2 Samuel 18:22-27 - Why do you want to go?

18:22,23

Ahimaaz, however, was still desperate to go with the news. Joab warns him that he will not get any reward from David for bringing the news, but Ahimaaz was not to be dissuaded. So Ahimaaz sets off, and is so keen to be the first to take the news that he outran the Cushite.

18:24-27

At this point David was unaware of the outcome and had a watchman on the roof, looking out. He sees a man running. If the army had been routed then there would have been many men trudging back in defeat, but a single runner meant there was good news. Then the watchman saw another lone runner, so David expected that he had good news as well. Seeing the first runner was Ahimaaz David is even more expectant of good news.

Mark 6:4-6 - He ws amazed at their lack of faith

6:4

Jesus said “A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home”. People in a place that did not “know” the prophet would make an assessment of him on the basis of what he said and did. People who thought they knew him would think the prophet had no right to challenge them. 

6:5,6

“He could not do any miracles there”. This was except to heal a few people. If someone in our church “healed a few people” we would be delighted! When it says “he could not” it does not mean He did not have the power, but He chose not to because of the lack of faith. Miracles were not a trick or a display, it was all about proclaiming the kingdom, and introducing people to a right relationship with God. “He was amazed at their lack of faith”. The response of the people should have been so different. Instead of taking offence at Him, they should have been delighted. A corollary of all this is that when people do have trust in Jesus various things should flow from that.

2 Samuel 18:19-21 - Let me run and take the news

18:19,20

Ahimaaz was the son of Zadok the priest, and he doesn’t seem to fully grasp the situation with David. He wants to run to the king with the news of victory, thinking David will be delighted. Joab, however, has a much better understanding of the situation, and so discourages Ahimaaz, knowing it will not do him any good. Joab knew that the death of Absalom would be the primary issue in David’s mine.

18:21

Joab chose a Cushite, Cush was roughly equivalent to modern Ethiopia, to take the news. David had had the Amalekite killed on hearing the news of Saul’s death (2 Sam 1:15), and maybe he feared a similar reaction from David to the news bringer. The Cushite set off with the news.

Mark 6:1-3 - They took offence at Him

6:1,2

Jesus went with His disciples to His “home town”, this was Nazareth (Matt 2:23, 21:11; Lk 2:51). The Sabbath came and He began to teach in the Synagogue. We are not told here what He taught them, but we are told that “many who heard Him were amazed”. It is important to note that it was not just the miracles, but also His teaching that attracted (and repelled) people. With Jesus the signs and the teaching went together, they were a package. They asked “where did this man get these things?” This applied to both the teaching and to the miracles. Too often today we tend to separate them, possibly even relegating one or the other.

6:3

They thought they knew who Jesus was. They did know that He was a carpenter. If we think about it, it is quite amazing that Jesus, the Son of God, and the One who taught all these amazing things, and performed all sorts of miracles, spent a good number of years working as a carpenter. Just because you have a “normal” job right now, does not mean that you will not do something very different at some point in the future. But this is not in any way to denigrate having a “normal” job. They also knew who His mother and His siblings were. The absence of any mention of Joseph is often taken as an indication that Joseph is dead at this point, which may well be true.

“And they took offence at Him”. What Jesus was doing and teaching presented a challenge to the people, it forced them to reassess themselves. Or at least, that is what it should have done. Instead the people “took offence”. They objected to being challenged, thinking “who is he to do this?”

2 Samuel 18:14-18 - Joab sounded the trumpet

18:14,15

Joab was not prepared to wait, knowing that as long as Absalom was alive there would be no stability in Israel, so he plunged three spears into Absalom’s heart. Also ten of Joab’s armour bearers struck Absalom as well. The reason for this was probably so that no one person could be identified as the killer of Absalom.

18:16-18

The deed having been done, Joab sounded the trumpet, telling the troops to stop pursuing Israel. No proper burial was made for Absalom, instead he was dumped into a big pit and a large heap of stones was piled on top. Joab did not want there to be any memorial for Abalom that could function as a focus for any rebels in Israel. During his life-time Absalom had erected a monument in his name. It seems that by this point Absalom’s sons had all died. Absalom’s monument remained.

Mark 5:37-43 - Why all this commotion?

