Jeremy Duncan: 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: Alright. Last week, we talked about the social location of healing narratives in Luke, And that is just a big fancy way of saying that this package of healing stories that Mark launches into immediately after the Ploration of God's kingdom drawing near. These stories are designed and curated to say something about God's imagination for us. We get a woman healed so she can join the party with Jesus. We get the demonized welcomed back into their status as neighbors.
We We get a man with leprosy cleansed and returned to his place in society. And finally, we saw a paralyzed man healed, but Only after Jesus makes it clear that healing and health are not a condition of our spiritual realities. And I think Mark is making a point here, That healing in his gospel, in his version of the Jesus story, is a parable for our social reintegration. The wholeness that extends beyond just our bodies into what makes us human together. As I said last Sunday, the kingdom of God must be a society where being human, in all of our diversity and City is no longer a barrier to belonging.
And I think that makes Mark's healing narratives bigger, not smaller for all of us. I mean, if these are really just miraculous moments with particular individuals who still got older and still broke down physically eventually, If it really just was a temporary reprieve from the inevitable and nothing more, I don't know what that means for me or for us. But if these stories are orchestrated by Jesus and then curated by Mark to show us Kingdom, an imagination of something new, a world that is possible when we make room for each other. And I think that even I can be healed when I read and they take these stories to heart. We are not as separate as we think.
We are in this inevitably together from our health to our faith to our welcome to the accommodations we make for each other. When we make room for one another, we are making room for ourselves always. Now today, We get another set of similar interconnected stories, and we're gonna see again the way that Mark curates and leads us toward a larger conclusion. 1st, let's pray. God of welcome, who enters this space with us today with arms wide open, ready to embrace Each of us as we are where we are.
Might we slowly get glimpses of your kingdom all around us In the ways that we make room for each other, in the ways that we learn to listen to each other, in the ways that we begin to let go of Preconceived ideas about who we are and where our value comes from. We trust that your kingdom draws near even now. And so as it does, we ask that it would start in us with our attitudes and our ideas, with our values and what we Give our value to. Might all of it slowly shift and become something holy and gracious and good for one another. If we have ever found ourselves disconnected from our bodies, From our creator, from our goodness, or from our breath, might you heal us today.
Make us whole and ready for tomorrow. And might that grace then slowly flow through us to another. In the strong name of the risen Christ, we pray. Amen. Alright.
If you thought last week was fast paced with 4 stories, look out because here we go with 4 more. However, last week, We may not have realized it at the time, but we hit a bit of a turning point in Mark. Our final story, if you remember, was Jesus healing a man who had been brought to him. But after watching the spectacle of this man lowered through the roof, Jesus says to the man, your sins are forgiven because of the faith of your friends. But at that, the scene then turns towards some Religious figures who are sitting by and watching, and they say, how can this fellow talk like this?
Only god can forgive sins. And so to prove his point, Jesus tells the man to take his mat, go home, he's healed. And our conclusion last week was That healing starts in the stigmas we carry with us. That really, the first people healed by Jesus are all those watching. Those who would have assumed that this man had done something wrong, they are freed from their misconceptions.
And then as a bonus, this man is sent home as well. But in the background, we also witnessed the shift into the 2nd narrative package that Mark creates for us, because now we move into another rapid fire sequence of confrontations between Jesus and his religious critics. And let's be honest here. If we are right and if each of those healing narratives in Mark aren't socially located, Then I think it follows that the gatekeepers are the ones whose get to come uncomfortable next. So that's what we need to talk about today.
And the agenda is finding common ground, something new, missing the point, and finally, how to save a life. But first, a story. This week was Halloween. Don't know if you noticed that, but we were talking with our kids about what they wanted to dress up Az, and my daughter chose a fairy princess. She's very cute because every time she would go up to a house at the door, She would then turn around to make sure they saw her wings and let them know that that was there before she got her candy.
Daddy, I'm so beautiful, she told me, and she was. But my son wanted to be, first, a serial killer, and I said, no. No. About that one. And he said, no.
You don't get it. I wanna be like a box of cereal, but a killer. And I was like, better, so let's keep trying. Like, you know I wrote a book about nonviolence. Right?
So he came back with zombie Harry Potter, and I don't know if anyone got that one. He thought it was pretty great. That's really all that matters. However, when he got home, he's taking off his zombie makeup. He was a mess, and My wife, Rachel, said to him, buddy, you gotta have a shower before bed.
You're so dirty. And I was like, oh, that's it. Next year, you should be dirty Harry Potter. Like half Clint Eastwood and half Daniel Radcliffe, he did not get the reference at all, but I thought it was pretty good. Someone should steal that one.
I don't know. You let me know. Still, I think I kinda like these mashed up Halloween costumes. Right? The ways that we play with 2 ideas and set them against each other.
