Tag Archives: Jesus

Day Twenty-Six with Mark: Mark 6:45-52

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Today in walk together through Mark, we see Jesus perform more healing.  Listen to what happens in Mark 6:53-56:

Healing the Sick in Gennesaret
53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

3485297601_b789b3fa39We see Jesus come into town after walking on the water, and we see that so many people come to Him for healing.  They come from all over. They lay upon mats, they, they bring their friends, they want just a touch of Him, just a brush.  People just wanted to touch the fringe of His cloak.  This fringe would have been the knots that would have been tied nad untied as Jesus was praying.  People knew that if they just had that brief encounter with Jesus, it would change things.

And that’s the truth of Scripture.  Jesus changes things.  You cannot touch Jesus, you cannot be touched by Jesus, you cannot encounter Him, and not be changed.

Jesus changes things.

We are tempted to look to willpower to change things.  Or religion to change things.  Or self-awareness to change things.  Or many different things to change things.

But in truth, only one thing will change things.  Jesus.  He changes us.  He changes us others.  The people in this text understood that.  They knew that He would change them.

And today, may we understand it, just the same.  Jesus changes us.  Changes others.  Changes lives.  Changes families.  Changes the world.  Changes churches, communities, everything.

Let’s live in His grace today.  And let’s see what He changes in us.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 7:1-23.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

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Day Twenty-Five with Mark: Mark 6:45-52

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Near the end chapter 6 of Mark, we see stories that we all know so well, the feeding of the 5000, and now in verses 45-52, we see Jesus walking on water. Listen to what the Word tells us:

Jesus Walks on the Water
45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

47 When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by. 49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” 51 Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

We see Jesus send the disciples back across the late to close to where they were staying.  But notice what Jesus does when He sends them off.  The text says that He goes up to the mountain to pray.  I think that’s one thing that we always have to take away from Jesus’ life when we look at it. The important of prayer for His life.  Jesus always, always, always spends time in prayer.

And to me, that’s such a huge thing, because think about this.  Jesus Christ is the very son of God.  He is the second person of the Trinity.  He is part of the Godhead.  He is literally one with God.  Literally.

And yet He takes time to pray to His Father.  He takes time to seek His Father’s face in prayer.  Jesus Christ knows the importance, the value, the purpose of prayer.  And He’s God Himself.

So, if Jesus understands the importance of prayer, shouldn’t we?  If Jesus took time to pray, shouldn’t we?  If this matter to Jesus, shouldn’t it matter to us?  Each time in scripture when I see Jesus understand the importance of prayer, I am reminded about just how important prayer is.  And I have to ask myself, do I pray as I ought?

Prayer mattered to Jesus.  It has to matter to us as well.

Amédée_Varint_-_Christ_marchant_sur_la_merAfter this time of prayer, we see Jesus walking upon the waters to the disciples.  And notice what they feel when they see Him walking out to them?  Fear.  They are afraid.  Because the know that no man can do this.  This is not human, they think that He’s a ghost.  They are terrified.

When they (or we) see Jesus fully in His power, it is a terrifying thing.  He is awe inspiring.  He is other.  He is God.  And that’s one of those things that our mind cannot hold together.  The incarnation.  Jesus is fully God and fully human.  He is Lord and friend.  He is our guide and He is our savior.  And He never leaves us.

Do not fear.  Do not be afraid.  No matter how big the problems you are face, Jesus is bigger.  Trust.

Do not fear.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 6:35-56.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

If you’d like to receive these thoughts by email, be sure to click here and join my email devotional group!

Day Twenty-Four with Mark: Mark 6:30-44

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Today in journey through Mark we look at the feeding of the 5000 in Mark 6:30-44:

Feeding the Five Thousand
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35 When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii[a] worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And all ate and were filled; 43 and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

small_mosaic_1Today is one of those stories that we have all heard a million times.  We know about Jesus feeding the 5000.  We’ve heard stories about it, we’ve heard sermons about it, we’ve read it, we know it. So, today, go back and read it, like you’ve never heard it before.  Don’t rush through it, don’t think about how you’ve heard it before.  Go back and read it like it’s the first time.

Ok, what do you notice?  What did you see in this reading that you never really noticed before.  That’s one of the ways to hear God’s voice in scripture; what jumps out to you?  What did you notice that you didn’t notice before?

Let me tell you what I noticed today when I read this passage.

