Mark 4:21-25 Jesus' Parable of the Lamp

21 Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Devotional
In the first part of Jesus’ exhortation He is comparing His gospel with that of a lamp, which is not brought out to be put under a basket, or placed under a bed, but on a lampstand (vs. 21). Now in Jesus' sermon on Mount, Jesus says something very similar when people are in relationship with Him “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matt. 5:15-16

In the sermon of the Mount Jesus is talking about believers good works which bring glory to God. Here in this parable though Jesus is referring to the Kingdom of God and its declaration, in essence evangelism (vs. 21-23). For the Gospel is not to be hidden from people. It is to be shared openly and without partiality. For what the Lord Jesus Christ said and did, He did publically. He never tried to conceal His purposes. He came forth from God as the Light of the World and His Word is not hidden from those who accept it and obey it.
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4:3-6

Therefore Jesus’ Words in verse twenty two “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light." May be construed as meaning all of Scriptures mysteries will be revealed in their time. Jesus then concludes His exhortation by saying “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Vs. 23

Now in verse twenty four and five Jesus says: “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

These verses are linked to God’s revelation that He brings forth through Christ. Jesus Christ is not only God Incarnate in the flesh as a Man. He is the Living Word of God who not only declares it, but also brings to life by God’s Spirit all who repent and believe in Him through it. The importance then of how ones hears Him through His Word cannot be overstated! That is what the Lord Jesus is emphasizing in verse twenty four and five. Those then who hear the Lord Jesus Christ and do not harden their hearts to Him, and thus measure Him according to what God says of Him, will likewise be measured appropriately as belonging to Him, and thus more revelation of God in Christ will be given them. But those who do not, who do not believe, or ascribe to the Lord Jesus Christ something less than who He is will likewise be measured by that same judgment, and with that they cannot be said to belong to Him. For you cannot lesson the Person of God’s Son and declare yourself as having faith in God! The Lord Jesus concludes by saying: “…to you who hear, more will be given” 25 “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

Mark 4:10-20 Parable of the Sower Explained

10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 “so that
‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”

13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 “The sower sows the word. 15 “And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 “These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 “and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 “and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Devotional
This is the follow up to the previous post of the parable of the Sower. It begins with the twelve and those near Jesus after He had spoken to the multitudes asking the Lord Jesus why He spoke to them in parables. This is Jesus’ prelude then to explaining the parable of the sower to us. Matthew also records Jesus saying at this time: “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” Matt. 13:12 That is why Jesus’ quoting from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10) to His disciples in Mark 3:12 is so important. People should never take lightly the Lord Jesus or the Words He speaks, for He is God's Prophet who speaks in God's Name (Deut. 18:15, 18-19). Therefore Jesus is making a marked distinction between those who know Him, who are inside the Kingdom by their believing in Him as He declares Himself to be, and those who are outside, who for whatever reasons do not. The parable of the Sower then is not describing the way into the Kingdom, it is describing potential processes that take place in people's lives when they hear the Word of God that Jesus speaks. For the gospel is a simple message: God loves you so He sent Jesus Christ His Son to die on a cross for you, then Jesus rose from the dead, and after forty days ascended back to the Father in heaven so that all who repent and believe in Him will have forgiveness of all their sins and everlasting life. Now Jesus' exhortation here is given in His and the disciple’s native land of Galilee; where Jesus' ministry began in Nazareth His hometown. But they rejected Him as the Messiah so Jesus went on to Capernaum, Herod's city, and taught in the synagogues there, doing many mighty deeds and miraculous works, healing people even in the synagogues on the Sabbath, and now by the Sea of Galilee.

 And thus as Jesus’ fame spreads far and wide people increasingly are coming to Him from farther locals. Even beyond traditional Jewish territories, to be healed by Him, or to hear Him speak, or see a miracle performed by Him etc. And with the peoples came the Jewish religious leaders to investigate this Man who seemed to be turning the world; or at least their world upside down. Often refuting their interpretations of the Scriptures, which they held to be authoritative and binding on the people, and instead preaching the Kingdom of God and His Lordship of it. Therefore you have scribes (who copied and interpreted the law of Moses and thus were held in very high esteem by the people) coming up from Jerusalem, to not only investigate Jesus, but now more than ever to refute Him before the people, to discredit Him, which is what they were trying to do when Jesus warned both them and the crowds about blaspheming the Holy Spirit. So Jesus for a time withdraws from them and the Synagogues of Capernaum and goes to the nearby shores of the Sea of Galilee and begins teaching again to the multitudes that follow Him there, but now in parables (See Matthew 13). The first parable Jesus speaks to the multitudes is the “parable of the Sower” which carries with it profound insights as well as warnings. So now when Jesus was alone with His disciples; that is the twelve Apostles and others who were following Him they asked Jesus what the parable meant. "And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" Vs. 13

Now in explaining the parable of the Sower Jesus will reveal basically four different types of responses when people hear the Good News about Him. Jesus begins by saying: “The sower sows the word.” 15 “And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts." Vs. 14-15 In Jesus' first analogy He declares it is Satan who takes these seeds of faith away from those people’s hearts who are by the wayside. And thus the Word of God does not even begin to take hold in their hearts. Therefore don’t be surprised when seeds of faith are sown, wherever they are sown, and then the enemy comes with his own means seeking to undermine what was sown. That pattern is played out time and again in the gospel just as it is in our very lives who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ when we try to evangelize for Him. For wherever seeds of faith are sown there will be obstacles as well opposition to them taking root.
In the next instance, you may recall,  Jesus said the seed that fell on the stony ground immediately springs up, but when the sun arises it is scorched and soon withers away. Now this symbolizes those who hear the gospel, rejoice over it's good news, as Jesus say's here, they "immediately receive it with gladness". But “they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.” vs. 16 These people then do not come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ either. Though they initially rejoice in hearing about Jesus. Inwardly they never let the Lord Jesus Christ take root in their hearts (See Rev. 3:20). And sadly when tribulation or persecution arises for the Words sake immediately they stumble, meaning they give up their faith, or maybe it would be better to say they give up their pursuit of faith in Jesus Christ and fall away (vs. 16-17). In explaining the third instance Jesus says: “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 “and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” vs. 19-20

Now in stating that Jesus is warning us about the Word of God being choked out by three possible things: “cares of this world”, (see Matt. 6:25-34), the “deceitfulness of riches” (See Matt. 6:19-24) and “the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (See Mark 8:36-39). These three things can be grave obstacles to a person finding their God given purposes in Jesus Christ. Their faith journey then never comes to fruition. Instead it gets chocked out, as Jesus says here. In the first instance by the “cares of this world”, which can be an innumerable amount of worldly concerns that draws people’s time and energies in a hundred different directions. Now in regards lifes' daily worries and needs the Lord Jesus tells us: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matt. 6:33-34
In essence what Jesus' is warning about is ones faith in a loving God who promises to provide for all our needs becomes supplanted and the choked out by the “cares of this world”, by one trying to secure their own future by their own means rather than trusting in Jesus Christ who has already secured it. And that is a grave pitfall when people let life's worries dictate their lives affairs rather than the Lord of Life.

