Canonical Reading Plan for Oct 18, Mar 8-9

Today's reading ar Mar 8-9.

The feeding of the four thousand depicted in Mar 8:1-10 is similar to the version on Mat 15.

Incredibly, after this miracle, the Pharisees demand to see a sign (Mar 8:11-15). Notice the difference between the compassion Jesus has on the crowd, who demands nothing more than His presence and teaching, and His harsh reply to the Pharisees who repeatedly demand proof.

Jesus uses the skepticism of the Pharisees to warn the disciples against their teaching, comparing it to leaven. This leads to a discussion among the disciples about their lack of bread (Mar 8:14-21). They have missed the point of the feedings. Jesus is showing that He is the bread of life. He brings life to those who believe in Him, as He demonstrated in the feeding of the four thousand. While the crowd needs food, the more profound teaching was not about lunch. He was showing that He will sustain them. The Pharisees, who have contaminated the truth, will receive none of the blessings that are inherent in a relationship with Christ. 

After all this, the disciples complain that they have no bread. Jesus uses their hunger as an opportunity to draw them deeper. Ironically, they are concerned about their empty stomachs while the bread of life is sitting in their midst. Jesus is not denying them food or telling them they should have no need for physical bread. He’s driving home the weightier lessons in the feedings.

As if to give the disciples an example of how they will progress into a better understanding of Jesus and His teaching, Jesus heals another blind man (Mar 8:22-26). But, this time He does it in stages. He’s showing the disciples that they will eventually see the truth of who He is and what He’s doing. 

To drive His point home, Jesus asks the disciples who He is (Mar 8:27-30). Peter has the right answer, revealed to him by the Holy Spirit (Mat 16:17). The disciples are growing!

We grow in the same manner. Our spiritual growth can be dramatic at times and slower at others. So long as we turn to Jesus and His word for the truth, as the disciples did, we will continue to grow and see more clearly.

Mar 9:1 is a verse that has caused much discussion. To whom is Jesus speaking? Who will not taste death until they see the kingdom? Many believe this is an end-times prophecy and Jesus is speaking to that last generation. If so, what about the ones standing in front of Him? They all died before the end times came. Did Jesus miss it? The only sensible way to interpret what Jesus says here is to apply it directly to the men standing there. If that's the case, then the prophecy is accurate and precise.

The power mentioned is the power the disciples will receive in Acts 2, the same power that they will to go to Jerusalem and wait upon (Act 1:8). The kingdom is not, as some teach, an event that will happen in the future, it is Christ. Like the disciples in Acts 2, if we have the resurrected Christ, we have the kingdom and the power. There is no need to wait. There are no believers that are left without or with less.

Mar 9:14-29 provides additional detail to the healing of the demon-possessed boy. Jesus tells the disciples that this kind of demon comes out only by prayer (Mar 9:29). This statement must harmonize with the teaching in Mat 17:20. In that verse, we found that the faith of the disciples was not yet fully developed. The power to heal and cast out demons is not in them apart from a close and mature relationship with Christ. Jesus is not saying, "If you pray more, then the demons will leave." He's telling them that a sincere and committed relationship with Him will lead to them being able to move in faith in all they do -- move mountains, cast out demons, etc. Their goal is not to perform miracles, but to have a more intimate walk with Him. Prayer is fellowship and communion with Him. Their spiritual growth will be commensurate with their prayer life.

As an aside, they are in or near Caesarea Philippi when much of this happens. This is actually the Northern-most part of Jesus' journey. This is where they turn and start heading for Jerusalem. There was an ancient sacrificial site there, in a cave, that some say known as "The Gates of Hell." Here's what the cave looks like today;

The disciples miss many of the points Jesus is teaching and fall into a disagreement as to who is the greatest (Mar 9:33-37). They make the common mistake of thinking that the kingdom is about them and the benefits they will receive when it arrives. Jesus brings the correction by telling them that He--and they--have come to serve, not be exalted.

Jesus addresses minor doctrinal differences in Mar 9:38-41 saying those who are genuinely on His side will all receive a reward. The point of primary importance is that those "who are not against us are for us." Those who are not actively opposing Christ but moving in "His name," His character and nature, are working for Him albeit not directly with the disciples. Jesus tells the disciples to leave those people alone. This is a snapshot of the diversity the kingdom will exhibit and a caution against judging people or denominations that may have a different ecclesiology while remaining gospel-centered.

Mk 9:42-50 is an admonishment to the disciples to do whatever is necessary to eliminate sin from their lives. In this, Jesus redirects the disciples to examine themselves rather than others. Far from being an endorsement for self-mutilation, Jesus is encouraging them to ruthlessly pursue eliminating sinful thoughts and behavior from their lives.

Examining the flow of Mar 9, we see an incredible teaching about the kingdom of God and how it operates. Along with it is a caution that the kingdom is not about you or me, but about Christ and His work. Furthermore, we should not fall into the same poor behavior of the Pharisees by judging those who are not like us in practicing our faith. We should welcome and be thankful for all those who are actively working to advance the kingdom and are devoted to Christ. Instead of critiquing them, we should look inward and examine ourselves.