Mark 8 (tactical teaching)

Up to this point in Mark we have seen mostly the events of Jesus' early ministry.  Now, in Mark 8, we begin to see a bigger chunk of His teaching.

For the purposes of this CMS (Chapter Memory Study) I am following an acronym outline; I have a phrase for the book of Mark and I'm fitting all of the chapter outlines under that phrase.  The phrase is "Jesus is the Ransom" and we're all the way to the 'T' of 'the' for chapter 8. 

The chapter title is "Tactical Teaching", and the chapter outline is;

• The four thousand fed
• The Pharisee's yeast
• The blind man touched
• The identity of Christ
• The call of discipleship

The key verse of chapter 8 is;
Mark 8:29 (ESV)
And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”



Brief Commentary


The Thousands Fed
Having already fed 'the 5000' in Mark 6, Jesus is now faced with another hungry crowd.  Jesus sets up His disciples with what we call in softball, a 'meatball'.  A nice easy pitch that He is sure they will be able to hit.  Whiff.  'We can't feed all these people, we only have 7 loaves of bread!'  Jesus' response is once again proof that He lived a sinless life because He responded with grace instead of indignation toward His men.  They had just seen Him feed more people with less to start with, and they had already forgotten.

But Jesus, giving us an image of the invisible God, blesses the crowd with food, the disciples with mercy, and gave glory to God by the work of His hand.

The Pharisee's Yeast
Here we see the Pharisees continuing to antagonize Jesus.  Now they came to Him seeking a (another) sign.  The record of Jesus' response is, to me, a wonderful gift from Mark.  He writes that Jesus 'sighed deeply in His spirit'. 

I don't think I've ever crossed the official line of heresy about the nature of Jesus, but I sure went many years without thinking about His humanity.  I know that the perfect and complete union of God and Man as seen in Jesus is a brain-smoker, but I don't think that means we don't let the brain smoke a little bit (smoke because of how hard it's working...)  Jesus, being fully God and fully Man, gave a visible, perceptible heavy sigh when confronted by the Pharisees once again.  Mark doesn't explain exactly what the sigh was about, and many commentators have speculated about such.

The mind-blower for me is that He sighed, but didn't sin.  He didn't sin in thought and then have to repent, He didn't blow up and say something He'd regret, He didn't sin period.  But He sighed.

Hebrews 2:17 (ESV)
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Thank You, Jesus.

The Blind Man Touched
This story is at once perplexing and comforting.  Perplexing because it appears to take Jesus 2 tries to get this guy healed.  He spits in the man's eyes first which causes him to be able to see some.  But then Jesus lays His hands on the man's eyes again, and his sight is restored.  Mark does not comment on this story.  He doesn't tell us why Jesus had to try to heal this guy twice.  I read three different commentators who said three different things.  It is perplexing.

But it is also comforting, and this is why.  God is God.  If we could understand every mystery about who He is and how He works, then He wouldn't be God.  There is mystery in this story, which forces us to believe by faith.  It's also a reminder that (like Elijah) even when you're perfectly in God's will, it still may not be easy.  God told Elijah to pray and that it was going to rain.  But it still took him seven times (1 Kings 18).  Sometimes God gives us a glimpse of the bigger story if it's in our greater good, but sometimes He doesn't...for our greater good.  I have a working axiom on God's will (meaning I'm in the process of seeing if it truly represents the Bible; it still could be established or discarded);  even if God told us exactly where we are supposed to be in the future, or who we are supposed to become in the future, we would botch up the 'getting there'.  We would take over, do it our way, and miss the point.  I think that He can't tell us somethings because He actually wants us to get there.  Thank You, loving Father, for saving us from ourselves.

The Identity of Christ
If you knew nothing of Christ and just flipped a Bible open to this passage, you might think that Jesus was taking giving a popularity poll to His disciples.  Given His character and behavior in Scripture we can be confident that this question was truly not about what others thought but about what His disciples thought.   And they bit;

Mark 8:28 (ESV)
And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

It would have been interesting to hear all of the responses (assuming there could have been several 'crazy' ones that Mark leaves out) and the conversation that this question started.  But after the first responses, Jesus changes the question to reveal His real purpose;

Mark 8:29 (ESV)
And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

Whether or not Peter's (or the other disciples' for that matter) words or actions in the rest of the account always validate this confession, at least they were making progress.  Peter probably spoke here as the appointed leader of the disciples.  But also being the most impetuous of the crew, he might have just blurted out the answer without raising his hand.

