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The Verse
Mark 1:20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
My Paraphrase
Right away He called them, and they left everything--their nets, their father, and the hired men--and followed Him.
My Thoughts
This is a strange verse because it mentions Zebedee, their father. A fast reading would cause you to gloss over this fact. But when you slow down an think about it, a very significant question arises: Is this disobedience? The fact that they left their father--in a seeming time of need--seems to be disobedience of the commandment, "Honor your father and mother," doesn't it? Wouldn't it have been more in accordance with the law to finish the day's work and then follow Jesus? Apparently not, though, as Jesus would not have called them to sin. Apparently, either Zebedee was cool with it (he had other hired men with him after all), or Jesus--knowing hearts--knew that Zebedee was fine with it. We can probably assume that this moment was not a big deal because the verse doesn't record any anger on Zebedee's part. I wonder if it was another situation where James and John were perhaps discussing Jesus earlier--maybe even in front of their father--so when Jesus shows up, they drop everything and follow, and Zebedee is no worse for the wear.
Still, it's a point I hadn't thought of before, so I felt like sharing it.
My last thought on this verse is that, in this situation, James and John had more at stake seemingly, than Peter and Andrew had. First of all, they had familial attachment that they had to choose to leave. Peter and Andrew were brothers, but neither of them had to leave family in order to follow Jesus in this particular case--as far as we know, anyway. This temporary spurning of family perfectly illustrates Jesus' command in Matthew 19:29 "Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or farms to follow me will get much more than they left. And they will have eternal life." Secondly, unlike Andrew and Peter whose nets were working at the time of their call (verse 16), James and John were here having to fix theirs (verse 19). This denotes an extra struggle. Not only did they have the regular stress of fixing torn fishing nets, but also the fact that any repair time is actual fishing time lost. They were set back twice before Jesus ever came a'calling. This could mean that they hadn't even been able to catch any fish that day, and after following Jesus, they definitely wouldn't have. That's a big deal for a fisherman not to have caught any fish for an entire day, you know? These probable setbacks show James and John giving perhaps even greater personal sacrifice than the original two. . .but again, they saw following Jesus as worth it.
And apparently, Zebedee had enough men to cover it. So. . .the lesson here is. . .don't drop the ball in Jesus' name, unless there are enough people to cover you! But on the other hand, you can't be like the man in Luke 9:59-60 who uses burying his father as an excuse not to follow Jesus. You need to love and honor your family, and leaving them in the lurch is not responsible, but transversely you can't make them an idol to hold you back from doing what God wants you to do. Apparently in this verse, James and John were being completely obedient both to their earthly and Heavenly fathers, or their action would not have Jesus' endorsement!
The Verse
Mark 1:19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
My Paraphrase
Going just a little further, Jesus saw James and John working on their nets.
My Thoughts
Again, we see Jesus quietly observing men before calling them. Again, this is a moment before the moment. In this verse, we catch James and John--two of the most influential and beloved disciples--in this "pre-" state. In this verse, they were just James and John, sons of Zebedee. In the next verse, they would become "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17). I never bothered to think about these "moments before moments" before I started studying this book verse by verse. It's amazing what jumps out when you slow your study down! What a precious moment in time to have the Creator of all things physically observing His creation, and yet. . .being in mortal form, having the willing suspense of "What will happen next?" and "These two men will become my best friends, and they don't even know it yet." Have you ever had that moment when you see a person across the room for the first time and think, "I am pretty sure he/she and I would get along. . ."? It's a strange human anomaly. Some people call it serendipity. I call it Providence. Anyways. . .that's what is happening here.
But what REALLY stands out to me in this verse is this point: The men are working. How many people (Christians notwithstanding) do you know that are just sitting around waiting for jobs and purposes to drop into their laps? In fact, with the advent of social media apps like "Go Fund Me" a trend has formed not just to ask for supplemental mission support or temporary help in a moment of destitution, but rather to ask for entire support in lieu of working at all! What is it that tells us that we don't need to be proactive about our own futures, but yet entitles us to foist that responsibility onto other people? I think a lot of times we say, "My future is in God's hands," so much so that we act like we are completely powerless. This isn't true. The Bible plainly tells us that we have been given His power (II Timothy 1:7) and that a man who doesn't want to work, shouldn't eat (II Thessalonians 3:10).
