Mark 6:30-56, What Do You Need?

Rejection of Jesus in His Hometown

Mark chapter 6 from verses 1 to 29.

Here the word of the Lord.

He went away from there and came to his hometown and his disciples followed him and on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue and many who heard him were astonished saying where did this man get these things?

What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands is not this the carpenter the son of Mary and Brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon and are not his sisters here with us.

And they took offense at him and Jesus said to them a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household and He could do no mighty work there. Except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them and he marveled because of their unbelief and he went about among the villages teaching and.

The Theology of Glory and the Expectation of Triumph

And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the 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 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 so they went out and proclaimed that people should repent and They cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

King Herod heard of it for Jesus's name had become known. Some said John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him. But others said he is Elijah and others said he is a prophet like one of the prophets of old.

But when Herod heard of it, he said John whom I beheaded has been raised. For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias his brother Philip's wife. Because he had married her for John had been saying to Herod it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife and Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death.

But he but she could not for Herod feared John knowing that he was was a righteous and holy man. And he kept him safe when he heard him. He was greatly perplexed and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

For when Herodias his daughter came in and and danced she pleased Herod and his guest and the king said to the girl Ask me for whatever you wish and I will give it to you and he vowed to her Whatever you ask me.

I will give you up to half my kingdom and she went out and said to her mother for what should I ask and she said the head of John the Baptist and She came in immediately with haste to the king and asked saying I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter and The king would was exceedingly.

Sorry, but because of his oaths and his guest He did not want to break his word to her and immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head he went and beheaded him in the prison and Brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl and the girl gave it to her mother.

When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word.

The World Strikes Back with Rejection, Separation, and Execution

Well, who's against you?

Who are your enemies? Which people oppose you who who are those out there out to get you? Who are they and you name anyone want to name name name name them. Now something. I'm a nice person. I'm pleasant.

I'm a good neighbor. I'm a good friend. No one's against me. People make enemies we think. Because of something they do wrong. They're too selfish. They're jerks who don't consider those they can walk all over.

They're too greedy they're willing to hurt or cheat others. Are there like a kid in a gang, you know, just kind of looking for trouble going out to just offend people. They make enemies because of that's the way they are but not me.

I'm a nice person. And so no one is against me.

Really.

Well, who is against you?

Well, hopefully no one right? I mean if you're right with God, then he'll give you everything you want and Everybody around you will see how how blessed and wealthy and healthy and happy you are and will want to have.

What you have what's your secret? No one will oppose me. You think in short you get? Glory, you get triumph. Popularity. That's what some call the theology of glory or triumphalism. The belief that your right belief Will deliver for you total Success.

You'll have all the answers. You'll win all the battles if you have any battles at all. You'll have all the best relationships. No one will be against you and all the best experiences. None of them will be traumatic or heartbreaking.

No one will be hating or hurting you. You'll be living happily ever after. Always joyful. There's always sensing the presence of God. No dark nights of the soul just glory and Triumph. Well, that's the expectation of most people in our culture of God.

That's what they expect from God. So they expect of religion, but they expect the church to give them tips for how to have that life. Give me that glorious triumphant life now. My best life now. So for example We measure success for churches and pastors in numbers.

How many people. How big a building. How big a budget? People are attracted to the bigger church because it smells like.

Victory.

The bandwagon effect, you know people get on board what looks like a success. It looks like a success. Because others are getting on board. The flip side of that is that if people Are against you or against him or her or it?

Well, they must be doing something wrong. You know if they have enemies they have critics it must be their fault, right? If he was a good preacher Everyone would love him.

Right.

He wouldn't make any enemies. No one would write letters to the editor criticizing him. If church was a good church that church was a good church. If it would it would be popular, right? Everyone would be flocking to it.

No one would criticize it if people are jumping off the bandwagon. They must be doing something wrong.

So who is against you.

How can anyone be against us you might think after what we saw last week. Remember last week Jesus is victorious over the world the flesh the devil. He's even greater than death. So, how can anyone be against us.

