The Story of Jesus According to Mark, Pt 6: Guess Who's Coming to Church

 

May 12, 2024               NOTES NOT EDITED
Story of Jesus According to Mark, Pt 5
Guess Who’s Coming to Church
Mark 3:1-6

SIS: People attend church for different reasons and from different situations, so we should regularly evaluate our motivations for coming to church.

Last Sunday at a Jesus Dwelling Place Church in Pennsylvania, Bernard Junior Polite, 26 years old, entered the church and pointed a gun at the pastor as he was delivering a sermon while being LiveStreamed on the Internet. The man pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed. As the pastor dove for cover off stage, the shooter climbed the banister in front of the stage stalking the pastor. A deacon ran up behind the man, put his arms around him and brought him to the ground holding him until police arrived.

It is an understatement to say that the Pastor and congregation were shocked by who came to church last Sunday.

I think that often, churches are equally shocked to discover who’s coming to church, if they take notice. Many people may seem as “unwanted” in church as this gunman, but with no justification. Churches can be notoriously prejudiced and “people-blind” to who is—and even more so—who needs to be in church.

Today, as we see Jesus encounter a “crippled man” we are going to discover three groups of people who attend church—or three reasons why—people attend church on any given Sunday.

Everyone who comes to church does not necessarily have the same agenda, or motivation.   The Scriptures talk about these three groups of people that come to church every Sunday—the HURTING, the HINDERING, and the HELPING.

Let’s read about these three groups of people

 

(Mark 3:1-6)  Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. {2} Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. {3} Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." {4} Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. {5} He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. {6} Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

This passage clearly outlines the three types of people who come to church, or three reasons people come to church. The contrast between each group is unmistakable. 

1.  Some Come to Church HURTING (v1)

Remember in our last couple messages when the religious leaders, or Pharisees, criticized Jesus for meeting with the needy, sinners of the world? These were people who “needed all manner of healing” from the physical to the spiritual. What did Jesus say about such hurting people?

Mark 2:17 (NIV84) Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

If you look around the room today, everyone you see is someone who is “hurting” to some degree or another. Some mask, or even deny, they are hurting. What we cannot deny is that we ALL NEED JESUS DESPERATELY TODAY! This is the group I call the “Hurting.” Sinners in desperate need of salvation

This HURTING group—you and I—are represented by the man with the “shriveled hand.” This man with the crippled hand was typical of those in the crowd who were hurting: emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  Clearly, the gospels show that the primary purpose of the Lord’s ministry was to create a church that would be a HOSPITAL FOR HURTING PEOPLE.

If you also notice, there was a group of religious leaders called Pharisees. They denied their need and even despised the needs of those hurting around them. We’ll get to this group a little later.

We must try to grasp fully the plight of this man who represents a host of people in the world that are hurting.  The original phrase used to describe this man’s condition is very enlightening.  The original Greek construction suggests that this man was hurt in an accident and was not born with a withered hand.  Literally, the phrase would read, “having been withered.” (A.T. Robertson). Something happened to wither the hand. 

The phrase also suggests that the condition was so bad it could not be helped without miraculous intervention [perfect tense].  Another writing of this time, which has been called the Gospel According to Hebrews (which is not complete and not a part of the Bible) mentions this same man and confirms what the word structure suggests.  This fragment tells us that this man was a stone mason who had made his living with his hands.  Now, he was forced to beg on the streets because of his injury.  He was truly hurting: physically, emotionally, and financially. 

      Here we have a picture of so many people in the world today.  They are truly hurting. Sometimes, like this man with a shriveled hand, we can see they are hurting. Many times, people mask deep inner hurt behind a “socially acceptable fascade.” Sometimes, the most brilliant smile hides the most agonizing pain.

Christians need to constantly remind themselves:

The person next to you in church may be really hurting.

One group of persons who come to church regularly, are those who are hurting. We should always look at others with eyes of compassion. 

