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Sermons from Commons Church. Intellectually honest. Spiritually passionate. Jesus at the centre. Since 2014.
Welcome to the commons cast. We're glad to have you here. We hope you find something meaningful in our teaching this week. Head to commons.church for more information.
Jeremy Duncan:Today, we are continuing our foray into the gospel of Mark, and we're gonna spend 6 weeks this fall and 6 weeks in the spring moving through this gospel. But Scott kicked us off last week, which was kind of fun because we plan out our year well in advance, and we do that so that we can get the journals ready for you in September. And then we put together the actual teaching schedule as we come into the fall each year. And that has to take into account all kinds of things, like time off and Rhythms outside Sunday and different factors in all of our personal lives, and yet sometimes it all falls together quite nicely. Because as Scott mentioned in the sermon last week, he had just gotten back from a vacation in Turkiye, where he actually previously had visited a 6th a century manuscript of Mark, and even wrote his MA thesis on the social cultural boundaries within Mark.
Jeremy Duncan:And so it's kind of fun when those experiences and histories that each of us have personally kinda line up on our teaching schedule. That's kinda nice. Still, Scott got us situated in the gospel of Mark by working through that opening line, the beginning of the good news about Jesus, the messiah, the son of god. And as we found out, there's a lot going on there. 1st, this good news that is Literally, the word gospel in Greek, or perhaps a better way to say it, the word gospel in Greek literally means good news.
Jeremy Duncan:Because the word was a very important word in the Greek speaking world far before Jesus came on the scene. See, the Caesars, the emperors, they had their own gospels. In fact, the gospel of Rome in the period leading up to Jesus was often peace Through Victory. And the good news of Augustus, who took the title Divi Filius for himself or son of god, Was that he brought peace by defeating the enemies of Rome, in particular, his Roman rivals to the throne, but also all those barbarians at the borders. And so the gospel or the u e n g l eon Was that Augustus will keep you safe with his military might and his strategic acumen.
Jeremy Duncan:And Mark, the 1st gospel writer, the 1st person to put pen to page to record the life of Jesus, chooses to begin By pulling all of that into view, this is the uengellian of Jesus, the messiah the Hebrew people have longed for, The son of god which the Romans claim their leader to be. The one who brings peace through self giving. Real good news begins here. However, we have just walked through the door into Mark. Today, we keep moving.
Jeremy Duncan:1st, though, let's pray. God of good news, who has been present from the very beginning, Leading and guiding, watching and helping, moving us to understand and embrace what is truly good in this world. Might we slowly become aware of the contrast between your good news and ours, between our striving attempts and your gracious invitations between our desire to impose and your patient embrace of all who would come. May the gospel slowly, steadily, undeniably become good news for us and for all those near us. And in that, might we be implicated in the ongoing creation of your kingdom imagination?
Jeremy Duncan:If we have found ourselves coming into this space today weary and burdened by expectations we were just never intended to carry, we lay them down and leave them here in exchange for the good news of your perfect welcome. We've come into the space unsure of our place in this larger story, and might we slowly come to see your vision for the world And the way that our choices and our politics, our finances, and our love can all push back against an empire that seeks to dehumanize and commodify all of us. May good news transform us and then move us forward and out into your kingdom. In the strong name of the risen Christ, we pray. Amen.
Jeremy Duncan:Alright. Last week, we got through basically 1 verse. Today, we actually have 4 different stories of healing that we're gonna power our way through. And to do that, we're gonna talk about symbolic action, 2 pairs of stories, a separation, and finally, restoration. But in all of that, we only get to the start of chapter 2 today.
Jeremy Duncan:And this is sort of par for the course in Mark. Lots of action, Rapid fire, things happen quickly, and they often happen in sequence. And that's important because I think we're gonna see that these 4 stories are linked by Mark today. Now I don't know if this happens to you, but in our house, My wife will often think that we are more synced than we really are. She will often start a sentence or a story midway through and, in hope and faith, Think that I will be able to parse my way to the context of what we're talking about.
Jeremy Duncan:On the other hand, my son will often start a story way out in left field, Wander his way up into the bleachers, stroll down toward the concourse for a hotdog, and if he doesn't forget where he was going, maybe make his way to home plate. It's October. That's a baseball metaphor, but this is where I often find myself, trying to piece together context from half a story or following along with all of the twists and turns to get to what happened in class today. And to be honest, I'm Starting to believe that the 2 of them have conspired together to make me a better listener. It's a work in progress.
