Getting Through the Tough Stuff of Misunderstanding

Message Summary:

In this practical and empathetic message, Chuck Swindoll addresses the painful “collision” of being misunderstood—an experience he compares to the sudden chaos of a hockey game where rules are forgotten and conflict reigns. Swindoll asserts that while being misunderstood is a common human experience, no one understood this burden better than Jesus Christ, who faced “unbending misunderstanding” regarding His origin, His purpose, and His power.

Focusing on Mark 3, Swindoll traces how four distinct groups misjudged Jesus: the Pharisees misunderstood His actions of mercy; His hometown contemporaries misunderstood His passion, believing He had lost His senses; the scribes misunderstood His power, attributing it to Satan; and His own family misunderstood His identity, attempting to take Him away from His calling.

The sermon concludes by offering a pathway through the wreckage of misunderstanding. Swindoll advises believers to ask three processing questions—Who? Why? and What?—and ultimately presents a choice between two outcomes: forgiveness or bitterness. Using the moving story of a widow named Emily who forgave her husband’s murderer, Swindoll urges listeners to “let go” of the acid of resentment, noting that to be great is to be misunderstood, but “to be greater is to forgive the one who misunderstood”.

Message Key Facts:

• The Hockey Analogy: Swindoll uses a professional hockey game as a metaphor for life: things can move along with skill and harmony until a sudden “collision” occurs. At that point, rules are often abandoned, and the situation descends into chaos—much like a relationship hit by severe misunderstanding.
• The Emerson Principle: The sermon is anchored by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote: “To be great is to be misunderstood.” Swindoll uses this to reframe the experience not as a failure, but as a frequent companion to greatness.
• Four Types of Misunderstanding Jesus Faced (Mark 3):
  1. The Pharisees (Legalism): They watched Jesus to accuse Him. They misunderstood His actions, valuing their man-made rules (like not walking on grass on the Sabbath) over human need and grace.
  2. The Hometown Crowd (Familiarity): They misunderstood His passion. Seeing His ragged group of disciples and His disregard for meals, they concluded, “He has lost his senses”.
  3. The Scribes (Prejudice): They misunderstood His power. In a vicious attack on His character, they claimed He was possessed by Beelzebul, attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the devil.
  4. The Family (Embarrassment): They misunderstood His identity. Thinking He was “beside himself,” His mother and brothers arrived to take custody of Him, leading Jesus to redefine His true family as those who do the will of God.
• The Frog and the Bird: Swindoll tells a story about a biology class dissecting frogs when a beautiful bird flies in. The teacher snaps at students to ignore the bird because “Ornithology is next week.” This illustrates the legalistic mindset of the Pharisees who could not celebrate a miracle because it didn’t fit their schedule.
• Three Questions to Ask: When facing misunderstanding, Swindoll suggests asking:
  1. Who? (Consider the source).
  2. Why? (Is there a blind spot or inadvertent cause?).
  3. What? (What is there to learn from this?).
• The Ass and the Saddle: Quoting a Yiddish proverb regarding criticism: “If one man calls you an ass, pay him no mind. But if two men call you an ass, go get a saddle.” This encourages listeners to evaluate if there is validity to the misunderstanding.

Message References:

• Mark 3:1–6: Jesus heals the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, inciting the anger of the Pharisees who misunderstood His mercy.
• Mark 3:20–21: The crowds gather so strictly that Jesus cannot eat; His own people conclude, “He has lost his senses”.
• Mark 3:22–30: The scribes accuse Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul; Jesus refutes this by asking, “How can Satan cast out Satan?”.
• Mark 3:31–35: Jesus’ mother and brothers arrive to take Him home; Jesus declares that whoever does the will of God is His brother, sister, and mother.
• Mark 2:27: Jesus’ previous teaching that “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath”.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll