The Book of Mark Introduction Chapter 1 Jesus is baptized and sent into the wilderness. There is no explicit description of the temptations of Satan. Wile in the synagogue, it is recognized early that Jesus teaches with authority and his teachings are seen as "new". What is "new" about Jesus' teachings is that he was pointing out that a relationship with God and a good heart were more important than the Law and the meaningless rituals. At this point is his ministry, Jesus is keeping the healings and casting out of demons quiet...he even keeps the demons themselves from speaking out his name. Chapter 2 In this chapter Jesus forgives the sins of a paralyzed man lowered from the roof into the house that he is in (because of the crowds). The teachers of the law find this to be blasphemy for who but God could forgive sins. Exactly! Jesus eats with Sinners
Jesus makes it clear by who he associates with that he is hear for the sick. When asked why they do not fast Jesus responds to them with three analogies:
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. He reserves the right to do what he wants on this day. The Sabbath was made for man, not the man for the Sabbath. the day of rest seems to be a favor, advice, to benefit man, but it is not meant to control the man. It is something that he can turn to when he needs to have rest. If one wants to honor the Sabbath as a special day, that is fine, if some don't that is fine as well. It is a chosen "imitation" of God during the creation, not a command per se. "Keep the Sabbath" as a command is simply the advice that we should do so if we are to remain healthy. Good advice! But if we are to keep the day as Holy, it should not only be in our outward practices, but it should be holy in our minds and our hearts. Jesus' ministry continues along this line as he emphasizes the righteousness of a person not the degree to which he or she abides by the laws. Chapter 3 Jesus heals the man with the shriveled hand on the Sabbath. What an evil generation that the Pharisees would then plot to kill him. How much is this like the current age. If someone came along like this now, would we react in the same way? An interesting part of this chapter is that it seems that Jesus' family came down from their homes to get him for they say that he was "out of his mind"! I wonder if Jesus was seen as somewhat ill and unsteady in his actions? His family worried about him and saw him saying and doing things that they understood would put him in ill favor with the king. The Pharisees accused him of being in league with Beelzebub...to be possessed of a demon himself, to be crazy!
Jesus rebukes them by supporting that Satan's kingdom DOES stand so it is not divided. Jesus mentions at this time the "unforgivable" sin...sin against the Holy Spirit. Jesus is actually full of the Holy Spirit, even though the Pharisees say that he is filled with an evil spirit, therefore the Pharisees are being blasphemous against the Holy Spirit. It is difficult to say if Jesus is saying that ALL sin against the Spirit is unforgivable or if the specific sin of the Pharisees against the Spirit is unforgivable. The concept of a sin that is unforgivable runs counter to the prospect of us all being saved by Christ's sacrifice. What is the Spirit and what is the nature of a sin against it such that it would be unforgivable? Jesus' family arrives on the scene but he does not wish to see them. They are likely there to take him home and keep him out of trouble. They have been saying that he is out of his mind...he was likely quite difficult to raise! His eccentricities may have been tolerated at home but they see him as getting into trouble now. Consider the trouble that Mary has had with the name Herod, that she had to flee to Egypt, that she sensed there was something important about this son of hers, but the world of worries has fallen on her and she wonders if he is sane. Jesus puts them away and says that they are no longer his family. As much as they stand on the sidelines and watch the life of Jesus go away, he does not seem to contact them again in any way. They are there, and from their perspective are watching their son commit suicide. Chapter 4 The Parable of the Sower Here we have the 4 kinds of people who hear the word of God
We are all, at times, meandering between all of these in terms of our relationship with the Word of God. Sometimes I don't want to hear the word...I'm content watching from the path as Satan (making my life feel good) snatches it away. I think many who are comfortable are actually along the path. Consider those who are vain. Those who wonder and worry about other's comments too much. Their expression of their faith is choked by worry. Those who are "good soil" produce fruit over and over. This is the impact of having the Word of God in our hearts. We do not put a lamp under a bowl or bed...we bring it out into the open for all to see...so we must be without faith...open to all. I know this is a challenge to me as at one time I was like Paul...I did no believe. I feel I am currently "on the road to Damascus" undergoing my own transformation. We are told to hear the truth because those who hear it will tell of it to others so they may understand the truth. The Parable of the Seed Now THIS is a good one! This talks of the ways in which God impacts the world! Jesus says that the grower plants the seeds (us) into the ground and we grow of our own accord.
Could it be that this is the way our existence is created? Maturation happens, but our kernel (our spiritual self) do not appear until much later. And look at the way that God implies the creation. We are planted and the seeds grow of their own accord. God does not have to intervene on everything that happens. It could be that creation was set in motion and then the natural laws took over from there (Yes, God created the laws, but then the machine moves forward from there without intervention from the creator) This parable identified the potency of the world itself. It has power in it to help grow the seeds. So the soil can mean the world (and we are the seeds that are planted in it), but it can also mean us (and the seed is the word of God that is planted in us)! Mustard Seed I think that this particular story is a testament of how little of the word is needed in order to bring about the largest fruit. On the tails of the Parable of the Seed discussed above, this is a particular apt story. A small seed in good soil (the smallest sample of God's word in us) can produce amazing fruit. Jesus Calms the Storm What a great story of not only the power that Jesus had on Earth, but also the power that he has in our lives. Our lives are the boats in the storm! This story teaches us to wake up Jesus in our lives and to ask him if he cares for us! HE will speak to the storm in our lives and rebuke them! He will calm the storm down in our lives so we can have safe passage in our journey! Jesus says "Why are you still afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (v. 40) This is the same message he has for us today...why are we still afraid if we have him to rebuke the storms in our lives? We simply need to wake him up in us! He tells us to rely upon him to clear the storm. While we are on a mission of God we must have faith in the storm. We should not be worried about the storms we have to go through as Jesus has power over them. He can either send them away or he can give us the strength to send them away ourselves. What a great story!! Chapter 5 Jesus is confronted by the man possessed of many demons collectively referred to as "Legion". This is a strange example of communication directly between Jesus and the demons of the spirit world. The beg Jesus to allow them to escape into the herd of pigs that is nearby rather than simply be cast out of the person. I wonder if, in the spirit world, demons that are cast out are sent back to hell? They certainly were not motivated to be cast out other than into the pigs. The pigs then drive themselves into the ocean and are drowned. The man had been raging for quite some time as he was possessed by all the demons. Yet the people still asked Jesus to move on. They lost about 2000 pigs in this event so they may have been suspect of Jesus' motivations and actions. The possessed man wished to accompany Jesus, but was told to "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you". I wonder at the power this kind of testimony may have had on the family of this man. Actually, I