There are three groups of people surrounding Jesus.
The religious leaders.
In the gospels, there are three distinct groups of people around Jesus. The first group is a conglomeration of religious leaders such asthe Pharisees, teachers of the law, Sadducees, and Herodians. With few exceptions, the religious leaders were hostile to Jesus. Jesus challenged their interpretation of the law because he set people free from their oppressive rules, regulations, and traditions. Jesus held the religious leaders accountable for the hypocritical way in which they denied people mercy.
In Mark 2 the religious leaders sought to entrap Jesus with a series of questions.In Mark 2:16 (NIV) they ask, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" In Mark 2:18 (NIV) they ask, "How is that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but yours do not?" And finally, in Mark 2:24 (NIV) they ask,"Why are they (Jesus' disciples) doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" Unable to humiliate Jesus, they began watching him closely, hoping to accuse him of a crime punishable by death. But the best they could accuse him of was healing a man with a shriveled up hand on the Sabbath.
The religious leaders hated Jesus because he undermined their authority, credibility, and sense of prestige. In Mark 3:4-5 we see that Jesus looks at them in anger, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. In Mark 3:6 (NIV), moments later, it says, "The Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus." In their convoluted thinking it was acceptable to plot murder on the Sabbath, but not for Jesus to save a life.
Romans 8:7(NIV) says, "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so." There arethose in every age who are hostile to God. But sometimes it’s those who seem the most religious that are the furthest from God.
The disciples.
A second group that appears in the gospels is Jesus’ disciples. First, there are those disciples who were called to follow Jesus physically. Thereare Simon and his brother Andrew. Thereare James and John, known as the sons of thunder, because of their fiery temperament. There is Levi (Matthew)the tax collector. Then there are Jesus’ other disciples. These were people who believed in Jesus, but were not called to lay down their nets and surrender their livelihood in order tofollow Jesus.This group of disciples includedLevi’s friends, Simon’s mother-in-law, etc.
Through the gospels, Jesus’ disciples are portrayed as a fallible people. Sometimes they demonstrate remarkable insight into Jesus' identity. But other times we find them sleeping, fleeing in fear, being impulsive and self-centered, greedy, dull (dumb), denying that they know Jesus, and disbelieving his resurrection. The disciples of Jesus are ordinary, fallible, human beings who are prone to the same weaknesses, temptations, and doubts that we have even today.
But the disciples never claimed to be righteous or healthy. They saw Jesus as one who could forgive their sins; a great physician who could heal them and help them grow in righteousness. They were drawn to his contagious compassion, his amazing grace, his mercy, and hislove. They witnessed Jesus' authority to drive out evil and grant eternal life. For them, there was no one but Jesus in whom to place their faith and hope.
There is a marked difference between religious people and the disciples of Jesus. Religious people do a lot of religious things. But when you pull back the veneer, you realize it’s all a charade, a delusion, or a dog and pony show. Because inwardly, their hearts are hard. They’re going through the motions. There is no humility, no repentance, no sense of wrongdoing, no crying out for mercy and help, and no pursuit of God. Instead there is pride and self-righteousness-- "Look how good I am." Religious people never change, they never grow, they never learn, and they never hear. Thereis no more adventure for them because they are slowly dying inside.
But true disciples, fallible as they are, undergo an inside-out kind of transformation. In their heart, they set apart Christ as Lord, and daily surrender to God’s laws.Theyshow humility, confession of sin, a lifestyle of repentance, a growing appreciation of grace, and a growing knowledge of God. Every day is an adventure, a new day to love God and love people. Every day is an opportunity toserve, and to be God’s instrument. The core ambition of a disciple is to glorify God. "He must become greater, and I must become less. His kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
The crowd.
But somewhere between the religious leaders and true disciples of Jesus is a third group, the crowd. We find the crowd in Mark 1:33-34 (NIV) bringing all the sick and demon-possessed to Simon’s home. "The whole town gathered at the door,and Jesus healed many who had various diseases."
Mark 1:45 (NIV) says,"…Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere."
Mark 2:1-2 (NIV) says, "A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them."
Mark 2:13 (NIV) says,"Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them."
And then in Mark 3:7-12 (NIV) it says,"Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, 'You are the Son of God.' But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was."
What do we know about the crowd?
First, the multitudes came from all parts of the nation. Jesus’ popularity was growing. People were coming from as far north as Galilee, from as far south as Judea, Jerusalem and Idumea, from asfar east as the Jordan River, and from as far west as Tyre and Sidon.
Second, the multitudes were desperate. They pressed upon Jesus, fighting against each other to get nearest to Jesus, to be touched by him, or to touch him. They were like a mosh pit of expectation, groupies at a rock concert, or NASCAR pit lizards.
Third, the multitudes were becoming dangerous. The crowds were getting so large that Jesus asked his disciples to make a boat ready. No prophet since Elijahor Elisha had been reported as doing as many healing miracles as Jesus. Some were seeking miracles. Some were just curious spectators. Some were seeking a political leader to release the Jews from Roman rule. With such large crowds, the Romans might thinkthat Jesus was leading a popular uprising. The religious leaders were already plotting to kill Jesus.
Fourth, the multitudes were disinterested in discipleship. Their devotion to Jesus did not go beyond what he could do for them. They believed that Jesus would bring hope and change, but that he woulddo so on their terms. They saw Jesus as a man with the power and authority to make everything good. The crowd consisted of political zealots who were eager to overthrow the Roman government, religious discontents, the physically ill, the demon possessed, curious spectators, and Jewish authorities such as Pharisees, teachers of the law, and Sadducees.
Jesus' mission was vastly different from what the crowds wanted from him.
But upon closer inspection, it was evident that the crowd was less interested in Jesus' own mission. For them, Jesus was a blank screen on which they projected all their hopes, aspirations, and dreams. They came not to advance God’s will, but in order to take Jesus hostage to their will. Though healing many, Jesus would have nothing to do with their agenda. He was calling his disciples to count the costs, come out of the crowd, and deny themselves in order to serve God’s mission in the world. "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Repent,for the kingdom of God is near."
In Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) Jesus warns, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
There is the way of the religious leaders andthere is the way of the crowd. But in contrast,there is the way of Jesus. His way isn’t our way. His will isn’t our will. His wisdom is far above our wisdom. His kingdom, his glory, his name, and his mission, transcend our own.