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By Dr. Stephen G. Hatfield Pastor, First Baptist Church Lewisville, Texas

Studies in The reMARKable Journey Begins (-3)

Lesson Ten Righteous Anger

Focal Text :1-12

Background Luke 6:6-11

Main Idea was angry at the hardened hearts of the . Righteous anger never attacks a person, but always addresses a problem.

Question to Explore Do I ever get angry in the right way?

Quick Read Some people may think that all anger is sinful, but there is a kind of anger that is holy and just.

Introduction It was a matter of timing caused by a habit. Jesus had a habit of doing good. He just did good on the wrong day. He did good on the . This week’s passage evokes several emotions. What’s the big deal here? Many of us grew up in an environment where certain activities were forbidden on Sunday. For that matter, we have moved the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday and for good reason. Sunday, the first day of the week, was the day Jesus rose from the dead. Page 1 of 8 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Ten. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying in this note must be included on any copies made. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in Premium Commentary are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Mark 3:1-12, Righteous Anger

We must remember the significance of the Sabbath for those who walked the earth in the first century. The Sabbath was the most symbol of the true nature of Judaism. It was the symbol unique to Judaism. You might say, wait a minute, what about sacrifices? Other religions made sacrifices. What about circumcision? Other religions had similar practices. What about the tabernacle and temple? Other religions had houses for their . But the setting apart of one day in a week—a day devoted completely to the cultivation of spiritual health and worship—this distinguished Judaism from other religions. The Sabbath was not just one day given back to , while keeping six days for yourself. “It was the peculiar sign and symbol of the deepest things in the life of the people.”1

N. T. Wright reminds us of the significance of this day to the first-century Jew:

It was a badge of Jewishness for people who’d been persecuted and killed simply for being Jewish. It was a national flag that spoke of freedom to come, of hope for the great Day of Rest when God would finally liberate Israel from pagan oppression . . . It was, after all, a commandment deeply embedded in the Jewish scriptures.2

Why, then did Jesus appear to disrespect the Sabbath? Because the Sabbath was turned into a weapon. It was wielded to exclude those who did not belong from those who considered themselves to be the “chosen ones.” Wright states: “For many groups, it wasn’t enough to be a loyal Jew; one had to be a better loyal Jew than the other lot . . . the rule mattered more than the reality.”3

Commentary

Mark 3:1-6 records the last of five conflict events between Jesus, his disciples, and the Jewish authorities. These events are recorded in 2:1-3:6. These passages follow a common outline:

1) An event 2) The point of conflict 3) An accusation brought against Jesus 4) The response of Jesus

The parallel accounts found in :9-14 and Luke 6:6-11 provide some details that give us the complete picture.

The Event: Healing on the Sabbath (3:1, 5)

The conflict between Jesus and the Jewish authorities was obvious. They challenged him at every turn. William Barclay states: “For him to go back into the at all Page 2 of 8 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Ten. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional Bible study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying information in this note must be included on any copies made.

Mark 3:1-12, Righteous Anger

was a brave thing to do. It was the act of a man who refused to seek safety and who was determined to look a dangerous situation in the face.”4

Jesus claimed authority over the Sabbath in 2:28. In other words, he had the power and authority to overrule laws concerning the Sabbath, especially the oral interpretations of the Pharisees. Jesus made this pronouncement on the Sabbath—in a grainfield. Now, he is about to demonstrate that authority on the Sabbath—in the synagogue.

Mark makes mention of a man with a withered hand in 3:1, 3, 5. Our tell us nothing more about this man. There is a (one of many actually) that did not make it into the lineup of our Gospels that recounts this event. The Gospel according to the Hebrews identifies this man as a stone mason who asked Jesus to restore his hand so he would not need to beg for food in shame. The Greek word for “withered” suggests he was not born with this condition but suffered an illness that left his hand damaged. Luke 6:6 tells us the affected hand was his right one.

The Point of Conflict: Why do you break the Sabbath Law? (3:2)

Mark tells us the Pharisees were watching Jesus to see if he would break the Law by healing on the Sabbath. Matthew 12:10 says they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Their question was a rhetorical one. The answer was obvious—it certainly was unlawful to do so.

The Accusation: Jesus fails to uphold the Law (3:3-4)

The law allowed healing on the Sabbath if the life of the afflicted was at stake. But even in such a situation, steps could be taken to keep a man from getting worse, but not to make him better. So, a plain bandage might be put on a wound, but not a medicated bandage. It could be argued that Jesus could have waited until the next day to restore the man’s paralyzed hand. Obviously, the man was unlikely to die from his deformity. Jesus could have waited a few hours, healed the man, and obeyed the Sabbath law as well.

