Christ’s Power Over Every Need

The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series

“The Road to Greatness Is Covered With Salt”

Mark 9:30-50

 Introduction

If you google “how to be successful” you will get thousands of quotes form people telling you their way and idea of success. Here are a few quotes. Jesus tells us that if we want to be successful in this life, then we need to listen and follow Him. But his way to success and how he defines success if radically different than the world. This morning we will look at how to be successful according to Jesus.

Prayer

 The Arguing Evangelists (vv. 30-37)

30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

“And he did not want anyone to know” – Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee is officially finished, and at this point he wants to focus on preparing and teaching the disciples. Jesus is preparing the disciples to carry on His mission of the way of salvation for humanity. Salvation of the world.

This is the second time Jesus introduces that He is going to die, and here when it says, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered” the idea of betrayal is added. The verb “is going to be betrayed,” is a betrayal that will happen in the future, but the verb usage also means it is happening right now. Jesus is telling them that right now, there is someone who is betraying Him, into the hands of men – which will lead to his death – but he will rise again in three days.

The last time they had discussed this topic, Jesus ended up calling Peter Satan, and telling him to get behind him (Mark 8:31,33). [1] So no one wants to be called Satan, and rebuked so no one asks Him anything.

33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Jesus then asks them, what they were discussing along the way – it was not Jesus being delivered into the hands of men, who was betraying him, or His death, or even his eventual resurrection from the dead. Instead of discussing these things, “they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.” They had been disputing “the relative rank of each of them in the political kingdom which they were expecting him to establish.”[2]

“The implication is that all of the twelve will be great, yet some will be “greater’ than others”[3] and as the disciples conceived it as being filled with earthly glory and grandeur with Jesus as the earthly king.[4]

“And he sat down and called the twelve.” – Jesus waits until he gets inside the house to deal with their issue of pride, envy, jealousy, and their unwillingness to expand the circle of the twelve – This is a formal way of sitting, where Jesus would have crossed his legs in front of him, and would have indicated that he was about to teach or pass on important instructions.[5]

(v. 35) “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” This principle is so important that it is repeated again and again (Mark 10:31, 43-44, Matthew 23:8-11; Luke 22:24-27). There is a rule for greatness in the kingdom of God. There is an order, a ranking. Jesus does not even persuade people from seeking to be great in the kingdom.

Jesus has already defined service as Mark 8:34-35 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Therefore, to serve, or to be a servant is a denial of self, and sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. The one who wishes to be the greatest, to lead the others, must be a servant of all and deny themselves.

(v. 36) “To illustrate the principle in v. 35, Jesus took a child, and stood him by his side, and as Jesus is talking hugs the child. “And he took a child and put him in the midst of them” “The child is set before the Twelve as an example of discipleship, . . .the disciples are to identify themselves with children and become “the little ones” who have no basis for pretension and greatness.”[6] But also the child is an object of kind treatment, and when Jesus hugs the child, shows how all that the child represents should be treated.[7]

“To welcome one of these little children means, in context, to treat honorably other disciples, taking the role of servant toward them. It’s all about how you treat the child.”[8]

The Anonymous Exorcist (vv. 38-41)

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”[9] 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

John[10] changes the subject, (talking about service, let me tell you what we did) “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name” “So he told about a case of extra zeal on his part expecting praise from Jesus.”[11]

“What irked the disciples was that, though he was not one of them, he was being successful at it!”[12] While Mark is not given in a chronological order, this event does fall after Mark’s description of the disciples not being able to cast out a demon (Mark 9:18). They felt threatened as Jesus’ disciples (the inner 12), so they tried to shut down the other person’s work. They told him to stop and he didn’t.

A similar thing happened in Numbers 11:26-29 “Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.”

“The anonymous exorcist grasped that an essential dimension of Jesus’ ministry was the confrontation and defeat of Satan. The use of Jesus’ name (i.e. “I command you to come out in Jesus’ name!”) shows an awareness that it was Jesus who ordered the action, which is accomplished by his sovereign will.[13] The fact that the demon left shows that the man was a believer.

(v. 38) Jesus’ response is to say, “Do not stop him” – Don’t slow him down, hinder him, etc. from serving in Jesus’ name. As the gospel begins to go forth, people begin to minister in Jesus’ name, and they may be better at it than you! God’s power was not limited just to the twelve. “For the one who is not against us is for us.”— This new believer is out there doing ministry in Jesus’ name.

The Examples of Atrocities (vv. 42-50)

Causing Others to Sin

42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

 Whoever is a reference to a person causing another person to sin (by stopping them, or hindering them in their childlike faith of serving God). Skandalizo can mean to miss the mark, fall short, where we get the word sin from, but it can also mean to pull someone away from following another – which seems to be the context here. It means “causing someone to fall into unbelief, serious sin, or false teaching.”[14]

 “Here the designation “the little ones” is extended to other followers whose allegiance to Jesus is no less exemplified in their own spheres of labor (exorcism, hospitality) than is true of the Twelve.”[15] The little ones were people who had just begin to put their faith in Jesus, “babes in the faith.”