And that's a good question. Actually Jesus can still storms relieve. Demoniacs heal people of chronic diseases raise the dead. So how can anyone.

Be against him and us.

But they are. I mean, that's that's reality, right? You do recognize that right? Now don't live in this fantasy world Which everything is sugared and spice and everything nice. Let's face the facts that yes Jesus is Lord like in Mark chapter 5.

But also like him like him in Mark chapter 6 We will still face opposition hostility disappointments betrayals even tragedies and.

Heartbreak.

Jesus reigns and yet still His enemies rage. They are still in a fury Against him and if you're with him against you.

The world.

Strikes back. And we see that here in three parts how the world strikes back first rejection then separation and finally.

Execution.

Well first there's the rejection. The world strikes back. Jesus gets opposition. Who would be against Jesus? Well, we ought to seem that the Pharisees are but we kind of expect that out of those, you know.

Diabolical people anyway expect that out of them and then there's the Herodians. They're the political people. They're the secular people. They only care about politics in this world, but but so far Jesus has been wildly popular with the common folks.

Why would anyone be against Jesus especially those who knew him? Well and Jesus leaves Capernaum with his disciples to go home and as he's teaching in the synagogue I which I guess is his own home synagogue.

This is his hometown. It says many in verse 2, that's that is a lot of people. Notice they were astonished. Almost as if they're struck by panic like you might be astonished if a bolt of lightning struck right next to you.

They were shocked.

This.

This is that quiet boy He raised in this town. You know worked in the carpenter shop down the road. Helping in the family business until Joseph apparently passed away and then he became a carpenter him himself.

Notice the verse 3. This is the only place in the Bible where Jesus is called a carpenter. Small C. Not just a son of a carpenter, but that Jesus himself Worked as a carpenter. That was his vocation. The Greek word translated their carpenter is the Greek word Tecton.

It's where we get technician from. Technology. And it can mean it can mean just that carpenter or it can mean more broadly any craftsman or artisan. Well, we might call a contractor. Some of these people as they're listening to him are thinking.

He built my table. He did work on my house. He did good work. But what makes him think he could teach the Bible? They hear him teach with such authority and depth and they wonder. Where did he get this?

You know, he wasn't sent off to seminary in Jerusalem to learn under some great rabbi there. Now if that were the case now, they could probably understand that. He would be the hometown boy gone off after several years to get his education.

Making his folks proud with how erudite and well read he is now using all kinds of fancy vocabulary words. They don't know. He'll be quoting this and that scholar. He may be kind of boring but that's kind of what you expect out of great scholars, they're kind of boring, right.

But they would be thinking. Because they're not really paying attention to what he's saying because he'd be boring. We're so proud of what our what our son our hometown boy has accomplished. Look at him now.

But that's not what happened that's not the case. He was working just here as a carpenter not too long ago. We don't know how long maybe the few just a few months or maybe about a year. But maybe they had maybe they had heard that he had went off to see John the Baptist and that he disappeared into the desert For over a month and they heard all kinds of wild stories coming out of Capernaum and the lake and now they're eager to hear.

You know, what's been going on with him? We've been hearing all kinds of things. What what is it with with Jesus, you know that guy that worked at the carpenter shop? He doesn't sound at all like our scholars.

They're thinking it sounded all like they're rabbis. He's not quoting anybody. Except the Bible and he's talking a lot about the kingdom of God. So they find him to be just utterly bizarre and they think where did this man get this?

What is this wisdom? Given to him. Notice they recognize he has some wisdom and it's been given to him given from who by the way I can't figure that out. He's done some miracles. He's laid his hands on a few sick people and they were healed it.

You know, how.

This guy this guy.

He built me a chair. He fixed my door. And we might think well. Familiarity breeds contempt. They thought they knew him. They took him for granted. They saw him walking up and down the street. For years in their life.

He's the boy that grew up in the house down there. He was a good helper for his dad until he passed away. And then he carried on the family business with his brothers. The brothers are named for us here four of them James and Joseph and Judas and Simon.

