Jesus Is Both/And
Isn’t it interesting how each Gospel starts off with a different focus? Matthew has the genealogy of Jesus. Luke begins with a dedication and then backs way up to the birth of John the Baptist. John gets deep and theological fast. And Mark? The first chapter of his Gospel dives right into the action at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
As I’ve read through Mark 1, I’ve noticed some very interesting patterns in how both God and Jesus go about their business. Both use a “both/and” approach. What do I mean? Let’s take a closer look.
The Both/And Beginning to Jesus’ Ministry
We love to put God in a box. We want to figure out how he works and then use that as a formula for the way he’s always going to act in the future. The problem is that God doesn’t work that way. When we have questions about what he might do or what his will is for a situation, we have to be very careful that we don’t box him in! Mark 1 shows us that God can do things in different ways to get us ready for what’s ahead in our lives. Sometimes, to prepare us for our calling, God even uses two completely opposite kinds of development! For example, here are a few of the times we see God using the both/and approach in the first chapter of Mark:
Preparation for Ministry
When God prepares Jesus to begin his ministry, he uses BOTH affirmation and grace AND struggle and temptation. At his baptism, verse 11 says, “And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” What a great confirmation!
The very next verse, though, takes things in an unexpected direction, “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” Not exactly the formula you’d expect in the life of a favored son! God communicated his deep approval, AND he allowed struggle as preparation for his son’s life.
Prioritizing His Time
No one had a greater need to manage their time wisely than Jesus. He was in constant demand! Mark 1 shows us that Jesus also had a both/and approach to his time, and people always got what they needed from him.
Jesus spent time both alone AND with others. Verse 13 says he spends 40 days alone in the wilderness with wild animals and angels. Also, throughout the same chapter, Jesus generously invested time in those closest to him by teaching in public and private settings. He often talked to the crowds but was able to focus on individuals at a moment’s notice, like when a man with an unclean spirit showed up, and Jesus spoke to him on an individual level.
The Physical World and Spiritual Realm
The ‘both/and’ in Jesus’ ministry was evident many times as he dealt with both physical and spiritual needs. Jesus dealt with very real-world hunger and thirst in Mark 1 and healed a leper of his external sickness. AND He ministered beyond the physical, like when he drove out unclean spirits that required a spiritual deliverance.
Jesus ultimately came to offer us eternal, spiritual salvation but never ignored the very real physical world around him. He did BOTH.
Taking Jesus Out of a Box
Do you make room for God to work in your life in completely different ways? Do you accept a level of mystery in his ways or try to reduce him to an equation? Do you see the unique ways he may want to move in your life today, or just look for the most formulaic (and often the easiest) way of seeing him??
Jesus acted in contrasting ways during his ministry and in the life of his disciples because he wanted people to build a relationship directly with HIM. Knowing Jesus is not about figuring out boxes and categories of what he does and does not do. It is about listening for him, learning how he communicates with you, and drawing daily on his grace to go through whatever we are facing. Jesus followed where the Spirit led him — and sometimes the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. Would you let the Spirit do the same for you?
I challenge you to let Jesus move in different ways in your life. Let him defy your expectations, bust up your religious bullet points, and push the boundaries of where you think he will or will not take you. You might be surprised to find how rewarding a relationship like that can be.