Mark 5:25-28

Mark 5:25–28(NKJV)

25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

As Jesus is on His way to Jairus' house, an enormous crowd is pressing upon Him. Yet, in the middle of all this comotion, there is a woman who has been hemoraging for twelve years, that has spent all her money on doctors that have done nothing for her. She had obviously heard about the man from Galilee and thought to herself, if only she could touch His cloths, she would be made whole. Now, according to what we know here, only one other person had faith in Jesus besides the disciples, and that would be Jairus. The crowd was pushing in on Him, but no one else had the faith of this woman. She was probably too embarrassed to speak to Him directly, but thought that if she could just touch His cloths, she would be healed. She knew nothing about protocol and never thought about going to the Pharisees, who I'm sure would have had nothing to do with her, because her issue would defile them. No! She came to Jesus and believed that she could be healed by simply touching His clothing. Imagine what would be possible if we today believed that strongly in God's ability to heal?

Mark 5:22-24

Mark 5:22–24 (NKJV): 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

The times that Jesus confronted the religious rulers, the constant confrontations with the Sanhedrin, the overall animosity they harbored for Him, would lead one to think that He was always skeptical of them. But Jesus is not like us, He holds no grudge and looks at every opportunity as a gospel moment. Jairus was a leader in one of the synagogues, but one who discerned Jesus' ability to heal his daughter. Two things present themselves in this passage: the first is that Jairus did not allow his religious views to prevent him from doing what he knew he needed to do, humble himself and ask the Master for help. It is common to find people doing what they would not ordinarily do when a family member is at risk. This was Jairus' daughter. How could he allow pride to prevent what he knew in his heart was right. The second thing we find in this passage, is that anyone who comes to Jesus in faith, regardless of who they are, will never be turned away (John 6:37). There is a great lesson for us here. We can never allow pride, position, status, money, or any other worldly or religious principle prevent us from turning to Jesus for healing and help; nor, preventing anyone else from coming to Him because of these things. His arms are always outstretched to those who come to Him.

Mark 5:21

Mark 5:21 (NKJV): 21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.

Wow! He had just crossed the sea and now He's going back. To anyone winessing this, it would seem that He accomplished nothing on the other side, since He was there such a short time. But, Jesus went there for one man who would accomplish what He Himself set out to do, preach the kingdom. We must constantly remind ourselves what was important to the Master, not the miracles, the healings, etc. but the message. And who better to bring it, than the man who was set free from demons?

Mark 5:18-20

Mark 5:18–20 (NKJV): 18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

I don't think any of us quite comprehend Jesus' refusing to allow anyone to follow Him. Some of the blame needs to be on the evangelical church and its preoccupation of people making a profession of faith verses true faith in following Christ, but even still, telling the one who wants to be with Jesus, no, is something we may never wrap our head around. So then, what would be more important than someone being with Jesus? I think we know the answer to that, it is obeying God. This is what Jesus was asking the Demoniac to do, be obedient. There was something more important to Christ at this time and for the people of the this country - a gospel witness. This man would now be able to reach people in an unique way, because he was one of them. Is not this why people who come to faith in Christ are still here rather than transported to heaven? are we not here to reach those within our sphere of influence for the cause of Christ? But obviously, we do not use this scripture to try and establish that Jesus never wants us to be with Him, or that being with Him is somehow shirking one's responsibility to make disciples. We only need to look at what Jesus said to Martha in regards to her sister Mary, "Mary has chosen that good part…". It is always right and desirable to sit at the feet of the master, but when the Master says no because he has something else for us to do, then we listen and obey.

Mark 5:8-17

Mark 5:8–17(NKJV)

8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.

I suppose no one in the faith is surprised that demonic forces are subject to Christ, and would bow down before Him, seeing that He is God. And they beg Him not to send them out of the country. What was so wonderful about the country of the Gadarenes? Nothing for the people of the area, but, definitely fertile ground for demonic influence. They would rather inhabit a herd of pigs, than to be out of work so to speak.