In next warning Jesus warns about “the deceitfulness of riches”. Now there is no greater spiritual deception than that which goes with allurement of wealth. Jesus warned in His Sermon on the Mount that no one can serve God and mammon. Mammon being an Aramaic word for riches, often translated money. The Lord Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Matt. 6:24
Suffice it to say that Apostle Paul also warned us in his first epistle (or letter) to Timothy to beware of those who make the godliness into a pursuit of gain (1 Tim. 6:5-9). "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Tim. 6:10

The last of the three that Jesus presents to us is: "and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." This is the answer to the analogy where the seed falls amongst the thorns. There are a great many things that say give me your attention, give me your focus. And unless a person is proactive in prioritizing their lifes affairs it is likely their faith journey will fall victim to this. In Luke "desires for other things" is more specifically mentioned as the "pleasures of life" (See Luke 8:14) and thus the Word of God gets choked out and they bring no fruit to maturity.

Now in the finial example Jesus  reveals the essential nature of those who truly believe in Him. Who don't fall away when living For Jesus Christ gets hard, as He promises it will (John 16:33). For God's blessing is only on those who endure (Matt. 5:10-12). Or those who don't have any real faith in God. God being more of a concept to them, than a Person of Trinity who both creates, provides, and governs the affairs of all life. Who can intercede into any person's or nations circumstances at anytime, to accomplish anything.


Remember Jesus Christ's resurrection and ascension is God's Personal victory over Satan, sin and death accomplished for us and in us. All things have been made subject to Jesus Christ who is our Lord. Therefore there is nothing that can ever remove us from God's grace once we have come to saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus and a personal faith in Him. That is why the Apostle Paul boldly declared:
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now the Lord declares in the finial exhortation of the parable of Sower: “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” Notice where the good seed finds good ground, they accept it, and bear fruit some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ then will bear fruit in His Name.


Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

Mark 4:1-10 Parable of the Sower

1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 “And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 “Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 “But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 “And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 “But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”


Devotional
Jesus then having rebuked the scribes from Jerusalem and the Pharisees for their blasphemous assertions about Himself now begins to teach the great multitude that had gathered literally from everywhere with parables by the sea. And thus Jesus begins to teach the crowds and us here a very important parable. So Jesus starts by setting out from shore in a small boat just a far enough so He is not overrun by people seeking to be healed by Him. So it is there in the still waters, a few feet or maybe meters from shore where He can project His voice off the waters, Jesus begins to teach again. Now the Scripture says He taught them many things in parables. Though were told everything He taught them at that time in this section of Mark's gospel (See Matt. 13) we are told something that is foundational to following Him and understanding the spiritual realities of doing so. And to do this Jesus uses agrarian or agricultural principles or realities to explain spiritual ones to us. Thus Jesus begins by saying: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 “And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it." Vs. 3-4

Without revealing too much at this time for Jesus explains the parable for us so when we look at that section then I’ll expand. But for now I’ll try to illuminate some of the metaphors within the parable without giving everything away at this time. Starting with Jesus’ emphatic call to us to listen! or literally hear! For what Jesus is about to say to us must not be causally heard or received. It must be indigested into the depths of our souls, for how we “hear” Jesus when He speaks to us through His Word will have a profound impact on us and our standing with Him later on. Therefore if you remember nothing else, remember this that what God’s Word says and what we hear we must apply our faith to, both our intellect and well as our actions (Heb. 4:2; James 2:18, 26). And thus Jesus describes a sower; that is a person, with a bag of seeds at their side who walks up and down a cultivated fields furrows randomly throwing out seeds on either side of it to seed it. Now as you can imagine there are a lot of variables with this method of seeding, and Jesus will use some of them to reveal spiritual realities to us. The first one Jesus chooses to reveal to us is that as the sower sowed “…some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.” Vs. 4 That some seed fell by the wayside means it did not find the ground it was intended to, and before it even has a chance to germinate the birds of the air come and devour it. This is the first scenario Jesus presents to us. Now in the Bible
birds of prey and or scavenger species can represent the presence of evil; the Law of Moses gives a list of unclean birds for the Israelites not to eat and these are generally, but not always, thought of in that light in the Scriptures (See Lev. 11:13-18; 20:25-26; Rev. 18:3-4). Here then Jesus is using them in that light to warn us that the sowers seed does not always get a chance to begin, for it is lost by the wayside and then quickly devoured by the birds of the air. The next analogy Jesus uses of the sowers seed is that “Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 “But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. Vs. 5-6

In Israel it’s not hard to imagine there being stony ground around where one might try to sow seed. And thus Jesus tells us that some of the sowers seed lands on stony ground where there is no depth of earth and thus the seed immediately springs up. But as Jesus warns when the sun came up it was scorched and having no root it withered away. Jesus then is not taking about a full grown plant here. He is talking about a seed that germinates suddenly but ultimately is withered by the sun lacking the roots to sustain it during the heat of the day. Now there are varieties of desert seeds that can sprout in as quickly as 50 minutes from the time they are exposed to even slight moisture; in temperatures ranging from 10-40 degrees Celsius in both dark and light conditions.***
Therefore these seeds unlike the first seeds make it to germination; in fact they are of such a variety that they spring up immediately when exposed to the right conditions maybe being exposed to the earlier morning dew when a sower would sow his seed to avoid the midday heat in Israel, or the moisture in the soil itself after it is cultivated, or mabe watered by some other means. Unfortunately having fallen on the stony ground they have no roots in the fertile soil. And thus when the midday sun rises and beats down on them they are scorched and soon wither away.

The third place Jesus says the sowers seed fell is among the thorns, which as Jesus said “grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.” vs. 7 It germinated and started to grow, even had roots in the ground, but ultimately became choked out by the thorns before it could come to fruition. Therefore Jesus having given us three different types of scenarios or potential outcomes for the sowers seeds that end negatively, in the forth and finial one He makes abundant use of the positive. Here Jesus says: 8 “But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Now the good ground is where a crop sprang up, increases and produces some thirtyfold, some sixty, some hundred. Therefore the yield from it exceeds many times more than what was initially sown as well as what was lost to either the birds of the air, the stony ground, or the thorns. For where the sowers seed finds good ground it will increase many times more than what was sown. That is what Jesus is emphatically stating here, using natural cycles of agriculture; seeding, growing, then harvesting to explain as much. Thus wherever the sower sows his seed and it finds good ground there is abundance. Jesus then concludes His parable to us all by saying “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Vs. 9

So far I’ve tried not to reveal the parables meaning since Jesus does that for us. So when we look at His explanation in the next post. I’ll make some comments hopefully that will help illuminate some of the Spiritual truths within Jesus' parable.

Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

Non Biblical References
*** Gleaned from an article written by Y. Gutterman, Department of Botany, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel; in Oecologia, Volume 10, Number 2 / June, 1972; accessed through the internet via. http://www.springlink.com/

Mark 3:20-30 Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

20 Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.” 23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 “And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 “And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house. 28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 “but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.

