Mark 3:7-30
Introduction
Our text for today is kind of a wild ride. Jesus has set off with his Disciples and they are out doing their thing—and the people are responding to what Jesus is saying and especially to what he is doing—healing people; a preaching tour in Galilee; cleansing a leper; casting out unclean spirits; challenging centuries old-ways and religious laws—not to mention giving some of his disciples titles like “Sons of Thunder”.
But Jesus is also saying crazy things like, “I am Lord of the Sabbath,” “Your sins are forgiven” and “Hey disciples, I give you authority to cast out demons.” Understandably then, Jesus was drawing a remarkable amount of attention to himself. So much so, that two groups— those who are closest to him, and those most threatened by him—begin asking the same question: “Is this guy crazy?”
Move 1
In our text we see Jesus’ loved ones stage a failed intervention. “They went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind.’” Then, in verse 22, the religious establishment asserts, “He is possessed by Beelzebul.”
While we today have the benefit of faith and perspective to understand that Jesus is not crazy, but is, in fact, God in flesh; we must admit their speculation isn’t entirely off the rails. What else would family members, who for 30 years have known a normal Jesus, assume? What other conclusion could the scholarly religious authorities come to?
Sane and non-possessed people don’t turn their lives into a spiritual freak show. They don’t make claims of being a deity and publicly discuss demons. That’s not normal. Not then and not now. But sometimes “crazy” and “genius” look a lot alike, don’t they? Isn’t it true that sometimes our most enlightened and creative people look, think, and act in much the same manner as our most unstable? Such is the case with Jesus. But it’s not that he’s “mad”; rather it’s just that his world—the Kingdom of God and he as its leader—are so otherworldly, that it surprises us and shakes our foundations.
Humanity had never seen such power on public display. It had never heard such values being taught. It had never witnessed such dynamic, charismatic, and divine authority wrapped in so much simplicity and even frailty. Jesus was a homeless, self-made rabbi from Nazareth, with “no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him”, according to Isaiah’s prophesy of the Messiah.
Which means, if we were in our ancestor’s shoes, we too would call Jesus crazy. And because we would, then we might have just found a model for challenging the challenges of this life, this world, and this culture.
Move 2
Jesus, for his part, does not seem at all bothered by the accusations of insanity. Instead, Jesus takes the response of those concerned and uses it to illustrate a dividing line between saving faith and damning disbelief. Those who are able to set aside the “crazy” indictments are those who can see that behind the jaw-dropping miracles and alarming message is the very Spirit of God.
A truth worth remembering is that the Kingdom of God, the work of the Spirit, will always disrupt and disturb a “sane” world. Meaning, if “craziness” is persistently violating social norms with little regard for oneself, then the work of Jesus fits the description. After all…
The world idolizes logic and reason, yet God’s people live by faith. The world abuses the weak and poor, but God’s people embrace the lowly as the greatest among us. The world rewards the strongest and the most capable, but God’s people openly confess our struggles and embrace our need for a Savior. The world says, “You are entitled to hate those that hurt you,” but God’s people love our enemies, and pray for our persecutors. The world is full of people scrambling to stock up as much earthly treasure as they can before they die, but God’s people seek to give it away in favor of treasure in heaven. The world sleeps in on Sundays and brunches before noon, but God’s people get out of bed early to have a cup of coffee with those who were strangers yet became family. The world’s motto is “Love yourself,” but the motto for God’s people is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
All this is to say, if Christians are called “crazy” from time to time, well, as Jesus might have put it, “Good, because turning the table of the status quo challenges the challenges of this life, this world, this culture.”
Move 3
When we take a moment and drill down into the deeper meaning and deeper perspective that what Jesus said and did was perceived to be “crazy” we will soon realize: if the God we worship is not deeply disrupting and uncomfortably confronting within some parts of our lives, then the God we worship is likely one of our own creation, and not the Creator of the universe.
We see this truth come out again and again in the New Testament. Take for instance the Incarnation, which is deeply disrupting and uncomfortably confronting. Paul says to the Philippians, “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.”
Stepping out of the form of God to be emptied and exploited in human form is pure insanity. It is crazy—but yet God did. Take for instance the cross, which is deeply disrupting and uncomfortably confronting. Paul says, “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18). God in flesh, giving his life as a gift for a rebellious and evil humanity is pure foolishness. It is crazy—but yet God did.