Jesus put His detractors in an awkward place with two questions:

1) Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath? They had to admit it was lawful to do good. Jesus was about to do something good by healing the man. Likewise, they had to admit it was unlawful to do harm. Yet, it was to refuse to help a person when it was possible to render aid.

2) Is it lawful to save a life or kill it on the Sabbath? Jesus was about to save the man’s life—to restore him so he could work and provide for his family. The

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Mark 3:1-12, Righteous Anger

Jewish authorities were focused on plots to kill Jesus. No wonder Mark tells us they sat in silence and refused to answer Jesus.

Some interpreters see a connection between Jesus’ questions and the words of Deuteronomy 30:15-19:

Deut. 30:15 “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;

Deut. 30:16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.

Deut. 30:17 But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,

Deut. 30:18 I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.

Deut. 30:19 I call and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.”

David E. Garland concludes: “Even on the Sabbath one must make the right choice. Suffering may be alleviated at any time, and to refrain from doing good is to abet evil and to pick death over life.”5

Jesus Responds (3:4-5)

In Matthew’s version, Jesus reminded the Pharisees their interpretation of the law allowed them to rescue a sheep that had fallen into a pit on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:11-12). Sheep were valuable and a man’s ability to put food on the family’s table depended upon the income generated by one’s livestock. As mentioned above, to every rule, there was an exception. But according to the Pharisees, the man was not a candidate for healing.

In one statement, Jesus laid bare their hypocrisy, deceit, and mean-spirited attitudes: “How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Failure to do good when the opportunity for good was present would be the greater wrong.

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Mark 3:1-12, Righteous Anger

“Stretch out your hand!” This is all Jesus said. He did not touch the man. The man obeyed, stretched out his hand, and experienced immediate healing. Jesus healed this man and, in the healing, gave him three things: 1) Jesus gave the man back his health. 2) Jesus gave the man back his work. If the Gospel according to the Hebrews is correct, then this stone mason was able to return to his work and not beg. 3) Jesus gave him back his self-respect.

3:5. Only Mark tells us Jesus healed the man after looking “at them with anger” (3:5). Some of us have a problem with the idea that Jesus was angry. This is not conduct becoming of the . The Greek word here is the same spoken by to the Jewish authorities when he warned them of the “wrath of God” to come (:7). Mark used another word to describe Jesus’ “indignation” when his disciples tried to block children from approaching Jesus (:14). Perhaps the most telling passage of all does not use either of these words, but there is no mistaking the mindset of Jesus when He cleansed the temple of the money changers in :15: “And he made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple.” I imagine Jesus standing in the corner of the temple court, watching these profiteers desecrating the grounds of God’s house. His anger swells as he weaves strips of leather into a whip.

The context of Jesus’ anger helps our understanding: “After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart . . .” Johnnie Godwin concludes: “Their rigid hearts and spiritual blindness brought Jesus momentary anger but permanent grief.”6 Some interpreters refer to Jesus’ righteous anger:

Jesus could see ‘the hardening of their hearts,’ and their made him angry. Our Lord never became angry at the publicans and sinners, but he did express anger toward the self-righteous Pharisees. They would rather protect their traditions than see a man healed!7

The Aftermath (3:6-12)

3:6. “The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the against him, as to how they might destroy him.”

Both Matthew and Luke report the Pharisees were determined to destroy Jesus. Mark adds a telling detail here. “The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against him, as to how they might destroy him” (Mark 3:6). Herodians were influential who sympathized with the Herodian dynasty. We are talking about and his extended family that ruled over Israel. The Herods received their authority from Rome. Pharisees detested the Herods, so they despised these Jews who supported these puppets of Rome. But both the Pharisees and the Herodians found common ground in their hatred of Jesus. Under normal circumstances, they would not even socialize with one another, much less ally Page 5 of 8 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Ten. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional Bible study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying information in this note must be included on any copies made.

Mark 3:1-12, Righteous Anger

themselves to one another. But in the case of Jesus, they put aside their differences. They both stood to lose much and gain much with regard to Jesus. Mutual hatred creates interesting connections. In the first century, to hear “Pharisees and Herodians” brought out the following reaction: “They hate each other.” Yet, they conspired together to destroy Jesus.

3:7-10. The geographic references attest to the growing popularity of Jesus. The crowds came not only from the villages surrounding , but from great distances. The areas mentioned include all of Israel and its surrounding neighbors.

