MARK

2. Not only were their positive influences absent, but also some of their strongest negative influences were present

Nothing compares to trying to do your job when surrounded by people who would rather debate than eat! The presence of the teachers of the law must have been terribly intimidating to these comparatively uneducated men. You and I aren’t always surrounded by faith-encouragers either. We can’t afford to wait for all the right atmospheric conditions to act on the power of God.

I think God is teaching us that the worst conditions can provide the best atmosphere to act in faith. He doesn’t want our confidence regulated by our audience. In fact, if faith-discouragers can shake our confidence badly enough to disable us, our confidence may be in ourselves instead of God. God’s strength is unaffected by His audience.

This ministry is God’s. If my confidence is in myself, I’m in big trouble. Only One can be taken at His every word. What counts most to God is that our hearts are right. I believe the presence of those more educated than the disciples may have undermined their ability to exercise the right and might God had given them.