Proper 5; Pentecost 4
Preaching
Preaching Mark's Gospel
A Narrative Approach
Most commentators note that there is a break in the flow of Mark's story following our last pericope, which ended at Mark 3:6. The lectionary omits what follows immediately after 3:6, namely Mark 3:7-19. Mark 3:7-12 is, on the one hand, a kind of summary that pulls the threads of the story together. Such summaries are common in literature so closely based on orality.
On the other hand, verses 7-12 do move the story forward. References to the land "beyond" the Jordan and to Tyre and Sidon indicate that Jesus has taken his ministry into Gentile country. What happens in Gentile country is much like what happened in Jesus' first deeds of ministry among the Jews in Galilee. People heard the preaching of Jesus and they responded! In 1:21-28 a man with an unclean spirit was healed. This man recognized Jesus' identity. "I know who you are," the man said, "the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24). Jesus commanded the man to be silent about this matter. Likewise, in Mark 3:7-12 the unclean spirits recognize Jesus as the Son of God. These spirits, too, are told not to make him known. In other words, this first foray of Jesus into Gentile country is a kind of parallel version of his first deeds of ministry in Jewish country.
We have spoken earlier of the "Son of God" motif in the Gospel of Mark. This passage is another instance of the revelation of Jesus' true identity, which is first known by demons and finally by the Roman Centurion (Mark 15:39).
In Mark 3:13-19 the theme of insiders and outsiders first emerges with the appointment of the twelve. This insider/outsider theme is found in many places in Mark's Gospel. From this point on in Mark's Gospel the story is as much about the insiders, about the twelve, as it is about Jesus. These twelve would appear to bear a special ministry to the people of the twelve tribes: Israel. We might also note that the appointment of the twelve took place on the "mountain." The mountain is often the place of the revelation of that which is new in scripture.
The ministry of the twelve is to be the ministry of the coming of the kingdom: preaching and casting out demons. The kingdom comes in word and deed! Needless to say, the twelve are appointed here to carry on the ministry that Jesus has already begun.
It is noted for us that Jesus gave Simon a new surname. Jesus called him Peter (Mark 3:16). Matthew uses this surname in a most positive way. Peter is the rock on which the church is built. (See Matthew 16:18.) Mary Ann Tolbert is convinced, however, that Mark uses this surname, Peter/rock, in a quite different way. In the Parable of the Sower one of the four kinds of soil is the rocky soil. Tolbert believes that in the telling of Mark's story it is the disciples who best fit this parable's description of rocky ground. 1
One further note about these verses which are omitted from the lectionary but which contain important clues for Mark's story. The listing of the disciples concludes with the name of Judas Iscariot with the comment, "ƒ who betrayed him" (Mark 3:19). Here is another of the ominous notes that Mark sprinkles throughout his Gospel. This is a story on the way to the cross!
The overall theme of the text appointed for Pentecost 4 is that of rejection. Jesus' friends think he is insane (3:21). The scribes who came down from Jerusalem think he must be possessed by a demon (3:22). His mother and brothers fail to grasp the meaning of his mission (3:31-35). The twelve are insiders. Jesus' friends and the scribes from Jerusalem and his mother and brothers appear to be outsiders. The message is not getting through.
What this means is that we have basically come through two entire chapters of Mark where, after initial amazement and reception (1:16„2:12), Jesus and the kingdom that he brings are rejected and misunderstood. We had the controversy stories in chapter 2. In chapter 3 we have his friends, the scribes, and his family who appear to be outsiders to his message. Jesus announced that he would bring the kingdom (1:15). But few believe. Even those who are insiders now, the twelve, will prove to be rocky ground for his message. All of this sets the context for the crucially important Parable of the Sower. Jesus understands himself to be the Sower, and he asserts in parabolic form (4:3-9) and in allegorical form (4:14-20) that the soil of human hearts is turned against him for a variety of reasons.
But turned-against hearts will not stop the coming of the kingdom! There are some who are the good soil. In them the seed will yield unheard-of results: thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold (4:8, 20). The kingdom will not be kept a secret forever (4:21-22). The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. You don't see much at planting time but wait until you see what the harvest brings! "...when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade" (Mark 4:32). We shall deal with the Parable of the Sower in greater depth in chapter 12.