wonder how accepting of his presence the family would have been! Consider that he has been a raving lunatic in the wilderness by the sea for quite some time. No one could bind him in chains as he was too strong. He would spend his time yelling and cutting at himself with rocks. I would imagine that the family, seeing him far off and approaching, would not be so happy to see him! I believe this story tells us that even when we are possessed with many "demons" in our life, real or manufactured by ourselves, none are more powerful than the word of Jesus. They beg for mercy from him. The demons are also fit only for the possession of pigs. Pigs were not a clean animal in Jesus' time...to consider possession in a pig as better than the alternative would send a strong message that our faults and failings are very unworthy of us. They deserve the life of the demons in the pigs, and should be drowned with them. Should we take our sins and bind them to "pigs" and drown them? Jesus then moves on to assist a man, Jairus, whose daughter is sick. A woman suffering from bleeding for many years touches his clothes and is healed. The bleeding is particularly a poor condition because menstrual blood was considered unclean so any contact with her was considered ceremoniously unclean...so she would be shunned by her own people. The interesting thing in this part of the chapter is the fact that Jesus is aware of when power comes out of him! She touches him and he is aware of her presence. Just as God, when we reach out to him and his power touches our lives, feels the power leave him and he knows of us. Meanwhile, Jairus learns that his daughter is dead. Jesus arrives at the girl's home and finds the family and neighbors in mourning. He rebukes them that she is simply asleep and they laugh at him. He commands the girl to get up and she does. He tells them not to tell anyone about what he has done to the girl. It seems that Jesus was quite secretive, or desired to be so, during his ministry. The Bible notes speculate that had his popularity with the local people in the area, and his conflict with the presiding religious leaders been flamed, there could have been a conflict before the appointed time. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 opens with Jesus coming to his home town to teach in the synagogue. Keep in mind that prior to this, Jesus' family came to him and thought he was out of his mind. In his hometown it is likely that many of the folks there thought he was quite crazy. The people in the town knew him, they knew him as Mary's son, as the brother of James. This knowledge of him and his youth kept them from their faith. Also note that they did not recognize him immediately as if he had lived there before his ministry began. The speculation that Jesus' traveled extensively before his ministry is somewhat supported by the fact that the people of his town said "Isn't this the carpenter?". We of the faith will find, sometimes the most difficult trials we face in our own homes and families. It is in these places that people know of our old self, the self we have shrugged off in favor of the new self with Jesus. Armed with this knowledge the people of our past can attack us, or at least shun us, for they knew us before we had come to know God. Jesus states that "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house, is a prophet without honor" (6:4). Jesus then sends out the twelve in order that he may touch the lives of many more. This is a model of the command he gives all of his people. Go out among those in the world and preach the good news. If you are not welcome in a house, do not fight them, simply shake the dirt of their house from your shoes and move on. This will be a testament to them for God. They did not welcome you, they did not help the least of God's servants. I noted that he sent them out "two by two"...I wonder if this is the section of the Bible that the Mormons use to create the practice of sending out their youth to the world in pairs? Armed with the command from Jesus, the 12 were able to preach the word and heal the sick. As we are able to do so under our great command. The story now turns to the beheading of John the Baptist. It seems that as Jesus' appears on the scene, people speculate that he may be a prophet that has been raised...Herod, however, feels that Jesus may be the resurrection of John the Baptist, whom he beheaded. Herod was fascinated by John. He was puzzled by him but he liked to listen to him. However, John spoke out against Herod's marriage to Herodias (Herod's brother's wife). Herodias bore a grudge against John and plotted to have him killed by having her daughter dance for Herod. This pleased Herod and his guests so well that he promised her anything she pleased. She, as instructed, asked for the head of John the Baptist. What promises we make to those in our midst who would undo us! We keep them for honor but there is no honor in them for they were brought about by evil ways and honor, which is good, is made bad by it. Herod will now live in fear of Jesus because he feels that Jesus is John come back to life! It is no wonder that he freely participated in the crucifixion of Jesus! Again, the evil of Satan is turned to bring about the plan of God. Who do we have in our midst that make us make promises that will undo us? Jesus feeds the 5000. In this story we hear of Jesus feeding five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish. This is like our faith when we work for God. It multiplies itself. Jesus prayed before he distributed the food and the food was multiplied. This is just as our lives are multiplied by our work on God's plan. We enter into this service with a prayerful and thankful heart and our work will be multiplied and feed thousands. All we need is a few loaves and fish...just enough to sustain us! It is Jesus who gives us what we need to sustain ourselves and it is the work of the Holy Spirit that that would then multiply into the world as did the loaves and fishes. Jesus Walks on Water Now we see the test of the faith! Now as I read this there is some curiousness to it. Jesus abides by the land while the disciples go out into the water on the boat. He walks out to them, walking on the lake and was going to walk by them! He was not going out to see them, he only stops because they were afraid when they saw him. He then got into the boat. The scripture states that they did not understand about the loaves and that their hearts were hardened. Did they not know who they were in the presence of at this time? All this healing and such that was going on and still they did not recognize him? There is a connection between these two stories...the loaves and the walking on water. Both miraculous events, both to show how God sustains us and protects us, and that with faith, we can accomplish so many things. He simply asks us to take courage and to not worry. God has everything under control. Chapter 7 The Pharisees address Jesus' practice of eating while not being ceremonially clean. Here Jesus discusses the fact that the obedience to law that is created by man does not meet the expectation of God. Sadly, the people of Jesus' time engaged in a lot of ceremonial rituals but these rituals had lost their meaning as they were done out of habit and out of obedience to the Law, not obedience to God. In addition, the practitioners and promoters of the law placed themselves in the position that they were SEEN as doing the will of God even though their hearts were centered on more selfish things. This is the way with the current generation. Going to church, giving money, the grand show of the faith, etc. All of these are fine if they are done in the spirit and mindful of the fact that these actions are for God. Just as was said in Romans that we should respect the different practices of different people we must also not dwell on our own public practices as the way in which we raise ourselves above others. I think of playing Christian music and often I am caught up in the idea of me being the star of the show. This is not the way it should be with music! Jesus and God must be the star of the show! They must be the focus of the energy of the audience otherwise it is not as God intended in terms of music being made to worship him. But this is my own battle as was the battle that the people of Jesus' time faced when such public demonstrations of faith were looked upon with favor but could be empty shells of self-egrandization.