Jeremy Duncan:I need the help. So good on them. They're right. But this is kind of the thing with Mark. Moments are rarely just moments, and you have to look at the whole larger story to make sense of what you're reading.
Jeremy Duncan:It can happen very quickly in Mark. Things happen without a lot of exposition, but one of the ways that Mark guides the reader is by linking scenes together to give the context. I think we're gonna see that today if we're paying attention. So let's jump straight in to verse 29 of chapter 1, and we're gonna make our way through about the start of chapter 2 today. As soon as they left the synagogue, the they here being Jesus and his first disciples, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
Jeremy Duncan:Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to wait on them. So this is their first healing story. Next verse.
Jeremy Duncan:That evening after sunset, the people brought to Jesus all the sick and the demon possessed. The whole town gathered at the door. And Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let them speak because they knew who he was. Now Quick note here.
Jeremy Duncan:We saw this last week, a motif we call the secret message of Jesus. All through the first half of Mark, Jesus seems to want to keep his work on the down low, and it's related to that Kronos Kairos distinction Scott made last week. So there's the time of day, whatever the clock says right now, 11 AM or something like that. That's Kronos. And then there's the timing of things.
Jeremy Duncan:The right time or the opportune moment, knowing when to say the thing that needs to be said, that is kairos, 2 different imaginations of time. But the bottom line seems to be that Jesus Doesn't want people to find out about him too early. Now maybe he wants to make sure people discover him on their own rather than just what they hear others Say about him secondhand. But either way, the timing of things, how you find Jesus, When you encounter his way in the world, all of these things seem to matter to him a lot, which is interesting Because sometimes you and I, we treat religion as if it was just an objective encounter with certain ideas, Like, something you can argue your way into or maybe even worse, argue someone else into. Jesus, on the other hand, Seems to think it's all a far more subjective experience that comes along at the right moment to help us see things in a new way.
Jeremy Duncan:The older I get, the longer I spend time in the Jesus story, the more compelling that second vision really seems to be to me. But the patience and the grace to wait rather than rush forward with my agenda for you, that is a kindness. And, honestly, maybe if we could just get that, that our time lines for each other, our time lines for our Sells even are not all that precious to god. Maybe that in itself would be grace. But this is our 2nd story of healing.
Jeremy Duncan:Now eventually, the crowds disperse and everyone goes to bed, but early in the morning, the disciples wake up and they find that Jesus has gone out to pray by himself. And so as he's out there by himself, we read in verse 40 that a man with leprosy found him and Begged him on his knees. If you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus, however, was indignant. Odd word choice.
Jeremy Duncan:We'll come back to this. He reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing, he said, be clean. Immediately, the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. Now, again, Jesus gives this man very in specific instructions to go to the priests to offer the sacrifices for his healing so he can reenter public life, but he also asked him, don't tell anybody what just happened.
Jeremy Duncan:And so once again, we get this secrecy motif, except unfortunately, this man does not follow the instructions at all. He blabs the story to everyone he can find, and let's be honest, that's exactly what I would do in this situation, so no shade on him. Still, because of this, the crowds get even more excited. And so Mark tells us that Jesus then avoids the city that night and Stays out in the, quote, lonely places by himself. And sometimes when I read that, I wonder if if Jesus just knew that celebrity wasn't going to be good for him.
Jeremy Duncan:Like, he he knew he was going to be Lonely and isolated by that fame and, yes, of course, he wanted to help people, but for at least as long as he could, he just wanted to push it down the road. Really, what if the secret message of Jesus really did just come down to the fact that Jesus knew toxic celebrity wasn't good? Honestly, I think that's at least half of the story, and I think about that sometimes when I tweet. Still, we have 1 healing story to go. And so in chapter 2 verse 1, we read that a few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, The people heard that he had come home from those lonely places, and here's all that celebrity we're talking about coming back to bite because The crowds gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door as Jesus preached the word to them.
Jeremy Duncan:So men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man carried by the 4 of them. But since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, They made an opening in the roof above him. By digging through it, they lowered the mat the man was lying on. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, your sins are forgiven. Now some teachers of the law were sitting there thinking to themselves, Why does this fellow talk like that?
