Strange Behavior of Jesus for $400

If you have even just flipped through the Gospels, you know that Jesus engages in some pretty strange behavior at times.

And, lest you start throwing stones, that is not necessarily bad. Strange behavior can certainly be bad, but it can just as easily seem strange because we lack understanding.

One area where there is a general lack of understanding is Scripture, which is why we need each other so much. It is also the reason the responsibility of each of us to read and interpret Scripture is so vital, as is our shared responsibility to engage in honest dialogue about the meaning of the text. We were reminded of this today in Connect4, as we discussed the first chapter of the Gospel called Mark.

The question raised was why Jesus opts to leave town, rather than stay and continue healing the sick. There are all these people with needs. And, judging from the previous day, Jesus has the ability to provide healing. He gets up early in the morning and goes off by himself. After a while, the disciples come looking for him, telling him of all the people seeking his assistance. And how does he respond? He says, "Peace. I'm out of here." (loose translation)

Now, I am no Biblical scholar, but my educational background is in the study of Scripture and theology--and I would never have come up with the response Greer offered this morning.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

So goes the ancient proverb. Applied to our text, Jesus was trying to balance the dual aspects of his ministry, the teaching/preaching side and the healing side.

The general consensus is that Jesus had to get away from the mob of people seeking healing. But this only gets half of the point. The other half is the part about the teaching/preaching.

Greer said, or at least suggested, that all the healing would limit the ability of Jesus to teach the people and preach the good news, that the message would get lost in all the healing, that the people would demand healing in lieu of all the talking.

And maybe, just maybe, that's why he had to move on. It's possible that a certain point is reached where the healing ministry begins to distract from the message of God's love.