God calls people who are diligent. Think about it. If you are just waiting around for an opportunity to drop into your life and not actively working, why would God bother to call you? An earthly boss doesn't give a promotion unless a worker has done good work. Why would God be any different? God doesn't promote lazinss. Ever. Think of the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). The only ones who are rewarded in that story are the ones who worked hard to make good investments. It's not God's job to fix all our problems. That would actually be spiritual rape, if you think about it. God doesn't force Himself onto people--even during times of pain and hardship. It is up to us to hear God's voice above the cacophony of life. It's God's job to make us stronger, and that can only happen if we are willingly and actively seeking His plan in those hard times.
True, in this particular story, James and John aren't exactly suffering. They are just doing their daily routine jobs, that is, only if the word "preparing" means "getting ready." However, most translations translate the word as "mending" or "repairing." If that is the case, then we do in fact, see a problem here. Maybe they were suffering a little, after all. Apparently, these once-working nets had ripped. If that is the case, then we do see them struggling in life. If that is the case, this adds to the point that they were extremely hard workers. Not everything was perfect in a fisherman's life. Sometimes, one even had to forgo time spent fishing with preparation and mending. If they hadn't spent this time working on the nets and getting them to their optimal state, the entire time spent fishing would have been wasted. These were not men who went to work unprepared.
Jesus observes them as they work to make their own lives better, and knows that the life He was about to call them toward would only make their lives seemingly harder: More responsibility, more time, more heartache, etc.. However, He could see by their prudence and industry that God would receive glory through these diligent men. These men who would take the time to work on damaged nets, would eventually take the time to work on people with damaged souls. It would be a hard life, but it would be a life of legacy and ultimately a life of fulfilling God's plan.
But it wouldn't have happened if they hadn't already been working.
I think this means that we--instead of sitting around waiting for God to call us--need to be diligent and hard-working, performing tasks already set before us--as lackluster and mundane as they may appear. Throughout the gospels, the disciples continue to fish, so we can't automatically think that God will call us to be lazy or tell us to quit our regular jobs for some "higher calling." The jobs we are already in are either preparing us for our "higher callings" or are already our "higher callings"! Actually, this point is observable throughout the entire Bible. Ruth was gathering food when she was noticed. Samuel was living and working in the temple when he was called. David was tending sheep. Even Paul, who was a persecutor and murderer of Christians, was working when he was called! I think there is an important lesson to learn here! Diligence is important to God!
Whatever job you are currently working, you are in the exact right place. And. . .if you aren't working. . .GET A JOB!
The Verse (NIV)
10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
My paraphrase
As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, John saw heaven ripped apart, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him gloriously and peacefully--as if He were a dove.
My thoughts
If you read my last post, you will see that I believe Christ's baptism wasn't just "an act of obedience and example for future believers," but it was mostly a prophetic foreshadowing of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. That said, I believe this scene with the Holy Spirit coming on Him accomplished various things.
(1) I believe it was prophetic in that it showed what was to happen after Jesus left the earth. He would be glorified in heaven. I believe this scene was foreshadowing Christ's entire life, death, burial, resurrection, glorification--everything about His mission on earth and His standing in heaven.
(2) I believe the Holy Spirit was coming upon him at this moment was not only baptism with water, but also baptism of the Holy Spirit. That's pretty obvious, I think. Once He is Spirit-filled, He begins performing miracles. That's not to say He was limited before then, but I think this is the part where we as Christians are to follow in His example. We are called to the same Spirit-filled life.
(3) He purposely waits till this moment to begin undergoing His call as Messiah. For us, the need for baptism is called repentance--this newness of life--because we are sinners. For Christ, His "newness" was beginning His earthly ministry--because He is the perfect Christ.
(4) As He came up out of the water--and only after--the Holy Spirit came upon Him. I believe this is a picture of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit would descend on all those who dared to follow Jesus. Again, He pictures His death, burial, resurrection, glorification, but not only from His perspective. In this act, He also mirrors the timeline for Christianity: Christ would begin his ministry--get in the water; die for sins--immersion into the water; raise Himself from the dead and ascend to heaven--coming out of the water; and then the Holy Spirit would come upon those who follow Him--the dove-like descent.
(5) The fact that the Holy Spirit descends like a dove furthers the impact of humility. He didn't fall like fire from heaven. There were no earthquakes nor pomp and circumstance. The whole scene is just very peaceful and appropriate.
(6) John is the only one recorded as having seen this event which the Book of John explains was a specific sign from God to John the Baptist to point out who the Messiah would be. This sign had to happen for John the Baptist to "get it." It was a personal promise God made to him that God made good on.
