Yogi Berra once said, "No one
goes to that restaurant anymore - It's always too crowded." Irene Peter said,
"Always be sincere, even though you do not necessarily mean it." These
are oxymoron's which are combinations of
contradictory words. There are many such phrases which are in common use, for
example, a fine mess, accidentally on purpose, awfully pretty, freezer burn,
jumbo shrimp and authentic reproduction.
Is the phrase "rejected
servants of God" also an oxymoron? How is it possible that those who serve
the living God who raised Jesus from the dead suffer? Nate Saint and Jim
Elliot, were missionaries in Ecuador California
I. The Biblical Stories
So let's begin by examining the
three stories in Mark 6:1-29 .
A. Jesus Is Rejected
After traveling around the region
of Galilee , Jesus returned to his home town
and on a Sabbath day, attended the synagogue service with His disciples. While
there he had an opportunity to teach and He did so with an authority and an
understanding that they had not heard before. The people were amazed, but they
were also conflicted. He wasn’t a teacher. He had not been to the rabbinic
schools; he had not studied Scripture or rhetoric. He was a carpenter. They had
also known Him in his growing up years. He was Mary’s son, which may imply
their knowledge that he had been conceived before Joseph and Mary were married.
They also knew his siblings and in all of this knowledge they saw nothing
remarkable in him.
So this was
the reason for their conflicted opinions. On the one hand they heard the
amazing teaching he gave and they knew he did miracles; and on the other hand,
he was just an ordinary neighbor. They saw great power and great wisdom in Him,
but didn’t understand the source of it and so they rejected him. Familiarity
took the upper hand and we read in Mark
6:3 that “they took offense at him.”
Jesus responded by saying in verse
4, "“Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among
their own kin, and in their own house.” We are familiar with a similar saying, “Familiarity
breeds contempt.” The other reaction was that he had a minimal healing ministry
there. Why was the healing ministry limited? Some have suggested that Jesus'
power was diminished by lack of faith and others that Jesus refused to heal
because their faith was not large enough. Both of these explanations do not fit
well with what we know of Jesus and His power. The best explanation is that
they didn’t believe in Him so they didn’t go to him. Jesus responded with
amazement at their lack of faith.
In spite of rejection, Jesus didn’t
quit. He went out to the surrounding villages and continued to teach.
B. The Twelve Are Sent Out
In Mark 3:14 we read that he chose
the twelve “that they might be with him and that he might send them out to
preach.” He had been with them and now it was time for them to preach, as we
read in Mark 6:7-13 .
Jesus set them up in teams of two and gave them authority to heal and teach. He
instructed them to go out with a minimum of stuff so that they would rely on
the hospitality of those they met and on God.
Jesus also instructed them on what
to do when they were not accepted. They were not to stay where they were not
welcome. They were not to force the message of God on those who did not want to
listen. Shaking the dust off their feet when they were leaving has implications
not only of rejection, but also of the judgment of God on those who refused the
message. We have an example of this in Acts 18:6 where we read about Paul, "When they
opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said
to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go
to the Gentiles.’”
With these
instructions, Jesus sent them out and even though Jesus warned them that they
might face opposition and rejection, we read in Mark 6:12 that they had a very
successful ministry. They not only preached, but also drove out demons, which
Jesus had authorized them to do, and anointed people with oil and healed them.
When they came back, we read in Mark
6:30 , "The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all
that they had done and taught."
C. John the Baptist is Killed
While they were out preaching, we
see that their ministry had an impact on spreading the message about Jesus. This
once more prompted the debate about the identity of Jesus and many weighed in
with their opinions. Some thought He was Elijah and some, one of the prophets.
Another opinion was that He was John the Baptist resurrected. This was also the
opinion of Herod who probably thought so because of a guilty conscience because
it was he who had put John to death
In order to explain how John died,
Mark includes a fairly lengthy account of his death. It is a story, which if it
was a movie on television, we probably wouldn’t let young children watch.
John had been functioning according
to his calling as a prophet of God. He had told Herod that his marriage was
adulterous. Herod had married his brother’s wife, Herodias, and John had
declared it wrong. Herod’s wife did not like this and wanted Herod to put John
to death. But Herod wasn’t willing to do that but did arrest him. While in
custody, he liked listening to John. The text says he was “puzzled” which I
understand to mean that he was conflicted. On the one hand he liked to hear him
and on the other hand he did not want to follow what he said.