Jeremy Duncan:He's blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but god? Now technically, we haven't even gotten to our 4th healing story. Right? That actually comes in response to the question posed by onlookers.
Jeremy Duncan:But hold on to that for now because I wanna go back and look at the flow of this whole section. Simon's mother-in-law, Many sick including the demon possessed, a man with leprosy, and now a paralyzed individual with some really faithful friends, and all of that in just 20 verses. If you remember, we ended last week with Jesus saying, the time has come. The kingdom of god is near. Repent and believe good news.
Jeremy Duncan:And then immediately, Mark launches into this rapid fire sequence of healing stories. Now when scholars look at these types of stories, Particularly these packages, they will often refer to them as symbolic action. And that's a tricky phrase because often, People will hear that and latch on to the word symbolic and then assume that what scholars are trying to do is undermine the historicity of these miracles. Like, they didn't really happen. They're just symbols or metaphors.
Jeremy Duncan:Now personally, I don't think that's really all that scary, to be honest. Sometimes the line between what's a parable and what's not from Jesus is nuanced. For example, In mark 1, we are told that the spirit sent Jesus out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness 40 days being tempted. That's it. It's all we get.
Jeremy Duncan:It's not until Matthew comes along a couple decades later that we get some details about what happened in those 40 days with specific temptations and the showdown between Jesus and his accuser. But in none of the gospels, Does Jesus have any followers at that point when he goes out into the wilderness? Which means No one is with him out there, so where does the story come from? Well, it must have come from Jesus. Right?
Jeremy Duncan:Telling it to his friends at some point for some reason. Now maybe he just told the story for the details, But it seems far more likely to me that he told the story to clarify something about himself, what he was here for, and what really mattered to him To reinforce to his closest friends that he was never interested in the kind of kingdom or fame that they were. Right? I mean, whatever this temptation experience was like for Jesus alone out in the wilderness, it seems pretty clear to me that the version you have, I have. We have.
Jeremy Duncan:That's the version Jesus wanted to teach us something through. That's what we mean when we talk about symbolic action. It's not a statement about the historical veracity or lack thereof. It's a statement about the intent behind the tale. Why was this story in particular told?
Jeremy Duncan:How does this story point to something bigger than just the immediate circumstance? How does this story specifically Teach us something unique about Jesus. That's the more important question to wrestle with. And, really, I think that should be obvious to us. At the end of the gospel of John, the writer says that Jesus did many other things.
Jeremy Duncan:If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. Little hyperbolic, but you get his point. Right? He's saying, look. I had lots of content available to me, but I went through, and I very consciously chose the stories and the teachings that I thought Best captured the experience of Jesus, and I've curated that story for you.
Jeremy Duncan:In In other words, it's all symbolic. It's not less than historical, but it's far more than just a thing that's happened. These are stories deliberately crafted to communicate the profound experience of encountering Jesus. And so the question then for us, particularly in Mark, where there's very little commentary offered in Shaping these stories itself, that's the primary tool the author uses. The question then is why Immediately after Jesus says the kingdom is near, repent and believe good news, does Mark launch into this particular rapid fire sequence of Healing story after healing story after healing story after healing story.
Jeremy Duncan:And I have some thoughts. But the first thing I wanna point out is that of the 4 stories, we really have 2 pairs. Right? Jesus heals his friend's mom, and the word leaks out and the neighbors bring their friends. The next day, Jesus is alone, and he encounters a man who asks for healing, but the word leaks out.
Jeremy Duncan:And in response, a group of men bring their friend. So there's a paradigm being built here about our interactions with god in the world. There's a relationship between how god comes to us and how we come to god. And for Mark, it would seem God is on the move first. Like, even in the story of the man with leprosy, we're told that that encounter happens precisely because Jesus is out traveling through the Galilee preaching good news.
Jeremy Duncan:So the kingdom of god is near, you could say, but not because we finally found it, But because it came looking for us, and we finally noticed it. Here's what I would say about that. God is out there looking for you right now, so calm down. The pressure's not on you. And don't get me wrong.