Jesus them moves to say to his disciples that ALL foods are clean. He says that food simply passes to the stomach and then out of the person...it does not move to his heart. So by this we are not restricted in our food as were the folks of the Old Testament times. Jesus simply states that the actions and words of a person are what make him unclean. These come out of our hearts. We will be known by our fruits, including bad fruit, regardless of what has nourished us as a tree to begin with. Jesus lists them:
All of these come out of man and make him unclean. In the next section we see a Gentile woman whose daughter was possessed by a demon, come to Jesus to ask him to heal her daughter. Jesus sees that this woman is a Gentile and says that it is not right that the food meant for the children of God be thrown to the Dogs. I have always had trouble with this particular statement! It seems in saying this that Jesus is saying that the gifts he has to bring to this world are not for Gentiles but for the Jews alone, or that the Jews must eat FIRST. This said, the faith of the women, and the knowledge of her position, opens the blessings that Jesus brings to all people. Are we Gentiles supposed to view ourselves as did the woman? Are we to view ourselves as getting the crumbs of blessing that fall off the table of the Jews (God's Children)? For me, this brings about some anger and frustration, but are these feelings based more on my arrogance and my need to be at least equal, if not above, my peers? Can the modern Gentile population deface itself enough to receive the crumbs that fall from the Jewish table? Consider the ways in which people make themselves unclean that were listed by Jesus. Envy and Arrogance could be terms used to describe how I might feel having to settle for the crumbs that fall from the table. It is these things that make us unclean. Regardless of our position within God's kingdom are we not all his subjects? Do we not all benefit from his grace and gifts. The rain falls on the just and the unjust, the sun shines on all of us...we all are blessed by his creation and by Jesus. We should rejoice in simply finding ourselves in his presence. Chapter 8 When Jesus again feeds thousands who have come to hear him speak with a few loaves he reveals his power on the Earth again, but he also reveals in his words a role of the responsibility and compassion in his church. Jesus is in this story, not moved by his disciples call to him to deal with the multitude who are hungry, he sees their hunger. So should we see the hunger in those we begin to work with. We cannot lead people to such a wonderful source of (spiritual) nourishment and then leave them on the road to starve and collapse on the way home. Jesus says that "some of them have come a long distance" (v. 3), and so have many we will come across...many have come a long distance in terms of their spiritual growth, but they have a long journey to home where their spiritual strength may not sustain them. Even in light of all these signs, the Pharisees approach Jesus and ask for a sign...he says that this generation will not see one. I believe this speaks to us in this generation as well. Those who seek a sign are looking for some sort of proof. This misses the point and ignores the apparent proof that is all around us. The creation is the proof that a wonderful architect was and is at work in the universe. Yet, even in the face of this wonderful creation we still ask for more, something for our own eyes, something that will convince us. Where is faith? Instead of asking for a sign, should we turn our energies to ask for grace? Why don't we? I think we may find it difficult to ask for grace because of our sinful nature and our current sin. When we are deeply aware of our evil ways and our sin it is difficult for us to look God in the face and ask for his gifts. We are guilty, we slither away and distance us from our parent! We know that he knows our hearts and the darkness in them so why ask for favors. We know where that conversation is going to go. So we may get prideful and ask for a sign, put God in his place, set him on edge and, for a moment, feel the power that a child feels when he talks back to his parents. But this does not last long. Soon that too is added to our guilt and our sin. God will not grant us some sign of his power as WE would like to see it, just as a parent will not show power to their children for the same of their childrens' curiosity...he will, however, show his power by seeing through our lies and by calling us into account for them if we approach him. The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod In this story we see a bit of Jesus' frustration with those around him who are not seeing the messages in what he is doing. The group was again a bit low on food and to show a point, Jesus bids them to beware of the "yeast" of the Pharisees and Herod. Even in the eve of the two miracles about having enough food and of having God provide for us, we still see the followers of Jesus missing the point. They lack the faith that God will provide for them and they miss the point about what Jesus is saying about the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod. The yeast that he speaks of is the teaching that they profess. Teaching works sort of like yeast. We spread it through our students much the way yeast is rolled into the dough of new bread (lots of kneading and beating into!). Once inside though, the bacteria in the yeast begins to grow and fill the bread. If the yeast is good, as is good teaching, it will fill the person with good things, if the teaching is bad, as with the Pharisees and Herod, then the person will fill with bad things. What we fill ourselves with will be what we are known by, it will flavor our bread, it will become most of our substance. Just as the result of yeast in bread becomes most of what bread is known for. The Blind Man at Bethsaida I find this passage interesting. Jesus heals the blind man. This is much as is Jesus' entire ministry...to help us see (Let those who have eyes, see...). But the process by which he heals the man is interesting. He spits on his eyes and lays hands on him. With this the man is able to see people that "look like trees walking around" (v. 24), Jesus places his hands on the man's eyes again and his sight is fully restored. Now it might be, as is mentioned in the commentary of my Bible, that the man often walked around and bumped into many trees and would thus have an understanding of trees. But would he not also have an understanding of people and how they moved? Why is it that Jesus, in this case, had to lay his hands twice on the individual in order for him to see? Why was the miracle described in this way? Previous healings were one shot deals...Jesus commands the person to be healed and he or she is healed. In this instance, it takes two efforts from Jesus. What was going on? What condition would leave a blind man "somewhat" still blind after the first healing, thus needing a second healing to restore his sight fully? Let's consider for a while the experince of a blind person as a person who has walked all their life in sin. Those who spend their life in sin see the world in a particular manner. They have learned to interact and succeed in the world as a sinner just as those who are blind learn to navigate and get around in a world in which they do not see. Jesus comes into our lives and restores our "vision" (in some cases literally as in the blind man, but in most cases he simply opens our spiritual eyes). We look around and things are not as we thought they were, but we have difficult still in comprehending what is going on around us. We see the world as God's creation but yet we still do not know how to navigate in this world as our old self of being in the world is not yet healed. Jesus' second healing of the Blind man at Bethsaida healed the man's PERCEPTIONS and MIND of the world. Jesus first helps us see, then he helps us understand what we are seeing by healing our minds and our perceptions of the world. It is not enough that we can see what God wants us to see, we need to change the way in which we operate and understand the world. Who Jesus Is... At this point it seems that some of the disciples are beginning to see who Jesus is...Peter, namely, proclaims that Jesus is the Christ. Now, Jesus is cautious about this term and the notes in my Bible refer to the point that Jesus does not refer to this title himself. This is a highly political and nationalistic title...the Jewish people were waiting for a political "savior" that would restore the power of the Jewish people on Earth. They did not understand that the "savior" was to be a spiritual savior and that the seasons of power among nations of the Earth were not consequential