Here’s a heartbreaking letter received by a pastor: “Dear Pastor,

Why do churches often ignore the poor, the hurting, the victims of disease and disaster? My son tried to call all the Christian churches in our area to help in supporting me. I’m bedridden and wanted someone to come visit me in my time of illness such as reading inspirational scriptures to uplift my spirit. Not one of them came to see me! Even though I pray about it constantly. We have no family or friends and are very isolated; yes we have read the bible; having one in one with God but we still need Christians on our side for support in a time of need! Where has Christianity gone today when all Churches do is make money; open Cafés; book shops in their churches; lure people into buying their goods when in reality should be going out to all communities to reach out for the needy when they don’t; are too busy with their own Church Conferences and meetings!!! I’ve always believed churches should care about hurting people, but why aren’t they there for me?

Dear brothers and sisters, let’s never forget that our primary mission is to reach a “HURTING” world.

2.  Some Who Come to Church Regularly are HINDERING (V2)

I think those words I just spoke are the most sad and horrible words I’ve ever spoken. But, sadly, too often they are true. Look at verse 2:

²Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.

The “religious folk,” the Pharisees, could have cared less about the hurting man. All they cared about was the “religion.” 

Again, the original language is very enlightening.

The phrase, “looking for a reason to accuse Jesus,” both identifies and characterizes the group opposing Jesus.  This group had been watching Jesus carefully because of what took place a short time before and is recorded in chapter 2.

²³One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. ²⁴The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" 

Once again, Jesus is confronted

by the Pharisees about His views of the Sabbath.  The previous time it was not Jesus who violated the Pharisaical laws of the Sabbath, but His disciples.  This time they were watching Jesus, Himself.  This is the same group of legalistic, self-righteous, hyper-religious people that Jesus would confront the next 1 and a half years of ministry.  This is the same self-righteous, hyper-religious people that would one day soon demand the Romans crucify Jesus.

 The word structure not only identifies this group at church as the Pharisees, but it characterizes them as well.  The translation we have here is accurate: they were watching with malicious intent.  Of the six times this word appears in the New Testament, five times it refers to “watching with malicious intent,” or “lying in wait to spring a trap.”

How sad it is that some people come to church to point out the faults of others, rather than pointing others to the faultless Christ.  Most people come to church to get into the work, others only to get in the way. Many HINDER the work of the church not because of what they do, but because they DO NOTHING! They are like West Virginia potholes that just sit in the middle of the road slowing traffic and causing damage.

 A group of church people gathered at a Mountain Lodge for a conference on church ministry.  The next morning was very cold and the room heaters did not work well.  The owners started a nice fire in the large fireplace in the dining hall.  A man not associated with the conference, and not a Christian, came into the dining hall, hoping to get warmed by the fire.  He was shivering but could not get close to the fire because the church group blocked the way.  This businessman sat in a chair shivering for a few minutes.  Suddenly, he shouted, “Last night I dreamed I was in hell!”  The church group was naturally startled.  One member asked, “Really?  What was it like?” The businessman responded sarcastically, “Well, it wasn’t much different than right here.  I couldn’t get next to the fire because all the church folks were in the way!” Church folk need to be mindful of which fire they are being warmed by.

This is a sad picture, but often true.

Many church members are so self-centered, and/or so self-righteous that they are in the way, rather than in the work.  They are a hindrance to the work of God, rather than a help.  They are focused upon themselves and their petty agendas without any care or concern for those who are lost and hurting.

 Jesus points out the hypocrisy of this self-righteous group of religious bigots.  Notice the biting words of the Master that pin-pointed the petty agenda of these religious tyrants in verse 4:

 ⁴Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. 

Jesus spoke with an edge in His voice and a glare in His eye, because He knew what was in their hearts. Look at verse 5:

 ⁵He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. ⁶Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

 The word stubborn means to “petrify.”Each time the Pharisees refused to submit to the ministry of Jesus their hearts became harder.  The word can also mean to become “calloused.” 