And the reason I bring that up is because once the contrast between Jesus and the religious leaders is brought to the surface at the end of the story from last week, Now Mark really starts to lean into the contrast in the next section, and he's intentionally Putting together a package of confrontations to bring the difference to the surface. So let's jump back into mark 2, right where we left off last week at verse 13. So what it says, once again, Jesus went out beside the lake, And a large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax collector's booth. Follow me, Jesus told them.
And Levi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax Collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. But when the teachers of the law, who were Pharisees, Saw him eating with the sinners and the tax collectors. They asked his disciples, why does he eat with these people? But on hearing this, Jesus said, it's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
I've come not for the righteous, But for the sinner. Now things start pretty tame here. They're gonna escalate quickly, though. However, A couple things from this first confrontation, and we should start by diffusing some of our misconceptions about Pharisees. First of all, Pharisees had no formal power in Israel at the time of Jesus, so religious authority is a bit of a misnomer.
Influence, sure, but power, not really. May maybe soft power, but no real hard authority here. For example, Pharisees could not impose legal restrictions on people. They could not force religious interpretations on anyone. In fact, the official religious authority in Jerusalem was a group called the Sadducees.
And in John's gospel, The writer makes a very clear distinction between Pharisees and religious authorities on several different occasions. 2nd, we sometimes have this imagination that the Pharisees were harsh and therefore hated by the people as opposed to Jesus who was loved by all the common folk. The truth, however, is more nuanced. And the Pharisees were largely considered the liberals of the day, and that made them quite popular. For example, from inter The testamental Jewish writings that we know of, the Pharisees were often the group that downplayed religious punishment and we're most often criticized for being too lenient with religious penalty.
Even some of the religious practices that they taught, at least originally, We're seen as democratizing. For example, the Pharisees taught a very strict practice of hand washing before meals. Jesus gets into a debate with some of them in Mark 7 about this, with Jesus saying, look. This is good, but it's just a human tradition. Don't get So hung up on this.
But the thing is, the reason people liked this specific teaching is because in Torah, Exodus 30, specifically, it tells us that priests have to wash their hands ceremonially. Well, the Pharisees come along later, and they say, you know what? If priests have to do it, and Pharisees aren't priests, by the way, but if priests have to do it, I think we should all do it. Because we're all children of god. We all serve the same god in our own way.
Your hands are just as holy as theirs. Now I happen to think Jesus has a point. It's fine to create your own rituals as reminders of your devotion. Just don't Elevate them to the kind of demand you hold over anyone else. But, like, I also kinda get why people liked the Pharisees.
Even in teaching this very strict handwashing practice, they were saying, you are important, just as important as them, in fact. So don't forget that. Remind yourself of that every time you eat, you are not less than simply because you were not born into a priestly family. I mean, that sounds pretty solid. Am I right?
In truth, this was actually One of the major critiques of the Pharisees from the period is that they were challenging the dividing line between sacred and secular. They elevated the common people to the status of the religious elite by teaching that a lot of those practices were open and available to anyone. That was really the root of the pharisaical tradition. We don't need the temple. We have god with us through Torah.
And you can see why that becomes, like, pretty popular. Now With popularity comes influence, and with influence comes respect. And sometimes with respect can come arrogance. And with arrogance comes a detachment from those same people you started out wanting to serve. Right?
And I think this is why when Jesus comes along, sure, there are some Pharisees that oppose him, but there are also just as many, it teams who are very intrigued by what he has to say. They keep inviting him into their homes, and in the end, some even choose to follow him like Nicodemus. So those Pharisees certainly didn't see Jesus as a challenge to their ways. They saw him as a voice From within calling for ongoing, continual reform. This is why some scholars would argue that If you're gonna try to put a label on Jesus, which doesn't really work very well, but if you were gonna try, Pharisee is about as close as you're gonna get in the 1st century.
But this is also precisely why when the question comes, why are you eating and drinking with sinners? Why are you provoking us by calling these People, as your followers, Jesus responds by quoting the Pharisees, Or at least a pharisaically adjacent tradition. See, in the Meikilta, with a rule of rabbi Ishmael, we read this, If they're not sick, why would they need a doctor? In other words, when confronted by Pharisees, Jesus quote Sources he knows that Pharisees trust. Guys, remember why you got into this in the 1st place?
It was to help people. That's my bag too. And I love that in this whole confrontation cycle, Jesus starts by going to what he appreciates most about his critics. He appeals to his common ground with them. And if you get nothing else out of today, just hold on to that.
Sometimes starting with what you hold in common with someone, looking for shared space intentionally, that can fix the fight before it even begins. And not always, because this confrontation spirals pretty quickly here, but Jesus' instinct is to go to common ground first. I think that's more than wise. I think it's holy. God looks for what God shares with you, and then god will work from there.
