One of the great subjects of this middle section in Marks gospel is faith in Christ we see the power of faith in Christ in 5:34: “And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” (Mar 5:34) and in 5:36 “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.”(Mar 5:36) and again in at the end of this section: “He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?...If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”(Mk 9:19-23)
The Lord desires us to have the Freedom to have Faith in Christ.
The Lord warns us of so many things that hold me back from perfect faith in Christ, amongst them Mark records:
Leaven of Herod (8:17) – The corrupting influence of Herod - The Fear of man
The account of the story of John the Baptist and his execution at the hands of Herod makes it clear that Herod was a man who made his decision to reject the voice of God speaking by John the Baptist on the basis of his fear of men (Mark 6:26). Herods destiny defining decision was determined by the fear of men! As a result of his rejection of the voice of God in the ministry of John the Baptist, Herod would be amongst those first into hell in Rev 21:8, he was amongst the “fearful and the unbelieving”
Pharisees (8:17) – The corrupting influence of the Pharisees – Faith in Self
Consider the character of the Pharisee in Matthew 23:5-7, 14, 23, 27 they invested much in their religious system and in their religion, what they did was to be seen by men, not to please God! The 2 words we often link with the Pharisee are:
proud – great faith in self
hypocrite – their faith in self was unfounded, their religion was only superficial!
Here were men when the gospel came: “repent and believe” they were too proud to change and too proud to repent – their salvation rested in self! To come to Christ was an enormous stumbling block for they had to swallow their pride and admit they were wrong and give up faith in self and works.
Fallen human heart (7:21-23) – Failings of the flesh
Note the 13 sins of the fallen human heart, a heart “ deceitful above all things and desperately wicked...”
False conclusions of an unenlightened mind (8:17)
The disciples here have confident conclusion drawn from a faulty understanding on incompletely appreciated facts! Their conclusions rested in the confident misunderstanding of a mind unfamiliar with the Glory of Christ and unable to correctly piece together the puzzle of revelation! They had failed to grasp the significance of the all sufficiency of Christ to feed the 5000 and then to feed the 4000, He was surely able to meet their need too in the boat in Mark chapter 8.
With so much that can hinder faith in Christ: the fear of men (like Herod), faith in self (like the proud Pharisee), the fallen human heart and the false conclusions of an unenlightened mind (like the disciples) how can I ever be free to have faith in Him? Am I forever cursed to be bound to fears and doubts and uncertainties? Must I:
Overcome every fear? Face and defeat every fear?
Reach a particular experience of despair?
Remove every last feature of this deceitful human heart?
Develop a full and perfect understanding in all things, with an answer to all possible questions and problems?
What a struggle that would be till I finally came to faith in Christ! The answer to faiths freedom does not lie in me facing and defeating every obstacle / objection / problem before I come to Christ. The answer to faiths freedom to believe lies in a Glorious Vision of a Glorious Christ (9:1ff) Salvation comes not when I have managed to sort myself and my problems out enough for God to save me but rather when an appreciation and experience of Christ bursts into my life and becomes enough to calm my every fear! Not that I am good enough nor great enough but that He is enough! Christ becomes to my vision greater than my fears and doubts and questions. Greater than my fears is His fullness. Greater than my sin is His saving power. Greater than my Gloom is His Glory. Greater than my Despair is His Deliverance.
Sometimes we can wait so long, until we feel we have worked up enough faith to be saved or to follow Him more closely in obedience. Faith does not come from within, not from putting everything right in my life and working myself up to some supreme state of spirituality rather faith feeds on the object of faith! Faith is my response to a vision of the Glory and of the Greatness of Christ! Faith is sustained by its Glorious object!
Heb 11:1 – Faith is a response to looking off to Christ, a verse written to believers who were faltering in their faith (Heb3:7,12-13; 4:2,11)
Rom 10:17 – Faith is my response to the revelation of Christ in His Word
Matt 14:22ff – Peter continues to walk on the sea so long as his eyes are focused on Christ and not on the storm!
Deal with all doubts
Answer all questions
Cleanse myself of every sin
Faith finds its freedom to believe when there comes into its sight the Glorious vision of a Glorious Christ. My faith is a response to His Glory. I need more of Him and not more of me!
On the Mount of Transfiguration in Mark 9 the disciples had a Glorious vision of a Glorious Christ! Christ was seen Supreme on the Mountain!.
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