Mark 6:45-7:23
Mark • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
Mark 6:45-7:23
Mark 6:45-7:23
This week, we’ll finish Mark 6 finally, and start Mark 7. Last week, we talked about Jesus welcoming the 12 who were sent out 2x2 with nothing to preach the Gospel, to heal, and drive out demons.
After that, we talked about 2 feasts. One that worshipped the world, and one that worshipped the Lord. One celebrated sin, the other sought the Messiah. One left Herod feeling empty and lead to death. One that fed about 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish...filled them with life sustaining instruction and left them satisfied...and had leftovers.
What we chase here on earth shows which feast we belong at. I used to chase the parties. They left me feeling empty and bad…Follow after Christ and leave that past behind. Only He can satisfy.
The disciples were on a spiritual high being in ministry, then witnessed Jesus perform another miracle unlike anyone had seen since the Israelites in the wilderness. Those people put their faith in Jesus and He delivered like nobody but He can. Today, we pick up right were that event left off, with astonished disciples listening to their master:
45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.
The day is now spent, the 20,000 have been fed, where are they right now? They were in Capernaum when they returned to Jesus, then went across the sea to the wilderness Jesus sent them back to the other side of the sea, in the direction of Bethsaida, which we don’t really know where that is, it’s assumed it’s on the north side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is really sending them from the northeastern shore to the western shore.
Jesus spent time dismissing the crowd, we don’t know what He did at that time, and gathered Himself to pray. We talked about last week, if we don’t come apart, we’ll fall apart. Jesus modeled the importance of being alone in prayer many times for us. If Jesus takes it seriously, we need to.
47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.
John 6 says they had rowed 3-4 miles, the widest part of Galilee is 8 or so miles wide. The 4th watch is the last 3 hour stretch of time before daybreak. It’s thought of as 3-6am, early early in the morning. So, all night, in the sea, in the middle of a storm, these seasoned fishermen leading them across the sea, they struggled to cross.
Jesus spent the night seeking the Lord’s face in solitude, and the storm would have reached Him too. Even in the middle of a storm, He knew where His strength came from. He looked out and thru the storm, in the midst of a raging sea, He saw his faithful, struggling.
Last week, we talked about the fact that Jesus wants us to ask of Him. To call out to Him in our time of need. We always see what we’re lacking, but Jesus asks us: what do you have? Out in the sea, do you think these men sought to call out to Jesus?
Let’s see:
49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
If they were calling out to Jesus, they’d have been relieved immediately. Instead they were afraid, because they couldn’t understand what they were seeing. Until Jesus called to them.
Jesus could have walked past them, but He didn’t. He saw them and went to them, without them calling to Him. Jesus is probably the only person who could have seen them on the sea with things the way they were. He let them struggle until the day almost came.
On the boat, the men saw this figure approaching. How could this be that a man was walking on the sea, unless it was some apparition? This is another thing that ONLY JESUS could have done. This was nothing anyone had seen before. They were probably delirious from struggling all night and had a right to be frightened.
But, just as the angels do when they show up thruout scripture, what does Jesus say? Do not be afraid. Jesus was coming to meet them IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR STORM.
Matthew and Mark’s telling of this story leaves out another event, don’t they? Let’s tell the rest of this story:
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Why Mark omits this part of the story doesn’t make sense, I can understand why John wouldn’t mention it, scholars think they may have had a kind of sibling rivalry between the two of them. Trying to one-up each other.
Peter called out to Jesus, though, in the midst of this tempest. Isn’t this EXACTLY what Jesus wanted them to do? Lord, as you come to me, let me come to You! And what happens? Peter, in faith walks out onto the water. We don’t know how long he went out, but we do know that he soon got caught up again in the middle of the circumstances surrounding him.
That’s a common theme with us as humans. How soon do we doubt...can Jesus really help here? Is this something we should even bother Him with? He knows already, why should we bother? The Lord wants us to call to Him. We have a whole book full of cries to Him. Several of them actually. He wants us to seek after His Mercy, His Grace, His Love. We aren’t equipped to handle this. Only Jesus is.
Jesus can do what nobody else can. Cry out if you need to. Set your pride aside and seek His face. He will calm your raging storm. Even if it’s not a storm that’s around you, but the one raging inside you too.
Let’s continue in Mark:
51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
Jesus knows what the nick of time is. He swoops in. How many of us have had those moments when the Lord shows up big? As we’re looking at our checkbook, or our calendars, or even our failed relationships?
We don’t know what we need. Most of us are waiting on our excess to cover our bad decisions. The Lord lets things fail for a reason. The disciples had just come back from amazing work for the Lord. They witnessed a miracle in the feeding of 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. After that provision, they lost sight so quickly of the reasoning of what had happened.
They took back 12 baskets of leftovers to commemorate their meeting. 1 basket each, as a reminder for them...the Lord will provide. He is the sustainer. And He gave to them, so they could give to others. Their hearts were hardened by hardship. Even 12 people who had solid faith in the Jesus, lost it collectively as they were all struggling. How easily we can lose it even among our brothers and sisters, the enemy can snatch that right out from underneath us.
Morning had come, and I’m sure Jesus took that time too to not beat down the disciples, but to encourage them to keep their eyes on Him. Not only that, but they would have to reach out and hold on to Jesus to sustain them thru the next day.
