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“Praying for Salty Conversations” Colossians 4:2-6
“Praying For Salty Conversations” Colossians 4:2-6
“The Supreme Life”
A Sermon Series in Colossians
“Praying For Salty Conversations”
Colossians 4:2-6
Introduction
The opening of Colossians spells out how Christ is preeminent over all things, especially over the work of salvation. He lays a foundation that Jesus was God and His work on the cross is sufficient for salvation. Then he turns to how the church should relate to each other, and how believers should put off sinful behavior, and put on godly behavior. Then Paul addresses the family and how it was to function specifically dealing with the issue of authority. All of these things have been inward focused; in today’s text and in his closing of the book Paul points the church outward.
Paul is addressing the church and a major drive of the book has been to avoid false teachers, but we don’t avoid false teachers by distancing ourselves from the non-Christians or the world. They need to resist the false teaching, while at the same time share the gospel with their neighbors. But before we get into today’s text, I want us look quickly at an OT passage, 2 Kings 13:14-19,
Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”
Joash the king did what Elisha the prophet told him – take a bow and arrows, shot an arrow out the window, strike the ground with the arrows – why was Elisha the prophet angry? He said, “You should have struck five or six times, . .” Joash did what he was told but he had no zeal, no enthusiasm – just doing enough to get by. Today we will discuss basic Christian things (moral living, praying, sharing the gospel, thinking about time, etc.) but in all these things we must be zealous for the Lord.
The Christian Must Pray Continually (v. 2)
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Paul’s pointing the church outward begins by encouraging them to pray, “Continue steadfastly in prayer.” The word used here means prayer that is habitual and with perseverance. Jesus told parables about how believers should pray, Luke 18:1 “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (from the parable of the persistent widow).
Paul then adds the manner of the consistent prayer is, “watchful in it with thanksgiving.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:6 believers are to be alert and watching for the return of Christ. But this is not what Paul is referencing here, instead they are to be prayerful and watchful – and they are “to be “awake” to the nature of the times they live in – and to orient their lives accordingly.”[1] You are not watching to see something (as in a passing falling star), instead one is to watch so they can take an action. I am watching and alert to things going on around me, then I seek counsel and petition the Lord in prayer, and all the while I do it all thanksgiving.
With regards to prayer “Christians have always interpreted the splitting of the temple veil during the crucifixion as symbolic of their liberation from the mediated presence of God. Henceforth they were “free” to approach him directly – which is almost like telling someone he is “free” to stick his head in the lion’s jaws. For once you start praying there is no guarantee that you won’t find yourself before Pharaoh, shipwrecked on a desert island, or in a lion’s den.”[2]
In Genesis 32 Jacob wrestled with God, and he never walked the same for the rest of his life. To approach the throne of God and to wrestle with him in prayer, you are in a dangerous place in that you may be called to do the difficult – but there is also no safer place to be than in the will of God. Prayer will often not lead to an easier life, but a more difficult one filled with purpose and adventure.
The Christian Must Use His Words and Time Wisely (vv. 3-6)
3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Paul now moves from encouraging them to consistently pray, but to pray for him and his team specifically. “The prayer is not for the personal benefit of the apostle and his companions, but for the promotion of their work.”[3] Paul asks the church to pray, “that God may open to us a door for the word,” The emphasis is on the Word of God getting out to the world. “Paul does not pray that he or some other minister might have an open door to walk through, but that there might be ‘an open door for our message’.”[4]
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” The Word of God needs entrance because it is the word that has the power to transform human beings.
Earlier in Colossians 1:5-6 Paul says, “Of this (the hope laid up for you in heaven) you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing. . .” When the gospel is released in a community it begins to exert its’ power there. Everywhere there is an open door for the gospel to be proclaimed, its’ power is the same – lives are transformed. The gospel itself is powerful and life changing (nothing needs to be added to it or taken from it, just proclaim it).
There is power in the proclamation of the gospel, but that does not mean it will always be well received by all. Paul was “declar(ing) the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison.” Paul is in chains because he was proclaiming the gospel to a lost world. God’s word will always have power to expose sin, and discern the true thoughts of the heart – but people will respond differently to that power of the truth. Some people may kneel before the Lord, repent of their sin, and follow Christ, others will pick up stones to throw at the messenger.
Some Bible scholars believe that Acts chapters 22-24 describes this same imprisonment. In Acts 24:5-6 the Jewish elders have beaten Paul and the Romans authorities have him in prison more to protect him from the mob, “For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.” Paul does not change the gospel based on how he thinks the audience will respond. He speaks the truth. Sometimes churches are brought into existence, other times he is punished.
So then we jump to Paul’s prayer request is that when he presents the gospel, “that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” Paul is in prison, probably chained to a guard – yet his mind is on his next opportunity to proclaim the gospel. Paul is asking for prayer that he may be set free again to preach.[5] For Paul, there were no devastating circumstances, only unique opportunities.
