Mission 66 (English podcast)
Mark 6 Understanding a Misunderstanding
(upbeat music) Now just picture what this must have been like in the middle of the night. You see something or someone walking on top of the water in the middle of the sea. Oh, this is too much. The disciples were completely freaked out of this site. What could this be? Is it a ghost, a mirage, some sort of mysterious sea creature? They were all terrorized thinking that it was a ghost, but it was the Lord who is with us in every storm of life. This is Mission 66. I'm Rob Dempsey. Today we continue our focus on the gospels. Mission 66 originates from the ministry of Bible teacher and pastor, Dr. Luis Ciao, and is produced and heard in multiple languages around the world in partnership with Transworld Radio. I want to encourage you to take advantage of a valuable resource. You can enhance your understanding of the gospels by downloading our free study guide. This guide will deepen your experience with God's word and complement our daily teachings from John Matthews and Esther Sussulu. To access your free study guide of the gospels, simply visit mission66.org. Pick up this valuable resource and also support the ministry of Mission 66. Your gift helps sustain this program locally and globally. John Matthews is our teacher, his co-host, Esther Sussulu, gets us started today. - We are on the series of studies in the gospels, and today we will continue the book of Mark chapter six. Now, Jesus was not widely accepted among his own people, not even in his own town where he grew up, and not even in his own family. So it should be of no surprise then that Christ's message still finds great resistance in our society today. If someone is not ready to receive the truth, they will misunderstand so much so that even a miracle would not be enough to convince them. I'm Esther, and our teacher, John Matthews, will present the theme, understanding and misunderstanding. Good to be with you again, John. - Yeah, great to be with you as well, Esther, and great to be with you, our listeners again, and a very warm welcome as we look, as Esther just said at Mark chapter six, and we are about to see Jesus being frequently misunderstood. And we start reading the first verse. It tells us that Jesus went back to the town where he grew up, that's Toonata Earth, where he'd been raised, where he'd been taught carpentry by Joseph, and on this particular Sabbath, he went to the synagogue. And everyone who listened to what he was teaching in the synagogue, well, they were amazed. And soon enough, this discussion begins brewing among them. And I start asking each other some questions, where did this man get these things? What's the wisdom that's been given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, brother of James and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him. They treated him as if he was just a boy down the street. If only these Nazarenes had realized who was in their midst, how many sick people could have been healed, how many people could have been instructed in the kingdom of God, but they did not receive him. Jesus, you see, he was not understood by these people. And let's see then, shall we, what his response will be? This is what Jesus says to them. A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown. And among his relatives and in his own households. And he could do no mighty works there, except that he laid his hands there on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And we're gonna talk more about that in a little bit, but see the ones who are closest here to Jesus, and not yet understood improperly. So in our teaching and in our lessons, we need to make an effort to understand this misunderstanding to undo any confusion and explain carefully who Jesus was. And I hope to do some of that now. And next, we see that Jesus is going to call forward his 12 disciples, that the famous 12 apostles. And in verse seven, he says, it says this. He called the 12 and began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority over unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey, except a staff. No bread, no bag, no money in their belts, but to just wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them. And so they went out and proclaimed that people should repent and they cast out many demons and anointed with oil, many who are sick and healed them. You know here, it is necessary to undo perhaps some misunderstandings of the gospel itself. Big question is, what is the essence of the message of the gospel? It's exactly, isn't it, what Jesus ordered the apostles to do on their first mission, verse 12, to proclaim that people should repent, that is, turn from sin and turn toward God. The gospel does not only include some sort of social aid, the gospel does not only include seeking solutions for physical problems, but the gospel chiefly calls us to repent from sin. Acts 20, verse 21 describes it as turning away from sin and turning toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet there is sometimes a demonstration of God's powers, the disciples had power over demons and could heal the sick, but the main instruction here was to repent. As Mark continues, once again, we read the account of how John the Baptist was decapitated, verse 14, King Herod heard about Jesus and what he was doing. And you know, Herod is another who completely misunderstands who Jesus is. Some were saying, he's Elijah, still others claimed, well, now he's a prophet like one of the prophets of old. But when Herod heard of it, he said, John, whom I beheaded has been raised. And we find