[:en]MARK 3:7-35 Lesson 6
ARE WE A RELATIVE OR A CRITIC?
I. Greetings: (bridge)
Q How many of you feel called of God? (Ask them to raise their hands.)
Q What have friends or family done to discourage your faith/calling most?
An = Perhaps have a few share, if they are willing.Q What have misunderstandings/criticism done to you?
An = for some of you criticism by other believers has hurt you terribly.
II. Jesus’ Actions:
A. Actions on the Seashore. Mark 3:7-12.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 3:7-12
Q Was Jesus’ ministry openly successful? Were the crowds large?
Q How would you feel if your ministry was this openly successful?
Q In what ways did Jesus show foresight, planning, and thinking in dealing with the crowds?
An = in at least two ways:
1) He asked for the boat to speak from because He anticipated crowd pressures (3:9).
2) He refused to accept the demon’s witness (3:12). Jesus did not accept every endorsement. Sometimes we are too eager to get praise. Jesus was not addicted to praise and refused the praise and adoration of some.
B. Actions in the Mountains. Mark 3:13-19.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 3:13-14.
Q Why did Jesus select his disciples?
An = His selection of disciples had two goals: 1) For them to be close to Him (3:14) and 2) for them to preach and thus expand the ministry. Notice that teaching was His major goal.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 3:15-19.
Q What were the disciples given?
An = They were given power. When you are close to Jesus, this will happen. However, the power is not for you to become great, but to stop evil and to deliver those oppressed by demons. Besides, when you receive Jesus’ power you will get something other than honor as we shall soon see.
Note: Again, Jesus showed foresight in selecting others so His work could be multiplied.
III. Opposition: Mark 3:20-30.
A. Opposition or Misunderstanding from Family.
Note: Our author shows us that Jesus was powerful, unselfish, giving, popular, very intelligent and filled with foresight as He practically administered His ministry. Jesus was a leader that surely deserves our admiration.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 3:20-21
Q Jesus’ own family seemed disturbed by Jesus’ work schedule, and so how did they understand His actions?
An = They said He is was out of His mind. Can you imagine calling the Son of God out of His mind?
Q Was Jesus out of His mind?
An = We know the criticism was invalid: see 3:9, 12, and 14. They may not liked His work intensity, but He was clearly rational in His thinking. The criticism missed the mark.
Q Does it surprise you that His own family misunderstood Him?
An = Two things could be said here.
1) We must expect such misunderstanding and not be surprised. It will happen no matter how good we are when we are intense for God. Even Jesus was criticized.
2) Jesus did not answer.
Q Should we answer such criticism? What have you seen in the past? Are we to be consumed with our image?
B. Criticism from Religious Authorities: Mark 3:22-30.
>>> Have someone read Mark 3:22-27.
Q Was the criticism from the religious authorities valid?
An = No! Their criticism was also invalid. Again, do not be surprised that some religious authorities will oppose the Lord’s work.
Q Did Jesus answer this time?
An = Yes.
Q What was the form of His answer?
An = It could be briefly summarized as follows:
1) First Jesus opened with a Rhetorical Question: He opened by asking them to think with Him in verse 23? That is what a rhetorical question is designed to do. “How can Satan drive out Satan?” Next, Jesus followed his rhetorical question with a Proverb.
2) In the Proverb, Jesus then gave them a saying that highlighted a commonly agreed upon truth in verse 24. If a group is divided against itself it will fail.
Q How many of you have played on a team that was divided?
Q Was that team successful?
3) Then Jesus gave them another proverb, much like the other one, or another traditionally agreed upon truth in verse 25. “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
4) Finally, Jesus came to a preliminary conclusion.
Q What did Jesus conclude in verse 26?
An = It is logically impossible that Jesus was in league with Satan, for then Satan’s kingdom would self destruct, and we know Satan’s work is alive and well.
Next Jesus pressed on to another logical conclusion, but this time using a short parable.
Q What does verse 27 mean? Who is the strong man?
An = The strong man is Satan. Jesus had bound Satan in casting him out of oppressed people’s lives. Jesus’ actions were proof of His power. He could defeat Satan.
Note: Jesus did not stop here. He was interested in more that just winning the argument. Jesus did not merely want to “win”. He wanted to truly help His detractors because He loved them. For example, a good parent does not merely wish to win the arguments with their child but to help their child achieve the very best in life. Notice now what Jesus did.
>>> Have someone read Mark 3:28-30
Q What was Jesus doing here?
An = He was giving them a warning: In verses 28-29 Jesus warned His audience. Despite the venom of the attacks of the religious leaders, Jesus still cared about them. Perhaps, that is why He did not immediately answer His relatives for they were in no spiritual danger. His audience here was in danger, and so He answerd, and He warned.
Q How do we apply this today? How is Jesus warning us?
An = If we put ourselves in the place of the Pharisees, we do not want to be a believer who criticizes the working of God. If we put ourselves in the place of Jesus, He shows that we should care and be worried over the fate of our enemies.
Note: We should carefully review who we are criticizing. We need to be careful what religious people we criticize. We could be wrong and be fighting against the very power of God. That scares me, and it should scare you as well.
Q Do we have miraculous power to cast out demons?
An = If there is not such power in our ministry, then maybe that is why we are not receiving criticism.
IV. The Secret of Working With God, Not Against God: Mark 3:31-35.
>>> Have someone read Mark 3:31-35.
Q What makes us Jesus’ true kinsmen?
An = It is when we do His will. In this chapter it means drawing near to Him, preaching and having power (3:13, 15). It means we should be careful what and who we
criticize! Our job is doing the type of works Jesus Christ did, to use the authority He has given us. The Lord has repeatedly told me that I should be spending my energy on positive giving and serving rather than criticizing what I do not fully understand.
V. Our Focus: Proving our Family Connection. Are we a relative or a critic?
Q According to these verses how will we prove we are called?
An = If we have His power, we prove that we are worthy to be called disciples. They were called not to criticize but to preach and drive out the devil with power. If we are critics, then maybe we are trying to cover up our lack of power. Some Christians are critical of other ministries, yet the ministries they are critical of, have power to do healing, or to do exorcisms.
Q According to these verses, how do we prove we are a true relative of Jesus?
An = We need to comb through the first three chapters of Mark, find a truth there, and then obey it. Do you wonder if you are a true Christian? George Mac Donald wrote: “What one thing have you done today solely because Jesus said to do it? Or, what one thing have you not done simply because He says not to do it? It is absurd to say we believe and never do what He tells us.” George Mac Donald, George Mac Donald Anthology, (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1970) p. 75
Note: Finally, a warning: “If we concentrate on being obedient ourselves, we can avoid criticizing the “working of the Son of God.” Let me end with a short story told by one of the Desert Fathers: “Abba Paphnutius said, `When I was walking along the road, I happened to lose my way and found myself near a village, and I saw some people who were talking about evil things. So I stood still, praying for my sins. Then behold an angel came, holding a sword, and He said to me, `Paphnutius, all those who judge their brothers perish by this sword, but because you have not judged, but have humbled yourself before God, saying that you have sinned, your name is written in the book of the living!'” Benedicta Ward, The Desert Christian, Macmillan, p. 202[:]