The Pastoral Heart
Commentary
Because so many of us are oriented toward moralism and works, we are prone to approach most of Scripture looking for some way to use it to shore up morality, or in building a case for getting people to be good. This method of interpretation generally looks for rules, threats, sanctions, prices to be paid. Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether the intent is to scare people out of hell or the reverse. Unfortunately, there seem to be many who relish telling all that is likely to happen to those who do not toe the line or who stray from the straight and narrow.
Reading the Scriptures for today reveals a different intent. It is clear that Paul has written in a spirit that now worries him, lest they think that he is uncaring and harsh. Here he assures them of his pastoral concern, both in the present and for the future.
One can understand if there is a cutting edge to the Marcan material. After all, not only life and limb are at stake with the Romans outside the gates, but the very seed of the faith; the germ of the church is in the hearts of those who are under persecution. The very life of the faith and church are at stake and they know it. Their patience must have been short. And they must have been afraid.
Nevertheless, read the material again and perhaps you will not find so much a cutting edge as you had first thought. Perhaps you will hear what is heard in the Noah story or in the story of Babel or in Romans 1. In all these is the picture of a God taking action with a broken heart. Surely that is the case whenever we invite judgment upon ourselves. The concern here is not to deny forgiveness, but, in the words of Mark, to invite all to do the will of the Father, and be brothers and sisters to his son.
OUTLINE I
The Pensive and Pastoral Paul
2 Corinthians 4:13--5:1
Introduction: There are those who have many questions about it, but I think it would be helpful if, in your preparation for this sermon, you did some work on the problem of the arrangement of the materials in the Corinthian correspondence. Most everybody knows there are contentions that what we have in 1 and 2 Corinthians are fragmentary parts of perhaps as much as four letters. There is some benefit in following out the study since it does show some progress in the spirit and attitude of Paul. For instance:
A. The Painful Letter. Read chapters 10-13 of 2 Corinthians and you will note the rather blunt and harsh words spoken there. Paul pulls no punches. His threats are surely meant to cause some consternation in Corinth.
B. The Pastoral Letter. If chapters 1-9 of 2 Corinthians are part of his last letter and should come after that which is now at the end of 2 Corinthians, what an extraordinary change has come over this man. Just look at our text for the day ‚--'' the pensive and pastoral spirit that shows in this man. Here is the soft-hearted, comforting, pastoral Paul. Take another look at chapter 2 and see how many times he uses the word comfort.
Conclusion: But do not be misled. It is clear that, though Paul is sorry he had to write such a letter, he would have done it again ‚--úfor their sake.‚--ù Tough and pastoral can go together; here Paul shows the grace with which it can be done. Perhaps what we see here is what is meant when people talk of ‚--úspeaking the truth in love.‚--ù That can only be done with a pastoral heart and spirit. All of us should covet the ability to do that within the fellowship we call the church.
OUTLINE II
Addressing Blasphemy
Mark 3:20-35
Introduction: Blasphemy, even when not on the conversational agenda in a congregation, is never far below the surface. There are always those present who worry that they may have inadvertently committed blasphemy and are forever lost. This, by the way, is a good sign they have not. Worriers seldom blaspheme.
It seems absolutely necessary to stick to the context of what is written here, or else words will be ripped loose from their moorings and applied to current situations in ways not compatible with the Scripture.
A. What Was Being Said. His opponents were attributing even his best deeds to evil forces. To do such a thing is to call white, black, and black, white. It is to attribute evil motives to the Holy Spirit. As long as one cannot separate good from evil, or has such a stake in what is evil that he calls it good, there is no real possibility of repentance.
B. How Things Are Being Said. If the word ‚--úblasphemes‚--ù (verse 29) is being used in a sense of present tense and continuity, then what is being said is not that there is no forgiveness and that is that; but that as long as such a state continues there can be no forgiveness. It does not mean forgiveness is not available, nor does it mean that forgiveness is something generated by our repentance. Rather, it means that persons who are in such a state of viewing reality are unaware of the gift of forgiveness and, therefore, do not respond to that gift in repentance.
Conclusion: Sounds complicated, I know, but one must be careful to let these words rest in the context of events that took place then, and recall that those in Mark‚--ôs church are in mortal combat with those who would discredit their faith. Do not preach on this text until you have reviewed the days of A.D. 66-70 and the terrible days of persecution that have come upon the Christians, who finally do have to flee Jerusalem.
OUTLINE III
Identifying Brothers and Sisters
Mark 3:20-35
Introduction: Once again it is important to recall the days during which this Scripture was written. Terrible conflict had broken out in Jerusalem between the hawks and doves among the Jews. Since the Christians would not take sides they became the target of both. Trying to keep the peace, trying to heal the situation, all their motives were twisted this way and that, until nobody could tell who was friend to whom. What is pictured here as happening to Jesus was a contemporary experience for all of them. How indeed were they to know who their friends and family were?
A. Accused of Being Crazy. As Jesus was accused of being ‚--úbeside himself,‚--ù two persons, schizophrenic(?), so the Christians must have been accused. You know how it is. Try to stay neutral and you find yourself being accused of being on the ‚--úother side.‚--ù They had no friends and could not know whom to trust.
B. Whom to Trust. The answer comes at the end of the test: those who do the will of God. That may start an altogether new argument, but the implications here are clear. First, those who stand over the power of what is demonic in the world, as did Jesus. Second, those who refuse to be drawn into violence. These come from the text. Surely there are other marks of doing God‚--ôs will that come quickly to mind. Add them.
Conclusion: It is always a good thing to let the mind travel on two or three tracks when considering Scripture. Track one: what happened to Jesus? Track two: what was happening when the Gospel was written? Track three: what is going on in our world that is much the same? Put the three together and you have a sermon which then can be related to the principles in that Scripture passage.