in light of the saving of souls for an eternity...the true message and mission of Jesus. Public pronouncement of Jesus as the Savior may have been a political flashpoint and may have hastened the plan that God had regarding Jesus and his political enemies. Jesus does begin to teach that he will suffer and die...he begins to see the rumblings of his surroundings and Jesus well knows the hearts of those he is confronting with his actions and how desperate they are to hold on to power. He also understands his mission on a spiritual level, that this is the way he is to "die" for our sins so that we can face God without sin. Jesus tells his followers that the time has come for those who will stand with him and face the pain that this generation will give them if they choose to follow him. But what is the good of gaining the world if you lose your soul? This is what Jesus asks of this generation...it is a question and a warning! If we are to pursue the things of this world we will surely lose our soul in the greater battle that is going on. But we must deny ourselves, we must "lose our lives" to Christ, and we must not be ashamed of having him in our lives. This is the path to saving our souls. Chapter 9 In this chapter Jesus goes up into the mountains with Peter, James, and John. He is transfigured in front of them and Moses and Elijah appear with him. I believe that Jesus is getting comfort from his "peers" at this point, or possibly from Angels. I'm not clear why the writer knows that it is Moses or Elijah that appear unless they are told so and it does not appear in the text. But Jesus, as he may appear again, appears to them in bright white. This is a mark of his holiness and mission. He is the white lamb that is going to the sacrifice for all of humanity. When this is all done, Jesus tells them to not tell anyone, and for the first time, they seem to heed his words. Though they seem distressed and wondering about what Jesus meant by "until the Son of Man has risen from the dead". I think they still saw Jesus as a leader who was not nearing the end of his mission. They, as Jews, knew that he was the Messiah, so they likely concluded that they were part of a great social action (which they were, but not the kind that they expected). Overcoming Unbelief Now we are told of a boy who apparently is possessed by a spirit (epilepsy). There are some great lessons in this particular section. Jesus approaches the father of the boy who asks him to heal his son. As soon as Jesus approaches the son goes into a seizure. Asking the father how long he has been that way he is told that it has been since birth. The apostles were not able to dispatch the spirit this time. The father says "If you can do anything..." Jesus notes this and teaches us that there is no IF when working with God. We are called on to have faith that God can do anything for us. However, the father presents that he may not have enough faith so he ASKS for it!!! So often we may be lead to believe that we have to have faith by EFFORT and this is simply not the case. Here the father asks Jesus for help by saying "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (v. 24) We are to call on God and ask him for help with our unbelief. Interestingly Jesus continually says that we are healed by our belief, here we see that our belief can be bolstered by God in order for him to answer our prayer! Jesus commands the spirit to leave and it does, leaving the boy looking as though he were dead. The disciples ask him why they could not heal the boy and Jesus responds with "This kind can come out only with prayer" (v. 29) The notes refer to this comment as being that the disciples may have forgot that their power comes from Jesus/God and that they need to remember to pray...however, it may also mean that there are conditions that we may encounter that require the direct intervention of God rather than the application of the healing powers that God has given us. Some conditions may simply not be the world of medicine or healings as we know them today...those particular conditions need to be healed by God and we need to connect with God through prayer. Jesus is now focused on teaching the leaders of his new Church, his disciples. He tells them straight out that he is going to be betrayed, killed, and will rise again, but they likely did not really understand what he meant. The Humble Life However, it might be that they (the disciples) thought that Jesus might be leaving them and they may have been wondering who was going to take over leadership of the group. Jesus confronts them in this argument and they are mute about it. Jesus, knowing their hearts, tells them that those who wish to be first must be last, and must be the servant of all. As we contemplate our own life in God's plan do we often want to be first? To stand out? To be noticed by God? I believe it is natural for us to do so, but this we must fight all the time. One of the greatest aspects of discipleship is humility. Next to God what are we? Nothing! If he is infinite then we are infinitely small. Our egos and our desires to be first must be set aside. We need humility and the desire to serve others, if not to serve everyone. Along this line the disciples ask about stopping those around who are seemingly working for God, but are not a part of the group. Jesus rebukes them and says that they should not stop the person from doing the work. This is telling in terms of the humbleness that must be associated with being a part of the Church. Even though we may come across individuals who are not part of the Church, but they are doing good work, it is simply the way of God working in them and through them. That individual should be left to do what they feel they must do even though they may not be part of the official group. It is egotistical for us to feel that the body of the Church is filled only with those who follow the current expectations of being part of a church (attending church, upright life, etc) Hidden among us are many who are fulfilling the will of God simply being being themselves and doing good works. They ARE a part of the Church, even if they do not know it. If anyone even helps us Christians in our mission, even if they are not believers themselves, will be rewarded. Even more so because it is likely that their help is not based on some command from God to do well onto others, to treat others as they would treat you, or even under some possible threat of punishment...no, their good is done out of their hearts for no other reason. So should our good deeds proceed from us! Should it be that we do what we do to be in line with God's word because that is simply what we are commanded to do? Because we want to be obedient? Yes, obedience is a sound decision, and when it comes to a difficult choice in our lives where we are led one way and then another, we should turn to obedience and do the thing that God commands. Better yet, though, is the person who acting on their simple will, fulfills the plan of God (as we all do). This person is not acting out of some command, but out of the presence of God in their hearts. This is part of the humble life as well. We have to recognize we are not carriers of the law to use as a hammer on the heads of unbelievers, but it is through our actions in our life that we show that the word of God is alive in us. Good deeds and good fruit should spring from us naturally...really, does a fruit tree need to TRY to produce their fruit, or does a good tree produce fruit simply by it's nature? Our Inner Selves Cause us to Sin Jesus asks us to consider that which is in us that leads us to sin. Note here that Jesus makes no mention of Satan. HE is simply the deceiver, he is the one of this Earth who leads us to believe that we are like God, that we can do what we want at all times, etc. It is that which is in us and comes out (again like the lecture Jesus gave on eating unclean food) that causes us to sin. It is better for us to pluck it out of us. He also rebukes those who lead others to sin..."better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck" (v. 42). Do we lead others to sin? Even through our inaction...? Our invitations to sin together with others? We must stand above this and be leaders in our lives and not allow or lead others to sin. We are all Salted As believers we are all salted...we are equally seasoned to do the work that God has appointed to us. As salted followers we are equal with none having a position above the other in the eye of God (even though there may be a hierarchy among people and there may be differences in terms of roles and positions in human organizations). We are commanded to be at peace with one another. Though we may differ in our understanding, closeness, faith, and actions we are all salted. We are equal