People of God, this morning we come to the Mount of Transfiguration. As we ascend this mountain we are bound to be somewhat confused by what we see. It is a striking story on a mountain with clouds and glittering garments. It is a narrative found in the three synoptic[1] gospels, and in Mark we get a glimpse of this crucial turning point in the life of our Lord and in the life of the Church calendar.[2] Next Sunday begins the Lenten Season; a penitential season; a season of special reflection for God’s people regarding our sins, and the terrible cross bore by our Lord. But we are not there yet. Today we celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord. In summary, the Transfiguration is a glorious preview of what is to come for Jesus first, and then for us. The word Transfiguration means to be transformed or changed. What is remarkable for us as we listen to this passage is that we know the whole picture; the whole story, while Peter and the others only saw in part. As things were happening they were filled with perplexing questions, and at times they failed, particularly Peter, to see the purpose of what is happening. Continue reading “Transfiguration Sunday: Transfiguration and Glory (Mark 9:1-8)”
Sixth Sunday of Epiphany: Mark 1:40-45
People of God, we come to the end of Mark 1. We continue where we left off last week. Mark is an action-packed gospel filled with movement. Jesus is moving from wilderness, synagogue, city, and the world. This is a constant pattern we see not only in Mark, but in the other gospels, and that we ultimately see in the entire Bible. God begins with a little garden in Genesis, and he moves to create a bigger garden throughout history.
God is active in his work of restoring the world to the way it should be. In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, there is a scene at the end of the book—where after Aslan has been raised from the dead—he goes into the Witch’s home. The Witch has turned all her opponents into stone. When they arrive at the Witch’s home Lucy declares: “What an extraordinary place! All those stone animals—and people too! It’s—like a museum.” To which Susan filled with the vigor and joy of Aslan’s resurrection utters: “Hush, Lucy. Aslan is doing something.”[1] In our narrative Jesus is doing something wonderful. Though he is not turning statutes into humans or animals again, he is turning sickness into health; turning despair into joy. Susan’s attitude is something we should keep in mind as we consider this narrative. Sometimes we need to just hush and ponder and enjoy the sheer movement of Jesus’ healing ministry. Continue reading “Sixth Sunday of Epiphany: Mark 1:40-45”
Leprosy and Uncleanness
To be a leper in the Bible meant ceremonial uncleanness; it meant distance from God’s special presence. In Mark 1:40-45, Jesus is restoring a man not only from physical uncleanness, but from spiritual uncleanness. By healing this man Jesus is destroying the exilic state of the unclean, and bringing them near to him and his blessings.
Sin and Suffering
In a lengthy and extremely provocative article, David Garland argues that the Bible consistently equates suffering to sin. He writes that “we moderns, because of our assumptions about illness, tend always to look for the medical aspects of illnesses in the Bible and the supposed treatments that are mentioned.” The reality, however, is more in line with Psalm 107:17: “Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction.” God seems particularly interested in bringing illness upon disobedience. On the other hand, in John 5:14, Jesus tells one that he had healed, “Sin no more, that nothing worse happen to you;” and then in John 9:3 he says that “it was not that this man sinned, or his parents.” This would seem to undo Garland’s position. However, Garland adds that “most fail to read on. No one sinned, but, Jesus says, this man was born blind ‘in order that the works of God might be made manifest in him.'” The assumption, Garland concludes, “is that God is somehow in total control of illness.”
Fifth Sunday of Epiphany, Mark 1:29-39
People of God, we come to another narrative in Mark’s gospel. The gospel of Mark is a royal and kingly gospel. It begins in verse one by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we have seen, gospel means more than good news about personal salvation; gospel also means that a new king is risen to the throne.[1] This gospel is deeply interested in presenting Jesus as King. Jesus will de-throne the kings and rulers of the age. There is a reason Mark writes his gospel through the lens of Jesus’ kingship, and it is because Mark sees Jesus as a New David. In fact, there are several comparisons between Jesus and David in Mark. For instance, in the days of David there is a demon-possessed man as king—Saul. Now, in Jesus’ day, the elders, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees are in many ways demonic in their lives and teaching. You may remember how David was anointed by Samuel, and now in Mark’s gospel, Jesus is anointed as king of kings as he is baptized. David was filled with the spirit. Now Jesus is filled with the Spirit in baptism. David defended his sheep against the wild beasts. In Mark, Jesus is driven to the wilderness, and Mark 1:13 says that he was with “the wild beasts.” In the days of Samuel, the ark is in exile. In Jesus’ time he makes his first appearance in the far side of the Jordan. He is outside in the wilderness like the ark was outside in Philistine camps. David’s first task was to defeat Goliath. Jesus defeats Satan with his resistance of temptation, and by speaking the Word of God. Continue reading “Fifth Sunday of Epiphany, Mark 1:29-39”
Mark 1:34 and Silencing Demons
In verse 34, Jesus silences the demons because he knew them. He knew that nothing worthy would come out from their mouths. He knew this well because earlier he endured the rhetoric of satan himself. All that came out of Satan’s mouth were words of entrapment. Jesus knew well what comes out of the mouths of demons. So, he does not even let them speak.
Wilderness comes to Synagogue
The modern situation of the church can be summarized by the theme: “The Wilderness comes to the Synagogue.” This what we see in the inception of the kingdom ministry of Jesus (Mk.1). Jesus overcomes the devil in the desert. The desert is symbolic for its lifelessness, but now death comes into the holiness of the worship place, as Jesus battles the unclean spirit in the synagogue. Similarly, the disgrace of modern worship is the assumption that the arid and lifeless environment of the wilderness can be brought into the church without compromising the holiness of the church.
The Confession of Demons
As I work through Mark 1, I have noticed that the naming of Jesus by demons has a specific purpose. William Lane alludes to this in his commentary. There is a contrast in how the sick address Jesus and how the demoniac addresses Jesus. The sick refer to Jesus as “Lord,” “Master,” and “Teacher.” While the demoniac address Jesus with precision. Jesus is the “Holy One of Israel.” By addressing him in this manner they are seeking to control him. In the ancient world one way to gain control over your enemy was to know the precise nature and status of your enemy. This is not a mere admission of his divinity–though it is–but it another wilderness testing.
Third Sunday of Epiphany: Mark 1:14-20
William Lane argues that it is a significant fact that “Jesus does not enter upon his own distinctive ministry until after John has been arrested.” Jesus waits until John is out of the scene. When the great prophet is unfairly bound, the new prophet is released to the world. The gospel of God cannot be stopped.
Mark 14
Some thoughts by fellow CREC pastor Toby Sumpter.