5:37-40a

Jesus took Peter, James and John in with Him, no one else was allowed in. They came to Jairus’ home and found the people crying and wailing. In those days “professional” mourners would be hired, and everyone except Jesus was assuming it was all over, so the mourning was in full flow. Jesus asked them why they were doing this, and told them that the girl was not dead, but only asleep. The response of the people was to laugh at Him. Was Jesus using “asleep” as a euphemism for “dead”, i.e. was she actually dead, or was she in something like a coma? I think the former is the more likely. People in those days were not ignorant about death!

5:40b-43

Undeterred, Jesus put all the mourners out, and took the girl’s parents and his three disciples with Him. He took the girl by the hand and sold her to get up. This she did, immediately. This shows that she was actually dead, for if she had been in a coma or something like that, she would not have got up immediately. A miracle had taken place. The parents were astonished, and Jesus told them to give the girl something to eat.

2 Samuel 18:6-13 - David's army marched out

18:6-8

So the army marches out and takes place in the forest of Ephraim. The significance of this is that the ground was far better suited to the smaller force (i.e. David’s). While Absalom’s army outnumbered David’s, much of that advantage was lost, for the army was not free to move en masse in the forest. David’s men won the day, killing twenty thousand of Israel’s troops, with the forest accounting for many of them. Note that the battle is portrayed as David against Israel. This is like Christ against Israel. Israel should have welcomed the Messiah, but instead chose to kill him.

18:9-13

Absalom seems to have been separated from the bulk of his army. He was riding a mule and got caught in a tree, and was left hanging in an oak tree. One of Joab’s men saw this and reported it to Joab. Joab asked the man why he didn’t kill Absalom while he had the chance, saying he would have rewarded the man. The man had heard David’s instructions to Joab and the others, and he was loyal to David. Joab, however, had no intention of following David;s wishes. Why was this? Joab was more concerned for the state of Israel and knew that there could never be peace within the land as long as Absalom was alive. Joab was a pragmatist, or an exponent of realpolitik. Was it pure self interest on his part? I don’t think so, I think he did have a genuine concern for the nation as a whole, and sometimes David could be an obstacle to this. The man who had seen Absalom knew that Joab was ruthless, and thought that if he had indeed killed Absalom, David would have had him killed, and Joab would not have intervened on his behalf.

Mark 5:35,36 - Don't be afraid; just believe

5:35

People came to Jairus and told him that his daughter was dead, so there was no point bothering “the teacher anymore”. This, of course, was not true, there was every point “bothering the teacher”. We should never give up on “bothering Jesus”, many incidents and teachings from Jesus tell us that, such as the persistent widow.

5:36

Jesus overheard what they were telling Jeus, His word to Jairus was “Don’t be afraid; just believe”. This does pose a question to us. There is a point where “believing for something” is just refusing to face up to reality, but at the same time God can and does do amazing things, things that usurp “reality”. How do we answer this? I believe that the key is a relationship with Christ, if we try to make “rules” about it we will get nowhere good.

2 Samuel 18:1-5 - David sent out his troops

18:1-3

David seems to be in a better place now and organises his troops, appointing commanders of various groups of men. It seems that he has quite a number of troops with him now, maybe because Joab and his army has now joined them. The army was divided into three main groups, a common tactic. David also says that he would march out with them. However, the commanders and others object to this. David suggested this as he was fighting with the men, but the men see the danger in this, and they are all fighting for Israel. If Absalom had David killed everything would be lost. It is a bit like the game of chess, where the king is protected, rather than being exposed to attack. 

18:4,5

David agrees with his men. David is also getting older and is no doubt past his prime now. So David sees his men go off to battle. He also speaks to the three commanders, Joab, Abishai and Ittai, instructing them to be gentle with Absalom. David’s attitude towards Absalom is conflicted. Joab, of course, would not follow this instruction.

Mark 5:32-34 - Daughter, your faith has healed you

5:32,33

Jesus was not to be deterred. The woman knew it was her that Jesus was looking for, for she knew that after touching Jesus she had been healed, she had been changed. So she fell at Jesus’ feet and told Him everything. She was full of fear, possibly partly because she feared He would be angry that she had made Him unclean. 

5:34

She need have no fear, for Jesus commended her. He addressed her as “daughter” and commends her for her faith. Then He tells her to go in peace, free from her suffering. So as well as the physical healing, there is emotional restoration as well. In calling her “daughter” Jesus is assuring her that she belongs. He has also commended her for the action that she took.

