The Gospel According To Mark (Part 21)

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The Gospel According to Mark

(Part 21)

 

Good Morning and Welcome to Jesus Church

We are well into our series studying the life/ministry of Jesus

• Last week Alex did a great job walking us through beginning of Mk 6
  • Where Jesus comes to his hometown of Nazareth
  • And your home should be a safe place
  • Whether family home/church home… place people know you
• Unfortunately for Jesus as he goes home – It isn’t a safe place
  • The people don’t really know him… know him but don’t see him
  • The one place he should be able to go for rest & restoration
  • Is now a hostile and uninhabitable territory
• And maybe you have dealt with a home that isn’t safe
  • A place where you should be able to go – But you can’t
  • I think you need to hear this morning that Jesus can relate to you

Jn 14:2-6 (explain Jewish cultural homes)

In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am there you may be also.

Everyone needs a home – Jesus knows that… and he’s hope 4 that home

• He created the church to be the family
  • Not that the building is home… in fact heaven isn’t even home
  • God is our home
• Why its so important to invest time w/ Him: Individually/Corporately
  • Because with him is where we find peace – souls are restored
  • Stop looking for temporary things to be your home… never satisfy
  • Come home to the Father – He is what you’ve been searching for

Open your Bible… Mark 6:6b (Gk no paragraph breaks)

Mk 6:6b-30

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

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.” Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like on of the prophets of long ago.” But when Herod heard this, he said “John whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him boun and put in prison. He did this because of Herodais, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to 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.

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. When the daughter of Herodias (Herod’s 13 year old step daughter) 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.” And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you up to half my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist” she answered. (Mom of the year award)

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.” The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. On hearing this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

[PRAY]

 

Anyone here like a good sandwich

We’ll actually be selling sandwiches like this in our new commons

• Best part… $$ wont go to corperate liberals… but ministry/outreach
  • How many would rather support the Gospel over Starbucks
  • But not today – Next week give you free hamburgers & hotdogs
• I love a good sandwich… I’ll even still take a Peanut butter & Jelly
  • There are times that nothing sounds better than a good sandwich
  • And someone else who loved sandwiches is Mark
  • Because what we just read is known as a Markian Sandwich
• (What is that) It’s a way of writing only Mark uses in the scripture
  • Where he basically sandwiches 2 stories together
  • This happens all over the Gospel of Mark
  • He tells 1 story… cuts it in half… in middle he puts another story
    • And the 2 stories flavor each other

1^st story is like the English muffin / 2^nd story is the egg & sausage

NT Wright

The texture of the outer story adds zest to the inner one; the taste of the inner one brings flavor to the outer one.

• Problem: These 2 stories seem to have nothing to do with each other
  • But when you bite in… realize something is connecting them
  • And through that Mark is trying to tell us something
    • About Jesus… his ministry
    • About us
    • About the world we live in

Mk 6:6b-7

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

• Jesus is now on mission – Teaching all over the place – It’s go time
  • Peter is excited… James/John are excited
  • But everything is by foot… no social media/tv/printed paper
  • And all Jesus needs to share is too much work for 1 person
• In ancient world you would send out reps to speak on your behalf
  • They would go in ur name… speak with your authority
  • So Jesus is stretched thin – He belives his disciples are ready
  • That’s good news – To this point they love Jesus but not too bright

And these are the instruction that Jesus gave them

Mk 6:8

These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt.

• Now what you have to catch is all of this language is super symbolic
  • Any 1^st century Jew would know this sounds just like the Exodus
    • 1: There are 12 disciples sent out just like 12 tribes of Israel
    • 2: And the staff – Icon for Moses for most of his miracles
    • 3: Talks about no bread… famous unleaven bread on Exodus
    • 4: Clothing instructions (sandals/bag/shirt)
      • Almost exactly what Israel told to wear leaving Egypt
• Mark is saying Israel’s story from way back when
  • Now fulfilling what the story has been leading to for centuries
  • Jesus is a new Moses… Disciples are a new Israel
  • Together they are leading the people out of slavery
    • Into freedom and a promised kingdom

Mk 6:9-12

Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

• Detail Mark gives is “shake the dust off your feet” – what’s that mean
  • Jesus saying WHEN you are rejected (and you will be rejected)
  • There is a symbolic ritual I want you to do
• When a traveler would return to Israel after visiting somewhere else
  • Before he would step onto Jewish soil… he would shake dust off
  • Because Rabbi’s said EVEN THE DUST outside Israel is unclean
• This is Jesus saying: If a city says no to you… they’re saying no to God
  • And even in Israel they are no better than a pagan city
  • Which means Jesus is desacralizing the Promised Land
  • Meaning salvation isn’t based on where you live/blood line
    • But rather by faith… Today that’s normal but then was radical