out here exactly what had happened because Herod had given orders that John be taken to prison because he'd confronted Herod for living with his brother, Philip's wife, who was called Herodias. See, many people love good preaching as long as the preacher keeps some distance from their sin. As long as they're always talking about somebody else's sin, they may applaud. Well, when Herod's birthday arrived, he gave a banquet where several important people attended. And during that banquet, Herodias is door to dance for everyone and boy, this pleased the guests, so pleased, in fact, was Herod that he promised her anything that she wanted. Her mother then told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist. And even though Herod really didn't want to do that, he was embarrassed because of the oath that he promised in front of so many people. And so this butchery was carried out. And the head of the last of the great prophets was given to her on a silver platter. Can you picture the foul nature of that? And John's disciples came and they buried him. And this was reported to Jesus. Now, you know, it might seem that Jesus was unaffected upon hearing of the death of John the Baptist. It's not even recorded that he even visited John in prison only that he sent word to him that he had done right by announcing that he, Jesus, was the Christ. So you might read this perhaps and believe that Jesus didn't care much when John was murdered. But remember, friend, Jesus did not react emotionally on his own. He didn't take orders from man. Everything he did was on direct order from God the Father. He was on a mission that was little and disturbed really by those around him. And the mission came first. Of course, he mourned the loss of John. But the correct understanding of this misunderstanding was that Jesus knew that John the Baptist struggle was over and that he was in heaven rejoicing. So Jesus needed to get on with his own mission, the mission which John himself had foretold. And this he did. Well, this next account was also told in the book of Matthew, Jesus multiplying the bread and the fish feeding 5,000 people. You know, he'd taken the disciples out in the boat and they rested a while. But observe here how Jesus looked out upon this crowd of people with compassion as if they were sheep with no shepherd. And according to what verse 34 says, "When he went to shore, he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd." And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "Look, this is a desolate place and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." And Jesus then surprises his disciples because he says, "You give them something to eat." And the disciples clearly had trouble understanding exactly what he wanted them to do. They could only really think in terms of money and they said, "Look, it would cost at least 200 denarius," which was the equivalent to about nine months' wages for the typical worker at that time. Jesus then asked them what they already have and they answered, "Well, five loaves of bread and two fish." So Jesus gives thanks to God for the food in front of everybody. And as he's in the process of breaking it up into pieces miraculously, the food multiplies and they're able to feed 5,000 men plus women and children. And everybody participates in this banquet miraculously provided by Jesus. But despite all of this, the people and the disciples themselves still did not quite understand who Jesus was. And in the midst of these circumstances, we see next that Jesus tells the disciples to enter the boat and cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to Bethsaida, and they go. But Jesus didn't join them. Instead, he went up the mountainside to pray at nightfall. The disciples there, they were in the boat, in the middle of the sea alone. And what happens? Jesus is on land. The disciples there in the sea are tired and suffering after a long and difficult day. The feeding of the 5,000 and the clean up had taken its toll and now they're having to roll all the way to the other side of the sea with the wind blowing by now hard against them, wind and waves. They've been in this situation before, haven't they? And there they are in the middle of the sea, tired, and it's almost dawn and suddenly, Jesus appears walking on the surface of the water. Now, just picture what this must have been like. In the middle of the night, you see something or someone walking on top of the water in the middle of the sea. Oh no, this is just too much. The disciples were completely freaked out at this site. What is this? A ghost, a mirage, some sort of mysterious creature. And you know, it says they were full of fear, believing this was a ghost. But it was the Lord who is with us in every storm of life. But the disciples didn't really understand what Jesus was trying to teach them. They were only thinking about their own comfort. And as a result, Jesus allowed them to experience suffering. So they would learn a lesson. Jesus then revealed himself to them and says, "Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid." And then he climbed into the boat with them and the wind died down. And they were completely amazed at his power. And by the time we reached verse 52, Mark tells us that the disciples had not understood about the multiplication of the loaves and fish. So it was necessary for Jesus to make them understand these misunderstandings. And Jesus was doing things that only God can do. Job chapter nine, verse eight says, he alone stretches out their heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. And here was Jesus