Are you In or Out?
Notes
Transcript
Responsibility to your people.
Responsibility to your people.
Mark 8:27–16:20 Commentary
A fundamental first-century Mediterranean perspective [is this]: the distinction between in-group and out-group persons.…
A person’s in-group generally consisted of one’s household, extended family, and friends.…
In-group members are expected to be loyal to each other and to go to great lengths to help each other (Luke 11:5–9). They are shown the greatest consideration and courtesy; such behavior is rarely, if ever, extended to members of out-groups.…
In dealing with out-group members, almost “anything goes.” By current standards, the dealings of ancient Mediterranean types with out-group persons appear indifferent, even hostile. Strangers can never be in-group members.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.”
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.
For the one who is not against us is for us.
For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.