3:11-12. People afflicted by various diseases were one thing—those possessed by evil, unclean spirits were another matter entirely. N. T. Wright addresses this issue:

Jesus’ extraordinary healing powers were clearly operating on a spiritual level rather than through ordinary medical treatment . . . Calling these forces ‘unclean spirits’ is a convenient way of saying two things about them. First, they are non-physical powers that operate upon, and sometimes within, a person. Second, they defile the one they inhabit, making such a person behave in ways that are untrue to their calling as a being.8

These unclean spirits understood when they were in the presence of a greater power. “Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the !” (3:11). These spirits address him by his true identity—Son of God. It appears the crowds and even the disciples may have not understood Jesus to be God’s Messiah. The Old Testament employs “Son of God” in the following ways:

1) as the sons of God (Genesis 6:1-2). This passage tells of the sons of God who saw the daughters of men and were fatally attracted to them. In Job 1:6, the reference is to God’s messengers who appear before God along with .

2) The nation of Israel as the son of God. In 11:1, God called his son (the nation) out of Egypt. In Exodus 4:22, God refers to Israel as “my first-born son.”

3) The king of the nation as the son of God. In 2 Samuel 7:14, God refers to as “he will be a son to me.”

Barclay concludes: “When we meet this title in the simplicity of the gospel story we are not to think in terms of philosophy or theology or of the doctrine of the Trinity; we are to think of it as expressing the fact that Jesus’ relationship to God was so close that no other word could describe it.9

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Mark 3:1-12, Righteous Anger

Why did Jesus demand silence concerning his identity? Barclay asserts the reason Jesus warned these spirits not to tell who He was is simple: “Jesus was the Messiah, God’s anointed king; but his idea of Messiahship was quite different from the popular idea.”10 Jesus came to suffer and die on a cross. The masses were looking for a Messiah who would lead a revolt against the evil . They wanted a warrior messiah—a conquering king. Besides, Jesus’ time of suffering had yet to come. If the crowds perceived Jesus to be their next Davidic king, then chaos and rebellion would take centerstage. :13-21 and John 6:15 record the attitude among the crowd when Jesus fed the masses. “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself” (John 6:15). To say the people were excited about this is an understatement. They perceived Jesus as the one who would fulfill the concerning the coming of God’s Messiah. The crowd began to turn into a mob, intent on taking Jesus to to crown Him king. They intercepted Him as he sought solace. Here in Mark’s account, Jesus did not turn away the crowds. He healed them, He taught them, and He blessed them. But He did not allow to incite the crowd.

Conclusion

This week’s passage reveals the conflict between two religious’ mindsets.

1) Religion as Ritual. To some people, living for Jesus is all about rules and regulations. “You can’t do this” and “You must do that.”

Illustration: Offering envelopes are part of my spiritual DNA. My parents taught me to tithe and I did. I tithed on my weekly allowance. I had a box of offering envelopes—52 envelopes for each Sunday of the year. There was a checklist on the front of each envelope. In addition to a checkbox for my offering, there was a box for attending worship, studying my Sunday School lesson, reading my Bible, and bringing my Bible to church. I remember being very proud each week as I checked those boxes. Some years later, I realized my relationship with Christ was so much more than checking boxes on an offering envelope. But how many people believe is just a set of rules?

2) Religion as Service. Jesus taught us by example that Christianity was a relationship with the God who created us and knows what is best for us. Our love for God and love for people supplant any list or rule we are expected to obey. “To Jesus the most important thing in the world was not the correct performance of a ritual but the spontaneous answer to the cry of human need.”11

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Mark 3:1-12, Righteous Anger

Meet the Writer: Dr. Stephen G. Hatfield Stephen G. Hatfield lives in Lewisville, Texas, where he has served as the pastor of the First Baptist Church since 1993. Stephen and his wife, Marcie, have five married children and fifteen grandchildren. He is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University (B.A.) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., Ph.D.).

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1 G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Matthew (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1929), 125. 2 N. T. Wright, Mark for Everyone (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), 30. 3 Ibid. 4 William Barclay, “The ” Daily Bible Study Series, rev. ed. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975), 67. 5 David E. Garland, The NIV Application Commentary: Mark (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 109. 6 Johnnie C. Godwin, “Mark” The Layman’s Bible Book Commentary (Nashville Press, 1979), 35. 7 Warren Wiersbe, “Mark” The Bible Exposition Commentary Volume 1 (Wheaton, Ill: Victor Books, 1989), 119. 8 Wright, 33. 9 Barclay, 72 10 Ibid. 11 Barclay, 70.

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