TAG: This story isn’t over… but Mark presses pause to tell another story

Now we hit the middle of the sandwich and its messy

Mk 6:14-16

King Herod heard about this (Herod is sorta like a governor), 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.” Others said, “He is Elijah.” (OT prophet who technically doesn’t die… prophecy in Malachi says he will come before Messiah) And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like on of the prophets of long ago.” But when Herod heard this, he said “John whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

• So why would this educated guy Herod be afraid of John the Baptist
  • Herod had the guys head chopped off
  • Why would he be afraid of John coming back

Mk 6:17

For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodais, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

So who is this guy: He is a son of Herod the Great (killed all the babies)

• This new Herod divorced his first wife
  • Had an affair with his sister-in-law and then married her
  • And everyone knew about this because this affair started a war
• 1^st wife was princess… when Herod divorced her, her dad was so mad
  • He started a war with Israel which Herod lost
  • And Mark is almost mocking Herod here

Notice that Mark calls Herod the King… this is actually sarcasm

• Herod was never a king – he was barely a ruler
  • There was no land for him to be king over
  • But he wanted to be king…
  • Actually asked Rome to make him king
• Rome’s reply was to banish him to a remote island
  • And everyone knew about this whole story
  • So if you are reading this when Mark wrote it
  • You would hear Mark call Herod a king and probably laugh

So why would John risk his neck to call out Herod of all people

• Its because Herod wanted to become king of Israel
  • And John wanted to prepare the way for THE TRUE king of Israel
  • That’s what Messiah means… the coming king of Israel/World
• John calling out Herod’s sick relational history hurt Herod’s dream
  • So Herod throws him in prison to keep him quiet
  • But something inside Herod knows what John says is right
    • It says Herod Feared John
    • It says Herod Protected John
    • Herod knew he was righteous and holy
    • And he was confused by… but liked to listen to John teach
• Herod’s wife on the other hand hates John and wants him dead
  • Uses her daughter to dance before Herod and all his drunk friends
  • From the language her daughter was probably 12 or 13
  • And not a dance any mom would want her daughter to perform

Herodias gets Herod to give her daughter anything she wants

Mk 6:24-29

She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist” she answered. 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.” The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. On hearing this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

• What a sad, awful way to die… for a man called Righteous & Holy
  • Who Jesus will call the greatest prophet to ever walk the earth
  • Died b/c of a drunk, perverted spinless man with too much power

Its a depressing story… but keep reading b/c that was only the middle

• Mark now tells the ending of the first story… only one line

Mk 6:30

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

• Its just one sentence… but ties up the 1^st story that wasn’t finished
  • They have been learning from Jesus waiting their chance
  • And now they were sent out and it went better than expected
  • They’re preaching the kingdom / praying for healing and seeing it
• And this is the first time the name disciple is changed to apostle
  • Which in the Greek means “Sent one”

So what’s Mark doing: Why tie these 2 stories together

One is depressing and sickening… other is exciting and full of anticipation

James Edwards

What does Mark intend by tying the martyrdom of the Baptizer to the mission of the 12? The sandwich structure crams mission and martyrdom, discipleship and death, into an inseparable relationship. This is exactly what Jesus will teach later when he says “If anyone would come after me, he muyst deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

• In fact this language used here – John is handed over
  • Later used for Jesus – Jesus is handed over
  • Later used for Jesus followers – Jesus says you’ll be handed over
  • And even the 12… all but one are murdered for following Jesus
• And what John gives us is the reality of how hard following Jesus is
  • Imagine reading this right now… Christian in China/Syria/N. Korea
  • You know more Christians are killed today than ever in history
  • 105k per year… 1 murder per minute… 25 in my sermon time
    • Yet they will never back down b/c they know Jesus is King
• Mark is saying: No matter what you are up against… you’re not alone
  • You are with John the Baptist… 12 disciples… Jesus himself

 

A couple thoughts on what all this means…

 

1 – Just like disciples, we are sent out to speak & serve

Mk 6:7

Calling the twelve to him, he BEGAN to send them out two by two…

That is super bizarre language… he began to send them out?

