Gospel of Mark Study #19

“Guests for Supper with Nothing in the Fridge”

Mark 6:30-44

Study #19 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

Husbands do lots of stupid things. Guys let’s just admit it because it is true. However, there are several things that are right up there at the top of the “Nasty NO-NO List”: (1) Forgetting your wife’s birthday; (2) Forgetting your anniversary and neglecting to buy her a nice gift; (3) Making any insulting comment about her parents, even if you are just agreeing with her; and (4) Inviting people home with you for supper without first clearing it with the little woman.

Do not even think about taking somebody home with you without first giving her a heads-up and finding out if she has anything to feed them. Wives freak out when they hear that guests are coming for dinner and they know there is nothing in the cupboard or refrigerator to feed them, or even to begin putting a meal together.

TRANSITION:

Jesus and the disciples found themselves in just such a situation. They had a whole bunch of hungry guests sitting there staring at them, and it was about more than the disciples could take. In fact, they asked Jesus to make the people all go away because they had nothing to feed them. They had guests show up but there was nothing in the fridge or in the cupboard. 

Our last study in Mark took in the story of the death of John the Baptist at the hands of Herod Antipas. That is described in verses 14-29 of this chapter. I explained to you then that the story of John’s death is a parenthesis in Mark’s description of the ministry of Jesus and His disciples. So, to pick of that context we are going to go back and read verses 12-13, which will connect us to our text for today. ¹² [The twelve disciples] went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 30: The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught.

• Jesus was a Master-teacher.

ü  First, He instructed His students about what He wanted them to do.

ü  Then He demonstrated to them how it was to be done.

ü  Next, He sent them out to gain personal experience.

ü  Then He brought them back for a debriefing to talk about how things went. In this way they learned how to preach the Good News, how to confront the demons, how to heal the sick, and how to lead sinners to repentance and salvation.

• How excited they must have been to see that the Lord could use even a bunch of nitwits like them! It just proves what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18ff – ¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”  ²⁰ Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  ²² Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  ²⁵ For the ‘foolishness’ of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the ‘weakness’ of God is stronger than man’s strength.  ²⁶ Brothers think of what you were when you were called [i.e., saved].  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  ²⁸ He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before Him.  ³⁰ It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.  ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
• The apostles were not strong or wise or of noble birth. They were just ordinary guys that had a love for Christ and a willingness to be used by Him. That was their great claim to fame—they were used by God. 

Verse 31: Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 

• This frenetic lifestyle had already been going on for quite a while. Look back at Mark 3:20, “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat.” Because He had a physical body Jesus grew tired and hungry, just like His disciples, and they all needed time away from ministry and the pressures of constantly being with people. But it was always difficult to get away because the people would follow them, no matter what they did or said.
• “Come with Me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest.” Jesus may be speaking these same words to some of us today. We are often more like Martha than Mary. In the Bible we have two similar windows into the homelife of these ladies that included Lazarus, their brother. The first is in Luke 10:38-42. On that occasion Martha was busy cleaning, cooking, polishing, sweeping, and arranging. Mary was seated at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him, looking at Him, adoring Him, praising Him, and learning from Him. When Martha complained to Jesus that her sister was not helping with the housework the Lord said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one: and Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” The second reference is in John 12:1-8. Again, it says in verse two, “So they made Him a supper there; and Martha was serving.” But what was Mary doing? Verse three says, “Mary therefore took a pound of very costly, genuine spikenard-ointment, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.” And right down until today we can still smell that fragrant, loving sacrifice that came from Mary’s heart. But no one remembers what Martha was doing. Mary chose the best thing.
• Today Jesus might be saying to some of us, “Come with Me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest.” Remember, He also said, “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” 

Verses 32-33: So, they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.  ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

• They tried to get away for some R & R. However, it did not work out the way they had hoped and planned. People got in the way of their plans. But that often happens, doesn’t it?
• How would you have responded under those circumstances? The disciples were probably a little put out at the people who would not leave them alone. They were probably a little bit angry that people would not even let the Master get a square meal and a good night’s rest.
• I think that I would have been upset and frustrated if I had been there.

Verse 34: When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So, He began teaching them many things.

