A Wild And Crazy Guy--Not!

A WILD AND CRAZY GUY--NOT!

Text: Mark 3:5-12, 20-21

(Mark 3:5 KJV) And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

(Mark 3:6 KJV) And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

(Mark 3:7 KJV) But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

(Mark 3:8 KJV) And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and [from] beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.

(Mark 3:9 KJV) And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

(Mark 3:10 KJV) For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

(Mark 3:11 KJV) And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

(Mark 3:12 KJV) And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

(Mark 3:20 KJV) And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

(Mark 3:21 KJV) And when his friends heard [of it], they went out to lay hold on him: for they said,

He is beside [Strong’s Concondance Greek #1839--confused, astonished, bewitched] himself.

Do you have a great zeal for God and the things of God? Do you get all excited and tell everybody that Jesus Christ is God? Do the complacent ones around you feel threatened by your enthusiasm?

In our Scripture text, Jesus was causing quite a stir. His words and actions exposed the self-centered, egotistical shallowness of those supposedly elite and pious religionists which said and did not! These characteristics were addressed by Jesus in Matthew 23:3 (KJV), " All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not."

As we walk with God it is easy to be misunderstood by our peers. Author Franklin K. Lane alluded to this thought in his work The Unconquerable Soul. He stated: "The bravest sight in all the world is a man fighting against odds.

"No great advance has ever been made in science, politics, or religion, without controversy." -Lyman Beecher

". . . religious controversy does only harm. It destroys humble inquiry after truth, and throws all the energies into an attempt to prove ourselves right-a spirit in which no man gets at truth."_____Frederick W. Robertson

Mark 3:21 (KJV) And when his friends heard of it [all that took place in the prior verses of Mark Chapter Three], they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. The friends of verse 21 refer to Jesus’ family and close friends. Jesus grew up in Galilee and practiced His ministry there. There were many that knew Him before this time of popularity.

Why was it said that Jesus was beside Himself? Were they thinking He was out of His mind? There may have been several reasons for their concern. Some were:

He left a business (carpenter’s son) to become a journeying preacher.

Family and friends were afraid for Jesus.

He skipped regular mealtimes.

Huge crowds began to follow Jesus.

He showed spiritual power and ministry.

He picked an unlikely group of disciples.

His brothers did not believe in Him until after His resurrection.

Some concluded there was genuine need for concern. One is not safe when political leaders are plotting your murder and there is no backing down. Mark 3:6 (KJV), " And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him."

Some probably thought the large following Jesus had would go to his head. The God-man would not give in to the weak and beggarly elements of fame and attention. Mark 3:7-8, "But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him."

The events of Mark 3:9-11 exhibited a spiritual power and ministry that Jesus had never shown earlier in His life. Was something very wrong for this man and his unlikely group of disciples? Here is what Mark 3:9-11(NIV) states, Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ’You are the Son of God.’