Mark 12:12
Have
you ever gotten on a roll and wished you could stop? Done it, but I am sure you
have seen it. Maybe you have never For some people it happens near the end of a
really bad fight with your spouse. The words just fly out, and you hardly know
where they are coming from. You just keep yelling and insulting like there is
no tomorrow.
It
can also happen after having a few too many drinks. Up on the table, singing
like it actually sounds good, and pretty soon an article of clothing starts swirling
around like a propeller. If there is one sober person in the crowd, they are
either taking a video with their cell phone or wondering if they should step in
and stop you, or maybe a little of both. Perhaps after the video is taken!
Sometime
you are in the middle of doing what you don’t want to do, like Romans seven
speaks about. You know the thing you are doing is not what you really want to
do, but here you are doing it anyway. You just wish you could stop it. The
thing you are doing is contrary to your character. It really isn’t what you want to do. But here you are doing it again.
We
see news about public figures who get themselves caught up in some pretty
humiliating situations. Often men get caught having an affair. Marriage ruined
and political career down the toilet. Their public role has, or should I say
had, a certain code of conduct that was connected to it. You weren’t supposed
to act like that. They aren’t supposed to embarrass their constituents with
their behavior. If they are going to act that way, they should be smart enough
not to get caught.
The
religious leaders find themselves getting ready to do something that is against
their stated character, the character that is connected to their roles in
society. They are plotting to kill Jesus. I thought that was against one of the
Big Ten! They must be some of the original member of the “ends justify the
means” society. You can use corrupt methods as long as you get to a good
outcome, or so the rationalization goes.
These
leaders are threatened, really threatened by the things Jesus is saying and
doing. They know that if Jesus is successful, their place in society will
disappear. They are acting out of fear. And fear can drive someone to do some
pretty strange things, things that are very out of character. They are afraid
of what Jesus could do to them, and they are afraid of the crowd. Fear has
backed them into a corner.
They
become driven to do evil, all the while thinking they are doing good. They set
their course and it seems as if there is no turning back. It would cost too
much to turn back. So they keep traveling toward this contradiction.