It’s you, it’s not me

We are going to go through the whole chapter of Mark 6 but we are going to finish at this scripture, so I want to start where we are going to finish

Mark 6:45-52 ESV

“Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”

Pray

Have you ever used the term, “it’s not you, it’s me” most of the time it is used as a way out of something usually a relationship

And most of the time it is used in good intentions to save that person from pain because if we wanted to be honest in here it’s never us, it’s always them that’s the “problem” in our mind

And if we were honest in this place when it came to religion and Christianity most of us would say this to God with what’s in our heart

We would say God, it’s not about you, it’s about me

It’s about the Goliath in my life and how I can slay my giants not the fact that when David slaid Goliath it was a foreshadowing of Jesus slaying the giant of sin for the entire nation of Israel and the gentiles

That when Moses parted the red sea it was really to show me that if I’ll push away what’s not for me what is for is waiting on the other side, not that when Moses parted the red sea it was a sign For the prophets, Jesus and the New Testament apostles, Israel's physical salvation at the Red Sea became a code word for salvation, salvation only offered through Jesus

We have a bad habit of making ourselves the main thing in the story of God instead of it being the other way around

If we were being honest, we have bought into this idea that it’s not you God, it’s me

But the truth is it’s him, not me

It’s about his story and I’m a part of it, not my story with God placed in it

in the grand scheme of things I am a SMALL part in God’s BIG plan for all of humanity

Mark overview

John Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark, also served as a companion to the Apostle Paul in his missionary work

and later assisted the Apostle Peter in Rome.

Mark WAS NOT one of the 12 apostles, so where does he get his account of Jesus life and ministry? Mainly from Peter who told it to Mark who then wrote it down leading to this gospel being heavily influenced by

Mark 6:1-6 Jesus is rejected in his own hometown

“And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.” Mark 6:5 ESV

Lets put ourselves into Jesus view of life right now, you’re the son of God, you’ve gone around doing good, a chapter previous in Mark chapter 5 you’ve healed a man possessed by a demon, and also raised Jairus daughter from the dead and also healed a woman from an issue of blood, and now you have arrived back at your hometown with people that you know, people you have grown up with, and they have issues that you know about and you’re expecting to do the same in this, your hometown and you’re not only met with disbelief but coupled with that disbelief you have to now watch as that disbelief continues to CRIPPLE some of the people close to you

One of the first ways we need to free our mind from it being about us is when things don’t work out the way we want or think they should for the people around us

If they don’t get the job

If their business doesn’t succeed

If they don’t get the house they wanted

If the prayer we prayed doesn’t get answered

We have to understand that when life DOESN’T GO OUR WAY that it’s not really about us in the first place anyways

and too many times our faith in God is more tied to our happiness than it is to the expansion of his kingdom

Mark 6:7-29 Jesus sends out the 12 apostles to go into the nearby towns and while they are gone, and while Jesus is alone John the Baptist dies

John the Baptist Jesus cousin and friend the one who Baptized him to BEGIN his ministry has died and not only has he died he died because of immorality and no wrong doings on his part he died an innocent man because of someone else’s drunkenness and manipulative motives from outside sources

So now Jesus is learning that his cousin John has died, and the reason he has died is because of the evil of someone else, not by any fault of his own, and he is being confronted not only with the wickedness that is

Then Jesus after he hears about John the Baptist decides to withdraw to a solitary place to mourn but the crowds get knowledge of where he is going and meet him there

Mark 6:30-44 is when Jesus feeds the five thousand people that WERENT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE THERE while he was mourning the death of his cousin and he still chooses to feed them and to take care of them

So now not only is Jesus mourning, but he is trying to find a place to be alone, all while people are finding him and coming up to him asking for food, and if you have small children you know what this feels like

But Jesus isn’t mad, he isn’t bothered in fact the bible says in Mark 6:34

“... he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things”

Jesus knew what it meant to serve and to lead SELFLESSLY to put the needs of people who are without a shepherd before his own