Jun. 26, 2024

Dear Friends,

I hope you can join us tonight as we resume our study in the Gospel of Mark. Tonight, look at Mark 2:23-3:12. Notes are attached.

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

HILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL

JUNE 26, 2024

Mark 2:23-3:12

23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to

pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not

lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in

need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time

of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the

priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was

made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus,

to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the

man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good

or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger,

grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and

his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians

against him, how to destroy him.

7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and

Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great

crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. 9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for

him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases

pressed around him to touch him. 11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before

him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

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vv 23-24 – “One Sabbath…”

More lit. “And it happened that he [Jesus], on the Sabbaths, is passing through the grainfields…”

Mark appears to be summarizing something that happened more than once. “Sabbaths” is plural

in both v. 24 and v. 25.

Plucking the heads of grain was ruled as “reaping”—work forbidden on the Sabbath. Rubbing

the wheat in their hands to extract the kernel was ruled as “threshing,” also forbidden,

something akin to shelling a peanut.

Within pure legalism, where no consideration of intent or “spirit of the law” is ever considered,

no rule is too absurd—because there is nothing left to contextualize consideration of the rule.

An example Robertson mentions is the prohibition against eating an egg laid on the Sabbath.

There were hundreds of Sabbath laws/rulings.

The Pharisees were scandalized and challenged Jesus on the behavior of his disciples. Sabbath-

breaking, desecrating the Sabbath was a most serious charge.

In response, Jesus replied in a pattern that he often employed:

1. He demonstrated how they were inconsistent, and at times hypocritical, on their very own

ground—with their very own reading and interpretation of the law. Then,

2. He led them, or those who would hear, to a higher understanding of who he is and of what

God’s will is.

2

They generally became angry regarding “1” and completely ignored, or were further incensed by

“2”

vv 25-26 – “And he says to them…”

“Have you never read…” – this is “Step 1.” There is a precedent for this—King David, no less.

Jesus references 1 Samuel 21:1-6

epi [on, against, upon] Abiathar the high priest – a “shorthand” type of reference

The particular priest mentioned in this passage is Ahimelech

In 1 Samuel 22:20 and 30:7, Abiathar is named as the son of Ahimelech (“the son

of Ahitub” in 22:20)

From 2 Samuel 8:17 and 1 Chronicles 18:16 – “and Zadok the son of Ahitub and

Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests”

1 Chronicles 24:3 – “Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar”

1 Chronicles 24:6 – “…Zadok the priest and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar…”

So… there is not clarity on Ahimelech(s)

Jesus knew who was high priest at the time he was referencing, and so the question of

Ahimelech (who is not called the high priest) is one of ongoing interest

The point Jesus was making to the Pharisees was that there was already very good precedent for

the Sabbath laws to be broken if there were a justifiable reason to do so.

And this rule that was suspended due to circumstances was regarding the bread of the Presence!

A much more clearly enunciated “higher-order” rule than Pharisaical rules about some grain

to eat.

(Reminder, in pure legalism, there is no such thing as a “justifiable reason” to break a rule.)

v 27 – “And he said to them…”

“Step 2” – the higher understanding; these are higher steps indeed

more lit. “The Sabbath on account of [dia] the man was made, and not the man on account of the

Sabbath.”

This was authoritative and astonishing.

Jesus was not negating the fourth commandment. But he was advancing the understanding of

God’s purpose for the commandment as an interpretive principle

Resting on the seventh day redounds to the physical and spiritual benefit of “the man,” people as

God created us

v 28 – “So the Son of Man…”

This was even more authoritative and more astonishing.

Jesus is God; his will, his Lordship, is the standard of highest authority

In interpreting any law or instruction, what does Jesus say?

He is the judge, to whom all will answer.

This does not mean that “everything is relative.” It means that everything is under the authority

of Christ.

Christ himself has given us his word to study, treasure, and obey.

But we do so having the very presence of the Spirit in our lives, the law of the Spirit of life, not

dead legalism.

3:1 – “Again he entered the synagogue…”

Jesus continues to demonstrate his Lordship over the Sabbath

v 2 – “And they watched Jesus…”

3

The sole concern of the Pharisees was to “catch” Jesus breaking the Sabbath. The possibility that

a man with a deformed hand might be healed was lost on them!

They would have said “the law is the law and God gave it. Who are we to break it or question

it?” And yet, they were incorrectly interpreting the law.

vv 3-4 – “And he said to the man…”

“Come here” – lit. “arise into the midst.” We would say, “Get up! and come over here where

everyone can see you!”

Then, Jesus meet them on their own ground with a question about the law, a question, and a type

of question, they were not expecting. A question about principle and purpose.

So, not “Does healing constitute work?”—the question of legalism, but

“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”—a question

regarding God’s great purpose for the Sabbath

“But they were silent.” – Of course they were. They were jealous and hated Jesus, he was

threatening their world, and they ginned up their personal hatred by claiming religious zeal.

This one question shook them at their foundations.

So they were silent.

v 5 – “And he looked around at them…”

with anger! - orgé – often translated “wrath”

Jesus saw God and his purposes being completely misrepresented by blind, hateful legalists

“being grieved at their hardness of heart”

Their hardness of heart toward the man in need as well as toward God’s effort to reach

them

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of

redemption.”—Ephesians 4:30

v 6 – “The Pharisees went out…”

The wonderful healing was lost on them

Utterly corrupt

“held counsel with the Herodians against him”!

At this point, the principle of serving God has been left far, far behind

Ordinarily, the Pharisees (the “ultra conservatives”) would have had nothing to do with

the Herodians (the “ultra liberals,” affiliated with the house of Herod).

But in order to destroy Jesus, the Pharisees needed the help of people who were

politically connected

vv 7-8 – “Jesus withdrew with his disciples…”

Word spread rapidly about “all that he was doing”

For areas mentioned, see map below

vv 9-10 – “And he told his disciples…”

“have a boat ready”—for teaching (see 4:1) and, perhaps also, for departing

vv 11-12 – “And whenever the unclean spirits saw him…”

This comes up with regularity

The demonic world is real—and they both knew and feared Jesus. They seemed both shocked

and aggrieved, as if Jesus were trying to “get away with something” (see 1:24)

Jesus was in authority over them, and ordered them “not to make him known.”

More lit. “And he would rebuke them much/often so that they should not make him known.”