The Problem of Popularity Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: The Problem of Popularity--------------------------------------- Date: 10/18/2002 Keywords: "crowds” “listen” “popularity” “stop" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Mark 3:7-10* 7. Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8. and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9. And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10. for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. Questions 1. Why would the people try to crash Jesus’ down time?   2. If you were a Roman leader of this area during the life of Jesus, and it was your responsibility to keep the peace, how would you have looked at this mass movement of people out of all the region’s described?   3. Jesus didn’t run from the crowds, but what did he tell his disciples to do? Why?   Practical help I don’t know about you, but I am easily able to think like the crowd. Crowd mentality, even though it can seem nutty, at a simple level makes sense. A herd of people move off in a certain direction and tell you that they are going to get free tickets to a concert. You might go with them — even though the activity conflicts with other plans you have already made. You are in the market for a car and you like a certain model — until you read that another model is more popular. Of course further research or thought might reveal that the car manufacturer was involved in the article people are quoting. If it’s in print, it must be true. No further thought required. That’s crowd mentality. Let’s get more personal. The crowd has knocked on your door. You open it and hear the words, "Jesus has gone to the sea with His disciples. People are being healed just by touching His clothes. Let go touch His clothes, too." Why this is happening and who Jesus is is not the point, it’s free, and it’s over there! When you arrive at the sea shore you discover that Jesus, instead of letting the people have what they want, which was an easy fix to complex problems, arranges for a floating stage. Jesus is making arrangements to talk to the people. Evidently He must think that what He has to tell them is most important. Even more important, believe it or not, than whether or not they are physically healed from some malady. Back to the present. Have you ever thought or said something to this effect? "Everyone is into porn. It doesn’t hurt anyone. Jesus forgives. Jesus understands. What’s the problem?" Simple crowd-mentality answers to complex problems. Permit me to translate. "I want what God can give me to make me feel better, but don’t ask me to think seriously about what I am doing and the direction my life is going. The crowd is calling me. I have to go now." If this describes you even a little, may I suggest you sit and listen to Jesus’ words. Slow down, think clearly and take your eyes off other people. May you discover a life of substance and quality you never dreamed possible when you were running with the crowd. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2002 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission." -----