As a child we would attempt to salvage anything and everything. The house I remember from early childhood was an interesting building. When my mother wanted to clean the floor, she would pour water on the floor, scrub it with a broom, and the water would drain through the floor. The first home with a concrete floor in which I lived was a dairy barn. Dad would tear down old buildings and attempt to reuse the old lumber. It would often split, if it didn’t literally bend the nails, and it was cruel on hand-sharpened saw blades. Over the years the wood took on the characteristics of petrified wood.
In Jesus’ day the Pharisees and Jesus’ disciples were attempting to “reuse old wood.” Jesus saw what they were attempting to do, and he illustrated the futility of their desire to hang on to a broken system.
Jesus’ way was a new way, he was not merely giving a face-lift to a tired and worn-out system. Though he affirmed the God-given principles that God intended for their good, he was illustrating the manner in which he was transforming what had become a legalist system. Just as he warned the Scribes and Pharisees, he has a stern warning for the church today.
Before we read our text, I want us to understand the context of Jesus’ words. In this unfolding drama we learn Jesus’ focus was not on preserving the traditions and practices of the religious system, what I call extra biblical. His focus was to make people new from the inside out. New birth, not remodeling an infrastructure that was strained beyond repair.
The story of the paralytic raises an interesting question, Why hadn’t they seen the amazing works of God? Why didn’t they catch it—embrace it as something only God could do? In the book of Acts, when Paul is attempting to reason with Jewish leaders in Rome, he quotes a passage from Isaiah.
9-10 He said, “Go and tell this people:
“‘Listen hard, but you aren’t going to get it;
look hard, but you won’t catch on.’
Make these people blockheads,
with fingers in their ears and blindfolds on their eyes,
So they won’t see a thing,
won’t hear a word,
So they won’t have a clue about what’s going on
and, yes, so they won’t turn around and be made whole.” Isaiah 6 MSG
In Jesus’ day the Jewish leaders, especially, could not see the mercy and grace of God flowing like a fountain cascading down the mountainside. When Jesus healed the man who was paralyzed, they were amazed, saying, “we have never seen anything like this.” Mark 2:12 The Greek word used for amazed is ???stas?a? (histemi); it means to throw out of position, to displace, driven out of one’s senses. The miracle confounded their way of thinking.
If they marveled at a paralytic healed and forgiven, they would surely stumble over a dead body bursting forth from a tomb. Their persistence to confront, ridicule Jesus, and discredit his message continued—the viciousness of the Jewish leaders superseded that of the Romans toward Jesus.
The Scribes and Pharisees were becoming increasingly critical of Jesus and His ministry. They dominated religious thinking; it was a way of controlling the Jewish people and excluding others. As we study the New Testament, we learn that many Jews became people of the way. Others were blinded by the interpretation of Scripture the Jewish leaders championed. Yet it had become a worn-out system.
Jesus tells a story to help us understand the way in which he wants to make us new people in order to hold the newness of his transforming love.
Jesus uses an image that was well understood; however, those who were wanting to hang onto “The Good Old Ways” did not catch it. Jesus’ response brought attention to two important aspects of his ministry.
1. JESUS FOCUSED ON GLADNESS, NOT SADNESS (2:18-28)
Isn’t it interesting that John the Baptist, the one who announced the Good News by saying, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away sin!”, is fasting just like the Pharisees?
Why were John’s disciples fasting? Because he was in prison? As a sign of repentance? Was their fasting out of season? Why were the Pharisees enamored with fasting? Tradition? To be recognized as spiritual? believe it illustrates the difficulty of people who struggle to turn loose and reach forward.
A member of a church I served said, “I don’t want a new normal. I want to go back to the way things were.” Sorry the COVID pandemic has resulted in systemic changes in so many ways. To illustrate. In 2020 I was scheduled to present at two different conferences back-to-back—fly to Florida and the next day to New Orleans. Both were canceled due to COVID. Since that time all my conferences, except two have been hybrid—virtual and in person. Virtual learning and working at home virtually are a new normal—most things will not go back but forward.
Fasting implies sorrow. A title I considered for this sermon was “A Time To Fast and A Time To Party.” John introduced Jesus as the bridegroom.
John 3:29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
30 He must become greater; I must become less.
I do not appreciate those who bring their negative baggage to a wedding. Weddings are a time to celebrate, laugh, and be filled with joy. I am often tempted to tell them, just because your marriage hasn’t been fulfilling, don’t rob this couple of the privilege to celebrate. Weddings are a time where you focus on hope, not despair. The Jewish leaders failed to experience the joy of the Messiah.
How did Jesus respond to the same situation in which the Pharisees were critical?
