Good News For a Bad World - Studies in the Gospel of Mark - 11
Mark 3:13-35
Let me tell you what happened on 15th February 1921. In a New York hospital a doctor by the name of Evan O’Neil Kane diagnosed an enflamed appendix.
He’d performed this operation well over 4 thousand times in his 37 years as a surgeon. But this time was different. This time he’d use a local anaesthetic.
And so the patient was prepared for surgery, the local anaesthetic was given, the operation began, the appendix were removed and the wound was stitched up and bandaged over.
And amazingly, during the whole procedure the patient felt only minor discomfort. He recovered quickly and was discharged in just 2 days.
Dr Kane had managed THE very first ever operation under local anaesthetic.
Well, what I didn’t tell you was, that the patient he operated on was himself.
You see, no-one else wanted to chance being the guinea pig. And so he was left with no other alternative, the doctor became the patient and he went for it. Isn’t that some story?
But listen. There’s an even better story than that. There’s something far more wonderful than the doctor becoming the patient and its this. God becoming man. That really was an all time first. And of course, that’s Mark’s fantastic theme.
I want you to notice at least four things from Mark 3:13-35.
To begin, notice THERE’S SOMETHING HOPEFUL HERE. Very much so.
Verses 13-19. Jesus calls His twelve Apostles. And we have the list of names: Peter, James and John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Thadaeus, Simon and of course Judas. A twelve man team.
We’re told HE CALLED the twelve to Him (verse 13). Do you see that? They didn’t, off their own bat come to Him. NO! He selected them. He chose, He called, He appointed them.
In actual fact, later on, Jesus looked them straight in the eye, He eyeballed them and said: John 15:16 “ … You didn’t choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you …”.
It’s absolutely amazing to me, just how diverse the Apostles of Jesus were. It’s mind blowing.
Peter was possibly the oldest of them all. He was extremely impulsive. Rugged, brash, speak first think later Peter. Open mouth insert foot. He talked before his brain was in gear constantly.
Whereas John was young. Just a teenager and he was quiet and contemplative and cautious and sensitive. The apostle of tenderness and love. Both contrasting characters. Opposite ends of the spectrum.
Nathaniel or Bartholomew was always ready to believe. He simply accepts what Jesus says, as fact from the very word go. Full of faith. Whereas, Thomas was constantly filled with doubt. Mr Pessimist. Again two contrasting characters. Faithful and fearful.
Matthew was a tax collector. He worked for the Roman authorities. He’s seen by the Jews as an arch traitor to the cause of Judaism.
Whereas, Simon the zealot was a radical political thinker. He wanted to overthrow the Roman occupying forces at all costs. He’d stop at nothing. He was a terrorist.
And yet, just let this sink in, despite these glaring, unbelievable, stark differences, Jesus took them wonderfully and beautifully blended them together and used them to His own praise and glory.
What a fantastic thought. Doesn’t that inspire hope in your heart? We’re all different. Different personalities and backgrounds and tastes and gifts and abilities. None of us are the same. We’re completely different. And yet, we’re all essential parts of the body of Christ and God has a specific niche for us and a special role for us to play. That’s hopeful isn’t it?
Again, think of the Apostles. They lacked so much understanding. Time and time again they came to Jesus, and Jesus has to repeatedly explain what He said, and break it down into tiny little chunks and still they couldn’t get it.
They lacked humility. They were constantly fighting, and bickering among themselves. And the argument always seemed to centre around one single issue. Can you believe this? Who was the greatest? Who was the best? Who was number one?
And then, they lacked faith. How often does Jesus say to them, “O you of little faith …”.
And of course, they lacked commitment. At the moment of crisis, they all forsook Him and fled. BUT still Jesus persevered with them. He bore with them. He persisted with them. He was patient with them.
Please don’t ever fall into the trap of thinking the people in the Bible were spiritual super-saints, because they weren’t. Not by any stretch of the imagination. BUT God over-ruled and proved Himself to BE bigger than them and stuck with them.
There’s definitely something hopeful here.
And listen the key to it all is what? According to Mark 3:14 Jesus appointed twelve disciples that they might, “ … BE WITH HIM … ”.
That was the key to everything. Intimacy with Him. It wasn’t what they knew, it was who they were with. He rubbed off on them and everything flowed from that.
Whatever else you do, cultivate and nurture your walk with Christ. Put that at the very top of the list.
You get like the company you keep, don’t you? Well the more time you spend in His company, the more like Him you’ll become and that’s what we want isn’t it? That’s what matters at the end of the day.
Ok, something Hopeful. Very hopeful.