First, in 31, we see Jesus concern for His disciples. They had been working and serving and hadn’t had any time to rest.  That mattered to Jesus.  He tells them, let’s go away.  Let’s get some rest.  Take care of yourself.  It’s ok to focus on your needs.  Not to the exclusion of others as we will see in a moment, but take care of yourself.  Get enough food.  Enough rest.  Enough care.

These bodies, this life, they are gifts from God.  Take care of them.  Jesus noticed they were exhausted.  And the said, let’s go rest.

But then, notice in 34, when people came to them, He didn’t say, nope, we are busy.  How often in our lives do people irritate us when they interrupt our plans?  What did Jesus say and do?  He had compassion.  He had compassion for them.  He and the disciples took time to serve them.  That’s a great reminder to us when things don’t go as we plan them to or desire them to.  Don’t lose sight of the humanity and the need of other people, even when they come at an inconvenient time for you.

Serve them anyway.

And I love what it says in 42.  They ate, and they were filled.  Jesus filled them completely.  He took care of them.  He loved them.  He cared for them.  He made sure they had what they needed.

He does the same for us.  He loves you.  He cares for you.  He meets your needs.

That’s who He is.

Today, what did you notice the reading of this familiar story?

Monday we’ll look at Mark 6:45-52.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

If you’d like to receive these thoughts by email, be sure to click here and join my email devotional group!

Day Twenty-one with Mark: Mark 6:1-6

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Today we are looking at Jesus’ homecoming in Mark 6:1-6.  It really doesn’t go well for Him:

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
6 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

JeffWatkinsJRejectedatNazoilJesus had gone to many different places in Mark’s Gospel and one of the things that we have seen over and over again is His power and His authority.  Folks are amazed at it.  And today, we seem Him go to His hometown of Nazareth, and they too see that authority.  They too see His power, they hear of His mighty deeds.

And they took offense at Him.  Wow.  They knew His family.  They knew His “mama and them” and just couldn’t believe that this was the same person that they knew.  I just can’t get over that phrase.  They took offense at Jesus.  So because of that, Jesus wasn’t able to do any deeds.  So, a couple of things.

First, why did they take offense?  Scripture doesn’t say, but perhaps they were thinking a couple of things.  Why Him?  I mean, what’s so special about Jesus.  We know, but they didn’t.  Or perhaps why not them?   I mean, aren’t they just as able to those things as Jesus?

Maybe it comes down to jealousy.  They missed what God was doing. So often in the Bible, so often in Jesus ministry, that’s one of the things that we see.  People miss what God is doing.  Most times it’s because they are not looking.  This time, it’s because they are looking, and they don’t like what they see.

Today, let’s look with discernment.  Let’s prayerfully look.  Let’s take all that we see under the grace of God.  Let’s not look past anyone.  And let’s not be jealous of anyone.  

The other thing about this is that Jesus couldn’t do any miracles because of their lack of faith.  Miracles aren’t “invoked” because of faith.  It’s not like we can make them happen by having “enough” faith.  That’s not the way that God works.  But, that said, in the order of salvation, we have a part to play.  We have to respond.  We have to do our part.  God’s grace doesn’t do us any good if we won’t accept it.

Perhaps Jesus couldn’t do any miracles there, because they weren’t willing to receive them. 

Today, may we be open to whatever God wants to do.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 6:6-13.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

If you’d like to receive these thoughts by email, be sure to click here and join my email devotional group!

Day Twenty with Mark: Mark 5:21-43

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Wednesday we looked at the big picture of Mark 5:21-43.  Today, we are going to look at the specifics of the text:

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” 24 So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Ok, so we see two individuals healed. First, we see the daughter of Jarius healed.  Notice, we don’t know her name.  She’s a child and in that culture, children are considered little more than property.  So, notice that’s why the people said, she’s dead now, don’t bother Jesus anymore.  In this story, Jesus not only brings her back to life, but He inconveniences Himself to do that.  That’s something that would not happen in that culture.

She is worth something to Jesus.  She is worth being healed, she is worth being brought back to life.  No matter what others think, she is worth Jesus’ time and efforts.

Look at Jesus words to the father in verse 36 – do not fear, only believe.  What great words for us today.  No matter what we are going through today, there is a choice that we have to make, fear or belief.  Sometimes (most times) we have a combination of the two.  We are afraid, but we believe.  Jesus says, trust.  I have this.  Trust.