Devotional
Jesus having chosen His twelve disciples to be with Him on a mountain and having taught them again comes down with them to where He was staying and soon the multitude presses to see Him. And such were their needs that Jesus and the disciples could not even take time to eat bread. Now somewhere in between is the time where Jesus heals a man who was demon-possessed, blind and mute which caused great amazement amongst the multitudes, and they began saying amongst themselves: “Could this be the Son of David” (Matt. 12:23). Now Jesus’ own people, when they heard about this went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” While the scribes who had come up from Jerusalem, said: “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.” Mark 3:22 The Gospel of Matthew records the Pharisees likewise making the same blasphemous assertion when they heard the crowd’s reasoning’s about Jesus being the Son of David.

Now in the midst of this crowds questioning amongst themselves about whom Jesus is the scribes and Pharisees seek to undermine Jesus’ Person to them which only reveals them for what they are, not Jesus Christ for whom He is. Unfortunately Jesus’ own people from Galilee still remain hardened towards Him, something that hadn’t changed since Jesus gave His first sermon in their synagogue. When He warned the people there about as much, before commending two Gentiles to the people of Nazareth as people of true Godly faith. Saying to them though there were many widows in Israel in days of Elijah. God only sent Elijah to a Gentile widow from Zarephath, an obscure place in the region of Sidon. Similarly though there were many lepers in Israel in days of Elisha the prophet, only Naaman the commander of the Syrian army would be healed by him, for which they violently rejected Jesus and thought to throw Him off a cliff; but He passed through the midst of them and remained unharmed by them (See Luke 4:23-27). Now Luke’s gospel also records that some at this time also tested Jesus and sought a sign from heaven from Him (Luke 11:16). Jesus then being reproached by His own is largely how they will treat Him until He departs from them. This is one of the things the Lord Jesus warned the twelve disciples about when He commissioned them into His Apostleship, saying: “It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!” Matt. 10:25 Now in both Matthew and Luke Jesus perceives their blasphemous thinking about Himself; both from the Pharisees and those who asked for signs from Him, which initiates His parable to them all. Jesus’ reasoning within it though is neither obscure, nor abstract, but rather to the point and goes uncontested by them (vs. 24-27). Now the word translated blasphemies in verse twenty eight is according to the NIDNTT an action noun that “means profane language or slander, defamation, by which another person is damaged” (page 95). This is the word Jesus uses when He says: “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter.”  However the Lord Jesus Christ makes a severe distinction in verse twenty nine when He says: 29 “but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit. Mark 3:29-30

The word Jesus uses in verse twenty nine though related to the first word He used in describing God's willingness to forgive mens blasphemies, “It refers to a strong expression of personal defamation” NIDNTT
is not related to the second in how the scribes and Pharisees use it. And that is the distinction Jesus is making. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit then is those who knowingly and willingly attribute Jesus Christ’s works done by the Holy Spirit to Satan. That is what the scribes and Pharisees were doing; since they could not deny that the miracle that Jesus did was clearly a miracle of God. Instead they blasphemy the work of the Holy Spirit and attribute Christ’s Power to Satan. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit then is not having demonic powers attack a person with condemning thoughts of having blasphemed the Holy Spirit because of whatever blasphemies and or taking of God’s or the Lord Jesus' Name in vain before they came to repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ. Those people's consciences that are sensitive to the things of God through the Lord Jesus Christ are either saved or are within the reaches of Christ’s salvation. As the Apostle Paul declared of his former unregenerate self: “although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 1 Tim. 1:13

There is then a distinction to be made between what people ignorantly do in unbelief which can be forgiven them, when they repent and believe, and what the scribes and Pharisees knowingly did here. On an unrelated note when believers sin by saying blasphemous things about others the Lord Jesus says that we are to make this a priority in our lives and go and make right it again and seek out the person whom we have hurt (Matt. 5:23-26). Similarly the Apostle James says we are to confess our trespasses to one another so that we may be healed (James 5:16).
Likewise the Proverbs also declare:
“He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Prov. 28:13

Therefore confession of ones sins and repentance from them is where a believer finds relationship restoration both with their fellow believers and with God Himself when we let our tongues get the best of us. For God promises in His Word "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9


Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

Biblical Reference Works Cited
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (NIDNTT). Abridged Edition; Verlyn D. Verbrugge, Editor.









 

Mark 3:13-19 Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles

13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

Devotional (cont.)
This section of the third chapter of Mark chronologically precedes the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus then after spending all night in prayer appoints the twelve that they might be with Him as well as go out and preach. And Jesus gives them a new distinction, they are His Apostles meaning “chosen messengers” (Luke 6:12-19). Yet more than just men with a message they are given power from Him to both perform supernatural healings but also cast out demons and so wherever they go they are to represent Jesus Christ the Son of God by doing the very same miraculous signs which He Himself does. The Apostle’s would initially then be His undeniable chosen witnesses through these. As well the Apostles were initially commissioned by Jesus Christ to only preach to the twelve tribes of Israel, the gospel needing to come to them first to fulfill the Scriptures (Acts 3). Matthew chapter ten is where we find the Lord Jesus’ giving the twelve Apostles their initial instructions before sending them out. Jesus Words and warnings there are likewise to be heeded by every follower of His. Now Apostleship as a governing office of the church is not something that comes into being until Jesus Christ’s resurrection, ascension and Holy Spirit outpouring (Acts 1:1-4). It is at that time at the dawn of the church age that they are recognized as such and recognize others as such, i.e. the Apostle Paul. What is unique to them all is their being personally called by and eye witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Now don't lose sight of the fact that Jesus first drew His disciples away from the multitude to be with Him before He would choose the twelve and send them out to minister to them. Christians then have that pattern of withdrawing from their world to spend time with Jesus and each other before returning back into it to minister the gospel to it.

Scriptural Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

Mark 3:7-11 Jesus heals by the Sea

7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. 9 So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 10 For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. 11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

Devotional
Previously Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, in the Synagogue in the presence of the Pharisees then they went out from Him with intentions of plotting His destruction. So Jesus withdraws His disciples from there to the Sea. That is the Sea of Galilee. And it is here that a great multitude from Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem, in the south, Idumea (the Greek name for the ancient territory of Edom south of Judea) and places east of the Jordan River even as far west as Tyre and Sidon cities of Phoenicia on the Mediterranean coast, having heard how many things He was doing were coming to Him.

Now Galilee is in northern Israel and was a mixed land of Jews and Gentiles and was the native home of Jesus’ disciples. While Judea and Jerusalem was the Jewish heartland in the south, both culturally and religiously. Idumea was the territory south of them where the ancient Edomites descendents dwelt. Edom their father was the half brother of Jacob whose offspring went on to become Israel’s fierce enemies. Tyre was the capital of ancient Phoenicia, well beyond Israel’s boundaries in modern day Lebanon, while Sidon was its oldest principal city. Both were major cities in ancient times. In other words Jesus unlike the many would be prognosticators of the day, did not have some localized following. Those who were coming to Jesus came from everywhere and were as an eclectic as a group of people one could find in and around ancient Israel.