Yes, it's sisters do they're not named. He was in the synagogue. Every Sabbath, he would sing the Psalms and he would listen carefully. This guy. Jesus is rejected. Is It just contempt for the familiar.

Sure. There's a touch of that but there's something beyond just that just the contempt for the familiar Jesus provokes.

Opposition.

Here that opposition shows in in scorning him who does he think he is coming in here to his home synagogue and talking like that. Like he's some kind of prophet. So they scorn him in verse 3 is it he's the carpenter.

You know, he's a manual laborer like us. He's not a scholarly rabbi and they scorn him as notice the son of Mary. Now we may pass over that and not think anything of it but in their culture you never describe someone by who their mother is.

It's always by the father's name and almost as if they're suggesting we don't really know who his father is. No, he's the son of Mary as if to suggest, you know, he's illegitimate, you know, remember Mary was pregnant before she was married.

Remember that. They've been whispering about that for decades now a little rumor mills. With humming about him and now they bring it out. Because he had the gall to teach the Word of God. Almost as if he had written it.

Jesus provokes opposition he makes Enemies not because he's rude or selfish or anything about him. But because people are sinful and when they're called to repent they don't like it and When their sins are not accommodated their sins are not enabled or encouraged or glossed over excuses are not made for them.

They will hate the one who challenges them. When sinners refuse to repent, you know, they won't say yeah. Okay, you're right. I'm living in sin and but let's live in let-lift. You know, this is what I believe.

This is how I live and and I understand that you believe differently and you think I'm wrong and I respect your opinion. I understand. No, they won't do that. They won't tolerate your lack of approval for their sin.

They will reject The one who tells them the truth. They will reject you and oppose you and Jesus was rejected by his hometown folks. Not just because they were familiar with him. But because he was a prophet.

Because he spoke the Word of God. So they says they they took offense at.

Him.

At the end of verse 3 that is they stumbled over him and the Greek word Therefore stumble is where we get the word scandal from. They were scandalized by him. Jesus explained why himself in verse 4. A prophet is not without honor.

All those people honor true prophets. Every prophet get some honor. They speak the Word of God. Bravely people honor it except the one people who won't honor them. Are the people in his hometown and among his relatives at his own kinfolk and his own family.

Now you might think. Well, those are the people who know him best and shouldn't they respect him, but he speaks the word to them. He knows their sins and they know he's talking about them and they don't like the word being applied.

To them.

They probably wouldn't mind if Jesus talked about the sins of those though. You wouldn't believe how those people are down in Jerusalem are living. But no, they don't want to hear it apply to them. Now for about the half of the past year and a half I've been writing the pastors column for the casual messenger much of the much of in that column is what you taken from what?

You hear here. Last August I published an article in which I said that the people who quote vote concert quoting myself here a vote Conservative cluck cluck at the newest abomination out of Hollywood or absurdity of Washington DC and think they think that they are different.

They think they're sanctified biblical people, but they're really just a generation behind the times conformed to the world. If They won't confront racism I'll follow what the Bible says about the man being the head of the family or keep their word.

Keep their commitments or keep sex for marriage or be a supportive member of a church. Yes, I intentionally. Name the sins that are common Here in this County. Of course people don't like to hear that.

They might love hearing about how the those immoral people in San Francisco are doing the abominations out over there. But they think don't tell us about our sins. So someone I don't know don't know that he named himself at it.

I don't know who you. I don't know him personally. But a letter to the editor criticizing me showing that he didn't understand what I was saying. But that he did understand that I was striking too close to home for his comfort and the editor of the castle messenger emailed me.

And told me that if I don't quote tone it down. Then she'll find someone else to write the column now the Word of God applied to unrepentant sinners provokes opposition it produces.

Rejection, you know.

If you don't understand that if you just kind of naively think that if the word is preached or written. Well, people will always like it. You always win people over with it.

And.

If then they then they don't like it and You think well, then there must be something wrong with the one. Saying or writing it if you just assume that no one will be against us. No one will reject us.