in this way. (I do believe this is also true of non-believers...see earlier where we are told that all those who help us will also receive their reward) Chapter 10 Jesus provides some guidance at this point on the issue of divorce. This is in the wake of the beheading of John the Baptist, who was imprisoned for his speaking out against the sinful marriage of Herod, so this kind of public accusation was probably pretty dangerous. Jesus Rebukes the Old Law This is one of the places where it seems so clear that Jesus did not always come to "fulfill" the law. Here he commands that the divorce agreement put forth by a man to a woman was given by Moses because the hearts of the people were hard. Jesus rebukes the law and states that this is not enough. Let not man separate what God has joined. (In Mat. 19:9 he adds "except in unfaithfulness") God can separate a man from a woman though. I cannot imagine that God would want us to be long suffering in a marriage where either partner is not willing to be a partner in the marriage. But how do we know when God is choosing to separate a man from a woman? It is certainly, according to Jesus, not up to us...unless there is infidelity involved. I believe we have to pray that God moves the individuals and situations around us such that there is an opportunity to escape from this sort of situation. But if someone, for instance, is being beaten by their spouse, how long should they wait for God to move the circumstances? Maybe that is when prayer is most important (of course)! Let the person who is in such circumstances pray for strength and pray for assistance in recognizing when the right time to go is. Certainly individuals in these situations have wanted to go but for one reason or another have felt that the chosen time was not quite right. Maybe this is the way that God moves in their lives, working to create the situations that would make a move successful. Again, the key is to be in touch with God during this process. How to Get Into Heaven Jesus is now surrounded by small children and is approached by the "rich man". These two examples are all about how to be a "Child of God". In both circumstances Jesus is looking to the innocence of the children and the corruption of "wealth" (meaning all sorts of wealth, including the wealth of gifts).
"like a little child" refers to the innocent, accepting ways of small children. Small children look to their parents as supreme powers in their universe as we must look to God as such a power. They are also accepting of face validity in terms of the truths that come from the parents...as we should be with the truths that come from God. Simple as that. Regarding the rich man...this is not so much about how much money someone has, but more about the "riches" that we store on Earth. Seeing this the issue is quickly addressed with the simple fact that there is NO effort that a man can make that will EARN him the Kingdom...that is the REAL point... Just as with small children, it is the faith in the power of God that is most important in gaining salvation. It is easier to put a camel through the eye of a needle, right! This would be an impossibility for humans, but not for God. By telling the rich man to sell all he had and follow him he is telling us that we are not to have our hearts in the things of this Earth, but to separate ourselves from them, if not literally then at least in our hearts, and follow him. Depend on God for salvation and the keys to his Kingdom. Jesus is in Trouble Just as Jesus' family saw him as "out of his mind" so did the disciples and his followers see that he was heading for trouble and were astonished and afraid that he insisted on going to Jerusalem. Out in the other towns and wilderness it is likely that Jesus could have got along just fine. Now he was heading into the "lion's den" where he had certainly developed enemies. Jesus telling them of what will happen to him then must have been taken rather badly. They must have been wondering why Jesus would want to go there if he was so sure that he was going to die if he did. This must have seemed crazy. We approach the key aspect of the presence of God on Earth...as James and John request for special position in Jesus' Kingdom we are told the ultimate truth...we are to be servants if we are to be first in the Kingdom. Jesus came to Earth (this time) not as a leader, but as a servant. If we are to follow Jesus' life we are to live a live in service to others. This really is the key to understanding our imitation of Christ in our own lives. That we are to give of ourselves. As we sacrifice God will see to it tat we are taken care of...God will see to our reward...and we are to trust in that. The last story in this Chapter has Jesus healing a blind man...yet this is a fitting point to this story. It is this "blind faith" that is such a part of our relationship with God. The blind man (Bartimaeus) simply yells out to God (Jesus) and asks for his sight, asks to see. As we lead our lives as servants to the this world we must simply shout out to the Lord our requests...to his plan he will certainly grant them. Chapter 11 Jesus enters Jerusalem on the back of a donkey...he is welcomed into the city like a king by many. I'm certain that this upset those in the establishment a great deal. His first deeds in Jerusalem included clearing out the people who were trading in the Temple. The traders were in the "Court of the Gentiles" where even Gentiles could go to pray. This can be somewhat interpreted as Jesus' support for the Gentiles need to worship God in a holy place as well. He states that God wishes that "his house will be called a house of prayer for all nations", including the Gentiles. Part of the wrong doings of the Jewish people of the day were to use the Gentile worship place as a place of commerce thus not being true to the statement that the house of God will be known as a house of prayer for all nations. The cleansing of the Temple is nestled between the two accounts of the Fig Tree. Jesus curses the tree for not bearing fruit even though it was with leaves and should have had fruit. Is this an example of the type of judgment we look to? We must do more than simply LOOK like we can bear fruit, we must truly bear the fruit. Jesus however, when asked by the disciples as to the tree, focuses on the power of prayer. It may be that , in truth, Jesus was not making a point about the way judgment may come to us if we do not bear fruit, but was emphasizing the power of prayer and faith. He says we can move mountains with prayer and faith. Jesus' Authority The Pharisees question Jesus authority since he had such influence on the people and spoke of teachings that were profound and spoken with confidence. He challenges them to qualify to what degree the baptisms of John the Baptist were of God and to what degree were they of man. They could not answer, finding themselves bound by their concern for the opinions of others rather than the opinion of God. Jesus then tells them that he will not tell them where his authority comes from. I unspent he could see into their hearts and knew of their desire to kill him and to trap him into blasphemy. Chapter 12 Jesus tells of the tenants on the land of the wine grower. Eager to receive the inheritance of the land the tenants kill the messengers (and finally, the son of the land owner) in hopes of leaving no heir for the land and claiming it as theirs. This was clearly an accusation of the people of God. God has given care of the Earth to his people (possibly to all people, as this speaks to the Gentiles as well), and has sent messengers for an accounting as to what they have done with the Earth, the gift he has given them. We have rejected, beaten, and killed who he has sent. We have called them crazy and have done away with them. He is also predicting his own doom on Earth by saying that the master has sent his Son, Christ, who will be killed. In the end, however, the master of the land, God, will return and kill those who have killed those he sent. He will give the land to others. Could this be a condemnation of the people of Israel? Could it be that God will take their inheritance and give it to others? Worldly Responsibilities This is a great section of the Bible that puts into perspective, in specific terms, part of our role here on Earth. Hoping to trip him up, Jesus is asked if the people should pay taxes to Caesar. There is unrest in this part of the world and the oppression of Rome is felt by many. If they could trap Jesus as a conspirator against Rome the leaders could surely lead him to his death. Jesus answer, short and to the point, teaches us so much about our responsibilities on Earth. As we are stewards of our lives in the material world we are to give to that material what belongs to it.
