Adult
• 4 Sessions of Learner’s Materials
• 4 Sessions of Teaching Materials
• 4 Handouts
1. Mark 2:1-12
2. Mark 2:13-22
3. Mark 2:23-28
4. Mark 3:1-6
From the battled-ravaged expressions of people at war, to the controlled countenances of debating politicians, to the earnest seriousness of peer counselors in a high school cafeteria, human conflict has worn many faces. Our history confirms that to be human is to experience conflict.
In literature, conflict often is the catalyst that carries the plot: conflict occurs, is resolved, and the story is told. So it is in this unit: “Conflict in Galilee.” In chapters 2 and 3 of Mark’s Gospel, conflict is the medium for delivering Jesus’ message on his authority. The source of the conflict is not Jesus’ words but his works. Jesus’ actions cause growing controversy among the Judean religious leaders. With each story, Jesus reveals another dimension of his authority, and likewise, the conflict escalates.
Each session title includes the word “beyond.” Just as conflict carries a literary plot, Jesus’ authority moves us forward in our faith journey. In “Beyond Expectations,” Jesus reveals his authority to forgive sins. A paralyzed man is brought to Jesus for healing, and Jesus responds to him by forgiving his sins and healing his body. Wholeness of spirit and body is his because of Jesus’ authority. Next, Jesus demonstrates how his authority supersedes cultural norms in “Beyond Cultural Traditions.” Jesus shares a meal with those who are ostracized and leads his disciples to discover the best methods for meeting needs. In this case, we find community nurtured because of Jesus’ authority. In “Beyond Religious Activity,” Jesus goes on to demonstrate his authority over religious interpretation and practice by establishing his precedence over one of the central religious laws of the day. Here, freedom is proclaimed because of Jesus’ authority. And finally, Jesus exercises his authority to practice God’s mercy in “Beyond Safe Boundaries,” responding with compassion in the presence of hostility. Hostility and danger are no match for kindness because of Jesus’ authority.
Beyond the “Conflict in Galilee,” we are able to realize wholeness, community, freedom, and purpose through Jesus’ authority. And once we have done that, all that goes against his teachings can limit us no more.
by June Hardy-Dorsey
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