Rules Are Made To Be Broken Series

RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN

Mark 2:18 – 3:6

Sermon #4 of “Ten Cultural Myths that Drive America”

This is the fourth sermon in our sermon series, “Ten Cultural Myths that Drive America” from the first six chapters of Mark. Last week we looked at “Shop ‘Til You Drop” from Mark 2:13-17. We discovered that Jesus offers a better pursuit of for one than money and what it can buy … Jesus offers himself.

In coming weeks we will look at other slogans that have become embedded into the American psyche, other idioms that define us and motivate us as a people. We will look at:

• Live and Let Live - Mark 3:1-6

• You are Only Young Once - Mark 1:14-20; 3:13-19

• If You Want Something Done Right, Do It Yourself - Mark 3:13-19; 31-35

• If it Feels Good, Do It - Mark 5:1-20

• God Helps Those Who Help Themselves - Mark 5:25-34

• Stand Up For Your Rights - Mark 5:17, 6:1-6

Chapter 2

18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"

19Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

21"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."

23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"

25He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."

27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Chapter 3

1Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."

4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.

5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

I think, that for illustration purposes, there is another similar story in Mark’s Gospel that I should read. It is from the first 13 verses of chapter 7.

Mk 7:1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and

Mk 7:2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed.

Mk 7:3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.

Mk 7:4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. 19 )

Mk 7:5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”

Mk 7:6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Mk 7:7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ 20

Mk 7:8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

Mk 7:9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe 21 your own traditions!