Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 4 Study # 5
December 28, 2021
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: Jesus' "impossible command" set a major movement in motion toward understanding in particular respect to the extremely common issue of "eating".
Introduction: In our last study, we considered that Mark's use of unexpected "intensified" verb forms in the statement of the disciples was his way of revealing just how far out of line those disciples were at this point in their "training to become apostles". Those verbs combine to give us a picture of extraordinarily immature men who have not yet realized their identity as "disciples unto apostleship" in respect to Jesus. It is important for us to see Mark's "point" so that we might appreciate his record of Jesus' process of accomplishing His goals for The Twelve.
The bottom line issue of the disciples' condition at this point is their "non-participation" with Jesus in His "compassion for an unworthy crowd". Mark's insistence is this: without sharing in Jesus' motivation, it will be impossible for the "disciples" to ever be "disciples unto apostleship". One cannot be a legitimate representative of Jesus without participating in His "motives".
Then, the actual reality of the disciples' "flaw" at this stage of their development in Jesus' purposes for each of them is a "must seen" matter for one particular reason: Mark's purpose in this Gospel is his participation in Jesus' intention of creating mature "disciples". This purpose cannot be seen clearly without the practical realization of the fact that Jesus began with men whose goals in life were completely misaligned because their grasp of the underpinnings of real "Life" was completely flawed.
Thus, we are presented with men who "dare" to tell Jesus what to do in respect to the crowd as they pretend "concern" for the crowd when their reality is that they resent the shepherdless "sheep" who are interfering with their desire for some "down time". The "intensified" verb forms are Mark's way of opening our eyes to both the need of The Twelve for effective "shepherding" by the Chief Shepherd as well as for our need of the same. The bottom line is one: "compassion" cannot co-exist with a carnal value system that puts the needs of shepherd-less sheep beneath the physical wants of those who would be "under-shepherds".
This evening we are going to attempt to see Mark's meaning for his record of Jesus not only denying a "rest" that He had already acknowledged as "reasonable", but also His reaction to their "demand" with one of His own that reached far beyond any "reasonable" expectation of fulfillment: "You feed them".
- I. Mark's Choice To Address Jesus' Use Of "Eating" To Illuminate His Motivations.
- A. At the beginning of his Gospel, Mark introduced the issues of "eating" as crucial to our understanding.
- 1. The first use is in 1:6 where John's "eating" was, at once, both physical and metaphorical.
- a. The "locusts" of John's diet was representative of his message regarding the need for "repentance unto forgiveness" because of the Old Testament use of "locusts" as a manifestation of divine wrath.
- b. The "wild honey" of John's diet was representative of his message of the outcomes of living under the forgiveness of God because the Old Testament chiefly characterized the "land" as one "flowing with milk and honey" for those who lived in that land under the gracious forgiveness of God.
- 2. The second use is in 1:12, but it is very subtle.
- a. Mark's extremely brief record of the temptation of Jesus contained the same major theses: "wild animals" in the "wilderness" depicting the outcomes of Satan's effectiveness in getting men to rebel against God unto "wrath"; and "ministering angels" in the wilderness depicting God's provision for the real need of humanity.
- b. At issue is whether Jesus will adopt "God's compassion" as His motive for ministry at whatever cost to Himself, or will succumb to the appetites of His fleshly body: "eating" is the very first of the issues of "temptation".
- 3. The third use is also somewhat subtle as it comes in 1:31 with Jesus' provision for Simon's mother-in-law to be able to "feed the small multitude arriving at her home" while she was totally incapacitated in regard to that task (this is the beginning of the mirror-likeness of the issues of "eating").
- a. 2:16 reveals Jesus getting into conflict with the religious establishment over the issue of Jesus "eating" with "sinners and tax collectors" as "sheep who have no shepherd".
- b. And 3:20 is the initial raising of the issue of "eating" being subservient to "ministry" as disciples of Jesus and 6:31 is the presentation of this issue when "disciples" are "tempted" to exalt their carnal desires over Jesus' "discipleship plans for them.
- B. At our present place in the text of Mark's record, Jesus pushes His "disciples" to consider that even "promises from God" (the issue of "rest") are subservient to the process of keeping what is important in mind with clarity (the "shepherd-less sheep" have a greater need for a Shepherd to "feed" them by "teaching them many things" than "tired disciples" have for a Shepherd Who will sacrifice the "needed" for the desirable").
- C. As this plays out in Mark's record, "eating" is the "issue" in both of the events that are recorded in Chapter Seven ("eating with impure hands" and "eating the crumbs dropped by the children at the table") as the lead-in to the second record of a "feeding" of a vast multitude as given in Chapter Eight.
- 1. This second record is declared to be Jesus' second effort to get the disciples to understand His principle of "keeping the main things the main thing" in doing the work of "apostles".
- 2. And, then, there are two more major issues of "eating" in the record.
- a. The fig tree is cursed because it provided nothing to "eat" for a hungry Jesus (11:14 in context).
- b. The use of "bread" and "eating" at the institution of the Church's continuing need to "eat" of the Table of the Lord: "eating" is a very major metaphor for "gaining the abilities needed to do the work".
- II. Mark's Record Of Jesus' "Impossible Demand" As A Matter Of Basic Discipleship.
- A. While the disciples long for distance from the needs of the large crowd, Jesus compels them to be immersed in meeting the needs: "You feed them".
- B. While the disciples are all wrapped up in their "inabilities", Jesus forces a totally different perspective: "You feed them".
- C. The fundamental principle of discipleship: the "ministry" is only really accomplished by God as He makes provision for His people to fulfill His objectives.