• Look at Jesus’ reaction—not a word of rebuke or sign of resentment. Even though He was tired and personally in need of rest He rose to the occasion because “…He had compassion on them…” So often, that is the very thing that is lacking in us. We often see people as an annoyance, a pain in the neck, a delay in our schedule. Jesus never looked at people that way.
• “…because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” What does that mean? First, you need to understand a little bit about sheep. Sheep are not brave, intelligent, or independent. They have more in common with rabbits than with coyotes. Sheep are prey animals, and they know it, and they act like it. They have no natural defenses against predators. They cannot move fast enough to outrun their enemies. They have no sharp teeth to wound their enemies. They are stupid, pitiful creatures who have cute babies. That is their major redeeming feature. Sound familiar? From Jesus’ perspective people are very much like sheep.
• So, what is the role of the shepherd? He is the wise decision-maker for the sheep when the sheep do not know what to do or where to go. He is the protector of His sheep, fighting off their enemies. He is the doctor for His sheep, binding up their wounds and often carrying them on His shoulder until they are strong enough to walk again. He is their leader, gently guiding them to lush green pastures where they can eat until their stomachs are full. He also leads them to clean, quiet watering holes where they can quench their thirst. He is their rescuer. He goes after them when they get lost. Sound familiar?  Those are the things that the Lord does for His people, His sheep-people. I am talking about US!
• “…so, He began teaching them many things.” These people were spiritually hungry. They could not get enough of the Good News. Jesus, the Living Bread, was satisfying their hunger. Jesus, with the Living Water of His Word, was irrigating their dry, dusty hearts and minds.

Verses 35-36: By this time, it was late in the day, so His disciples came to Him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. ³⁶ Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

• This wonderful story is told by all four of the Gospel writers, with each one adding some helpful details to round out our knowledge of what happened. The Bible says that this event occurred in a desolate, remote area in the hills somewhere above Bethsaida. We do not know the exact location but both Mark and John record that there was much green grass there. The people had followed Jesus without thought for their own personal needs. They left home without food or water or extra clothes. But that is how all of us are to follow Him—with the simple faith of a child, confident that He will provide for our needs. That was the lesson that Jesus was trying to teach the Twelve when He sent them out two-by-two with only the clothes on their backs, nothing more. And as they went, He met their every need!
• But now it was late in the afternoon, and it would soon be night. The disciples realized that something needed to be done. Their suggestion to Jesus was to send everyone back home so that they could get something to eat.

Verse 37: But He answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to Him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

• To really grasp this verse, you must underline and emphasize the word “YOU.” “You give them something to eat.” Why did Jesus say this? He must have known that the Twelve did not possess enough money to feed this crowd. Jesus was certainly not naïve in any way. So why would He command them to do something that was impossible for them to accomplish? That seems unfair!
• His command was only undoable if you take Him out of the equation. We have many examples in Scripture of God calling men to do humanly impossible tasks:

ü  He called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. = impossible

ü  He called Joshua to conquer all of Canaan. = impossible

ü  He called Gideon to defeat the Midianites. = impossible

ü  He called David to defeat Goliath. = impossible

ü  He called Esther to save her people. = impossible

• We even have some modern-day examples that can only be explained by factoring God’s hand into the equation:

ü  Israel’s defeat of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in 1967’s “6-Day War.” = IMPOSSIBLE

ü  The preservation of Israel despite the world’s hatred of her. = IMPOSSIBLE

• There are many things that are impossible for men, but with God, all things are possible.

ü  He still heals the sick, even when we cannot.

ü  He still answers prayers, even though we cannot.

ü  He still saves lost souls, even though we cannot. 

Verse 38: “How many loaves do you have?” He asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five [loaves] and two fish.”

• Jesus sent them on a reconnaissance mission to scout out how much food they could come up with on their own. He already knew the answer, but He wanted them to see the absurdity and impossibility of the situation. He was letting them see for themselves that there was no human explanation for what He was about to do.
• Here we need to turn to the Gospel of John for some added details. In John 6:5-9 we read, When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”  ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.  ⁷ Philip answered Him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”  ⁸ Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Indeed! That is a great question! Humanly speaking this was insane.

Verses 39-40: Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.  ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

• Jesus used the Twelve as His servers and His crowd controllers. They spread out and explained to the people what Jesus wanted them to do and the people complied. Although they were tired and hungry, they were probably curious about what would come next. Why did He have them sit in groups of hundreds and fifties? Probably just to make paths between the groups and to be able to verify afterward about how many people were fed that day. 

