Why Can't I....? - Wild Heart: Mark’s Portraits of a Radical Messiah

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We’re continuing our series Wild Heart: Mark’s Portrait of a Radical Messiah this morning.


Last we looked at the transfiguration of Jesus – the moment His glory broke through the veil of His human flesh – the holy glow.


Today we’re moving from the glorious mountain top experience back down to the valley of daily life.


So let’s read Mark 9:14-29….


I know we’ve all experienced that moment after we’ve been exposed to a glorious mountain top experience with Jesus where life’s reality reaches up and smacks us in the face. Often it’s just having to go back to work on Monday morning.


Jesus and the three disciples who were on the mountain with Him experience the same thing in this passage. This reminds me of the story in Exodus when Moses and Joshua are coming down mount Sinai after Moses received the Decalogue (10 Commandments) in a mountain top experience and as they were walking back to camp they hear a loud noise that Joshua thinks is caused by battle but Moses hears it and says “it’s not the sound of war but the sound of a wild party! What are these people up to?”


As they get close to camp they see the people not only partying, but worshiping a golden calf idol that they had made! Can you imagine what kind of a Monday morning experience that was?


Jesus faces that here. The first thing He encounters when He returns from the mountain is a huge group of people standing around watching a big argument between the other disciples and those nifty scribes. I think that’s the reason Jesus took Peter with Him, He probably expected something to happen while He was away and figured it was better if Peter was where He could keep and eye on him.


This argument started because the disciples couldn’t cast an evil spirit out of a young boy. They had tried but nothing happened and that gave the scribes an opportunity to try and undermine them and their teacher. Of course when you try to upstage someone they get all defensive and the next thing you know there’s a fight. That’s just great.


But let’s face it we’ve all felt that way at times haven’t we? You know what I’m talking about, those times when we pray from someone and nothing happens?


Sometimes we feel like God’s left us hanging out there on a big ol’ limb. Am I right, isn’t that how it feels?


Do I have your permission to be even more blunt? O.k.? For some, if not all of us, it has at some level caused a crisis of faith. Not to the point where we’re thinking about abandoning the faith, but it has caused us to question some of what we believe about divine healing and other miracles. It may have even caused to hesitate to pray for others, or even changed the way we pray.


Don’t we sometimes feel like we have to make excuses for God? Am I crazy here or am I on to something….


Then you read a passage like this and you may have an idea what the disciples were feeling. But the interesting thing to note is how Jesus responds. He doesn’t try to make them feel better about their doubts; in fact His response is almost like rubbing salt in the wound. How would you feel if you asked Jesus “Why?” and He answered back “How long do I have to put up with you?” That’s kind of rough isn’t it?


When we feel that way only have a couple of options: we can quit or we can get aside with Jesus and learn from Him. This happened in two ways.


Look at the father of the boy in his first request in vs. 22 where he basically showed a lack of faith and said to Jesus “if you can…” Then after Jesus challenges his faith in vs. 23 with an ‘if you can’ question of His own the father gets it and says in essence according to R. Alan Cole “ok then help me just as I am, a doubter.”


The father learned to approach Jesus with faith no matter how small it seemed to be. Don’t come to Him with doubt; come to Him humbly and honestly with whatever measure of faith you have. You might as well what have you got to lose!


Then we see the disciples learning from Jesus. Still hurting and humiliated by what they had just experienced they asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast out the demon. I think their question says a lot about where they were coming from. Based on their question “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” who were they more concerned with? Themselves and their reputation. If they had asked “Why couldn’t we help that boy and his father?” it would have shown a mature level of compassion and humility.


So Jesus sees right through this and gives them a quick lesson in humility: This kind can only come out by prayer and fasting (some mss. leave out and fasting but there’s strong evidence that it should be included).


I’m not discounting the importance of prayer and fasting, it’s obvious that Jesus meant what He said, but why did He say it? In the past Jesus had sent out the disciples in twos and had given them authority to cast out demons. They had done it before so they were completely confused as to why the formulas of the past didn’t work this time.


I believe Jesus answer was intended to show them that they couldn’t rely on a method or formula that worked in the past.


The disciples had to learn to rely on an abiding, humble reliance on God’s power. Prayer and fasting isn’t about a formula for ministry success, it’s about setting everything aside and drawing near to Jesus and drawing in His strength and power. It’s admitting that we’re weak and He is strong and through His strength we can do all things. (Phil. 4:13)


If we pull back from doing powerful works of compassion because we’re afraid of how we’ll look if we fail then we need to go back to Jesus for an attitude adjustment and prayer and fasting is a great place to start.