Nothing is so far gone that the prayer of the saints,
and the proclamation of the gospel can’t change. Don’t give up.
(v. 5) “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time,” – “As believers immerse themselves in the life of Christ, having put on the “new man” (Col. 3:10-11), their minds are renewed by God’s Spirit (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23). Wisdom will enable us to determine just how, in given situations, our new way of thinking, our new set of biblical values, should be put into effect.”[6] “It takes wise walking to win them to Christ.”[7] And Paul’s words of instruction “imply that believers are to be cautious and tactful so as to avoid needlessly antagonizing or alienating their pagan neighbors.”[8]
Earlier in Colossians Paul was praying for the church that they would be 1:9-10 “asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, . . .” Here in 4:6 Paul picks back up with this same idea, but now he is focusing them (and us) on the outside community. He has warned the church to distance themselves from false teachers, and from worldly influence in their lives – but the Colossian Christians must also stay engaged with their fellow citizens and seek to lead them to Jesus.
Christians are to walk the narrow path of being
“in the world but not of the world.”
(v. 6) “making the best use of the time.”[9] – Greek uses a couple of words to indicate time; one is Kairos (used in v. 6) as in a duration of time, a season like harvest season, an opportunity. And Chronos refers to a specific measurement of time like days or hours.
In the context of Christians using wisdom to reach the lost community, and the original language has the idea of “buying up” time, as in “I need to purchase this segment of time, and make it my own.” There are ways that we spend our time that is wasteful, buy that time back and put it to godly use.
Also, Paul has been asking for prayer for “open doors” to share the gospel. Our wisdom that we need is that there will be moments presented to us, and we have an opportunity to share the gospel, so we need to seize that time – make the best use of that opportunity and not let it pass us by. Don’t waste time.
But we also can prayerfully plan out our days (Chronos), consider what is of greater value and make sure that gets accomplished. Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” So, we can plan out our days with wisdom, and there are unplanned things that happen (Kairos), and we seize the opportunity. Both require wisdom from God.
And in that moment, (v. 6) “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – in our sharing the gospel with others, our way of talking and over all attitude should convey grace. It carries the idea of “pleasantness,” “attractiveness,” “charm,” and “winsomeness.”[10]
What we say preserves the relationship and draws a person closer; we should not use speech that decays the relationship and drives a person away. Speak the truth plainly, but without judgment and condemnation.
1 Peter 3:15b gives a similar teaching, “. . . always being prepared to make a defense (to give an answer) to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, . . .”
“know how you ought to answer each person,” – In Acts 16 Paul is going to a Gentile city where there are not enough Jews to even have a synagogue. Paul’s method of evangelism was to enter a town, figure out where the Jewish synagogue was and show them how Jesus fulfilled Scripture and share the gospel, but when he gets there –where he had heard there were Jews gathered to pray, there were only women who had gathered,
“And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.” What Paul had planned to do, now had to change. So in Colossians Paul asks for prayer, “which is how I ought to speak.” How you share changes, not the message, but the method. The seasoned-with-salt conversation must be appropriate for each person we speak to.
If you were to evaporate a ton of water from the Pacific Ocean, you would get approximately seventy-nine pounds of salt. A ton of Atlantic water would yield eighty-one pounds. And from the Dead Sea you would get almost five hundred pounds. As these statistics demonstrate, the earth’s bodies of water vary greatly in their degree of saltiness. So do Christians. Jesus said that we are “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). But we all have different levels of “salt content.”
A few Scripture verses tell what it means to be “salty.” Salt enhances flavor (Job 6:6). Salt indicates purity in speech (Colossians 4:6). Salt symbolizes keeping a promise (Numbers 18:19). Salt speaks of goodness (Mark 9:50). Now, check your salt content. re you the kind of person who enhances the lives of those around you? Is your conversation pure? Do you keep promises? Are you characterized by goodness? An unbelieving world is watching and listening to you. What do they see and hear? Perhaps your life needs more salt.[11]
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[1] Douglas J. Moo, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008) 320.
[2] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Colossians & Philemon (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Bible Institute, 1992) 180.
[3] T.K. Abbott, The International Critical Commentary, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians (Edinburgh, Scotland; T&T Clark, 1946) 297.
[4] Moo, 322.
[5] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 4 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1931) 509.
[6] Moo. 327.
[7] Robertson, 510.
[8] Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 11 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1978) 222.
[9] See also Ephesians 5:15-15 and he adds, “because the days are evil.”
[10] Gaebelein, 222.