Verse 41: Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to Heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

• Because this was the season of the Passover (i.e., mid-April), I am almost positive that Jesus used the traditional Jewish prayer that is the blessing for the bread that is always said at the Passover service (Seder). Jesus held the loaves and dried fishes in His hands and lifted them toward Heaven as He offered up this short but beautiful prayer to His Father. “Barúch atáh Adonái elohénu, mélech ha-olám, hamotsí léchem min ha-árets.” That means, “Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
• After Jesus prayed and gave thanks, He began to break up the bread and fishes with His hands. As He worked the food multiplied. It grew in His hands! He filled one basket, then another, and then yet another. As quickly as He filled the baskets the apostles took them and distributed the food to the hungry people. One after another Jesus filled the baskets, and the disciples carried them out to where the people were seated and patiently waiting. Everyone was eating. It was a simple meal but good and nutritious. Some asked for more, and there was plenty to go around. The disciples made a second pass through the crowd and people took more. Jesus continued breaking the bread and dividing the dried fishes as long as the people wanted to eat. The disciples were hungry, so they ate too. Finally, after everyone was fed Jesus took some bread and fish and He ate as well, for He too needed nourishment.
• I would have loved to see the looks on the faces of His disciples. They saw the whole miracle up close and personal. Many of the people were seated too far back to understand what had just happened. They just knew that they had been well fed and were no longer hungry. But the Twelve knew exactly what had just transpired, although they could hardly believe their own eyes.

Verses 42-44: They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³ and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.  ⁴⁴ The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

• “They all ate and were satisfied.” When Jesus feeds us, He does it right. Our God is not stingy. He gives us all that we need. The Bible says in Psalm 84:11, “For the LORD God [Yahweh Elohim] is a sun and shield; the LORD [Yahweh] gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” And again, in Psalm 107:8-9, “Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, ⁹ for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” He alone can truly satisfy us.
• “The disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.” Why is this important? Clearly as verification that a miracle really occurred. Yes, but why twelve basketfuls? After feeding the multitude Jesus sent all 12 of His guys back out into the crowd to gather up the leftovers. They each came back with a full basket. All twelve of them participated in the miracle and saw with their own eyes what Jesus had done. I believe that this miracle was more for the benefit of the Twelve than for the sake of the crowd.
• Jesus wanted them to experience what it is like to feed hungry people. He was preparing them to spend the rest of their lives sharing the Living Bread that saves and satisfies people’s spiritual hunger and giving out the Living Water that quenches people’s spiritual thirst.
• This miracle is traditionally called, “The Feeding of the 5,000” because the text records that there were approximately 5,000 men present. But that number does not include their dependents, the women, and children. The number was probably closer to 15,000 people. At any rate all the people who got a free meal that day were hungry again by the next morning because physical food is only a temporary cure for hunger. But the Bread of Life and the Living Water last forever, and satisfy the heart, soul, and mind as nothing else ever can.

CONCLUSION:

In performing this miracle Jesus was teaching His disciples about much more than bread and fish. He was teaching them about compassion for the lost and the fact that nothing in the world is more important than doing the work of the Kingdom.

For years this text has been preached as a missions message showing that our job, like that of the disciples, is to give out the Living Bread to those who are lost and dying for want of that Bread, who is Jesus. One of the most powerful missionary songs ever composed was inspired from these verses. It touches my heart every time I hear it. It is entitled, “The Breaking of the Bread.” The words and music were written by Beatrice Bush Bixler, and the song was dedicated to Mrs. J. J. Van Hine who, along with her husband, served for many years as a missionary in French Indochina. If you want to hear the song you can find a shortened form of it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/DYKlbTbCkYM. 

Verse 1:       

            Along the shores of Galilee when Christ five-thousand fed

            Not one was omitted in the breaking of the bread.

            Today they die in heathen lands; they die in want and dread,

            For they have been omitted in the breaking of the Bread.

CHORUS:

            Lord, I would give them the Bread of Life, the Living Water too.

            My heart cries out, “Oh here am I, ready Thy will to do.”

Verse 2:

            Long years have passed, and few have heard that Jesus Christ has bled,

            That they might feed on Him Who died to be that Living Bread.

            To gods of stone and wood they cry, yet they are never fed,

            For they have been omitted in the breaking of the Bread.  CHORUS 

Verse 3:

            Great God, who gave Thine only Son, help us now, Spirit led,

            To tell the story of Thy love to those who ask for bread.

            Then gladly will we go, or send, till this blest news has spread,

            And they have been included in the breaking of the Bread. 

CHORUS:

            Lord, I would give them the Bread of Life, the Living Water too.

            My heart cries out, “Oh here am I, ready Thy will to do.”

(Copyright, 1944, by Beatrice Bush Bixler. Assigned to Alfred B. Smith. Renewal, 1972, by Beatrice Bush Bixler. Assigned to Singspiration, Inc.)