We will never suffer opposition never suffer scorn or criticism. If we're doing it, right. You know popularity will inevitably be the end result of preaching or writing correctly. You just kind of assume that you believe that if that's what you think You'll end up supporting the suppression of God's Word.

You'll go along with its rejection. You'll enable people in their sin. You'll help people.

Stay.

Unbelievers. Who is against you? Here Jesus sees that his own hometown is against him where he grew up. Now. This was his synagogue where he attended for years.

And they rejected him.

Not because he said something wrong. But because he's a prophet more than a prophet to be sure. But at least a prophet. And he spoke the Word of God to them and they rejected it. Jesus doesn't do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Notice in verse 5 says that he could Not do many miracles there. And some people have tried to play with that. He could not he was restrained. Their unbelief stopped him from doing it. Well, not really.

He could not do many miracles. Not because he needs their faith to enable him To do miracles, but because he did miracles. For those who had or will have faith He doesn't do them for unbelievers. You know.

Miracles are not to get the attention of unbelievers and make them believe. A Lot of people think that that's really not the purpose of them. Miracles don't actually create faith. Unless first God does the miracle of giving you faith.

Later, his doubters would know that he's that he had raised they would know many of them. Probably were there actually in the audience were standing around when he raised Lazarus from the dead.

And.

They knew all about it. Yet they conspired to not only kill Jesus but to kill Lazarus, too. So as to get rid of the evidence think about that. They knew he did that miracle. Did they believe because of that?

No.

Miracles that is works of power what they're literally called here are for believers. He's not gonna do them for people Who oppose him so they decided to oppose him. They decided to reject him. So he's saying I'm not gonna do any miracles here.

And so he he sees this opposition in verse 6 and he says he marvels. Like you marvel when something you can't explain this beyond your ability. Just it's just it makes no sense. But beyond your comprehension what's logical.

Miracle happens you marvel can't explain that and this is the only time this word is used of Jesus of him. Marveling of being amazed. It's the same word used in chapter 5 of the people who saw the man who had a legion.

Now well and telling them about Jesus, you know, they marveled. They were in wonder at what Jesus had done for this man. Here is the only time that word is used for Jesus himself here. He is the one Jesus is the one who is in wonder who is amazed.

He's amazed at their unbelief because it makes no sense. It's not logical. That people would not believe in Jesus elsewhere. The Bible talks about the mystery of iniquity. I'm going to sin. It makes no sense really when people choose to sin be unbelievers.

It's not logical. Refusing to repent so we should marvel too. That people so love their sin. They will oppose and reject the Word of God. That's a marvel, isn't it? That's just so baffling. Well who is against you?

Who's against Jesus?

You think it's just well, it's just the hometown folks. Okay, the hometown folks and the Pharisees and the Herodians and His instructions to his disciples. We see that the delegation he sends out runs into opposition to The world strikes back.

So Jesus next goes to nearby villages and then decides to extend his ministry in the face of opposition By sending out his Apostles in pairs to cover as much territory as they can to all the little towns of Israel and To do that he gave them authority it says over unclean spirits over demons in verse 7 so that they couldn't Oppose them.

Remember now Jesus has bound the strongman. Satan can't oppose him anymore. They are pushing back the territory of the devil and extending the kingdom of God. This is a short term kind of training mission.

So The Apostles then don't need to take stuff for a long trip In verse 8. Now sure they'll need they'll need to eat but they need to learn to trust God to provide for their bread and for God to provide people who will host them give them a place to sleep and Feed them as they go from town to town.

But notice The ominous instructions in verse 11.

They're ominous.

And if you were warned you're gonna go to certain place and be careful of the snakes. That's ominous. Jesus instructs his disciples what to do when they are rejected. What odd instructions and we're almost never told these days what to do when things go badly.

When people leave they don't want to hear the Word of God. They won't repent. But before we moved here North Carolina, Virginia, wherever we are before we moved here I had an interview in a Chinese church in Philadelphia in which I was asked by a man there.

