In today’s scripture reading and study, we will look at two groups of people and how each interacts with Jesus. As you read through the scripture and through this devotional, think about which group you would be in. It is important in our walks with the Lord to constantly examine ourselves and our motivation. We examine ourselves by looking into the mirror of scripture and seeing if our reflection is more like Christ or more like our old self without Christ. So, let’s dive into the two groups and examine them from the gospel of Mark.
The Crowd (Mark 3:7-12)
Jesus was heading away from the crowd and the Pharisees’ questioning, but the crowd followed him. The crowd wasn’t just from the city he had been in, but was from both Jewish cities/regions and Gentile cities/regions. The crowd was so large that it began to put him in a difficult situation of possibly being crushed. The question is, why were the crowds coming? The answer is quite simple! He healed people and performed miracles, and they wanted to be healed and to see them.
Before they did any harm to him (by crushing him), the disciples got a boat ready to separate him from the pressing of the crowd. They came to be healed and came to have demons to be exorcised. The demon/unclean spirits would even cry out, “You are the Son of God,” and he would silence them by ordering them not to make him known.
The situation was clear; the crowds were coming because they wanted something from Jesus. In our modern terms, we would say they wanted a handout and wanted it frequently. They were not concerned with the message of Jesus; they were consumed with the miracles of Jesus. They didn’t care about the gospel; they cared about life as they knew it. They acted as many do today. They want the miracle of healing, provision, or wealth, but couldn’t care less about the state of the soul.
When we look at the word and are not brought to a place of repentance and growth, then we are much like the crowd. We are seeking Jesus the miracle worker, not Jesus the Savior. That is an extremely dangerous place to be because we are so close to seeing Jesus but miss him entirely.
The Apostles (Mark 3:13-19)
“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.” Those words to me are words of comfort and challenge. Comfort in knowing that the Lord calls because he desires a relationship with us. Challenge because he calls us and desires a relationship with us. The comfort and challenge are good for us. As a follower of Christ, we can know that God is calling us, and the challenge is to be obedient daily as we follow him. The challenge is for us to walk obediently in the calling that the Lord has for us. And we find comfort in knowing that the God who calls will give us what we need in the challenge to follow Him.
Not only was he calling the disciples, but he called them by name. Each of the men called to be disciples and, ultimately, an Apostle was called by name and mentioned here by Mark. Each one of them has a story, and each has a unique gift to be used to grow the church in the early days. Each one of the Apostles was commissioned to preach the gospel and had the authority to cast out demons. They were to be the foundation of the church that has endured for 2,000 years. It all began with a call and with a commission. A call that was personal and a commission that is eternal.
Conclusion:
The question really is, are we a part of the crowd, who just desire the miracle, or are we a part of the called, who have a mission? Each day, we have a choice to make: follow the crowd or join the mission. As you walk through the day, think about that and think about the consequences of following the crowd. Following the crowd means missing out on a relationship with the Lord. It means when the miracles are absent, so is your focus on Christ. If we are following the Lord, it means we are challenging ourselves to be obedient to the call and commission. It means walking in a relationship with Christ. Today, you and I have a decision to make, and that decision will determine the impact we have on others for the gospel.
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