Mark 3:20-30

Jesus is too busy even to eat. People are following him into the house. When you have a sick family member with you and you've traveled for miles, you don't care what Jesus' needs are.

Jesus' mother, brothers and sisters think he's gone crazy. They want to bring him home. Then the Jewish leaders claimed he was possessed by Satan himself, for who else could drive out a demon but the demon's master? Makes sense...seems the only possibility.

But Jesus puts a big hole in their reasoning. Why in the world would Satan do that? Why would he give anyone the power to cast out demons? That would be stupid!

Jesus says to them that there are many spirits, but only one Holy Spirit. Don't deny Him, don't dismiss Him or you are forever damned.

I was watching Oprah being spiritual yesterday, and I thought of all the other demons that have people going in circles around Christianity and feeling good about themselves. Biblical truths applied in part, leaving out the sin part and the Jesus part, seem to be enough for our modern spiritual seekers. They have all the best motives and all the love and the seeking and the helping and the serving, but they don't have sin and they don't need a Savior.

Mark 3:13-19

Jesus choosees twelve to be apostles (sent out ones) for the purpose of preaching. They would have the power to drive out demons, which is great power, God's power. So of course they would also be able to heal diseases. The miracles would give backing to the message, proof that the message was from God.

Simon Peter, James and John of Zebedee, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus,Simon and Judas Iscariot.

Jesus chose the one who would betray him. Knew it ahead of time, but treated him no differently. Gave the treasury to him, not to Matthew. Entrusted him with responsibility, even knowing that trust would be broken.

Mark 3:7-12

These verses tell us the impact Jesus has made. He is up in Galilee, but people are coming from across the Jordan River, from Judea (having to pass through Samaria) and up from Tyre and Sidon (usually inhabited by other nations but containing many Jews). Where's Idumea? The Biblical World resource says Idumea is a name given by Greeks and Romans to the area of the Edomites, which is down south of Judea and on the eastern side of the Jordan River.

The point is, people are coming from all over. They are making tortuous journeys with their sick in tow, suffering all the hardships of the journey in order to see Jesus and find healing. Every evil spirit recognized Jesus as the Son of God, but each time Jesus commanded their silence. They recognized Him, not by sight, but by His Spirit. But Jesus doesn't want Satan's help; He will reveal Himself by signs and wonders and by His authority and knowledge of God's Word.

Mark 3:1-6

Another Sabbath story: Jesus enters a synagogue to worship, probably to preach. He sees a man with a shriveled hand. He knows there are those in the crowd who are just waiting for him to do something wrong. Until now they probably didin't have the rule, "Don't heal on the Sabbath" since they didn't see much of that, but they've decided that healing must involve some kind of work, energy expended, so it must be a sin. They are so intent on every jot and tittle that they are blind to what the healings mean!

It means that God is in their presence, God is working in their midst! They should be following him, seeking him, spreading the news, asking him all their questions. Instead, from this point on a group of Jews begin to plot his death. We must get rid of this nuisance--he is going to ruin everything!

Mark 2:23

This is a toughie because God has always been very severe with people who mishandled items of worship, who lacked respect for the things of God. When Jesus uses the example of David and the consecrated bread, it's a point that man's needs are more important than things. You have a person dying from thirst and the only liquid around is the communion wine, you give it to him.

It's the Sabbath and the disciples are husking their own grain to eat. No one's feeding them lunch. The idea that they are "working" is really one of those extreme conclusions derived by religious leaders. The Sabbath was not intended to be a burden on the people, a list of do's and don'ts. It was a day set aside so people could step away from their ordinary routines and focus on the Lord.

Mark 2:18-22

Jesus instructs us on true religion. He does not rebuke people for fasting, but says that there is a time to fast and a time to rejoice and celebrate. John's disciples are probably fasting because the Baptist is in jail, or because they are looking for a Messiah. The Pharisees fast as a rule, as a sign of a sincere Jew, more for looks. Both sides are out of focus. The Messiah is here! No need to fast or implore God for the time of salvation. He is here! He is with us! Time to celebrate!

v. 21-22 Neither side can take Jesus or his message and make it fit their way of thinking. Jesus is the real thing. They all need to abandon their limited ideas and beliefs about who the Messiah will be an embrace Christ. You have to believe Jesus is the Christ first before anything makes sense.

Mark 2:13-17

The religious leaders are once again perplexed. First he's forgiving sins and acting like God, then he's eating with tax collectors and other worldly Jews whom the Pharisees considered unclean. To eat with an unclean person is to make yourself unclean, simply by touching the same dishes and the same food.

Jesus' comment essentially is, "That's what I'm here for--to save sinners, people who see their need, who admit their sin; you religious people think you're okay because you don't eat with sinners or hang with unclean people, but your hearts are far from me."

In our sinful flesh we definitely see ourselves as better than we are. We're always better than the people we compare ourselves to. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we see our sin.

Mark 2:1-12

Jesus asserts his authority to forgive sins in full view of the religious leaders. It's one thing for him to heal people--they can accept that he's FROM God, maybe like the prophets of old, but they can't accept that he IS God! Only God can forgive sins. I'm sure he began to make enemies on that day. He could have healed the paralytic without being so confrontational, but it was time. He didn't want them to follow him just because he could heal them. He was there to save sinners by forgiving sins. What good is it to save the body if it dies in its sin and the soul is eternally lost? The body will one day get sick again and die, but the soul lives on.