This term I have decided to take a read through the gospel of mark together with our staff team. Once a week we meet for devotions, training and staff meeting.
Similar to most teams who are part of the Pais Movement (paismovment.com) we use haverim (haverimdevotions.com) as a helpful method to explore together some of the value a meaning of scripture like Mark to help us discover more of our glorious, great creator’s heart.
Mark dives straight in with a brief introduction of John the baptist, before authenticating Jesus with his account of Jesus’ baptism, temptation and then invitation to first disciples. Barely pausing Mark continues to retell accounts of Jesus delivering, healing and preaching. One of the things I like about Mark is its jam packed full of action and the first chapter is no exception.
It’s pretty inspirational at face value but is there more? Well probably … so here is what we found.
Galilee seems to be one of the parts of Judea that had multiple influences, archeological studies show a wide range of influences in the architecture of temples and synagogues and 1 Kings 9 suggests part of Galilee had been given away by Solomon as part of a payment for building materials for the temple. Why is this significant? Well some suggest as a result rabbis from that region were less respected as sages/philosophers because their pedigree (for want of a better word) were considered to be adulterated. Instead they suggest they made a name for themselves by performing signs and wonders. Which perhaps makes some sense of people’s surprise Jesus demonstrates both authority and power. But also reveals a little more of the value of the baptism moment. Where God the Father himself authenticates and vouches for his son, our messiah.
No doubt this surprise also contributed to first disciples eagerness to follow Jesus when He extended His invitation. We can find a bit of a parallel to the temptation of Jesus in Zechariah 3 when the prophet recounts a vision he had of Satan accusing a high priest named Jeshua who God ultimately vindicated. Zechariah highlights God’s pursuit of reconciliation with humanity and reading Mark’s brief account of Jesus’ temptation through that lens it is encouraging to note Jesus is subversively victorious and God the Father a provider. Jesus’ victory bringing reconciliation one step closer for humanity.
Similarly it would seem the first disciples eagerness to follow may also be tied in with this wonderful reconciliation theme. In short the Mishnah an ancient Jewish text indicates during New Testament times Jewish schooling had several exit points for youngsters who did not prove themselves to their teachers to be the best of their class. In the case of those young people they would return to their family trade. The best of the best would eventually progress until they became rabbi’s in their own right. Jesus’ invitation would appear to offer a 2nd chance to fishermen who presumably had failed to progress through the education system.
Isn’t it wonderfully like God to be looking for something else other than what our human perception considers valuable in followers who will eventually shape a movement that will weave through time engaging heaven with earth.
In that context it is hard to ignore the miraculous and supernatural packed into Marks 1st chapter. We find Jesus delivering a man possessed by an evil spirit, Jesus healing Simon’s mother in law and many more, expelling more demonic forces while traveling and preaching and finally healing a man with leprosy. Not to mention the sky parting the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and the audible voice of God kicking it all off. It hard to skim past that without it raising questions?
When he returned from the wilderness Jesus announces “At last the time has come! The Kingdom is near! Turn from your sins and believe this GoodNews!” Which not only resonates with the theme of God’s pursuit of reconciliation but suggests what follows is a shadow of the Kingdom. Which I think ultimately raises some difficult questions like, “So why is that so different than many of our expressions of the Kingdom?”
Long may our world come alive as we carry the hope, healing, freedom and reconciliation of the Kingdom wherever we go!