2 Samuel 17:15-26 - They crossed over the brook

17:15-20

The news is then conveyed back to David via the planned route. Hushai tells the priests, Zadok and Abiathar. Hushai also tells David not to spend the night at the fords in the wilderness. After that message was passed on to Jonathan and Ahimaaz. However, someone happened to see Jonathan and Ahimaaz, and then told Absalom. So the two of them hid in a well, and the well was covered up, and corn scattered on the covering. When Absalom’s men came to the house where the well was, the woman gave them a tale and the men left there.

17:21-23

After Absalom’s men had left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz went and informed David of the developments. David and his men duly crossed the Jordan. Ahithophel reacted to his advice not being followed by committing suicide, after setting his affairs in order. He presumably thought that Absalom would now fail, and that David would then consider him to be a traitor, so his time was up. He was given a decent burial.

17:24-26

Meanwhile, Absalom crossed the Jordan. Joab, the commander of the army, had remained loyal to David, so Absalom had appointed Amasa as commander of the army. We then get the genealogy of Amasa. The Isrealites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

David came to Mahanaim, and received support from various people. They were supplied with blankets, bowls and pottery, and foodstuffs of various sorts. While much of Israel had sided with Absalom, there were still many who supported David.

Mark 5:30,31 - Who touched my clothes?

5:30

“At once Jesus realised that power had gone out of Him”. The process of healing was not some purely mechanistic thing, but Jesus knew something had happened. So Jesus turned to the crowd and asked who had touched Him. This would imply that Jesus knew someone had touched Him, and that this was the means by which faith had been shown in Him.

5:31

His disciples, not for the first time, were amazed, because there were so many people around him. Presumably a number of them had touched Him, but most of these would have been a result of the general jostling, one of them was different, it was a result of faith. Even with singing hymns or saying prayers, they can sometimes just be something we do, almost just a habit. But at other times they are an act of faith, and then they have real power.

2 Samuel 17:11-14 - The advice of Hushai is better

17:11-13

This is the part that may have won Absalom over to Hushai’s plan. Un Ahithophel’s scheme Absalom was not directly involved, under Hushai’s plan Absalom was leading the army, so the glory would go to him, for he would be leading them into battle. Absalom would lead a vast army and fall upon David and his men, killing all of them. The bit about what happens if David seeks refuge in a city, and bringing it down with ropes is probably poetic language.

17:14

Both Absalom and “all the men of Israel” now change their minds and decide that Hushai’s plan is the better option. The writer adds that “the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom”. As I have said many times before, the sovereignty of God and human responsibility are not in conflict as far as the Bible is concerned.

Mark 5:26-29 - She had suffered a great deal

5:26-28

She had spent a lot of money on doctors, but to no effect. Indeed, her condition had worsened. Interestingly, Luke the physician does not mention the bit about the doctors in his account! The woman heard about Jesus and believed that He could heal her where all others had failed. She came up behind Him in the crowd, wanting to keep a low profile, and touched His cloak.  She believed that if she could just touch His cloak she would be healed. 

5:29

As soon as she touched His cloak the bleeding stopped and she “felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering”. In some ways her faith was small, but in others was large. There was no immediate direct interaction with Jesus, though that would soon change, and a cynic or a religious type might object “how could touching His cloak heal her”. The woman had faith and so she was healed, and this was Jesus’ interpretation of the situation!

2 Samuel 17:7-10 - This advice is not good

17:7

Hushai states that Ahithophel’s advice was “not good this time”. So he acknowledges that Ahithophel usually gave sound advice. Hushai will then give his advice, and will use more flowery language than Ahithophel did, and will seek to appeal to Absalom’s ego.

17:8-10

Hushai starts by reminding Absalom what David and his men are like. They were all valiant men. Then, rather than focusing on their being tired and weary, Hushai says they will be angry and spoiling for the opportunity to get back what they considered to be theirs. Hushai also surmises that David will be hiding somewhere, such as in a cave. This would be consistent with his actions when on the run from Saul. Hushai then paints the picture of what would happen if David and his men mount a successful assault on Absalom’s men. This would be very bad for morale. The past reputation of David would be a telling factor.