But as intimated, this is not the end. It's really just the start. So next verse, 18. Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. So some people came and asked Jesus, How is it that John's disciples are fasting, and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?
Now Jesus is gonna tell a parable in response to this question, but first, this question, why are they fasting? Well, there was only one day when Jewish people were required to fast. That was the day of atonement. This was not that day. So these are voluntary fasts, and these 2 groups are voluntarily fasting for different reasons.
John's disciples are fasting because he's died, and they're in mourning. And that's a very common reason for fasting in the Bible. They are sad. The Pharisees disciples are likely fasting because this is happening on either a Monday or a Thursday, And the Pharisees and their followers had adopted the practice of a voluntary fast on those days. So we have to understand, first here, The question here is not one of obligation.
You should be fasting. Why aren't you? The question is one of differentiation. These groups are fasting. Why aren't you and yours?
And here, Jesus gives a parable to illustrate the difference. Now first, he says, look. My followers have me here with them right now. They won't always, so now is not the time to mourn. That's an answer to John's disciples.
But then he tells a story to answer the Pharisee's disciples. He says, okay. Imagine You have a pair of jeans, and you really like these jeans, but you rip the knees. And you're 45, and you're not cool enough to pull off that look anymore, but you don't wanna either. I mean, what are you gonna do?
Well, you're gonna take a brand new patch of denim that hasn't been shrunk and sew that on top. Well, that's not gonna work. Because if you do, when you put them in the dryer, it's gonna shrink, and you'll end up with this weird puckered patch that's pulling at the stitches. You'll probably get a 2nd tear, and then the whole thing will be ruined. No.
You need to find an old patch to fix old jeans. That's how you keep it real, and you preserve that vintage look. I mean, this is Jesus at his sartorial best right now. But, really, what he's saying here is that a new patch on an old garment can actually make things a lot worse. Part of the reason that I started the commons church 10 years ago was because, frankly, I didn't think I'd be very good as a senior pastor.
I like to move fast. I like to come up with ideas and try them. If the team is on to something and we think we've got a good idea, I have a hard time in seeing the value in waiting. I wanna try it yesterday. Now I happen to think that makes commons a pretty vibrant place that can adapt quickly.
It can also be pretty exhausting. If you ask the team, I recognize that. So I wanna grow and mature, and I want to learn to be more patient when it's the right move. But I also know that I am not an all purpose leader for every organization, and I'm okay with that. Some patches won't fit every need.
And I think what Jesus is saying here is that sometimes it's okay to realize you just need to start over. And that's not necessarily an indictment of what was. Like, old genes aren't the problem here. New patches sometimes are. So why aren't you fasting like the Pharisees?
Because that's not me. It's not my thing. I've got other areas that I'm focused on right now. That's them. And honestly, I think this is just really important to hear sometimes.
It's okay To try new things, to start new things, to chart new courses, and sometimes when someone wants you to conform to what was, It's okay to unapologetically, though, kindly say, I just don't think that's for me. Now we don't wanna be arrogant in that. Refusing to listen to warnings from people who care about us Or dismissing the lessons from those who've gone before us is not a good recipe for any of us. That's not what I'm talking about here. But it's okay sometimes to say, I need to make a change because I don't think this is the place for me right now, at least not now.
And I want you to hear that. I want you to be wise with that. I want you to be careful and kind with it, But I also want you to know that sometimes, particularly in our spirituality, it's okay. In fact, sometimes it's necessary to uncover New means, a new language, a new paths through which to follow the way of Jesus in the world. As a matter of fact, it's so important that Jesus goes on to tell it another way.
You don't pour new wine, in other words, unfermented wine, into old stretched out wineskins because if you do, There won't be room when that wine ferments and creates carbon dioxide, and it will burst the container and leave a mess for everyone. Sometimes you have to start over. And I love that when people try to pit Jesus against the Pharisees, His basic first response is, well, that's their thing. This is mine. And sure, of course, Later, Jesus will go after.
He will critique, particularly those people who he sees wielding power over and against the common people. But generally, as a mission statement for his life, he is not all that enamored with tearing things down, At least not in the way that he's committed to building something new. Why don't you fast like them? Because I'm busy over here doing my own thing. And honestly, I just I find that really inspiring.
When god has called you to something, keep your eyes Unapologetically on the work in front of you, that's there for you to do. But That said, what's new is often what is most scary. Right? And so now we really start to see things Galate in Mark. Verse 23.
When Sabbath, Jesus is going to the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain to eat. And the Pharisees said to him, look, why are they doing this thing that's unlawful on the Sabbath? And Jesus responds to them and says, guys, Rules are made to help you. You're not made to follow rules. You got your focus in the wrong spot here.
You can't rest. You can't Sabbath very well on an empty stomach. Chill. But then maybe just to push them a little bit. Never let it be sad.