The Earth, the economy, our jobs, etc...these are all parts of this world to which we must attend. To give to this world what belongs to this world. The irony is that this world also belongs to God. In our stewardship of this life and world we are to give honor to our jobs and responsibilities in this world as these are our commands by the gifts that God has given to us. To God we give our love (this belongs to God, in fact, it is God), our faith, our souls. Marriage after the Resurrection Jesus gives us a hint as to the life we will have after the resurrection. We will be like the Angels. It is for speculation as to what this may be like...but certainly we are spiritual beings, powerful on Earth, living in Heaven. The relationships that we have forged on Earth will no longer have the same meaning. I wonder if they will have any meaning at all? It seems sad, but likely it will not be. We will be basking in the relationship with God and with our fellow Angels. Certainly the power of our Earthly relationships cannot compare to this. But I wonder still if we will know our friends and family and have a special relationship with them? The Great Commands Here we are told the greatest commands from God...to love God with all our hearts, our minds, all our souls, and all our strenght...then to love our neighbor as we would love ourselves. These are Number 1 and Number 2 in the commands and supercede all other commandments. If we fail in these we are doomed. What is it to love God in this way? Hearth, Mind, Strength, and Soul Heart...our heart is our emotional world. Our feelings should always be centered around God. We should strive to focus these feelings on the desires of God. When we are happy we are happy with God, when we are sad we are sad with God...all of these emotions are gifts of God in the experience of being human...we should rejoice in them with God. Mind...this is the center of our thinking. Our rational self. This is a gift as well. God did not create us with such brains in order that we can blindly follow his laws. In fact, Jesus tells us that blindly following the law is not what God wants. He wants us to strive to think, rationalize, and lead our lives with the mind of God. We are to give ourselves over to the type of thinking and conceptions and perceptions that God has...in this we will find "Peace of Mind". It is not that we are to be stupid or like sheep (though we are referred to as the flock a number of time!). Our thoughts and understandings must strive to be like the thoughts and understandings of God. Strength...in this I believe we are to focus our bodies on God's will. He gives our bodies life an strength so we can carry out his will on Earth. We are incarnate, our souls inhabit human bodies to fulfill his plan. Soul...our soul is the interplay between the mind, the heart, and our body. We think of our emotions and we experience our thinking, but the soul is the "I", the "me" in the experience of my humanity. I must be in tune with God. My existence must be first focused on the desires of God. It is the soul that is connected to God, it is what belongs most closely to God and it is the part we must always focus on him. Considering that it is the lived experience of the interplay between the other three, it is really all of what we are. Loving Others as Ourselves The second command, to love your neighbor as yourself, is to become caregivers of others' souls as well...whenever we are called upon to do so. How is it that God wishes us to love ourselves such that it can be a model for how we are to love others? There is a secret here worth looking for. Jesus very much understood the human condition of self love, but her surely did not mean any sort of narcissism. Let's speculate that to love ourselves is to place ourselves in good position with God...to follow the first commandment! This is sort of like the joke that says that the first law of management is that the management is always right. When the management is wrong, see rule #1 So it seems with God. In what ways to we act to bring our hearts, mind, strength, and soul to bear on God? In these ways we must interact with others. To truly love someone is to lead them so that their hearts, minds, strengths, and souls seek God. We most love ourselves when we do this so if we are to love others as ourselves it is to this end we focus our efforts. Status and Power The next teachings of Jesus point out the behavior of the teachers of the law and the example of self-giving that is present in the widow. In both these stories Jesus points out that the heart is what is the most important aspect of giving to the Lord. The teachers of the law enjoy their status in the community among men, but that is their reward. If their hearts are dark and they enjoy the status as a right they have earned by their own accord then their hearts are not in line with God. It may be that individuals will enjoy gifts from God through others, including status and esteem from others, but always these should be directed to God. (Just as we are commanded that all of our hearts and minds must be focused on God, so we must deal with the esteem that others give us.) If God wishes us to be in high esteem with others it is part of HIS plan, not the result of our cleverness. In the story of the widow who puts into the treasury so little money we see again that God looks into the heart of the giver, not at what has been given. There is no matter as to how much we give or how often we give, considering that we are giving to God what is already his (see the Caesar topic above) and certainly considering that God does not NEED our gifts, he simply wants our hearts to be true in giving. All through the message that Jesus gives us the focus is on our hearts, minds, strengths, and souls...the first commandment. This is the great teaching of Jesus. Chapter 13 How Will it be at the End of this Age In this chapter Jesus provides for us a vision of what to expect at the end of the age. The disciples are amazed, as we all are, of the achievement of inspired men. They gaze upon the great buildings in Jerusalem and are astonished. But Jesus reminds them that all these things will come to an end. He may have seen the upcoming destruction of the Temple or he may be talking about the end of the age...either way...all will eventually pass. Jesus then goes on to tell us what to expect. Many will come in Jesus' name and perform miracles...these are to deceive the elect and to lead them away from God. Wars, nation against nation, brother against brother, parents against their children..."These are all the beginnings of the birth pains" (v. 8) Jesus predicts the "abomination" which will stand where it does not belong. This is a reference to Daniel where there are supposed to be three desecrations of the Temple in Jerusalem. Once where an alter to Zeus was placed in the Temple, the Roman destruction of the Temple, and the setting of the image of the Antichrist in the Temple. The main theme is for us to be on guard at all times because we do not know when the time is to come. We are to be doing our duties such as Jesus dictates in his story of the servants left to guard the master's house...they do not know when the master is returning so they should stay on duty lest the master arrive and find them sleeping.
