When the Crowd Gathered. (Mark 3: 7-19)
When Jesus began his ministry, we can see his fame quickly spread around Galilee, Judea and far beyond. When he went to Peters house it was packed inside and out, and now we see that when he goes down to the seashore 1000’s are seen to follow. I think it would be interesting to analyse the motivations of the crowds that flock around him. For example, what types of people came and why did they come. It seems to me that in Mark chapter 3 he describes for us the congregation in some detail. Mark’s account gives us some clear examples of the people who had come to hear him. Let’s look again at Marks description of the crowd. Maybe if you look at the crowd closely enough you might just see someone who looks and acts a little like you sometimes.
In this passage we are first told that a great multitude were pressing in upon him. Then we are told that within that crowd are some people who are referred to as demon possessed. And finally, we are told he chooses 12 individuals to follow him. What I would like to do is look carefully at these different groups of people and see what they were like.
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.
(Mark 3: 7)
You may recall in the passage we looked at yesterday that Jesus was in Capernaum and the scribes and Pharisee’s were acting negatively to what Jesus was doing. As a matter of fact, their final course was to plot a violent end for Jesus. If you were here last week, you may remember that we finished with the ominous situation of, I quote, “the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus”. So, with that in mind we should not be surprised that this next verse tells us, Jesus “withdrew to the lake”. Maybe this withdrawal was to avoid a head on clash with the Pharisee’s and the Herodians. But the cat was out of the bag (so to speak) regarding the miracles he had been performing and it tells us that, “a large crowd from Galilee followed him there”. This is the first time we see what is described around Christ as being what is translated as a multitude. We are then given a description of how this crowd is made up.
“When they heard about all the things he was doing, (please note - not what he had been saying) many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon”.
(Mark 3: 8)
This is, as it turns out a detailed description of all Israel’s near neighbours, it is showing us that the crowd had travelled from all the surrounding regions some from as much as 100 miles away to see him. It also tells us why they had come, i.e., because they had heard what he had been doing.
Because of the size of the crowd Jesus told his disciples to have a small boat made ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.
(Mark 3: 9-10)
Now, these verses give us and an insight into what motivated a great many in this crowd. Interestingly verse 10 also tells us “He healed many”, so that those with diseases and illnesses were pushing forward to try and touch him”. The motivation it seems for many people was mainly it seems to receive some form of physical healing. It is interesting that this is the stated reason that the great crowd came, was in order that they get receive some sort of physical benefit. Let’s think about this crowd. Did they come, to hear his message, nothing is said about that. Did they come to follow as his disciples, nothing is said about that either. It seems that many just came to receive some physical benefit. Jesus in reaction to this is he puts himself in a physical place (a boat by the shoreline) where they are forced to listen to the message rather than just push in on him for a healing.
One writer I read said that it seemed that a significant section of the crowd were just consumers of the religious/miraculous services he offered. I think it is worth noting that nothing is said in this passage about anyone responding to the message, as there is in some other Gospel stories. But not on this occasion.
I would like to suggest that there are people just like that today. A significant number of people who attend church are just consumers of the religious experience. Some people who come for an experience, an event, or even for a physical benefit like healing. Some others come for reasons of tradition, family culture or pressure, to meet some social expectation but in both cases the key is they are not convicted, and they are coming to gain some sort of social or physical benefit. They are then just consumers of what religion has to offer.
Just because someone goes to church does not mean they are a Christian. Going to church may makes you look like a Christian, but that doesn’t mean that you are one. That’s kind of what the one section of this crowd were like. They flocked to see Jesus, for what they could get out of the experience. They were the consumers, but there was a second group of people within the crowd, and they are the “Convinced”. Please look at this closely for he talks about a particular type of a person who knows all about who Jesus is. The crowd, the great part of the multitude that flock around him for the most part are only interested in what they might get. They are the consumers, but within that multitude are another group. People who are convinced and know who Jesus is, but still stand in opposition to him. The text now tells us.
Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’
(Mark 3: 11)
Here are people described as having impure spirits, but at the same time they identify that Jesus is the Son of God. This group of people even though they were spiritually oppressed by the enemy, they were at least convinced about who Jesus was. They were convinced that Jesus was the son of God. The main crowd, the, consumers, they knew that Jesus was a miracle worker. The second group for all their problems knew he had miraculous powers, but also recognised him as the Son of God. They were convinced, at least of that great truth, but Jesus give this second group a stern warning.
But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.
(Mark 3: 12)
That’s a small, but strange little verse, a bit of a left turn in an otherwise straightforward story. Jesus had a timetable, and he didn’t want the knowledge of his Messiahship being realised to early. But also, even more important was it that he did not want his message declared by the testimony of this group of people. So here is the second group, ones convinced of his authority and position as the Son of God. Although, convinced, they are converted, they are not followers.
Today there are still plenty of people who would say that Jesus is the Son of God, but who are not convicted of their need of forgiveness. There is a huge difference in believing that Jesus is the Son of God and trusting in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins. To believe, He died, for you. He arose from the dead, for you and in his death, he paid for sin, your sin, all your sin. Believe in Him, trust in that, and that alone, for the gift of eternal life and let me just add, believe in that, Plus - nothing - else.
This second group were convinced that Jesus was the Son of God, but they didn’t trust in him. However, there is a third group in this passage. A small group of people, who are appointed commissioned if you like in the following verses.
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.
(Mark 3: 13-15)
The third group is the ‘commissioned’ and here he calls twelve and he commissions them. We are told in both Mark and John chapter 1 that those who had been drawn to Christ had either been told or already accepted he was the Messiah. These men weren’t just religious consumers. Prior to this passage, they had already been convinced.
But some of these people twelve if fact respond to his call to ‘follow me’. They not only became convinced, but they also became committed. Several left their fishing businesses; Matthew left his job as a tax collector, but they all committed to following Christ. And it was those who were first convinced, then committed, that Jesus then commissioned. This third group were converted, became committed as disciples by following him and learning from him. Then finally there were commissioned as described here in verse 13. Being commissioned just means he told them what to do.
We can see there are two parts to this commission, to which he appointed them. Firstly, that they must ‘be with him’. Secondly that they must go out and preach and teach and heal the sick and caste out demons.
The first part of their commission is to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. The ultimate goal of being with him, is to be like him. So, they spend time with him, in order to be like him. The second part of their commission was that they were to preach. Being with him, qualifies us to bear witness about him so, the second part of being commissioned is about being able to claim the message as our own, and go tell others, the message.
The second group, although convinced remained demon possessed and were specifically told not to tell anyone. Because by knowing about him without believing in him means any testimony given will discredit the gospel and raise up that individual in the eyes of the hearer rather that the saviour himself. However, if you are with him, and know him personally, and become like him, only then are we told (commissioned) to proclaim his message. Being intimately involved with him naturally leads us to tell people about him. You may think the closing part of this passage is just a list of names. Let me suggest there is something very interesting contained therein.
These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means ‘sons of thunder’), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew (Tax collector) , Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot (Fiery Canaanite and a collaborator Political opposites and an extravert and a introverts psychologically opposites also, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
(Mark 3: 16-19)
Christianity began by bringing together the most diverse people to live and to serve together. And they were able to do so because they were all living with and serving alongside the Lord Jesus. In today’s political language, we have an extreme left wing socialist living and serving alongside and serving with right wing Tories, and beyond. In UK terms we have Brexit ‘leavers’ and ‘remainers’, in US terms republican and democrats, united by their relationship with the saviour. Matthew was the very polar opposite of a patriot, and Simon was a radical Nationalist Zealot. They were from polar opposites politically, but Jesus called them to be in the same group.
What an interesting group of people. Why would you put people together with such different some might even say extreme points of view? That’s not going to produce harmony, is it? It seems to me that most of Jesus’ 12 disciples were lacking in what we today would call the aptitude for the management role they were undertaking. To the modern mind set they do not seem to have the making an effective team.However, I have liaised with my daughter Hannah who ia lecturer in in Business management in order that we might use utilise the latest business research and thinking on selecting a leadership team for Jesus.