treading on the actual waves of the sea. The disciples had not understood the miracles of the loaves of bread. And now they did not totally really speaking understand the miracle of Jesus walking toward them on the waves of the sea. And so chapter six is going to end by telling us that they reached the other side of the Sea of Galilee, arriving in Geneserat and immediately the people there recognized Jesus. There Jesus was received and there he was able to heal the sick and help ones in need. In fact, everywhere he went, they brought sick people hoping that they could at least touch the hem of his garment. And as many as did were healed. My dear listeners, look, Jesus's closest neighbors did not understand who he was. Many people who observe the 12 apostles also do not understand exactly what the gospel is all about. Jesus was mistaken for John the Baptist by Herod, who also did not understand who Jesus was. The disciples had not yet understood Jesus' mission and the miracle of multiplying the loaves of bread because their hearts were hardened. I wonder if our hearts are hardened. Did you know? I wonder if my heart is hardened. I wonder if we often misunderstand that this Jesus was fully God in the flesh and that all power is given to him and so he can do anything. He can heal, he can raise from the dead, he can provide enough and he can save our soul. Maybe he's waiting for us to understand this and to really learn how to pray and how to rely on him. (upbeat music) - Well, this is mission 66 and we're studying Mark chapter six today with our teacher, John Matthews. John, that was quite a soliloquy, wouldn't you say? - Well, if I could say. - Yes, yes, yes. Why don't you share with us, right? Why do you think that Jesus was not accepted by the people of his own hometown? I mean, could he not have proven himself to them by doing some great miracles there? - Yeah, well, Esther, it's like that old saying, isn't it? No one is a prophet in his own country and it's true, actually, when you think about it. Sometimes we are slowest to listen to members of our own family, for example, because we know them too well. Perhaps we're aware of their mistakes and failures and then you've got children who might not listen to their parents because they've seen their parents acting imperfectly. But sometimes another adult, perhaps it's a youth pastor or a mentor or somebody from down the street is in a position to influence them more effectively than their own parents can. And people don't always take instruction from perhaps their hometown pastor, but if some preacher or someone comes from another country, then maybe they're gonna pay more attention to them instead, even though the message is the same. You know, if someone comes from a distance and says things that we're used to hearing at home, then perhaps we're just ready and more willing to listen. Maybe it shouldn't be this way, but it is a common failing and it's the same weakness that Jesus' relatives had. Perhaps he was too close to them. Perhaps they were too close to him to see what was actually in front of their very eyes. Jesus then wisely avoided miracles there because there may have been a lack of faith and the people were not willing to receive him. Divine revelation, even miracles, are of no use to those who don't maybe won't believe. And their unbelief in the face of miracles would have only brought down greater judgment on them. - Yeah, John, okay, so looking at verses eight and nine, we find Jesus sending his disciples off to preach the gospel to other people without preparing anything to eat or taking extra clothing. Should we take this literally? I mean, should we never take anything when we go on, say, a Christian missions trip? - Yeah, going sparse. Look, this is Ezra, a clear example, I think of how misunderstanding the Bible could be dangerous and some might read this passage and think, well, I don't need to prepare. I don't need to raise support. I don't have to do anything. Just obey Jesus' orders and go. Don't take anything with me. But this was not given as a standard for all missionary work. Jesus here was sending his disciples amongst their own people and Jewish hospitality was a big part of the culture at the time. And the idea was basically that since they were men who were announcing the gospel and preaching about God, that they would receive the courtesy that was expected, actually, in that culture from those who were listening and benefiting from the message that they were sharing. So they were not to be seen going from house to house because that would look like they were always seeking better accommodations. And so this instruction to these disciples shouldn't be taken to mean that a missionary, let's say, heading, I don't know, to Asia, the Americas or Africa should take nothing with them because to undertake a missions overseas with no preparation would actually, it would be irresponsible, wouldn't it? - Yeah, I agree. And you know what, that makes sense. So I'm looking at verse 13, and we read that Jesus anoints people with oil. Does the oil have power to heal people? - Yeah, does the oil have special power? It's a good question. And you know, olive oil was something in very common use, actually, in the days of Jesus and in Mediterranean culture still is today. You know, it's recognized even today that oil has therapeutic uses and it's used as a healing agent. And eventually we will get to the story of a good Samaritan who treated a beaded victim's wounds pouring on oil and wine and the alcohol in the wine would have killed infection and the oil itself would have then protected