Then there’s the mystery of Salvation, which doesn’t make sense. Every other religious system requires that the one being rescued do something: grow in certain knowledge or demonstrate certain obedience. But we are told Christ died for us while we were still sinners and made us alive when we were dead. God, by God’s Spirit, brings us and feeds us an unrelenting course of undeserved mercy and grace. This truth runs counter to all we celebrate in our world. It’s not how careers are conquered; how championships are won; or a heart is wooed. It is, to the human hearer, completely ludicrous. And yet God did. And when this ludicrous truth lays hold of us, when embraced by faith, it changes us. At least it should.
And because Jesus implores us to change our ways and our views so they are in line with God, as God breaks into our world through the Son, the Word, and Spirit-filled people, God will inevitably offend and jar the sensibilities of everyone at some time or another. We need only turn to the second chapter of Acts where, with dumbfounded, wide-eyed wonder, the world responds to the early believers saying, “Look at them. They share their possessions. They celebrate in their struggles. We can’t hate them … they’re insane.”
And so I’ll say it again… If the God we worship is not deeply disrupting and uncomfortably confronting, within some part of our lives, then the God we worship is likely one of our own creation, and not the Creator of the universe.
Move 4
So what if the church today embraced Jesus’ model of “crazy”? What if, rather than worry about fitting in and conforming to self-created idolatries, the church chose to bear hug its disrupting, uncomfortable, confronting, challenging challenges craziness?
We could be like that one person we all know—because we all know that person who just doesn’t care what anyone thinks about them. You know who in your life I’m talking about—and admit it, you kind of admire them. The person who lets their crazy flag fly… The person who puts out the gaudiest decorations for Christmas… The person who gets the mail in their robe… The person who sits in their driveway, smiling, drinking wine from a box and waving hello to all who pass by.
What if the church was that guy? What if the church functioned with that kind of crazy whimsy? Would the church be less put-off when the homeless woman wanders in on a Sunday morning, while giving her a seat of honor and affording her great dignity? Would the church encourage radical generosity among the people? You know, the kind of generosity that makes people talk about you behind your back. Would the church start ministries that do more than entertain children and adults, but rather pursues the prostitute and rescues the addict with no regard for its own reputation? Would the church preach the frightening depths of God’s demands upon humanity— for righteousness and purity— yet counter it with a jaw-dropping and reckless amount of grace afforded us in Christ? What if the church was this kind of crazy?
Conclusion
Now sure, some will take offense at the whole notion of being “crazy for Jesus.” But let us take comfort with these parting thoughts…
First, just because we’re labeled as “crazy” doesn’t mean we actually are. Some of the world’s greatest influencers were once believed to be unwell and unstable—people like Beethoven and Isaac Newton. We’re in good company.
Second, if by some chance we do come under fire for radically and faithfully following Jesus, we’ve got a great defense: If you are going to faithfully challenge the challenges of this life, this world, this culture—believing you can be successful at deeply disrupting and uncomfortably confronting idols of our own creation—then you’re going to have to be a little “crazy.”
And lastly… Jesus’ friends and family wondered if he was “crazy.” And that’s not bad company to be in.
Fortunately we don’t need to wonder such. What we need to wonder is: Are we crazy enough? Are we crazy like Jesus? Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, August 20, 2023
God of new beginnings, we are your children who walk in faith knowing you are leading us forward to what is new and what is next—blessing us always with all we need.
And so at the start of another school year, at the beginning of something new, we acknowledge that newness can be exciting, it can be scary, it can be wonderful, it can be confusing.
So bless us over and over again with the assurance God, tat you are always with us. You are with us when life is exciting and scary; you are with us when our wonderful and confusing; you are with us every day and all the time.
And then bless all students, and all teachers and staff with what is new and what is next, blessing them with all they need for a good, productive, safe, fun, and wonderful year of school.
And amongst those blessings O God, bless us anew for the Christian journey you have set us on—a journey that is a bit crazy at times, but one when done in response to your call is nonetheless faithful.
Like students taught in school, teach us we pray. Teach us for the ministries in our time, and then send us forth with authority as you sent your disciples.
Teach us how to be sensitive to the culture in which we live, and to hear and understand its needs.
Teach us how to trust you on the journey of life and discipleship and to know that you always go before us.
Teach us how to gain mastery over the demons of modern life, and to live lives that are of great abundance—but not with the things of this world, rather with the ways of your world and kingdom.
So may you bless us too O God, imploring us to always be those who trust and follow in your ways and who are always crazy enough to challenge the challenges of this life, this world, and this culture.
We ask you to hear the prayers of our hearts as we lift them to you in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of Jesus the Christ, who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”