Some have speculated that these demons tricked Jesus by ruining His opportunity to stay and preach in the country, but I think that they themselves were tricked, and I truly know, that no demon is more wise than Christ. In the last section, I said that the demoniac was able, even under such possession and oppression, to come to Jesus by his own volition. Do not the swine have the same ability? Yes, the legion of demons was permitted by Jesus to move into the herd of swine (about 2000), but the demons could never have known that this herd would run violently into the water and drown themselves, also providing no rest for the legion. But Jesus would, since He knew all things. If we think for a moment that the Lord had pity on demons, we are not thinking clearly. Their demise was already set and there was never and never will be any provision for redemption for any of them. The demise of their place of rest, was just and good. The death of all those animals, though they were unclean animals by Jewish law, was and always is troubling to God, but this is not His fault, but the result of the sin of mankind. Now there is a lesson here we must keep in mind; not every miracle will be accepted by a sinful society, especially when it disrupts their profit margin. They protect what they have even if what they have leads them to spiritual death.

Mark 5:1-7

Mark 5:1–7(NKJV)

1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

We have heard this story many times and read through it ourselves, I'm sure. But, have we considered the presence of mind of the demoniac? Here is this man in an unimaginable condition of torment and anguish. He exhibits superhuman strength at times, is subjected to painful fits of demonic possession and physical hurt, and yet has the presence of mind to come to Jesus when He gets off the boat. He saw Jesus from afar, and by his own volition, comes to Jesus and falls at His feet worshipping Him. This is not by the power of demons, but a lucid act of his own will, crying out for help. As I think on the speculations that have been purported by the superstitious minds of well-intentioned Christians, I believe that we do not understand the nature of such things, especially within the confines of a culture preoccupied with the tenants of psychology and medicine. This man was someone's son. He was probably not what we would deem today as some reprobate. There is always enough darkness around us to invite such demonic force into our lives, and only by the grace of God does not everyone suffer in this way. However, I often wonder how many in our culture suffer presently from such demonic affliction disguised as some medical psychosis? I am not for one moment saying that all such ailments should all be thrown into the same demonic basket, but perhaps there are some who are simply being tranquilized by pharmaceuticals. Whatever one may think of these things, we must be aware that darkness and forces of evil are all around us, but Jesus is still today as He was then, the healer of the afflicted and the power that casts demons out.

Mark 4:36-41

Mark 4:36–41 (NKJV) — 36Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”39Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

As we see Jesus and His disciples crossing the sea, He leaves the work of transportation to those best qualified, as he sleeps and rests in the stern of the boat. I remember what God said to Moses in Exodus 33:14, "My presence will go before you, and I will give you rest." But as the storm came, so came the fear. There is something wonderful about the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7), for it quiets the spirit. When our trust is in the Lord, and we live by that trust, there is no storm in life that can rock our boat! The disciples however, did not have this peace at this point in their discipleship, for they could only see the storm and the water filling up the hull of the ship. Like so many that accuse God of not caring about their plight, the disciples wake up Jesus and accuse Him of not caring. But God always cares as Jesus certainly did, and He calms the storm. Something here occurred to me as I was reading through this passage again. Jesus calmed the storm and calmed their hearts, but it never says that He drained the boat. The absence of it doesn't mean He didn't, but we have to wonder if He let them bail it out as a reminder that fretting over such things and not trusting God, brings its own problems?

Mark 4:35

Mark 4:35 (NKJV): 35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

After all the parables and the explanations for His disciples, after a vigorous campaign of preaching and teaching, after much healing and miracles, Jesus was now ready to do it all over again on the other side of the sea. It's not that Jesus was against vacations or resting, many times He resorted to the mountains to pray and recoup from the labor of ministry, but He was on a time table. There was much preaching and teaching to be done and little time to do it in.

Every time I hear or read those words "let us cross over to the other side", I think about the times I started over in ministry. I think about the missionary spirit that begins again in a new place. I think about what it has been like to start two churches in places I knew not a single person, and felt like a "fish out of water". The insecurity that comes with such a daunting task. The risk of failure and how it eats away at one's resilience and the peer shame that accompanies it. But then I remember that Jesus led the way and called me into this glorious ministry of making disciples for the kingdom of God. What a life! What a Savior!

Mark 4:30-34

Mark 4:30–34 (NKJV): 30 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” 33 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

So the kingdom of God begins as this tiniest of seeds and grows to be a massive entity that provides shelter for the weary.

