As a parent, when my children were young and they were doing something that they should not have been doing, perhaps something disruptive or even dangerous for them to do, I would yell, "Cut it out!" In the text Jesus doesn't tell them to "cut it out," but He did say to "cut it off," which essentially meant the same thing, "Stop it, and stop it now or face the consequences." This is strong warning for everyone to think about their actions and their lifestyles.
Jesus had been teaching His disciples for over a year at this point, and by all accounts, they were zealous for Him. Yet, surprisingly, even after all their time with Jesus they still had much to learn. Even Jesus seemed shocked at times that they were so slow to understand (Mk 8:17). For example, in our text, we see that they were quick to condemn those who were not members of their cadre of disciples. However, Jesus pointed out that they should not dismiss or condemn others that are ministering in His name.
I’ve found that there are times in my life when I know God is trying to teach me something, but at the time nothing makes sense to me. What I thought I knew about God does not fit within the framework of what is happening to me, in me, or around me. I examine myself, I question my motives, my thoughts, my actions, and still can’t comprehend why I’m going through a situation, or why circumstances are unfolding as they are. The truth is that sometimes our preconceived paradigms have to be shattered, or at the very least radically shifted before we are ready to hear God or to learn the lessons God is trying to teach us.
Many churches only want positive confessions and testimonies of all the good things God has done. But sometimes we need to cry from the miry clay because some needs are noisy and ugly, punctuating our programs with opportunities to let the light of Jesus shine through us. Sometimes we try to quietly usher the need out of the sanctuary lest it disrupt our preplanned church service. But these are needs on display—a broken heart, a broken home, a broken spirit, a broken mind—and they must not be ignored.
The disciples had previously failed to hear Jesus speak of His coming sacrifice, but now the Father said, “Hear Him,” and then as they walked down the mountain Jesus revisited this topic, because, after all, how could they refuse to hear Him now? Jesus told them again, “the Son of Man … must suffer many things and be treated with contempt” (v. 12b).
There are too many people who are happy to live on the margins of Christianity, but there are others who want to move closer, who want to take it to the next level in their relationship with Jesus. There are people who are willing to deny themselves, pick up their cross every morning, and follow Jesus. People who are not ashamed to stand up and say, “Yes! I believe Jesus is the Son of God. I believe He was born of the virgin, lived without sin, was crucified, buried, raised from the dead, and ascended to the Father’s right hand where He lives forever as my Savior, my Intercessor, Redeemer, and Lord.
In verses 22 through 26, Mark recorded the story of a blind man in Bethsaida, which was in a largely Gentile region, but excavations have found a significant, if not predominately Jewish population in the town. As such, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the blind man was Jewish or Gentile, but for purposes of illustrating a powerful point in the Gospel, it doesn’t really matter what his race was.
There was no escaping the fact that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah because to be the Savior of the world He had to be the Christ, the Anointed One. But Gentiles hearing the story, as wonderful as it was, must have questioned where they fit in the story, which brings us to our text. Found only in Mark’s Gospel, this passage—along with the preceding passage and the passage that follows—highlights the ministry of Jesus in mostly Gentile territories where Gentiles were sincerely seeking Him. Like the Jews, when their faith was sufficient to believe, Jesus could and would heal and deliver Gentiles as well.
Most of us who have a dog in the house can understand the reply of the desperate mother, who takes the metaphor Jesus used, turns it around, and ends up walking away with a miracle. Sometimes we give up too quickly or get our feelings hurt too easily, and as a result, we walk away empty-handed. There is a powerful message in this passage that needs to be unpacked.
Almost everyone has ears, but Jesus knew that not everyone listens or understands. In fact, in many cases, the people were not even trying to understand. They were there for the show, for healing and deliverance, fish and bread, but not to learn the lessons that could set them free. I’ve been to church services where the people shouted from start to finish, and a good time was had by all, but when I asked them afterward what the message was about, they had no idea. I’ve heard people say, “I don’t know what he said, but I sure liked the way he said it!”
