Mark Lesson*#6* The*Eye*of*the*Storm,* Jesus *Teaching,*Preaching*and*Healing* (4:*1* *6:*6)*
Review InLesson#5conflictintensifieddrama6cally:JesuscalledLevi,a hatedjewishtaxcollector,tobecomeoneofhisinnercircle;jesus atedinnerwithtaxcollectorsand sinners, enjoyingtheir company;jesus disciplesblatantlybrokethemosaiclawby * pickinggrainonthesabbath,andjesusdefendedthem;akerdoing * so,jesusdeliberatelyprovokedthereligiousleadersbyhealinga manwithawitheredhandin*the*synagogue,on*the*sabbath, resul6nginthephariseesandherodiansplonngtokillhim;the hugecrowdswhofollowedjesuscon6nuedtogrowandbecome morethreatening;jesus familyarrivedfromnazarethto seize him, fortheythoughtthathewas outofhismind ;andthe ScribesaccusedhimofbeingpossessedbyBeelzebub. Allthewhile,asthetensionandconflictincreased,peoplewere astonishedbyjesus,asking: Whoisthismanwhocansayanddo suchthings?
Preview UnlikeinMaWhewwhereJesus teaching,preachingandhealing(spanning ninechapters,5y13)formamajorcomponentofmawhew sgospeland establishhiscreden6alsasmessiah,markpresentsjesus teaching,preaching andhealinginaquick,7ymovementchias6csequenceacrossonlytwo chapters(4and5): A parableofthesower(4:1y20) B parableofthelamp(4:21y29) C parableofthemustardseed(4:30y34) D calmingthestormatsea(4:35y41) C healingthegadarenedemoniac(5:1y20) B healingjairus daughter(5:21y43) A healingthewomanwiththehemorrhage(5:25y34,imbedded). Ratherthanaccep6nghim,thoseclosesttohim thepeopleofjesus hometownofnazareth takeoffenseathimandfirmlyrejecthim.
* * A parableofthesower(4:1y20) B parableofthelamp(4:21y29) C parableofthemustardseed(4:30y34) D calmingthestormatsea(4:35y41) C healingthegadarenedemoniac(5:1y20) B healingjairus daughter(5:21y43) A healingthewomanwiththehemorrhage(5:25y34,imbedded).
The*Gospel*according*to*Mark* focusesonestablishingjesus iden6tyasthe SonofGod ; hence,markemphasizesjesus healingsandmiracles,not*his teachingandpreaching. Consequently,Mark*reports only9parables,whilemaihew* givesus23andluke,28. *
Theword parable isacompoundoftwo Greekwords:parav(para= alongside, as inparamedicorparalegal)andbolhv(bolé= theverb tothrow ). A*parable*is*a*succinct,*didacNc*story*thrown* alongside*a*common,*ordinary*truth*to* illuminate*that*truth*in*a*striking*and* memorable*fashion.**parables*are*meant*to* illuminate,*not*to*hide*or*obscure. **
Jesusdidnotinventtheparableasa pedagogicdevice;rather,parablesarea typeofmashalim,aformofcomparison usedintheoldtestament,suchas Nathan sstoryoftheeweylambin2 Samuel12:1Y7andthestorytoldbythe womanoftekoain2samuel14:1y13. Indeed,Greekrhetoriciansusedtheterm todescribeabrieffic6onalnarra6veused forcomparison,muchlikeanextended metaphor. AlthoughJesusdidnotinventthe parable,hewasamasteratusingit. Jesus parablesarecleverand memorable,okendeligh6nghisaudience withsurpriseandinsight.
ParableoftheSower (fresco).sts.konstan6neandhelenorthodoxchurch, Cluj,Romania.
NorthwesternshoreoftheSeaofGalilee,nearCapernaum. Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
TheParableoftheSower 1. Someseedfellonthepath,andthebirdscameandateit (4:3). Thepersonwhohearsthewordanddoesn t*understand*it;theevilonecomesand takesitaway. 2. Somefellonrockyground,whereithadliWlesoil...andwhen thesunroseitwasscorched,anditwitheredforlackofroots(4: 5Y6). Thepersonwhohearstheword,acceptsitatoncewithjoy,buthas*no*root*andit lastsonlyashort6me. 3. Someseedfellamongthorns,andthethornsgrewupandchoked it(4:7). Thepersonwhohearstheword,butworldly*concerns*chokeitoff. 4. Butsomeseedfellonrichsoilandproducedfruit,ahundredor sixtyorthirtyfold(4:8). Thepersonwhohearstheword,understands*itandproducesfruit.
Butwhy*doesJesus teachinparables??
The*mystery*of*the*kingdom*of*God*has*been* granted*to*you.**but*to*those*outside* everything*comes*in*parables*.*.*. * A mystery [thegreekwordismusthvrion, mustérion ]ismeanttoberevealed;incontrastto a secret, whichismeanttobeconcealed. WhenJesuscon6nuessaying:.*.*.*so*that*they*may*look*and*see*but*not*perceive,** and*hear*and*listen*but*not*understand,* in*order*that*they*may*not*be*converted* and*be*forgiven*.*.*. * heisparaphrasingisaiah6:8y10,spokenbygodto Isaiahinatoneofscathingsarcasm,asJesusdoes here,himself Clearly,*Jesus *parables*are*meant*to* reveal*in*a*striking*and*dramanc*way,* not*to*conceal,*hide*or*obscure*
TheParableoftheLamp The ParableoftheLamp further illuminateswhyjesusteachesin parables:justasalampismeanttobe putonalampstandtobeseen,soisa parablespokentobringtolighta mystery. Ha,ha
ParableoftheMustardSeed Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
DuringspringandfalltheSeaofGalileeisa waysta6on forthemigra6onof over500millionbirdsfrommorethan400species;itisameccafor Ornithologists
Justasthebirdseatup theseedsonthepath in4:4,andjustas Satanisiden6fiedwith thebirdsin4:15,soin the Parableofthe MustardSeed arethe birdsanega6veimage. Theyarethe evil doers andthe hypocrites whowill comeintothekingdom ofgod.
