Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: The scene comes out of nowhere, it seems. The leaders are plotting to kill Jesus, the Passover festival is swelling, and Jesus is hanging out with a leper. How can we begin to think that this is normal? The only routine that Jesus seems to have is no routine at all, except to say …
Read: Following the Olivet Discourse in chapter 13, John Mark begins the chapter by pointing out the fact that the leadership is actively looking for a way to eliminate Jesus, to kill Him. Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of …
Read: As I began to read this section, I simply had to stop and ponder what it must have been like to have a private discussion with Jesus: And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Four of the disciples had …
Read: As I began to process chapter 13, The Olivet Discourse, I simply had to stop and observe the first few verses through the eyes of the disciples, with a bent toward the current state of so many churches in this country. As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, …
Read: John Mark and Luke include this short narrative about giving offering for the temple, the massive enterprise, the centerpiece of Jewish culture at that time. It’s a brief look into life around the temple, but we have a few extra adjectives to describe the event that I found interesting: Jesus sat down opposite the …
Read: Once again, Jesus warns the people about the hypocrisy of the teachers of the law. Matthew devotes and entire chapter to the subject, while John Mark and Luke provide a very brief summary. As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes …
Continue reading “Mark: Warning Against the Teachers of the Law”
Read: Here’s a short passage that easily slips by on the Bible-in-a-year reading plan. I wonder if there are nuggets of wisdom for us to gain by slowing down and pondering why John Mark (along with and ) chose this seemingly simple lesson to include among many taught in Jerusalem during Jesus’s last days on …
Read: Love God. Love neighbors. Love yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Done. Publish. Not quite so fast. Not because I’m trying to add words to Jesus’s very clear answer here, but because I want to step into the shoes of the man who had the opportunity to ask one question of Jesus …
Read: The battle between church and state has raged for centuries. Today we are reminded of how we should approach this classic face-off as we read John Mark’s account of the interaction. Unholy Alliance In light of several things I’ve learned through this present study, here is another example of an alliance that is significant, …
Read: In this powerful parable, Jesus speaks directly at the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, the leaders of the religious right. The words are so pointed and accurate that the crowd understood implicitly. And since the crowd understood, the religious leaders were unable to act publicly. Their plot thickened. The Parable “A man planted …