Today I read Mark 3 which covers several of the same stories and ideas that are found in Matthew, which is no surprise. The chapter starts out with the Savior healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath and the Pharisees taking offense at that. I have often wondered just why, of all the things that they could do and could not do on the Sabbath, healing the sick was placed on the don't list of Sabbath activities? It really does make me wonder if the Pharisees understood the Gospel of Jesus Christ at all. I know that they didn't have the fulness of the Gospel to begin with and were only living the law of Moses but it is still strange to me that they could miss the mark so completely like that.
They for sure did not understand the final judgment and what it's purpose is and seemed instead to think it will be some giant checklist that God will go down and check off all the righteous things they did. I often wonder how such ridiculous measures start, was it something one of their prophets thousands of years before said in passing? Such mania does not appear overnight and the traditions the Jews were following at the time of Jesus outweighed the actual commandments by more than two times. It's really sad to see being on the other side and having the gift of hindsight, just how the commandments which were supposed to help them, became such a stumbling block because of their own pride and haughtiness.
This chapter also contains the calling of the Twelve Apostles. As I read this account, it really made me wonder, why was Judas Iscariot even chosen as an Apostle? I know someone had to betray Jesus and there are two schools of thought that Judas was foreordained or that he had a moment of weakness, but it really makes me wonder what even drew Judas to Jesus? John the Beloved describes Judas as a thief and a liar, but that could be because John wrote his book much later in his life and again was coloring his account with the benefit of hindsight. But I get the feeling that John never really liked Judas to begin with. But several of the modern day Apostles and Prophets have also talked about Judas and his character and seem to agree with John's assessment of Judas. And so I just can't help but wonder, if Judas was such a reprobate to begin with, what drew him to Jesus in the first place? I guess we will never know in this life.
I sometimes wish the stories contained in the scriptures were more complete because sometimes they just seem so weird. For example, this chapter closes with the story of Jesus' earthly family, his mother and half brothers and sisters coming to visit Him. Instead of going out to meet them, He states "Who is my mother, or my brethren?" To me that is just a strange thing to say, even as an object lesson, and kind of cold towards His earthly family. I just have to believe that this is more to the story than that. I can understand His earthly family taking a backseat to the work of His father but to completely shun them seems a little harsh. Now, I fully understand that Jesus is trying to teach the people that true followers of Christ will do the will of the Father, but again it just seems a very strange way to do it.
Again most, if not all, of these stories were covered in Matthew, but we get a slightly different perspective on them from Mark and when we read them again in Luke it will be yet a third perspective. That's one of the reasons reading the synoptic Gospels straight through is beneficial as even though you are reading the same story sometimes 3 times, you are getting a different perspective on them and can learn new things. Although it would be kind of neat if someone were to take the synoptic Gospels and combine them so that you get one Gospel that contains all the stories, teachings and miracles of the Savior in just one book. But then you are faced with the dilemma of which version to use for the stories that are the same. Hence this way is the best way and I personally am just grateful that we have so many of the teachings of Jesus for us to review, study and ponder. Thank goodness that those closest to Him thought to write down their experiences for us. Who knows where we would be without them. Until tomorrow.
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