Gospel of Mark Study #18

“The Power of a Guilty Conscience”

Mark 6:14-29

Study #18 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

A guilty conscience is a terrible thing. It is like a tight band around your neck, cutting off your oxygen. It feels like a huge lead weight sitting right on your chest. It messes with your mind. You find yourself wondering if people can see your secret when they look at you. You find it hard to look people in the eye. You do not let yourself get too close to people for fear that they might learn what you have done.

In Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” it was Scrooge’s guilty conscience that tormented him in the night. He knew that he was an evil man, and he became haunted and plagued by the evil and unkind things he had done.

In our text for today’s study we see the power of a guilty conscience in the life of a king who was a murderer, who had spilt innocent blood, who had murdered a holy man whose only fault was that he had spoken the truth.

TRANSITION:

Our last time together we studied Mark 6:1-13, in which Mark recounts what happened when Jesus returned to His hometown, Nazareth, and showed up at the local synagogue, along with His twelve disciples. You will remember that His reception there was frosty, to say the least. 

Then, in verses 7-13 Mark tells us how Jesus sent out the Twelve, two by two, to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, and cast out evil spirits. He instructed them to take nothing with them, but rather, to trust God to meet all their needs along the way. Verse 13 says, “And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.” Can you imagine what that must have been like for them, to experience the power of God working through them in such a wonderful way, and to discover that there truly was power and authority in the name of Jesus? They must have been totally pumped when they came back home to tell Jesus what had happened. But there were others who were taking note of these things as well. Look at verse 14. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 14: King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in Him.”

• At this point in Jesus’ public ministry, He was getting a reputation. Everybody in Israel knew something about Him and everyone had an opinion, although they were usually wrong.
• Notice that they were not disputing the fact that Jesus was a miracle worker. They were just divided over the source of His power and the authority under which He operated.
• Recognizing the similarities some claimed that Jesus was really John the Baptist back from the grave. This was their explanation of why Jesus could do such miracles, although it is interesting to note that according to John 10:41 John the Baptist performed no miracles. 

Verse 15: Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”

• This was a common rumor among the people – that Jesus was really Elijah returning from the dead in fulfilment of Malachi 4:5 (cf. Matt. 16:14; John 1:21).
• Others believed that He was a prophet after the pattern of the Old Testament prophets.

Verse 16: But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

• Evidently all this speculation about Jesus’ identity was talked around so much that it eventually came to the ears of Herod, the one who had ordered John beheaded. Here we step into a flashback moment. Verses 16-29 are a parenthesis in Mark’s account of the ministry of Jesus and His disciples. In verse 30 he will pick up that context again. But in the meantime, we have this fascinating story about what happened to John the Baptist, the one who Jesus called, “the greatest among those born of women.” But this account of John’s death needs to be seen in the context set up here by verse 16 of the heavy conscience of Herod.
• The Herod mentioned here is Herod Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the Great, the leader who was in power when Jesus was born, and that killed the babies in Bethlehem. Herod Antipas was the Tetrarch (“ruler of a fourth”) of the regions of Galilee and Perea for 43 years (4 BC – AD 39). By the way, this is also the same Herod to whom Pilate sent Jesus for judgment just a few years later.
• This is the first evidence we have that the reputation of Jesus had come to the attention of the government officials. But for Herod this was more than just information. He became convinced that Jesus was the reincarnation of John, whom he had murdered. That scared him! He must have thought that John had come back to haunt him. 

Verses 17-20: For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.  ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”  ¹⁹ So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, ²⁰ because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