Today, no matter what it is that you are going through, don’t be afraid.  Trust.  Jesus has this.  Trust.

healingawomanwithinternalbleeding222The second healing (technically the first, as she was healed on the way) was the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years.  Ok, Jesus told Jarius not to fear, only believe.  That’s exactly what we see in this woman who was healed.  She was bleeding.  That made her unclean.  And here’s thing about being unclean, that was transferable.  So, if you’re unclean and you touch someone, you make them unclean.

So, this woman touches Jesus making Him unclean.  But here’s the thing, you can’t make Jesus unclean.  He’s the Son of God, second person of the Trinity, God Himself.  He’s unstainable.  So, He doesn’t become unclean.  But she didn’t know that.  All that she knew was this.  She had faith that if she touched Him, she would be made whole.  So she does it.

In that culture, you simply didn’t do that.  An unclean person didn’t touch a clean person.  A woman never touched a man, much less a rabbi like Jesus.  You just didn’t do that.  You didn’t.

Compare her faith to the people who were there at Jarius’ house.  She KNEW Jesus could heal her.  She KNEW it.  They laughed.

Do not fear, only believe.  Yeah, that’s a good word for us today.  Do not fear.  Only believe.

Monday we’ll look at Mark 6:1-6.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

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Day Seventeen with Mark: Mark 5:1-19

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Today’s passage has A LOT going on, so we are going to spend at least two days looking at it.  We are looking at Mark 5:1-19:

Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac
5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. 3 He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; 4 for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; 7 and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; 12 and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.

14 The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 17 Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.”

Ok, look who meets Jesus on the other side of the sea.  A guy (the other Gospels say was naked) living a cemetery.  Demon possessed.  And with pigs in the area.  This is literally the worst Jewish nightmare you can think of.  One of the things that I wondered about for the longest time is why there were pigs?  I mean, this is Israel.  Jews don’t do pigs?  Why were their pigs in this story?  Where did they come from?

734215_10152379208205043_756632953_nThis city across the sea of Galilee, you know what it was?  It was a Roman city.  It was a Gentile city.  That’s why there were pigs there. Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews) didn’t mind pigs at all. So that’s why there would have been pigs there.  By the way, the picture to your right was one that I took from the actual place where the pigs jumped off of.  Things have changed since Jesus’ day, but that’s the spot!

This place on the other side of the lake would have been forbidden for Jews. They wouldn’t have wanted, or really, been allowed to go there.  Many of you may have had grandparents say to you – don’t go outside (or wherever) that’s where the boogie man is!  They would tell you “don’t go there” because they wanted to keep you away from that place.

So, good Jewish mamas would tell their kids – don’t go across the lake.  You’ll find pigs!  And naked men!  In cemeteries!  That are Gentiles!  That’s how bad Jesus wanted rest, He went to this place He would have been warned not to go, because He knew no one would follow Him.

And they get across the lake and what do they find?  A naked guy, in a cemetery, demon possessed, who is Gentile.  Oh, and pigs!  Turns out, mama was right!  It would have been everything that they feared!  It was literally the worst combination of what they feared.

And what does Jesus do?  He brings calm.  He brings peace.  He brings restoration.  He brings life.  He brings hope.

Tomorrow, we’ll look deeper at what exactly Jesus did. But today, know this.  Jesus encountered the thing that His Jewish followers would have feared teh most.  And He triumphs over it.

Jesus is greater than whatever it is that you fear.  Always believe that.  Because it is truth.  Always hold tight to that.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 5:1-19 again.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

If you’d like to receive these thoughts by email, be sure to click here and join my email devotional group!

Day Fifteen with Mark: Mark 4:21-34

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Today in Mark 4:21-34, we are going to look at three parables of Jesus.

A Lamp under a Bushel Basket
21 He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25 For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

The Use of Parables
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples

First, we have the Lamp under a bushel basket.  Ok, a couple of things here.  With parables, you have to remember that this is not to be taken “literally.”  What I mean is this is an illustration or a story.  It’s true, and it illustrates truth, but Jesus is trying to communicate something deeper here.  So, for instance, in the Gospels, light is often seen as a symbol for truth or for Jesus Himself.

So, in this parable, we’ve been given truth.  And we can’t hide that truth.  Truth will come out. What is done is secret, God knows.  But this measure of what we’ve been given is talking about the truth we’ve been given.  The “light.”  So, the more we respond to the truth, the more we search the scriptures, the more we seek God, the more we desire Him, the more of Him we will we know and will receive.  Likewise, the less we seek, the less we search, the less of Him we will know.