Now the reasons for their coming to Jesus literally from every direction, was they were hearing how many things He was doing, casting out demons, and healing people of permanent or lifelong infirmities. Jesus miracles then were attracting people to Himself who had no other hope or options. Therefore people were coming to Jesus from a wide variety of life’s problems and circumstances. That is why Jesus preached and taught the Kingdom of heaven and Himself the means by which one enters it, for in so doing He extended God’s grace to all. Having then settled on a region near the shores of the Sea Galilee not far from the synagogue where He healed the man. Jesus has the disciples prepare a small boat for Him so that He would not be crushed by the growing and thronging multitude. For the Scripture says: “…He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.” Vs. 10 Now the passage says that when unclean spirits saw Him they “…fell down before Him, and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.” Vs. 11-12 Even though early on Jesus Christ was testified to as the Son of God, here Jesus forbids the demons from making His Person known. For clearly God does not need demons to testify to His Person (James 2:19). But He does want every individual to believe in Him and testify to His Person for only those who believe in Jesus Christ and confess Him as the Lord will be saved (Rom. 10:9-10). For that is what God requires of us faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Son crucified and raised from the dead so that we might be set free from our sins and saved from the judgment to come. The demons though do not have that opportunity their condemnation is assured. Therefore their declaration of Jesus’ Person is simply a fearful acknowledgment of God within Christ who is their Judge. There is no redemption for Satan and his angel’s, hell is their finial destiny (Matt. 25:41; John 8:24). And that is why Jesus said and did so many mighty works that men and women everywhere, from every walk of life, might turn from their sins and believe in Him through the gospel (John 10:37-38). As the Lord Jesus Christ said to the Apostle Paul when He commissioned him: 17 ‘I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 ‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Acts 26:17-18

People then, as they are now, were coming to Jesus out of myriad of cultural, religious, and life experiences, for all must come to Jesus Christ the Living Waters to experience God’s healing Presence and Power in their lives. For God's invitation is to all: “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev. 22:17


Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

Mark 3:1-6 Jesus heals on the Sabbath

1 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.


Devotional
Chronologically this passage immediately follows Jesus’ declaration of His Lordship of the Sabbath (Matt.12:8-9). Hence what unfolds here is a continuation of the ever widening gap theologically between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Pharisees. Jesus then is not laying the groundwork for a peaceful reconciliation of their differences. This growing rift between them then is not a mere matter of a single doctrine to be debated to resolution, but fundamentally to whom Christ’s Person is and the extent of His Authority. Jesus then enters the synagogue on the Sabbath and there was a man there who had a withered hand; so the Pharisees watched Him closely, “…whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.” Vs. 2
In Matthew the Pharisees are the ones who initiate this incident, by asking Jesus whether or not it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath that they might accuse Him (Matt. 12:10). While Mark records their watching Jesus closely to see if He would. And with that Jesus tells the man to step forward, addresses the Pharisees directly, and asks them: …“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent.” Vs. 4 Jesus’ question then hits at the heart of the Pharisee’s purposes as well as His own. The Pharisees were using the Sabbath as a day to plot evil, to ultimately try to bring about Christ’s destruction. Jesus on the other hand was using the day to do good. Jesus was seeking to relieve a man of his affliction, which is fully in accord with the Sabbath’s purpose of bringing rest. For that is Jesus Christ’s essential purpose in coming into the world, this synagogue, or even your own heart, is not to bring you into judgment with God as the Pharisees were seeking to do to Jesus; it's to bring you into everlasting life (John 3:16-17; 5:24). As the prophet Malachi says of Him, that He brings healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2). Healing for everyone through the gospel. As Jesus demonstrates here by healing this man’s hand. For that is Jesus’ very purpose for which He came forth from God, to bring salvation for everyone without partiality, of both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Him and confess Him as Lord. There seems then no more appropriate place and day to do that on, then in a synagogue, on the Jewish Sabbath. Therefore with their silence, the Scripture says “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” Vs. 5 That the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians after Jesus healed the man reveals their deep spiritual hardness of heart as they go out from His Presence with a desire to destroy Jesus, rather than turn to Him and be healed themselves. Now that they would turn to the Herodians to hatch their plot indicates both the the intensity of their hatred, but also the cunningness by which they would seek to achieve it. Since both the Pharisees and Herodians were fundamentally opposed to each other’s core beliefs. The Pharisees were orthodox and rejected all manner of Gentile life and rule, while the Herodians were sympathetic towards both Roman governance and Greek customs, and often sided with the Sadducees (who were similarly pro Greek) in opposing the Pharisees. Yet when it came to Jesus, like all who reject Him, they found common ground. The Pharisees then held a share of the religious power over the Jews along with the Sadducees, but it was the Herodians who held the greatest access to Roman power. Power to condemn a man to death. Something the Pharisees did not have under Roman law. Later this evil alliance will conspire together in a religious/political plot to try to entrap Jesus on the issue of the lawfulness of Jews paying taxes to Caesar (Matt. 22:15-22). Therefore when Jesus' heals a life and or restores a soul back to a right relationship with God; not everyone will believe or delight in His gracious works (Matt. 10:24-26). Nonetheless as the redeemed of God, the ransomed back from sin and death by Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we can confidently live a life of faith. Rejoicing in God, being steadfast in hope, as we grow up into Christ likeness by putting to death our old sinful ways of doing things and embrace God's new ways of living life abundantly and in the liberty which He has purchased for us through the death of His Son (John 10:9-18). Therefore as He reveals these things to us in the Scriptures, especially the N.T. Scriptures which show us God's purposes and fulfillment of all that was previously written. Let us give thanks always knowing that in Jesus Christ the Lord we not only have forgiveness of all our sins when we believe in Him, but also everlasting life.

Scripture Quotations:
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

Bible Reference Works Consulted
Nelson's New Bible Dictionary; Article on the Herodians

Mark 2:23-28 Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 “how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat, except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” 27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 “Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Devotional
In what seems a rather harmless event as the Lord Jesus and the disciples walk through some grainfields on the Sabbath and the disciples pluck some heads of grain to feed themselves would soon turn into a teaching moment for Jesus as the Pharisees who observe this will take great offense at the disciple's "working" on the Sabbath. Now this was not an uncommon practice in ancient Israel, as the Law made provisions for travelers to do this as long as they did not put a sickle to the grain or fill a container with what they plucked from the vine; Just enough to satisfy one’s own hunger, which is an excellent statute to forward neighborly love as well hospitality (See Deut. 23:24-25). Yet when the Pharisees observe the disciples doing this on the Sabbath they take offense and say to Jesus “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” vs. 24 Now there are some principals that need to be understood about the Sabbath before we can go farther in examining the passage.

