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Christ's Mercy and hard hearts Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Sunday Worship Mark 2:13-3:6 January 29th, 2012
Mark 2:13-28 ESV He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. (14) And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. (15) And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. (16) And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (17) And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (18) Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" (19) And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. (20) The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. (21) No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. (22) And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins--and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins." (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." Mark 3:1-6 ESV 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.
INTRODUCTION I want to look at four brief stories this morning and look at them from a specific perspective. Before I do this I want to present you with two contrasting characters: The Scribes and Pharisees What were they like? We see them in these stories as unloving, merciless, strict, worried about rules, judgmental and critical. Why were they like that? This is a big question! They were very religious or strict in keep the letter of the law and going beyond. Why? I think it is fair to say that they were seeking control and rest in self-justification. This allowed them to have a type of security in something they could control. “If I do this and don’t do that I am good.” He look at his life and needed have it justified and he sought to take control of that justification. Jesus What Jesus was like? Jesus was loving, merciful and joy-giving. He healed; He showed mercy. He gave life. Why He was like that? Jesus was secure in God the Father who delighted in Him. Jesus was the Son of God who came to bring security and rest and justification to those who humbly receive Him. 4 STORIES AND 4 QUESTIONS 1. Jesus Calls Levi and Eats with Tax Collectors - “Why is He eating with the unclean?” Scribes and Pharisees: Showed judgment on Jesus for associating with known sinners. They were not concerned for or hopeful in the conversion of the tax collectors. They enviously judge They were seeking rest, security and control in self-justification. This made them unable to lovingly reach outside of themselves to show mercy. Jesus: Jesus was both holy and merciful. He gave mercy and justification to sinners who needed it. 2. Jesus is Questioned about Fasting – “Why isn’t He and his disciples fasting?” Scribes and Pharisees: They ask: “why aren’t you doing the ritual of fasting?” They are comparing. They are afraid – what if all our work doesn’t make us righteous? Is it all a waste Jesus: Here we see that Jesus is not only the great physician but the bridegroom. He is the Messiah who has come to bring life and joy. 3. Jesus’ Disciples In the Grain fields on the Sabbath – “Why are they breaking the Sabbath? Scribes and Pharisees: They are strict and they grumble about the failure of the disciples to keep the Sabbath perfectly. They are seeking their own righteousness in their rules. Jesus: But Jesus is what they really need, not more Sabbath keeping by their standards. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus is the Sabbath. God rested on the Sabbath not because he needed rest, but to say it is finished and complete. The Pharisees could never say – it is enough. God is satisfied by my righteousness. But Jesus came to make this happen in our lives.
4. Jesus Heals a Withered Hand on
the Sabbath – “Why is are your hearts so hard?” They are so scrupulous in their Sabbath keeping that they are angry that Jesus would actually heal on the Sabbath. Jesus: But Jesus came to bring life and healing. Jesus exposed their hard-heartedness. CONCLUSION/APPLICATION The Pharisees were religious rule keepers. They, like you and me, had a need to be accepted and justified. They knew that deep down. They sought after it by means of self-righteousness. If I do this then I can feel significant to myself and hopefully to others. If I do this I can secure some control; I can enjoy some security and be at rest with myself. This turned them in to unloving selfish men. Jesus on the other hand was just the opposite. He was an example of love and mercy and He brought the love and trust justification that would free people from being self-centered and pre-occupied with self. What about you? Where in your life do relate to these Pharisees? It may not be in rule keeping. It may be in your dieting; It may be in your role as a parent or spouse; It may be in your job or in school. It may be a reality for shy people and outgoing people. Where is your security? In the love of Jesus or in the efforts of your seeking to create a justifiable identity by yourself. ILLUSTRATION in Chariots of Fire
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