Redemption Moved into the Neighborhood (Isaiah 43:1-4, Mark 3:20-27)
July 25, 2021
Pastors are usually working on one or two themes. Some organize the ministry, and
help congregations meet the needs of their community. Others, like myself, are moved
to figure out theological problems. I have been working on redemption and atonement
for some time, to understand what redemption means, and how it works in the
community. What I have found is that redemption is God’s plan to thwart evil in us and
around us, as well as expose corruption, giving us a new start. Redemption is friends
with justice and revolution, it’s not just freedom from sin, but freedom from oppression.
Redemption is a form of justice that holds up truth and combats lies. While redemption
embraces our cynicism and sorrow, it creates a world in which lies will be confronted by
God and His people.
There have been many expressions of revolution throughout history: those that use
violence to create civilizations through power and those that are non-violent, designed
to stand before power with only their lives, using voices not swords. These are usually
about ideology, designed to bring down oppressive power. Some fail because they lack
courage and organization. Jesus was a revolutionary, but not one of power or ideology.
He was a revolutionary of redemption. His purpose was to tear down the façade of the
“religious leaders”. Jesus saw that the system was corrupt and set out to show the truth.
His message was not formed with hate or cruelty. He engaged them with love. He was
hoping his confrontation would serve as a steppingstone to a new redemptive
experience. But what happened was a doubling down of their hate for Jesus. While
most leaders kept their face against Jesus, the people gathering to hear the debates
began to listen. Redemption was moving into their neighborhood.
Let’s look at Mark and then go back to Isaiah, for a full picture of what is going on, and
what the people in the audience might be hearing. Mark depicts the struggle between
Jesus and the powers. Isaiah gives us hope.
In Mark 3, Jesus engages in a verbal battle with the Pharisees and Lawyers of Israel. It
was a political battle that showed the true colors of both. It began with Jesus being
driven by the crowd to eat something, to protect him from the religious leaders. But the
energetic actions of his family were surprising; they went out to restrain him. The
religious leaders capitalized on their fear and began to say, “He has Beelzebul. He
casts out demons according to Beelzebul.” It’s a lie, designed to enrage the crowd and
bring fear to the community. It sounds like much of the political strategies in today’s
politics. There’s a lot of talk, but only fear enters the debate. Jesus interjects the truth to
give people hope, and a chance to ease into redemption.
So what was their message and its effect on the moral, spiritual understanding of God’s
law and plan? They tried to convince the crowd that Jesus was using the power of evil
to cast out demons. This is nonsense. Jesus speaks the truth, while the leaders speak a
beguiling word, a lie. Jesus presents the work of redemption. He tells the leaders, “You
cannot plunder a rich man’s house, unless you bind him up.” And that is just what Jesus
is doing. Redemption and truth are his weapons against those who continue to abuse
and oppress the community. Redemption runs through the veins of the community,
empowering them to be free under God, free in faith. Redemption liberates us to work
freely with others, to find the courage to speak out against lies.
This spiritual message has been a part of Israel for a long time. Isaiah was the most
prolific in casting the shadow of redemption over Israel. Especially in Isaiah 43 which
reiterates that “Israel is delivered,” from the cruelty of other nations. God’s redemption
has fallen upon them, and they are now walking in the light. Of course, this did not last
for long, but Jesus’ deliverance is forever. Our task is to take up the truth and speak it to
those in our life. This is redemption. It frees us and empowers us to speak the truth, to
allow redemption to become a living, breathing hope for us. Isaiah also says, “You are
precious to me.” In other words, God offers freedom from sin, and freedom from their
situation. In the same way, Jesus offers the freedom to live an abundant life.
Jesus’ act of redemption opens us up to Jesus’ understanding of community
deliverance. Jesus’ hope is that we become exposed to the lies of the leaders, and
through redemption live a life of truth. Both to the powers and to the community. Jesus’
campaign, according to Mark, was to engage the powers and expose the lies of those
around us. Truth is the first step to justice and the freedom to ruffle the feathers of evil.
This is our task.
