Tag: pray

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Mark: Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit

Read: Mark 9:14-29

Before we get to the details about healing the boy, step back and imagine yourself being one of these people:

As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. Mark 9:15

Would you drop all pretense and run to see Jesus? By this point in Mark’s account, so many wonderful events have been recorded. Jew and Gentile, all around the region, people are hearing about the man that heals, preaches, feeds, and most of all, shows genuine compassion for people. Yes, I would run!

The Disciples Failed

If I were writing an account of my work, the last thing I’d want is to point out this incredible failure:

“…I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” Mark 9:18b

The disciples…ah yes…the stalwart leaders of our faith show their humanity once again and encourage us by not being perfect, by making mistakes, stumbling and faltering, but, hear this: they kept on trying. Their faith was weak compared to where it needed to be, but they never stopped pursuing Jesus. When Jesus rebuked them, they leaned into the words, even captured them in the Gospel records for us to appreciate. Come on Jesus, hit me again, make me stronger for the ministry you have planned for me. Holy Spirit, help me to hear the words and know you’re trying to make me better, more capable, one worthy of the family title I wear as a Christ follower.

Jesus takes control of the situation:

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:23

What do you mean by “if” I can? What do you mean by “if” you can? If this is about growing the kingdom of God, we are assured that the gates of Hell cannot stand, so let’s get beyond the if and begin to understand it’s when, not if.

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

The father in this story is moved completely. In my imagination, I see him fall to his knees completely unashamed, all illusion of pride gone from his heart as he considers his boy, his lifelong torture by an unseen enemy. For us, the unseen enemy is unbelief. I join him in his desire: help me overcome my unbelief!

Prayer

Do you pray often? I have an app that reminds me throughout the day, https://new.echoprayer.com/, to pray for certain people, events, churches, etc., throughout the day. It’s somewhat mechanical, but I know I need the reminders.

In this story, the disciples ask Jesus to explain why they were unsuccessful. Crazy isn’t it? The story ends with these two verses:

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Mark 9:28-29

I love the way Jesus demonstrates compassion for people, but even more how He loves His disciples enough to privately teach them, away from the crowds, noise and attention. Mark doesn’t give us the full transcript of the conversation, something I don’t appreciate in this context! What prayer? Do I lay on hands? Do I recite Isaiah? Tell me more…please!

Nope. Stand back and look. We’re not going to get a prescription for casting out demons from youth that cause boys to convulse, blah, blah, blah. What we are told is two simple truths: 1) the disciples lacked faith and 2) they were not praying.

Both of these are well within our grasp. To increase your faith, get around other believers, go to church and worship full-on, spend time with God by listening to His highlight reel called the Bible–do this daily, often and with sincerity. Pray without ceasing. Download the app if you’re like me, but by whatever means you need, get on your knees and pray. Richard Foster has a great book to help you appreciate all kinds of ways to prayer.

Yes, I’m so pleased for the father and for the boy in the story, they can now live their lives and tell the story with passion and excitement and I’m sure point people to Jesus better than I will ever be able to appreciate. I’m thankful for that lesson, but I’m thankful for the strong lesson on faith and prayer.

Lord strengthen our faith and teach us to pray.

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Mark: Jesus Predicts His Death

Read: Mark 8:31-33

Jesus begins to speak clearly about the suffering He must experience, the rejection from the leaders, and His crucifixion. Mark doesn’t provide a lot of details, just concise statements, but I suspect there were more details in the discussion between Jesus and the disciples, words that astonished them and shook them up.

Peter had had enough! His heart was already pounding as Jesus talked about the ridiculous leadership and their inability to understand that Jesus, the man from Nazareth, the one speaking to them in human flesh, was in fact The Messiah. Now Jesus begins to talk about the manner in which He would be killed.