Jesus' command of them to NOT tell anyone this truth is perplexing to people.  'Why wouldn't He want everyone to know so they would come and hear the Gospel and be saved?'  Pastor Jason acutely observed that in our modern 'information at an instant' age, the thought of Jesus trying to remain anonymous (given His identity, nature and mission) is absurd.  But Jesus understood the bigger picture and the implications that this profession would bring to bear on His mission.  Given the misunderstandings of His own disciples (just wait a few verses), not to mention the obvious misunderstandings of the people (see the response to His previous question), the addition of the weighty title 'Christ' may make the waters murkier.   There was so much nationalistic baggage attached to the title 'Christ' because the Christ, Messiah, was thought to be a military and political hero sent to liberate the Jews from oppression.  Jesus, in full cooperation with the Spirit and in submission to His Father, knew full well who He was and what His mission was but also knew that an undefined title (Christ) proclaimed by undiscerning sources (His guys) could potentially undermine His mission (to seek and save the lost).  And He fully knew the importance of His mission.

The Call of Discipleship
I think this section is astounding.  Jesus clearly and plainly told them that He would suffer, die, and rise again.  He warned them.  He spelled it out.  And yet they still didn't seem to understand.  Peter pulls Jesus aside and says something in the category of 'rebuke' which forces Jesus to address and rebuke the whole crew.  Based on what Jesus tells them, it appears that His guys were getting comfortable and selfish having Him there all the time.  The thought of Him being taken away like that disrupted their lives a bit.  So Jesus spell it out so they would understand:

Mark 8:34-38 (ESV)
³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what can a man give in return for his soul? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

The gift of salvation is absolutely free; the work of God's grace alone received by faith alone in Jesus Christ.  It cannot be earned, purchased or lost by us. 

The life of discipleship is costly.  Following Jesus will cost you the old selfish will and way of the flesh (deny yourself), will require you to submit to the will and way of Jesus (take up your cross), and will cause you to identify yourself with a new Teacher, King, Lord and Savior (follow Jesus).  This is the call and the cost of discipleship.  There is no room for self-preservation; following Jesus means that your life will reflect more and more of Jesus and less and less of the world. 

We must be prepared to follow Him to the end (lose his life for Jesus and the Gospel), give up our unhealthy and idolatrous desire for wealth and possessions (gain the whole world), and proclaim boldly the Gospel of Jesus Christ (not be ashamed of Him). 

This He spoke tactically to His disciples.  This He speaks tactically to us. 

Mark 7 (substance disclosed)

One of the things I have learned about the CMS experiment is that I should write the outlines in pencil. Sometimes I get very myopic the longer I work on a particular chapter outline. So that when I step back to think about remembering the outline and how it all fits together, I wonder if this particular set of descriptors will endure.

Well, if you haven't guessed from my intro, this was one of those chapters. After I looked over my CMS in prep for doing this post, I took another couple days to re-think it. And re-think it I did. I like the outline better, but I like the chapter title worse. It's ok. I'll get there.

The Chapter Title for Mark 7 is (for now): Substance Disclosed (starts with an 's', second word starts with 'd'; which is how the outline worked out, too)

The Chapter Outline for Mark 7 is:

• Substitute dead traditions
  
• Sin defiles from within
  
• Syrophoenician "dog's" faith
  
• Speech and deafness healed
  

The key verse for Mark 7 is:

Mark 7:6 (ESV)
And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

Brief Commentary

Substitute dead traditions
The Pharisees belie their own problem; they call these practices 'traditions of the elders'

What is the place of 'traditions' in this sense? Are these the same as 'bylaws', or 'church constitutions'. Or does it extend to unwritten practices in the church?
It probably could have a very broad application to any practice, personal or institutional, that usurps authority and primacy of the Scriptures.

In these passages we see the trap of religion. Religion is (in my own words) based upon what people can do to advance their own spirituality (at least in their own minds). Religion is made up of rules and requirements that drive the process of spiritual standing with God; e.g. if I do something religious, then I am more spiritual. It is the heart of legalism.

These Pharisees (the most devout-acting individuals of the day; very 'spiritual' in appearance) think they have trapped Jesus because of certain unbecoming behavior displayed by His disciples. They didn't wash their hands before they ate. I would consider this particular tradition to be very helpful and important (hygienically speaking). There is nothing wrong with washing your hands before you eat. Jesus did not even argue the validity of the rule itself.

What He does is discloses the substance of their objection; they are 'teaching as doctrines the commandments of men' (7). They have placed their own rules ahead of even the Scriptures. They are hypocrites and idolaters.

