Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: 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. Would you drop all pretense and run to see Jesus? By this point in Mark’s account, …
Continue reading “Mark: Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit”
Read: One of my favorite songs from 10 years ago, Devotion, refers to this verse in the bridge that exhorts us to follow Jesus: Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. The …
Read: In a few words, Mark records a pivotal conversation for the world: “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” I’m trying to get my mind around how the Gospel of Mark is organized. When we zoom out to get a big picture of …
Continue reading “Mark: Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah”
Read: 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, …
Continue reading “Mark: The Disciples First Ministry Experience”
Read: “…He was amazed by their lack of faith.” Just after Jesus brought Jairus’ daughter back to life, he is back in his hometown, the place where people knew him best. The Sabbath rolls around and Jesus enters the synagogue and begins to preach. Mark provides these remarkable observations from Jesus’ relatives, neighbors, etc.: Isn’t …
Read: Jesus is not happy with the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, and the religious right, but he doesn’t apply that stereotype to everyone who wears the mantle of Jewish leader. This is important for us to grasp. Our version of church has plenty of Pharisees, but there are many inside those organizations that …
Continue reading “Mark: Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter; Heals A Woman”
Read: John Mark wastes no time in getting into the story of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The NIV Study Bible notes summarizes his perspective like this: Mark’s Gospel emphasizes more what Jesus did than what he said. Mark moves quickly from one episode in Jesus’ life and ministry to another. No joke! In the first 13 …
Read: The last chapter of Matthew includes the key that separates us from all other religions: Jesus’ resurrection. No doubt, this is this pivot point in time for human existence. The guards were scared to death, took their bribes from the chief priests and disappeared. Mary and Mary were the first to discover the empty …
Read: Following the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus continues to challenge the Jewish leadership by exposing their inability to grasp the fundamental truth that was literally standing right in front of their faces. The reading today includes a wide array of topics presented by Matthew as keys to revealing significant problems with the religious …
Read: Matthew provides an incredible list of miracles by Jesus throughout the area and some unique ministry challenges in these two chapters. It’s hard to imagine how this news spread around the region, how it was received, etc. I’m sure they were skeptical of the fake-news of their day and I’m confident I would have …
Continue reading “Matthew: A Collection of Miracles and Some Ministry Notes”