Sermons

Sunday, July 14th
Mark 6:1-29

None of us like being rejected. If we are honest we want to be liked, we want to fit in, we don’t want to disappoint people or be left out or shunned. We don’t like being REJECTED. The reality is as we look at Mark 6 today…

Main Idea: Following Jesus faithfully WILL result in rejection. 

1. Even Jesus was Rejected (6:1-6)

Mark 6:1-6 - He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 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? 3 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. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

• More of the same
  • Family called him crazy (3:21)
  • Religious leaders, the scribes, said he was possessed by a prince of demons (3:23)
• Neither proximity (hometown) nor power (great works) guarantee reception of gospel. 
• “They took offense at Him.” - Calling for radical change. He is teaching in synagogue! Jesus is being rejected by a religious population. They were not questioning the existence of God, the importance of living a righteous life…They were rejecting Jesus and His call to radical discipleship. 
• "Son of Mary"
  • The normal Jewish practice was to identify a son by his father’s (Joseph’s) name. Perhaps that was not done here because Joseph was already dead, or because Christ’s audience was recalling the rumors concerning Jesus’ illegitimate birth
  • Mary had other sons and daughters - This refutes Roman Catholic doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary that didn’t appear until over a hundred and fifty years after Jesus and the Apostles were alive. 
  • “Could do no mighty work there…” - does not mean inability. The Son of God can do what He wants.  
  • “He marveled because of their unbelief” - Faith is inextricably tied to who we think Jesus is and how we respond. 
    • Word only used of Jesus two other times, marveling at Centurion's faith in Matthew 8 and Luke ?
  • “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown” Jesus is walking in the footsteps of Old Testament prophets. A long chain of men of God who were rejected for their faithfulness. 
  • Jesus upsets our instinct that if I am a nice enough person, if I just speak the truth in a sensitive way it will be received. -
  • Jesus was everything they needed and wanted. He was literally healing their sick. FAMILIARITY CAN BREED CONTEMPT. Jesus was rejected by those closest to Him! 

2. Jesus Taught to Expect Rejection (6:7-13)

Mark 6:7-13 - 7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 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.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

• “Gave them authority” - Delegates Authority - Mark is enamored with this idea of authority. 
  • Teaching as one with authority - (1:22)
  • Demonstrates authority over sickness, demons, leprosy, and paralysis 
  • Authority over the sabbath - “Lord of the Sabbath (2:28)
  • Calm the sea - “who is this man that even the winds and the waves obey him?!” (4:41)
  • In chapter 5, Jesus cast out a legion of demons! And last week we saw him raise a young girl from the dead!
  • JESUS HAS ALL AUTHORITY. Who is this man? He is the Son of Man and the Son of God. 
• The Mission Requires Sacrifice
  • Immediacy - ready to share the gospel
  • Don’t prepare, don’t go get anything. 
  • Apparent contradiction - “except a staff”
    • Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, - Matthew 10:9-10
    • Two different words - Take up versus to acquire
    • Both agree with the idea of expediency. Go now! Trust God to provide
  • Now these commands are contextual. Jesus was doing a particular thing in this moment with His disciples as part of their training. This doesn’t mean we should put missionaries on a plane with only the shirts on their back. But the reality is…
  • God is inviting you to join His mission. It requires sacrifice. What are you sacrificing in your life for Jesus? What risks are you taking? What leap of faith may God be calling you to make? 
  • Prepare for rejection
    • “If any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you”
    • People will receive God’s blessing and our benevolence but reject God’s truth. 
    • They will love the healings and the exorcisms but as soon as you start talking about repentance from sin the stakes change. 
    • Luke 10:16 - “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 
    • Matthew 10:16-18 - “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness
  • The Great Commission - Matthew 28:18-20 - THIS IS OUR CHARGE
    • We are called to share & show Jesus no matter the cost, and Jesus taught us to EXPECT REJECTION

3. Faithfulness to Jesus Will Cost You Everything (6:14-19)

Mark 6:14-19 - 14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' 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.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 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. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death

• Herod heard of it - The impact the disciples were having was felt by the civil leaders of the day. 
• Mark recounts what had happened earlier, how John the Baptist was killed for His faithfulness. 
  • He was the messenger who prepared the way. “None greater than John the Baptist” - 
  • The world does not like truth
  • We start offending people when we start talking about sin and repentance. 
  • Following Jesus and His Mission Will Cost You Everything
    • Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. - Matthew 16:24-25
    • Main Idea: Following Jesus faithfully WILL result in rejection. But it will also result in glory. 
  • Why endure rejection? Persecution? Martyrdom? GLORY. 
    • 1 Peter 4:12-14 - 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
    • Glory is coming. Our reward from Jesus will outweigh our rejection for Jesus.
    • Jesus wants it all. But we will receive far more in return. 
    • What if we were the kind of people, the kind of Christians, who were not afraid of following Jesus in spite of rejection. What kind of impact would we have? 

Is Jesus precious to you? Look to the cross, He gave it all for you. If someone I love was being attacked by a gang I would run into the fray to help them regardless of the consequence, why? Because I love them. When we love Jesus we are willing to embrace rejection for His Name. 

Speaker: Philip Leineweber

July 14, 2024

Mark 6:1-29

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