Today, we’ve been shown light.  And keeping with the theme of the parables, our response to that light will determine how much more light we receive.

The second parable we hear today is the parable of the growing seed.  In this, the kingdom of God is the seed.  It is planted but notice, it doesn’t grow because of the work of man, but it grows because of the Will of God.  We look up and marvel at what God has done and wonder to ourselves, how did that happen?  And the answer is God.  It happened because God was the one that was at work.  It wasn’t our will or our efforts that made it happen, it was God’s.

Remember, that God is the one that does the work.  Never mistake our faithfulness for God’s work.  God is the one at work.  We along aside beside Him.  But He is the instigator, He is the sustainer, He is the one that makes it happen.  And we look out and wonder, how that happen?  God.  That’s how.

mustardseed_1And our last parable today is mustard seed.  This is the one that we are most familiar with of these three parables.  The kingdom of God is like that mustard seed.  It’s small.  But when it grows roots, it changes everything.  The Gospel is not complicated.  It’s just hard to understand.  I heard someone put it like this.  The love of God is so simple that a child can understand it, but some complicated the greatest theologian can’t fathom it.

All of these parables, what is the emphasis upon?  The Kingdom.  The work and will of God.  He plants it, He grows it, He sustains it, we marvel at it.  Our job is to be receptive.  To do our part.  To listen, to receive, to obey, and to fan the flame that God puts within us.

Let’s be faithful.  But let’s know that it is God that is work within us.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 4:35-41.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

If you’d like to receive these thoughts by email, be sure to click here and join my email devotional group!

Day Thirteen with Mark: Mark 4:1-20

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Ok, today’s reading from Mark is going to be a “two-parter.”  We are going to look at Mark 4: 1-20, which is the parable of the sower, as well as Jesus’ explanation for why He uses parables, and then an explanation for what this parable means.  So, we’ll chew on this for at least another day.  Here’s Mark 4:1-20:

The Parable of the Sower
4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

The Purpose of the Parables
10 When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; 12 in order that
‘they may indeed look, but not perceive,
and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’”
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.[b] 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

092208_1552_TheParableo1_1I said before when we started this journey together through Mark (or any Gospel) we’ll see that Jesus isn’t always who we expect, or want Him to be.  He is who is He.  He is the Alpha and Omega, beginning and the End, first and the last.  But when you look at Him, here’s one thing that I’m always drawn to about Him.

He makes you make a decision.  Will you follow, or will you not?  Will we accept His offer of grace or will we not?  He comes to us and make us choose.  And gives us the free will to choose.  But He (and we) know that there are consequences for what it is that we choose.

So we see in verse 12 He says, some folks will not accept the teaching that He offers.  In fact, that’s why He teaches like He does, so that they will not be able to understand.  Now, that’s one of those passages that has never made sense to me.  Why would Jesus teach in a way, on purpose, where people would not be able to understand it?

The reason why is this.  Those that have followed Him, that accept Him, that walk with Him, they are taught, they understand.  To those that reject Him, they are not given the key to understanding Him.

To put it another way, the Bible is an interesting book to all people.  You can learn history, culture, philosophy, so many different things within it’s pages.  But apart from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Bible will never “make sense” to you, or to me. It’s the Spirit that speaks, it’s the Spirit that moves, it’s the Spirit that inspires.

It’s the Spirit that makes it makes sense.  Teachers, preachers, others can help us understand, but it’s the Spirit that truly makes the text come alive.

If if we reject that Spirit, we’ll never really understand the text.

Those that have rejected Jesus never understood Jesus.

The reason that He taught like this was this.  He wants us to make a choice.  To follow Him, or not.  If we choose to follow, these parables will come alive and makes sense.  If we chooses to reject, they never will.

So, we choose.  They choose. That’s why He taught like this.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 4:21-32, but dig into exactly what Jesus is talking about in this parable.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

If you’d like to receive these thoughts by email, be sure to click here and join my email devotional group!

Day Twelve with Mark: Mark 3:31-35

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Today in our daily journey through Mark, we look at Mark 3:31-35:

The True Kindred of Jesus
31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Sermon-on-the-MountJesus has been ministering in his home.  And He had seen great conflict there.  Faced opposition.  Folks tried to restrain Him, keep him from teaching, really not received Him well.  And today, we see His family come to Him again, and it doesn’t really go well.

He says this is my family. Those that do my will.