Crucifixion, the public shaming and execution of people through slow, disgusting torture, was well known by this time. As a society, Rome ruled with great authority and we know the pax Romana (see article) prevailed. Peace, in this case, was maintained through brutal, swift judgment where the guilty were put on display as reminders of the ultimate authority of the Roman overlords.

Peter blew a gasket!

and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Mark 8:32

Peter, rebuking Jesus. I love his heart, his passion, his complete commitment to serve the Lord, but here, he has overstepped his calling and authority.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Mark 8:33

These powerful words are not to be taken lightly. As I let my mind wander into the scene, I imagine that Jesus’ words quieted event the chirping birds and crickets in the area. No sound followed the exclamation point. Total silence.

Pause.

Reflect.

Calm down.

With a word, Jesus could have dismissed the disciples, but he didn’t. Instead, quite remarkably, He draws them even closer. In my imagination, in the stillness of the night, they all shamefully, humbly, sit down around the feet of the Master as He speaks.

Jesus continues with a loving explanation to reset their perspective of the mission that lies before them. The concerns of God are far more important than these earthly thoughts.

I hope you have a quiet moment to ponder the seriousness of what we are called to do. I pray that I can remember the sensation I feel right now as I sit and type these words. I wish I could write a song, music to convey, words to remind us of this incredible interaction contained in three simple verses.

May God richly bless your day. Know that our battle is ultimately for God’s kingdom. Lean on each other for strength, but let us not forget our main mission.

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Mark: Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

Read: Mark 8:22-26

Mark includes this brief narrative about healing a blind man at Bethsaida. “Some people” brought the man to Jesus and begged Him to restore his sight. Mark doesn’t let us know if these people are family or friends, but obviously they knew Jesus could heal him, so they tracked him down.

As with the deaf and mute man from chapter 7, Jesus takes the man away from the people, in this case, outside the village.

Here’s the really odd thing about the story: Jesus has to apply spit on the man’s eyes twice. The first time didn’t quite work.

Obviously, Jesus could have healed him in one application (or at least it seems obvious), but for some reason the man was only able to see partially. After the second application of spit on the man’s eyes, all is well and Jesus once again tells the recipient of the miracle to keep it secret.

Why would John Mark include this particular story? Jesus, no doubt, healed lots of people, so it seems prudent to look for meaning beyond the incredible outcome. Here’s what the NIV Study Bible notes prompts us to consider:

This second laying on of hands is unique in Jesus’ healing ministry. It may symbolize that the disciples’ spiritual sight is gradually increasing.NIV Study Bible Notes

I like the concept because there are definitely times that I feel like I’m walking around just seeing blurry images of trees rather than clearly understanding what’s right in front of me. I find myself constantly praying for vision, for clarity, for direction in this ministry or in that application.

Proverbs 29:18 comes to mind. My memory of this scripture is simply, without vision people will perish, but when I looked at various translations, there is much to learn here. Take a look yourself and see what you think. It’s a bit of a rabbit-trail from this post, so I’ll leave that up to you.

Frequently, when I ask about praying for someone, their request is for clarity, for the ability to discern God’s direction for their lives.

Lord, help us to see clearly what lies ahead so we can be more effective in our ministry, that which you have called us to do for the advancement of Your kingdom.

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Mark: Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man

Read: Mark 7:31-37

Jesus continues to minister in the region, around the Decapolis, some 25 miles away, when some people brought a man who was deaf and mute to be healed. Their request is simple, “…they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.” In this case, Jesus is more interactive with the man.

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. Mark 7:33

In the previous event, the girl who was possessed by an evil spirit wasn’t even present, yet she was healed. In this case, the disciples must have been watching and taking notes:

  1. relocate subject: how far do we take him?
  2. fingers in ears: which fingers? how far? actually in the ear?
  3. spit: how much? just the tip of the tongue?
  4. pray: “Ephphatha!”

Got all that? File this under how to heal and someone who’s become deaf and mute later in life.

Was this confusing for the disciples as they try to learn from Jesus? What’s the difference between the two incidents? Why the physical interaction?