Mark 5:21-25 - My little daughter is dying

5:21-24

In response to the request of the people, Jesus had left and crossed to the other side. As usual, a large crowd gathered. One of the synagogue leaders, called Jairus, came to Jesus and fell at his feet. His little daughter was seriously ill and was dying. He asked Jesus to come and lay hand on his daughter, believing that she would then be healed and would live. So Jesus went with Jairus, and, of course, was followed by a large crowd. It is possible that this was taking place in Capernaum.

5:25

The healing of Jairus’ daughter will take place later, but this is interspersed with the healing of a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. As well as the physical suffering, this would also make her “unclean” and so would severely restrict her involvement in society. Moreover, if she touched people they too may become unclean. 

2 Samuel 17:1-6 - This plan seemed good to Absalom

17:1-4

Ahithophel’s advice continued, now moving on from the humiliation of David to the actual vanquishing of David. Ahithophel said that he would choose twelve thousand men and set out almost immediately in pursuit of David. There would be an early attack, based on the assumption that David and his men would be weak and weary, and highly susceptible to a quick attack. Also twelve thousand men was substantially more than David had with him. He would kill David and bring the rest of the men back to Jerusalem. With David dead they would now be with Absalom. Absalom’s initial reaction was to approve the plan, as did the elders of Israel. A key feature of the plan was that Absalom was not directly involved.

17:5,6

Absalom, however, wanted to consult Hushai as well to get a second opinion. This was a sensible approach to take, but in this case would be Absalom’s downfall. Hushai arrived, and Absalom told him the details of Ahithophel’s advice.

Mark 5:16-20 - All the people were amazed

5:16,17

Word of what had happened, both to the man and to the pigs, spread and the people began to plead with Jesus to leave. Why did they do this? Salvation was among them, but they didn’t want it. It could be a combination of fear at the power of Jesus, and a fear of more economic loss. Two thousand pigs must have been worth a fair amount.

5:18-20

Jesus began to leave, giving the people what they had asked for. It has often been said that the worst thing God can do to a person is to give them what they want. The previously demon-possessed man begged to go with Jesus. Jesus would not allow this. Instead He told him to go to his own people and tell them how much the Lord had done for them. This is in contrast to the instruction often given to demons and Jews not to tell anyone. Why the difference? Maybe because Jesus these people were predominantly Gentiles, so there was no risk of them getting the wrong idea (i.e. thinking Jesus was a military messiah). It would also prepare the ground for the later spread of the gospel. The man did as he was told, and the people were amazed. A gentile man was more obedient than the Jewish people.

2 Samuel 16:18-23 - What should we do?

16:18,19

Hushai replies by saying that he will serve the one whom God has chosen, implying that Absalom is now the chosen one. This might have flattered Absalom. He also says that he is serving the son of David, so he was still being loyal to the house of David. David has made this explanation plausible. First, it is not clear how well known David’s sins were, but if they were known then he had forfeited his previous honour. Secondly David had abandoned Jerusalem, implicitly abandoning the throne.

16:20-23

Absalom now turns to Ahithophel for advice. Ahithophel tells Absalom to sleep with David’s concubines, and to do so openly so that it would become public knowledge. This would bring disgrace upon David. This was a fulfilment of Nathan’s word in 2 Sam 12:11,12. Ahithophel was highly regarded by both David and Absalom, treating his words as though they were the wisdom of God.

Mark 5:14,15 - The man was in his right mind

5:14

Those tending the pigs were naturally rather perturbed by what had happened.  They went into the town and described what had just happened. The people from the town then came out to see Jesus. We then see two very different things, the effect of all this on the previously demon possessed man, and the response of the people.

5:15

The man was now dressed and was in his right-mind. His dignity had been restored. This is what Jesus does for people. When we repent and turn to Christ He restores our dignity. Rebelling against God leads to us losing our dignity, as an example look at the effects of various sorts of sexual sin, or drunkenness, or drugs. God created us as the pinnacle of His creation, and when we are restored by Him our dignity is restored. The people were afraid, for something that was not explicable had happened.

2 Samuel 16:11-17 - My son is trying to kill me

16:11,12

We see something of the emotional turmoil within David, and the humbling effect of God’s judgement upon him. His own son is trying to kill him, and he knows that all this stems from his action with Bathsheba and Uriah. So David does consider himself in any position to be judging Shimei. He sees it as part of God’s judgement upon himself. He is also trusting to God’s mercy, and hoping for restoration to “His covenant blessing”.