It seems there will be a dark time...a time where the air on Earth will not be clear because the sun will be darkened and the moon will not show it's light. With our environmental problems as they are this might already be true. In Jesus' day the sky was much more clear than it is today and the sun shone brighter and so did the moon. Stars falling from the sky? Meteors, satellites falling, weapons from outer space? Hard to tell on this one. Creation is being undone. According to the notes, this was a common reference in the OT...the undoing of creation at the end of the age. It is at this time, however, that we will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud. He will gather his elect "from the four winds" (v. 26). This is possible a reference to the Rapture. In v. 28, Jesus refers to learning from the example of the Fig Tree...by this Jesus means that the Son of Man will arrive upon the scene and will approach you, who are in bloom and on the eve of summer, and will wish to see your fruit. Be prepared to have the fruit ready for your master, or the master will curse you. This supports the idea of being prepared for the coming of Jesus at the end of this age. We should be ready to bare fruit when we see all these things happening around us in the world and we know that the time is close. Jesus tells us that no one knows the hour of the end. We will be given signs, but it is not our place to predict the future course of events. The idea is that we are ALWAYS on guard....that we are fulfilling the duty that God put us on Earth to do, not for the risk of being caught unawares at the end of the age, but to simply be obedient to God. The servant does not only wish to serve in order to avoid the wrath of the Master, but wishes to serve to please the Master. Chapter 14 This chapter has to do with the annointing of Jesus, the Passover "Last Supper", the arrest of Jesus, and his trial where he is found worthy of death for saying that he is the Christ. Jesus and the Alabaster Jar Here we see mention of Mary and the Alabastar jar which is broken over Jesus' head as he is prepared for burial. Jesus states that the poor, who could have benefited from the cost of the perfume, would always be with us, but he, Jesus, would not. Now this is an interesting story as I do believe that this is seen as the the Mary who some claim may have been the wife or partner or Jesus. The breaking of the Alabaster jar may symbolize thier union together and the consecration of Jesus' body in marriage. For some reason I don't see why this would be a problem from a theological point of view. Jesus was the human incarnation of God and his body functioned like any other body. He ate, slept, urinated, etc. His body could certainly produce a child in a woman. Why would this not be OK if he were God? It seems that since the human existance is a joining of the physical body with a spirtual soul there should be no problem that the soul that would enter the child of Jesus would not necessarily be any more holy than anyone else. The bloodline of David may be important for implications that are more human than spiritual. I see no reason why Jesus may not have been married, made love to his wife (both of passion and symbolically), and produced a child. The Last Supper Jesus' desciples ask him about preparations for the Passover and he tells them to go to town, follow a man carrying a jar, and inquire into the house for the upper room. Jesus is now well aware of the events that are about to unfold to the last detail of this preparation. The notes in the Bible indicate that it would be rare to see a man carrying a jar as this was considered "woman's work"...this could simply be a way to point out the individual among the crowds. What happens in the upper room seems to be of great importance. Jesus celebrates the Passover meal as his last meal on Earth. He talks of his death, that one among them will betray him, and then they symbolically eat the bread and drink from the cup so that they form a pact. They are now connected having ate of the body and drank of the blood. By remembering the rituals of the last supper we take into ourselves part of the body and blood of Christ. He becomes incorporated into our very being and we are a part of his as much as he is a part of us. We also share a bit in the guilt of all humanitiy in regard to our collective betrayal of Jesus. We celebrate, in addition the incorporation of his body and blood into ours, but also our responsibility for his death. At the supper Jesus predicts the betrayor and that Peter will deny him three times. Jesus Prays at Gethsemane At a beautiful garden Jesus steps away from his companions and pleas with God to let this cup pass from him. I can imagine that Jesus was afraid, that he knew he would miss his friends and companions, that he felt there was so much more that he could do (after all, he had only been preaching for about 3 years!). But in the end, Jesus says that it is to be God's will not his. This teaches us much about the cups we are given in life and the way in which we deal with them. Jesus himself asked that the cup be taken away! But he also says the obvious and asks for it and concedes to it...that all is God's will, not his own. As we encounter troubles and "cups" in our lives we are OK in asking God to take the cup from us...but the cup may be part of God's overall plan for you (and for others) so his will must prevail. We submit to his will not by "not" asking to be delivered but by acknowledging that God is in charge. Asleep as Jesus Prays When he returns from his prayer he finds his friends asleep. Jesus does this three times. He has compassion on them though by stating that the "spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (v. 37). Are we to be asleep when Jesus comes to us? What does it mean that the spirit is willing but the body is weak? As followers of Jesus we are his companions as he prays to the Father for us and our salvation. We wish to do as he has done, but we have weak bodies and although we WANT to do as Jesus commands, we seem to, and are doomed to fail in our watch over Jesus. Yet, despite this, Jesus has compassion...even though he knew the watch was necessary to keep him safe while he prayed (Jesus knew he was in deep trouble now), he still felt compassion for them. What is our role in this story? We are the companions of Jesus, still on this Earth. We are to guard his memory and his word and be awake to the attacks. Our spirit wills this but we know that our bodies are weak and that we give into the temptation of sleep and sin and are unable to guard Jesus in this world today. He is then betrayed from within the ranks and turned over to be tried as a criminal. Jesus is Arrested I remember reading once that there was speculation that Judas was actually a Zionist in that he was very much a revolutionary (Judas Iscariot meaning "Judas the Zealot"). His betrayal of Jesus may have been an attempt to push Jesus to act in the interests of the people of the day against their oppressors (Rome). It is unlikely that Judas had money or personal gain in mind when he did so, as evidenced by his reactions after Jesus was put to death. Jesus wonders at the crowd who have come to arrest him. Why then, he asks, when he has been in their presence in the synagog all this time? He wonders at the weapons they are carrying and asks if they think he is leading a rebellion. Indeed he was, but not the kind of rebellion that