We saw in the second chapter of the Gospel of Mark the demands that were placed upon Jesus as he began His ministry. Large crowds of people from the region of Galilee continually swarmed around Him. The Pharisees and teachers of the law not only confronted and verbally attacked Christ at every turn, but were prepared to murder Jesus.
The third chapter opens with Christ entering a synagogue on the Sabbath, presumably to teach as this was His custom. When a man with a shriveled hand approached Jesus, seeking to be healed, Christ turned to those who were ready to entrap Him as he healed the man on the Sabbath and asked, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath; to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But the men (presumably Pharisees) remained silent." (Mark 3:4)
In his first teaching at the synagogue, we're told that Jesus spoke with authority, (Mark 1:22) the Greek word for authority (exousia) meaning the power of choice or the liberty to do as one chooses - a freedom from the law. Jesus was clearly speaking of freedom from the spiritual laws that preventing man from fully establishing a relationship with God. In Mark 2:22, Christ continued this theme stating, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." And here, Jesus asks, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath; to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" Once again, Jesus was challenging the religious establishment that sought to control the lives and spiritual paths of men.
It's worth noting that Christ was not taking a confrontational approach with those who were carefully watching his actions to make sure that he observed religious law. In Mark 3:5, we see that, "He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch our your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored." It wasn't the men (Pharisees) that Jesus was angry at. The source of Christ's anger was a deep distress over their stubborn hearts.
This exchange, as insignificant as it might seem, was a key turning point in Christ's ministry. Up to this point, Christ had been willing to simply teach the masses, healing the sick and casting out evil spirits in the process. With incredible tenderness, Jesus offered another way, a spiritual path founded in the simple message of love. However, in response to Jesus healing the man's hand, "The Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus." (Mark 3:6)
Christ could see the path before Him. We're given glimpses of His ability to see what was to come in His ministry, most notably in Mark 14:36 when Jesus is praying and pleads, "Father... Take this cup from me," when Jesus could see His arrest and eventual crucifixion looming before Him. What we need to remember is that Jesus was the very embodiment of love. If we take Paul's description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 at face value, we're reminded that, among it's other qualities, "love always hopes."
Even though Jesus was well aware of the path that lay before Him, it is not unreasonable to believe that He still hoped that there was a way to reach the people, even if dying on the cross was His eventual destiny. Jesus truly wanted the people that he taught to be receptive to His message, to see the simple truth in the path He shared. It wasn't the malice or deception of the Pharisees that angered Christ - it was their stubborn hearts. They wouldn't let love in. It wasn't that Christ thought that if they were receptive to His message that He could escape the crucifixion. That path was set before Him for an entirely different reason, a destiny He would need to fulfill even if every Pharisee left behind the prison of their laws and lived fully in love. What angered Jesus was that they refused to love, that instead they filled their hearts with legalism and self-righteousness, and the only reason that Jesus was angry with their hearts was because Christ so completely loved the people who had those hearts. He wanted them to be free. He wanted to give them something better. And they wouldn't listen or accept the truth that He so selflessly offered them.
As soon as the Pharisees began to plot to kill Jesus, Christ knew that time was short. In Mark 3:7, "Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed." We can clearly see that Christ shifted His approach to His ministry at this point. In the first two chapters, Christ is regularly on the move and, "News about Him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee." (Mark 1:28) He didn't enter towns "openly but stayed outside in lonely places." (Mark 1:45) It's safe to assume that Jesus stayed at the lake for some time. (Mark 3:7-19) Christ's new approach has Him staying in one place long enough that the news about Him and His message not only had enough time to spread beyond Galilee, but that people from the surrounding areas were able to travel to where He was. "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." (Mark 3:8) Given the distances involved (in some cases, more than one hundred miles that would be covered on foot), Christ would have had to remain in one location for a period of at least a week simply for the people from the more distant regions to reach Him. The fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark opens with, "On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the lake," so we can safely assume that he stayed at this one spot for a significant stretch of time.
What's more is that it's obvious that Jesus put some thought into the logistics of the situation. "Because of the crowd He told His disciples to have a small boat ready for Him, to keep the people from crowding Him." This insinuates that Christ specifically chose the location for just this purpose, knowing that massive crowds would be drawn to Him. A lake would have been a rather public place, at least compared to the "lonely places" that He had withdrawn to up to this point in the Gospel of Mark. People would have found Him at the lake even if they hadn't followed Him from Galilee. (Mark 3:7)
Jesus also chose this moment to change His approach to His ministry. Up until this point, Christ taught the people in an easily understood manner. The first time that Jesus taught in a synagogue on the Sabbath, "The people were amazed at His teaching," (Mark 1:22) clearly indicating that they comprehended what He was sharing with them. Starting in Mark 3:23, Christ begins speaking in parables, an approach that not everyone who heard the words of Jesus could understand (a scenario that is clearly illustrated in Mark 4:13.)
So why did Jesus make the switch from direct instruction that was easily grasped to parables which Christ had to explain to the twelve apostles?
Because parables contain a layered message.