First the Sabbath day was a solemn day of rest. It was to be kept holy. No customary work was to be done on it. That is you could not take out your ox or donkey from the corral and hitch him to a plow and go work your field on the Sabbath. Nor could you command your son or your daughter or your male or female servant (if you had one) to do the same or some other type of customary work and thus keep the Sabbath yourself while you made someone else or your animal work on it. The Sabbath was to be a day of rest for all, of ceasing from ones work for both man and beast. The foundation for this commanded day of rest was the example of God Himself who also rested from His works in creation on the seventh day (See Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11). A secondary principal related to this is the Israelites themselves were once enslaved in Egypt and thus they were to remember the hard toil and bondage the Egyptians laid on them when they were their slaves in Egypt (See Deut. 5:13-15). And thus they were to be merciful to both man and beast as Jesus always demonstrated when He "worked" on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6). Now in many ways the Israelites servitude represents mankind’s universal bondage to sin. Remember it was while in Egypt God gave them the Passover ordinance which is to point all people to Jesus Christ the Lord as God’s sacrificial Lamb for our sins. Therefore the Sabbath was not only a hallowed day in which God was worshipped for His salvation; it was to be a day of rest and replenishment for all. Divorce that understanding from the Sabbath and you will make it a religious day that neither refreshes the soul, nor replenishes the body. Yet the Jewish Sabbath day is not the final day of rest that God has commanded humanity to observe, as the Book of Hebrews chapter four explains, rather it is to exercise ones faith in and our obedience towards His Son. That is where one finds God's rest as Jesus said (Matt. 11:28-30). Therefore this principal of resting from ones works as God did from His is exhorted to and through the Christian community of the New Covenant, for everyone to stop trying to earn God’s salvation, rather to enter into it by God's grace (Rom. 4:4-5). “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” Heb. 4:10

Second the Sabbath was a sign between the God and the children of Israel. Not God and the church; but God and Israel (Exodus 31:16-17). The church is not under the law therefore we are not bound to observe the Jewish Sabbath (Acts 15; Rom. 6:14). The Sabbath as a sign was to demonstrate to all people not only God’s covenantal relationship with Israel but also His Supernatural provisions for them and the beasts of the land throughout their generations as they observed the Sabbath day and years principal, i.e. one day of the week and one year out every seven the land was likewise to rest with Him (See Lev. 25:1-7).

Third whoever profaned the Sabbath by working on it was to be put to death (See Exodus 31:12-17). God’s wrath was against those who worked on the Sabbath. Before Israel’s entering the Promised Land this statute was strictly enforced since it was there that God was testing Israel. And thus when a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath was found doing so he was sentenced to death for it (Num. 15:32-36). Now this incident has a couple of things related to it. First and foremost God was still providing manna for the children of Israel to eat, while they sojourned in the wilderness, to test them to see if they would obey Him and keep the Sabbath. Therefore not until they entered the promise land did the manna cease. Second this incident occurs immediately after God had given Israel a command stating that: “…the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people. 31 ‘Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.” Num. 15:30-31
Fourth the Sabbath was perpetual. Israel was to observe it throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant (Ex. 31:13).
Fifth the Sabbath was to be observed by the Jews regardless of where they dwelt (Lev. 23:3).

Now the Lord Jesus’ in defending the disciples from the Pharisees implying that the disciples were breaking the Sabbath by plucking heads of grain on it. Will cite Abiathar the high priest who when David and his men fled from king Saul gave them the show bread that was only lawful for the priests to eat. Now the showbread itself was to represent the twelve tribes of Israel before the Presence of the Lord and thus the Lord’s covenant commitment to watch over and provide for His people. Yet with that Watching over and Provision before them the Pharisees only looked to the day and not the Son of Man to whom it attests. Here then Jesus’ refutes them not only on the precedent of Abiathar as then high priest extending grace to sons of Israel in need. But also on a very simple but profoundly liberating principal which is: …“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 “Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Vs. 27-28

Jesus’ then by stating such really turns their understanding of the Sabbath on their collective heads. And His Authority for doing so is in the second half of His rebuttal when He says: "Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” More than anything then the Sabbath was to instill in the Israelites a sense of needed rest, which Jesus brings as Lord of the Sabbath. The Pharisees then in criticizing Jesus for allowing the disciples to pluck heads of grain missed that point completely in their interpretations of it. For disciples were not harvesting grain with a sickle, which would’ve been worthy of reproof, they were simply nourishing themselves on the Sabbath which is fully in accord with the day, just as it was when God supernaturally provided mammon for the children of Israel; how much more so when He provides eternal rest and nourishment through His Son (John 6:35). Therefore Jesus’ declaration that “…the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” means not only was the Sabbath made for mans rest; it was made for the Son of Man. Therefore Jesus asserts that the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath. Greater than the day is the Son to whom it attests.

Therefore to lay unnecessary burdens on people on it is only to contravene its purpose, and ultimately Christ’s. Yet that is what the Pharisees did. They made a day of rest into a day of bondage and servitude, compelling people to obey their own ordinances which they added to the Sabbath, which did not relieve anyone’s burdens, instead they just added to them (Matt. 23:4). How then we interpret and apply Scripture will likewise have the same effect. We will either be a part of liberating people from their sins by pointing them to God’s grace through Jesus Christ and the gospel. Or we will throw them into religious servitude and greater bondage, bound to doctrines and commandments of men, which liberate no one (Col. 2:20-22).

Mark 2:18-22 New Wine for New Wineskins

18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 “But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Devotional
Under the Law of Moses there was only one commanded fast day; the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27-32; Num. 29:7). Now as a general rule a fast lasted from morning till evening (Judges 20:26), if abstaining from food or food and water. Or it could last up to seven days if just abstaining from food (1 Samuel 31:13). A fast could also entail abstaining from all that came from the vine including wine as a part of the Nazarite's vow (Num. 6:1-8). Or food and water for several days as in case of Ester and Mordecai as they interceded for their Jewish brethren (Ester 4) or the Ninevites in their repentance before God (Jonah 3:5-9). Now fasting was often externally displayed to God by the wearing of sackcloth and ashes and or mourning (Nehemiah 9:1; Ester 4:1). While the purpose of fasting was often multifaceted; to express sorrow for ones sins (1 Sam. 7:6), mourn loss of life (2 Sam. 1:12), intercede on behalf of another (1 Sam. 12:15-23; Ps. 35:13), request God’s intervention in times of crises (2 Kings 19:1-4; Ester 4:16-17; Nehemiah 1:4-11; Daniel 9), to seek to know and do His will (Ezra 8:21-23), or express humility before, and dependence on God, when chastised, oppressed, or faced with His judgment (1 Kings 21:27-29; Ps. 69:1-36; Matthew 11:20-24). Though judgment is not something a Christian need fear because of their believing in Jesus Christ the Lord (John 5:24).

Now in time fasting became an integral part of Israelite worship and the means by which they often judged themselves as being in right relationship with God. God had other ideas about their fasting though when during their fasting they pursued their own pleasures, were exploiting their laborers, or were being unjust, oppressive, at odds with each other, or were living indifferent towards their brethren who were impoverished (See Isaiah 58). Therefore God commanded the Israelites that the fast He has chosen is not a day of religious affliction. The fast that God has chosen is not a day for a person to afflict their soul, or bow themselves down like a bulrush, or put on the wearing of sackcloth and ashes etc., (Isaiah 58:5) but of drawing near to Him daily by “doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with Him.” Micah 6:8 Therefore God commanded Israel to first render their hearts to Him and not just their garments (See Joel 2:12-17).