I have heard so many claim that the church today is not what it used to be. In many ways that statement may be true, but it is not indicative of the kingdom. Despite our feelings, the world's view of Christianity, the craziness of Denominations, the lack of spirituality, or any other accusation one could make; the true kingdom of God is growing and will continue, until the Lord comes back. The kingdom is growing not by religious morality but by people saved from sin by the blood of Christ, who are growing and struggling through life by the grace of God. They are buds on the tree whose flowers bloom with the fragrance of Christ, and permeate the world with the aroma of heaven. They move through this world unnoticed for the most part. They leave no great monuments attesting to their worth or contribution to society, but obscuringly fade away into the great tapestry woven by the Master. They are the healing balm of Gilead and the perfume of the rose of Sharon.

Mark 4:26-29 Part 2

Mark 4:26–29 (NKJV): 26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

As I have already spoken about the specifics of the kingdom, It would certainly be negligent if I did not speak about the kingdom itself. The theme of the kingdom is used one hundred sixty times in the New Testament, and three hundred ninety one times in the entire Bible. Obviously an important theme that seems to be overlooked by many. I can remember a class in Bibe college, where we were discussing systematic theology. One of the branches of this system taught that the kingdom parables were about Israel, and not the church. So it isn't surprising to me, that many teachers today brought up under that theological position, see these parables as unimportant to the church. However, without inserting any particular theological understanding into these parables, we would not naturally come to that conclusion. The kingdom of God is for all people, Jew and gentile alike. Everything that Jesus taught pertains to those in the faith and are realized in the here and now. The kingdom parables are no different. God's kingdom is not some future glory and realization, but as Jesus taught this parable, it is developing on the earth right now in real time. when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He said:

"Our Father who is in heaven, holy is your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, in earth as in heaven. Give us this day our daiky bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others theirs, and lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever."

We are here to enhance the kingdom of God and point others to it, in Christ alone. When this kingdom is fulfilled, God will close its gates and all will be inside that will come in, and will be fulfilled when the last person is saved. In the mean time, we have much to do, so let us be busy in this kingdom work.

Mark 4:26-29

Mark 4:26–29 (NKJV): 26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

How different Jesus' explanation of the kingdom of God is when considering the Sanhedrin's view. In order for them to accept what Jesus was promoting, they would need to have a vested part in the whole affair because everything was about them. They could never scatter the seed (word) out in the world indiscriminately, especially when you consider that they never walked through Samaria to travel to and from Jerusalem to Galilee. They considered Samaritans dogs and would never associate with any sinners. Jesus, however, reveals a side of God that the people were blind to, although they had clues along the way. Eccl. 11:1 says, "cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days". The liberality God's word supports is nothing new, just hidden to blind eyes. God is a kind and compassionate Sovereign who cares about all people, even children. In God's plan for the kingdom, the word of God takes root and begins to grow as the Spirit brings life to those who receive it. No one can see the process because it is spiritual and hidden from the flesh. But in the end, the sickle is struck and the harvest is plentiful.

Mark 4:24-25

Mark 4:24–25 (NKJV): 24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Continuing on in His teaching by parables, Jesus builds upon each with more precision. A sower goes forth to sow seed, and that seed is the word. Everyone hears it (receives it), but only the word that falls upon the good ground (hearts prepared with faith) produce fruit. Then the light shines and reveals all, and in between each parable, the call for those that have ears to hear, to hear. Now those that hear must take care how they hear because how they use what they hear will be judged. If the word sown in us is discarded or ignored, we will loose even this. I believe that Jesus does not accept halfway commitments, and for those that think He does, God will take everything away in the end. This was Achan's problem in the book of Joshua. He heard what everyone heard - not to take of the accursed things when they conquered Jericho. But Achan did not heed the word, and took of the acursed things and hid them in his tent. As you probably know, it didn't end well for Achan or his family, all were stoned to death (Joshua 6&7). Perhaps Achan was of the opinion that God wouldn't mind his indiscretion, like so many Christians do today? He was definitely mistaken if he did. If we as God's children misuse what we have received, will we not also face His judgment? For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10).