Jesus began with the parable of a kingdom divided against itself (Mark 3:23-26) and the parable of robbing a strong man's house. (Mark 3:27-29) Each of these can be taken at face value. Each can be taken as a metaphor for earthly processes. And each illustrates a spiritual principle.
For instance, let's take the parable of a kingdom divided against itself. In it's simplest form, it reads, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." (Mark 3:24)
At face value, the parable is an explanation as to why Jesus can not be, as the teachers of the law claimed, "possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons." (Mark 3:22) From this parable we can clearly see the flaw in the accusers' logic.
As a metaphor for an earthly process, we can look at this as a reflection of our own relationships at various levels. Christ presents this parable from three different perspectives - a community (kingdom), a family unit (house), and a single individual (Satan), indicating that the principle applies to all levels of earthly relationships.
As a spiritual process it represents the principle that the flow of spiritual energy must remain consistent. If something is good, it can only come from good. If it is evil, it can only come from evil. Any other process would eventually destroy the energy that it originates from as it would be in direct opposition to the foundation of that concept. It's easiest if we think of it not in terms of good and evil, but as two opposing elemental concepts, such as fire and water. Water not only cannot come from fire, but if you pour enough water on a fire it will put out the very fire it was accused of coming from. Likewise, if you use fire to heat a pot of water, the water will eventually turn to steam and your pot will boil dry. If evil is allowed to infest a good concept, the goodness of that concept will wither and die. If good begins to manifest in evil, evil will eventually fall. Because Christ cast out evil spirits, removing their foothold from the people's lives those spirits claimed, this parable clearly illustrates that Jesus could not be in league with those spirits as he actively undermined their efforts.
The beauty of Christ's use of parables is that He didn't speak in concrete terms, which left the message open to the people to discuss the meaning of the parables. Because the parables existed outside of established doctrine they had to be interpreted by the people themselves, freeing them from the shackles of the law. Each person would decide for themselves how to interpret the parable. The only clear message that was given was that all things must be done in love. By changing His delivery, Christ accomplished what he sent out to do - offer the people spiritual freedom.
Because parables don't have a concrete meaning, they also got the people talking. It's safe to assume that since the people Jesus spoke to didn't understand the parables, that they debated the meaning of those parables. This kept Christ's message alive as it was spread from one person to the next, as debates raged over the meaning of His words and people explored their own beliefs rather than blindly adhering to established law. Knowing that His time was limited, that the Pharisees were already plotting to kill Him, Christ had no more efficient message to assure His message was spread among the masses than to present that message in the form of parables.
The key point to consider in these two parables isn't the layered message they contain, but the words Jesus used to close the teaching. "But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." (Mark 3:29) Jesus wasn't talking about a loose tongue or words spoken in moment of rage. He was talking about the person's heart, just as the stubborn hearts of the Pharisees drove Jesus to anger.
A heart that is so filled with hate that it would blaspheme God (who we have seen is the very epitome of love), is so far gone from God's plan that it has lost the ability to be saved. It has completely turned to hate and to attempt to fill it with love would destroy it as surely as a house divided against itself would fall. It is not an idle word or statement that Jesus referred to when He laid out this teaching. It is a state of heart.
We must not overlook the fact that Jesus did not say, "I will not forgive someone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit," or "My Father will not forgive them." He said, very simply, "They will never be forgiven."
Why is this important?
If we look back to chapter two when Jesus healed the paralytic man that was lowered through the roof of the home Christ was staying in (Mark 2:1-12), we find the explanation for this passage. The pivotal scripture is Mark 2:5, "When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'" The man did not seek forgiveness. He didn't come asking for forgiveness, but for healing. The key component is the simple statement, "When Jesus saw their faith." Christ could see their hearts, just as He could see the stubborn hearts of the Pharisees who refused to accept the message of love and freedom that Jesus brought to all who would listen.
If we reflect back on the eternal sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, it is not the words that are spoken but the contents of the speaker's heart that prevent forgiveness. It wasn't the Pharisees themselves, but their stubborn hearts that left Christ "deeply distressed." Jesus clearly shows that a house divided against itself cannot stand. We cannot be followers of Christ, we cannot be Christians and not first tend to our own hearts. If we do not seek to be the very embodiment of God's love, then we begin the process of allowing our faith to be toppled.
Jesus taught, "In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house." (Mark 3:27) When we act, not out of love, but from legalism, we allow the first rope to be fitted around the strong man in our hearts. When we seek our own desires first instead of acting out of love, we allow the first knot in that rope to be tied. Once we have allowed our own strong man to be tied up by the things that are not love, we no longer know God. Whatever path we are on, regardless of whether we consider ourselves Christians, we no longer follow Christ.
The message that Jesus brought was incredibly simple. It is not our adherence to a set of standards that determines our holiness, but the contents of our heart. To be one with Christ, to know God and be born of God (1 John 4:7) we simply need to cultivate love in our hearts. Love is the very nature of God. We cannot be anything other than godly people if we cultivate love as we are dividing the house of our hearts against the things that God is not and the things that God is not will fall. By simply learning to truly love we not only eliminate the enemy's hold on our lives, but we become children of God and the very epitome of Christ's message.