What I do if someone rejects the Word, what do you do if someone doesn't believe? You know suggesting That I have to have some technique like they train me in seminary some technique to turn them around.

To make them repent there has to be some trick. You could do to make believers out of unbelievers some way to engineer salvation. Failure is not an option. It's the motto, right? Now what was particularly odd?

I was thinking as I was hemming and humming My way through whatever I said in response. I don't even remember what I said. What was that this man this man who asked me the question he made his money made a lot of it, too.

He was doing really well running a business that transported harvested human organs from one donor usually dead to the organ recipient. For transplant, it's a profitable business. I guess I was thinking of asking him in response.

You're asking me what I do when people die spiritually. I Was thinking of asking him back which I didn't I didn't. What do you do with the dead person? Will you bury him? Here Jesus frankly tells the disciples that they're going to run into opposition.

This mission will will not be all success and triumph and popularity and acclaim. Not everyone is going to like what you're saying and So in verse 11 if they won't receive you if they reject you if they won't listen then you He's after enough attempts you you separate from them.

From any association with them you leave them in their rejection you make the separation so complete. That you separate even from the dust that comes from their town. Now in their days Jews had a custom they would have understood this the disciples would understood what Jesus was Referring to because the Jews had a custom if when they when they traveled abroad came back when they returned to Israel from another country.

They would remove from themselves even the dust that clung to their clothes or for their feet from those unclean those Gentile Nations and so it was a physical way of saying that we we Israelites are separate from those other Unclean people here.

Jesus is saying that if people don't accept his message.

Even.

Through his delegation to his apostles that his people should separate and they show that separation they Demonstrated they say through actions. We don't even have dust in common and They're also saying They're saying this think about it.

They're saying this to these Israelite towns. They reject the gospel of the kingdom. They're saying you you think you're Jews. You think you're Israelites. You think you're God's chosen people.

No.

You do not belong to the true Israel. That they're. You're just like those unclean Gentiles. You're not part of the Israel of God. You're separated from God's people. And they do that at the end of verse 11 Jesus says as a testimony.

Against them.

That's what the the two apostles that's why I said I'm often pairs were for every testimony needed every needed two witnesses and Here if they oppose the gospel two witnesses testify. That they are not God's people.

They're not part of it. They're a there's a separation a complete Disassociation. Now we often think today if you say the gospel, right? Everyone's gonna accept it. It will just appeal to everybody there will be success.

There'll be growth. There'll be expansion. People assume that if a preacher is popular or a church church is growing. They must be doing something, right? That their lack of rejection the fact that people are not rejecting them that's a sign of God's blessing on them.

Well, maybe or Maybe. It's a sign of their compromise. That they've become more like the world. So they went out the Apostles went out two by two proclaim the gospel of the kingdom. That is that the rule of God is here and you need to repent of your sin to enter it.

Who's against them? Well, the demons can't be they cast out demons. They heal people after anointing them with oil and like James chapter 5 talks about. I think that's supposed to be a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is healing them. Interesting that in verses 12 and 13 We only hear of the positive results of the many demons cast out and and the many who were healed now. Do you think then that that means that no one rejected them?

That they never had to follow Jesus's instructions on shaking off the dust and and separating unlikely, I Don't think Jesus would have given them those instructions on separation if they wouldn't need them.

I think it's that When the kingdom of God is extended When there are people who are here like here they're healed or the demons are cast out when people are saved. You only kind of you only notice the growth.

And you kind of forget about who's against you. Which is the way it should be. Who's against you? Well, there's rejection separation.

For some.

There's even.

Execution.

Herod, John the Baptist, and the Cost of Speaking Truth

And.

Verses 14 to 29 is the only story in Mark. That's not directly about Jesus. It's on the surface about John the Baptist the forerunner of Jesus. But we know that John the Baptist here is serving not only as the forerunner of Jesus's ministry preparing the way.

But the forerunner of his death. For Jesus will die in part because of the weakness of The man that we are introduced to here in this story. With the promise of Jesus and now the mission of his delegation throughout Israel Jesus has come to the attention of the government here and the person of Herod Antipas.

