Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Mark 6:1-6: Rejection, and not the dating kind

There is a poster on the wall in a hallway of the school where a substitute teach a lot.  It says, "if at first you fail, you're in good company" and on the poster are pictures of some of our nations most famous leaders including Lincoln, FDR, and Harry Truman.  It's odd to think of Abraham Lincoln as a failure, but the New York Herald would say this about him after his nomination to be the Republican candidate for president in 1860:
“The conduct of the Republican party in this nomination is a remarkable indication of small intellect, growing smaller.  They pass over…statesmen and able men, and they take up a fourth rate lecturer, who cannot speak good grammar.”
It shows the quality of the Herald's judgment that Lincoln, whom they criticized as a fourth-rate lecturer incapable of speaking good grammar, wrote one of the greatest speeches in American history in the Gettysburg Address.  No doubt the New York Herald's opinion was driven in large part by geographical and educational bias.  Being from the "frontier" and not having attended an elite Ivy-League school in the east, how could Lincoln possibly possess what is necessary to lead a country?!  When it speaks of the people being "offended" by Jesus in verse 3 of Mark 6, the word used in the Greek is the same word that gives us our word "scandal".  It was scandalous to them that Jesus would assume the authority of a teacher in the synagogue, especially in light of His humble background.  They knew Jesus, the reference to Him being the "son of Mary" was more than likely an indirect insult referring to the questionable circumstances of His birth, as at that time men were almost always referred to as the son of their father rather than their mother.  Celsus, a 2nd century critic of Christianity would deride it for having a common laborer, Jesus the carpenter, as its founder.  We learn from the life of Christ that rejection often has as much to do with other people's inability to move beyond their preconceptions, as it has to do with our own inabilities.  It's worth asking the question, do our preconceptions ever prevent us from seeing Jesus for who He truly is?
It's encouraging to see that even when we misjudge Jesus, even when we fail to properly understand Him, we can always correct our mistakes.  We have seen that Jesus family didn't start out as huge fans of His ministry, and yet at least a few of those family members changed their tune.  Jesus' mother Mary is seen at the foot of His cross in John 19, and gathered with the apostles in Acts 1:14.  Similarly, Jesus' brother James is referred to as a leader of, perhaps even THE leader of the Jerusalem church in both Acts and Galatians.  If Jesus' own family, which in the beginning was so critical of His ministry, can change their minds and eventually take on leading roles in spreading Christ's kingdom, why can't we move past our past inabilities and short-comings to become better followers of Jesus?  After all, when it comes to discipleship past failure is no barrier to future success.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Mark 5:21-43: The Story of Two Women

This is the story of two women.  One is helpless to act on her own behalf, while the other is legally prohibited from doing so.  How does faith impact the lives of these two women?  What can we learn from their stories?  If our eyes and ears are attentive to the grace that they received- one through her own boldness, and the other through the boldness of another- then we will learn something not only about their own experience, but also about the possibilities of our own future with a generous and loving God.
The first thing that strikes us is the combination of humility and boldness exhibited by both Jairus, and the woman with the issue of blood.  Here is Jairus, a synagogue official, falling at the feet of Jesus, who has no officially recognized station or position.  In this moment, his own pride matters very little, when placed on a balance with the health of his little girl.  More than likely some of his friends in the religious establishment would have whispered among themselves at his willingness to approach this Jesus fellow, whose "official" credentials were non-existent.  And yet, in this moment the circumstances of Jairus' life have forced him to come to the realization that he needs help, and so he bows, before the only one who seemingly has the ability to deliver his little girl.  If Jairus' actions are humble with a touch of boldness, then the actions of the woman with the issue of blood are quite the opposite, being characterized by a boldness that causes her to defy the rules her community lives by.  According to the law, she shouldn't even be in the crowd (see Leviticus 15: 25-30), as her medical condition makes her ritually unclean.  And yet, here she is, bold enough to break the law because it has become obvious to her that it is the only chance she has at receiving healing.  Faith is recognizing our own limitations, knowing when we need help, and boldly approaching the only one capable of providing the grace and forgiveness we need to desperately.
A second thing we learn from Jesus' interaction with the woman, and with Jairus' daughter, is that we are not defined by those around us.  On the contrary, we are defined by Jesus Christ, the one who created us.  In the eyes of society the woman was physically ill; impoverished, because doctors charge whether they are successful at healing you or not; and ritually unclean.  This is how others saw her.  Jesus' saw her in a very different way, as witnessed by the act that He calls her "daughter".  By referring to her in a way that demonstrates her intrinsic value, Jesus is granting her not only physical healing, but also binding up the spiritual and psychological wounds see has suffered because of her long illness.  In a similar way, Jairus' daughter was labeled by those around her as being dead, and understandably so.  Their fault lies not because they saw the little girl as dead, for that was in reality her situation.  Their failure was in failing to understand the scope of Jesus' power, and it's ability to defeat even death itself.  Their laughter calls to mind other instances of people laughing in the Bible.  Both Abraham and Sarah laugh at the thought of a couple their age having a child (Gen. 17:15-17 & 18:9-15).  The soldiers and those present for Jesus' crucifixion mock Him and make light of His death.  In both instances, that of Abraham and Sarah, and that of the soldiers and crowd that mock Jesus, the laughter and mockery is over-whelmed by the power of God to accomplish His plan on the earth, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  If God can cause the old to bear children and the dead to rise, surely He can accomplish His will in each of our lives, despite what others may say or think.  The opinions of others are shown to be beyond insignificant in the presence of our resurrected Lord.
A final lesson that we can learn from this story is perhaps the most important one of the three, and that is that nothing separates us from the love of Christ.  We typically place a lot of pressure on ourselves to "get things right" when it comes to our religious life.  While it is an admirable goal to want to rightly understand God's will for us, and one that I think is worthy of pursuit, at times in our zeal to pursue that goal we buy into the idea that a failure to properly understand on our part will become an impediment to God's grace.  Consider the instance of the woman with the issue of blood.  Her desire to touch Jesus' garment was almost certainly related to a prevalent belief at the time that the garments of powerful figures were themselves imbued with power.  Is this actually how it worked?  No.  However, even in her misunderstanding the woman recognized Jesus as a powerful figure, and thus sought Him out.  Notice that despite her failure to understand the process, she is still healed.  It is after she is healed that Jesus takes the time to correct her thinking, telling her that her faith has made her well.  What does this mean?  It means that perhaps we should spend less time dissecting the process, and more time studying and reflecting on the one who empowers the process.  Faith comes with a certain degree of mystery, elements of belief that lie beyond understanding.  It's not misunderstanding that leads us astray, but our efforts to explain the inexplicable.  It's a manifestation of God's grace that even when we don't get everything right, He still imparts healing, just as He did for the woman with the issue of blood.  For Jesus' part, it's also worth noticing that in healing the woman, Jesus subjects Himself to ritual impurity.  It may be a little odd to think of Jesus' as being ritually impure, but then again it is also a little odd to think of a crucified Messiah.  If we are impressed by Jesus' willingness to cross the boundaries of ritual purity, how much more impressed will we be when we see Him cross the boundary between life and death?  Jesus' willingness to die is His own way of defining, or shall we say redefining who we are, and at the same time demonstrating the boundless love of a God who goes anywhere, and does anything necessary to reconcile us to Himself.        