 (v. 42) “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin” The little ones is not a reference to the child Jesus has brought into the circle earlier. He is directly referencing the followers of Jesus who begin to try and minister in Jesus’ name. So, Jesus brings the discussion back to service – The apostles are called to serve, to continue the mission of Jesus when He is gone, but they must do it in humility, and holiness, and they should not hinder anyone else from serving as well.[16]

And if you do stand in the way, and cause someone to stop serving, thereby sin, “it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” [17] This is very serious because by doing that, you have stopped their spiritual growth, and you have stopped any work they may have accomplished moving forward.

 Things Causing You to Sin (Parts of Yourself)

43[18] And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”[19]

Then Jesus transitions into a teaching on things that would cause this sin (hand, foot, eye) – “It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell.” Both heaven and hell are described as actual places. Gehenna is regarded as a place “where” the damned are; and their torment goes on and on in a fire that is never quenched.

There is a link between the body part and the resulting sin done by that body part – and how that one body part effects the entire body. “The parts of the body mentioned here are really symbols for various types of activity, for example, the hand that grasps for things it should not, the foot that goes where it ought not, or the eye that desires what it ought not.”[20] It is better to get rid of the foot, than for the entire body to be destroyed.

Both pulling a “little one” away from faithful service, and you allowing on part of sin to pull you away from God – Jesus is saying drastic action is requi Radical obedience is demanded. Whatever part of you that is not sold out to following Jesus needs to be done away with.

“The Valley of Hinnom had been desecrated by the sacrifice of children to Moloch so that as an accursed place it was used for the city garbage where worms gnawed and fires burned. It is thus a vivid picture of eternal punishment.”[21]

(v. 48) Jesus quotes directly from Isaiah 66:24 “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” “The worm is internal, “the fire” is external, thus the entire suffering of the person.

(v. 49) “For everyone will be salted with fire” – “everyone must be salted somehow, either with the unquenchable fire of Gehenna, or with the fire of severe self-discipline.”[22] Fire is painful, self-discipline is painful, you have to deny what your flesh desires.

Our entry into “the kingdom of God” or to Gehenna Hell – is a choice. We choose what we take off and put on. We choose what our priorities will be, we choose what we allow to control us. We choose who our God will be.

(v. 50) “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again?” – “Jesus is warning the disciples not to lose that characteristic in them that brings life to the world and prevents decay.”[23] As a believer, we should stand out (like salt gives food a better taste). But, salt can lose its’ flavor. So too, a follower of Jesus can become so like the world, that there is no discernable difference, and thereby a worthless witness.

This is why our regular study and obedience to God’s Word is so important. If we are to be freed from the world’s corruption and influence, we must be preserved (like salt) by the Word, and refined (as by fire) by the Word of God.

“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another” – Instead of arguing with one another about how they are serving (casting out demons without your permission), focus on you adding flavor to the world (self-discipline and self-denial), and be at peace with other believers. Jesus also wants believers to “take extremely seriously their responsibility to avoid acts that would drive away other disciples from the circle of discipleship.”[24]

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[1] Mark 8:31 “Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

[2] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1932) 345.

[3] “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” George Orwell, Animal Farm.

[4] R. C. H. Lenski, The interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Augsburg Publishing, 1964) 390.

[5] Lenski, 391.

[6] William L. Lane, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan; W.B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1974) 341.

[7] Alexander Balmain Bruce, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM B Eerdsman Co., 1967) 405.

[8] Bruce, 153.

[9] “It is striking, however, that after each of the three major prophecies of the passion the evangelist inserts the response of one of the three disciples who were closest to Jesus; Peter (Mk. 8:32f.), John (Mk. 9:38), and James, with John (Mk. 10:35-37). Mark shows in this way that even the most privileged of the disciples failed to understand what the passion signified for their life and mission.” Lane, 342.

[10] This is the only time Mark mentions John alone.

[11] Robertson, 346.

[12] Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1984) 707.

[13] Lane, 343. See Also, Acts 19:13-16.

[14] Bruce, 156.

[15] Lane, 345.

[16] Click the link for further discussion on the Didache and the apostles desire to control “authenticity of faith and consistency in practice” https://drewboswell.com/determining-curriculum-part-one/

[17] Acts 5:37 speaks of a rebellion against the Romans in Galilee under the leadership of a Zealot named Judas the Galilean. A punishment for some of the rebellion’s leadership was a millstone tied around their neck and being cast into the sea. Lane 346.  Jesus’ disciples would have been familiar with this historical event.