(7) Heaven was ripped apart to allow the Holy Spirit to descend. I think this is also a prophetic picture of what would happen at Christ's death. Heaven was ripped apart in two ways: (a) God the Father had to turn His back on His Son. I'm sure that did some heavenly ripping. (b) But also--just like the veil to the Holy of Holies--the divide between human and divine was now bridged. Heaven was torn apart. . .in a really good way!
I'm sure there are other ramifications and reasons for this scene, but those are the thoughts that struck me.
I am really enjoying this study (I'm also REALLY behind in blogging my daily thoughts. Sorry), taking the Bible verse by verse and really spending time thinking and reflecting on what is going on in the book of Mark. I am so thankful for attending the Priscilla Schirer simulcast a few months ago, as that is what inspired me to do this. I've read the Bible several times and each time there is always something new and compelling to learn, of course. But it's more than that. It's even how I've studied the Bible each time that makes a difference. Reading it in a "Read the Bible in a Year" plan, I get a nice overview. Listening to it on CD gives me the story as a whole--without the ability to stop and reflect--so I am forced to hear the whole thing in context. But this slow, inductive method really helps drive points home and gives me insight that I might otherwise have missed. Especially paraphrasing and writing down thoughts. Like. . .more and more thoughts come as I start to write. And then when I rewrite them again on this blog, it really helps to solidify what I've learned.
The Verse (NIV)
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
My paraphrase
9. Jesus begins His Messiahship with an act of humility: Baptism by John.
My thoughts
I think more than anything else, this verse explains Jesus' purpose for coming as "suffering servant." I know that's a weird thought to have at this, His baptism when He isn't suffering at all, but hear me out. John (the Baptist) just got through telling us that he was unworthy to touch Jesus' feet, but then here we are seeing Jesus go through an act that required repentance. Isn't that strange? Any time any person is heralded and lauded by another person, throughout Scripture or anywhere else for that matter, do you see the heralded person then act like a servant? I certainly can't think of any examples. We can't just look at this scene and go, "Well, of course Jesus behaved that way. That's what He was supposed to do." When we react that way, I think we miss something major. Why was He supposed to? Why was this an act of obedience? It's a weird thing for the perfect Son of God to do.
It's weird, of course, because ironically Jesus had nothing to repent over as He was without sin, yet He still acted in the obedience of baptism. I have heard a lot of commentators and teachers state that His baptism was an act of obedience because He is our example and so He was paving the way for future believers. . .But that still doesn't answer the why question. Not well at least. Future believers were, are, and will be sinners. Jesus is and was perfect, so why did He do it?
I think the key to the question of why He behaved like a servant was because, in being baptized, He was foreshadowing His death (which He also didn't deserve)--an act that would put all sin upon Him. That is the only reason that makes any sense to me. When we get baptized, sometimes our baptizers will even say, "Buried in the likeness of His death. Raised in the likeness of His resurrection." I think that's why He did it. He was foreshadowing what would happen to Him--death, burial, and resurrection. In that way, yes, He was paving the way for us, but it's more than just a ritualistic expression of the start of a tradition. It was a paradigm shifting event. No longer did baptism merely mean an outward show of an inward cleansing. Now, Christ's life, death, burial, and resurrection were attached--the very stuff of salvation. Not that baptism equals salvation, but rather that baptism solidifies salvation. Baptism makes salvation concrete because it assumes the physical positions of the Christ who gives it all meaning.
One last thought--and this one really excites me because I've never had it before. Think of the significance of Christ being baptized in the Jordan River. I mean, think of everything that had happened there. How many battles? How many significant events? Jacob crossed it on his way back to Haran. The water that covered Jesus would have run over the sand that had once been dry ground for Joshua and the Israelites and also Elijah and Elisha. The Jordan needed to be crossed in order for the Israelites to reach the Promised Land. These same waters were used to cure Naaman of leprosy. That is just to name a few. . .Now think of Jesus' baptism. It was the start of Jesus stepping into His Messiah role--the role which gave every prior event its eternal meaning. More than stories on a page. Now the Promised Land meant heaven. Now the dry ground meant grace. Now the healing meant eternal life. It was the true fulfillment of everything else that ever happened or would happen in these same waters. All of them in that moment.
I was told by a friend that when I colored these three sections--verses, paraphrase, and thoughts--I had made them very straining on the eyes, so. . .in an effort to make my posts more readable, I am just going to make the three sections different fonts. Maybe one day, I'll get this system down!
