Mark 5:24b-29

Last Sunday in Bible class the subject of our physical posture in prayer was brought up. Everyone agreed that we can talk to G-D at any time, but many were slightly uncomfortable with the idea of kneeling.

Which is cause for concern.

Notice the posture of the three people Jesus encounters in Mark 5 - the demoniac, the synagogue ruler, and the bleeding woman. Every one of them falls at Jesus' feet. Now, this was not some proper, take a knee kind of thing; this was desperation. Demons needed exercising, a dad needed resurrection, and a woman needed healing.

Darkness reigned in their lives - hope almost depleted. And they fall at the feet of Jesus.

As we pray, let's practice this kind of posture. This kind of desperation. This kind of hope!

Diversity Sunday

George Pendergrass brings with him several ACU students from all over the world to be with us at Early Church of Christ this week. I'm excited to hear the Bible read in French and a prayer said in Chinese. I'm excited to see so many different cultures and ethnicities converging on our small hamlet and expanding our sight to different parts of this earth.

It's a shame that we so many times remain content to stay in our churches with the same views, the same messages, the same color, the same socio-economic status. Life in the early church (not the Early Church) was a collection of peoples from all over the world who in many ways had only two things in common: they were human and they knew Jesus.

I hope this next Sunday opens our eyes to what G-D is doing in the world; I hope G-D shares a glimpse of His goodness that He gives to ALL humanity. I dream of a day when we will all be ONE in Jesus - a day in which differences (black/white, female/male, rich/poor, free/slave) are appreciated and not condemned, cherished and not diminished. That day arrives as we witness G-D's incredible creation displayed in so many unique ways.

Fantasy Football

Fantasy. Football.

Two words that should never be placed in the same sentence as Heaven, Hell, Easter, wedding anniversary, or a child's birthday. In the midst of all the excitement down here in Texas over football, don't forget that story is so small compared to ours as followers of Jesus. Our excitement, our passion, our enthusiasm for G-D should be evident to all with whom we come into contact. We're G-D's biggest fans!!

It's game time!

Mark 5:21-24a

I love the picture we're presented here. Desperate times call for desperate measures. A dad is about to loose his daughter and is looking for someone - ANYONE - who can help.

So he falls at the feet of Jesus.

Are we ever that desperate? Those of us who have grown up with Jesus as our best friend, do we have that kind of humility and do we recognize our need for Jesus to go with us. Because Jesus' response to desperation is walking with the person. He went with Jairus.

Jesus is someone who enters into the fray, dives into the mess and walks with people. We are called to do the same.

And it doesn't matter who the person is. We have a demon-possessed man doing it right before Jairus - a chazan. (Jairus functioned as the worship leader in one of the synagogues. He was probably an important person and well thought of in his community.)

At Jesus' feet is a great place to be. It hurts, but it is good.

Mark 5:14-20, Take Two

One thing that initially bothered me about this passage is how Jesus says, "No."

Look at it in verse 18-19. The formerly demon-possessed guy wants to follow Jesus. Who wouldn't want that guy around as a walking testament to Jesus' power?! Yet Jesus sends him home and tells him to let his family and friends know how much the L-RD has done for him and how He has had mercy on him.

And the guy does it.

The next time we see Jesus on that side of the lake, the crowds are not pleading with Him to leave, but begging Him to heal!

I wonder if I have that same kind of passion that this demon-possessed guy had. He left Jesus not disappointed that he couldn't follow the L-RD around, but infused with life for what Jesus had done for him. He couldn't contain himself!

How about you? Do you have that same drive? When G-D says, "No" to your idea, do you say, "YES!" to His? This demon-possessed guy changed his whole area by saying "Yes" to Jesus and telling everyone he could about how the L-RD had mercy on him.

I want to be like that.

Standing

Before class Wednesday night, I had people stand up and recite the Sh'ma from Deut 6 and Lev 19, and I asked everyone why I had them stand.

"Out of reverence," was the response.

"Then why do we not stand the entire time?" I asked.

Orthodox congregations stand during the entire 2-3 hour liturgy. We stand up and cheer for our favorites teams at games. As we come before our most holy L-RD, should we not in our own meager ways offer Him our physical all?

Thoughts?