• This story is like a Latin novella. It has more twists and turns than “Dallas,” “Peyton Place,” “Dynasty,” or “The Thorn Birds.”
• Herod Antipas, AKA “Herod the Tetrarch” was a randy old lecher with no morals whatsoever. Herodias was the wife of her half-uncle, Herod Philip I. That is weird by itself. But then Herod Antipas, the half-brother of Philip, seduced his sister-in-law, Herodias, and drew her into a second scandalous incestuous marriage with him, raising the “ick factor” significantly. Herod Antipas was already married to the daughter of Aretas, king of the Nabataeans (an Arab country), but that was just a minor thing. He sent her away so that he could marry Herodias.
• I am very sure that this turn of events did not make brother Philip happy, but Antipas was the stronger of the two, politically speaking, so there was not much Philip could do about it.
• Herodias had a daughter by Philip. Her name was Salomé. When you do the math, you’ll figure out that the girl was Herod Antipas’ niece as well as his stepdaughter.
• According to the ancient Jewish historian, Josephus, Herod had John incarcerated in his own palace/fortress located at Machaerus in the Judean Wilderness. The Castle of Machaerus was built high on a lonely ridge, surrounded by terrible ravines, overlooking the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. It was one of the loneliest and grimmest and most unassailable fortresses in the world. It was in that bleak and desolate fortress that the last chapter of John’s life was played out.
• Look again at verse 18: For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Apparently, John had been publicly hammering Herod for this incestuous marriage. The verb tense (= Greek imperfect tense) indicates that this public rebuke was continuous and ongoing by John. No wonder it got under Herod’s skin, not to mention ticking off Herodias. Verse 19 says that Herodias came to hate John and she wanted him dead. However, she and her husband apparently had a running disagreement about what should be done about John. Unlike Herod, Herodias felt no attraction to John and his preaching. Herod, on the other hand, despite his sinful and loose lifestyle, respected and feared John, and recognized him for a man of God and a true prophet. Herodias did not care—she was ready to put out a hit on John, ASAP.
• Take another look at verse 20: When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. What was it about John and his message that fascinated Herod? Was it John’s unique delivery? Was it his amusing wardrobe? Was it the fact that John believed every word he preached, unlike the sycophants who surrounded Herod and every other king? Apparently, Herod himself did not know what it was. It says, “…he was greatly puzzled.” But I believe it was because John’s words rang true. Herod recognized in John the voice of truth and godly wisdom, and that is always compelling, even when it reveals things about us that we do not enjoy hearing. John was a holy man, with a holy message. He lived out what he preached, and he would not back down from anybody, even the king. Because of that, Herod liked listening to him. I think that Herod had John arrested for three reasons: (1) To shut him up and get him out of circulation; (2) To get Herodias off his back, thinking that her anger would be assuaged; and (3) To save John’s life. And the way I read it, verse 20 says that Herod must have had some face-to-face sessions with John while he was imprisoned there at Machaerus.

Verses 21-23: Finally, the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.  ²² When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.”  ²³ And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

• Oh, happy day! This was exactly the situation for which Herodias had been waiting. She knew that it would come if she would just bide her time. Now this was finally her golden moment.
• When Herod’s birthday came around, he threw himself a party. After all, who could do it better? He invited all his pals, his military men, his cronies, and the elite rich-and-powerful folks from the whole region of Galilee.
• This was not unusual. Herod was famous for his wild, extravagant parties. But something there was out of the ordinary—namely, the evening’s entertainment. The dancers at such an event would always have been attractive young slave girls or hired dancers, often prostitutes. However, on that night, the beautiful 18-20-year-old princess, Salomé, came out and danced for Herod and his guests. This was unheard of! As I said, dancing to entertain the guests was the work of a slave or a prostitute, not of a princess! Such solo dances in those days were disgusting and licentious pantomimes. For the daughter (or stepdaughter/niece) of royal blood to so expose and demean herself was beyond belief because those dances were the art of professional prostitutes, not “nice girls.” The very fact that Salomé would degrade herself to dance this way to entertain Herod and his drunk friends is a grim commentary on the character of the girl, and of the mother who allowed and encouraged her to do it. This, however, was Herodias’ opportune moment and undoubtedly, she was the one who put the girl up to it. And old Herod, under the influence of his own lust fueled by liquor, fell into her trap. He loved every minute of Salomé’s dance and wanted more.
• Now Herod was not the first man to do or say something stupid while under the alcohol-induced enchantment of a pretty girl. Notice that Salomé did not even have to ask for anything. Stupid Herod volunteered to give her anything her little sexy heart desired if she would just keep on doing what she had been doing. He offered her “anything,” carte blanche. He said, “Here’s my VISA-Platinum card, sweetie. Whatever you want I will buy, up to half of my kingdom! You buy it, Baby, and I’ll pay for it.” How stupid can a guy get?
• This whole thing was obviously a setup from the get-go. Herodias was the one running the scam, Salomé was the bait, and Herod was the mark, the patsy. The two women knew exactly what they were doing. Herod was clueless. 