Ok, a couple of things here. First, before we get too harsh and think that family doesn’t matter to Jesus, remember a couple of things.  One of the very last things Jesus did upon the cross was look to Mary and look to John the Apostle and says to her – this is your son.  And to John – this is your mother.

One of His very last acts up before His death and resurrection was to take care of His mother.  Also, notice how in the Gospels and in Acts how his mother is one of His followers.  You can’t take this one passage here and say that Jesus is saying – don’t take care of your family.  That’s not what He is saying, His life didn’t doesn’t show that, nor do His words.

Be careful building an entire theology or worldview on one verse alone.  We read scripture in relation to other scripture.  We interpret the Bible through the Bible.  You want to look at one verse through the lens of other verses.  Jesus here is not saying don’t care about your family.

Ok then, what is He saying?  This is what He is saying.  Our family is more that just biological.  As believers, as followers of Jesus, we are family. We are His family.  And we are family to each other.  If you are in Christ, tan you are as much my family as anyone that is “blood” kin to me.

As Christians, the blood relationship that matters the most is being washed in the blood of the Lamb.  If you are His, if you are His child, if you are His disciple, then you are my sister or brother.  And I am called to love you like family.

And you are called to love me like family.

Because we are.

This is Jesus family.  Not just biology.  But those that love Him and follow Him.

And this is my family.  Not just biology.  But those that love Jesus and follow Him.

Today, through Jesus, we are family. No matter what race, what denomination, what theology, what worship style, what whatever.  Today in Jesus, we are family.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

Monday we’ll look at Mark 4:1-9.

If you’d like to receive these thoughts by email, be sure to click here and join my email devotional group!

Day Eleven with Mark: Mark 3:20-30

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Today in Mark, we look at Mark 3:20-30, and we find some unexpected things happen:

20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. 28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

In today’s passage, we see Jesus go home.  And it really doesn’t go well.  Folks back home aren’t really happy to see Him.  A couple of things to notice about all that is happening here.  First, in our minds, didn’t we think that everyone loves and affirms Jesus?  I mean, everyone loves Jesus, right?

Look at what happens in this passage.  I mean, really look what happens here.  His family is starting to think He may be crazy or demon possessed. They go out to restrain Him.  That is not what we expect to see happen.  That is not the way that life is supposed to God for Jesus.

When we see Jesus, as told to us in the Gospels, He is not safe.  He is not ordinary.  He doesn’t leave people be.  He brings to the ones that are broken and afraid, He brings them grace.  But to the ones that are comfortable and spiritually asleep, He yells WAKE UP!

Where would we be in this story?  Would we welcome Him?  Or would we want Him to calm down?  When you look at how people react to Jesus in scripture, it really isn’t what we expect, is it?

unforgivable-sin-full-v2We see Jesus teaching today about what the unforgivable sin is.  In the text, He says that blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is eternal (often called unforgivable).  In my ministry, I’ve had people come to me and say, “Andy, I think I’ve blasphemed.”  My response is always, do you feel bad about it?  And they say, yeah, I feel terrible. And then I say, well then you haven’t blasphemed.

Blasphemy is unforgivable for this reason.  You won’t ask forgiveness for it.  That is the reason why.  You’ve got so far, that you won’t confess and repent.  Every sin that is confessed and repented of will be forgiven.  But if you’ve blasphemed, then you won’t do that?

Why?  Look specifically at what Jesus says.  He says, “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit.”  And notice this conversation is in relation to works of the devil.  Basically what He is saying here is when you take the works of God (i.e. what  Jesus is doing and teaching) and say that they are the works of the devil (what the Pharisees are doing), you are saying that God and His power are evil.

You are making the Holy Spirit a work of evil.  You are calling God a liar.  You are undercutting the work of the Spirit.

Why is that unforgivable?  Because it’s through the spirit we are drawn to repentance.  It’s through the spirit we are convicted, we are called, we are brought home.  But if you deny that the spirit is good, if you harden your heart to it, then you’ve cut yourself off from any means of conviction and repentance.

But, if you feel bad about what you’ve done or said, then you’ve not blasphemed. Because you haven’t hardened your heart to what God is doing.  As long as you desire to be forgiven, you will be forgiven.  You will.

That’s why blasphemy is unforgivable.  You don’t want that forgiveness.  And that’s why in my ministry, I’ve never actually met anyone that’s done it.

What questions do you have?  How does this strike you?  Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 3:31-35.

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