poolsandpastures
Thoughts on the Gospel, Life, and Ministry
The NT365 Experiment: Mark 3
Great crowds followed Jesus throughout his ministry. People came from all over the ancient world to see him — to see his miracles, to hear his teaching, to touch him, to look him in the eyes. They wanted to know what he was all about. They wanted to know just who he was. They wanted healing. They wanted wholeness. They wanted to be fixed.
Mark tells us about such a crowd in chapter 3 (verses 7-12). This crowd of people came from villages far and wide to see Jesus — from “Galilee and Jerusalem and Idumea and Tyre and Sidon” (3:8). And, when they found him, they pressed in upon him so closely that he was concerned they would crush him. Mark tells us that they did this because they were desperate. They wanted to be healed, to have their diseases taken away, and to touch him. (Jesus was a rock star to them.) Many of them received wonderful physical and emotional blessings as he responded to them in grace by healing them and casting out demons.
On the surface this is a great story. People have come to Jesus, and he has healed them. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it? But, it’s too good to be true (That’s cliche, I know; so, please forgive me).
A Crowd of Users
Notice again what Mark tells us about the crowd. The majority of them have come because they had “heard all that he was doing,” which was healing men, women, and children of diseases and casting out demons. They came to Jesus because of what he could do for them. Now, that’s not a bad motivation necessarily. But, it appears that for those in the crowd that was the sole motivation for which they came to Jesus, and it never got any deeper. They came, got their benefits, got their healing, and then left. They wanted something from Jesus, and when they got it, they left. They fell away. What they wanted were the benefits of Jesus in their life, but not Jesus himself. Their ultimate goal was to make themselves better, and Jesus was the means to do it.
Sadly, this is not a reality that remained with the scores of people who “came to” Jesus while he walked on earth. Many people still come to Jesus for the same reason. They want to make much of themselves and use Jesus to do it. They presume that because Jesus is gracious and merciful that he will gladly respond to their request and be at their beckoning call. Therefore, they come when they “need” him and drift away when they don’t. He’s the agent to make their life better, not the Lord of glory to whom they submit their lives. That’s a different mindset than that of those whom he calls to follow him as disciples.
A Band of Followers
If I could draw your attention back to the text for just a moment, I think you’ll see how Mark fleshes this out clearly. Look at verse 13 again. Jesus takes his disciples, “those whom he desired,” up on a mountain where he appointed them as those who “might be with him and he might send them out to preach.” What a difference! The crowd comes to receive or take the benefits of Christ. They come to better themselves. The disciples come to Jesus for him — to make much of Jesus, to better his fame in the world. They go out to preach; they go out to cast out demons for Jesus’ sake. They come to Jesus (because he called them) to get Jesus. They want to be with him, and go out with him and for him. And, they receive in full the benefits of Christ. Where the crowd received in part, they received in full.
A Member of the Crowd or a Follower of Jesus
Here’s the question I come to in chapter three: How often am I simply a member of the crowd instead of a follower of Christ? In other words, how do I come to Jesus just for his benefits? How often is it my desire to dimly get those benefits and then walk away from him, only to come back later for more benefits?
It’s a tendency we all have. Be focused today on examining your heart’s motivation. Do you come to Jesus for Jesus or for his benefits? If it’s not for Jesus, then you need to take some time to repent and to come to him in faith. Make him and his glory the motivation of your life and all the other benefits will flow freely.
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