So let’s ask ourselves this morning do we care enough about the hurting people around us to get on our faces before God and ask for His help to make a difference? Are we willing to put aside everything else so that we can encounter our loving and powerful savior in such a way that we can then serve others with His compassion poured into our hearts?

You Give Them Something - Mark's Portraits of a Radical Messiah

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Click HERE to listen or download this talk...

We’re continuing our series Wild Heart: Mark’s Portrait of a Radical Messiah this morning.

Last time we looked at a story that showed us Jesus will stretched the disciples, and us, out of their comfort zones with ministry assignments that challenged them.

Today we’re going to look at another challenging situation that stretched the disciples. It’s the only one of Jesus’ miracles that is mentioned in all 4 gospels, the feeding of the 5,000.

So let’s take a look at it: Read Mark 6:30-44

How many of you could have told me that story from memory? It’s so familiar to us that, like so many of Jesus’ other miracles, I think we lose some of our appreciation for just how radical this was. There’s something about this story that’s so unique, or important that Holy Spirit made sure it was included in each gospel.

Part of me looks at this miracle and wonders why it’s given special treatment, while some seemingly more ‘fantastic’ miracles didn’t. Do you ever wonder why? I sure do.

Here are some thoughts.

Jesus was giving them a glimpse of the coming kingdom of God. (Mark 6:42 So they all ate and were filled.) Psalm 132:15 says this about the coming messiah “I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread.”

In God’s kingdom the needs of His people would be met in Him. While that’s true today, we also feel the effects of sin and there people who are oppressed and hungry. Jesus is painting a powerful picture that in the day that is coming suffering and hunger will be ended by His divine provision.

Jesus was inviting the disciples to participate in His work. (Mark 6:37 "You give them something to eat.") I’m sure Jesus knew what He was going to do, so when He said this to His disciples it was an invitation that came wrapped as a test. Remember the disciples had just returned from their first ministry mission and were full of faith and victory, but now they were faced with a major problem. It’s one thing to be faced with a few sick people, but to face a tired, hungry multitude who needed some food that was another story all together.
It’s clear from their response that the disciples didn’t get it. But notice that Jesus doesn’t kick them to the curb because they weren’t up to speed or asked the wrong question. Instead Jesus asks them another question that invites them to participate on a level that requires less of a leap of faith. Checking around with the crowd to see if anyone had any food with them was probably a little uncomfortable, but it was something they could do.

Jesus wants us to participate with Him in serving others and He will seek ways to help us do it.

Jesus was teaching the disciples to obey in faith not by sight. (Mark 6:39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.)

Now this seems simple enough, but when it’s supper time and someone asks you to sit down that usually means food is on its way. Can you imagine how the disciples felt when they had to answer questions about this?

If the disciples had responded based on what they saw they wouldn’t have had the people sit down, they would have sent them away. 5 loaves and 2 small fish wouldn’t feed these people. But while they didn’t know what Jesus was going to do they did know that if God could provide manna from heaven then He could provide for His people now.

Jesus doesn’t always tell us just how things will work out. Your situation might look hopeless because what you see isn’t enough to meet what you need, but the same God who provided for His people in the past is the same God who fed the 5,000 and meets our needs today. Don’t respond based on what you see, respond in faith to the One who is faithful.

Jesus was showing the disciples that there is provision in brokenness. (Mark 6:43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.) This one is a bit more ‘spiritualized’ and symbolic, but points to a bigger truth. Jesus’ broken body provides for our salvation and when we offer our lives to Jesus to be broken we become useful in His hands to serve those who hunger an thirst for God’s kingdom.

Jesus was revealing that He is the Messiah. (Mark 6:34 ..they were like sheep not having a shepherd. - Mark 6:39 …sit down in groups on the green grass.)

I couldn’t help but notice the parallel between this verses and the 23rd Psalm. Let me read it to you…….

I don’t believe that this is a coincidence. Almost every part of this Psalm is demonstrated in this story.

1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. This one is very obvious.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Jesus fed them and taught them.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Jesus brought comfort to them in their need.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Jesus was being watched closely and this miracle would make Him in an even bigger threat to the powers that were in authority at that time.

Jesus fulfilled this description of the Messiah.

No wonder this passage was included in all 4 gospels. It clearly points to Jesus as the Messiah. The savior of the world and it also invites us to enter His kingdom and find our place in His service.