53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
So they were traveling from the eastern shore, to the north shore, and ended up on the west shore...that’s how far this storm had pushed them off-course. Jesus’ work never stops, does it? It never does. Our ministry will stop, though, it has to. We need recharged.
Word had spread of Jesus, and people were looking for Him. Just like the woman who was healed on the way to Jairus’ house, she longed only to touch the hem of his robe, and her great faith in Jesus was accounted to her. These people had heard of that and were showing their faith.
People brought everyone to Him. Everyone they knew. Every sick person they could find. Do we do that? With the least of those around us? Do we take the time to serve them? To even see them? To bring them to the fount that never runs dry? To feed them the bread left over for us to hand out after we’ve witnessed His amazing power?
The time is short, we don’t know when He’s coming back. Just like the non-believer who thinks...maybe I’ll give this Jesus guy a chance sometime, but not today, do we play the same hand? It’s not our job to save them, it is our job to sow a seed. Take every thought captive. Listen to the Spirit and bring life to the soil around you.
Naturally, where Jesus was going to be, the haters would find Him too, and they did:
1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
Now, they’re not only mad at Jesus, but they’re put out with the disciples too? Who do these Jews think they are? So the Pharisees go to Jesus:
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”
According to the tradition of the elders...Let’s look at those real quickly:
32 Anything on which any of them falls, when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which any work is done, it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean.
4 Every bed is unclean on which he who has the discharge lies, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. 5 And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 6 He who sits on anything on which he who has the discharge sat shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 7 And he who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 8 If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
9 Any saddle on which he who has the discharge rides shall be unclean. 10 Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until evening. He who carries any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 11 And whomever the one who has the discharge touches, and has not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 12 The vessel of earth that he who has the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.
18 A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave.
What about these 3 passages tells the people to wash their hands before eating? Where does it say in scripture to wash your hands before eating? Only the priests were told to wash their hands. This law we just read is dealing with what? Death and disease.
Is it dangerous, even today to deal with bodily fluids in any form? Yep, it’s dangerous to your health. You should clean yourselves in those situations.
Their hands are defiled, the word in Greek is koinos, it means common. They were eating with the same hands as those around them. To the Pharisees, washing of their hands was a sign of holiness. They were in the presence of Holiness, and they couldn’t see it.
Jesus, as always, takes the time to get to the point with the Pharisees and help them see their folly:
6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”
We just established that fact, and the Pharisees admitted it...not the Law of Moses, but the traditions of the elders. Isaiah paved the way for this conversation right here. I love how Scripture prepared the way for Jesus. This book is SO GOOD!
9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
Corban is a dedicated offering to God. Whatever a Pharisee made Corban could be used for nothing else...and it meant they didn’t have to be charitable at all. THEN, they could use that for their own purposes “within the church.”
Jesus points out that the “traditions of the elders” were actually covering their sin which, according to the Law of Moses, required death for their lack of respect for their parents. We see this today, don’t we? Parents are abandoned quite often by their children. We need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to take care of them. Honor your father and mother. It’s the only commandment with a blessing!
Then, after Jesus dresses down the Pharisees, he calls the crowd near:
14 When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” 20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
Jesus gives us a biology lesson, and a psychology lesson all wrapped up in one here.
The Pharisees taught that what you used to eat with would make you common, unholy. That’s what unclean means. Our body was designed to protect us and nourish us. We’re to eat good foods and take care, but our digestive system is pretty robust, stomach acid can eat lots of things, but it doesn’t eat the inside of our stomach by desgin.
However, watch what comes out of someone’s mouth. What makes them angry? What makes you angry? Isaiah said:
5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”
Isaiah knew his lips were unclean because he knows what had come out of them. We’ve all been kids before, we say the dumbest stuff growing up, thinking it’s funny. James says:
5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
We can craft a person’s downfall in the words we use to speak to them. We feel good when we’ve got the quick one-liners or the quick comeback. What we’re doing, though, is tearing the fabric of what holds us together.
A brick can be used to build a house, or to tear it down. It’s all in how you use it. Let no unwholesome talk come from your mouth, because it doesn’t bring glory to God.
We need to catch those thoughts before we give them life by opening our mouths. We should weigh the relationship we have with a friend before we let anger swell within us.
I have learned over the years, in the course of a discussion, as soon as someone gets mad, the discussion is lost. It doesn’t mean you have lost the discussion, it means it’s no longer a discussion. It’s no longer you reasoning with your brother or sister about something. Psalm 4:4 “4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah”
The Pharisees miss the point. Even if they went to the Mosaic Law on what was happening, these people were now made clean by Jesus. Their infirmities and sickness were gone from them.
Repent means to turn away from your sin.
20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
I’m going to leave this slide up here as we are settling our hearts to pray. Search your heart. We know what we’ve been doing. What we’ve been hiding. We know if we’ve been cutting people down, or building them up.
If you notice any of these things in your life, pray them out, drop them at the foot of the cross where they belong and walk from them. Jesus bore it already. He sees you and loves you, and calls to you. Coming to you in the midst of your raging storms. Imagine if we lived lives without these, and instead with this one
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
These are encapsulated in the spirit of the Law. Replace that wicked tongue, your browser history, your pride, your harmful games...let’s pray.
