MARK 3:7-12 MEDITATION - THE POPULARITY OF JESUS Part 1
Introduction
This episode, Mark 3:7-12, focuses on Jesus’ increasing popularity seen against the backdrop of growing hostility.
What strikes us in this passage is the enormous popularity and following that Jesus has gained in such a brief time. It is interesting to note also how many groups of people are present here and the relationship Jesus establishes with each one. They offer us important lessons for our own personal and community life.
We have seen in the preceding episode (Mark 3:1-6) two types of relationships. A one-to-one relationship initiated by Jesus himself as he reaches out in compassion to a need that he notices in a place of worship, the synagogue. The man with the withered hand did not ask for anything neither did he inconvenience Jesus in any way. It was simply Jesus calling out to a person in need. A relationship of compassion and love. The other relationship is between Jesus and an unspecified number of Pharisees in the same place of worship. What characterised this relationship was anger, hardness of heart and hostility. A radically different kind of relationship, such radical sentiments in a restricted environment. One relationship is related to life and to the restoration of life to the man with the withered hand and the other of inner, spiritual death leading to conspiracy to kill. Now we have a widening of the environment, an expansion of ministry, introducing three other types of relationship, with the crowd, with those with an unclean spirit and with the small community of disciples.
Jesus and the Crowd
Crowds had started to gather from the time of the healing of Peter’s mother in law, after sunset in Mark 1:32-34. Many had also gathered the morning after, Mark 1:37. A crowd gathered at the house in the episode of the healing of the paralytic, Mark 2:2-4, all scrambling to get access to Jesus to witness a miracle. Now we have this crowd. There is, in Mark, a rapid crescendo in the popularity of Jesus. But Jesus withdraws (v. 7) and he asked for a boat to be prepared ready to withdraw once more (v. 9).
Here there are two crowds one followed him from Capernaum, Galilee and another crowd from various parts of Israel and beyond. It is interesting to note that every time attempts are made to block the public ministry of Jesus the end result is an expansion of that ministry. It is interesting to note what he withdrew from and with whom. In the first instance he withdrew from the toxic environment in the synagogue.
So we have the convergence of two crowds. Mark specifies the provenance of the two crowds by listing names. It is interesting to note that the names give us an idea of the far-reaching fame of Jesus. The crowds came from Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem, Idumea in the south, beyond the Jordan in the east, and Tyre and Sidon, north-west. People came from far and wide, symbolising the universality of the need for salvation. A great multitude, indeed. Jesus was at the centre. A mixture of Jews and gentiles. Far-reaching and all inclusive. Two crowds, one from Galilee that saw the miracles and the other from further abroad who had heard of them. News of the miracles had reached their ears but not apparently the news of the identity of Jesus which the miracles were supposed to convey. Two crowds converge from all over Israel and beyond. Seven localities are mentioned and seven is the number of completeness. This coming together was not due to power but in humility and service, the opposite to the logic of this world “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6)
Jesus and the Unclean Spirits
Among the crowd were people possessed by demons that hailed Jesus as the Son of God. They were accurate in identifying Jesus, but they didn’t believe in him; no relationship is established. In fact Jesus forbids them to proclaim the good news, there can be no relationship between he and them. He came to destroy the powers of evil, not to work in partnership with them.
In the same way we recognise that it’s not enough to say true things about Jesus. We need to change the direction of our lives and believe in him. Jesus did not need the witness of those with an unclean spirit as there was no correspondence between the message and the messenger.
It is the same with us today who are involved in evangelisation. The life of the messenger must correspond to the message to be effective and fruitful “What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:15). Jesus acts in unison with holy vessels, not evil vessels. The messenger who proclaims the message must also radiate the message to be convincing.
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Part 2 > > > Mark 3:7-12 Meditation continue to read > > >
Mark 3:7-12 Text and Questions
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