Scripture Reference: Mark 3:7-35

In 1859 the great circus performer and tightrope walker whose name was Jean François Gravelet, came to Niagara Falls. I don’t know how he managed this, but he set up a rope 1,150 feet long that stretched right across the top of the falls. Using a long balancing pole for assistance, he proceeded to walk across. That amazing act would have sufficed for most people, but not so for Jean François. Over the next year or so he undertook the crossing about a dozen more times under the gaze of ever larger crowds. It is said that hundreds of thousands of people watched him as he walked across: blindfolded, then pushing a wheelbarrow, and then with a stove, stopping in the middle to cook an omelet. As more and more people heard about these spectacular performances, the crowds continued to come from far and wide.

When people in Galilee heard about Jesus and His spectacular miracles, the crowds also continued to grow. They came from far and wide. Many enjoyed watching; many came along for the thrill; but far fewer were willing to step out of the crowd. Even today, all sorts of people hear about Jesus and are impressed. But only a small number of them are willing to hear His call and place their lives in His hands.

Wanted: A Crowd or a Call?

In these verses, we find Jesus deliberately withdrawing from the towns where the opposition, up to this point, has been concentrated. He cannot spend His whole time dealing with them. Mark’s geographical notes are usually significant; here he is telling us that, by leaving His enemies behind, Jesus is symbolically breaking with the old established religion. He takes Himself off to the familiar territory of the lakeshore. The local crowd come with Him, but is it really a crowd that Jesus wants? In verses 7-19 we see the difference between a crowd and a call. Once again the spotlight will shine on us, the readers: what is our response to Jesus? Are we only to be admiring onlookers, or are we going to hear the call and place our lives in His hands?

The Crowd

In verses 7-12 we see the crowd. News has spread fast. Although Jesus has told people not to go spreading stories about Him, He has not been obeyed (Mark 1:45). As a result, Jesus is faced by huge crowds wherever He goes, many of whom are little more than sensation-seekers. The places listed in the 8^th verse, cover almost every point of the compass and include Gentile areas as well as Jewish. There are Judea and its capital Jerusalem to the south; Tyre and Sidon to the north; the Transjordanian lands (such as the Decapolis mentioned in Mark 7:31) to the east; and Idumea, or Edom, to the south-east. Jesus will later visit most of them in person. These places are fairly far away, at least in times when nearly everyone has to travel on foot, and clearly all this doesn’t happen on a single day. These verses describe developments which probably take place over several weeks.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
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