Jesus then uses an example from their own traditions to exhibit His point. One of the traditions of the Pharisees was to declare something (money, possession) 'Corban'. This means that it is forever dedicated to the service of the Lord and cannot be given to any other person. Although, the catch is that the money or item can continue to be used by the owner himself. This was apparently abused in relationship to caring for one's parents. Individuals would declare something 'Corban' so they could continue using it themselves and not have to use it in support of aging parents. So by following their tradition, they are breaking a commandment.

I can't find a commentary to back me up :), but it looks like Jesus says (in His gracious way) 'there's more where that came from; you want to go on?' We tease the disciples for being slow to learn, but the Pharisees were worse. They continued to challenge Jesus even after He totally crushes them time after time. This time, He disclosed the substance behind the traditions they had substituted for God and His Word.


Sin defiles from within
Jesus continues to preach the truth and disclose the substance of the issue. The Pharisees had it backwards; they thought that religious behavior (avoiding certain things, keeping the rules and traditions, restricting their diets, etc) kept them free from sin. But Jesus turns them on their head. "It's not the stuff that we see 'go in' that defiles you, it is what comes out of your heart'. It is possible to display acceptable behavior but have a defiled and idolatrous heart.

In His explanation to His disciples, He goes even farther with the example of food. "What you eat goes to your stomach and then out. It's not about the food. It's more about your deepest desires. Food in itself is not a sin. Sin comes from your heart and has many faces..." Then Jesus starts a list.

But this is not a list given to us so we can simply avoid these things and then be ok. He prevents this interpretation with His very first example; evil thoughts. 'Ever have an evil thought?' Sin. There's more, but the point is made.

Jesus is making a priority statement here. He is more concerned about the hearts and eternal condition of people than He is about how well they follow rules. There are rules, and He will work on that with them. But the Pharisees thought that 'the way in' was through the rules. Jesus discloses the substance of the sin that defiles from within.


Syrophoenician "dog's" faith
Ok, so I honestly felt a little bad about this outline title at first. I felt weird calling this woman a 'dog'. But Jesus does in this context, so I think I'm safe :) (plus, it fits the outline so well with the 's' and the 'd').

A Gentile woman comes to Jesus because her daughter has a demon. She begs Him to heal her, but His first response is 'what I have come to do is not meant for the dogs'. Huh? But there were several cultural issues here that must be remembered. This woman was a Gentile; Jesus was a Jew. This woman was a....woman, and Jesus was a Man. As a Rabbi, Jesus was restricted from having contact with Gentiles and women. But there she was.

By 'dog', Jesus apparently meant to put His mission into perspective. The Gospel was first for the Jews. But He left a door open by saying that the children should be fed 'first'. So, she didn't leave dejected after Jesus gave His first response. She pressed in with faith. With a full loaf of faith, she asks for a crumb. And Jesus was moved by it. He honors her faith in Him and love for her daughter and grants the request.

Until this moment, I haven' thought of this interaction as prayer. But that's what this woman was doing; praying to Jesus. And she was praying in faith. And Jesus responded in grace. What a precious and powerful thing prayer is. I need to remember that.


Speech and deafness healed
In the last section of chapter 7, we find Jesus showing mercy on a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. In this case, Jesus took the man aside, put His fingers in his ears, spit, and touched his tongue. Then Mark records that Jesus 'sighed' before He said 'be opened'. And it was done. Then, even though Jesus told them not to, the people zealously proclaimed the work of Jesus in the region.

Although there are several curious things about this interaction, I was most drawn to the 'sigh' of Jesus. But when I dug into it I found 3 different explanations in 3 different commentaries :)

1. It was probably His strong emotion as He battled the satanic powers that enslaved the man
2. It expressed His grief over the suffering that sin brought on mankind
3. It expressed His incredible empathy and compassion toward the needs of this man.
   

The problem is that the text doesn't say. And I'm not smart enough to make a guess. So I leave it at what it says; Jesus looked up to heaven and sighed before healing the man. This is not the key to the 'formula' for healing deaf people. Understanding Jesus' 'sigh' and then recreating it will not somehow empower our prayer. Jesus was fully God and fully Man. He dealt with temptations, problems, stress, anger, frustration, fatigue just like we do. Yet somehow He did it all without sin. Because we do not know why He sighed, the fact that He did reminds me that He was fully dealing with His humanness. And I'm so glad He did.

Hebrews 2:17 (ESV)
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

__