The Folly of Unbelief
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· 11 viewsUnbelievers will reject the true identity of Jesus Christ, while true believers will recognize who Jesus is and prioritize their lives around his mission.
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Introduction:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Five: Will Anyone Trust God’s Servant? (Mark 6:1–56)
“Familiarity breeds contempt” is a well-known maxim that goes all the way back to Publius the Syrian, who lived in 2 B.C. Aesop wrote a fable to illustrate it. In Aesop’s fable, a fox had never before seen a lion, and when he first met the king of the beasts, the fox was nearly frightened to death. At their second meeting, the fox was not frightened quite as much; and the third time he met the lion, the fox went up and chatted with him! “And so it is,” Aesop concluded, “that familiarity makes even the most frightening things seem quite harmless.”
That’s true of Jesus. Familiarity makes Jesus quite ordinary and harmless to us where we can think He really doesn’t make a difference in our lives.
We can be so familiar with Jesus, that we miss who He really and truly is. We can think Jesus is so ordinary, that we miss his divinity and his holiness. And that is exactly what we see in our passage today.
You can be so familiar with Jesus, that you miss who He is and therefore not be a true disciple. While true disciples of Christ will be with Jesus, depend on Jesus, imitate Jesus, and be used by Jesus to advance the gospel of the kingdom.
Unbelief fails to recognize who Jesus is. While belief recognizes who Jesus is and prioritizes life around his mission. We want to be true disciples who recognize who He is and obeys what he commands. Let us not be false disciples who are merely playing religion.
Two headings for this morning’s passage:
I. The Rejection of Jesus (vv. 1-6)
II. The Mission of Jesus (vv. 7-13)
In our passage, we see a contrast between unbelievers and true believers. Unbelievers reject who Jesus is, while believers embrace Jesus for who He is and joins in his mission.
Scripture Reading:
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
This is reading of God’s Holy and precious Word.
I. The Rejection of Jesus (vv. 1-6)
I. The Rejection of Jesus (vv. 1-6)
Teaching (vv. 1-2)
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.
Jesus was just in Capernaum healing a diseased woman and Jairus’ dying daughter. Now he travels 20 miles south to his hometown.
His hometown would have been Nazareth. Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he grew up in Nazareth. The OT does not even mention Nazareth because it was so small.
Nazareth was a small village with no more than 500 people living there. It was a small barangay. Everyone knew one another there, including Jesus. The hometown boy had now come home as a teacher in the synagogues with his disciples who followed him.
And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished.
Jesus friends whom he grew up with were there. His relatives were there. The people who may have taught him were there. His neighbors were there and now he is teaching in a synagogue.
It would be the kid you grow up in church with. And he now comes back as the pastor. What happened to him? He was running around and now He pastors a church and people call him pastor and reverend?
The Offense (vv. 2-3)
And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Everyone was astonished at the teaching of Jesus. He was teaching with authority even though he didn’t study under a famous Rabbi or had any formal education.
And notice the series of questions that were raised. In fact five questions were asked of Jesus.
First, “Where did this man get these things?” See, in Jesus hometown, no one in our hometown is able to get an education. How is Jesus saying these things. They are essentially saying “Who does this guy think he is?” People in our hometown barely graduate high school and now he thinks he some big shot teacher?
The second question is: “What is the wisdom given to him?” No one from our hometown went to college because it was a blue-collar town. How does he speak with such authority? Jesus did not train with any rabbis or he did not have any degrees.
The third question: “How are such mighty works done by his hands?” Jesus is called a prophet and news is going around him that he is healing the sick and casting out demons. How is he doing this? The pharisees charged with with being in league with Satan earlier in .
The fourth question: Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Mary?Jesus grew up in Nazareth as a carpenter, one working in stone, metal, or stone. Jesus could have designed and built some of the stuff in the synagogue. Greeks looked down on manual labor. Jesus must have been a “handy-man”.
Isn’t he the local plumber boy? Isn’t he the local trash collector? Isn’t he the local grass cutter? Very ordinary work.
Because it was a small town, everyone knew Jesus was just the carpenter boy who built their furniture. He may have built the seats they were seating in. And now he is teaching like one of these great Rabbis?