Verses 24-25: She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.  ²⁵ At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

• Salomé went out of the room to talk to her momma. Apparently, Herodias was not present in the room for the party but was probably watching it all from behind a curtain. That was typical in those days. Wives were expected to stay at home, out of sight. But you can bet there were plenty of beautiful women in there, as guests and escorts of the rich and powerful men in attendance.
• When Salomé ask her mother what to ask for, Herodias was quick with a response: “The head of John the Baptist on a platter.” She did not care about money. She had plenty of that. She did not want more beautiful clothes. Her closets were already full. She did not want a Caribbean cruise. She had seen all the places she cared to see. No, she wanted John’s head on a serving tray. She wanted him dead, with proof that the job was done.
• Notice too that she wanted it done “right now.” She wanted the deed accomplished before Herod could find a way to wiggle out of it because she knew that he liked John.
• Over the past few years, we have heard a lot about beheadings in the Middle East and in Muslim controlled regions of Africa, especially Somalia. There have been some famous cases like Daniel Pearl, the journalist, and Nick Berg, just to name a couple. But there have been hundreds of others. It is one of the most gruesome, painful, and frightening ways to die that you can imagine. It is a violation of the person that goes way beyond rape and other forms of torture. It is a hideous, hellish practice. Yet that is what John the Baptist went through, all because he angered the wrong people by speaking the truth.

Verse 26: The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.

• Although he was deeply grieved by Herodias’ request, he found it impossible to go back on his promises before such a grand and distinguished group. In his oriental potentate way of thinking it was more important for him to save face in front of his friends than to preserve the life of God’s prophet. No wonder his conscience troubled him afterward (cf. verse 14 and 16). He knew that what he was doing was downright evil. But he did not have the courage to say, “No!”

Verses 27-28: So, he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, ²⁸ and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.

• Herod’s palace at Machaerus was also a fortress and as such it contained a prison. Thus, the execution scene was not far removed from the banquet room. The whole evil shameful act probably only took a few minutes.
• Apparently, Salomé remained in the dining hall until John had been executed and they brought his head to her. The calmness with which she made the request and then carried the gory platter to her mother is indicative of the calloused nature of the girl. Like mother, like daughter. 

Verse 29: On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

• John’s death occurred early into Jesus’ public ministry. John did not live long enough to see all the things that Jesus did, but he saw enough to convince him that the Messiah had indeed stepped onto the scene and that his work as the Forerunner was complete. Even though his death was horrific, I know that he died in peace, knowing that he had completed his mission.
• During John’s ministry he gathered around him a group of followers. They loved and respected him. When Jesus appeared, John pointed Him out to his disciples and urged them to follow Christ, which they did. But that did not lessen their love for John, for he was the one who introduced them to the Savior. So, after John’s martyrdom they gathered his body and gave him an honorable and proper burial with the respect that was due a man who preferred death to falsehood.

CONCLUSION:

This passage is fascinating from a character-study perspective. Look at the main players—what a strange outfit! Herod, Herodias, Salomé, and the prison executioner—all with innocent blood on their hands, all guilty. But then there’s John who stands out like a ray of sunshine—an innocent godly man, a man who spoke the truth, a man who served God with all his heart, a man who had nothing to regret. John died with a clear conscience, knowing that he was right with God and that he had finished his course with honor.

Herod, on the other hand, was left with a guilty conscience that plagued him right up until the day of his death. He later got into trouble with Emperor Caligula and was banished to Gaul where he and Herodias died in exile. Many people believe that it was God’s judgment against them for the murder of John. 

Herodias had wanted to eliminate the one man who had the courage to confront her with her sin. She wanted to go on acting as she pleased with no one to point a finger at her. She murdered John so that she could sin in peace. However, she overlooked the fact that even though she no longer needed to meet John, one day she would still have to meet God. Sin cannot be hidden from Him. He sees it all.

Gospel of Mark Study #17

“Gettin’ Too Big for His Britches”

Mark 6:1-13

Study #17 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

There is an old saying that goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” What does that mean? The word contempt means, “to look down upon” or “to think little of.” It is different from hatred, although contempt can lead to hatred. When we are around something every day, we start to take it for granted. It becomes “old hat” to us. We may lose sight of how precious that thing is because we see it every day and to us it becomes just another dusty old piece of junk.

TRANSITION:

Jesus lived the first 30 years of His earthly life in Nazareth, a humble little town in Galilee. His father, Joseph, was a village carpenter. Jesus, as the eldest son, followed in His father’s footsteps. After Joseph died, probably when Jesus was still in His teens, He took on the job of breadwinner for the family and helped His mother care for His younger siblings. He was known as “the carpenter,” “the tékton” (ὁ τέκτων), a skilled craftsman who worked with wood and stone. Nearly everyone in that town knew of His fine work. But a Rabbi? with disciples? with a new message? HARDLY! To them He was just a lowly blue-collar working man, like them. They concluded that He was just getting too uppity. They thought that He was getting too big for His britches. Let’s look at the story in Mark 6:1-13. 