In this miraculous healing, the process seems to be telling us more than the miracle itself. Jesus accepts the man, he honors his friends for bringing him to be healed without argument. Taking him away from the crowd gives me an image of compassion; I believe Jesus was showing extreme kindness in this action. From this somewhat private place, Jesus touches the man, He even uses saliva to take the breach of personal space even farther.

All of this activity only takes a matter of seconds, a few minutes perhaps, but all leaves me in awe of a God who would step out of time and pay attention to one man, to one of us.

Isaiah foretells of the coming Messiah after many woes and proclamations of bad news:

…they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Isaiah 35:2,5

Oh yes, we will see the glory of the Lord and the splendor of our God in ways we can barely imagine.

Beyond amazed, the man can’t help but tell everyone about the miracle. His life is reset, no more shame for deafness, whatever caused that to happen. No more mumbling of words, now he proclaims the hands of the Messiah have touched even an ordinary man.

This same Jesus has touched us. Go and tell the world!

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Mark: The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

Read: Mark 7:24-30

In this passage, Mark tells us that Jesus has relocated to the vicinity of Tyre, the bustling metropolis of His time, about 30 miles from Capernaum — a significant distance to walk, to find some rest and perhaps focus on teaching His disciples. For perspective, our daughter and husband live about 21 miles from us in Easley, SC. In our modern world, it takes about 30 minutes to drive from our place to theirs. Google maps suggests this would take us between 7 and 8 hours to walk to her house. A full day’s journey.

Territories of Tyre and Sidon, NIV Study Bible, p. 1670

Jesus led his disciples far away, but His fame has followed them. Here in this Gentile area,

He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. Mark 7:24

Mark’s account of this story uses the term “Syrophoenician” to describe the woman who approaches Jesus. Matthew’s account refers to the Old Testament label of “Canaanite” (see: Matthew 15:21-28). The point is that she is not part of the Jewish family and herein lies the tension.

The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. Mark 7:26

Initially, Jesus’ response troubled me, in my attempt to be politically correct, He calls the woman a dog:

“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” Mark 7:27-29

The woman is not deterred and counters with a beautiful notion that even His crumbs are good enough and completely sufficient. Her faith has proven enough for her little daughter. Once again, Mark chooses to highlight those who were considered lower than the least, a woman and a even worse, a daughter of a woman that is not part of any Jewish tribe.

The term dogs gets my attention and it must have shocked the Jewish leaders of the day as well. How could Jesus interact with one of those people?

I’m offended because it’s completely unacceptable to refer to a group of people as dogs. Apparently, in those days, this was not so uncommon, yet it is certainly not an endearing term. But I think that IS the point. The Jews of the day were indeed the chosen people of God, but they have closed the doors to the dogs of the world. Unless you followed their ways, their laws and rules, you could not be one of the chosen people.

In this bold, short narrative, an outsider, a woman nonetheless, comes to Jesus to beg for her little girl and He makes a point of letting everyone know that though His first objective is to the chosen children of Israel, He demonstrates the desire to adopt everyone into the family, even those society has labeled as dogs.

While we might be put off by the term, I’m completely convinced that we do the same today. We have labeled people dogs of this day, those who have aligned themselves with satanic cults, religions that are far from Christian, or even the homeless, vagrants of society.

I pray that this story would shock me, that it would be cold water splashed in my pious face anytime I consider someone outside the Christian faith as somehow less worthy than myself. Lord, Your gospel is good news for everyone. Help us to share with the dogs of today!

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Mark: The Disciples First Ministry Experience

Read: Mark 6:6b-56

The balance of chapter 6 reads like a quick synopsis of the disciples first ministry experience. The details about  John the Baptist seem like more of an important side note than a part of the story. Another interesting nuance is in verse 30 where Mark refers to the disciples as apostles. In Mark 3:14, some translations include “as apostles,” but otherwise, this is the only reference to His disciples as apostles in Mark’s gospel account. (See Mark 3:14.) Interesting.