[18] vv. 44 and 46 are not included – The oldest and best manuscripts do not give these two verses.

[19] Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”

[20] Larry W. Hurtado, New International Biblical Commentary, Mark (Peabody, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishers, 2001) 156.

[21] Jer. 2:23; 7:31, 32; II Chron. 28:3; 33:6, II Kings 23:10

[22] Bruce, 407.

[23] Gaebelein, 709.

[24] Hurtado, 156.

Christ’s Power Over Every Need

The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series

“Lord Help My Unbelief”

Mark 9:14-29

Introduction

Cell phone and charging cable.

Prayer

The Lack of Power by Jesus’ Pupils (vv. 14-18)

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed[1] and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”

The disciples have been on the mountain top with a transfigured Jesus, they have seen Moses and Elijah, and they heard the voice of God – it was a truly “mountain top” experience. But at some point, you have to come down from the mountain – so they are almost immediately encounter evil (demon possession) and unbelief.

The dispute between scribes and nine disciples, that the three disciples and Jesus walk into, seems to be over the disciples’ inability to heal the man’s son. Whatever the disciples would normally do to heal was not working this time – and the scribes jumped on the opportunity to make them, and thereby Jesus, look bad. So, an argument developed.

The father describes the condition of the spirit possessed boy. He is mute, he is thrown around because of convulsions, foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, get rigid, and there is an idea of withering. The evil of the demon is on keeping the child from saying what is wrong (mute), he can’t hear the truth of Jesus, the gospel, his father’s loving voice telling him we are going to get some help (deaf), and the demon seeks to cripple him, scar him, and ultimately destroy him. Evil’s goal with everyone he can get his claws into is destruction.

And the disciples did not have (ischus) the strength to handle this case, “they were not able” to cast it out. Why?

The Potential of Power (vv. 19-24)

19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

“This is not just another miracle story or another example of Jesus’ power over demons; it is also intended to instruct mark’s readers (the church) about their task of continuing the work of Jesus.”[2] It is also the work that we are to be about.

(v. 19) “how long am I to be with you?” – Jesus knows his time is limited and that there will come a time, very soon, when the disciples will have to continue on with the mission given to them from Jesus, in faith.

(v. 22a) “to destroy him” – the possessing spirit has tried and tried again to make him convulse and thrown himself into water and into fire, for the purpose of destroying the boy. Satan’s goal through tempting people to doubt and have unbelief is to ultimately lead them into destruction (both here on this earth, and in eternity).

Also, “the purpose of demonic possession is to distort and destroy the image of God in man.”[3] The purpose of Jesus’ mission is to restore man back to be able to accurately bear the image of God.

Satan seeks to destroy; Jesus restores.

(v. 22b) “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us” – This man’s response to Jesus is based on his earlier interaction with Jesus’ disciples. The father’s understanding of Jesus’ ability is influenced by the disciple’s ability.

(v. 23) “And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” – Jesus is challenging the man’s faith. “What is to be tested in the arena of experience is not Jesus’ ability, but the father’s refusal to set limits to what can be accomplished through the power of God.”[4] The father doesn’t have faith in Jesus, he is just willing to try anything to help his son.

Jesus asks how long has this been going on? “from childhood” but he is still described as a child. But this has been going on for some time. Time and stress takes it toll on what we envision for the future. What do you think this man envisioned for his future?

This man’s eyes are closed to the possibility that life could be radically different than how is right then. Life can be a little better, but not fully healed son Difficulty, pain of our loved ones, life’s twists and turns that don’t go our way – it is easy to begin to believe that something better is not possible in our lives. I’m not talking about health and wealth, I’m talking about the peace that passes all understanding, the releasing of weight of guilt that comes from the forgiveness of sin from our Creator. I’m talking about a faith in Jesus Christ that opens up a world of possibilities.

“All things are possible,” “does not convey that believing will magically produce anything one might desire but rather means that Jesus’ power is available by faith to meet any need that arises in the course of ministering in his name.”[5]

(v. 24) “I believe; help my unbelief!” – The man had some faith, but wants more. He had faith to bring his son to the disciples in the first place, he had some hope in Jesus, or he would have already left to go back home. He wanted to go from where he was, to get to where ever he needed to be so that his child could be healed.

“He asks Jesus to heal him – the father—first. ‘Whatever is in me, Lord, that does not believe or want to believe, heal that first.’ Like removing the log from your own eye, this request was not only appropriate but life-giving.” [6]

He says that he believes and does not believe at the same time. He is asking Jesus (in faith) to help him overcome his unbelief (lack of faith). He has some faith, but not what he desires to have. So the father is asking for two healings – his own lack of faith, and his son’s condition.

