rethink Jesus – A fresh look at Jesus from the Gospel of MarkA devotional commentary through Michael SpencerCompiled and Edited by way of: Michael Belldesk of Contents
The Calling
sixteen And passing along with the aid of the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a web within the sea; for they had been fishermen. 17 And Jesus talked about to them, "follow me and i will make you become fishers of men." 18 And instantly they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he noticed James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And instantly he known as them; and that they left their father Zebedee within the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.
Mark 1:16-20 – RSV
When i was eleven years ancient an evangelist got here to our church and met simply with the Sunday school branch. there were three rows of babies lined up, and the guest evangelist gave a twenty minute appeal just for us, complete with an invite to come forward and be saved. every person went ahead – apart from me, little Mike Spencer, and i become the Pastor's nephew! i will nonetheless suppose that moment of isolation and the decision to not be manipulated. My best friend was up there. all the other kids were up there too and would go on to be baptized a couple weeks later. but now not me. might be i was cussed. maybe I had my dad's japanese Kentucky Mountain recalcitrance. whatever thing it changed into, i would no longer go up front, and that i didn't like the tactics that had been used to are attempting to get me there.
I actually have heard bizarre appeals, emotional appeals, irrational appeals, mystical appeals, pragmatic appeals and openly manipulative appeals. i used to be grew to become off via all of them, and more and more all started to say so. I didn't trust in arm-twisting, bribery, scare tactics or crass emotional manipulation.
but as manipulative as these appeals had been, the requested response has been deceptively effortless – I've now heard it for years: "Come to Jesus….right here at the front." "leave your seat. depart your sin. Come to the pass." And so, at least in my denomination and many other revivalistic traditions, thousands and thousands and millions of americans came to believe they'd "permitted Christ" because they'd performed whatever. that they had left their seats and walked down the aisle. It was efficacious and easy.
truly, really effortless.
In distinction, when Jesus says "Come observe me" to his first disciples it ability whatever far distinct:
at the outset of his ministry Jesus asks people to abandon their safety and follow him, defining their complete lifestyles by means of their relationship to him. he is their future and he is their method.67 nowadays it's prevalent to communicate of "accepting Christ" and "asking Jesus into your heart." These phrases aren't present in the Bible and they outline the Christian existence in phrases which are poor. after we make the decision to believe in Jesus as Savior, we're answering his call to comply with him. be taught from him. Imitate him. Accompany him. whereas it may be initiated as an event, it's a call to a by no means ending journey. we are able to never exhaust the probabilities of what it capability to observe Jesus.
I are trying to withstand the temptation of seeing a follower of Jesus as a finished product. we're all called to observe Jesus, so our response to him is continuously the name to flow ahead, to drop what hinders and to circulate into the long run it is God's Kingdom. This capacity that even when I have failed, i will be able to at all times observe Jesus. The foremost expression of response to Jesus is effortlessly following him. The devoted response of the follower is what Jesus desires: To comply with him as a way to comprehend him with a purpose to serve him.
I even have always liked this aspect of the Gospels because it serves as a counterpoint to the increasing tendency to peer Christianity in terms of mystical experience or esoteric advantage. Even a baby might also follow. One don't need to be eloquent or gifted to follow. To follow does not require me to be a "Holy Joe" or even specially non secular. Jesus easily asks me to follow. Following may additionally suggest studying the easiest lesson or making the smallest step or doing the lowliest deed. however i'm still to comply with.
The men Jesus referred to as to follow him were businessmen. we now have some indication from this passage that they have been now not poor.68 They have been although, because the Jews later accompanied in Acts four:13, "unlearned and ignorant guys." this is above all authentic when it comes to formal non secular practicing. in spite of the fact that Mark frequently suggests the disciples as very slow to learn and confused, he doesn't mean to portray them as stupid. they're conveniently general guys who've described their lives when it comes to making a dwelling and presenting for his or her families. they're practical guys, not students and scribes. We may still bear in mind that there is not any outdated resume essential to comply with Jesus. Jesus' focal point isn't the religiously inclined, however quite he holds up the unreligious as the most appropriate topics of the domi nion. Christianity doesn't ask its followers to turn into monks, scholars, or mystics in an effort to take note the truth of the Gospel. What God has to display any of us, does not depend upon IQ or whether we are spiritually inclined. In a way, the Gospel is the perfect message for the nonreligious adult. Let's all the time treasure this actuality. lots of the concern in Christianity has been brought about by way of the non secular and the so-called specialists!
Jesus additionally lays out an additional critical fact: Discipleship is transformational. he'll take what we're and make us useful to him. "Fishers of guys" may additionally were a picture utilized in Jeremiah sixteen:16, but obviously Jesus is readily the usage of the attainable imagery of his followers' world to explain what the journey will imply. those who have spent their lives catching fish will become "fishers" of one other kind, catching guys and girls for the dominion of God. it is wholly applicable to study some thing we're and whatever thing we do and see it as the very factor Jesus will radically change and bring up for his provider. We need not desire to be some thing new and exotic with a view to be a effective Christian. God will exhibit his vigour and his love by taking the normal and making it constructive and even outstanding for him. When God took the group of workers that Moses held in his hand, and turned it into a snake,sixty nine it was God's means of telling his ancient testament servant that he may take anything Moses needed to offer and use it. In the same approach God took David, a shepherd of sheep, and made him the shepherd of a nation. God is doing the same via Jesus, taking fishers and making them fishers of men.
Mark also comprises an immediacy to the disciple's response. Decisiveness is a trademark of humanity's response to Jesus. In Mark, guys right now react to Jesus as either important of faith or valuable of death. Discipleship isn't a hasty count to be pursued thoughtlessly, however on the equal time Jesus isn't calling us to trust at our enjoyment and reply when in a position. No, "these days is the day of salvation."70 The Apostle Paul makes it clear that we already know sufficient and have seen enough to reply rightly to the invitation to repent and believe.seventy one but this instant response should even be a laying down of our existing lives and the taking over of a new one. As we examine these names, we realize that these are individuals with households and tasks just like us, yet they had been so changed by using Jesus that they left all and adopted him. Jesus become aware about what this intended. He told his disciples to count the charge72 and to not follow him with a divided loyalty.seventy three
throughout the time of Jesus, rabbis have been generally sought with the aid of disciples who would ask to develop into followers.seventy four In distinction, Jesus initiates the discipleship relationship in each instance we comprehend. "Come comply with me" is a sentence that rings to the core of what Jesus Christ now not only asked of his disciples, but asks of everybody.
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Footnotes:[67] John 14:6
[68] Mark 1:20
[69] Exodus 4:2
[70] 2 Corinthians 6:2
[71] Romans 1:20
[72] Luke 14:28-33
[73] Matthew 8:18-22
[74] Matthew eight:19
Notes from Mike Bell:1. What questions or options come from your intellect from what you have got just study? What stood out to you?2. Would you be attracted to a paper or Kindle version of the booklet when it is accessible? Please electronic mail us at michaelspencersnewbook@gmail.com so that we are able to let you comprehend when it's equipped.3. discover any grammar or spelling mistakes, phrases which are awkward or difficult to be aware? also send these classification of feedback to the e mail tackle above.
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