And he is the Son of Mary. Normally, Jewish sons were addressed by association with their Father. But they identify him as a son of Mary. In other words, talk was a already circulating that Jesus came from an illegitimate marriage. They were essentially calling Jesus a bastard son.
You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him.
James would later become a believer and be a leader in the Jerusalem Church. Judas we know as Jude would write the letter of Jude to defend the church from false teaching. But before they were apostles, they were family members who did not believe in him. Mary most likely had children after the birth of Jesus.
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
We really know nothing of Jesus other siblings and sisters. Some say that Joseph may have had a previous marriage. But that is speculation. Mary and Joseph most likely conceived children after the birth of Jesus.
For not even his brothers believed in him.
The verb can mean to cause to sin, to stumble, or to be shocked, angered, or offended. The idea here is that they rejected Jesus’ message and his authority. It is where we get the word Scandal from.
The verb can mean to cause to sin, to stumble, or to be shocked, angered, or offended. The idea here is that they rejected Jesus’ message and his authority.
Strauss, Mark L.. Mark (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Strauss, Mark L.. Mark (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
People are stumbled and scandalized by Jesus today just like they were in Jesus’ time. Just watch what people say on the History channel.
History Channel
Isn’t Jesus a failed Messiah? Muslims say God has no son.. Wasn’t Jesus a failed revolutionary? Wasn’t he just a failed religious teacher?
Religious Studies Class in College
He was just a rabbi. He was just an ethical teacher.
Cliches of Jesus
Even churches can make cliches of Jesus where the real Jesus is not told. Jesus is just a man who embraces all people and forgives, but not a preacher of hell or judgment.
Fundamental Churches
You can even grow up coloring the Sunday school pictures of Jesus and still not know Jesus. You just see a blond american surfer Jesus who likes to share bread with children.
People still misunderstand Jesus just like they did in his own hometown. And maybe Jesus doesn’t affect your life because you don’t know the real Jesus just like people in his own hometown. They were so familiar with Jesus and in proximity to Jesus, they didn’t know Jesus personally and they weren’t changed by Jesus. You can be so close to him that He doesn’t affect you because you are so familiar.
The Proverb (v. 4)
And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”
I understand this. I am not saying I’m a prophet. But my mom will never call me pastor. I’m her son. She watched me grow up changing my diapers and feeding me. I’m just her son because she knows me. She knows all my quirks and flaws. I’m not saying Jesus had flaws, but the people were so familiar with him that of course he could not be a great teacher. Of course he could not be the Son of God because they watched him grew up before their eyes.
Or Pastor Ed. I knew him as pastor ed. No one really knows pastor ed in America. But in the Philippines, you can see his large influence among pastors. I feel safe in the Philippines because all I have to do is mention pastor ed and I know I will have a bodyguard full of Christians around me. It was only went I went to the Philippines did I realize that He gave up a really good life there to come here.
Well, people thought they knew Jesus. They knew him as the carpenter boy and now he is a rabbi with a few followers. Who does He think he is?
This is the first time Jesus identifies himself as a prophet. Prophets were messengers who spoke to the people on behalf of God. And Jesus is saying he is following in the tradition of the prophets who were rejected by their own people.
Like Jeremiah or the prophets of old, Jesus too was rejected by his own people.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
The Gospel of Mark 6. Rejection in Nazareth. Ch. 6:1–6a
It anticipates his ultimate rejection by Israel and at the same time recalls Ch. 3:20–21, 31–35 when Jesus’ family and kinsmen expressed the opinion that he was insane and attempted to halt his activities forcibly.
Jesus would be the rejected prophet. And one day, he would even be rejected by His own Father so that we would be accepted if we come to Him in repentance and faith.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Be Careful of being too familiar with Jesus
That is true right. You can grow up in church, hear the stories about Jesus, sing the songs about Jesus, gather with the people of Jesus, and he has no effect on your life because it is just the thing to do. You are in proximity to him, but you don’t really have a real relationship with him.
These people were in proximity to Jesus, but they didn’t really know Jesus.