Finally an opportunity came for
Herodias to have her way. Herod was celebrating his birthday with all the big
shots. During the celebration, possibly as her gift, the daughter of his wife,
performed a dance for his guests. Many commentators suggest that it was a lewd
dance, but there is nothing in the text to confirm that. She did such a good
job that everyone liked it and Herod also enjoyed it very much and, in a state
of enthusiasm likely meant to impress his guests, he offered her a very
generous gift. She went to her mother to ask what she should ask for and her
mother was quick to respond and she asked for John’s head on a platter. With
great distress, Herod was forced to comply because he had made an oath in front
of his guests. That is how John’s life came to an end and we are told that his
followers gave him a proper burial.
II. Lessons about Suffering and Servanthood
We should not see it as
coincidental that Mark puts these three stories together. As usual in his
gospel, he is preaching and the message of these three stories is about the
suffering of God’s servants. Is the suffering of God's servants an oxymoron? We
make a mistake if we assume that everything will always go well for servants of
Jesus. We believe that resurrection means victory for Jesus and that since
Jesus has won, we also can live in victory. However, living in resurrection
victory does not mean we will be able to avoid all hardship and persecution.
The text today reminds us of that reality. As we reflect on these stories and
examine the rest of Scripture, it isn’t difficult to come to a clear understanding
of the relationship between ministry and suffering and to know that a suffering
servant of Jesus is not an oxymoron. Rather, we are called to understand it and
learn how to live in that context.
A. The Reality of Suffering
1. Suffering in the Midst of Ministry
One of the things we learn from
these stories is that in the midst of ministry, suffering and rejection may
happen. If Jesus, His disciples and John the Baptist all experienced suffering,
as these stories indicate, what makes us think that we won’t? Just because we
have given ourselves to serving Jesus does not mean that there won’t be times
when what we do will not be accepted and times when the difficulties which
happen to everyone will also happen to us.
Jesus was doing great things yet we
have already seen that he experienced all kinds of rejection. Intense and
somewhat surprising was the rejection by the religious leaders who should have
known that Jesus was serving God. Rejection by the Gentiles in the region of
the Geresenes was understandable, but that by his home town crowd was most surprising.
Yet all of these things happened.
When Jesus sent the disciples out,
he warned them that not everyone would accept them and warned them that it was
possible that they would experience suffering.
Therefore it is not surprising that
the Apostle Paul also experienced suffering in the midst of his ministry. In Acts 9:16 , when God called Paul,
he already told him that he would experience such suffering. There we read,
"I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
In II Corinthians 11:25-29
we read of some of his experiences: "I was shipwrecked; for a night and a
day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger
from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from
Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger
from false brothers and sisters; 27 in toil and hardship,
through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold
and naked. 28 And, besides other things, I am under daily
pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches."
So it is important to realize that
this is a reality. If we are serving the Lord, it may well be difficult. In the
midst of our service, we may experience suffering or opposition.
2. Suffering That Results From Ministry
It is also important for us to know
that sometimes our suffering will come as a direct result of what we are
proclaiming. It was because John spoke a word from God to Herod that he was put
to death. He was doing the ministry God had called him to and died because of
it. In Mark 13:9-11 ,
Jesus warned us, “they will hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten
in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of me…”
In II Corinthians 11:23-25 ,
Paul reports how that exact thing had happened to him. He reflects on his
experiences of “far more imprisonments, with countless floggings, and often
near death. 24 Five times I have received from the Jews the
forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods.
Once I received a stoning…”
We have
lived for so long in a society that accepts or at least tolerates us and our
proclamation of the gospel. But that is not so in much of the world and is not
always true even in our context. Although we may vary in our responses to how
Christians should respond to Bill 18, at least a part of what has been
happening to some Christians is happening because of opposition to their
defense of holy living. Of course, we need to talk wisely about how we can best
be God's representatives on earth and we need to make sure that if we are
opposed it is because of the gospel message and not because of our behavior. We
need to know that just as John the Baptist and Jesus suffered for the message
they proclaimed, we may also have to suffer because we are doing God’s work.
B. Ministry and Suffering
If we are involved in serving
Jesus, we may suffer and it is important for us to be aware of that reality.
But there is another profound relationship between suffering and ministry which
we must also be aware of and that is that ministry follows suffering.
