22 Jan 26 | Close to Jesus, Yet Far From the Kingdom
God’s commandments are not burdens meant to confine us, they are gifts meant to restore us to freedom and life.
The Gospel: Mark 3:7-12
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
Today’s Focus
This Gospel shows Jesus moving from institutional confrontation into the open, where people from across Israel and the Gentile world press toward Him. The crowds are drawn by what Jesus can do, not yet by who He is, revealing the difference between physical closeness and true discipleship. Healings occur without repentance or commitment, underscoring that miracles alone do not equal conversion. Even unclean spirits recognize Jesus’ identity, yet He silences them to protect the truth from being proclaimed on false terms. The passage challenges us to discern whether we seek Jesus for power and spectacle, or for faithful obedience rooted in truth.
In the Margins
The way this Gospel is set, we assume it is immediately following the incident in the Synagogue. Jesus then moves to the sea, likely the Sea of Galilee. This is an open space that is mixed with Jews and Gentiles. Galilee is generally seen as a religiously marginal area, but where Jesus based much of his ministry. Where the people came from though shows something extraordinary.
Jesus is drawing people from Judea, which is where the center of Temple authority was located. Jerusalem was a place of religious and political power. Idumeans were descendants of Edom and historic enemies.
In the Old Testament, Edom is repeatedly portrayed as a brother nation that turns hostile, refusing to help Israel during critical moments and often opposing them outright. Because of this, Edom became a lasting symbol of betrayal, rivalry, and opposition from one’s own kin (see Genesis 25; Obadiah).
Places beyond the Jordan were Gentile dominated. Tyre and Sidon were firmly Gentile and pagan centers. Jesus headed towards the sea, and was followed by people from all walks of religious life. People were infatuated with what he had to say. They had heard what he was doing and wanted to see for themselves.
There is something interesting in the margins here though. Jesus had a boat prepped in case they crushed him. This implies that people were seeking a closeness to Jesus, trying to come in contact with Him to be healed. Jesus will go on to teach that people will claim closeness to Him, but will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, for He didn’t know them. This aligns with what we see here. He was mentioning a way to keep a physical barrier for they might do Him harm by being close to Him. You can be physically close to the Lord, but spiritually shallow at the same time.
Note that there is never talk about converts in the Gospel. Not that they believed, converted, or even started to follow Jesus around. These healings happened without repentance, without a call to follow. It was pure mercy to be healed, but it also signals that there is a difference between miracle reception and discipleship transformation.
Time and time again in the Bible we see that spirits recognized the Kingdom of God before man does. Jesus silences the demons, not because they are wrong in what they proclaim, but because of how divine authority is proclaimed. The Kingdom is revealed on its own terms, not those of anyone else. Jesus is rejecting the truth coming from false sources here.
Later in the Book of Matthew we hear “many false prophets will arise and deceive many…False christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Jesus, is cautioning that there will be a time (after he has ascended) when He is not there to silence the demons. How often can we see this happening today? Whether it is demonic or not, there are so many things, so many people, so many teachings that pull us away from Jesus. We face this daily struggle, but the good news is that we have a choice! We can choose to turn towards God. We can choose love over hate. We can choose to be disciples, not because we are expecting miracles, but because we know the truth.
Reflection Question
Are we following Jesus for who He is, or only for what we hope He will do?
A Small Invitation
If this reflection helped you, consider sharing it with someone who may be carrying more than they were meant to.