NOTES on the Text

Verse 1: Jesus left there and went to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples.

·         “Jesus left there...” Where is “there”? We do not know exactly but probably Capernaum, or Bethsaida, or one of the towns close to there.

·         “...went to His hometown...” There is no question about this one—He went back to Nazareth where He spent the first thirty years of his life. And this time He took His disciples with Him. The two towns are about 20 miles apart. Biblical archaeologists tell us that Nazareth in the time of Jesus had a population of about 500 people. It was a little backwater town of no real importance, giving rise to the uncomplimentary adage known throughout Israel, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Verse 2: When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!”

·         This was undoubtedly the synagogue He had attended for 30 years, along with His brothers. It was the same synagogue Joseph, His earthly father, had attended. Jesus probably knew every person there, and they all knew Him. Moreover, He had probably made furniture or built something for every man in the room. They all knew Him, and He knew all of them.

·         It was the custom for the ruler of the synagogue to invite a guest to read the Scripture text for the day and to make comments on it. Jesus had moved away from Nazareth but now had come back home for a visit. As a recognized Rabbi, traveling with a band of His disciples, He was given the honor of speaking to the assembly, even though many of the people there did not like Him anymore, thinking he had grown too uppity.

·         Matthew records this same event in Nazareth in Matthew 13:54-58 giving the same basic details. However, you need to remember that this was not the first time Jesus showed up back in His hometown to attend the synagogue service. Luke records that first experience in Luke 4:16 30. On that occasion, shortly after His time of temptation in the wilderness, He went there alone and performed no miracles. What I find fascinating is that after the horrible treatment Jesus got the first time He would ever consider going back to Nazareth. It is a testimony of His mercy and forgiveness. Let’s take a quick look at what happened that first time: Luke 4:16-30.

Ø  Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵ He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised Him. ¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. And He stood up to read. ¹⁷ The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place [in Isaiah 61] where it is written: ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” ²⁰ Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him, ²¹ and He began by saying to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. ²³ Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ²⁴ “I tell you the truth,” He continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵ I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” ²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹ They got up, drove Him out of the town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. ³⁰ But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way. ³¹ Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people.

·         So now He has come back to Nazareth and once again chooses to go to the same synagogue where they threw Him out the last time He was in town. But notice: they recognized the power of His words and even His ability to perform great miracles. Yet they took offense at Him. They resented Him. They turned to one another and remarked: “Who does he think he is, coming back here like this and telling us that we are all sinners and need to repent and turn back to God? Why, he’s just getting’ too big for his britches!”

·         This may be what the apostle John had in mind when he wrote in John 1:10-12, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, yet those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” 

Verse 3: “Isn’t this the carpenter [i.e., ὁ τέκτων]? Isn’t this Mary’s son, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

·         Why did they take offense at Him? Was He unkind in the way He spoke to them? NO. Was He speaking in a prideful manner? NO. Was everything He said true? YES. So, what was it about Him that hacked them off so badly?

·         “... they took offense at Him.” Literally, “they were scandalized by Him.” The Greek verb scandalídzo (σκανδαλίζω) originally meant “to put a snare or obstacle [σκάνδαλον, scandalon] in the way, to be caught in a trap or snare.” They were caught in the snare of their own unbelief, and they stumbled over Jesus. They just could not bring themselves to believe that He was the Messiah, the Anointed One of Israel that they had been waiting for so long, even though they recognized His power and His miracles. They were blinded by their own unbelief, and they were ensnared by their rationality. They thought that they knew Him, which was, of course, their stumbling stone.

·         One more thing about this verse... a huge segment of Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church, makes the claim that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a perpetual virgin until the day she was carried bodily to Heaven, that she never had sexual intercourse with Joseph, even after the birth of Jesus. They say that the people mentioned here were not really blood brothers and sisters of Jesus but were stepsiblings, because they were Joseph’s children by a previous marriage. This is ludicrous and does a disservice to the Greek text. This is only one of many passages that speak about Jesus’ brothers and sisters. In fact, the James mentioned here is the James who wrote the Book of James. And Judas, also the half-brother of Jesus wrote the Book of Jude. Apparently, both, along with Jesus’ other family members, became believers after the resurrection of Christ from the dead. 

Verse 4: Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”

·         Here Jesus speaks of three locations where a prophet gets no honor or recognition:

1.       In his own hometown

2.      Among his relatives

3.      Inside his own house (John 7:5 says, “For not even His brothers were believing in Him.”)

·         It is also true that when a person comes to Christ and becomes a new Christian, these are the three hardest nuts to crack, the three places that present the biggest challenges for witnessing and for living a consistent, godly life.