Unfortunately even in their exile and post exilic period, Israelite fasts were still often just ritualistic observances in God’s sight, since their hearts were not focused on seeking Him, or their lives were being lived devoid of doing justice, showing mercy and compassion etc. Not oppressing or planning evil against ones brother is what God wants. Therefore God by His Spirit through the prophet Zechariah rebuked their fasting for lacking those qualities that make for genuine worship of Him, like kindness and love (Zech. 7:5-14). Therefore drawing closer to God and especially Jesus Christ through the New Covenant means to draw closer to God's love, not His judgment. Similarly the Lord Jesus saw fasting beyond mere abstinence of food and He underscored right motivation behind it. As well He cautioned about disheveled appearances and making a display of ones fasting to be seen fasting by men (Matt. 16:16-18; 23:5). Rather Jesus commended fasting that it is done in secret, God will reward openly (Matt. 6:5-13; 6:16-18). Now in rare cases the Bible records prolonged fasts; Moses on Mount Sinai; Jesus in the Wilderness etc. These kinds of fasts are by their nature supernatural and are not fasts that the Lord Jesus Christ would have His people enter into on their own initiatives, as is clear by their contexts (See Ex. 24:12-18; Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13).

Similarly by God’s design John the Baptists fasting and ascetic lifestyle belongs to him as the last of the Old Covenant prophets. For he was to live a life of the Nazarite and represent Elijah to the people, as the Lord Jesus Christ’s forerunner, as the angel Gabriel heralded at his birth. “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 “He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:15-17

Therefore John the Baptist lived a life that was exclusively for and dependent on the Lord, just as Elijah the prophet did (See 1 Kings 17:1-16; 2 Kings 1:7-8; Matt. 3:1-12; Luke 1:13-17 etc.). Now when John had preached repentance to Israel and baptized many people to prepare them for the coming of the Lord; and having both announced Jesus’ arrival as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29-34), and declared Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, Jesus being baptized by him, (according to the will of God to fulfill all righteousness) and Jesus Himself being testified to by the God the Father, as His Son and Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:13-17). John’s purposes were essentially fulfilled (John 3:30-36). Thus John went on to be arrested then martyred as the greatest and last of the Old Covenant prophets (Matt. 17:10-13). While the Pharisees made fasting and also tithing an end in of itself (Luke 18:9-14). There is nothing in the N.T. that indicates that their fasting drew them any closer to God or made them more concerned for the welfare of their fellow person. Unlike John the Baptist who preached doing works of repentance towards God by doing justice and showing mercy towards ones fellow person (Luke 3:10-14).

Now both John the Baptist’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And it was while they were fasting that they; that is John’s disciples (See Matt. 9:14) came to Jesus and said to Him “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” vs. 18 It is important to note that at this point John the Baptist had already been taken into Herod’s custody and placed in prison, which will be relevant to the answer Jesus will give them. Here then they ask the Lord Jesus why His disciples don’t fast, rather they eat and drink, while they; that is the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees fast. In both Matthew and Luke it is said that they fasted often. Now Jesus responds to their inquiry by using an analogy of a bridegroom celebrating with his friends for as long as the bridegroom is with them they cannot fast. Jesus then likens His Presence with the disciples as such a time. Fasting is out of the question then for Christ’s disciples as long as He is in Bodily Presence with them. However Jesus immediately goes on and say’s “But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” Vs. 20

The veiled reference here is of the time of Jesus’ own arrest, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension back to the Father. Not until then; when Jesus Christ having walk amongst His disciples forty days after rising from the dead on the third day, and having opened the Scriptures to them, in preparing them for their mission ahead, and the Holy Spirit being poured out on them, will the disciples fast (See Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1-2). Then fasting is clearly practiced as ministering to the Risen Lord, or by leadership before making critical decisions (Acts 13:1-3) or commending men for Christ’s service (Acts 14:23). It is even encouraged by the Apostle Paul for husbands and wives by mutual consent, to abstain from conjugal relations and give themselves to prayer and fasting for a time, but then to come together again (1 Cor. 7:5). Fasting then that is a time of abstinence of food or other things to seek or serve the Lord runs through the Old Covenant on into the New (Luke 3:36-38 Acts 10:1-8). The Apostle Paul being a former Pharisee who frequented relations with Jews in the hopes of winning them was a man who fasted often (Acts 18:18; 27:21; 2 Cor. 11:27). Though he never commanded anyone else too, rather he said that believers should not judge each other whether they fast or do not fast; since food; either eating or abstaining, does not commend us to the Lord (Rom. 14:3-4; 1 Cor. 8:8). Therefore he warned not to heed those who would command abstinence from either food or marriage (Col. 2:20-23; 1 Tim. 4:1-3). The Lord Jesus Christ also exhorted the disciples that certain demons do not come out without prayer and fasting (Matt. 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29).

However what does not run through from the Old Covenant on into the New is attributing any efficacy to act of fasting itself. You do not need to fast to be in a right relationship with God. You need to have faith in Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead to be in a right relationship with God. Fasting then does not bring you into a relationship with the Lord, only faith does. Now Jesus goes on to say: “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” Vs. 21-22

The first analogy Jesus uses here is of repairing an old garment by sowing in a new piece of unshrunk cloth. Which only causes the new to pull away from the old, and the garment’s tear is made worse. The new garment is of course the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and the New Covenant He ushered in. If you try to attach it to the Law, the tear (metaphorically speaking) which separates sinful man from God through the Law will only be made worse (See Gal. 2:16, 19-21, 3:10-14; 3:19-26; 4:21-31, 5:1, 4-5). You cannot combine faith in Jesus Christ with one's own works to attain to God's grace; otherwise both will be ruined (Rom. 11:6). For the gospel is a demonstration of God’s Righteousness to save every sinner who repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ crucified and Risen from the dead (Mark 1:15). While the Law says: “The man who does those things shall live by them” Lev. 18:5 That is the person who seeks to be saved by the law, must live by it all, not just certain segments of it. There is no grace than for the person who seeks to be justified before God through their own obedience to the Law yet fails to keep just one point of it, they will be held as guilty of all of it (James 2:13). Therefore justification before God through the Law is impossible for anyone to attain to (Rom. 3:19-28). It is for that reason the Biblical Apostles refused to command those Gentiles who were turning to God through faith in Jesus Christ to be put back under the law and its stipulations; which neither they nor their fathers could fulfill (See Acts 15:1-28, vs. 8-11 bellow). 8 “So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 “and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Acts 15:8-11

The Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans summed up the difference between law and grace this way: “4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

And whose sins are covered;

8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.” Rom. 4:4-8

Ultimately then you either grow in God’s grace which leads to living a more righteous life than you ever could’ve under the law (1 Cor.15:56) because you live a Spirit led life of liberty bound by “love, joy, peace, longsuffering , kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23). Or you grow in your dedication to the law and express and bear the futility that goes with trying to do so (Rom. 4:15). Therefore grow in your dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel and bear the fruits of it, by grace and truth (2 Cor. 3:5-6, 9, 17). “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17 The second analogy that Jesus uses is of new wine being put into old wineskins which no one does because the new wine bursts the old wineskins, the wine is spilled and both are ruined. Therefore new wine must go into new wineskins. Like with the first Jesus uses again the analogy of incompatibility through a metaphor common to those whom He spoke it.

