Throwing Mountains into the Sea

Mark 11:23

“If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and … believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.”

A stirring promise concerning prayer. A strange choice of images. Why would you ever want to talk to the "Alps" or the "Rockies" like that? And what difference would it make if such a strange prayer were answered?

The verse becomes more powerful when you consider the code-like background of the key words in Jesus promise. Consider the two images.

This Mountain. Almost certainly Jesus means the Temple and its official system. Jerusalem was elevated. One of its important names was Mount Zion. And sometimes the Temple itself was referred to as simply “The mountain of the Lord” (Micah 4:2, cf. Ezekiel 20:40). Reading the verses surrounding this one it is clear that the disciples are in view of Jerusalem and the Temple as Jesus teaches. He may have literally pointed at it as he spoke.

The temple of Jesus’ day represents Israel’s failure. Built by Herod (not a King of Israel) it was a symbol of political compromise. The rules enforced within its walls did more to degrade justice than to serve it.

Jesus has just stirred up havoc at the temple overturning tables and driving out sellers. He has prophesied against it calling it a den of thieves and criticising the leaders for failing to make it a house of prayer as God intended. Jesus judges the temple. (Mk 11:12-19, see also Mark 13:2)

The Sea. A place of chaos, rebellion, and judgement. Jonah was thrown into the sea at the height of his rebellion and only rescued by God’s grace (Jonah 1:15). The sea is home to the leviathan (Isa 27:1) and the place from which the beast (Rev 13:1) emerges. People need to be “fished-out” in salvation (Mark 1:17) and it is the image in Genesis of pre-creation (Gen 1:2). In Mark the sea is a place of judgement (Mark 5:13, 9:42)

Praying that “this mountain”, which roughly equals the temple with its failed religion, should throw itself into the “Sea”, which suggests the place of judgement and un-creation, is a bold prayer against Israel’s injustice.

Justice Now. Jesus’ image is more than hyperbole. He is saying that injustice can be conquered through prayer. Big mountains can fall unexpectedly into the sea. 

So, it matters that Christians pray against really big issues. Issues like, terrorism and the mountain of Al Qaeda (of which Bin Laden is only one small part). Or, the mountain of persecution and torture of believers around the world. Or, the mountains of poverty, slavery, climate change, war, Aids, domestic violence, racism, drug cartels, organised crime, etc. Praying against these mountains can have greater effect than we know.

It is valid to think about your personal mountain when you read this passage but don’t stop there. When Jesus said “this mountain” he didn’t just mean the personal problems of his disciples. He meant failed religion, the injustice of a culture, the soul-sickness of a society. Pray against it. Pray believing and you have no idea what your prayers will accomplish.

Communism and the Berlin Wall are two mountains that have been thrown into the sea in my life time. Stories of prayer feature prominently in both these historic events.

So, let’s take up the challenge. Pick a mountain. Choose a massive immovable monumental evil in our world and pray believing. Gather friends and pray with courage. Gather momentum and pray with fervour. Say to this mountain of injustice “Go throw yourself into the sea”. And then watch what God does! 

Questions

• What is your mountain? What injustice are you praying against?
• How do you foster believing prayer?

Your comments are welcome!

Problem Solving After Easter

Mark 16:2, 3

Very early on the first day of the week ... they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

The women are working on the wrong problem! They have yet to learn that the situation has changed. Everything has changed. Jesus has risen. His grave is empty. The stone is not the issue now.

This happens when you follow Jesus. Things change. Problems shift. Solutions appear. (Mark 16:1-8)

It occurs to me that Jesus may not need my problem solving skills as much as I think he does. What he needs is presence, attentiveness and obedience.

1. The women showed up! They had an incomplete strategy but they came anyway.
2. They listened to the angel. True they were scared witless but they did hear him out.
3. They obeyed. They did what was asked, albeit with delay and fear.

I think this is the required response: Show up, Listen, Obey. This is not to make light of the strategising, prioritising, thinking and working that leadership requires – only to put it in perspective.

What the women experienced has been my ministry experience also. I have invested energy in solving problems only to discover that God was at work in entirely different ways. Much bigger ways!

The insight for me is this: Think and plan but don’t worry. Take on the puzzle and work at the solution, but don’t become too emotionally involved in the problems or attached to my answers. Problem solve for God the way an eight year old might try to help Einstein with "relativity". Earnestly but humbly.