[11] https://www.preceptaustin.org/colossians_illustrations_4#colossians%204
“A Hand Upon the Throne” Exodus 17:8-24
“Into the Wilderness”
A Sermon Series in the Book of Exodus
“A Hand Upon the Throne”
Exodus 17:8-24
Introduction
In the wilderness God was teaching His people to trust Him; He would take care of them (manna and quail), that He would guide them and His presence would be with them (pillar of smoke in the day, pillar of fire by night), that He would give them rest (a weekly Sabbath). All of which were inward battles (grumbling, trust, following, etc.) But, in Ex. 17 they face their first external battle. It would be the first of many to conquer the Promised Land. But as we will see it is not an entirely physical battle, but it is also a spiritual battle. What makes the difference in the battle is God’s people seeking God.
“A tale is told about a small town that had historically been “dry,” but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that “no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.”[1]
We will see today that what we think about prayer is very important, because it is what moves the needle in very difficult circumstances.
Prayer
One Hand on the Sword and the Other Hand on the Throne (vv. 8-13)
Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
“The Amalekites were nomads who traced their lineage back to Jacob’s brother Esau (Genesis 36:12), and thus there were long-standing ethnic tensions between the two tribes. . . Rephidim was an oasis, and the Amalekites must have been dismayed to watch so many people with so many animals come and drink “their” water.”[2]
Deuteronomy 25:17, 18 helps us understand what is going on, “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.” They attacked them when they were faint, weary, and from behind. The attack was unprovoked and would have been against the weak, stragglers, and the helpless who were pulling up the rear. The enemy attacked them where they were weak.
God’s people have been set free from slavery and are on their way to the Promised Land – but along the way they are ambushed. This is a spiritual lesson for us – those who have placed their faith in Christ have been set free from their sin, and they are on their way to heaven – but in this life we are regularly attacked by the enemy. He won’t attack you where you are strong. He waits until He can get you when you r back is turned, and you are tired, and weary, and faint.
In Ephesians 6:12 the apostle Paul is discussing believers putting on the full armor of God, because “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The real battle is the unseen spiritual forces of this world.
God won the victory and all glory goes to Him for showing pharaoh through plagues, miracles, signs and wonders, that He is the One true God – and then completely destroyed their enemy with the waves of the Red Sea. God fights for His people – but once we have been freed from sin and death, He wants them to join in the battle. But how do we fight an unseen enemy, who attacks us when we are weak?
Moses’ answer has two parts: 1) Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek.” Joshua was to choose men to go and engage the enemy in battle. Joshua is introduced as though we already know who he is, but Joshua was Moses’ assistant. Joshua, himself, goes down and fights with the men. (v. 13) “And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword,” God could swallow up the enemy – the ground could open up and taken them under – instead God chose to us his people as part of the plan to defeat the enemy.
2) Secondly, Moses, Aaron, and Hur[3] went up a mountain so that they overlooked the battle. Moses held the staff of God in his hands, and “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.” Moses was “holding his staff, the instrument of divine power and the token of God’s covenant promise. By holding it up to Heaven, he was appealing for God to defend his people.”[4]
So what is Moses doing by lifting his hands to God? One of the first things Moses is told to do is stretch out his hand (picking up the staff when it was a serpent, stretching out his hand that was leprous, stretching out his hand over the Red Sea, etc.) With the plague of hail, Moses said to Pharoah, “I will stretch out my hands to the Lord” (9:29). When Moses stretches out his hands God’s power is shown.
Hannah and Jehoshaphat both stood at the temple to pray (1 Samuel 1:9-11; 2 Chronicles 20:5,6). The psalmist said, “In you name I will lift my hands” (Psalm 63:4b). 1 Timothy 2:8 says, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands” (1 Timothy 2:8). Moses shows his desire for God to intervene on behalf of the people, to fight for them, by praying with lifted hands.
Later in v. 16 “A hand upon the throne of the LORD!” – Moses reached up from earth and placed his hand upon the thrown of God and pleaded for his people. Because of Jesus’ blood shed for us, Hebrews 4:16, says “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We draw near, we place our hand upon the throne of God through prayer.
The day went on and on, and battle stretched out over hours and then suddenly the enemy begins to win. The Amalekites begin to push forward, what has happened? Moses’ arms begin to drop, he can’t hold the weight of the staff up any longer. His hand is removed from the throne.
The spiritual principle here is – when we stop praying we begin to lose the battle. If we go back to the Ephesians 6 passage, It is a picture of a soldier with the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, belt of truth, etc. and then as the soldier stands in the face if the enemy, he is “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Even with a full set of armor – he needs to al be praying. We see two examples of how the battle was won, “Even if we fight like Joshua, we will not win the battle unless we pray like Moses.”[5] “Divine sovereignty and human responsibility were linked in carrying out the will of God.”[6] Martin Luther once said, “Pray as if everything depends on God, then work as if everything depends on you.”
Engage the Enemy with the Sword, and Touch the Throne of God by Prayer.
Why did Moses go up to the mountain where all the men could look up and see him? They knew that as Moses lifted up the staff, that he was praying for them. So later when the battle was won, the men were not sitting around saying what mighty warriors they were – no, the glory was the Lord’s.
