God’s Work?
This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Sunday, 6/2/24. The text was Mark 2:23-3:6. Mark’s gospel is contentious. It is filled with stories of escalating controversy. Today’s gospel passage portrays a series of five controversies, each raising the level of conflict. We even have an angry Jesus here. As commentator, Judith Hock Wray explains: The earlier controversy stories call attention to table fellowship (2:13–17), fasting (2:18–20), [and]wine and wineskins (2:21–22)…First-century Christians listening to Mark’s account probably heard these stories within the context of their experiences of controversy about table fellowship, fasting, breaking bread and sharing wine in worship. ( Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season after Pentecost 1 ) The first portion of the text is about when, [all this takes place], namely the Sabbath. The [text] …beginning [with chapter] 3…relocates the story to a [different] where, the Synagogue (Myallis).