"The common people heard him gladly".
Mark 12:37.
"God must love the common people He made
so many of them," said Abraham Lincoln. It was He common
people like Mark tells us who responded to Jesus and his message
of love - of God for them and them for one another. He persuaded
them to recognise their need of God and their dependence on
Him for purpose, and quality in their lives; and on other
people to live usefully and unselfishly together.
Common people have been criticised for their innocence, ignorance
and lack of initiative; regarded contemptuously by "superior
people". There have been times when despised, powerless
people were forced to rise up against those who misruled and
devalued them. Some of these uprisings had the results the
people wanted but too often the replacement of an evil regime
was by another no less oppressive.
Only when the common people are treated impartially, honestly
and decently can a society be regarded with respect. The common
people are the real wealth of any country.
They were at their wisest and most discerning when they gave
Jesus a ready hearing, unlike the religious men, politicians
and intelligencia who scorned Him. Many of them realised the
truth in what He said and some of them were to learn from
Him, be healed by Him, to find peace and contentment in their
lives as His people. Others, manipulated by His enemies, screamed
for His death. They believed the unbelievable about Him and
were shamed by what was done to Him.
Mark says: "The common people heard Him". He invited
everybody to listen to what He had wanted to tell them. That
was unusual when teachers were most selective in those they
invited to hear Him. Horace the Roman poet, said, "I
hate the vulgar crowd and told them at a distance" and
Plato the Greek philosopher disregarded the common people
utterly.
Snobbery, whether intellectual, racial or classist is always
selective and exclusive. It has never been unknown among Christians.
It exists still as a barrier to the outreach of the church
to the common people. The accessibility of Jesus is in contrast
to the exclusiveness of some who call themselves Christians.
He is always the welcoming Christ.
Mark adds, "The common people heard Him gladly".
What He told them made them happy. He spoke to their needs
and aspirations in everyday settings with conviction and certainty.
He was very different from the preachers and teachers who
lacked sincerity and were unsure of their message. He talked
sense in easily understandable language and He did it sensitively
and respectfully. The pattern Jesus set in his approach to
people remains the way Christians ought to conduct themselves
if they would fulfil their obligation to bring others to faith
in God.
The first disciples of Jesus were common people who heard
Him gladly, followed Him selflessly, courageously and joyfully.
They found their satisfaction in Him and in their service
for him and other people.
The hymn writer echoed this sentiment when he penned:-
"O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found,
And found in Thee alone, the peace, the
joy, I sought so long,
The bliss till now unknown.
The hymn in the Church Hymnary 699 (Church 0f Ireland) has
the chorus:-
"Now none but Christ can satisfy,
None other name for me.
There's love, and life, and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus, found in Thee".
The task of the church today is to persuade the people of
their need to hear Jesus and to respond positively to Him
for it is by faith in Him and acceptance of his standards
of behaviour that they can live useful and happy lives.
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