God won the battle through Why does God require us to pray? Because ultimately, we could talk about how we in our own strength overcame the temptation, won the battle – but when we seek to do the big impossible things God has called us to – we cry out to Him, and He wins the war – He gets all the glory. Prayer helps us to keep the glory where it should be at the throne of God.
Moses was known to be a man who went to God and talked with Him about things going on with their wilderness travels (the tent of meeting for example). But on the mountain side, as the day wore on, their deliverer grew tired, and needed help. Even the Moses’ of this world need someone to come beside them and lift them up in prayer. It was Moses’ wisdom to take two men with him – Moses knew he needed to surround himself with men he trusted.
We gather to pray because we know our weaknesses. Like Moses we need people to surround us with prayer and lift us up. Prayer, especially corporate prayer, is the best defense against the evil one.
But our Deliverer does not grow tried. Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus, “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Jesus prays for us and He does not get tired.
“Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, “Brother, the grass grows on your path.”[7]
Remember the Victories (vv. 14-16)
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
(v. 14) God tells Moses to write it down, as a memorial in a book, say it over and over, but there is someone who especially needs to hear it, “recite it in the ears of Joshua,” – Why does Joshua above all the others need to hear it, again and again? Yes, he will eventually be the leader of Israel, but I think it was because he led the battle on the ground. Yes, they were victorious but it was the hand touching the throne of God that moved the needle one way and then another. God won the battle, he used prayer to do it, and Joshua’s troops on the ground. Don’t get it twisted Joshua thinking you won the battle. God fought the battle through you and He used the prayer of His people.
God’s people will face the Amalekites again in two years, but instead of remembering their victory and how God won the battle they are scared when the spies brought back a report of the Promised Land, “Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron” Numbers 14:1-2. They didn’t remember how God had been with them before against this same army.
This battle would not be the last time that God’s people will be under attack. There will be several more battles before they settle in the Promised land. So God wants them to remember how He was with them against the Amalekites.
(v. 15) “The LORD IS My Banner,” is a name of God, Yahweh-Nissi, it reminds His people that his banner flies over them in battle. A banner is an insignia on a piece of cloth. It shows who they are, who they identify with.
“Flags serve many purposes. Over the centuries, military units have carried flags and colors. Colors and flags affirm group identity. They build pride and morale, and represent the group’s honor. In battle, flags served as a rallying point when a formation was broken. Troops gathered around the flag to regroup, attack or retreat. Flags marked specific individuals, locations and functions such as hospitals and ambulances.
A guard of non-commissioned officers usually protected flags and colors. Held in great reverence, a regiment’s honor was embodied in its colors. The entire regiment was humiliated if its colors were lost in battle.
From the establishment of the United States Army in 1785, US regular infantry regiments carried colors. Regiments didn’t carry the United States flag, as it was felt that no one unit could carry the national honor into battle. By the 1840’s, the infantry carried the United States flag with the regimental number or title printed on one of the white stripes. If the flag was lost in battle, only that regiment’s honor, and not the national honor, was lost.[8]
Everyone has a banner that you stand under, a banner that you identify with – where you rally to when the lines are broken, and the enemy is pressing forward.
Later in the OT, God’s people as they are in the wilderness will regularly be bitten by serpents. So God tells Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and place it in the camp. So that whenever they are bitten they can make their way and loo upon the serpent and be healed. When God’s people were struck by the enemy, they could rally, and look up and see the bronze serpent. In the NT, John 3:14, 15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” The banner over me is Jesus – I can rally to Him. I identify with Him. Our banner is the cross. I can take courage in the fact that the cross is empty.
(v. 16) “The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation,” – There is a battle that rages between God’s people and the Evil One, from generation to generation.
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[1] J.K. Johnston, Why Christians Sin (Discovery House, 1992) 129.
[2] Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching God’s Word, Exodus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2015), 421.
[3] Hur was Caleb’s grandson and would later serve as a judge (24:14).
[4] Ryken, 424.
[5] Ryken, 426.
[6] Walter C. Kaiser, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1990) 408.
[7] https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/prayer.htm
[8] https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/symbols-of-battle-civil-war-flags
“The Power of Prayer” James 5:13-18
“Simplify” Doing What Matters Most
The Power of Prayer
James 5:13-19
Introduction
James concludes his writing with one last big idea. “The main thrust of this section is the power of prayer and its appropriateness in every situation of life. Prayer is encouraged in times of distress (v. 13), elation (v. 13), sickness (v. 14), and sin (v. 15-16a) and in assisting fellow Christians in striving for righteousness and spiritual health (16a).”[1]
Prayer
My Response to Life Is to Pray and to Praise (vv. 13-15)
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Suffering
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” The word suffering does not just refer to bodily illnesses, but rather it means “adversity,” “suffering hardship.” It is the stress of a strenuous circumstance that leads to an action, or a reaction. It’s when a person has experienced hardship and now they are affected by the situation. What is the first thing we do or say when hardship, stress, and adversity comes our way?
