[Photo from RJ Portwine on Unsplash.]
Our 21st century society worships celebrities. An industry has grown up to manage their profile and to promote them effectively to make sure that they receive ample publicity. Celebrities are from the world of politics, sport, music, TV, film, social media or whatever. If they are not receiving the exposure they crave for, their agents will look for an opportunity to raise their profile by being a contestant on a TV show etc or featuring them in social media. The public want to revere the celebrities and so a symbiotic relationship has developed between a growing number of people seeking publicity and popularity and the mass of ordinary people who want to elevate their pop idol or their sporting heroes.
In Mark's Gospel we discover that Jesus was becoming a celebrity but he did not have a team of PR consultants. He did not seek publicity. He was a reluctant celebrity who was famous despite his reticence and desire for privacy. John Mark is very interested in this aspect of the life of Jesus. He emphasises the growing tide of popularity. Here are some examples
The whole town gathered at the door, [Mark 1:33 NIV]
This was because the news was circulating that Jesus was a remarkable healer and was able to cast out demons from people who were demon possessed. This was obviously a massive issue in that area of Galilee and Jesus was doing amazing things.
A few verses further down, Simon and other followers of Jesus comment on his popularity.
and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” [Mark 1:37 NIV]
Mark highlights the impact on the people who met Jesus
The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. [Mark 1: 26-27 NIV]
At the close of the first chapter of Mark's Gospel, there is the incident where Jesus heals or cleanses the leper. Jesus gave specific instructions to the man who had been cured to go to the priest to follow the Old Testament law with regard to leprosy but Jesus told him plainly that he was not to tell anyone about his healing. Well, the leper did not obey the words of his divine healer.
Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. [Mark 1: 45 NIV]
So Jesus is not seeking publicity or popularity. He has made this clear to the leper who was cleansed and this command was ignored, so Jesus avoids crowds and stays in lonely places away from the crowds. But the people still find a way to reach him.
Mark 2 begins with a graphic account of the effects of the popularity of the Perfect Servant. Jesus is in a house in Capernaum and the word gets out that he is there and the house is thronged with people. This might have prevented a man from being healed because he was unable to walk and there was such a crowd in and surrounding the house that the four men who were carrying this man on his bed could not get him anywhere near Jesus. We are going to be looking at this story in a later blog.
I suppose that if there was news that some actor or singer or sports personality was visiting Falkirk, there would be crowds following them. Jesus was being treated as a celebrity - but he did not welcome it nor did he exploit it to his own advantage. Being a celebrity brings a certain loss of privacy and a recognition that it is difficult to avoid the public scrutiny. But there are many rewards - some celebrities are able to charge huge fees for attending certain events or patronising certain charities or organisations. Jesus did not use this celebrity status for his own benefit. He did not gain financially or in status from any of this popularity.
More than that. The growing tide of popularity in the early chapters of Mark's Gospel is matched with a surge in opposition to Jesus which led ultimately to his downfall and death. If I could map out this pattern as follows. Firstly, I will list the references to the statements of growing popularity to Jesus. Then secondly, I will list the reverse - the signs of growing opposition.
Verses indicating that Jesus was becoming more and more popular
Mark 1:22; 1:27; 1:28; 1:33; 1:37; 1:45; 2:2; 2:13; 3:7; 3:9; 3:20; 4:1; 4:41; 5:21; 5:42; 6:2; 6:33; 6:56; 7:24; 7:37. Notice that these statements are all clustered in the first 7 chapters of the Gospel. There are no such statements in the second half of Mark's Gospel
Verses indicating that there was growing opposition to Him.
Mark 2:7; 2:16; 2:18; 2:24;3:2-6; 3:22; 5:17;6:3,6; 7:1-2; 8:11; 10:2; 11:15-18; 11:27-28; 12:12; 12:13; 12:18; 12:28; 14:1-2; 14:10-11; 14:27; 14:43-46; 14:53-65; 15:1-1-38;
If we do a quick overview it is clear that opposition to Jesus was present almost from the start of His public ministry. Look at the references to opposition in chapter 2. The first suggestion of criticism comes in verse 6-7. The scribes or teachers of the law are present when Jesus healed the paralysed man who had been carried by four friends and lowered down through a hole in the roof of the house. They did not say anything out loud but they were thinking to themselves that this was blasphemy because Jesus had told this man that his sins were forgiven. This was outrageous for Jesus to claim to forgive sins, in their opinion (Mark 2:7-8). In the same chapter we have two criticisms made from the other opponents of Jesus. The Pharisees, who were strict in their rules of segregation, criticised Jesus for eating and drinking alongside tax collectors and sinners, which the Pharisees would never have done (Mark 2:15-16). The final criticism from the Pharisees related to the keeping of the Sabbath. Jesus and his disciples were crossing corn fields and the disciples began to pluck the ears of corn. So we see the seeds of resentment against Jesus for his attitude to the law of Moses. This hostility will develop and grow into outright opposition to Jesus which we will observe as we study this Gospel.
For the time being we want to observe that Jesus is teaching us a lesson with regard to not depending on popular approval. It is far more important to be right with God and this should be our first priority. We should not seek to court popular approval for our actions or our teaching. Jesus knew that this widespread adulation was very shallow. The same people would ultimately reject Him. He knew the thoughts in their minds. He was not deceived by their praise nor was he influenced by popular approval. There will always be opposition to Christians. Jesus made this abundantly clear.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. [John 15:18-19 NIV]
[See Day Share entitled 'If the world hates you 25/05/2021.']
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