Jesus was completely devoid of spite. In the next story, to drive his point home, we find Jesus speaking to his distractors, and this time he brings up Sabbath. So at the start of chapter 3, he's back in the synagogue on the Sabbath. And in the congregation, there was a man with a, quote, Shriveled hand, and Jesus asked his detractors this time, which is lawful on the Sabbath? To do good or to do evil, To save a life were to kill, but they remained silent.
Now the reason they remain silent is they know what Jesus is gonna do. Right? But also because Jesus is referring here to a particular teaching of the Pharisees called Pekuach Nefesh. And that meant saving a life, and very specifically said that you must do work on the Sabbath if it saves a life. That's what the Pharisees taught.
Breaking a law to follow a greater law is how you fulfill the law. Sounds familiar. Right? So here, Jesus is taking their idea and confronting them with it in hopes of expanding their imagination even farther than they see right now. One of the things that my daughter, who is 3, has recently added to her vocabulary of late is sharing is caring.
Now the problem with that is she has also learned how to effectively weaponize that phrase against her brother. So every time he has something that she wants, she will say, sharing is caring. And if that doesn't work, And if he finds himself immune to her charms on that particular day, then she will turn to me and say, dad, sharing is caring. Now last week, we went trick or treating. And when we got home, I intended to exercise my parental tax and select all the best Tread set up her bag, and she was quite offended by this idea.
But, I mean, I had walked with her the whole way. I was due my share. And so she got upset, and I said to her, Baby, sharing is caring. And in that moment, you could literally see straight into her mind as she realized, my goodness. He knows the ancient words.
But her silence there was their silence here. I mean, what do you say when someone uses your words against Right? And so in verse 5, Jesus looked around them in anger, deeply Stressed at their stubborn hearts that they didn't even understand their own teachings, and he said to the man, stretch out your hand, and it was completely restored. The Pharisees, however, went out and began to plot with the Herodians about how they might kill Jesus. And this is where, if anywhere, you could probably say, well, that escalated quickly.
But to understand that escalation, You have to read this moment in the context of everything we've talked about so far in this series. Because this moment is not about breaking the Sabbath. And it's not about practicing medicine without a license. It's not about grain or food or even tax collectors and sinners. This is about a fundamental expansion of imagination that plows through our boundaries.
The kingdom of god is near. Repent and believe good news. That's chapter 1. Right? And that good news Looks like Simon's mother-in-law participating in the house in the way that she knows how.
And that good news looks like the demonized returned to their status as neighbors. And that good news looks like Social contagion erased, and that good news looks like religious stigma wiped out and forgotten. That's chapter 2. But now we find the good news is also tax collectors and sinners and anyone we put on the outside welcomed without condition. And good news is also that rest in Sabbath implies abundance and full bellies, not artificial limitations.
Good news is that saving a life includes all of this in far, far more. You see, the reason this confrontation at this moment in this synagogue with this man provokes this kind of outsized reaction is because this moment carries with it everything we've been reading thus far, Enmark, and everyone knows it. As far as Jesus is concerned, it is all saving a life, which means it all takes precedent over the letter of the law. Healing our structures that tell us some people are welcome and others are not. This is how you fulfill divine law.
And welcoming those who you once thought were outside the boundaries, This is how you fulfill divine law. Recreating your imagination of who is worthy of god's love and who is not, This is how you fulfill divine law, breaking down all the rules that get in the way of you loving well. This is how you fulfill divine law. But that means that those of us who have, in our lives, held the power to close our doors to others, We are the ones who need to learn something new, and we are the ones who need to find a new wineskins, to put that new lesson in, and that is often for all of us the scariest, and I might also argue the closest to god any of us will ever find ourselves. So here's where we end today.
May Jesus confront us this day With a new way to be good for someone we did not expect to be good to. And might we find ourselves both Terrified at the prospect and inspired by the path that Jesus lays in front of us. Because every kindness is saving a life, and that means that it is the fulfillment of god's imagination for us. Let's pray. God, for all the ways That we have used religion as a way to close down your goodness and diminish our imagination of the bounds to which you would go to love well.
We repent, and we believe better news. The news of your love spreading and creeping and moving through the world, spanning always into new areas we never thought we would find it. And so, god, we pray for those opportunities To break laws, to fulfill the law, to love well as you love, and to realize that in that, we are Sometimes very literally saving a life, and that when we extend welcome and grace And kindness and sometimes even advice and correction to each other, we are doing this because we care. And in that, it is your grace flowing down to us and then through us. May everything be guided by that larger imagination of Kingdom that sprouts up all around us all the time.
May love guide us always back to you. In the strong name of the risen Christ, we pray. Amen. Hey. 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 church. You can 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.
Anyway, thanks for tuning in. Have a great week. We'll talk to you soon.