* * A parableofthesower(4:1y20) B parableofthelamp(4:21y29) C parableofthemustardseed(4:30y34) D calmingthestormatsea(4:35y41) C healingthegadarenedemoniac(5:1y20) CalmingtheStormatSea B healingjairus daughter(5:21y43) A healingthewomanwiththehemorrhage(5:25y34,imbedded).
SeaofGalilee(GoogleEarth) N DailyaKernoon& eveningwindfrom themediterranean W E S
SiroccowindsoriginateintheSaharaDesertwhenawarm,tropicalairmassispulled northwardbylowypressurecellstowardthesoutherncoastofeurope.siroccospeakin MarchandNovember,withwindspeedsupto100kph(55mph).Althoughnotinits directpath,theseaofgalileesome6mescatchesthewesternedgeofasirocco.
Rembrandt,The*Storm*on*the*Sea*of*Galilee*(oiloncanvas),1633. Loca6onunknown.(STOLENfromtheIsabellaStewardGardnerMuseum,Bostonin 1990.)
* * A parableofthesower(4:1y20) B parableofthelamp(4:21y29) C parableofthemustardseed(4:30y34) D calmingthestormatsea(4:35y41) C healingthegadarenedemoniac(5:1y20) TheHealings B healingjairus daughter(5:21y43) A healingthewomanwiththehemorrhage(5:25y34,imbedded).
HealingoftheGadareneDemoniac Gadara
ArchaeologicalremainsofGadaraatthehighpointofthecity,nearthewesterntheater.
ChristExorcisingtheGadareneDemonic, medievalilluminatedmanuscript.
* * A parableofthesower(4:1y20) B parableofthelamp(4:21y29) C parableofthemustardseed(4:30y34) D calmingthestormatsea(4:35y41) C healingthegadarenedemoniac(5:1y20) TheHealings B healingjairus daughter(5:21y43) A healingthewomanwiththehemorrhage(5:25y34,imbedded).
MarkbrilliantlyportraysJesusraising Jairus 12Yyearolddaughterfromthe deadasa frame forhealingawoman whohadahemorrhagefor12years. A JairuspleadswithJesustohealhis daughter. B Jesushealsthewomanwiththe 12Yyearhemorrhage. A JesusraisesJairus 12Yyearold daughterfromthedead. AsJairus 12Yyearolddaughterwas literallydead,soisthewomanwiththe 12Yyearoldhemorrhagedeadas*a* woman. Raisingthedeadisthesummitof allmiracles
PaoloVeronese.Raising*the*Daughter*of*Jairus*(oilonpapermountedoncanvas),1546. LouveMuseum,Paris.
InMark4:1 5:43ourstorypresents asampleofjesusteachinginthree parables,balancedbythreehealings, withthefinalhealinghavingjesus raiseadeadchild.theen6rechias6c structurepivotsonjesuscalmingthe stormontheseaofgalilee, demonstra6nghisauthorityover crea6onitself. Withsuchevidence,onewouldexpect thecrowdstoacceptjesusaswhowe aretoldheis,the SonofGod especiallythosewhoknewhimbest. Yet,ratherthanaccep6nghim,those closesttohim thepeopleofjesus hometownofnazareth takeoffense athimandfirmlyrejecthim.
Nazarethtoday,withtheChurchoftheAnnuncia6onatphoto scenter. Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
Nazarethandthe BrowoftheCliff overlookingthejezreelvalley. Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
Dr.Creasyteachingthisverystoryonthe BrowoftheCliff Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*
Inthiscarefullystructured sequenceofmark4:1 6:6, ratherthanthetensioneasing withtheevidenceofjesus teachingandhealing,it con6nuestoriseasour narra6vespeedsforward. InLesson#7wewillmoveout oftherela6vecalmofthe eye ofthestorm andintofullcrisis, withthemurderofjohnthe Bap6standJesus responseto it.
Ques6onsfordiscussionandthought ** 1. Theothersynop6cgospels,MaWhewandLuke,giveus numerousexamplesofjesus teachinginparables (MaWhew23parablesandLuke28),yetMarkonly givesus9.why? 2. WhydoesJesusteachinparables? 3. Thebirds res6ngintheshade ofthemustardplantis nearlyalwayspresentedinaposi6veway.whyisthis anincorrectreadingoftheparable? 4. WhyarethepeopleofGadara seizedwithfear when theylearnofjesuscas6ngoutthe legion ofdemons fromthemanatthetombs? 5. IfyouwerepresentinthecrowdswhowitnessedJesus ac6vi6esingalilee,howwouldyourespondtohim?
Copyright 2014byWilliamC.Creasy All rights reserved. No part of this course audio, video, photography, maps, 6melines or other media may be reproducedortransmiwedinanyformbyanymeans,electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any informa6on storage or retrieval devices without permission in wri6ngoralicensingagreementfromthecopyrightholder.