And I thought I was having a bad day…
I could bathe in self pity.
Ever ended your day wanting to do just that? Enter the Gospel of Mark, chapter 3. Meet my friend Jesus. Watch my ‘woe is me’ attitude dissipate–at least until the next time I set out to march into the “depths of despair.”
It all starts out nice and all, the man with the withered hand getting healed, but by verse 6 two major groups–the Pharisees and Herodians (in my head I always equate these guys to lobbyists)–are holding a meeting. On that day’s agenda: how to destroy Jesus. Ouch.
In verse 11 we find Jesus is having to deal with demons. Frequently. Another day, another demon. I wonder if he found the great crowds of people to be more irritating. At least the demons admitted to his identity, his purpose and his role in redemptive history.
Hello verse 19. By now Jesus has called his disciples, the men he would be doing life with for the remainder of his ministry. I wonder how hard it was to call Judas, who would betray him. Imagine willingly committing the remainder of your days to hanging out with your traitor. Imagine enduring every small act of life with that person if you were going to live in community together. I am easily frustrated with Sam when he doesn’t rinse his toothbrush off enough according to my standards and I love him dearly. I can’t even begin to imagine eating, living, playing, talking, resting, traveling–all while knowing what he would do for some silver.
By verse 21 Jesus’ family tried to help because the crowd thinks he’s lost it, or to put it more explicitly like the ESV translation does, “And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him for they were saying ‘ He is out of his mind.’” Translation — call Dr. Phil because we need an intervention. It doesn’t get better by verse 22, because now people think he’s demon possessed. The chapter ends with Jesus’ mother and brothers coming to look for him. Again.
Tonight at dinner I chatted with Sam about this. I really like this chapter in Mark. It reminds me that Jesus was walking in tension through much of his ministry. Often I forget to really think about who Jesus was is and revert to thinking of him with my flannel graph mentality. What I mean is, often I look back on Jesus’ ministry and see this guy walking through a dusty landscape being kind to kids and making people feel better when all of a sudden a switch flips and all of the people want him dead! 
But his message was a fierce one and it bothered people and made them feel uncomfortable and I bet it was really annoying to him that his family possibly thought he was crazy after all that had happened to them with the whole Christmas story and all…I mean, come on Mary—did you forget about the shepherds, and the wise men that came and how you fled to Egypt because Herod was so scared about this child who was the Messiah? And what about how when Joseph wanted to leave you in a kind way but an angel appeared and convinced him otherwise? Didn’t you know this guy came to shake things up?
Yet here it is, almost February and I’ve forgotten who Jesus was and this truth that I’ve centered my whole life on. I’ve let a couple of small things get in the way and forgotten this awesome message that offended some and humbled others.
Mark 3. I recommend reading it.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
It doesn’t make sense to have self pity when someone has it worse does it? good analysis!