Here’s a brief outline:

  • Jesus leaves His home town where He was all but dismissed and begins to preach in each village.
  • Jesus sends the disciples out in pairs to preach.
  • Herod hears about the amazing works of Jesus and is confused, thinking John the Baptist has been resurrected.
  • The apostles (disciples) return with stories from the field.
  • In their excitement, they forgot all about eating, plus there were loads of people following them who were also hungry.
  • Jesus feeds the 5,000. The disciples are confused.
  • Jesus walks on water. The disciples hearts are hardened.

Herod’s confused. The disciples are confused. Wouldn’t we be confused? Perhaps I should search for a different word, but Mark is reporting events that were anything but normal. No doubt we should be scratching our heads and wondering what is going on.

Feeding 5,000 (and many more!)

When Jesus feeds the massive group, it’s interesting to see the level of authority and respect He has earned among the people:

Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Mark 6:39-40

Imagine some 10,000+ people (counting spouses, children and relatives) are gathered around the countryside without sound system or any particular formal organization. Jesus directs this entire crowd AND they cooperate. I’ve been in concerts with groups of this size. It’s quite hard to imagine how He managed to direct them in the first place, let alone feed them miraculously.

This significant miracle is included in all four gospel accounts, perhaps because it’s so much greater than the story about Elisha feed 100 men in 2 Kings 4:42-44. Jesus is far superior to the prophets of old, that’s easy to say, but to the Jew in that day, this was huge. They revered the prophets for their great faith–they were the heroes of old. Jesus feeding so many through this miracle was a very big deal.

There’s no attempt to explain what happened here. All we know is they started with five loaves and two fish, fed the mass, then ended up with twelve basketfuls of loaves and fish. The disciples were probably exhausted, so Jesus sent them by boat to Bethsaida while He dismissed the crowd.

Two quick points:

  1. Dealing with so many people is hard work, even with Jesus by their side. Jesus knows this and sends them off to take a break.
  2. Jesus, once again, managed the huge crowd. He dismissed them (somehow), then goes to take a break Himself.

Jesus Walks on Water

In just a handful of verses, Mark covers this amazing event. Jesus is on the mountainside praying after dismissing the crowd and sending His disciples along. Somehow He saw them straining at the oars and felt compassion for them. First of all, how did He see them? This is just slipped into the text like it makes sense! He walks out to them just before dawn, the darkest part of the night. They freaked out! Exhausted from the day, fighting the waves, they’re sure to have lost their minds, but Jesus is making yet another point for them to consider.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:50-52

I’m trying to wrap my mind around the events captured in this chapter, but honestly it’s beyond difficult. The disciples are on mission with Jesus, witnessing firsthand the miracles and amazing teaching, get to preach themselves and watch the crowds swell, watch Jesus handle the masses, walk on water, calm the storm, and simply say, “Don’t be afraid.”

Just a normal week at church.

Not!

When I think about my minor ministry, the smallness of that which I do on a daily basis, and my inability to get much accomplished, I’m lost in my weakness. Oh me of little faith (not Ye). If nothing else, I hope I can see that God is not bound by human limitations or logic.

Lord, may I read these stories and be amazed at Your works, at Your desire to teach, to lead, to care for us. Increase my faith one more degree that I would believe You have a plan for my life for Your greater good. My greatest desire is to see people come to Christ, those who have no idea what that means, inside and outside of the church. Move me out of my comfort zone and into the world where there are those who would welcome Your message and those who refuse to listen.

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Love Each Other

Read: John 15:15-17

This is part of the scripture reference in today’s ODB devotion, so I felt moved to share this incredible quote from Jesus as recorded by John:

15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. John 15:15-17

If Bible memory verses are a important to you, verse 17 is pretty short! More than just memorizing seven words, my prayer is that we internalize this command from Jesus.

It’s a command, not a suggestion.

