The Crowd Changer

II. Watchers

“The whole town gathered at the door to watch.” Mark 1:33

The first thing I want to make clear is that Jesus offers something for everyone in the crowd. Some he healed.

Some he released from demonic possession. Some he showed what love and mercy and grace and forgiveness really looks like.

The word “watch” as used in Mark is a little less defined in the original Greek than the word “brought.” But basically it refers to an idea or the way we think or people who came to see the same thing. When we look at it using the technique of contextual criticism it implies that the people saw the same thing so they thought alike, about what they were seeing. We can conclude that they were very similar in where they were at spiritually. They were curious enough to come but they were distant enough to stay outside and not try to get any closer.

Adapted from Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity. Once a spider built a beautiful web in an old house. He kept it clean and shiny so that flies would patronize it. The minute he got a “customer" he would clean up on him so the other flies would not get suspicious. Then one day this fairly intelligent fly came buzzing by the clean spider web. The Old spider called him over, "Come in and sit for a spell." But the fairly intelligent fly said, "No, sir. I don't see other flies in your house, and I am not going in alone!" But a short time later the fly saw on the floor below a large crowd of flies on a piece of brown paper. He was delighted! If lots of other flies were doing it he would not be afraid at all. So he came in for a landing. Just before he landed, a bee zoomed by, saying, "Don't land there, stupid! That's flypaper!" But the fairly intelligent fly shouted back, "Don't be silly. There's a big crowd there. Everybody's doing it. That many flies can't be wrong!" Well, you know what happened. He died on the spot. There were lots of fairly intelligent people who came to Peter’s house that day. But all they came for was to be part of the crowd. They came just to watch. They were more interested in social things. They are more interested in lifestyle than life gaining eternal life.

They are not yet the followers. They are not yet the bringers. Right now they are the watchers. Now don’t get me wrong. As people of God and disciples of Jesus we have to attract a crowd. If we are not attracting a crowd then we need to be asking what can we do to attract a crowd. We should be attracting new people into the Kingdom. So we have to ask the question: What does it take to get the whole town to gather at this house? That is the question we must answer as the people of God. How do we attract more watchers? Because we all started out as a “watcher.” But when we leave the real church after meeting the real Jesus we go out and become “bringers.”

Calling on people to repent and believe and be baptized. We must reach out to the community and attract a crowd. As that crowd becomes part of the people of God they change from a watcher to a bringer. Jesus is the crowd changer.