that wound from airborne germs. But it must be made very clear that the oil itself does not possess any mystical power and people did not use the oil as if it were a holy medication to be venerated and adored for healing properties. - Okay, John, so now in chapter six of Mark, Jesus is mistaken for Elijah and other prophets. Was he talking about belief in reincarnation on the part of these people? - Yeah, it's an interesting question, but the answer is no, and this hasn't got anything to do with reincarnation. When scripture says that, it was being said, he's Elijah, he's a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago. Maybe one of these prophets is back. You know, the idea the ancient Jews had here referred to the possibility of resurrection, particularly actually in Elijah's case, because as the account goes in two kings, Elijah didn't have a regular death. You might remember, if you know the story, he was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. And it was prophesied in Malachi that he would someday show up again. And this is what Jewish tradition suggests, even nowadays, actually, there are even some specific Jewish festivities in which it's believed that the prophet Elijah will come. So this is not specifically to do with reincarnation. - Okay, you know, the more you answer these questions, the more I understand. All right, well, let's go back to the multiplication of loaves of bread and fish. It seems that Jesus was trying to give the disciples a hard time on purpose, you know, saying you give them something to eat. But I mean, what was he expecting them to do? He knew what he could do because he was God in the flesh, but the disciples, they were not God. - Yeah, I know he says that, doesn't he? And when he says that, we kind of know the backstory, don't we, but you put yourself in that situation. And you know, it does, it seems similar to when Moses, for example, was leading the people through the dry and the thirsty wilderness and they had no water. You know, what lesson was God trying to get the people to learn? We kind of look back and we can see the commentary and understand the backstory. But imagine being there, and I think the lesson was that the people should have looked to God for their supply rather than their own power. And I think the lesson that God was encouraging people everywhere to grasp is that he is the source of every blessing. Well, you know, we're always completely dependent on God to supply our needs, whether that's water in the wilderness or whether it's 5,000 people there on the mountain top of nowhere to buy food. You know, what we need to realize is that we must pray and look to God first, even before we start counting what we have or what we don't have. And another main point here seems to be that anyone who's gonna do something for God needs to first learn compassion, to value people, learn the importance of each individual and their needs. And in this case, it seems like the disciples didn't care enough about the people in front of them. They saw the crowd actually as a bit of a problem, maybe even an irritation. Jesus, on the other hand, looks at them as if they were sheep with no shepherd, he sees them as they really are. And so he has compassion on them. And remember, you know, the disciples, well, they were hungry and thirsty as well, and they had to learn what it was like to suffer so that they would be able to sympathize with others going through the same trial. You know, suffering is when we find out that the pepper in someone else's eye hurts as much as it does when it gets in our eye. - Sure. Well, thanks again, John. I mean, with everything that we've learned today and everything that we've dove in depth about, how would we wrap up this episode? - Yeah, well, today on Mission 66, we read and studied Mark chapter six together, and the theme was understanding and misunderstanding. Jesus was misunderstood by members of his own family, by people of his own hometown, by people who were awaiting the fulfillment of prophecies, by King Herod, and often by his own disciples. And what about you, dear listener? Who is Jesus to you today right now? What is your view of him? Is Jesus some sort of religious bureaucrat? Is Jesus someone who came only to help the poor? Was Jesus a political revolutionary restricted to his own time and nothing more? You know, it's important to understand these misunderstandings. Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior, the promised Messiah, Emmanuel, which means God with us, the one who was sent to earth to die on the cross and rise again to provide the way of salvation. You know, he is the only way to reach God. Call on the name of the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. (gentle music) - And be sure to join us next time as we continue studying the book of Mark here. Same place, same time on Mission 66. - That wraps up today's episode of Mission 66 with John Matthews and Esther Sussulu. Follow their daily teaching by downloading your free study guide of the Gospels at mission66.org. Go deeper into God's word and discover how each day's teaching can apply to your life. James, chapter one, verse 22, tells us to be doers of the word, not just hearers. Download your free study guide at mission66.org and have it for our next program. That's also where you can leave a comment or make a donation to continue Mission 66 here and around the world. That's mission66.org. Mission 66 is a ministry of Transworld Radio and partnership with Dr. Louis Ciao. I'm Rob Dempsey. (gentle music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)