Jesus Withdraws (vv. 5-6)
Mark
And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
The people were astonished at his teaching and they did not recognize his authority did not come from men, but from God himself. But Jesus was astonished at their unbelief.
It wasn’t that Jesus couldn’t heal. It was the fact that unbelief prevented Jesus from doing more miracles. Because more miracles would not lead to faith, but a greater judgment for the rejecting the Son of God.
People misunderstand Jesus
People are so familiar they may misunderstand who Jesus is. They think they know Jesus, but they don’t.
If people misunderstand Jesus then, they will misunderstand you too.
And if you are following Jesus, people will almost misunderstand you too.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Matthew 5:
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Would Jesus marvel at unbelief in cfbc? Christian don’t take grace for granted.
You grew up hearing the Word everyday. Your parents were Christians. Maybe everyone in your family was a a Christian. You had devotions. You were always at church. You have friends you grew up with. But you still didn’t believe?
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
Thus, exposure to Jesus and the gospel is no guarantee of faith; indeed, apart from faith, exposure to the gospel inoculates as often as it enlivens.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
What amazes God about humanity is not its sinfulness and propensity for evil but its hardness of heart and unwillingness to believe in him.
Would Jesus marvel at your unbelief? Repent of your unbelief and indifference.
Unbelief fails to recognize who Jesus really is. Treat Jesus as ordinary and harmless. Treat him as if he doesn’t really have any power to do anything because you think you know when you don’t.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
The sisters are unnamed, which, according to Jewish custom, normally meant they were married. Of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, only James, who later headed the church in Jerusalem, and Jude are mentioned again.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
Thus, exposure to Jesus and the gospel is no guarantee of faith; indeed, apart from faith, exposure to the gospel inoculates as often as it enlivens.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
What amazes God about humanity is not its sinfulness and propensity for evil but its hardness of heart and unwillingness to believe in him.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
The greatest obstacle to faith is not the failure of God to act but the unwillingness of the human heart to accept the God who condescends to us in only a carpenter, the son of Mary.
Church—Let us not be content to know cliches of Jesus, but not knowing Jesus. This is why I choose to do expositions in want to know Jesus better. I hope you are getting a better knowledge of Christ. Don’t let church just be an ordinary routine or ritual you do. Because you can be close to Jesus and still not know him.
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:
That is why we as believers must know only get to know Jesus, but obey Jesus by following Him in His mission.
Transition: Unbelievers will fail to recognize who Jesus is and reject him. While true believers will believe in Jesus and join in his mission.
II. The Mission of Jesus (vv. 7-13)
II. The Mission of Jesus (vv. 7-13)
Like his own family, many are close enough to be in proximity to Jesus, but not close enough to be changed and be used by Jesus.
Many Christians are bored because they are playing church and playing religion but not really doing the work of the ministry and engaging in the mission of Jesus. Church is a social club of people who are just like you. They are never excited about the things of Jesus because they never engage in the work of Jesus.
Basketball is irrelevant to me because I don’t play it. I have no interest in D & D because I don’t play it or haven’t participated in it.
I have some knowledge of it. But I don’t have experiential knowledge of it. Many Christians have knowledge of Christ but not experience of Christ. How can we gain a better experience of Christ than to engage in his work and mission.
What is his mission?
And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
Mark
Jesus mission was to teach. His miracles validated his teaching. And his teaching was from God. What was his teaching? The kingdom of God. The good news. His mission was to preach good news. And the disciples were to continue in that mission during his earthly ministry and even after his resurrection from the dead.
And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Mark 1:
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Jesus expands his ministry through the disciples. And his mission is to proclaim the message of the Kingdom. And to expand his ministry, he calls and commissions the disciples to proclaim the message.
The disciples were with Jesus on the sea. They saw him calm the waves and the wind on the Sea of Galilee. The disciples were with him in the Gerasenes when he cast out a legion of demons from a man and where the demons inhabited pigs and rushed off the cliff and were drowned into the sea. The disciples were with Jesus when they saw him get out of the boat, heal a diseased woman who was suffering for twelve years and then a Synagogue ruler’s daughter by raising her from the dead.