Jeremy Duncan:It's okay to do your religious homework and to look for god diligently. It's beautiful for you to put your heart and your energy into your spirituality, but It's also okay to rest sometimes in the knowledge that your ability to make sense of the divine will never constitute the basis of god's love for you. God is out there searching for you even now. Sometimes it's okay to rest in that, But that feels even more meaningful when I look at how this section starts. Because look at how low key this all is.
Jeremy Duncan:Jesus comes over to his new friend's house, and his mother-in-law has a headache. So Jesus goes, takes her hand, Helps her up so she can join them and participate in the party. Now in the text, you get this phrase, she began to wait on them. Literally, it's she began to serve them, which can kinda sound self serving. Jesus heals her so she can get him a sandwich.
Jeremy Duncan:But culturally, In that context, where hospitality, particularly in the home, was a lot more than just a social obligation, I think this is really about Jesus removing the barrier to her participation. Right? Hospitality was a source of identity and even calling in that world, and Jesus wants everyone in the home to be present in the way they know how to be With no one left out in the other room, so he heals her. Okay. It's a good start, but then that evening, People start to hear that JC is in town, so they start to bring their friends and all those who are sick or demonized.
Jeremy Duncan:Interestingly, This is the only story of the 4 where we actually see the specific term healed or appear. And that's interesting to me because is actually the least magical explanation for what happens next. Is where we get the English word therapy from. That's because in Greek, it referred not to the work of healers, but to the work of doctors. Now to use the word doctors in this context is, of course, an anachronism.
Jeremy Duncan:But in the ancient world, Therapua was used to describe the application of a salve to heal a wound or a plaster cast to heal a broken bone. The primary sense was to care for or to wait upon someone medically. Therapoo is not a magical term. It's a therapeutic term. It implies a long, slow process of healing.
Jeremy Duncan:Now what does that mean in this context? That's tough. Does it mean that Jesus took the time to talk to people who were in distress Calm them, that he brought them down from a place of unhealthy hyperfixation, that he spent the night waiting with and Caring for people who had become seen as threats in their community. I mean, it certainly doesn't preclude anything miraculous because the next story is obviously Quite miraculous. But I also don't think it's meaningless that Mark describes this moment this way either.
Jeremy Duncan:He chooses a word that communicates process. And, again, I think it's just like Simon's mother-in-law. It's about community here. Those who have been pushed to the edges of community and perceived as threats because of their distress are now slowly brought back into their place as neighbors. Next story.
Jeremy Duncan:A man with leprosy comes. He says, if you're willing, You can make me clean, but Jesus was indignant. Now this is an interesting one again because we have 2 different readings here. Some early texts of Marx say, horgaso, Jesus was angry and he reached out for the man. Others say Splagnon, Jesus was compassionate and reached out to him.
Jeremy Duncan:Unfortunately, this one is pretty legitimately tough because there is no real clear consensus on which reading is older or original. We don't know. Often people prefer because that feels a lot more like Jesus. Besides, why would Jesus be angry at this poor dude? I think the NIV is trying to split the difference here by going with indignant.
Jeremy Duncan:I'm not sure that really works for either, to be honest. Here's my take. I think Jesus is angry. I don't think he's angry at this man. I think he clearly has compassion on him.
Jeremy Duncan:I think Based on what we've seen so far, I think Jesus is upset by this whole situation. Remember, He heals a woman because he doesn't want her left out of the party. He stays up all night talking to those in distress. Now he meets a man who's been pushed outside the bounds of society by an illness he has no control over, and that makes him mad. Now that anger then moves him to compassion, and he acts to right the wrong.
Jeremy Duncan:But for the coming of the kingdom of god, At least for Mark, it seems to start with the reintegration of our communities And the repair of all of these things that pull us apart, our illness, our distress, our social contagion, good news starts there. And that's really important. Because if we don't get That the core of what Jesus is interested in fixing is socially located, then over time, we can develop all kinds of weird, Hurtful, even damaging ideas about our bodies and what health means for us. I mean, if someone uses a cane, Is Jesus more interested in fixing their leg or in healing a society that could work together to make everything as accessible as possible for everyone? And if you haven't had to think about that, like, I haven't had too much in my life, maybe that sounds like a silly question, but I'm not sure the answer is really all that clear.
