident now. Three answers to that question.

2.1 Celebration.

2.2 Anticipation.

2.3 Liberation.

This is the animating energy of the Christian faith which incarnates Christ

in countless

cultures,

geographies,

and

environments.

This is the pressing of the fermenting wine as it expands against sometimes aging structures.

Balancing innovation and preservation may be difficult, but it is the very thing keeping us alive/fresh!

Finally, for this morning, Episode three tells us that that Kingdom of God is

3 Intentional

Mark 2:23–28 ESV

23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

This episode indirectly answers the question

What is the Kingdom’s purpose?

How we interpret and apply the scriptures greatly determines our conception of Kingdom. There are only so many alternatives.

In this interchange we see Jesus and the Pharisees discussing some of the exegetical options that help us to understand the purpose and intent of the Kingdom. There is an exegetical choice between

3.1 Control and channel.

For the antagonists in this text scripture is used to control others and channel (which is to say limit) individual ability to respond to God. For Jesus this does not reflect the intent of scripture nor the purpose of scripture.

for Jesus, Kingdom and scripture require...

3.2 Explanation and engagement.

Oops. The teachers are taught! The schoolmasters are schooled! Jesus shows them not so much that their interpretation was wrong but that they missed the larger intent. It amazes me how much time Jesus spent patiently teaching the scripture to His opponents.

When that is how we interpret scripture, when that is How we tell the story of Jesus. When that is how we relate the gospel, we will find the mutual intent of scripture and Kingdom coming together to

3.3 Rescue and refresh.

Throughout His ministry Jesus taught the scriptures

not to dominate but to liberate.

Shut Down

We have used many symbols over the years.

the

cross

boat

lamb

flock

anchor

Maybe we should use a

fork and knife,

a cup,

and a

crushed head of grain.

These are symbols derived from these episodes of Kingdom teaching.

No wonder people were amazed at His authoritative teaching. Instead of new rules, and an ever-increasing meme of religious obligations and hoops to jump through Jesus literally (and figuratively) says

“Join the party!”

His Kingdom is intentional, and He wants us to share His intent.

His Kingdom is innovative, and He wants us to continue to balance keeping the wine pure and the wineskins fresh.

His Kingdom is inclusive, and He wants us to keep inviting tax-gathers and sinners.

Today we have studied a script for the coming week.

Not for a performance.

Not for some fictional teleplay.

Not for amusement

but for real.

When we rise tomorrow, we should think

Kingdom Living 2023, Episode 23

And we should ask ourselves will I live with Kingdom

intent,

Kingdom

innovation,

and

Kingdom

inclusion?

Today and every day.

Same time,

same channel,

same challenge.