The words of Psalm 25:4, 5 have become a regular pray for me. “Show me your ways oh Lord, teach me your paths … my hope is in you all day long.”

Whatever the problem – home life, health, school, marketplace, environment, private life, community, church, nation, love life – Jesus is interested. He may even have an unimagined alternate adventure planned. Easter changes everything, including problem solving!

Questions

• How do you balance planning and trusting?
• What experience have you had solving the wrong problem?

On a Different Note

Here are two videos that encouraged me this Easter. Enjoy!

First, something recent

1,300 members of Faith Church celebrating the resurrection in Budapest, Hungary, April 2010
Link: http://youtu.be/i5dSIL358NM

And, something old school

Keith Green, "Easter Song" Live at The Daisy Club, 1982
Link: http://youtu.be/Z3kc1jDahU4

Blaspheming Against the Holy Spirit

Mark 3:29 

“Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”

What does Jesus mean? As my daughter says, we better be clear about this and make real sure we’re not doing it, whatever it is. It seems to me that if you have that attitude, you’re probably all right. But what is this unforgivable sin? 

Context 

I notice that just before Jesus talks about the eternal sin he says: “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.” That is a wide and wonderful promise.

When I go back a few more verses I notice two important groups of people disparaging Jesus. (Mk. 3:20-30)

His family says he’s out of his mind. Imagine, telling the son of God he is out of his mind. When you know the whole story it sure sounds like blasphemy.

The teachers of the law think Jesus is possessed by the devil and that is how he is doing his miracles. Again, you’d have to call that blasphemous.

So what is blasphemy?

Definition
To blaspheme is to insult the character of God, or the truth of Christian faith, or sacred things. It is to deliberately offend God and rob him of glory. The third commandment forbids it (Exodus 20:7).

There are several ways in which a person can blaspheme.*

• Slanderous words (Lev. 24:11, 15-16)
• Practicing idolatry (Neh. 9:18, 26)
• Oppressing the saints (Isa. 52:5)
• Denying Christ (1 Tim. 1:13)
• False teaching (1 Tim. 1:20)
• Insulting the poor (Jam. 2:6-7)
• Profession without practice (Rom. 2:24)

Jesus' family and the teachers of the law qualify. They are blasphemers.

But all of this can be forgiven according to Mark 3:28. If you have ever said the Christian faith is “nuts”, believers are “fools”, Jesus is NOT who he says he is, or God is (fill in the blank) … all this can be forgiven. This and more actually!

As grievous as it is to God (read Lev. 24 to see how serious!) a sorry heart can be forgiven. The contrite will be set free. Repentance delights God.

So what is it that cannot be forgiven? What is this eternal sin?

Unforgivable
Offending the Holy Spirit to the death. Put another way, God won’t forgive our refusal to be forgiven.

 
The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and leads people to repentance. The Holy Spirit makes the gospel’s words come alive. But if you ignore him or credit his work to Satan, you have no place to turn. The divine breath of conviction is the only way to God. (John 16:5-15; 1 Thess. 1:5)

In the words of Tom Wright: "It isn't that God gets specially angry with one sin in particular. It's rather that if you decide firmly that the doctor who is offering to perform a life saving operation on you is in fact a sadistic murderer, you will never give your consent to the operation".

Put simply, the eternal sin is final rejection. To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is to reject his life giving work with your very last breath. It is to exhale a curse and die, when you could be breathing in the Spirit's eternal hope. There is no other source of life available.

Reversal
At the end of Mark’s Gospel Jesus is charged with “blasphemy” (Mark 14:64). The religious elite kill Jesus believing that he has offended God and committed an unforgivable sin. But Jesus’ resurrection proves them wrong and Jesus right!

They are not the blasphemy police any longer! Something has changed.

We might think that a simple reversal is called for. Since Jesus is right (not a blasphemer) and the religious leaders are wrong (making them the ones who have offended God) should they die? Is their sin unforgiveable and eternal?

Mark 3:28 anticipates this moment with the answer NO!

Only one thing is unforgivable. Even killing Jesus can be forgiven. But rejecting the invitation of God’s Spirit with your very last breath, that will leave you dead forever!

Questions

• How do you respond to the wide promise of God's forgiveness for blasphemers?
• How is Psalm 150:6 the reverse of Mark 3:29?

*Adapted from: New Dictionary of Theology: A Concise & Authoritative Resource, eds. Ferguson, Wright & Packer.