Super-quick post today, because I've got to get to work. I'll comment this afternoon--until then, talk amongst yourselves. :-D
Mark 3:7-19 (New International Version, ©2010)
Crowds Follow Jesus
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him. Jesus Appoints the Twelve
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Wow, just reading the first half of this passage makes me feel overwhelmed and a little claustrophobic. The idea of so many people pressing into Jesus to receive healing that he couldn't even teach, and had to get into a boat in order to have enough space to talk, is astonishing.
ReplyDeleteBut obviously, teaching was a HUGE priority to Jesus!
I think it's interesting to see how his appointment of the twelve followed this--he appointed them so they could preach and have the authority to drive out demons. Jesus was delegating!
It's also interesting to note that the disciples weren't just "the twelve" as they're refered to here.
Once again we see that an unclean spirit was told to be silent about testifying about the Lord Jesus Christ. I think this is the third time we see this in Mark and we are only into chapter 3. That being the case, there must be a lesson that I need to learn and I think it has to do with the vessel that proclaiming who Christ is and why He came.
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that the unclean spirits know who He is (Mark 1:24,34; 3:11,12) and according to Matthew 8:29, they also understood the timing of what God had in store for them. Remember in Mark 1:15, when Jesus Christ began to preach the gospel He said, “The time is fulfilled.” So, why were they not allowed to speak and give testimony of who He is?
Most likely, it is because they were unclean. So, even if they knew who He is and what He came to accomplish, the Lord Jesus Christ preferred not to have them declare it because that would imply an association with them. Over and over in the gospel accounts we see the scribes and Pharisees accuse Jesus Christ of having a devil or doing the work of the devil.
2 Timothy 2:21 KJV If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
How much more believable and convincing is our testimony of who Christ is and what He accomplished when our lives have been purged of the things that dishonor God.
That had occured to me--the unholy spirits certainly weren't trying to do anything holy by proclaiming that Jesus was God's son! And really, ANYTHING coming out of their mouths couldn't have been wholesome--even if it was true.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I had never thought about that, with the unclean spirits. But can we ever completely purge our lives of the things that dishonor God? At what point are we clean enough to give testimony to Him?
ReplyDeleteJesus tells lots of people not to tell what he has done for them, the "messianic secret". I had always assumed it was to keep the governing officials from coming after Him until the correct time?
Lots of food for thought, thanks.