Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for October 16, 2011

Series in Mark

“We are Family” – Mark 3-6

If you were a Christian living in the second century AD, you would be accused of four things:

Of being an atheist for believing in only one God;
Of being anti-social for not participating in Roman celebrations and games;
Of being cannibals for participating in the Lord’s Supper;
Of being incestuous.

The last accusation is the focus of the lesson today.

2 Corinthians 6:18
The Christians of that day took to heart and openly behaved according to the idea that, regardless of biological or marital relationships, older Christians were the parents of younger Christians and, likewise, the younger were the sons and daughters of the older and those of the same age range were brothers and sisters. Christians are a family.

In chapter’s 4, 5, & 6, we see that the minority response to Jesus and His miracles is faith.

⋄ At the end of chapter 4, we see that the disciples’ response to Jesus calming the wind is unbelief, fear, & terror.
⋄ The response in 5:15 of the townspeople to the healing of the Gerasenes demoniac was fear.
⋄ The response of the household of Jairus is incredulity.
⋄ The people of His hometown were offended.

Jesus was amazed at their unbelief.

Only two people had the right response to Jesus:

The Gerasenes demoniac and the woman with the issue of blood.

In Mark 3:20, we see that His legal family believes Him to be out of His mind.

Mark 3:33-35
Jesus redefines the family for Christians.
The biological family is no longer placed above our relationship to other Christians.

Mark 10:28-30
A Christian receives multiple new family members.