TGBC Wednesday 6 Jam 2021 Mark 3:1-12
Here's our TGBC reading for this morning. As bible stories are told, it's two stories, in the synagogue, and at the seashore. My comments are below, scroll down.
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Mark 3:1-12
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Is It Lawful To Heal On The Sabbath? Jesus Heals a Man, Inflaming The Pharisees
3:1 And He entered again into the synagogue. And there was a man there having his hand having become-withered. 2 And they were closely-watching Him to see if He would cure him on the Sabbath, in order that they might accuse Him. 3 And He says to the man having the withered hand, “Arise into the middle”. 4 And He says to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do-harm, to save a life or to kill?” But the ones were being silent. 5 And having looked-around-at them with anger, while being deeply-grieved at the hardness of their heart, He says to the man, “Stretch out the hand”. And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 And having gone out, the Pharisees immediately were giving counsel against Him with the Herodians so that they might destroy Him.
A Great Multitude Comes To Jesus To Be Healed
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In the first story, 3:1-6, it is not evident what law Jesus has broken that so enrages the Pharisees, especially so furious that they go plot with their nemeses the Herodians to kill Jesus. The synagogue episode involves no physical work, just words, and Jesus doesn't even touch the man with the withered hand. I'm saying there was no capital offense violating the sabbath, but it's Mark's story and he's safe telling it as he will. Mark's not Jewish, his intended audience is not Jewish, and there's no scribe of the law proofing his story. It does make the Pharisees detestable and heartless, which is Mark's view and Mark's intent; in fact, it's more an adversary story than a healing story, in the picture above, the star is not the man with the withered hand, but the disapproving jerks watching in the background.
The seashore story, 3:7-12, shows Jesus as immensely popular. His fame spread rapidly and people more and more flock to him wanting to be healed. It's evidence of Jesus Being as Mark acclaims, Son of God, showing that he does things beyond ordinary mortals. I've read that traveling healers were not uncommon in that time and place, but I don't know if other healers had such success with their healing powers or attracting such crushing mobs of eager fans.
Subtle but most important, there is Mark's Messianic Secret again, the demons knowing who Jesus is, and announcing it, and Jesus shushing them. I'm pretty convinced it's Mark's literary device, gimmick, tool, technique to have Jesus himself confirm to us Mark's readers, that the demons are right: he is indeed the Son of God. Jesus admits it. Mark's writing skill again, the demons' perceptiveness makes for a sharp contrast with the obtuseness of Jesus' colleagues. Here again, Mark's story is about leading us to see who Jesus is more than it is about the people he heals and the crowds he draws and the demons he casts out.
Mark's notable writing characteristics continue here, constant repetitive use of kai, "and" to connect thought to thought. Use of the historic present. But to tell the truth, I remember hearing all that in the King James Version literal word for word translation all my growing up years, and it all seems a natural part of relaxed storytelling.
Scholars like to point out Mark's poor Greek &c, but Mark is an accomplished storyteller, plot creator, suspense builder, and by the end of Mark's story he will have you maddeningly frustrated with Jesus' friends and totally pumped up to rush out and proclaim Christ yourself. That's Mark's whole agenda! I think he's the best.
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