2. JESUS INTRODUCES A NEW WAY OF LIVING (2:29-3:6)
Jesus’ teaching and ministry was a way of reframing the use of Scripture. As I hold up the Bible, with it representing the scrolls that the Pharisees and Scribes had, on the right side is legalistic system the Jewish leaders had imposed on Scripture. They had made notes that were superimposed on Scripture. It was impossible to find mercy, grace, and love in their system. Instead of looking at the Law of Moses from a legalist works theology. Let me stress that Scripture places the emphasis on that which is new, not reconstruction, or rebuilding old structures. There are several movements among some in the evangelical—such as reformed theology and the fundamentalist Calvinist theonomic movement. Legalistic systems are based upon exclusive teachings. I find it interesting that the teachers of these movement always believe they are inside the circle they have drawn.
On the left side of Scripture are the extreme inclusive movements that have plagued a host of churches and teachers. They tend to adapt the Gospel to fit with the mainstream of society. A proponent of inclusive theology was Mahatma Gandhi, believing one can be Christian, Muslim, Hindu, etc. at the same time. Others on the left want to a variety of lifestyles that are outside the bounds of Scripture. Some want to ignore the meaningful traditions of the church and attempt to paint themselves as modern. Under the umbrella of being inclusive the distinction of Scripture has been lost by many.
Jesus was living and teaching about a new perspective based upon God’s revelation. As the incarnate God, Jesus holds before us a new way of living life. One based on mercy, grace, and love. Jesus modeled the heart and intent of God. Within the context of Scripture, we are free to live the life Jesus model—he was the fulfillment of Scripture.
Matthew 5:17-18 “Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God’s Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive and working.
19-20 “Trivialize even the smallest item in God’s Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.
I was the Director of the $21 million Quality Edge Campaign for Louisiana College. The Godbold Hall, a dormitory, had been closed for years and it was determined it was more economical to tear it down and build a new structure. Older alumni hated to see it go and “threw a fit.” Recently, as the school has made systemic changes, the name was changed from Louisiana College to Louisiana Christian University; it was amazing how many resisted the name change.
Jesus realized people could not fulfill the law. Only he could do that; but the Jewish leaders could not see it—they were blinded and could not see God living out mercy, grace, and love. It was time to challenge them to open themselves up to consider a new birth experience. They needed to stop trying to make a broken system work.
Paul describes it this way:
2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation
Too many times we want newness, but we are afraid to turn loose of the old forms that have supported us in the past. To illustrate, those who have lived for years entrapped by addiction are fearful of hope, struggling to change because they are afraid they will not know how to live.
The Pharisees had developed a tradition they considered DIVINE LAW and could not envision life outside that tradition. They had forgotten that the Law of Moses required only one fast day of the year–Yom Kippur (Lev. 23:27). Their obsession with fasting, putting on sackcloth, rubbing ashes in their face, and sucking in their cheeks to look gaunt was a way of calling attention to how pious and righteous they were.
Jewish leaders loved the attention they got as they wore their phylacteries on their forehead and purported a list of things one must do to be considered spiritual. In all times there have been those who have stressed certain things as a measure of spirituality. In the Middle Ages women practiced a form of fasting called anorexia mirabilis, also called miraculous lack of appetite. Saint Catherine of Siena was one of those who believed you could live on spiritual devotion. The practice was called holy fasting. These women were upheld as pillars of the religious community. They died from starvation instead of getting out of their bed, joining others at the banquet table, finding joy by serving others.
For Jesus to come along and suggest that sinners and publicans and the afflicted were equally loved by God was a slap in the face!
If not careful, we, too, will attempt to fit the newness Jesus brings to us into our old ways.
• Salvation: Some attempt to force “the new way of grace” into the “old way” of works.
Rom. 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
• Lifestyle, worship, and methodology: These are often equated with being spiritual. Many hold onto old forms, believing those who like new forms are an assault on our faith. Some attempt to force the “new way” of grace in the “old way” of tradition.
Ray Stedman said, “We have to fight tradition. Jesus fought it in his own day. It was the most pernicious and subtle foe he encountered. Everywhere he turned he found himself in face-to-face combat with the rigid traditions of the past -- the dead hand of the past locking in the present. He was ever opposed to that. And so, we must learn to become the foe of traditions……"
Jesus illustrates the practicality of not mixing the old with the new. First, he paints a picture of putting new cloth on an old garment as a patch. Second, he is using the analogy of putting newly fermenting wine into an old, brittle goat skin.