16:13,14

So David and his not so merry men continue on their journey, with Shimei cheerfully cursing and throwing stones at them. Eventually they reach their destination, tired and exhausted.

16:15-17

While David is on his travels, Absalom and Ahithophel arrive in Jerusalem. David’s “plant”, Hushai, also arrives in Jerusalem, and declares his allegiance to the new king. Absalom initially is not impressed by Hushai, possibly suspicious of him as well, questioning why he has abandoned David.

Mark 5:11-13 - Send us among the pigs

5:11,12

We see that these events were taking place in a largely Gentile region by the presence of pigs, Jews were not allowed to farm pigs. The demons pleaded with Jesus to be allowed to go into the pigs. It is not clear why the demons thought that this was a good idea, and it turned out not to be a good idea at all. Demonic powers can be powerful, but they can also be very foolish. 

5:13

Jesus granted them this permission, and the demons duly went into the pigs. Again, we are not told why Jesus granted the demons their request, though perhaps it was because He knew what the outcome would be. Things did not end well for either the pigs or the demons. Once the demons had entered the pigs, they rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. Demons never have a good effect on anything.

2 Samuel 16:5-10 - He pelted David

16:5-8

Another man from Saul’s family, Shimei, now spends his time cursing and throwing rocks at David. He viewed the situation as an opportunity to get revenge for David defeating Saul. He accused David of being a murderer and a scoundrel. David, of course, was actually a murderer, though the death of Uriah is probably not what Shimei was thinking about. So Shimei’s actual accusations were false, for God had given the kingdom to David, and David had spared Saul’s life on at least two occasions. However, David knew he actually was a murderer, so the accusation may well have had an effect on him.

16:9,10

Abishai was loyal to David, and was always keen to act (1 Sam 26:6-9; 2 Sam 2:18,24; 3:30). So he offered to go and behead Shimei. David, however, refused to let him do that. Possibly partly because of his own guilt, partly because of his sense of righteousness. David thinks that whatever Shimei’s personal motives, this could be the will of the Lord. People who do the Lord’s will don’t always know that they are doing so.

Mark 5:6-10 - Come out of this man

5:6,7

The man saw Jesus and ran towards him, falling on his knees before Jesus. Now was this the man seeking help, or was it the reaction of the demons? Given the other instances of the response of demons to Jesus, the latter must have had something to do with it. The demon shouts out through the man, and this is the first instance of a demon referring to Jesus as Jesus, the Son of God. The demon knows it is in big trouble, pleading not to be tortured by Jesus.

5:8-10

Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Jesus then asks “what is your name”. Now it was the demon who answered, and it may have been the demon that Jesus was addressing the question to. Indeed, this is the most likely, though Jesus was actually concerned about the man himself. Whatever the case it is the demon who answers, saying his name is “Legion, for we are many”. This man was in a very sorry state indeed.

2 Samuel 16:1-4 - Why have you brought these?

16:1

Leaders encounter all sorts of people, this applies in life in general and in church life. Some are genuinely supportive and loyal. Some will follow whoever seems to be the current flavour of the month, others claim to be on your side, but are manipulative. As we are all human, some are a mixture of these types. There are also those who are opposed to us. Ziba seems to be of the scheming sort. Ziba is waiting for David. He was the steward of Mephibosheth, and had a load of supplies for David.

16:2-4

David enquired as to why Ziba had brought all this stuff, and why he had left Mephibosheth. ZIba claims that Mephibosheth has sided with Absalom, implying that it is because he thinks he will get all that belonged to Saul, his grandfather. 2 Sam 19:26 indicates that this isn’t quite true. However, David accepts Ziba’s explanation, and gives him all that belonged to Mephibosheth.

Mark 5:1-5 - A man with an impure spirit

5:1

In your Bible you will probably see footnotes against “Gerasenes”, saying some manuscripts have “Gadarenes” or “Gergesenes”. The “region of the Gerasenes” probably refers to the whole region of the Decapolis, a group of Hellenistic towns, i.e. Gentile towns. Matthew has “Gadarenes”. It was common for a region to be known by a single city. Gadara is actually nearer the sea than Gerasa, and the Gadarenes is geographically where the event took place, and Matthew is the most “Jewish” of the gospels. Mark was writing for Jews and Gentiles who were distant from the area, and Gerasa was the larger city, and more likely to be known by his readers.