Verses 5-6a: He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them. ⁶ And He was amazed at their lack of faith.

·         It was not that He tried to heal some and found Himself incapable, but that so few people had faith enough to come to Him for healing. Their pride and unbelief kept them home, so they just stayed sick.

·         At the place where the Lord Jesus might have expected to find the greatest faith in Him, He found the most persistent unbelief. And although He was the omniscient Son of God, He marveled at His unbelieving neighbors.

·         Notice: They were “astonished” at His teaching and miracles, and He “marveled” at their unbelief. Similar sensations but for vastly different reasons. 

Verses 6b-7: Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. ⁷ Calling the Twelve to Him, He sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.

·         1^st Stage of His Galilean ministry: He continued His itinerant preaching ministry from town to town.

·         2^nd Stage of His Galilean ministry: He sent out the Twelve, 2-by-2 with authority and power. This was apparently the first time they had gone out without Jesus, and thus it constituted an advanced step in their training.

Verses 8-9: These were His instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. ⁹ Wear sandals, but not an extra tunic.”

·         “Take nothing except a walking stick.” This was to train them in the practice of faith in preparation for the time when they would be completely on their own.

·         They were not to take food along, or even money to buy food. They were not even to carry a bag for personal items. Moreover, they were not to take an extra change of clothes or even wear a double layer. They had the clothes on their backs, their sandals, and a stick, plus nothing!

·         Jesus wanted them to trust Him for their daily bread. He wanted them to trust Him to provide them with clothes to wear. He wanted them to look to Him for a place to lay their heads to sleep. He was teaching them to trust Him in all things, in all situations, all day, all the time.

Verse 10: "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town."

·         Why was this important? If someone opened his/her home to them they were to look at that as God’s provision for their need. Even if someone else came along and offered them better lodgings or more sumptuous fare they were to stay put. They were not to play one host against another.

Verse 11: “And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”

·         This was not as a show of spite, or outrage, or because of the personal affront but as a testimony to show the seriousness of rejecting the message of the Son of God.

Verses 12-13: They went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

·         These guys were complete rookies. None of them had ever preached before. None of them had ever cast out a demon. None of them had ever healed a sick person. They had no power of their own and no knowledge of how to go about the task that Jesus had assigned them. All they had was His example to follow. They had heard Him preach, so they said what they had heard Him say. They had seen Him cast out demons, so they did it the same way He did it, citing His name as their authority over the powers of darkness. They had seen Him heal sick people, so they laid their hands on the sick, anointed them with oil because it was the only medicine they had, and then they prayed like crazy, calling on the strong name of Jesus to heal them.

·         AND IT WORKED! When they preached, people believed their message and got saved. When they did battle with the demons, the powers of darkness fled. When they laid their hands on sick people and prayed for them in Jesus’ name, the people got well, just like Jesus had said would happen.

CONCLUSION:

A principle of Scripture is “a lasting and abiding truth not affected by culture, time, location, or circumstance.” So, what are some “principles” that we can glean from this passage?

1.       People are apt to undervalue things with which they are familiar. The men of Nazareth were offended at our Lord. This still goes on today. Many people still take offense at Him. They bristle at the sound of His name.

2.      Notice how humble was the rank in life which Jesus condescended to occupy before He began his public ministry. They said of Him, “Is not this the carpenter?” It shows that Jesus was not afraid to work with His hands. He has called us to follow in His footsteps of humility and hard work.

3.      We see too, how exceedingly sinful is the sin of unbelief. Two phrases highlight this fact: “He could do no mighty work” at Nazareth because of the hardness of the people’s hearts. And “He marveled because of their unbelief.” Unbelief is the oldest sin in the world. It began in the Garden of Eden and brought death to the whole world. It kept Israel out of Canaan for forty years. It is the sin that especially populates Hell: “He that believeth not shall be damned.” Yet it is the most common sin in the world. Thousands are guilty of it on every side. In many cases they claim to be Christians, but in practice they are really unbelievers. They do not implicitly believe the Bible and receive Christ as their Savior.

4.      We need to watch our own hearts carefully, even after we have believed. The root of unbelief is never destroyed this side of Heaven.

5.      Jesus never passed through Nazareth again. That was His last visit to His boyhood home. He left, never to return. The people there lost their opportunity because of their hard hearts and blind eyes.