 I see this many times in the lives of Church-goers.Over the years they have allowed their hearts to develop a thick callous.  They stubbornly and rebelliously demand to have church conform to their standards instead of letting the Holy Spirit transform them to Christ’s image.  They expect everyone to conform to their view of Scripture. They defend doctrine to the death while never lending a hand to help someone else.  They develop callouses over their hearts and cannot see a hurting world.

Do not miss the irony of this passage. The greatest hindrance to the man’s wholeness was not the paralysis of his hand, but the hardness of the Pharisees hearts.  The Pharisees had set themselves up as the “keepers of the law.”  It had to be followed to the letter.

Jesus confronts their religious hypocrisy by asking the question in verse 4, “Which is better to do on the Sabbath, help a crippled man or [plan to] kill someone.”  Jesus knew what was in their hearts.  Did you catch the irony of verse 6?  The Pharisees were plotting with the Herodians to kill Jesus for helping a crippled man on the Sabbath.  How ironic—it is OK to plot murder on the Sabbath, but not help a crippled man.

According to Pharisaical law, only the bare medical treatment necessary to save a life was permissable.  You could place a bandage to stop bleeding for example, but you could not add any medicine or ointment that would bring healing.  All elective surgery had to be put off until after the Sabbath.  Jesus showed His con-tempt for such legalistic traditions by violating the law against healing a non-emergency condition. 

Doctrine that denies help and hindersthe flow of God’s love and mercy is not truth–it is dead tradition.  Dead tradition brings burdens and bondage but true love brings wholeness and healing.

The Pharisees were concerned about procedures, Jesus is concerned about people.

Anytime our “procedures come into conflict with helping people” we should change our procedures.

If our tradition becomes a hindrance to reaching hurting people,
we should discard it. 

Now we have viewed snapshots of two groups that regularly attend church: some come hurting; others come hindering.  The group that loves Jesus will come to church

 3.  HELPING (v 5)

 ⁵He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

 Jesus came to earth as a “Helper and a Comforter.” When He left He said He would send another (just like Him) to be our Counselor, Comforter, and Helper (Jn. 16).  True followers of Jesus can be identified by their eagerness to help others be whole and happy. 

 Blessed is the hurting person who comes to church and meets a helper, for he will be completely restored.

Years ago, I realized how easy it was to become a Pharisee. I believed it was my duty to defend doctrine.  I still feel the church must stand boldly for truth and defend it at every chance.  However, I do not believe the Christian cause necessitates leaving a trail of bruised and battered people along the way. We must never sacrifice “love” on the altar of “orthodoxy.”  True doctrine rightly practiced is always a help and never a hindrance.

 Too many devils hide beneath the dead carcass of right doctrine and are nothing more than “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

The church that Jesus established is a “haven for hurting people” with plenty of people willing to help them.”

 Jesus gives us a clear example of the cost of being a helper.  A helper must buck tradition and risk the scorn and condemnation of those who are self-righteous, religious fanatics who defend dead traditions while denying help and healing to hurting people. 

 I believe in following the rules but all rules of faith and order must conform to God’s second great commandment: “love others as you love yourself.”

Think about this for a moment . . . when a person is lonely, spiritually crippled, a social outcast, without a friend in the world–where can they go to find restoration and healing.  This is the mandate God has given to the church.  We see what a mess the government has made in helping the poor.  We’ve created generation after generation of “welfare junkies.”  God has called the church to help the poor, lift up the fallen, and bring freedom to those held captive to drugs, despair, and other deadly vices. 

 God’s people must be HELPERS! 

Guess Who Is Coming to Church?

 

Some come to church to take a walk; Some come to church to laugh and talk;

Some come to meet a friend; Some come their time to spend;

Some come to meet a lover; Some come a fault to cover;

Some come for speculation; Some come for observation;

Some come to doze and nod; The Wise come to worship God.

–adapted

But, Who is Coming to Our Church?

 Some come hurting,

Some come hindering,

True disciples come helping!