If we are the person suffering, we are told to pray, but not just one time but as an ongoing habit.[2] “Prayer is a blessing to the heart and to the mental life. It is good to talk with God and our worry disappears in the presence of the Lord.
So, what should we pray for? There are times when we are so stressed and suffering so much we don’t even know what to say, or what to pray for. Often times we want to hardship and suffering to end and we pray for the pain to stop.
Paul prayed that the “thorn of his flesh” would be removed. It wasn’t. Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane “that this cup would pass from me.” It didn’t. You can pray for it to end, but sometimes that’s the season you are in. So, here are some things that you could pray for:
- Wisdom (James 1:5) One of the things we will see later in the text is that people are watching how you are going to respond – so we need wisdom to respond and deal with the suffering appropriately. Many a foolish word and action has been done while people are under suffering, but God has promised to give you the wise words to say, and the wise action to take, if we ask Him.
- Endurance – stress and suffering will over time take it toll on your spirit, your body, your health, so as God for strength to endure.
- Reading and Studying the Word of God – as you read and study it, take God’s Word and pray it back to God. When you don’t know what to say, let God give you the Words to say.[3]
Smiling
“Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise” James starts with someone being low, and then turns to someone’s mood being cheerful. How then should we respond when things are good, delightful, and over all calm? Prayer and praise are the Christian’s emotional outlet. When we are troubled, we pray; when we are cheerful, we sing. We also should avoid the temptation to pray less when things are good. If times are hard, we pray. If times are good, we pray.
Sick
“14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders[4] of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
If the person is sick they are to call for the elders (plural) of the church. This was already a Jewish custom for the town elders to be called in for prayer when a person was very ill. The emphasis was on the praying, (not healing) and continues the theme from the earlier verses.[5]
The same phrase for “anointing with oil” is used in the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:34 “He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” Olive oil was thought to have medicinal properties and was used in a wide variety of ailments.
There is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding this verse. For example, Roman Catholics use this verse to support their idea of Extreme Unction – which prepares a person for death, but the intention of the text is to continue life.[6] There are no miracle healers, no matter what they say, no one can lay hands on someone and miraculously heal them. It also is not a mandate to not seek medical attention.
“Some may wonder why James does not mention calling in the doctor! That is where it is needful to keep in mind the New Testament setting of the epistle. Doctors were few in those days; their skills very limited, and they were very expensive – as the woman with the issue of blood, who had spent all her substance in consulting them, in vain, so sadly experienced (Luke 8:43).”[7] The sick Christian today calls the doctor, but James is emphasizing the power of prayer for the sick. It is both, not either or.
The spirit, the mind, and the body are one unit – all need healing, all are affected by our sin, our repentance, and our relationship with other believers.
So, while there may be lots to discuss about the anointing with oil, the basic idea is to surround yourself with leaders from your church who pray with you, when you are gravely ill.
So, the question then is why elders verses any other Christian? Why the pastors, verses people from your Sunday School class? This text is not easy to interpret, so I am going to give you my interpretation. This book was written to the persecuted church, who had been scattered – people had to leave their ancestorial homes, reestablish homes, businesses, and create new lives – while also having to live with the reality that as soon as you do this, you may have to do it again. They were beaten, many were slaves, and they still are living under persecution.
This person who is gravely ill could be sick from all this stress, perhaps abuse from persecution, and they may even be asking, “why is this happening to me?” What have I done to deserve this illness?”[8]
What they need are people to say, “The Lord is with us, You made the right decision by following Christ,” to appropriately rub their wounds with care and concern, and to share Scripture with them, pray with them as they are working out this horrible time in their life.
Jesus in his healing ministry often touched those who were sick. “He touched the hand of Peter’s wife’s mother, and the fever left her (Matt. 8:15); when two blind men called upon Him to have mercy on them, He asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” and on their reply, “Yes, Lord” He touched their eyes saying, “according to your faith, be healed,” (Matt. 9:29). He touched the tongue of a deaf-mute (Mark 7:33); He touched the ear of Malchus (Luke 22:51); He touched the leper and made him clean (Luke 15:13); In none of these cases did Jesus need to touch them, He could have done this with a word.”[9]
The sin here may be related to how he has reacted to the stress of the persecution the church is experiencing. They may have lost their temper, grumbled against another church member, got in a fight, who knows what the sin may have been, but they need help in navigating back to God and seeking forgiveness. (which in many ways brings a different kind of healing).
But the result of the elders prayers is two-fold, “(1) the sick person is made well (sozo)’ and (2) the Lord will raise him up (egeiro).”[10]
God’s Response to Our Prayers (vv. 16-18)
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Whenever we see the word, “therefore” what follows is tied to what came before this word. We are to pray when are suffering, sing when we are cheerful, surround ourselves with fellow Christians when we are ill who are praying for us, therefore –
In order to confess our sins to one another there has to be a high level of trust and love.