Now back to the scribes from Jerusalem (3:22ff.). Jesus was bringing the kingdom (Mark 1:15). The demons knew it! (Mark 1:24; 3:11). The darkness recognized the light. Death recognized the power of life. But the scribes don't get it. They assert that Jesus himself must be possessed by a demon. "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons" (3:22). Jesus answered their charge by telling stories! The conclusion of his stories is that the scribes have committed blasphemy. Jesus, himself, had been accused of blasphemy in his first encounter with the scribes (2:6-7). Here Jesus turns the tables upon his accusers. "ƒ Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin ƒ" (3:29). The scribes had committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. They committed this sin by claiming that Jesus had an unclean spirit (3:22, 30).
The "sin against the Holy Spirit" has received much attention in the Christian community through the ages. It has been clear to Christian people that the sin against the Holy Spirit brings with it the most serious consequences of all. A common question among Christians is the question of the specific nature of this sin. Christian teachers have come up with all kinds of answers for the meaning of the "sin against the Holy Spirit." It is best to forget any answers we might have learned about this most grievous sin. In this text in Mark's Gospel the sin against the Holy Spirit is clearly defined. If we name Jesus wrongly, we commit the sin against the Spirit. If we say Jesus has an unclean spirit, when in fact he has the Holy Spirit, we have sinned against the Spirit. All of this makes ultimate sense. Jesus is the one who comes bringing the kingdom, casting out demons, forgiving sinners. Since forgiveness comes in Jesus' name, no forgiveness can come to a person who takes this name in vain. Misnaming Jesus is an eternal sin. It is blasphemy. Blasphemy shuts us out of the kingdom-come-near in Jesus' name.
Homiletical Directions
Among many possible approaches to this week's text, one would deal with the matters at hand quite broadly; another might focus more narrowly on the "sin against the Holy Spirit." The broad approach could seek to tell the whole story of Mark from 1:14„4:34. You will have worked with many of these passages in earlier sermons so there is no need to tell all these stories in their completeness. Brief allusions can suffice. The story begins with the coming of the kingdom and initial acceptance, indeed, amazement! (Mark 1:16-2:12). Then come the controversy stories with a first hint of a plot forming against Jesus (Mark 2:1„3:6). The stories in Mark 3 focus on rejection by friends, scribes and family. This presents us with the context for the Parable of the Sower. In this parable Jesus indicates that much of the ground upon which his seed is sown is poor soil for his message. Jesus goes on, however, to tell us that the seed of the gospel of the kingdom will produce thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold in some hearers. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed! It might look small and insignificant now, but just wait and see the harvest that will come!
This larger bracket of stories can be related to our hearers in several ways. We might have our stories focus on the difficulty with which the message of the coming kingdom is met by even those closest to Jesus. Is it any different in our day? Jesus' message is rejected by many in our time. Each hearer of the word can be challenged to place him/herself in relation to these stories. What kind of hearer am I? The kingdom will triumph, the seed will grow, but will I be included? Or, for those who understand themselves as the good soil, the good news is that rejection of Jesus is just for a time and then the secret will be revealed to all (Mark 4:21-23). The kingdom is coming. The kingdom will prevail. This is a message of patience and hope for the good-soil folk.
It is difficult, however, to pass up a narrower focus for today's sermon. We have this "sin against the Holy Spirit" reality before us. This kind of rejection of Jesus' message appears to be far more grievous than other forms of rejection we have seen in the early chapters in Mark. For this rejection there is no forgiveness. This sin is eternal!
The story in 3:20-30 might be the story for the sermon today. Tell just this story. Tell it in its fullness. Set it in its context in Mark. Let explanations of words like Beelzebul and blasphemy be woven into the strand of the story. Tell it in such a way that it emerges clearly from the telling that Jesus' definition of the "sin against the Holy Spirit" is the sin of misnaming him. When we fail to recognize the spirit that truly animates this Son of God we place ourselves beyond his forgiving reach; we become guilty of an eternal sin.
After telling this story it might be a good idea to track some of the ways the church has taught on the subject of the "sin against the Holy Spirit." It would be even more important to name the anxiety that lies deep in many a troubled breast that this sin, whatever it is, might keep them from God's offer of forgiveness. It would be of crucial importance that a sermon on this theme conclude with a word of forgiveness spoken by you to the congregation in Jesus' name.
We might say something like this in the conclusion of our sermon: "Jesus is not possessed by Beelzebul as the scribes maintained. Jesus is not possessed by an unclean spirit. Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit. It is through the present power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus' words of old have power yet today. Jesus' word to us is the same yesterday, today, forever. 'I forgive you all your sin,' he says to each and every one of us today. If you can believe these words, you have it. Forgiveness of sins is yours, now, as a free gift. Such faith in the word of Jesus precisely marks you as a person who has not committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. You cannot believe in Jesus' word of forgiveness and commit the sin against the Holy Spirit at the same time! That's impossible. So hear his word once more. It is spoken just for you. It offers you life now and for all eternity. The word is simply: 'I forgive you all your sins.' Amen."
