Chapter # 2 Paragraph # 2 Study # 1
July 23, 2019
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
(Download Audio)
(089)
Thesis: Mark presents Jesus as continuing His "disciple" selection in the light of His essential ability to "forgive sins" with a view toward the longer term when "disciples" will take up His "ministry" agenda.
Introduction: With the verses before us we have another "step" in Mark's presentation of Jesus. We have seen several major issues introduced by Mark in our studies to this point, the chiefest of which is his argument that Jesus is the King of the Kingdom that is "at hand" and
He is the One Who extends the benefit of participation in that Kingdom, or refuses people entrance. Under that most important thesis, Mark presents Jesus as He continues to "select" men who will take up His "ministry" after He is no longer on the earth.
This evening we are going to look into this new body of information to see what Mark considers important for us to understand.
- I. The Larger Picture.
- A. Mark returns to an earlier issue so that we might "see" what is going on.
- 1. Mark's "again" presses us to look backward to an earlier event.
- 2. That "earlier event" is the introductory material that had to do with Jesus walking along the shore of the sea in order to begin His preparation for His "ministry".
- a. The significant elements of that original "along the shore of the sea" record.
- 1) The backdrop of "the sea" is significant in that it indicates that...
- a) The "backdrop" of the ministry is "Death" as Mark uses his 15 references to the "sea" to highlight "destruction" as the outcome of "air breathing" creatures being subjected to its depths.
- b) That "backdrop" is important because it simultaneously indicates that the "ministry" for which the "disciples" are going to be "schooled" is potentially deadly (10:33 and 13:12) for them with the reality that there is where their "fish" are.
- 2) The selection of the original four in two pairs identifies that general parameters of the "ministry": "fishing" (evangelism; Peter and Andrew) and "mending" (edification; James and John).
- 3) That original selection involved using the disciples' activities as a metaphor for their future character as "disciples".
- b. That original record sets up the possibility that Jesus' selection of "Levi" was also because of the significance of his "name" in the light of his "vocation".
- 1) The original "Levi" was named such because his mother was a thorough-going legalist who thought that her "productions" would lead to her being "loved" (Genesis 29:34).
- 2) Mark does not use "Levi" any longer in his record, actually reverting to his more recognized name (Matthew) in 3:18, so that we conclude there was a reason for the use of "Levi".
- a) There are two types of "legalists": the self-righteous; and the hopelessly despairing.
- b) As a tax collector, this "Levi" was of the latter type.
- 3) The significance would, then, be this: the "ministry" of "hope through grace" has this basic reality: though people are thorough-going legalists, there is hope for those who have come to despair under Law.
- B. Now Mark adds to the former issues, the newer one: "all the crowd were coming to Him".
- 1. This is the reality that has been developing from the beginning of Mark's record.
- 2. This is the point of contention between Jesus and those who dominate the doctrine of the synagogue (15:10).
- a. Mark throws his "...and He was teaching them..." into the mix without giving even a hint of what He was "teaching".
- b. But this is the "Why?" of the contention: "teaching" was the means by which the leaders of the synagogue got their "status", not having Jesus' "authority".
- II. This Particular Picture.
- A. Levi "followed Him" and the outcome was a large feast at his house attended by "the dregs" of Jewish society who lived in hopeless rejection (and probably did not even attend the synagogues).
- B. But these "dregs" constituted a large segment of society and "...they were following Him...".