2 Kings 6:15-17 “When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” This should be all of our prayers, “Lord help my unbelief.”

 The Power of Prayer (vv. 25-29)

25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”[7]

There seems to be two crowds developing – one crowd (v. 15) was with the father and gathered when they saw Jesus arrive. They came and welcomed Him and were there for the conversation. With this first crowd around, Jesus is asking questions, “how long has this been going on, etc.”

It was not until the father cries out, “I believe, help my unbelief” that the second crowd began to run toward the child, the father, and Jesus. The nine disciples had failed, would Jesus be successful? The crowd was running to see the difference. The second crowd were not concerned about the boy, the father, etc. – they wanted to see a show.

So Jesus moved quickly before they get there. Also, notice the crowd’s response to Jesus casting out the demon – they say, “He is dead.” Even though they ran to see the miracle performed by Jesus, there is no sign that anyone in the crowd, other than the father, placed their faith in Christ. “The crowd was not made any more believing by this astounding exorcism, which must have been even more impressive after the disciple’s failure; they remain an unbelieving generation.”[8]

Jesus addresses the spirit directly, and not the boy, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” There are some who would say, the accounts of demons or evil working spirits in the Bible are simply diagnosed medical conditions today (Tourette Syndrome, schizophrenia, epilepsy, bruxism). But because Jesus specifically addresses the spirit, where are as when he heals a person he does not do this.

“A few things can be said in response to this. (1) All sickness is not demon possession. (2) The deafness here is of demonic origin; however, not all instances of deafness are attributed to demons. (3) The seizures were the work of an unclean spirit.”[9]

But the demon did as much harm as it could on its way out, “after crying out and convulsing him terribly” – They are resisting because they are being dethroned. Satan has to submit to the authority and rule of Jesus in this boy’s life. Whenever a person receives Christ by faith, there is a dethroning that takes place – Satan has to step down and Jesus sits on the throne of the person’s life.

(v. 28) Again, we see that the disciples have direct access to Jesus to ask Him questions, and to ask about why things happened as they did, “And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

 “They had been given authority over evil spirits (6:7) and had successfully cast out many demons before the incident (6:13). Why the failure now? They began to take for granted the power given them or had come to believe that it was inherent in themselves.

So they no longer depended upon prayerfully on God for it, and their failure showed their lack of prayer.”[10] They began to think that it was them, in their own strength, talents, personality, even their position as apostles that the demons would run before them.

Holding a position does not mean you automatically mean you have the power needed to be affective – everyone who is seeking to serve Christ and His kingdom, must be empowered by prayer.

“The disciples had been tempted to believe that the gift they had received from Jesus (Mark 6:7) was in their control and could be exercised at their disposal. This was a subtle form of unbelief, for it encouraged them to trust in themselves rather than in God.”[11] The disciples are linked by their gift to the Lord, and it is based on an ongoing relationship.

We have each been given at least one spiritual gift; Romans 12:6-8 “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” And it is God’s desire that you use these gifts within in the body of Christ, for His glory, and to see the kingdom expanded.

But because there are some things that just come so natural for you, it is easy to begin to think it’s all about you. You may even be able to go a while on your own strength and talents – but there will come a moment, and obstacle, where in order to accomplish it, you must have the power of God.

You have a gift, and it is powered by a reliance upon God, through prayer. You can also put your efforts toward what you know you can alone accomplish, or go about God sized tasks. “Spiritual power is not something which once possessed will always be available. It must be maintained and renewed.”[12]

(v. 29) “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” “They were powerless because they were prayerless.”[13] Earlier when Jesus says, “All things are possible for one who believes” – power is available to accomplish what needs to be accomplished, and it is accessed through prayer.

Success is not found in you trying harder, not in your personality, and not in your brilliant intellect. Mountains are moved by the power of God, working though His people. When God’s people forget this, the power stops flowing, and we become ineffective in our attempts to do good in His name.

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[1] Utterly amazed Mark 9:15 (the returned Master), 14:33 (agony in the garden), 16:5 (appearance of the angel at the resurrection).

[2] Larry W. Hurtado, New International Biblical Commentary, Mark (Peabody Massachusetts; Hendrickson, Publishers, 1989) 147.

[3] William L. Lane, The New Testament Commentary on The New Testament, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan; W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974) 331.

[4] Lane, 333.

[5] Hurtado, 150.

[6] Anders, 149.

[7] Matthew 17:20

[8] Rudolf Schnackenburg, The Gospel According to St. Mark, Volume 2 (New York, New York; Crossroad Publishing Co., 1981) 27.

[9] Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman Reference, 2000) 149.

[10] Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1984) 704.

[11] Lane, 335.

[12] James Brooks, The New American Commentary, Mark (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1991) 147.

[13] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1932) 343.