Matthew 5:23-24 “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
The power of a righteous person is focused here on interaction with other people. A righteous person is asking forgiveness for sins (from others publicly that they have wronged), they are praying for the sick, for other believers, and a great amount of effort is going into praying.
“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” This means that the righteous person is able to do, or is enabled to do (by the Holy Spirit) – their prayer has a powerful effect. “Such a prayer can have noticeable consequences on a person whose sickness is the result of sin, as long as (or especially if) the sin has been confessed.”[11]
In the original language of James it reads, “prayer to pray” “The Scottish Covenanters used to speak of “gaining access,” – There is a difference between just saying a prayer, and in our praying really to pray: to know that we are not only communing with God, but are constrained to express in prayer the yearnings of the heart of God Himself. That is the “effectual fervent prayer.”
James then gives the example of Elijah, 1 Kings 18:42-45 “And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.”[12]
He had his weaknesses, as all humans do, but God heard the prayers of Elijah. James is emphasizing Elijah’s effort in prayer, that is why God sent the rain when he asked.
“with a nature like ours” The same man who is mentioned in 1 Kings 18, (a righteous man of prayer) is also the same man in 1 Kings 19 – who runs scared for his life from Jezebel.
He is emphasizing that what Elijah did was not “a magical performance of a superhuman being but the act of man in all regards exactly like ourselves, who simply used prayer as we can likewise use.”[13] Elijah dared to take God at his word.[14]
Elijah’s prayers “resulted in the refreshing rain coming down to the earth, so the prayer of the righteous believer can result in the refreshing and healing of a Christian afflicted by sickness caused by sin.”[15]
Our Response to the Wandering Sinner (v. 19)
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
The very last verse of the book of James deals with a brother in Christ who has wandered from the “truth.” They have believed the lie of the world and have been enticed away. The Greek word for wanders has the “picture of one who is lost in the mountains, who has missed his path. . .”[16]
1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
This last verse speaks of going after someone who has gone astray because you love them (not in judgement, or spite, or to show them that you are right), but simply acknowledging that they are headed into a dangerous area, and you love them enough to pursue them.
The verse is not saying to accept the person’s sin and flaws, but when the person repents the love for them is going to give you ability to see past their previous mistakes. Proverbs 24:24-25 “Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, 25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.”
The church is not a country club, a fraternity or sorority, or Kiwanis – membership is open to all based on one condition, and it is one that everyone who calls themselves a Christian must hold to, repentance. All of us have sinned and fallen short, and we all must repent and turn to the forgiveness of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:18 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” Our collective ministry is to go after the wandering world and reconcile them back to God. In the instances of Jesus’ healing mentioned earlier, Jesus was going to them, or passed by them as “he was going.” Jesus took the initiative, we must take the initiative.
Also, there is no incentive to go after a wandering brother for you, the benefit is that the person may return. Love for someone else is the sole motivation, and this comes from our being aligned with the purpose and calling of Christ. James says, “will save his soul from death”
This life is filled with pain and suffering, and many times it is the result/consequence of our sin. When we reconcile a sinner back to the Lord, we are saving them from this eventual pain and suffering.
“James presents the joy of the winner of souls who throws the mantle of love over the sins of the repentant sinner, the joy of the Shepherd who has found the lost sheep out on the mountain and is returning with him in his arms, the joy of the Father who welcomes the prodigal boy home with the best robe and the fatted calf, the joy of the presence of the angels that one sinner has repented and turned unto God.”[17]
The end result of the wanderer being restored to the Lord, and that he is not remembered, not branded, as the person who sinned and wandered away, the sin is remembered no more.
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[1] Clifton Allen, Gen. Ed., The Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 12 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Publishing, 1973) 136.
[2] Pray is given as a present tense of durative action. Robertson, 186.
[3] Lehman Strauss, James, Your Brother (Neptune, New Jersey; Loizeaux Brothers, 1980) 208.
[4] “The expression “elder” designates persons entrusted with leadership and teaching in the church (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:2; 16:4; 20:17; 21:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-19; Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1,2; 2 John 1).” Pheme Perkins, Interpretation A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, First and Second Peter, James, and Jude (Louisville, Kentucky; John Knox Press, 1982) 136.
[5] Allen, 137.
[6] Ibid, 138.
[7] Herbert F. Stevenson, James Speaks For Today (Westwood, New Jersey; Fleming H. Revell Company, 1966) 95.
[8] Peter H. Davids, New International Biblical Commentary, James (Peabody, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishing, 1989) 122.
[9] Stevenson, 96.
[10] David P. Nystrom, The NIV Application Commentary, James (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1997) 307.
[11] Nystrom, 307.