Mark 4:21-23

Mark 4:21–23 (NKJV): 21 Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

As this parable comes on the heels of the sower, the Lord seems to be making a connection between them. The true light of the gospel exposes all darkness and the quality of every man's faith as well as the fruit. Jesus was Himself the Light of the world (John 9:5), and He told us that we are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). Our associating this light to only the good news of the gospel is somewhat myopic. In fact Jesus told His disciples in John 16:8, that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world of sin. The Lord is showing us through this parable that the light will reveal everything. Nothing hidden here will not be exposed. Ephesians 5:13–14 says, But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

We should be aware that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5), so when we are confronted with the marvelous light of the gospel of Christ, we must consider the depth of that righteousness and exactly what it has come to accomplish. He is quite interested in how we live and how we view His glorious light, the light that shines in darkness, even the deepest darkest regions of the heart. May we let the light of Christ illuminate our minds and hearts, and bring every sin to the throne of mercy.

Mark 4:14-20

Mark 4:14–20 (NKJV): 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

When Jesus told the parable, He said the sower sows the "seed". Here in His explanation He says the sower sows the "word". Jesus has now just interpreted the most important part of the parable. The seed is the word. Now some might ask, who is the sower? If we go back over the events that surround Jesus' ministry around Capernaum, we will remember that He was purposeful about preaching the word. The context shows that He is the sower, and He is sowing the word as He preaches it. But not everyone who hears this word will be effected by it. The parable and the explanation shows unmistakably that all that hear the word receive it with gladness, but not all will keep His word. Satan steals it away from some, others cave in to the cares of the world, and still others to persecution. The only ones that benefit from it are those who hear it, accept it (to come to believe something is true and act accordingly, differing from the word for receive where they lay hold if it, but are not entirely convinced), and bear fruit. Out of all the people that hear Jesus' word, only the last group bears fruit. This is not supplemental to salvation but is part of true salvation. No where in any of the gospels does Jesus teach or accept an empty faith! All those that believe are moved by faith to act. Unlike the modern teaching that all you need to do is say you love Jesus (make a profession of faith), but never change anything in your life to follow Him. We must remember, Jesus said, "by this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; by this you will be my disciples" (John 15:8).

Mark 4:13

Mark 4:13 (NKJV): 13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

There can be no doubt that Jesus expected His disciples to exercise some discernment in understanding this parable, and, that it is a pivotal parable in understanding others. Without reading into the text too much, permit me to explain. As I have already said, parables have a symbolic meaning. But, lest we allow our imaginations to run wild, we must consider that Jesus is always teaching a principle of eternal life, for this is what He came to bring. And so as we shall see in the next several verses, this parable is about those who hear the gospel and what they do with what they hear. Many today interpret the parable differently, and that seems to depend on their theology. Calvinism interprets it one way, while Arminianism interprets it another. But Jesus did not present the parable against a backdrop of a predetermined theological position, He simply spoke the parable and gave the interpretation, and one does not need to be a scholar to understand it. But as we go forward in this gospel, may we remember that we are not allowed to have a private interpretation of the scripture, but must understand it and interpret it the way Jesus intended, regardless of our theological positions.

Mark 4:3-12

Mark 4:3–12 (NKJV): 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”

Here we now have one of the most well known parables. But apparently no one got it. Those that that were around Him with the twelve, are the only ones who ask Him what it means. We can assume that those that were not with them did not get it, because Jesus designed it that way. I can hear the Calvanist now demanding that we interpret this through the lens of predestination as those without never were chosen, so they could not understand it. But whether or not that theological position is correct, has nothing to do with Jesus keeping the parable hidden to some. Clearly the ability to turn and have their sins forgiven is within the power of those who seek it, as the verb is in the active (the subject is doing the action) voice. Jesus uses the parable as a means of differentiating between those that have a desire for the things of God, and those that don't. If all the people who heard the parable of the sower came to Jesus asking Him for the interpretation, they would also have been included ("to you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God"). But they do not come to Him, but go away with their own ideas of what it means. Many today do the same. They never come to Jesus asking for clarity in understanding the scriptures, but go around with their own convoluted interpretations. It should be said that God desires to save people, people that desire Him and will come to Him in spirit and in truth.