____________
1. Mary Ann Tolbert, Sowing the Gospel (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989), p. 45.
On the other hand, verses 7-12 do move the story forward. References to the land "beyond" the Jordan and to Tyre and Sidon indicate that Jesus has taken his ministry into Gentile country. What happens in Gentile country is much like what happened in Jesus' first deeds of ministry among the Jews in Galilee. People heard the preaching of Jesus and they responded! In 1:21-28 a man with an unclean spirit was healed. This man recognized Jesus' identity. "I know who you are," the man said, "the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24). Jesus commanded the man to be silent about this matter. Likewise, in Mark 3:7-12 the unclean spirits recognize Jesus as the Son of God. These spirits, too, are told not to make him known. In other words, this first foray of Jesus into Gentile country is a kind of parallel version of his first deeds of ministry in Jewish country.
We have spoken earlier of the "Son of God" motif in the Gospel of Mark. This passage is another instance of the revelation of Jesus' true identity, which is first known by demons and finally by the Roman Centurion (Mark 15:39).
In Mark 3:13-19 the theme of insiders and outsiders first emerges with the appointment of the twelve. This insider/outsider theme is found in many places in Mark's Gospel. From this point on in Mark's Gospel the story is as much about the insiders, about the twelve, as it is about Jesus. These twelve would appear to bear a special ministry to the people of the twelve tribes: Israel. We might also note that the appointment of the twelve took place on the "mountain." The mountain is often the place of the revelation of that which is new in scripture.
The ministry of the twelve is to be the ministry of the coming of the kingdom: preaching and casting out demons. The kingdom comes in word and deed! Needless to say, the twelve are appointed here to carry on the ministry that Jesus has already begun.
It is noted for us that Jesus gave Simon a new surname. Jesus called him Peter (Mark 3:16). Matthew uses this surname in a most positive way. Peter is the rock on which the church is built. (See Matthew 16:18.) Mary Ann Tolbert is convinced, however, that Mark uses this surname, Peter/rock, in a quite different way. In the Parable of the Sower one of the four kinds of soil is the rocky soil. Tolbert believes that in the telling of Mark's story it is the disciples who best fit this parable's description of rocky ground. 1
One further note about these verses which are omitted from the lectionary but which contain important clues for Mark's story. The listing of the disciples concludes with the name of Judas Iscariot with the comment, "ƒ who betrayed him" (Mark 3:19). Here is another of the ominous notes that Mark sprinkles throughout his Gospel. This is a story on the way to the cross!
The overall theme of the text appointed for Pentecost 4 is that of rejection. Jesus' friends think he is insane (3:21). The scribes who came down from Jerusalem think he must be possessed by a demon (3:22). His mother and brothers fail to grasp the meaning of his mission (3:31-35). The twelve are insiders. Jesus' friends and the scribes from Jerusalem and his mother and brothers appear to be outsiders. The message is not getting through.
What this means is that we have basically come through two entire chapters of Mark where, after initial amazement and reception (1:16„2:12), Jesus and the kingdom that he brings are rejected and misunderstood. We had the controversy stories in chapter 2. In chapter 3 we have his friends, the scribes, and his family who appear to be outsiders to his message. Jesus announced that he would bring the kingdom (1:15). But few believe. Even those who are insiders now, the twelve, will prove to be rocky ground for his message. All of this sets the context for the crucially important Parable of the Sower. Jesus understands himself to be the Sower, and he asserts in parabolic form (4:3-9) and in allegorical form (4:14-20) that the soil of human hearts is turned against him for a variety of reasons.
But turned-against hearts will not stop the coming of the kingdom! There are some who are the good soil. In them the seed will yield unheard-of results: thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold (4:8, 20). The kingdom will not be kept a secret forever (4:21-22). The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. You don't see much at planting time but wait until you see what the harvest brings! "...when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade" (Mark 4:32). We shall deal with the Parable of the Sower in greater depth in chapter 12.
Now back to the scribes from Jerusalem (3:22ff.). Jesus was bringing the kingdom (Mark 1:15). The demons knew it! (Mark 1:24; 3:11). The darkness recognized the light. Death recognized the power of life. But the scribes don't get it. They assert that Jesus himself must be possessed by a demon. "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons" (3:22). Jesus answered their charge by telling stories! The conclusion of his stories is that the scribes have committed blasphemy. Jesus, himself, had been accused of blasphemy in his first encounter with the scribes (2:6-7). Here Jesus turns the tables upon his accusers. "ƒ Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin ƒ" (3:29). The scribes had committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. They committed this sin by claiming that Jesus had an unclean spirit (3:22, 30).
