THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Mark: Jesus The Perfect Servant Of God

Part II: The Perfect Service Of Jesus, The Perfect Servant Of God, Mark 1:1-10:52

Z. Christ's Work To Take Needed Breaks From Humanly Draining, Spiritually Needy People

(Mark 7:31)

I. Introduction

A. We learned in our first lesson in this series that Mark's Gospel presents the perfect service of God's Perfect Servant, Jesus, with Mark's focus of having rebounded unto upright service from personal failure.

B. In Mark's case, he had abandoned Paul and Barnabas at Pamphylia possibly due to witnessing Paul's emotionally draining confrontation with the wicked sorcerer named Elymas, Acts 13:13 with 13:6-11.

C. If so, Jesus' act in Mark 7:31 in the context shows the need for God's servants to take breaks from draining, spiritually immature, needy people to sustain a long-term ministry to them, and we study this event for insight:

II. Christ's Work To Take Needed Breaks From Humanly Draining, Spiritually Needy People, Mark 7:31.

A. Mark 7:31 reported how Jesus "again, once more" (palin, U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 151; Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 611-612) left the region of Tyre and Sidon for the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee in the region of Decapolis, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 136.

B. This word rendered "again, once more" leads us to the extended context to discern the intent in Mark's use of the term, and doing so reveals that, beginning in Mark 6:30-32, there is a long series of efforts by Jesus to try to take breaks from the relentless thronging of the Hebrew crowds of people in Galilee (as follows);

1. Following the ministry of Jesus' twelve disciples to Israel, when they had returned to report to the Lord all the things that had occurred in their service, Jesus told them to come apart unto a deserted place, for there were many people coming and going for needed exorcisms and healing by the Lord, so much so that Jesus' and His disciples lacked the time to take meals for their physical welfare, Mark 6:30-31 with 6:12-13.

2. This departure had been blocked by the crowds of Galilee who had followed Jesus and His disciples' boat around the northern border of the Sea as they headed for Bethsaida on the northeastern shore, and Jesus had felt compassion on them so as to teach them many things and to feed the five thousand, Mark 6:33-44.

3. Accordingly, still trying to take a break from Galilee's crowds, Jesus put His disciples into a boat to cross over to the northwestern shore of Gennesaret while He went away to pray alone, followed by His walking to them on the sea to assist them to make the crossing, Mark 6:45-52.

4. However, in landing at Gennesaret, they were again met by needy Hebrew crowds, and Jesus ministered to them once again (Mark 6:53-56) followed by a rigorous confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem who had come to evaluate and then to critique His ministry, Mark 7:1-23.

5. Thus, still seeking to distance Himself and the disciples from the throngs, Jesus took His men far north to the region of Tyre and Sidon, desiring to retain a degree of privacy only to be interrupted by the needy Syrophenician woman, and so He had compassionately ministered to meet her needs, Mark 7:24-30.

6. When Jesus then had "again, once again" (palin) left Tyre and Sidon to go southeast of Galilee in Mark 7:31, He was still "avoiding Galilee," still intending to stay away from its thronging, needy crowds, Ibid.

C. Of great significance, these Hebrew crowds in Galilee were spiritually immature, needy people:

1. Israel at the time was under the Mosaic Covenant that promised physical health and welfare to those who obeyed the Law but divine cursings of the loss of health and welfare for sin, Deuteronomy 28:1-14, 15-22.

2. As Jesus countered huge demon and health issues in them, these folk were spiritually immature and needy.

D. Yet, due to the intensity of their needs, these people were starting to drain the human resources of Jesus and His disciples seen in the crowds' even blocking them from taking meals (Mark 6:31) besides being a huge mental and emotional drain on them that would have been involved in ministry unto such people.

E. Accordingly, Jesus exampled for all God's servants that though they were compassionately to minister to spiritually immature, needy people when confronted by their needs, they simply had to take breaks from them.

Lesson: Though Jesus felt compassion for the spiritually needy throngs of Galilee, though He ministered to them when confronted by their needs, He withdrew from them to rest so He could better minister to them long-term.

Application: (1) If we minister to a spiritually immature, needy party, the intensity of his need drains our human resources, so GOD wills that we take breaks from him better to help him long-term. (2) Whenever confronted by such a party's need, as did Jesus, we must of course meet it, but when reasonable, we must take breaks from him!