Mark 4:2

Mark 4:2 (NKJV): 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:

Parables? Do we really get it? Did the disciples get it? Parable PARABOLE in the Greek - a short narrative, allegory, or figure of speech with symbolic meaning. If we are honest with ourselves, we would be forc d to admit that we do not usually understand the meaning of many of Jesus' parables, with the exception of those that He has explained. Some people don't even get the ones He did explain? This symbolic meaning is sometimes skewed by the story itself, and because they are symbolic, require deeper contemplation and study. There is no special key to the parables, except that they will never convey something contrary to the scriptures, whether the law, prophets, or the New Testament. But why does Jesus do this? Would it not be to our advantage to have an easy explanation of things instead of some obscure story that racks our brains! I think the answer is unequivocally no! As I think of much of the preaching that goes on today, it has been served up so many times like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Everything so easily explained and served in a mixture of pablum (old type of baby cereal), that no one bothers to study anything for themselves. Rather they sit there with their proverbial mouths open while the pastor spoon feeds every word. Jesus taught in parables so that when they heard the story (unforgettable in itself), they would go away contemplating the meaning and struggling over it until it sunk in, producing lasting change. We have forgotten that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4).

Mark 4:1

Mark 4:1 (NKJV): 4 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.

The genius of our Lord's perseverance to preach the gospel despite the disobedience of some that created problems and obstacles (the leper who was healed in chapter one), should not be overlooked. Jesus here takes advantage of the amphitheatre created by the hills of the shoreline by making Himself a pulpit out of a boat. In this place He maximizes His effectiveness in delivering the message. For those that study the methodology of Jesus' ministry, many miss something I believe is essential and timeless: the teaching and preaching ministry of His time was conducted primarily in the synagogues of the towns surrounding Galilee, and the temple in Jerusalem. But this is not where Jesus is found. Yes people flocked to where they knew He would be, but He made sure that He was where they would be looking. In other words, these people would not readily be accepted in the synagogues, so Jesus met them where they lived. How different this is, still in this day and age, where we have had two thousand plus years to study and figure out what Jesus was doing. It's as though we have learned nothing. We build our synagogues (church buildings), and taylor out services for a certain crowd, and expect them to come in and be saved. We never consider that there are people who will never be accepted or who don't feel accepted in our "synagogues". Even the churches that target certain groups leave others out. Jesus gave us an example to follow, by going out to where the people are. We must take the message to the people, whether they are in homes, at work, by the sea, etc.

Mark 3:33-35

Mark 3:33–35 (NKJV): 33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

In this world our families are the most precious things to us. With the exceptions of disfunctional structures that wound rather than heal, our earthly families are our life. But if we stop for a moment and put aside our physical and emotional feelings, we would soon realize that they cannot and do not minister to the spiritual. Jesus was not dissing His family, and we can know for sure that they were a big part of His prayer life. But what He was saying here is that those who are the closest to Him are those of His spiritual family, who do the will of God, and if we are close to Him as a family, then we are close to one another as a family. There are many in the church today that never allow themselves to get close to the fellowship of believers, simply because they do not get close enough to Jesus. They are not doing the will of God and constantly struggle with spiritual relationships, because they are not experiencing that close relationship with Jesus, that only comes through obedience. Perhaps this is the root of the problem that exists within fellowships across the world that choose division rather than reconciliation when there is tension between brothers? It is easy to call oneself a spiritual brother, it is quite another thing to practice it. But the Lord here shows us the answer to this dilemma: if we draw close to Him in this family relationship by doing the will of God, then we draw close to one another in the same relationship, and live by a code of forgiveness and love for one another.

Mark 3:31-32

Mark 3:31–32(NKJV): 31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”

His brothers and His mother were standing outside. let us take a look at His family. Here we find them outside the place where Jesus was teaching. Remember that just several verses prior they were trying to rescue Him because they thought He was out of His mind. Let's address the obvious here. First of all we must notice that Jesus' family was not part of His ministry. Yes, Jesus interacted with them at times, like the wedding feast at Caanon, but they did not follow Him nor acknowledge His earthly ministry. You might ask, didn't they see His supernatural gifts? Didn't they know that He was special? Yes and yes! But many people acknowledge the gifts and power of Jesus but would never be found "in the house" so to speak. Believing who Jesus is can never be a substitute for following Him. Perhaps His family thought their relationship to Him was enough to warrant their lack of commitment to His mission? We really cannot know, but one thing we can know, is that there are plenty of people today who value a relationship with Jesus that do not commit to His mission. Let this never be said if you.