The "sin against the Holy Spirit" has received much attention in the Christian community through the ages. It has been clear to Christian people that the sin against the Holy Spirit brings with it the most serious consequences of all. A common question among Christians is the question of the specific nature of this sin. Christian teachers have come up with all kinds of answers for the meaning of the "sin against the Holy Spirit." It is best to forget any answers we might have learned about this most grievous sin. In this text in Mark's Gospel the sin against the Holy Spirit is clearly defined. If we name Jesus wrongly, we commit the sin against the Spirit. If we say Jesus has an unclean spirit, when in fact he has the Holy Spirit, we have sinned against the Spirit. All of this makes ultimate sense. Jesus is the one who comes bringing the kingdom, casting out demons, forgiving sinners. Since forgiveness comes in Jesus' name, no forgiveness can come to a person who takes this name in vain. Misnaming Jesus is an eternal sin. It is blasphemy. Blasphemy shuts us out of the kingdom-come-near in Jesus' name.
Homiletical Directions
Among many possible approaches to this week's text, one would deal with the matters at hand quite broadly; another might focus more narrowly on the "sin against the Holy Spirit." The broad approach could seek to tell the whole story of Mark from 1:14„4:34. You will have worked with many of these passages in earlier sermons so there is no need to tell all these stories in their completeness. Brief allusions can suffice. The story begins with the coming of the kingdom and initial acceptance, indeed, amazement! (Mark 1:16-2:12). Then come the controversy stories with a first hint of a plot forming against Jesus (Mark 2:1„3:6). The stories in Mark 3 focus on rejection by friends, scribes and family. This presents us with the context for the Parable of the Sower. In this parable Jesus indicates that much of the ground upon which his seed is sown is poor soil for his message. Jesus goes on, however, to tell us that the seed of the gospel of the kingdom will produce thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold in some hearers. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed! It might look small and insignificant now, but just wait and see the harvest that will come!
This larger bracket of stories can be related to our hearers in several ways. We might have our stories focus on the difficulty with which the message of the coming kingdom is met by even those closest to Jesus. Is it any different in our day? Jesus' message is rejected by many in our time. Each hearer of the word can be challenged to place him/herself in relation to these stories. What kind of hearer am I? The kingdom will triumph, the seed will grow, but will I be included? Or, for those who understand themselves as the good soil, the good news is that rejection of Jesus is just for a time and then the secret will be revealed to all (Mark 4:21-23). The kingdom is coming. The kingdom will prevail. This is a message of patience and hope for the good-soil folk.
It is difficult, however, to pass up a narrower focus for today's sermon. We have this "sin against the Holy Spirit" reality before us. This kind of rejection of Jesus' message appears to be far more grievous than other forms of rejection we have seen in the early chapters in Mark. For this rejection there is no forgiveness. This sin is eternal!
The story in 3:20-30 might be the story for the sermon today. Tell just this story. Tell it in its fullness. Set it in its context in Mark. Let explanations of words like Beelzebul and blasphemy be woven into the strand of the story. Tell it in such a way that it emerges clearly from the telling that Jesus' definition of the "sin against the Holy Spirit" is the sin of misnaming him. When we fail to recognize the spirit that truly animates this Son of God we place ourselves beyond his forgiving reach; we become guilty of an eternal sin.
After telling this story it might be a good idea to track some of the ways the church has taught on the subject of the "sin against the Holy Spirit." It would be even more important to name the anxiety that lies deep in many a troubled breast that this sin, whatever it is, might keep them from God's offer of forgiveness. It would be of crucial importance that a sermon on this theme conclude with a word of forgiveness spoken by you to the congregation in Jesus' name.
We might say something like this in the conclusion of our sermon: "Jesus is not possessed by Beelzebul as the scribes maintained. Jesus is not possessed by an unclean spirit. Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit. It is through the present power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus' words of old have power yet today. Jesus' word to us is the same yesterday, today, forever. 'I forgive you all your sin,' he says to each and every one of us today. If you can believe these words, you have it. Forgiveness of sins is yours, now, as a free gift. Such faith in the word of Jesus precisely marks you as a person who has not committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. You cannot believe in Jesus' word of forgiveness and commit the sin against the Holy Spirit at the same time! That's impossible. So hear his word once more. It is spoken just for you. It offers you life now and for all eternity. The word is simply: 'I forgive you all your sins.' Amen."
____________
1. Mary Ann Tolbert, Sowing the Gospel (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989), p. 45.