1. Ministry in Spite of Suffering
I believe that Mark does not write
things in a random order. There is purpose for the things he writes and the
order in which he writes them. In Mark
6:1-6a we read about the rejection of Jesus and in Mark 6:6b , we read “Then he went
about among the villages teaching.” Commentators debate where this verse
belongs. Does it belong to the previous section about the rejection of Jesus or
the following section about the ministry of the disciples? In some ways it
belongs to both, but I believe it fits best with the story of the rejection of
Jesus, for it reminds us, that, as Geddert says, “There is also ministry in the
midst of suffering…” Jesus experienced rejection, but, in spite of that, continued
to go to the villages around and teach.
Ministry can continue even in the
midst of difficulty. Once again a story which comes out of the life of the
apostle Paul helps us understand this. Acts 16:16-34 tells the story about when Paul and those
with him were arrested in Philippi . They had
been proclaiming the gospel and because of their success were arrested and put
in prison. In the midst of that suffering in prison, they continued to serve
God. They didn’t mope and become discouraged, but continued to sing His
praises. When an earthquake opened the prison doors, they stayed put and it
became an opportunity to tell the gospel story to the jailer who accepted
Jesus.
2. Ministry Because of Suffering
Even more amazing is that sometimes
ministry arises directly out of and because of suffering. It is one thing to
determine to continue to serve Jesus even when we are in the midst of
suffering. It is a miracle of grace that because we suffer, we have an
increased ability to serve God. In II
Corinthians 1:4 we read, "…who consoles us in all our
affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction
with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God." Paul,
because of all kinds of difficult experiences, understood trials and God’s
power and taught others what he had learned in difficulty.
In II Corinthians 12:7-10 we
have a clear theology of ministry that arises out of suffering when Paul says,
"Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the
flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three
times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, 9 but
he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in
weakness.' So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the
power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am content with
weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of
Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong."
May we learn to see how our
suffering can become not only something that we have to bear and live through,
but something which allows us to have a more powerful and more effective
ministry!
C. Strength for Suffering
How do we live with all this?
1. Perseverance
It is a delusion to think that
suffering or persecution will not happen to people who are living in the
resurrection. As we have seen this truth in the stories we have looked at
today, I hope that we have been encouraged to accept this truth. Because awareness
is important and allows us to persevere. Jesus instructed us in Matthew 11:6 , "And blessed
is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
But how do we persevere? The way to
persevere is in the power of God. In II
Timothy 1:8 , Paul encourages us, "Do not be ashamed, then, of
the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in
suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God."
2. Purpose
There is another Biblical concept
which I have to admit I do not fully understand. It seems that there is some
divine purpose in the suffering of the people of God. Sometimes suffering is
permitted to accomplish purposes which we do not fully understand. Colossians 1:24 says, "I
am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am
completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body,
that is, the church." The phrase “I am completing what is lacking in
Christ’s afflictions” is an interesting and puzzling phrase. Is our suffering
somehow needed to complete what God wants to do on earth? It certainly does not
mean that more suffering is needed to bring salvation. But how does suffering
assist in the coming of the kingdom
of God Colossians 1:24 .
Perhaps we also see such logic in II
Corinthians 4:11 where we read, "For while we live, we are
always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may
be made visible in our mortal flesh."
Seeing
purpose in suffering for the kingdom
of God
3. Rejoicing
Yet we are not only called to bear
suffering, but even to rejoice in it.
It is amazing how many passages in
Scripture call us to rejoice in suffering. In II Corinthians 12:10 we are
called to rejoice in suffering because then God’s power is shown to be great.
In James 1:2-5 we
are called to rejoice in suffering because it is a part of the process of
becoming mature in Christ.
We will
have joy in suffering as a servant of Jesus only when we live in a deep and
trusting relationship with Him. May we come to this place in our walk with
Jesus!
4. Hope
Finally, we can recognize that the
phrase, "suffering servants of Jesus" is not an oxymoron because we
live in hope. Once again there are many Scripture passages which remind us of
our eternal hope.
Conclusion
Referring to the two stories of
rejection in this passage, Geddert comments, “The mission of the kingdom cannot
be stopped by Nazereth’s lack of faith or Herod’s foolish oath.”
In other words, rejection and
difficulty cannot stop the kingdom from growing. The power of enemies or of
rulers cannot stop God from accomplishing His purposes.
May we understand the reality of
the phrase, “suffering servants of Jesus” and recognize its power and hope so
that we will not allow difficulty, trial, hardship or rejection to prevent us
from faithfully continuing to serve Jesus.
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