Jesus. He Surprises Me.

Every time I read through one of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John), I’m surprised by what I read. I fall more in love with Jesus.

Some of you may think it’s completely silly to be surprised by such an old book that many of us know fairly well. Others may totally understand my reaction. I tend to lean toward the first group of people, but I’m learning to understand why my initial reaction is surprise.

Jesus rarely does what we expect him to do. The story has so many twists and turns and so many witty responses.

I’m surprised by Jesus’ compassion and patience. It seems too good to be true. But it is true. Jesus, God, is compassionate. Jesus, God, is patient. I don’t even know how to describe the fullness of what I want to say, so let’s just go through Mark, and I’ll share some of my “Whoa,” and “Has this really been in here the whole time?” passages. 

1:12 The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness

·         The Spirit led Jesus into his period of intense temptation and pain. That’s a scary yet comforting thought. We experience those wilderness moments, but the Spirit’s there leading and guiding us through it all.

1:40-41 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!"

·         He is moved with compassion, breaks societal norms, and loving embraces those who are proclaimed as unembracable by society.

2:15-17 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”

When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."

·         Jesus won’t leave me in my crap. He’ll hang out with me through it all. He spends time with disreputable sinners. What a great God.

2:27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

·         I need to let go of my legalistic attitude. It’s not what Jesus wants for me.

3:5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts...

·         Jesus cares enough to be sad when people have hardened their hearts toward him. He doesn’t hate them. Filled with compassion, he pities them.

4:39-40 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

·         Jesus could have ripped into his disciples rebuking them for their foolishness and unbelief. But instead, he lovingly asks them a question. He experiences more sadness than anger at their unbelief. He just wants them to know him.

5:30-34 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

·         Jesus wants to acknowledge everyone. He wants to speak words of tender love to people. He cares about their emotional healing just as much as their physical healing.

6:30-31 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

·         Jesus cares about his disciples enough to tell them to rest. He doesn’t want to use them; he wants to love them and others.

6:34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

·         Even when Jesus is completely exhausted, his compassion compels him to show love to each person who approaches him. He’s never willing to turn away from the hurting. That’s not who he is.

6:46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

 

·         Jesus needs alone time with the Father. How much more do we need to be sure to take that time away from the busyness of life?

8:2 “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat."

·         He loves everyone in the crowd. He cares about them enough to focus on their needs rather than his own.

10:20-21 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

·         Jesus cares about each individual enough to listen to their questions, recognize their lack of understanding, feel genuine love for them, and explain the truth in love.

10:43-45  "But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

·         He’s willing to challenge the crappy world’s status quo.

13:2-4 (and the rest of the chapter) Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”

Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?”

·         Jesus knows he is going to die in a few days, but he’s not focused on that. He answers the big questions his disciples have. He cares about all of their questions. He cares about them.

14:34 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

·         Jesus experiences intense grief, and he wants his friends near. He really knows what it means to be human.

14:36 “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

·         Jesus recognizes that God’s will is better than anything else. He has an eternal perspective. He’s not selfish. If he was, he wouldn’t have said this.

15:3-5 Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?” But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.

·         Jesus is the only one who could declare complete innocence, and he doesn’t. Pride isn’t a problem for Jesus. He trusts his Father and doesn’t need to prove himself to anyone else.

15:37-38 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

·         Jesus transformed everything through his death and resurrection. He tore the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the world. It is no longer for the high priest alone. The Holy of Holies, the Holy Spirit, is now present throughout the whole world and available to every believer. Jesus changed everything.

16:8 ...Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.

·         Jesus doesn’t just hang out with his disciples after he rises from the dead. He has a purpose. He wants his disciples to tell everyone about the Good News of promised life in him. He loves US that much. He wasn’t content with just having the twelve know him. He wants us to know him too. He has compassion on us. He has genuine love for us.

Clearly there are so many more great truths and demonstrations of Jesus’ character in Mark and the other gospels.

Right now, my favorite story in Mark is in chapter 10. It's the story of Bartimaeus.

⁴⁶ Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. ⁴⁷ When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁹ When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” ⁵⁰ Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
⁵² And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

I love this story because it shows me so much about who Jesus is. There's Bart, a big, homeless loser. And he's blind! His life is looking pretty dismal. He hears that Jesus is around, and he finally has some hope. He shouts, and everyone around him tells him to shut up. That's how hated Bart is. No one wants Jesus to see this embarrassing reject.

Jesus doesn't react the way the other people do. He stops. He listens to Bart, and he even calls Bart over.

I love Bart's response. He JUMPS up and RUSHES over to Jesus. Jesus heals him. But he doesn't just go off on his merry way; Bart follows Jesus.

I've felt like Bart. I've never been blind. And I've never had to sit on the side of the road begging. But I have felt like a reject surrounded by people trying to silence me. I've also encountered Jesus. And he responded to me the way he responded to Bart. He called me over. He changed me, and he allows me to follow him.

I follow Jesus, the man, the God, who constantly surprises me. He overwhelms me with his compassion, his patience, his love, and his power.