5:2-5

Jesus got out of the boat and was met by a man with an impure spirit, i.e. he was demon possessed. In the early stages of the account it seems that it is the demon speaking through the man. After Jesus sets him free, the man comes into his own again. The man came from the tombs. In fact he was in a very sorry state indeed. The demon made him very violent. The people had tried to restrain him by chaining him hand and foot, but this no longer worked, he was able to break free. He spent his time wandering among the tombs, crying out, and self-harming. The people wanted nothing to do with him, and this was largely out of fear and not knowing what to do with him. Sometimes well meaning Christians will criticise others for not wanting to have anything to do with certain types of people. At one level the criticism is fair, but it should also be recognised that it is often largely out of fear and not knowing how to handle the person. Just criticising people for not being “loving enough” is not a sufficient or helpful reaction. We need the power of God, and we may well be dealing with demonic activity. The love of God and the power of God go together.

2 Samuel 15:27-37 - Turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness

15:27-31

David also had a plan. Zadok and Abiathar would also act as informers for David. David had also learnt that  Ahithophel, who had been a key adviser for David, was on Absalom’s side. This was potentially very bad news. David’s response was to pray to the Lord to confound Ahithophel’s advice. David was weeping as he walked along, and we can imagine this procession as a very sorry site, yet David is still calling upon the Lord.

15:32-37

When they reached the summit David met Hushai. David told Hushai to return to Jerusalem and to pretend to be willing to serve Absalom. The purpose was that Hushai would frustrate the advice of Ahithophel. He was also to work with Zadok and Abiathar, and Zadok and Abiathar’s sons would be the communication link with David. So Hushai returned to Jerusalem, and arrived there at the same time as Absalom.

Mark 4:39-41 - Who is this?

4:39,40

Jesus got up and rebuked the waves. The wind died down and everything was calm again. Jesus then rebuked His disciples “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” We may encounter very serious occasions, but God will not let us die before the appointed time. Now, is Jesus saying that the storm would not actually have caused them all to drown? I.e. Did Jesus actually need to calm the storm? Or would He have woken up at the right time and rebuked it? If we take the former scenario, then Jesus’ calming of the storm demonstrates that God was in total control. We can often be afraid of events happening in our lives, we can be confident that God will not allow events to run out of control.

3:41

The demonstration of authority by Jesus terrifies the disciples. This was something completely outwith their experience. The power of God is something infinitely greater than anything human, or even in nature. They now saw that Jesus was completely out of the ordinary.

2 Samuel 15:19-26 - Go ahead, march on

15:19-22

David was concerned for the well being of Ittai the Gittite and urged him to go back to Jerusalem and to stay with Absalom (David even referred to him as king Absalom). David considered that Ittai owed no debt to David. However, Ittai insisted on continuing to follow David, and so it was.

15:23

“The whole countryside wept aloud ...” Although Absalom had gathered a large number of people, it seems that the whole country had not been won over. A group of people who are utterly determined, even though they are a minority, can have an enormous influence.

15:24-26

The ark of the covenant was with them, along with Zadok the priest and the Levites. Sacrifices were offered. Having the ark was a sign that David was trusting in the Lord. However, David did not treat the ark as a “good luck” symbol. So he ordered Zadok to take the ark back to Jerusalem, that was where it belonged. He also thought there was a possibility that God would allow David to return to Jerusalem. Whether or not God allowed David to return, David was content to accept God’s judgement on the matter. David had put himself in God’s hands. When someone has sinned there are two basic reactions. One is to protest our innocence, or to become belligerent, exalting ourself. The other is to accept that we have sinned and to entrust ourselves to the Lord. David had chosen the latter course.

Mark 4:35-38 - Don't you care if we die?

4:35,36

We now come to the well known incident of Jesus calming the storm. This is followed in the subsequent chapter by a number of incidents that demonstrate the authority of Jesus. “That day when evening came ...” implies that they went over to the other side after a day’s teaching. “They took Him along, just as He was” seems a rather odd way of saying it, as though they are in charge of ferrying Jesus about. 

4:37

“A furious squall came up”. The Sea of Galilee was known for such squalls. With a number of the disciples being fishermen, they would not easily be scared, being familiar with the conditions one might encounter.  This was a serious storm, threatening to swamp the boat and lead to drowning.