Hence the Lord Jesus brings us into a relationship with God the Father through the gospel, not the law and the gospel, but the gospel. For the Holy Spirit will not be poured into someone bound under works of the law when Jesus Christ has made faith in Himself the only way to peace with God (John 3:16; 14:6; Rom. 3:19-28; 5:1; Gal. 3:2-3). Therefore when anyone believes in Jesus Christ crucified for their sins forgiveness and risen from the dead God’s Spirit indwells in them. No matter what they’ve done, or have not done, all alienation from God ends the moment someone believes in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:13-14). Which is why the Apostle Paul, whose life portrayed Christ crucified to the Galatians was so upset with them for their turning away from the grace of God which brings His Spirit, to works of the law, which does not. “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” Gal. 3:2-3

God’s Spirit or your own flesh? In other words are trusting in Jesus Christ crucified for your sins forgiveness or your own works? For it is only by Holy Spirit regeneration that we being changed into Christ likeness, just as Jesus' righteousness is imputed to us, as it is to every sinner who believes in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore it's either Jesus Christ's Righteousness imputed to us by faith in His Person or ones own righteousness by one's obedience to the Law to try to justify one before God, which is again contrary to the gospel. For you cannot have both faith and works, as the Scripture says: “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” Rom. 11:6 Therefore though faith is proved real by one’s works (James 2:17-18, 26). Ones own works does not bring one into God's, only faith in Jesus does (Rom. 3:26-28; Eph. 2:8-9 etc.). Hence the only way to have God’s salvation is by His grace through faith in His Son Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead for our sins remission. Then we are to do the good works; born out of a regenerated life; that He has prepared before hand for us to do, (Eph. 2:1-10; Titus 3:4-9).

The Holy Spirit is the Power Source and He only indwells and empowers us who hold onto Jesus Christ as our righteousness before God (John 3). The law on the other hand only brings a curse; not grace; judgment (Gal. 3:10-14). Therefore new wine must be put into new wineskins. The Holy Spirit’s outpouring is a result of the gospel’s completion and thus the New Covenant being enacted. Therefore the Holy Spirit is poured into the New not the Old.

Mark 2:1-12 Jesus' Authority to Forgive Sins

1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Devotional
When Jesus entered Capernaum it didn’t take long for the word to get of His arrival. And as it became known that Jesus was again in the house, and that immediately many gathered so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even at the door because the crowds were so wanting to see Jesus. For where Jesus is at work there is always a stirring of people’s hearts wanting to encounter the living Christ and life which He brings. Just as John the Baptist said to his disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ when everyone began going to Him, rather than John: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven” (See John 3:26-27). Now the Scripture says as the people were gathered Jesus preached the Word to them. That is the word of the Kingdom of Heaven. For Jesus teaches just what He heard from His Father and His command is for everlasting life (John 12:49-50), that is why Jesus taught so that all people might believe in Him and be saved.

Now the Scripture says that while Jesus was teaching the people that they brought to Him a paralytic who was carried by four men. However do to the overflow of people they could not draw near to Jesus in the house. Therefore because of the crowd and their inability to draw near to Jesus they went and uncovered the roof where He was. Now in ancient Israel houses were a little different than our suburban wooden framed houses with pitched roofs. Their homes were made of sun dried mud bricks or mortared stones laid on solid limestone foundations with flat roofs and a parapet wall around its perimeter, as a part of the exterior walls. The walls themselves were covered with a mud plaster inside and out to give a smooth finish. Often there were stone stairways or a ladder system on the outside of the building that granted access to the roof area. It was there people would dwell in the hot summer months. The roof itself comprised of large wooden beams that ran from outside wall to outside wall that were supported on the inside by columns made of either wood or mortared stones. Across these large beams juxtaposed directionally ran smaller timbers then several layers of sticks, reeds, or mats, these again then were plastered with layers of mud making the roof flat and smooth. Therefore as Jesus’ was preaching to the people assembled inside the house, and the crowds gathered outside the doorway, to hear Him. These four men with their paralyzed friend made their way up onto the roof, and uncovered the roof where He was. So determined were they to have Jesus heal their friend that they didn’t just yell down to Him, instead they let down the bed on which their friend was lying right into the midst of the crowd before Jesus. It may have been that they heard the testimony of the leper Jesus had healed earlier while in Capernaum, and thus they may have thought it was necessary for Jesus to lay His hands upon their paralyzed friend to heal him. Whatever their reasons it’s a beautiful sight for sure.

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Vs. 5 Now Jesus’ Words to this man are more than just calling him a friend, after forgiving him, Jesus calls him son. And those are the words we all need to hear when we are paralyzed by our sins, or crippled by our fears and failures. That God upon our returning to Him through Jesus Christ will call us His sons and daughters. For that is why Jesus Christ came to earth and lived amongst us, and was crucified for us, so we could all be forgiven and be given new and everlasting life when we believe in Him (John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:17) Therefore when anyone believes in Jesus Christ the Lord they become a son and daughter of God (Gal. 3:26).

Now the passage doesn’t end there with Jesus’ proclamation of forgiving the man’s sins and essentially restoring him. For there were also present in the house some scribes sitting there and when they heard Jesus' Words to the man they reasoned in their hearts “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” vs. 7

Now the scribes though were a learned class of religious men. Who spent from the age of fourteen to roughly the age of forty learning all the Jewish interpretations of the Scriptures. As such they were more than just copyists of the sacred Scriptures; they were a part of the priestly classes, i.e. the Pharisees and Sadducees etc. and were considered experts in interpreting the Law of Moses. But (and this is an important but) only according to the Jewish father’s traditions. Which both they and especially the Pharisees held as binding on the people. As such the scribes often served as magistrates (i.e. lawyers) in adjudicating the Law of Moses in the towns or regions in which they lived. And thus it is not uncommon to find them amongst the common people, rendering decisions about aspects of the Law that were to govern daily Jewish life. While the Pharisees and Sadducees on the other hand rendered more critical decisions from the Sanhedrin council in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus Christ however frequently refuted their interpretations of the Scriptures (Matt. 12:1-7), and condemned those interpretations that put the traditions of their fathers before the commandments of God (Matt. 15:1-9). Jesus’ strongest denunciation of them and their interpretations of the Law is found in Matthew 23.

Now the passage says that when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they had reasoned in their hearts: “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” vs. 7 He immediately said to them: …“Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Vs. 8-12

Now Jesus had already forgiven the man’s sins, his faith is what saved him. Therefore Jesus’ rebuke here is of the scribe’s unbelief. For if anybody should have believed that Jesus is the Christ, or the Messiah as the Jews like to say, it should have been them. They had access to all the Scriptures, and they had heard Him preaching all that time, yet they had remained unmoved. While the paralytic and his friends had not, yet they were compelled to seek Jesus believing what revelation they had of Him. While the scribes and Pharisees often scorned the untrained peoples belief in Jesus for they felt the common people to ignorant to understand the Scriptures (See John 7:37-53). Yet it is the common people for whom the Scriptures are written and who often demonstrate the greatest faith in God, and especially Jesus Christ as Lord in them, which is as the Lord Jesus Christ would later say in quoting the Scriptures to them before leaving Capernaum, Herod’s capital city, and the religiously learned and their and those peoples unbelief for good, that God has hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes (See Matt. 11:25-30).

Therefore as with us when God forgives us by His grace through faith in His Son there are always naysayers. These maybe loved ones in your family, or even your closest friends and colleagues. Personally receiving God’s grace by believing in His Son Jesus Christ's death and ressurection does not mean everyone will believe or receive you. Look at the scribes here immediately they question Jesus Christ the Son of God and His validity to forgive sins though He is the One to whom all the Scriptures testify too (John 5:39-47).

