FBC Daily Devotions

Read Mark 3:20-22. (See also John 10:20-21)

The crowds gathered so densely that the disciples and Jesus were unable to even eat. Why did they gather? They gathered because Jesus was the Healer (3:10). They gathered to just touch Him if they could only get close enough. And how did some respond? “He is out of his mind!” (3:21) “He is possessed by Beelzebub (the prince of demons)!” (3:22)

Now why on earth would they say such things about someone who healed the masses? Why rain on their parade?

Throughout Israel’s history, prophets were called madmen by those who did not like his words (see Elisha, 2 Kings 9:11; Jeremiah, Jer. 29:26). Bad news was often met with disbelief. That was true of God’s enemies, and that was true of those who saw Jesus’ words as bad news. The Pharisees felt threatened. Giving them the benefit of the doubt and saying they only wanted to protect the nation from a false Messiah takes off some of the edge, but even then, they were completely closed to the possibility that Jesus was really the Messiah. Everything Jesus did and said supported that claim (see John 10:24-26). And because Jesus was so believable and so persuasive, because He threatened their authority, they had to go to extreme measures to discredit Him. They regarded His words and actions as those of a madman. They attributed His power to evil forces. People go to extreme measures to reject bad news.

But before we bury the Pharisees in criticism, we ought to consider the radical nature of Jesus’ words ourselves. Jesus asks much of us at times. Sometimes our reaction can be, “You want me to do what?! Are you crazy?!” Jesus says much about us as well, such as He loves me. For some that is hard to believe. In those times, one has to be careful not to attribute bad or hard news as too crazy to be of Jesus.

To consider: Is God asking you to believe something for your life? Is He asking you to do something that seems a little crazy, a little radical? Avoid protecting your self-interests by regarding His words as those of a madman.