The were with Jesus. A disciple was to be with Jesus. But now it was time for them to get involved in the mission. Now it was there time to get off the bench and act his his representatives. The were to be sent by Jesus where we get the word apostles and send.
And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.
Apostles literally means “sent ones”. These were Jesus’ authorized spokesmen and messengers. They were to do the same thing that Jesus did. These instructions were unique to the twelve.
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he 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;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Jesus sends them out two by two.
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
Mark
Notice Jesus calls true followers.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
And true followers are sent out by Jesus, the word where we get apostle from. And he delegated his authority to his apostles.
Why two by two?
On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.
Deuteronomy
Jesus not only sent them out by twos to confirm the testimony against them, but also for prayer, mutual support and encouragement.
Join a Church
Get involved in a church. A plurality of elders. A plurality of deacons. A plurality of members. A team for VBS. A team for small groups. Minister to others together. Do ministry with others because we need the mutual support.
Who can you link arms with in the church? Men’s? Ladies? High School? College? Do ministry with others!
A. Instructions to the the Disciples (vv. 8-11)
A. Instructions to the the Disciples (vv. 8-11)
He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”
He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.
Jesus commanded them to take nothing but a staff, probably a walking staff. Take no bread or bag, or money or only what they had on. A second tunic would have functioned as a coat to sleep at night.
Mark 6
These were specific instructions to the disciples. He is not telling missionaries they cannot take their suitcases or prepare. But the broader principles say they must travel light.
Disciples must travel light. Remember we are pilgrims on this earth. Pilgrims don’t take everything with them because they are traveling to another land. Israel was to be ready to leave in the Exodus.
Helen gets mad at me when we go on vacation and I pack a week’s worth of clothes. We are only staying a night and I overpack.
Well, the disciples were not to overpack and trust God to meet their needs.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark The Cost of Discipleship (6:6b–30)
The four items required of the Twelve are, in fact, identical to the belongings that God instructs the Israelites to take on their flight from Egypt: cloak, belt, sandals, and staff in hand (Exod 12:11).
For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.
This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
1 Corinthians 7:29-
1 Corinthians 7:
You can’t take a Uhaul to heaven! Or it has been said you never see a Uhaul follow a hearse!
Disciples must live simply
Disciples must live simply
They were to live simply. They were to just trust God for the provision. We are to pray give us our daily bread, not give us our year’s bread. Contentment is the key.
The Gospel of Mark 7. The Mission of the Twelve in Galilee. Ch. 6:6b–13
It was the custom of pious Jews who had travelled outside of Israel to remove carefully from their feet and clothing all dust of the alien lands in which they had travelled. By this action they dissociated themselves from the pollution of those lands and their ultimate judgment.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
Disciples must depend on God
They were to depend on God to provide for the mission. I can speak personally to this.
As a young pastor, I made very little money. So little money that my in laws thought it was foolish to get married. But then I got married and the Lord provided. Then we had serene and the Lord provided. And then our next kid and so forth and I just want to say that God has been faithful to provide all along the way as I’’m engaged in the work of ministry.
Missionaries are to trust God to provide for the needs of His work. We too are to trust God as a church for the needs. If you are called by God to go overseas to a people group for gospel work, he will make a way.
Disciples must accept hospitality and show hospitality.
And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”
In other words, they were to be content with what God provided. They were not to go looking for another lodging with better accommondations.
Show hospitality when our missionaries our in town. CFBC missions conference.
Disciples must not be discouraged when you encounter rejection.
The Gospel of Mark 7. The Mission of the Twelve in Galilee. Ch. 6:6b–13
It was the custom of pious Jews who had travelled outside of Israel to remove carefully from their feet and clothing all dust of the alien lands in which they had travelled. By this action they dissociated themselves from the pollution of those lands and their ultimate judgment.
The testimony would be a sign of God’s judgment for rejecting the messenger, and therefore the message of the King.
KJV has a different manuscript saying it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah.
B. Obedience of the Disciples (vv. 12-13)
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark The Cost of Discipleship (6:6b–30)
The four items required of the Twelve are, in fact, identical to the belongings that God instructs the Israelites to take on their flight from Egypt: cloak, belt, sandals, and staff in hand (Exod 12:11).