Mosques

There have been many musings floating around on the Internet regarding the building of a mosque near Ground Zero. Here are a few of my thoughts regarding Islam:

First, it amazes me the level of fear expressed by America in general, and specifically Christians. I received an email just this week which spoke of different percentages of Muslims in different countries and what different percentages mean for that country. (For example, France with 8% has Muslims pushing for clean food in Supermarkets - called halal; while a place like Ethiopia with a 32.8% Muslim population has rioting, jihad militia formations and sporadic killings.) Have we forgotten already that perfect love drives out fear? I know several muslims (not so devout) who would give me the shirt off their back. Just like in Christianity, 80% do 20% of the work and 20% do 80%. In other words, just as all Christians are called out to be passionate followers of Jesus does not mean that all are. Same in Islam.

Second, what would happen if they took over the world? Does that mean Jesus will not continue to shine His light through underground Christians? So what if they kill us as believers in Jesus? There are few greater privileges than this: dying for your Friend! What an honor!

Third, Jesus did not seem very interested in politics. If He had been, He would have ousted the Romans from Israel and the world! Don't forget that the people wanted to make Him king, and He declined the offer.

Fourth, retaliating with violence and bigotry does not seem to be the answer. So we boycott our dealings with Muslims? We kill them? Sounds like we are doing the same thing to them that they are doing to us. This is not the way of Jesus.

Anyway, these are a couple of my thoughts.

What do you think?

Gone but not Forgotten

I apologize for my absence. Jamie and I have been enjoying family and friends in beautiful (and cool) Colorado this past week. I am still recuperating from the exhaustion (emotional, spiritual, and physical) we experienced, but know that it was exhaustion of a good kind.

We began our "vacation" on Saturday night with a wedding, traveled all night to baptize 3 young guys and their mother Sunday morning (in a VERY cold river), met and stayed in the homes of many people we hold dear, taught an adult class on Wednesday night, cut enough dead aspen trees to make loads of furniture, met a new "niece" (what is the daughter of your wife's first cousin called?) and spent time with great family, and then culminated the weekend with a funeral for Jamie's great-granddad on Saturday morning (he was 97!). Are you now tired for us?

A near perfect way to celebrate life (only Sabbath was missing).

To those out there in blog-sphere whom we encountered, thank you for all you do to make Jamie and my life so full of G-D's rich blessings.

And thank you, Father, for all the blessings we have in and through Jesus!!!

Mark 5:14-20, Take One

So many things jump out of this passage that I will actually have two posts for it.

The aspect I wish to address here regards fear. We noticed at the end of chapter four that after Jesus calms the storm the disciples are terrified. Their worst fears were probably confirmed at the beginning of chapter 5 when after they cross over to the other side they are immediately confronted by a possessed, wild, crazy, strong, naked guy who is shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High G-d?! (Welcome to the other side, disciples.)

After Jesus drives out the legion of demons, people come from the town and countryside. And suddenly, the fear transfers to them. So much so, that they PLEAD with Jesus to leave! They beg the Son of G-D to leave their homeland.

It actually reminds me of another story we find in the Tanakh (Old Testament): Exodus 20:18-19. This one regards the Israelites who stand at Mt. Sinai and are consumed with dread. They are so terrified that they ask Moses to stand as mediator and speak with G-D on their behalf.

And thus, we have two peoples who, when they encounter the L-RD, plead in some way to have Him remove Himself from their presence. First the Israelites; now the foreigners.

That same fear plagues us today. We don't want an encounter with G-D - our comfort zones stretched, our assumptions about life challenged, our lives changed. We like things the way they are. We have our freedom, our things, our friends. What more do we need?

Yet G-D continues to come. Jesus shows up where we least expect Him, and we get scared. But we cannot allow our fear to consume us. We must give room for G-D to come in and change us.

So, how has fear kept you from encountering G-D? What have you done to combat those fears?

Mark 5:4-13

Let's talk about this encounter.

The first thing that should be noted is that this is a spiritual encounter as much as physical. We in the Western world have resigned ourselves to the here and now physical part of our universe, and even as Christians we fail to recognize the spiritual forces that continue to wage war in and around us.