Jeremy Duncan:Every day, all of us are getting older. Every day, our joints are using up a small amount of a limited number of movements. This afternoon, I have to play hockey with some friends, and every time I do, I am confronted with the fact that I'm not as mobile at 45 as I was at Forty four. Part of being human is reconciling ourselves to the finitude of our bodies and the beauty of our aging. And Jesus does not promise any of us an escape from any of that.
Jeremy Duncan:So if the kingdom of god really is near for all of us, then it can't just be about me returning to what was. It must, at some level, also be about the transformation of what could be for all of us together. Am I right? A society where being human isn't a barrier anymore. And that's why When the 4th vignette hits and this whole sequence reaches its zenith and the men bring their friend to Jesus and they lower him down through the roof, and Jesus sees their commitment to their friends' wholeness and participation in that moment.
Jeremy Duncan:He turns to the man on the mat, and he says, your sins are forgiven because of their faithfulness. See, I think Jesus says 2 really interesting but important things here. 1st, He makes it clear that the kingdom of god is a team sport. None of us get there on our own. And this idea of an individualized heaven where all of us get there on our own merit is anathema to the gospel of Jesus.
Jeremy Duncan:Personal Salvation does not exist in Jesus' mind and neither does a kingdom that would leave some of us behind. But second, we are already in chapter 2 of Mark beginning to see how Jesus intends to weave together Our bodies and our spirits, our communities and our relationships are fundamental dependence on each other toward the wholeness That his kingdom implies. Is a man like this, paralyzed and dependent on his friends, He would have been economically isolated in the 1st century. But more than that, he would have been the subject of wild speculation. Like, what did he do to deserve this?
Jeremy Duncan:You see this in John 9 When even the disciples are arguing about who sinned, this man or his parents when they encounter, someone who's been blind from birth. And there, just as he does here, Jesus shuts it down immediately. The men want their friend made whole and so does Jesus, But that starts with the stigma that sets him apart from everyone else. Being dependent on your friends is not a curse. It's a blessing, The kind that will get you forgiven because it is acknowledgment of the reality that you and I Already live in that none of us make it on our own anyway.
Jeremy Duncan:And just in case anyone watching think that's To wild acclaim. Jesus says, fine. Get up. Take your mat. Go home because we're just getting started with this.
Jeremy Duncan:And healing is more than the fixing of bones. It is the repair of all that pulls us apart and makes us think we are separate. A woman healed so she can join the party. The demonized calmed so they can be seen as neighbors again. A man excluded by leprosy, reintegrated into society.
Jeremy Duncan:Now the stigma of sin rooted in a misunderstanding of what health means is wiped clean for those watching. And if that foundation for kingdom Can slowly take root in our hearts if we can repent and believe that good news for ourselves and for those near us. And perhaps, as Jesus says, we actually can do greater things than these. The healing, the integration, the welcome of all in a society that looks like the kingdom of god. Let's pray.
Jeremy Duncan:God of good news, who has good plans for all of us. Yes. For our bodies. Of course, for our minds. But all of that begins with our integration together, With each other and with you.
Jeremy Duncan:Might we realize that in those moments where we feel alone or separate or separated by something beyond our control, that these are functions of a socially located disease that you come to heal And repair and to welcome us back into the center. And in that, we find ourselves. We find our identity. We find our participation in your kingdom that is slowly creeping its way through the world. God, might we if we've never confronted these challenges before in our bodies, in our minds, and whatever experience of the world that we've had, might we begin to Approach this topic with a willingness to listen and to learn from each other, To experience the breadth and the depth of what it means to be human together.
Jeremy Duncan:And in that, might we begin to make choices Welcome and include and contribute to the healing you have in mind. May that be the start as we trust that all things will eventually be made well in you. In the strong name of the risen Christ, we pray. Amen. Hey.
Jeremy Duncan:Jeremy here, and thanks for listening to our podcast. If you're intrigued by the work that we're doing here at commons, You can head to our website commons.church for more information. You can find us on all of the socials at commons Subscribe to our YouTube channel where we are posting content regularly for the community. You can also join our Discord server. Head to commons.church/discord for the invite, and there, you will find the community having all kinds of conversations about how we can encourage Each other to follow the way of Jesus, we would love to hear from you.
Jeremy Duncan:Anyway, thanks for tuning in. Have a great week. We'll talk to you soon.