Monday, November 7, 2011

Mark 5:1-20: because we all have a demon in us

At first it's easy to look at a story of a demon-possessed man and think, "how in the world does this relate to me?"  We live in a more "civilized" age where what was once thought to be demon-possession, is now more accurately diagnosed as epilepsy, or some other medical condition that causes seizures.  However, what if we lay aside our rationalistic critiques of Scripture for a moment in an attempt to see the deeper meaning behind Jesus' interaction with this man.  After all, the Gospel of Mark is not a medical textbook, but rather the story of the good news of Jesus Christ, and the grace and healing that he embodies.  I think that if we view this story through the lens of experience, as it was meant to be seen, then we will see that from this man's experience we learn three things are as true for us today as they were for him, changes in scientific terminology not withstanding.
The first thing that we learn is that Jesus meets us where we are.  It's a common misconception, one reinforced by our semantics at times, that we "come" to Jesus.  The entire story of Jesus Christ is one in which He comes to us.  It's what gives such power and mystery to the story of the Incarnation and the virgin birth.  The idea that God would in humility become like the very humans He created speaks of God's willingness, even His eagerness to enter into a relationship with us.  It is true that we find people in the gospels coming to Jesus, but their actions are made possible only because He first came to us as a helpless child in a manger in Bethlehem.  Beyond the larger action of the Incarnation, Jesus shows a remarkable willingness in His everyday life to go wherever He is needed.  The present case is perhaps one of the most notable examples, as Jesus has left Jewish soil and entered Gentile territory, and not just Gentile territory, but a ritually unclean cemetery where a ritually unclean demon-possessed man resides.  Nothing, not geographic borders, not ritualistic purity laws, not even the humiliating act of emptying Himself and taking the form of a servant (see Philippians 2), will prevent Christ from going where He is most needed, and faithfully meeting us there.

A second enduring truth we learn from this man's experience is that we all have demons.  Again, the terminology can obscure our ability to actually see the similarities between this man's experience and our own.  We see him referred to as demon-possessed, and we automatically assume that we have very little in common with him.  On the contrary, if we look at his symptoms rather than the diagnosis we may be shocked to see exactly how much we resemble this man at times.  "Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones."  (v. 5)  The self-loathing that motivates the cutting of oneself is something that we have not escaped, despite all of our scientific advancement and improved diagnostic ability.  Too many people, especially young people, have directed a hatred inward at themselves that manifests itself in violent, self-destructive ways.  Every year, 11 out of every 100,000 people in the United States will take their own life.  In 2006, over 33,000 people in the United States killed themselves.  If we think a little more generally, we see that self-destructive behavior is not limited to suicidal attempts or overt acts of violence against ourselves.  From 2001-2005 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that there were around 79,000 alcohol-related death.  How many of us walk around having damaged our bodies because of addiction, whether it be to alcohol, drugs, or even sex.  Our understanding of medicine and even the human mind may have advanced substantially since the day that this demon-possessed man encountered Jesus, but the fact remains that we all have demons.  Our refusal to acknowledge them as such doesn't change the reality of our situation.  When Jesus comes to us, we are all in some way the victims of our own self-destructive behavior.