• But its Marks way of hinting that this is only the beginning
  • God’s not done
  • There is much more to come
• B/C truth is all of us are sent – “Sent” is where we get “missionary”
  • Now in America we have a wrong way of thinking of this word
  • Sent (Gk) > Missio (latin) > Missionary (English)
  • We hear missionary… think 2 or 3 people who move to Africa
    • I don’t believe that is a correct understanding of missionary
• But biblically if missionary means “Sent” then we are all missionaries
  • I am a missionary to Phoenix… Glendale… Peoria
  • My son is a missionary to his football team
  • Kyle is a missionary to his HVAC school
  • Deanna is a missionary to her hospital
• So if you are a follower of Jesus… then you are a missionary
  • Because we are called to “GO”
  • Some of us are called to go to Mexico in Sept (build a house)
  • Most of you are called to a BBQ next Sunday – bring a friend
    • We are called right where we do life

And we are called to speak… AND TO SERVE (and they are inseparable)

Mk 6:12-13, 30

They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them…

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

• We are called to speak (Bible uses the word PREACH)
  • But biblical preaching … Which isn’t what I’m doing right now
    • Biblically preaching is just TELLING THE JESUS STORY
    • “Preach” was actually a Roman word everyone understood
    • Someone who announced things for the King to the Kingdom
  • So anytime you tell the Jesus story… even a small part – Preaching
    • At your lunch break at work
    • At the park with your friends
    • This is how I got through a hard time… Prayer/Church/Bible
      • At Christmas time… I believe in the birth (preaching)
• But we are also called to serve
  • And Jesus would serve people expecting nothing in return
    • How many people did Jesus heal never to hear from again
    • In fact the Bible says he came to die…
    • Because Jesus served with no strings attached
  • Reason Jesus served was to show the inbreaking Kingdom of God
    • It’s the reason we serve as well… Not for profit or gain
    • But because we are called to show the world who Jesus is
• And you can’t just pick one or the other – I mean you can…
  • Some are all about speaking… no problem walking up to someone
    • They’ll go door to door all day
    • Stand up on a milk carton
  • Others find it more comfortable to serve… and serving is good
    • But do you talk about Jesus
    • Because you’re called to… we are called to both

 

2 – Some will accept/reject… you’re just called to go

And that is so freeing – you are only responsible to obey and that’s it

• And if people reject you… shake the dust off your feet
  • And that’s not in a vindictive way – still show Jesus to them
  • But Jesus is expecting people to not accept what you have to say
• Remember: We follow a God who was crucified
  • And not everyone is going to like or accept Jesus
  • The made up (anything goes b/c love is love) Jesus… sure
  • But the Jesus Mark shows us was rejected far more than accepted
• And if people reject what you say… that’s ok
  • You’re not a salesperson for Jesus with a quota/commission
  • Don’t have to learn how to close people on the Gospel (Sprint)

You are a missionary… speak & serve and show Jesus to the world

• It reminds me of the parable of the sower a couple chapters before
  • You are the farmer… job is to toss the seed
  • And then trust – It’s up to God… its up to people
  • All you can do is what you are called to (taking on more is wrong)
• Wherever ur at… people will accept/reject… don’t get discouraged
  • Now if people reject you because of YOU – That’s a problem
  • But if they reject you because of Jesus – In good company

 

3 – Following Jesus is hard, and that’s ok

This is a very realistic story to the original readers

• Remember Mark is writing to the Roman persecuted church (Nero)
  • This isn’t a story that says… don’t worry it won’t happen to you
  • Its saying it happened to John that Baptist…
  • Mark wouldn’t be accepted by the self-help mantra of today
• But I love his honesty… FOLLOWING JESUS NOT EASY (do u agree??)
  • Its not 3 easy steps to maximize you life
  • No its hard/difficult/brutal at times
• Issue is today’s Gospel: Come to Jesus & life will be better/successful
  • And that is true… life is better and more successful with Jesus
  • Problem is God’s definition of “Better/Successful” not like mine

To Jesus… the life on John the Baptist is successful

• We live in a world that celebrates the Herods… not the Johns
  • To Jesus greatness is someone working full time to support family
  • To Jesus greatness is taking care of ur kids – teaching them Jesus
  • To Jesus greatness is staying faithful to a spouse who is dying
  • To Jesus greatness is praying for your spouse who doesn’t believe
• And Jesus will make your life better… and successful 100%
  • But to do that – Completely change how you define those words
  • Its why Jesus says: First will be last and last will be first
  • It’s the upside down kingdom of God

This story is actually a paradox (Joey/I talked about counterfeit truth)

• Herod is the character who has it all
  • Money… power… fame… friends… success
  • According to the world he has it all
• But in the story Herod is the one who’s life is in bondage/chaos
  • Manipulated by his wife
  • Does things he knows are wrong
  • Fearful/hiding from the truth
  • Paranoid and can’t think for himself
• And John is in jail and will be put to death
  • Yet John… and eventually Jesus are the ones who are actually free
  • And in the end
    • Herod who wants to be king and is banished
    • And Jesus who is murdered becomes king of all creation

And Mark invites all of us this morning to follow Jesus… not b/c its easy

• In fact it will be brutal and inconvenient at times
  • But it will also be the most fulfilling life you could ever live
  • Because you actually don’t want to be the Herod of the story
  • The story of John… of Jesus… of disciples is the story you want

[PRAY]