Context: This is part of John’s extensive narrative that captures Jesus’ words in the Upper Room just before His betrayal and arrest. Like the Sermon on the Mount, this discourse is an important part of scripture for us to fully understand — so much scripture, so little time! Anyway, I hope you’ll be prompted to read more of John 13-17 with the idea that “love each other” is central to theme as the words are centered in Jesus’ talk with His friends.

Ministry is challenging at times, even difficult, seemingly impossible. We need each other to be effective. My prayer this morning is quite simple: let us learn to love each other as Jesus commanded, lock arms and share the great news of the risen Savior. Jesus promoted His disciples from servants to friends. Go and do likewise!

This is my command: Love each other.

https://odb.org/2017/10/22/love-of-another-kind/

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Mark: Vile Man Rid of Legion, Business Ruined

Read: Mark 5:1-20

Dear Dad,

I’m so thankful for the herd of pigs you trusted me with, an amazing, extravagant gift for which I am truly thankful. I just wanted to let you know that, because the strangest thing happened this morning, something you’re going to find hard to believe. Some guy named Jesus came through town today and all the pigs went crazy, ran to the lake and drowned. Seriously. It’s not my fault. Do we have insurance? We insisted that Jesus leave before more damage was done, but I have no idea how to recover from this catastrophe.

Sincerely,

Your Faithful Son

How do you read the story? The herd owners were either Jews or Gentiles, that’s basically all we talk about in the Gospels–you’re either in or out. If the owners were Jewish, they were propagating unclean animals, probably for profit. Destroying the herd would have been seen as disapproval for violating Levitical laws. On the other hand, if they were not Jews, perhaps this demonstrates the power of the one true God and His power in spiritual realms.

Oddly, whichever group was affected, neither of them protested about the incredible loss of revenue. It seems like 2,000 of any animal would be a sizable loss for any farmer, so why was there no uproar? Their only response was to insist that Jesus leave immediately.

What would our response be? Awestruck and dumbfounded are words that come to mind. I hope I would at least be brave enough to tap him on the shoulder and ask, “help me understand…”

Fascinating

This is what I find most fascinating about the miracle:

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. Mark 5:18-20

Jesus tells the man (still, no name) to be the voice in his own town, to hang around and show people how he has changed. There’s no doubt that everyone knew this guy, I’m confident he was notorious, that “crazy” man in the tombs. The greatest impact he could have on the kingdom is not to join the professional Christ followers, it was simply to stay in his little town and be the example for others to follow.

The song, If I Have You, comes to mind. When we tear away all the pretense and wrappings of this world, what do we have left? My prayer is that the center of our being is Jesus Christ, that He is so deeply rooted in our lives that we are one of many living out our call in our own towns.

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Mark: Healing on the Sabbath

Read: Mark 3:1-7

God is serious about the Sabbath, the fourth commandment for those with a checklist. Working from home for nearly 20 years has tainted my personal understanding of Sabbath, something I need to figure out how to fix.

In this passage, Jesus challenges the Pharisees to look beyond the stone tablets, but some are hell bent on missing He who was heaven sent:

Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Mark 3:2

First of all, “some of them” knew that Jesus could heal the man. That alone causes me to pause. It’s not like they were whispering amongst themselves, wondering if He could heal the man, they were wondering if He would.

Secondly, who is “the man with the shriveled hand?” I’m confident that he is not a stranger, someone on a business trip that wandered by the synagogue to catch up on his daily prayer time. No, this man was known by the people, likely an outcast because his “defect” made him just a little less of a man that those standing to accuse Jesus. He came to the synagogue knowing he’d be judged and seen as unworthy–yet he came. I’m not sure I would willingly go to a place where the leaders would look down on me as less than worthy.