The final truth we learn from this man's experience is one that comes as a great relief, and that is that we can encounter Jesus just as we are.  I have found that people often feel the need to "clean up" their life before becoming a Christian, or getting involved in church.  Imagine if we took the same attitude toward our physical health.  What we think of someone who insisted on waiting to go to the doctor until the were completely healthy?  We might begin to assume that their problem wasn't physical, but perhaps mental in nature!  Doctors are there for the express purpose of treating us when we are ill, or injured.  We come to them sick and broken, so that we might find healing.  Why then, do we so many times insist on getting our lives in order before we turn to Jesus?  An even more pressing question is, why do our churches insist on only admitting those whose lives are "in order"?  It's the spiritual equivalent of a hospital rejecting the wounded for fear of getting blood on the floor.  We see this man come to Jesus, and even as he cries out he recognizes Jesus for who He is, stating "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"  It is ironic that even in his demon-possessed state this man is able to see clearly enough to recognize Jesus as the "Son of the Most High God", something Jesus' own disciples have failed to do.   (Mark 4:41)  Maybe it is even the process of acknowledging our demons that causes us to see Jesus more clearly, that drives us to cast ourselves into His merciful arms where healing can be found.  The picture of this formerly demon-possessed man is a powerful testimony to Jesus ability to drive out own own demons, for they "came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid."  He who was naked, is now clothed.  He whose consciousness was once racked by demons, now sits calmly.  He who once lived in a cemetery among the tombs of the dead, now sits at the feet of Jesus, who will conclusively demonstrate His power to give life when he triumphs over sin and death through His own resurrection.  Perhaps we should all consider a similar move, from the cemetery of our past where the demons hold us in their grip, to the presence of Jesus, where the Son of the Most High casts out the sin and death associated with our past.      

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Mark 4:35-41: chaos past, present, and future

In biblical days, especially in the period in which the Old Testament was written, the waters of the sea represented chaos.  It was a commonly held belief in many ancient mythologies that the powers of evil, and chaotic spirits resided in the deep.  No doubt this connection is based on the very real power, and large scope, of the seas and oceans that cover our planet.  Our own creation narrative in Genesis speaks of God dividing the waters and bringing forth land.  It is easy for us to look back on these ancient peoples, and even perhaps the people of the Old Testament, and view their beliefs as being somewhat outdated to say the least.  And yet, even today we still use the imagery of water to describe some of our most out-of-control and helpless moments.  All of us at some point in our lives have used phrases like "I'm drowning in work", "the storms of life", or perhaps even referred to our emotions as having a "sinking feeling".
The point is, whether we admit it or not, we know that there is a very good reason why large bodies of water and chaos are so frequently linked.  Furthermore, we can understand why the disciples would be terrified when encountering a storm on the open water.  The small size of their boat was no match for the vastness of the sea.  This story is about more than a miracle, it's about how we view our problems.  Do we view them in relation to our own powerlessness, or do we view them in the context of God's omnipotence?  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that to view them in their proper context, the one where God's power is taken into account, is easy.  On the contrary, it's quite difficult, precisely because it is in those moments where we feel so helpless.
The thing I take away from all of this is the noticeable difference between Jesus' response and that of the disciples.  The disciples are responding out of their fear, and understandably so.  Jesus however, isn't responding at all.  In fact, he is sleeping.  His ability to rest in even the most perilous of moments is a testimony to His unfailing confidence in God's power at work in Him.  Scripture itself testifies to this power.  The psalmist would ask, "O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?  You rule the raging sea; when its waves rise, you still them." (Psalm 89:8-9)  This refers to the power of God, but another psalm speaks even more specifically to the situation of the disciples:
"Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.  For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.  They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end.  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.  Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!  Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders." (Psalm 107:23-32)
Jesus' disciples fail to make the connection.  Perhaps they didn't know their Bible as well as they should, or maybe they just didn't have the eyes of faith to see what was happening around them.  While they might have failed to recognize Jesus' true identity here, eventually they do see Him for who He is.  We know this not only because we read of their boldness of faith later in Scripture, but because the art of the early church demonstrates a faithful understanding of this story.  In early Christian art the church was often portrayed as a boat, with Jesus stationed in the rear, just as He was in this story when the disciples boat encountered such a dangerous storm.  It is understandable why Mark's first readers would relate so strongly to this story.  The early church was in the midst of a great persecution, and were no doubt asking many of the same questions the disciples did when confronted with the storm.  "Does he not care that we are perishing?"  This story would have been of great comfort to them, as it shows that while God may appear to be "asleep", he is never powerless.  We can never simply wish our problems away, but we can put them in context.  While the storms of life may be infinitely more powerful than we are ourselves, our God is more powerful still.