Chapter # 2 Paragraph # 2 Study # 2
July 30, 2019
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis:   Mark's record of the scribal opposition to Jesus is a revelation of seriously hypocritical men whose deeply seated jealousy of His popularity forced them into a completely untenable attempt to make Him out to be unworthy of men's willingness to be disciples.

Introduction:   In our first consideration of this paragraph we noted that Mark presented Jesus as duplicating His original behavior in summoning men into His discipleship program as recorded in 1:16-20. We also saw that he added the newer thesis that Jesus' popularity was growing exponentially. And, we saw that Mark deliberately inserted the "Levi thesis", which had to do with the downside of "performance theology": the rebellion of despair. As we have noted on multiple occasions, this "despair" issue is one of two deeply involved in the main message of "repentance". Mark's "point" was very likely that Jesus' "grace" ministry was to find its most fruitful results among those whose understanding of "Law" was correct: condemnation (Romans 3:19). "Levi" was the "third" son of a hopelessly legalistic mother and his impact over the years was to establish "Law" as the way to relate to God. Thus, the original "Levi" set Israel up for the two attitudes that called for "repentance", and this latter day "Levi" became the poster child of those who recognized that if "Law" is the way to relate to God, "hopelessness" rules the day. These are those who wallow in the valleys of despair.

Now, this evening we are going to look at how Mark pivots to the other side of the message of repentance by looking into those "Levites" who took the "mountains of arrogance" approach to life.

• I. The Scribes of the Pharisees.
  • A. Mark's use of this description of Jesus' opponents is deliberate.
    • 1. In Mark's references to the Pharisees, there is a decidedly murderous focus (Mark 3:6 coupled to Mark 8:15).
      • a. He describes them very early (3:6) as murderous in intent.
      • b. He further reveals them later as being thoroughly permeated by a "leaven" that is willing to be "murderous" in order to protect their foolish pride (8:15).
    • 2. Mark's reference to these "scribes" is a "pointer" to one of the primary "methods" of this "pride".
      • a. This "method" is "reputation building through a rigorous pursuit of 'education' ".
        • 1) The "reputation building" issue is deadly beyond words: John 5:44 and 7:18 compared with Hebrews 11:6 and 3:12.
        • 2) The "rigorous pursuit of 'education' " is not, itself, a bad thing; but, it must be rooted in a legitimate motivation or it is the handmaid of the destruction that comes from wanting to have a "reputation" in the eyes of men.
      • b. The epitome of this tactic is revealed by John 7:49.
  • B. Mark's presentation of the opponents' behavior is also deliberate.
    • 1. They "saw" a very large crowd of "tax collectors and sinners" flocking to Jesus and He was "eating" with them (the Authorized Version's "and drinking" is an uninspired addition).
      • a. The "large" crowd of people stirred the deeply-seated jealousy of these men (15:10).
      • b. The "eating" seemed to them to be a valid "wedge" for them to use to attempt to "pry" His disciples away from Him.
        • 1) This "eating" thing was deeply entrenched in the psyche of the culture (Acts 11:2-3).
        • 2) This "eating" thing was rooted in a perception that "Law" taught "contamination by contact" in the moral realm as well as the physical realm.
        • 3) Their expression of extreme distaste to the "disciples" was not a "question"; it was a vehement (over loud) accusation of significant moral inferiority designed to force His disciples to "God" over Jesus.
    • 2. Mark's presentation is of men who, as the "educated"/"qualified" judges of others, made it very clear that no one could be a disciple of this Jesus without partaking of His moral inferiority.
• II. Jesus' Response.
  • A. Was rooted in what He "heard".
    • 1. 2:8 makes it plain that He didn't have to "hear".
    • 2. Thus, the suggestion is that the scribes' disapproval was designed to be loud enough to promote themselves and to condemn Jesus.
  • B. Identified the real problem.
    • 1. The metaphor of doctoring the diseased is His platform.
      • a. To Jesus, "eating" with tax collectors and sinners was a viable approach to the "disease".
        • 1) One "edge" on Jesus' "medicine", beginning with the tax collectors and sinners, was holding back on the expression of His total disapproval of their wallowing in despair.
          • a) This is the essence of "grace" in expression.
          • b) This did not mean that He approved of them or their attitude; it just meant that strong disapproval would only drive the despair deeper into hopelessness.
        • 2) The other "edge" on Jesus' "medicine", in application to the scribes of the Pharisees, was to shut them out completely from grace with a humiliating "put down" (everyone knows the "healthy" do not need a doctor; even the scribes).
          • a) This is the essence of God's "resistance to the proud" in expression.
          • b) This did not mean that "grace" was absolutely unavailable to them; it just meant that the scribes' lack of awareness of their diseased condition made them think there was no need for a doctor.
            • i. They considered themselves as NOT "having it badly".
            • ii. They had no clue that their undiagnosed "cancer" was just about terminal.
      • b. To Jesus, the "disease" is the absence of "repentance" and "forgiveness".
    • 2. Jesus declared He was not "calling" those who were "righteous".

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This is article #092.
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