The son of Herod the Great. Now, who is Jesus? That's the question that everyone is buzzing about. His hometown folks still think well, he's a nobody. He's the carpenter. Who do the people in power?

Say he is.

Some were chattering that he's John the Baptist come back to life. Jesus has started to increase. You know just come to their attention. Just as John decreased decreased by dying. But Jesus is doing what John never did, you know these miracles.

Ah. But they say in verse 14, that's because this John the Baptist resurrected that's because John came back from the dead and so he's bringing back from The death this miracle working power. Others said well, no Jesus is Elijah, you know Elijah did miracles to others said well, he's he's like one of the old prophets but Herod.

Herod Antipas he's haunted and moaning. He's John whom I beheaded. Raised up and then we get a flashback starting in verse 17 that is telling us what has happened to John. Herod had sent his men out to arrest John and imprison him.

It says that for the sake of Herodias. Suggesting that he did it to satisfy her. Herodias which is a feminine version of the name Herod had been the wife of Philip Herod Antipas his brother. But Herod Antipas and Herodias they had an affair and he decided to ditch his previous wife who is a princess from a nearby kingdom and Get Herodias to divorce her husband sound like a soap opera, doesn't it?

So he got Herodias to ditch her husband. That is his own brother Philip and then they got together. Got all that the problem was that that was against God's law. God's law clearly forbids a man to marry the wife of his brother while he is still alive.

But he didn't care. Herod Antipas didn't care and after all who's gonna tell a king or at least a quasi kind of King. Technically a Tetrarch who's gonna tell a ruler that he has sinned. Well turns out John the Baptist will and he denounced the marriage as sinful.

It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife in verse 18 now Herodias Really hated that she held a grudge against John and he she begged and begged. To have John put to death so to placate her.

Herod had him arrested. But he had too much respect for John. He feared touching the Lord's anointed knowing that John was righteous and holy and so he dared not kill him and He even as strange as it sounds he would listen to him and he's perplexed by some of the things John says.

But it says he liked. He liked to listen to him. Probably have him brought to the court and he would listen to John the Baptist speak to him. Herod enjoyed John sermons. What a twisted perversion that is.

Herod heard John preach gladly.

He.

Enjoyed it.

Now if you haven't experienced much fake religion, you might find that impossible. Impossible to believe he's betrayed his brother. He's living in an adulterous illegal marriage and yet he likes to hear the preaching of a man who tells him that God's law doesn't allow it.

Incredible. But there are people not at all impossible for me to believe. It's not even difficult for me to believe. There are people who like to hear preaching. Maybe they maybe they like to hear it.

Like whatever you like to watch on TV or something.

Well.

Maybe like you what you like watching sci-fi movies or sports or Game shows or whatever you like. And music you like listening to. They like preaching for the entertainment value for the stimulation.

The preaching of the word that they enjoy it even the word that shows them their sin. Yet they have no intention of obeying it, but they still enjoy it. They love the sound of good theology. They love the fiery calls for repentance.

They love the look of that preacher is really on fire. They love the earnest warnings of judgment to come. They love the the heart-rending exaltation of God's holiness. But they refuse to be transformed by it.

Think that's odd. How do you think the church grew in this area for over a century?

Alongside.

Slavery segregation and racism. They heard the preaching, you know. Love your neighbor as yourself and there were a lot of people who loved preaching refused to obey it. They heard it went out. Still were racist.

It's a grotesque Perversion of preaching and here Here, it doesn't say. But I'm almost guarantee you I bet you that Herod was congratulating himself. That his enjoyment of John the Baptist was a sign.

That he wasn't so bad after all. I'm a good person. I like to hear him. He was thinking to himself I'm not so bad after all but he was. We know the story right. They throw a big birthday party for him and his illegal wife.

It's their daughter to do a dance recital for him for him and the big wig guests that he has. And she did such a good job, you know, the guests are applauding and he shouts out. He's probably half drunk.