In the days of Jesus, people would kill a goat and tan the hide. They would then fold the two sides together, leaving an opening at the neck. Still-fermenting juice from grapes would then be poured into the skin and the neck sewn up. A 500 to 1 expansion would begin to occur within the skin. New skins could expand, old brittle skins would not endure—they would rip and the new wine would spill onto the ground. Wine makers understand this principle.
Forms of worship, the aesthetics of our places of worship, styles of preaching, etc. must never be confused with the message. The most impactful message of Jesus didn’t happen in the Temple or synagogues—in the traditional forms and settings. People outside the old forms heard and responded. That is the challenge for us today. Going where we find people, connecting with them in meaningful ways, and sharing the love of Christ.
THAT WAS THEN... THIS IS NOW...
Door-to-door Friend-to-friend
Confrontational Intentional Relational Evangelism
Tracts Multimedia
Hard sell Soft sell
Evangelism committee Evangelism teams
Guilt-driven Love-driven
Evangelism a duty Evangelism a lifestyle
Too many get stuck in the past, they become fixated on the past. We have a wall in our sun room dedicated to old tools that belonged to our parents. In our garage there is a host of newer tools. A “handy man” was looking at them. I showed him one of the old hand drills, got a piece of wood, and let him attempt to drill a hole. He appreciated his electric in a new way.
When researching multigeneration trauma I learned this. Allow me to be very open. I understand the pain experienced by many people groups, white indentured slaves, blacks enslaved by whites and Indians, the devasting trauma Indians experienced, people like my dad who spent time in a prison camp, those who have been sexually assaulted, etc. The challenge has been unresolved grief. Generation after generation become fixated on the past. They hang onto the pain from the past. They fail to look forward with newfound joy, forgiving those who traumatized them and finding meaning through their experiences.
Jesus offers us a new way, new life, and a new destiny.
Do you know what makes a good message/sermon? Application! Jesus had a pretty good message: Pick up your cross and follow me! Some followed, others did not—for them, it wasn’t a good message.
1. How are we going to reach the unchurched? Less than 50% of Americans belong to a church. God had provided his people a way to worship and serve him; however, what the Jewish religion had become was no longer working. It is okay for churches to evaluate what is working and what is not. It is okay for churches to embrace change. God wants to challenge Christians to embrace change, it is inevitable. We have gone from chalk talk evangelist to PowerPoints and videos. We have gone from a few preachers on TV to churches broadcasting their services on Facebook, Zoom, and other modalities.
2. Will we devote ourselves to follow Jesus in a spirit of servanthood? Just as Jesus called the original disciples to a ministry of serving, he continues to call people today. The accounts we looked at in Mark should challenge us to set serving others as our top priority. Too many times we focus on self-interests instead of realizing that Jesus’ call to the disciples was one of servanthood, instead of focusing on a self-centered religious system. If incarnate God wasn’t too good to pick up a towel and serve, who are we to think his call to serve doesn’t apply to us?
In the early 2000s we were serving in a mission church in Arizona—an exciting church in one of the fastest growing areas east of Tucson. I began to challenge our church by saying, if we are going to reach people, we have to get outside the church? I began to hear that quiet inner voice saying, okay big guy, will you get outside of the church. I followed that call that led us back to Oklahoma, where I retired from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse services—serving people with the love of Christ. Following the call of Jesus will often challenge us to get outside of our comfort zone!
3. Are you longing for the one who can transform your life and give you the promise of eternal life? Jesus’ invitation for new life is open to everyone. For those who are searching for something that will bring mercy, grace, and love, Jesus offers a new kind of living. I believe there is a deep longing in the heart of every person that desires mercy, grace, and love. Mark tells us that Jesus had a difficult time finding a place of solitude to pray because, as the disciples said, “Everyone is looking for you!”
Jesus had a very appealing message, “Come to me, all you who are weary (??p???te? - kopiontes – toiling) and burdened, and I will give you rest (clear conscience, inner peace, tranquility of the soul). Matthew 11:28
We never get too big to recognize our humanness and need for God. While working for Louisiana College, I walked into the Freeport McMoRan building in New Orleans—a leading international mining company. I felt out of place, with my Burlington Coat Factory suit, as I made my way to the 21st floor to meet with one of the vice presidents. We wanted them to endow a scholarship. I knew that I would have 20 minutes maximum to spend in his office. At the twenty-minute mark the vice president, stood, walked around the desk, I stood to dismiss myself, he walked to the door and closed it, motioned me to sit down and he sat with his knees about three feet from mine. He talked about his personal life and the quest to find inner peace. Everyone comes to a place where they need the mercy, grace, love, and the transformation power of Jesus!
There is great joy for those who have an openness for newness, it is amazing to observe this.