B. Obedience of the Disciples (vv. 12-13)
B. Obedience of the Disciples (vv. 12-13)
So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
The disciples mission was to go.
They were to go out. What does going out look like for CFBC? God has placed us in unique spheres of influence in our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, grocery stores we shop at, to be a light to people who need Jesus.
The disciples mission was to preach.
Preaching is essential in the life of the disciple’s mission. In one sense we are all called to herald the good news as His messengers. Everyone is called to be a herald of the good news.
The disciples mission was to call people to repentance.
Repentance was essential in their message. Repentance is an inward sorrow of sin that leads to a visible reformation one Puritan wrote. It is a change of mind and a change of heart that leads to a change of behavior. It is a turning from sin and a turning to God.
Many are self-deceived thinking they are Christians when they are not because they have never truly repented.
The disciples mission was to see people be restored
Mark
And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
I think this was unique to Jesus and the apostles. But oil was used for medicinal purposes. It may be symbolic of the healing that comes with a total salvation we long for when Jesus returns.
Oil was used medicinally in biblical times (; ), but the oil here is more likely being used to represent the healing presence of the Spirit of God.
Oil was used medicinally in biblical times (; ), but the oil here is more likely being used to represent the healing presence of the Spirit of God.
Strauss, Mark L.. Mark (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Strauss, Mark L.. Mark (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
As disciples we must cultivate a simple lifestyle.
As disciples mus depend on God to supply our resources.
The Gospel of Mark 6. Rejection in Nazareth. Ch. 6:1–6a
It anticipates his ultimate rejection by Israel and at the same time recalls Ch. 3:20–21, 31–35 when Jesus’ family and kinsmen expressed the opinion that he was insane and attempted to halt his activities forcibly.
The Gospel of Mark 7. The Mission of the Twelve in Galilee. Ch. 6:6b–13
It was the custom of pious Jews who had travelled outside of Israel to remove carefully from their feet and clothing all dust of the alien lands in which they had travelled. By this action they dissociated themselves from the pollution of those lands and their ultimate judgment.
On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.
Preaching is essential in the life of the disciple’s mission.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
The sisters are unnamed, which, according to Jewish custom, normally meant they were married. Of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, only James, who later headed the church in Jerusalem, and Jude are mentioned again.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
Thus, exposure to Jesus and the gospel is no guarantee of faith; indeed, apart from faith, exposure to the gospel inoculates as often as it enlivens.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
What amazes God about humanity is not its sinfulness and propensity for evil but its hardness of heart and unwillingness to believe in him.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Prophet without Honor (6:1–6a)
The greatest obstacle to faith is not the failure of God to act but the unwillingness of the human heart to accept the God who condescends to us in only a carpenter, the son of Mary.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark The Cost of Discipleship (6:6b–30)
The four items required of the Twelve are, in fact, identical to the belongings that God instructs the Israelites to take on their flight from Egypt: cloak, belt, sandals, and staff in hand (Exod 12:11).
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark The Cost of Discipleship (6:6b–30)
In our passage anointing with oil is more than a means of healing but equally a sign of the inbreaking of the good news, an anointing with “the oil of gladness” (Ps 45:7).
Jesus will renew all things both spiritually and physically. And he was giving a preview of that reign to his disciples. And we long for Jesus.
Summary:
Illustration: Mom. Pastor Alex.
Summary:
Unbelievers reject Jesus. His hometown people were so familiar with him that they rejected him and could not conceive that He was the Son of God, the Savior of the Word.
Illustration: Miss the obvious.
Believers embrace Jesus and his mission. Disicples are with him. Sent by Him. Used by Him. And revovle their lives around Him and His mission to proclaim this gospel.
Illustration: Growing up with someone famous
Which are you? Are you so familiar with Jesus that He doesn’t affect you? And Jesus would marvel at your unbelief?
Are you a true disciple of Jesus who recognizes his sovereign and divine authority? And obey him and make your life all about him?
Conclusion
Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see the glory of Christ.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.