Lastly, Jesus knows their thoughts. He could have waited a few minutes and suggested they meet around the corner, at a friend’s house, or anywhere other than right in front of those looking for a reason to fight, but that’s not how our Savior acts:

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Mark 3:3

The stage is set. Time to learn from the Master. Just before this event, Jesus told the Pharisees:

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28

They didn’t get it. They are so focused on their laws that they lost sight of what The Law was created for. Jesus, knowing their hearts, demonstrates His greater compassion for the man who came to the location where people were supposed to find God, the synagogue, the meeting place to learn and share. As we see time and time again, Jesus goes to these places to speak truth, but find stubborn hearts instead.

Here’s the scary part:

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts… Mark 3:5

Anger and distressed.

The last thing in the world I ever want is to have Jesus look at me in anger or be distressed by my stubborn heart! Just glancing through the Old Testament, things did not go well for those who angered God!

The main lesson we draw from this story is to look at the greater meaning of The Law, the rules by which we live. If we miss this lesson, we risk acting like these leaders in the story, a reality that plays out far too often.

Sadly, I’ve seen this before in modern churches. I remember having lunch with the senior pastor of a church where “some of them” decided he was making poor financial churches. They met amongst themselves to stir up dissention and eventually left the church. In the process, my friend lost his position and relocated. Sad. What’s sadder still is this is not unusual.

Lord, help us to learn from the Pharisees that You show us in scripture. Teach us to avoid being so holy that we can’t even see. Help us to help each other and not become “some of them.” Allow us to see the 500-pound gorilla in the room and have the audacity to call it out! None of us wants to be a Pharisee.

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Mark: Jesus’ Galilean Ministry — Heals a Paralyzed Man

Read: Mark 2:1-12

As Jesus continues to minister in the area in and around Galilee many are healed, amazed, in awe, and filled with wonder. At the same time, questions begin to arise, accusations raised, authority is challenged. From a high-level perspective it’s great to see Jesus wading into the throngs of people, moving without restraint, breaking social rules without a concern–not for the sake of being noticed, rather, Jesus demonstrates his love and compassion for all kinds of people. We should learn from this example.

My plan was to fly through these two chapters, but I’m stuck, the stories are too compelling. I guess I’ll just leave the overview here as a kind of outline for the next few days and see where that goes!

Overview:

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

Trouble begins when Jesus does something amazing. As a kid, reenacting the scene where Jesus heals a paralyzed man that was dropped down from the roof of a house was a lot of fun. I remember in later years how difficult it was to actually lift someone with four ropes on the corners of a stretcher — try it, it’s not easy — let alone carrying all of these parts to a roof and safely lowering the guy to the ground. There are so many parts to this story to focus on!

The huge crowd gathers to hear teaching like never before. They were hungry to learn from Jesus when this guy gets dropped down from the roof. When I think about the event, I have to smile. We get caught up on Sunday morning with any minor distraction, yet here’s this group ripping a hole in the roof, dirt falling, pieces of material had to be dropping around Jesus as they lowered him. Some people were no doubt offended that this distraction was preventing them from hearing. After all, the world revolves around each of us, right?

Jesus waits for the crowd to calm down, then without hesitation, the man is healed. The man. Not the baby, or little child. This guy is known in the community, he’s the crippled dude that’s been overlooked by many. Before their very eyes:

He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Mark 2:12

Mind blown. This is the real thing, yet immediately the teachers of the law are confused. The main problem I have with their reaction is there lack of desire to learn anything from Jesus. Their questions are not meant to find understanding, they are meant to criticize.

How many times do we hear a message and immediately switch into critical high-gear? Are we trying to learn? Or are we trying to gather evidence to defend our position? I know these are loaded questions. I’m guilty as much as anyone. So here’s my simple prayer:

Lord, help me to listen better,
to learn more and
to do everything surrounded by love.

Not too profound. The day the paralyzed man was healed, my guess is that there were five new believers in Christ, four that lowered him plus the man himself. I don’t know if they started a house church that week or if they helped to lead others to Jesus, but I suspect they did something! Isn’t this the driving theme in Mark’s Gospel? Do. Something.

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