[12] Elijah’s prayer was for God’s people to turn back to Him, and he did this by praying for a drought. God’s people would suffer during this time. It is given as an example and is linked to other Christians who are praying for other sick or wayward believers. Therefore, one may pray for hardship to come upon someone in order to get them to turn back to God.
[13] George Arthur Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 12 (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1957) 72.
[14] Strauss, 222.
[15] Nystron, 308.
[16] Allen, 196.
[17] Allen, 199.
“The Bragging Fig Tree” Mark 11:12-14, 20-33
Christ’s Power Over Every Need
The Gospel of Mark Sermon Series
“The Bragging Fig Tree”
Mark 11:12-14, 20-33
Introduction
Jesus has entered into Jerusalem on a colt, the people laid down their outer garments in the street, waved palm branches, and shouted Hosanna (save us!) and were anticipating Jesus coming as the Messiah, who would be the new king of the Jews (like David). The following morning Jesus entered the Court of the Gentiles and drove out the moneychangers, the livestock, and Jesus kept people from taking short-cuts through the holy area. While he did all that, He was teaching, specifically against the religious temple leadership, saying, “you have turned this holy worship area into a den of robbers (v.17).”
He may have even been reenacting Zechariah 14:21, “And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.” This passage is a reference to the coming Day of Lord, which is a coming judgment. So, the picture of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a colt was Him declaring, I am the promised Messiah. His driving out the false and corrupted worship was what a king would do, restoring a proper worship of God.
And during these events in Mark’s gospel, he adds an account of where Jesus curses a fig tree. This is not just a side point of frustration of Jesus, “because He was hungry.” This is very specific and important because it is Jesus’ last miracle in the book of Mark. All of the miracles were to prove that Jesus was who He said He was. Here, Jesus’ last miracle makes one final statement, and it would be just for the disciples (not the crowds). Mark puts the stories together in such a way so that one helps to explain the other.
Prayer
Jesus’ Last Miraculous Act (vv.12-14, 20-25)
The following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”[1] And his disciples heard it. . . .20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
Earlier, Jesus told the parable of the fruitless fig tree, and here he is putting the parable into action, Luke 13:6-9 “And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” Jesus has returned to Jerusalem, the temple, and is not seeing any spiritual fruit. “Israel was the fruitless fig tree, or the richly-privileged vineyard that brought forth wild grapes (Isa. 5:1-7). Yet, though fruitless, Israel was full of profession, false show of godliness.”[2] They were leaves without fruit, promise without fulfillment.
Jesus is not jumping from the cursed fig tree, to the topic of faith. That was his goal all along. He allowed Peter to discover the cursed tree on his own. Also, remember that disciples had seen Jesus perform miracle after miracle up to this point (raising the dead, calming the sea, casting out demons, healing the sick, walking on water, etc.) yet they are still amazed at Jesus’ performing miracles. Peter says, “, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” The disciples will soon lead the new Christian church, they too could do what Jesus did – but how?
Jesus says in John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” How will they do even greater things than Jesus did?
22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Jesus is days from the crucifixion, he has a very limited amount of time left with the disciples to prepare them for what they are about to experience all the things that will happen at his death and burial, and their eventual leadership, so he uses the fig tree to explain to them what it means to have faith.
How We Define Faith is Critical to a Relationship With God.
Mark is very careful and sparse in the details that he gives in every chapter and verse of his gospel. So, to help us understand this passage, it is helpful to point out the details that Mark chooses to include (leaves, the season of the year, etc.) – so it is linked with Jesus’ traveling to Jerusalem and what He finds at the temple.
“Jesus on his initial visit to the temple has found all leaves, but no fruit. His summary verdict on the ‘braggart’ fig tree is a verdict on the failure of God’s people and is of a piece with his developing polemic against the ‘barren’ temple.”[3] From a distance the tree looked great, but when you get close, there is nothing there. From a far the temple gave the appearance of authentic and genuine worship of the One true God, but when you get close, it has become corrupt, divided, and disingenuous.
Jesus is preparing the disciples to take over as leaders, so how does Jesus do what he does – how does he do the miracles? How did he curse a fig tree? (v. 22) “And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God” – action, movement, steps in life, live your life in such a way that shows you believe God, and take Him at His Word.
(v. 23) “does not doubt in his heart” – this literally means a divided judgement, it is the word for the number two and judge.[4] It’s having the thought, “it can be done,” and “it’s can’t be done,” at the same time.[5]
Cain And Abel’s Offering
Example of Faith; Cain and Abel’s offering. Adam and Eve’s children, Cain and Abel come to a worship service and present their offering to the Lord. God accepts Abel’s offering, but rejects Cain’s offering because it was not according to the requirements God had established, God says to Cain, Genesis 4:7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Hebrews 11:4 helps us interpret what is going on in the Genesis passage. “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Abel’s actions followed what he believed to be true. Cain’s attitude betrayed him, because it revealed that he did not genuinely have faith in, or believe God.