must be defended against with weapons! There is an interesting note at the end of the arrest scene in Mark. A young man who was dressed only in a linen garment fled the scene and left the garment, naked. I wonder why Mark chose to include this particular scene in the story. There is no other mention of it in any of the other books that cover Jesus' arrrest. There is a note that the individual may have been wealthy due to the linen cloth that he was wearing...but why drop the cloth and run away naked? There is also a note that he may have had no undergarment because he had quickly got dressed to follow Jesus. Before the Senhedran Jesus is brought before the Senhedran, the court of Jewish law. Although many spoke against him there was no evidence against him that was consistent. Jesus was not found guilty on any account of the law, Jesus was arrested for saying that he is the Christ. Jesus will always be brought to trial within our hearts. The trials that Jesus goes through prior to his crucifixion are the same trials that the Jewish people (the Senhedran) and the Gentiles (before Pilate and Herod). Before the Senhedran many present false witness against him but they did not agree with one another. Many stories would be told about Jesus among the Jews but none would agree. Finally, Jesus tells them that he is the Christ and they deny him. This is the sin of the Jews...that they would ultimately turn away the Messiah they had been waiting for. Peter's Denial Here we see our weakness. The portrayal of Peter's denial of Jesus mirrors our own denial of knowing Jesus when he is under trial by others. When people are attacking Jesus with false testemony and denying his Christ-ness we are the often compelled to deny that we know him! If we declare that we know him we come under the same attack as he does! When all is well and we are among other believers we are much more comfortable to claim association with Jesus as we can then gain from this association and the praise that accompanies it. The story, however, warns of our tendancy to move away from Jesus when he is being condemned. Failing Three Times There seems to be some parallels between the three times that the "watch" fell asleep in Gethsemane and the three times that Peter denies he knows Jesus. Is this our trial? Do we fail in this manner when it comes to Jesus? The repetition of the theme of three failures seems to emphasize the point rather than determine our own trials. We will fail to keep watch over the word and person of Jesus and we will fail to acknowledge him when he is under trial for fear of association with him. Chapter 15 Jesus is brought before Pilate and admits that he is the King of the Jews...he does not, however, answer to the other charges that were put forth by the priests. Pilate realizes that this is done out of envy and sees nothing wrong with Jesus. The crowd is stirred to have him release Barabbus, one who was part of the insurrection. It is interesting to consider the role and destiny of the people of the time who demanded that Jesus be crucified. Even more so that he had not committed, as far as the text is concerned, any Roman law (other than claiming himself to be King of the Jews, where Caesar was considered King. Mark speaks of the "insurrection" as being widely known (a member of the group was Barabbus). The group was likely the Zealots, of which Judas may have been a member. It is likely that the people were still stirred to witness a military action by thier Massiah, not knowing that the war that is to be waged by him was not of THIS world, but of the next...the war over death. There is passing note about a traveler named Cyrus who was the father of Alexander and Rufus. It is likely by this reference that the readers would know of these two sons. The father was pressed into service to carry the cross beam for Jesus as he was led to be crucified. What does this mean to us as readers...that we may be pressed into service to God as a way for God to carry out his will? This is how it may be with us...we may be, at some times, called to serve in such ways that may be humiliating and not of our choice...but we serve anyway. The Death of Jesus The death of Jesus reveals the agony associated with his suffering. He calls out to God and is sincerely worried that he has been abandoned by God. We can feel these times as well...in the deepest part of our suffering we call out to God and wonder where he is. Jesus is delivered from his suffering and he dies. There is note of the women who were watching from a distance...the women associated with Jesus' ministry and the women from his family. These women followed (Jesus) and "cared for his needs". When Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus' body, Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died so quickly. Individuals subject to crucifixion would often be hanging on the cross for days at a time. This indicates that God did actually hear his prayer and deliver him from suffering. The centurion noted how Jesus had died earlier and was called to believe that he was the son of God. How did Jesus actually die? Did he will himself to die? Did he command that his body fail and end the mortal suffering? There might even be some doubt as to if Jesus actually died...since he was on the cross for such a short time. However, Pilate called in the centurion who confirmed that Jesus had died. Joseph had Jesus buried. The Resurrection The Marys go to Jesus tomb and find the stone rolled away and a young man sitting inside who informs them that Jesus has risen. They are shocked and do not believe him...nor do many of the disciples who heard about his rising. For the amount of space in this book that Mark spends talking about the teaching of Jesus, he spends very little time talking about the resurrection. Jesus appears to them and admonishes them for their lack of faith. Here he gives the great commission to go out and preach the good news. Those who are saved and baptized will reveal signs that you would know them...they will drive out demons, speak in new tongues, pick up snakes with their hands, they will drink deadly poison and it will not hurt them, and they will place thier hands on the the sick and they will get well. What is it that Jesus means by these signs? Driving out Demons: Believers will be able to drive away evil spirits both from themselves and others. How does this manifest in our lives today...do we drive evil away from us? Speak in New Tongues: Now this one is a favorite of those from a Pentacostal background! But what does Jesus speak of when he says that we will speak in new tongues? Does it mean that we will "speak in tongues" that are unknown to us, or does it mean that we will speak in a MANNER that is unknown to us? That we will speak differently, that we will be converted. Pick up Snakes with their Hands: To this we can refer that we will contend with evil directly. We will touch it and deal with it. Drink Deadly Poison: Even though there is no literal reference to drinking poison this may alude to the fact that we will be strengthed to be surrounded by evil (the poison) to the degree that it infects us but it will not kill us (our soul). Healing the Sick: This may be more sraightforward. No only will we be casting out demons but we will heal the sick...the sick of body and heart (soul). These are the signs we should seek in our connection with other Christians.
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