Therefore Jesus Christ’s reproof of them here is not just with words but by mighty deeds as He says to them: 10 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Vs. 10-11

Now the people’s response to this miracle that Jesus just performed is that they were both astonished and glorified God for what they saw. While the scribe’s reaction is to do and say nothing. Their only response is to remain silent in the presence of the grace of God. Never faith which can be manifest in a thousand ways, whether worship, joy or adoration, ultimately doing something that testifes to and or glorifies God for His gracious works through His Son towards us all. No their response is silence. Therefore my encouragement to you who believe is don’t be swayed from saying and doing those good things that testify to the reality of the Living Christ and your faith in Him by those who are “wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight" (Isaiah 5:21). Yet don't see their need to be healed from their own sins by the grace of God.

Instead be wise and believe! Yes be a fool in their eyes, but exceptionally wise in Gods, because you put all your faith and hope in Christ Jesus the Lord crucified and Risen from the dead for your sins forgiveness (Rom. 10:9-10). Knowing that His Word, God’s very Incarnate Word and promise to you, when you do, will always be “Son, your sins are forgiven you” “For whoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved” Rom. 10:13

All Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

Bible Reference & Archeological Works Consulted
New Nelsons Bible Dictionary; Article on Scribes
Harvard University; The Semitic Museum online, Houses of the Ancient Near East.

 


 

Mark 1:40-45 A lepar and a Friend

40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

Devotional
That Jesus touched one of the untouchables under the Law of Moses as well as by social norms of the day should not be lost on us. Nor should we overlook Jesus’ motivation. It wasn’t self aggrandizing; Jesus’ didn’t make a display of the man or Himself by healing him before the people; Jesus’ motivation was born out of pure compassion for this man, who having implored Him, kneeled before Him asked “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Vs. 40 Now of their brief encounter, it was though few of words, intimate and personal. Jesus then upon hearing his request and seeing him kneel before Him spoke directly to the man, likely looking into his eyes of desperation when He said: “I am willing; be cleansed.” vs. 41

Jesus then compassionately reaches out to touch him, something that the man probably hadn’t felt in years, the touch of a caring hand. For a man accustomed to crying out unclean! unclean! (Lev. 13:1-2, 9-11, 38-48) Jesus’ both repsonding tenderly to him and then touching him before He healed him shows Christ's sensitivity to not only the man’s broken body, but also his broken sense of self esteem. Now Jesus didn’t have to lay hands on people to heal them; though He did to fulfill the Scriptures (Matt. 18:16-17); where faith was present He both cast out demons and healed sicknesses with a word (Matt. 8:13; Mark 7:24-30).

Therefore by His doing so Jesus demonstrates a deep concern for the individual’s wholeness as a person, tactfully bringing about this man’s well being on a personal level. For that is how God reaches, and reaches out to people, personally, intimately. Though the gospel is a universal message, whose effects are likewise universal in us all who believe, it is always the individual and their response in faith to it that initiates the Lord’s working in one’s life, which finds fullfilment at the ressurection of the dead. Jesus then relates to the individual at their level and their need while not forsaking His greater mission as He said earlier to His disciples in verse thirty eight. For it was there when the disciples in the early morning hours after searching for Him, found Him alone in a solitude place, praying, and saying to Him that everyone was searching for Him, Jesus’ replied to them: “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” Vs. 38 For Jesus had both preached and demonstrated the healing power of the gospel to those people, and having done all He could to share the gospel there. It is likely He needed to reach out to others elsewhere. And that is what He was doing here when this leper approached Him. Therefore Jesus didn’t shun this man who must have sought Him out with great difficulty, given the social stigma of leprosy, as a potential hindrance to his greater mission. Jesus never places a value on a person based on their social standing; and certainly not on a person’s ability to contribute to His ministry. Jesus Christ values the individual; especially the individual who believes in Him, simply because they do (Matt. 25:31-46). For His purpose in coming forth from God was to preach and teach the gospel, then be crucified and raised from the dead on the third day so that all people might believe in Him and be saved. For Jesus Christ was and will always be the Son of Man and Son of God who shows deference to no one. Rich or poor, sinner or saint, all people are in need of repentance before God (Luke 13:1-5). Therefore all people are in need of Jesus Christ the Lord (John 3:16). Therefore He never lost sight of the individual and their importance to God. Look at His parables: A shepherd who leaves His ninety nine sheep to find the one who is straying; or a woman who searches diligently for a priceless coin; then Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. And in each parable Jesus concludes it by saying there is rejoicing and great celebration over the discovery of the lost. First the shepherd at finding His lost sheep, which He places on His own shoulders and carry’s back to safety. And when he arrives home he calls his friends and neighbors together and says ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ Luke 15:6 Jesus then say’s: “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7
Then the women who after searching diligently finds her lost coin from her set of ten coins and for joy of the discovery of it goes and calls all her friends to rejoice with her, saying to them ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Again Jesus emphasizes the immense value of just one missing individual to God (See Ezekiel 34:1-33). And again Jesus concludes His parable by saying: “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

Finally the prodigal son’s Father and his outpouring of heart wrenching love for his assumed dead son, upon seeing his returning to Him cannot contain Himself but instead runs to meet his returning son, embraces him mightily and kisses him passionately then He commands his servants to quickly place on his son a rob and ring reclaiming him as his own. And to celebrate his return Jesus say’s they kill the fatted calf; something that would have only been done for the most special of occasions. Yet the last and most non allegory of all of Jesus’ parables is not without controversy. In first two no one questions the rejoicing and desire of the shepherd and women’s calls to celebrate. Friends and neighbors alike instinctively celebrate their joy. Only here is there a character introduced earlier in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son “the older brother” so duty bound by service that he's forgotten what brotherly love looks like, only he takes great offense at the father’s rejoicing over his own returning repentant son. Not over a sheep, of some value, nor a valued coin, of greater value, but over a lost human being which is of greatest value to God. See Bellow:
29 “So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 ‘But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ 31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 ‘It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ” Luke 15:29-32

Now I know that I have digressed from the original passage, but not without purpose, which was to illuminate the value of the “least of these” My brethren to Jesus. So I’ll try to weave my way back into His instructions to the man whom He just healed of his leprosy. Jesus then having healed this man of his leprosy say’s to him …“See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Vs. 44

Jesus didn’t want the man to tell everyone in that region how He healed him because the people were already captivated by His healing miracles. Likely way to much so, for it’s not the miracles, it’s the Person to whom they attest and ones faith in that Person of God that ultimately matters. While Jesus Christ's instructions to the man was that he should go and show himself to the priest both as a witness to the priest, and in keeping the things which Moses commanded that was then still required of the Jews. Now the man’s response was to neither remain silent nor go to the priest (at least not initially) but rather the passages reads “…he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.” Vs. 45
The result of which was that Jesus could no longer enter the city, but instead was outside in deserted places. for even that did not hinder His ministry, for people came around from every direction to Him. Yet Jesus’ point in healing him was not to make a celebrity of Himself. It was simply an act of compassion which teaches us all that God is willing to heal anyone who likewise comes to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

Scripture Quotations
 The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.