In order to do this, we carries out a full SWOT analysis on the mission, as well as considering the core competencies of the prospective disciples. We also completed a full range of psychological assessments and psychometric tests alongside a PESTLE review and considered all external environmental influences on the disciples included a political equity measure. In the process we had a though shower, we thought both inside and outside the box, we ran our ideas up the flagpole whilst at the same time keeping them in the loop. We put it on our radar, took it off the page, then kicked it into the long grass, then picked it up again and ran with it. Along the way we did some blue sky thinking, we drilled down into it, and peeled the thought onion. But at the close of play we hit the ground running and were both singing from the same hymn sheet.
So, to close for your amusement I have come up with a management report on the suitability’s of the leadership team that Jesus called around him to support him in the delivery of the most important mission and message the world has ever seen. Using the latest scientific knowledge and the most up to date business psychology. Let me give you a modern management-based assessment of the qualities of the personalities of the disciples’ commission to carry out the work of the son of God.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. He will not be able to engage or influence people. He should not be considered.
Andrew appears to have absolutely no qualities of leadership a loyal friend yes, but not a leader in management terms.
James and John, the so-called sons of thunder, they take inappropriate risks and place personal impulses above corporate responsibility. Therefore, they are a risk to the mission and should not be considered.
Thomas demonstrates and questioning sceptical attitude and his lack of positive mental attitude means he should not be considered.
Matthew is not likely to be popular with the rest of the team or with the general public, so he is not recommended for the role.
James and Thaddeus are radicals of fixed view and may even be at risk of developing mental health problems. They should definitely should not be considered for the appointment.
However, one of the candidates shows great potential, he gets on with everyone, he has a smart focused business mind, he contacts in high places both with the religious leadership and the Roman authorities. He is highly motivated ambitious and financially astute and always has an eye on the bottom line and profitability of the mission. Therefore, according to the latest business and recruitment ideas Judas Iscariot is recommended to be Jesus’ right-hand man, and the leader of the disciples. In worldly terms he is definitely the most qualified.
Why would Jesus choose such different peoples from such different backgrounds? When we look at people and see problems, Jesus looks at people as sees potential. That why he chooses these people, it’s not because of their background obviously. It’s because of what he saw in them, what he saw they could be if he trained them.
Some people see problems and imperfections in people and some people see potential. That’s what Jesus saw when he looked at these 12 men. Let’s hope this is what the Lord see’s when he looks at us.
Summary.
What I have suggested today is that there were various types of people who crowded around Jesus. There are other types, but this passage reveals that there are some who are. Consumers, those who came for what they could get. There were some who were convinced that Jesus was the son of God, but neither the consumers or the convinced in this passage were commissioned, but there was a third group, and it is the ones I invite you to join. These are the commissioned. They were converted, and committed disciples, followers of Jesus and they were commissioned to go and tell and do.
All the people who crowded around Jesus the largest group were just consumers who just came to get a physical or material benefit. There were some who were convinced, they knew exactly who he was. But they were still never converted, and whose testimony Jesus said should never be heard. However, the smallest group where those who were converted, and committed in following him, and it is them he commissioned to go make the Lord Known to others.
Are you just a Christian consumer? Are you convinced without being convicted or converted or are you converted and committed in order that you might be commissioned? Where do you sit on that journey?
I invite you if you a consumer to become convicted and convinced, that Jesus is who he says he is. If you are convinced about who he is, then invite you to be convicted of your need to move beyond seeing Jesus as a role model and make him your saviour and I also invite you to join the group of the committed. If you are committed, then I invite you to accept the commission because we need you to serve in the worldwide church. We need your help, for there is much work to do in serving the saviour. We need ordinary people, but with just two special qualifications.
1 You love the saviour.
2 you have the courage to stand up and say, I am a follower, a disciple of Jesus.
That 2nd step requires courage because people close to you may not understand it. It takes courage to identify with Christ and be his disciple. But be encouraged friends what Jesus is looking for are ordinary people. Do you consider yourself an ordinary, then, great your qualified. God loves to use ordinary, even flawed people to accomplish his flawless purpose. Come out of the crowd of the consumers and join the smaller crowd of the committed and the commissioned.