4:38

Meanwhile Jesus was sleeping. This could be due to tiredness after a day’s teaching, or could be because He was perfectly at peace. The disciples are surprised and shocked at Jesus’ seeming unawareness of the danger they were in. In Matthews’s account (Matt 8:25) they say to Him “Lord save us! We’re going to drown!”.  Taking Mark (or Luke) alone it could be that they are just shocked that Jesus seems to be totally unaware of the danger, but Matthew says they did call on Jesus to save them. However, 4:41 indicates that they did not expect Him to calm the storm.

2 Samuel 15:15-18 - Your servants are ready to go

15:15

The king’s officials are still loyal to David and willing to follow him. David barely deserved this loyalty, for when we act immorally our actions hurt others. The world’s mantra of “as long as it doesn’t hurt others” is useless, for all that we do has an effect on others.

15:16-18

So David sets out with his entire household, except for ten concubines. One might ask what was David doing with ten concubines, and he also had multiple wives? He left them to care for the palace.This was to prove to be a very bad move for the concubines (2 Sam 16:21,22). David and his people set out. They halted at the edge of the city, and all David’s men marched past him. This included six hundred Gittites who had accompanied David from Gath. Perhaps it is significant that Gath is where Goliath came from. David had defeated the strong man and ransacked his goods (Matt 12:29).

Mark 4:30-34 - It is like a mustard seed

4:30-32

We have just been told that we are not solely involved in the process, there are things happening beyond what we are responsible for. The real Gardener is God Himself (John 15:1). Now we are warned not to assume that the early stages are indicative of the final outcome. The parable is introduced by Jesus saying “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?” Jesus says the kingdom is like a mustard seed, it may start off seemingly small and insignificant, but like a mustard seed it grows into the “largest of all garden plants”. As it says in Zech 4:10, we should not despise the day of small things. Again the key thing is that we need to recognise our proper place. God involves us in all that He does, there are things that He commands us to do, and we should do them. But we need to look at things as God involving us in what He is doing, rather than getting God involved in what we are doing. Then we are more likely to have the right perspective and to have faith.

4:33,34

Mark records only a small sample of Jesus’ parables, more are found in Matthew and Luke. Jesus used many other parables in speaking to the people. He only gave them “as much as they could understand”. So if people object that they could not understand they are actually without excuse. Jesus spoke only in parables for the most part. However, when “he was alone with His own disciples, He explained everything”. So what was the difference between the disciples and “the rest”? Maybe it was that the disciples were committed to Him and were following Him.

2 Samuel 15:13,14 - The hearts of the people are with Absalom

15:13

News of Absalom’s conspiracy reaches David, and he is told that “the hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom”. From the man of action that we have encountered in 1 Samuel, David is a much weakened character, largely as a result of his own sin and the subsequent judgement of God upon that sin. 

15:14

In response to the news David decides to abandon the city, reckoning that there is currently no way of opposing Absalom. He does this both for his own preservation and that of the people of Jerusalem. David had once been a fugitive on the run from Saul, now he is a fugitive on the run from his own son. However, despite his weakened state, we will still see David making some good choices, and treating others well. For all of us there are times when we seem to be on top of things, flowing in the Spirit. Then there are other times when we feel as though we are barely living. Even in those latter times we should still strive to make good decisions, morally right ones.

Mark 4:27-29 - All by itself the soil produces corn

4:27,28

Preaching is necessary, but we should also recognise the limit of our part. Once the seed is sown, the farmer does not know how the seed grows, in fact there is no need for him to know how it grows. Moreover, the seed germinates and grows all by itself. Now again, we must not take things too far, 1 Cor 3:7,8 talks about the one who waters. But the point here is that when we sow the word there are things that happen that we are unaware of. We do not fully understand everything and do not need to. If we think everything is up to us then this will lead us into error. A preacher or evangelist may try to use emotion or clever tricks to seek to manipulate the hearers.  If a church starts to be very “successful”, then others may start thinking that the method or organisational structure is the reason for the success, and think that if they follow the same method they too will be successful. It is the word of God and the Holy Spirit that bring success. Thinking a method or structure will bring success is a form of idolatry.

4:29

There is a point where the farmer comes actively back into the frame. When the corn is ripe the farmer “puts the sickle to it”. So we are involved in God’s work, He wants us to bear witness to Christ and to preach and live the gospel, and He wants us to reap the harvest at the right time. But there are things that God does without us being fully aware of it.