The Verses:(NIV)
7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
My paraphrase:
7 This was his gospel: "The Messiah is coming and He is far greater than I am.
8 I can baptize you with only water, but His baptism is the Holy Spirit."
My thoughts:
This verse completes the whole strange picture (You can scroll down to the former entry if you are wondering what strange picture I'm talking about). So here's this guy. He's in the middle of the desert. If you want to go see him, you're gonna have to stop your regular life and leave your comfort zone--by the way, it's the desert. When you get there, you see he's dressed like Fred Flintstone and yelling at you to give up being selfish and turn to God. By the way, this God he keeps yelling about hasn't actually talked to your or anyone you know and the last recording of His human interaction was over 400 years ago. Then, this same guy urges you to believe in a promised Messiah that no one has seen since the beginning of time.
Then, to top it all off, this weirdo dunks you in a nasty river!
It's just like God to draw people to His message in the last way you'd ever expect!
It does make me wonder, though, if John--mid-dunking someone--ever had a self-aware moment going, "Wait. . .What in the world am I doing?. . .And why am I dressed like this?" Obviously, the fact that Mark bothers to describe him--when he's not a detail-oriented writer--proves that John is a little different.
What this means to me: If God had a plan for John to be different, then it's okay if God gives me a different plan from everyone else's. Sometimes, I feel like the crowd of believers around me has been called to a certain task. Should I join them just because it is a good thing? What if I haven't been called to join them? What if I have been called to study the book of Mark a little every day, for instance? I should probably do what I've been called to do and not what I haven't--even if it's a good thing. This doesn't mean I should find a sense of superiority in my given task, and it doesn't mean that I can only do one task and shun the others. It just means that God wants us to be a body of believers (eyes, ears, arms, etc.) not cookie-cutters, and that's okay. If I am using my task as an excuse to get out of doing another task, that is also not right, obviously. That's not my point. My point is John was different, so I can be different, and I don't need to feel guilty about being different.
Part of Verse 7 again: "I'm not worthy to untie his sandals."
Dealing with a master's feet was the lowest job of a servant, and for logical reason. Feet are dirty and disgusting. They were back then, and they still are today. (Yes, I'm probably a bit of a germophobe. . .However. . .) Your feet gather all kinds of germs--from sludge, to fecal matter, to disease--and the gathering is completely unavoidable as walking is our general mode of daily transportation.
John describes here that even if he were to perform the lowest act of servanthood for Jesus--something only the lowest of the low was expected to perform--that he would consider this humble act as infinitely disrespectful due to the superiority and divinity of Christ. This is no small thought, and we really should stop and think about it rather than gloss over it. Think again about it, this is John the Baptist we're talking about. Jesus Himself said that John was the greatest prophet ever to have lived! Yet, John considered himself unworthy even to touch Jesus' feet. This is a humbling thought. If you don't feel humbled, then ask yourself: Has Jesus ever called me the greatest prophet ever to have lived? My guess is, no, since that superlative description has already been designated to John. Furthermore, it should be even more humbling to think about how later in His ministry, Jesus Himself deigned to wash His disciples' feet. What pure humility is that? Unfathomable.
Another John thought:
The fact that God used John to prepare the way for Jesus shows me two things: (1) John had to appear because he was fulfilling prophecy, and (2) God always prepares his people for messages they should hear. John was immediate preparation for God's people to be ready to hear from His Messiah. Jesus wasn't out-of-the-blue. His coming was calculated and well-groomed. God never leaves us high and dry--expecting us just to guess His plans. He told His people in Isaiah and Malachi that a prophet would come to prepare the way, and that's exactly what happened. This shows us that God loves us. We may not know everything, but we always get to know exactly what we need to know, and we get to know it at just the right time.
Contrast this with the total uncertainty of literally ANY other faith, religion, or belief system.
Regarding verse 8 (The part about baptizing with water vs. the Holy Spirit):
John makes the point that he baptizes with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I imagine this sounded very nice, but also very cryptic to the hearers. "Baptize with the Holy Spirit?" What could that have meant to them? Up to that point, the Holy Spirit was something outside of themselves. He was a Spirit that would indwell those chosen followers who seemed to be elite--think of David or Moses or even King Saul at times--(Although they really weren't elite at all. They were literally just people like you and me, but you know how the enemy will get in your head and tell you that God has "special people" and that you might not be one of them?) I'm not saying that the hearers did think this way, I'm just asking the question, "How could people have possibly understood this statement?" Obviously, they did understand what they needed, because look how many people John reached. "The entire countryside of Judea and the city of Jerusalem." Look how many people repented as a result of his "cryptic" preaching.