(v. 24) “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” – This is a faith that prays, “prayer is the source of its power, and the means of its strength – God’s omnipotence is the sole assurance, and God’s sovereignty its only restriction.”[6]
A passage that helps us to understand Jesus’ teaching is Romans 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
This faith in God, resulting in the words we pray are not a blind faith. Our prayers are rooted in our relationship with God, knowing what He desires, based on His Word, and then praying those things back to Him. If our prayer came from the Spirit of God, it stands a much better chance of being answered by God, according to “the will of God.”
1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” We are to ask and pray according to His will.
The Greatest difficulties, facing the disciple’s ministry,
can be removed with prayer rooted in faith.[7]
(v. 24) “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”[8] – This goes back to how we approach God; We ask in prayer that God forgive us of our sin, therefore He expects us to forgive other people of their sin against us. This goes back to action, and a following of God’s Word while interacting with Him. Also, this teaching on prayer is happening corporately, “the text is not focusing on private prayer.”[9]
Standing while praying “signifies that we honor God as being present, before whom we cannot sit but must stand.”[10]
Now when the mountain has been thrown into the sea (you have prayed and God has moved), don’t wade into the water and dig it back up again. Forgive and move on. All of this is rooted in the work that you and Lord, and your church are doing together – this is not about an individual getting rich, or having fancy cars, or having your best life – it’s the work, the obstacles you face together, and asking God in faith to remove them.
The Religious Leader’s Lack of Action (vv. 27-33)
27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”— they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
(v. 27) “the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him,” – there are three groups (high priests, scribes, and elders) that composed the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of the Jews. This is the Jewish high court, and they are appearing to him in person.[11]
(v. 28) “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” – “that you keep on doing these things,”[12] These questions force the reader to ask, “who was speaking for God – the Jewish leaders, or Jesus?”[13] Their question implied that since they had not given it to Jesus, that he then had not right to say that He spoke on behalf of God.
“The honor paid to the Rabbis exceeded even that due to parents. The ‘elder in knowledge’ was revered even more than the ‘elder in years.’ If a person’s father and teacher are each carrying burdens, one must first help the teacher, or if both one’s father and one’s teacher are in captivity one must first ransom the teacher. This respect bordered on honor given to God. ‘Let the honor of thy friend border on the honor of thy teacher, and the honor of thy teacher on the fear of God.’ To dispute a rabbi, or to murmur against him, was as sinful as to murmur against God. The Jew gave preference to his teacher over his father [because] the one gave him temporal life, the other eternal life.”[14]
Jesus even warns of religious leaders who loved the attention and devotion they received from the people, Luke 20:46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, . . .”
Their intention is not to gain information from Jesus, they don’t believe that he has the authority to teach in the temple, drive out people from the Gentile Court, have disciples following him around, etc. They wanted Jesus to stop.
(v. 30) Jesus asks the religious leaders, “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” – Jesus is linking his authority as the Messiah to John the Baptist. When John preached “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand,” the religious leaders did not repent, follow John’s preaching, nor were they baptized. Jesus is simply repeating their question back to them, but replacing his name with John’s name, “By what authority did John baptize people?”
Mark 1:1-3 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” God had sent prophet after prophet to His chosen people, and John was the last prophet that would be sent – and they didn’t recognize him.
Jesus places the Sanhedrin in the middle of two horns of a dilemma – If John’s authority was from God, then why didn’t you accept him? Why were you not baptized by him? When he was arrested by Herod, why didn’t you say anything? If they say John’s authority was from men, the people knew otherwise and would have punished them (by stoning).
The religious leaders had ignored John. They did not deny that he was sent from God, to do so would have gotten them stoned.[15] They also, made their decisions and public comments based on the consensus of the crowd. The truth of the Bible doesn’t change depending on what culture feels should be right and what should be wrong.
(v. 33) “So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” – They are supposed to be the people who know, it was their supreme duty to know, yet they say, “We do not know.” In their own words, the disqualified themselves from being the religious authority.
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[1] See also Matthew 21:21
[2] W. N. Clarke, Commentary on the Gospel of Mark (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Judson Press, 1950) 163.
[3] R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark, A Commentary on the Greek Text (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002) 441.
[4] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 1 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1932) 361.
[5] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Augsburg Publishing House, 1964) 495.
[6] Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1984) 729.
[7] Note to self: Don’t be the mountain, that others are praying to be removed.
[8] See also Matthew 6:14-15; 18:35.
[9] Darrell L. Bock, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, The Gospel of Mark (Carol Stream, Illinois; Tyndale House Publishers, 2005) 499.
[10] Lenski, 497.
[11] Lenski, 500.
[12] Robertson, 362.
[13] Bock, 503.
[14] Roy B. Zuck, Teaching as Jesus Taught (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books, 1994) 37.
[15] See Luke 20:6