This shows me that God is far more awesome than the credit we give Him. He says things that can make a certain type of sense to the hearers of the time, but then the same statements mean a totally different--or maybe just deeper--type of sense to hearers afterwards.
Anyways, of all human beings, John had, arguably, the most right to feel full of himself. He could look at himself and his ministry and pat himself on the back. But he didn't. John made the observation that while he could preach and reach many many people--in the end, all he was doing was merely just "water." Water is good. Water is symbolic. Water can clean. Water is necessary for life. Water is, like...what? 75% of our bodies or something. However (and therefore), water is human.
"But," as John says, "Stay tuned! There is one coming who will fulfill and explain all the symbolism and tradition and mysterious messages in Scripture! There is one coming after me who will cleanse you in a way that no dirt, grime, or filth can ever defile again! There is one coming who will slake your thirst once and for all! He comes with the Holy Spirit, and this is real power. Yes, repentance is the first step, but when He comes, you are going to want to repent! The life He will bring you will be such that there will be no going back, nor the desire to go back to who you used to be! What He brings you is eternal. It is pure. It is true. It is far greater than anything I could ever give you. It is divine. It is God Himself."
(Continuing my Bible Journaling of Mark. . .)
The Verses:
Mark 1:4-6 - 4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
My Paraphrase:
4 - Following the Spirit, John lived in the desert, baptizing and calling people to repent.
5 - This attracted everyone from the surrounding areas and they obeyed this calling.
My Thoughts:
John obeyed God's calling on his life. I think we take for granted the obedience we see in Biblical characters. Did John struggle with his calling? Did he have a wayward adolescence? Or did he readily embrace the poverty and humility of his prophesied profession?
Whatever the case, because of his obedience, an entire city and countryside were attracted to his message--and an unlikely message to be so attracted to! Think about it, people turned from sin and selfishness, without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and agreed to be dunked underwater by a bug-eating nutcase in the desert! This shows me that the power of God--and specifically the power of obedience--is not something to take lightly. He is not impressed with showmanship or Pharisitical propriety AT ALL. If He can get people to listen to His message in such an unlikely way, none of us should ever feel prideful if people happen to turn their hearts to Him because of some "amazing" thing we did.
My Paraphrase:
6 - John dressed like a dirty hippy and ate bugs and honey.
My Thoughts:
Okay, so my paraphrase was kind of to make you laugh. . .but honestly. . .read how Mark himself writes it! Verse 6 is TOTALLY out-of-the-blue, non sequitur. It's almost like each verse builds on itself to make this crazy picture complete. First of all, John--as fulfillment of Scripture--is in the desert, baptizing, and calling people to repentance. Okay, great. . .Then--get this, guys--this message actually ATTRACTS tons of people from the main city and they actually OBEY this crazy message!. . .And then finally. . .wait for it. . .the climax: On top of it all, John has very questionable eating habits and dresses like a caveman!
Seriously, read those verses again and see if that thought doesn't pop out at you as very odd. See, Mark is not the most detail-oriented writer (his gospel is the shortest, his statements are matter-of-fact, he lacks sentimental embellishment, etc.), and yet he bothers to tell us these strange details about how John is dressed and what he eats. I mean, do you just go around defining people like that normally? Is there ANYONE else in the Bible, for instance, who is described by dress code and diet? No. So obviously, Mark thought it was weird too!
I do think this description is to help us remember that God isn't interested in pride. . .However, did John really have to dress like a Jedi Knight? Or was he just having fun? Or was he just embracing the whole "prophet look" (apparently, Elijah and other prophets wore camel hair clothes)? After researching it a bit, I learned that it was actually a normal diet to eat bugs if one lived in the desert, and apparently locusts were on the list of "clean" things to eat. However, it does give one pause to think, 'Did John have to go to such lengths to prove his prophethood?' and 'Why did Mark bother to tell us these details if they were at all considered normal?' I guess we are to assume that even his appearance was an act of obedience since Jesus later calls him the greatest prophet ever to have lived.
Still. . .I can't help but love Ps. Mark Driscoll's assessment of John as "Jesus' weird home-school cousin"!!
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