We have a man here imbued with supernatural strength, who cries out at night among tombs, and is probably naked (Luke 8:27). From the disciples' perspective, the whole scene sums up for them the terrible idea of going over to an evil part of the country. It's what happens when you enter inner-city LA or New Orleans during Mardi Gras; you go to a place that you perceive as evil and low-and-behold evil presents itself in its worst forms.

Notice that this demon knows who Jesus is. Notice that Jesus told the spirit(s) to come of the guy (which the spirits consider torture). Notice that Jesus told them to come out, and they didn't. Then they ask for permission to go elsewhere (pigs), Jesus gives them permission, and they leave. Notice how the pronouns switch from singular to plural (me, them). This guy is a walking bomb; nobody knows when he'll blow up!

And they go into the herd of PIGS - the sacrificial animal in that society which also happens to be the mascot for the Roman Legion! And I love the fact that the pigs end up in the lake/abyss.

But why does Jesus do this? What motivates Him to go to the OTHER (dark) side of the lake? Why does He challenge the evil forces present in Sin City, when He has plenty of demon possessed people in His synagogue and hometown?

Thoughts?

Mark 5:1-3

Right after the storm on the abyss/sea, what would a person expect except to be confronted by a demon, or in this case, a slew of demons. As soon as Jesus steps out of the boat along comes a crazy man who could not be bound even with chains. (I think the disciples' fear only compounded at this sight.) We will talk more about this spiritual encounter next time.

If you hold an NIV in your hands, you can see a footnote in verse 1 regarding the location of this event. Gerasenes, Gadarenes, and Gergesenes are all options. The city of Gadara lies over 5 miles away from the Sea of Galilee, though excavations have located a harbor for the area. It is on the southeastern side. Gerasa (present-day Jerash lies many miles away from the Sea of Galilee, but was a major city in the Decapolis. The geography points to Gergesa as the city in which this encounter took place. Located along the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Gergesa is really the only place in which a herd of pigs can rush down a steep bank into the water. I should note, however, that all of these cities represented the Gentile world to Jesus and His disciples. Though close geographically, the two cultures of Jews and Gentiles did not mix at all. The very fact that Jesus wanted to go over there was remarkable because that was where evil dwells in the minds of the disciples. Once again, no wonder they were so terrified!

I love how Jesus already begins to live out His words, "...And the gates of Hades will not prevail against it!" Jesus is on the move; He wants the world to know of His message!

How are we when it comes to going out into dark places? Do we live like Jesus - going to people that are far beyond our comfort zones?

Mark 4:35-41

Storms can be scary things. We have several examples of people who have been caught in a storm while at sea, and here is no exception. Several Old Testament parallels immediately present themselves: Jonah 1 and Psalm 107.

In these passages we see terror turned to praise, or fear of the elements turned into a fear of G-D. Notice that the sailors cry out for help, and when G-D calms the storm, all begin to worship.

In Mark, we immediately notice the fear of the storm within the disciples; and what do we see Jesus doing? Like Jonah, He is asleep.

Jesus gets up, calms the storm and then asks His disciples why they were so scared. OK, I must interject at this point. How many of you have been in a serious storm when out at sea? How comfortable were you with that? But for the disciples, not only do they fear the elements, they believe that the sea is the Abyss. This only compounds their fear. (We will explore this idea further in the very next story.)

So, be honest, would you not have been terrified?

And I find this almost amusing if it was not so sad: the disciples remained terrified AFTER the miracle of calming the wind and the waves. (Their response should have been praise.) Jesus has just acted like G-D in the story. I believe they are beginning to see who Jesus really is, and that is what terrifies them even more than the storm. Perhaps they begin to wonder if they are in the very Presence of G-D, and we all know how scary that was for anyone who encountered an angel or G-D Himself in the Bible. Somewhat like a storm.

Mark 4:33-34

So why does Jesus speak to people in parables? It's to help them understand His teaching. He spoke in agrarian terms to an agrarian society in order that they may hear and obey.

And He gave as much as people could understand.

That phrase bothers me a little, not because I question Jesus' teaching or judgment, but because I wonder how similar I am to the crowds. How much do I not receive from G-D because I do not understand or take the time to listen and obey. Do I "limit" G-D by my lack of faith, knowledge, or passion?

"Whoever has will be given more. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him" 4:25.

I want to be the former - one who has and wants MORE!!!

That does not mean life will be smooth sailing, however. We see what happens to the disciples right after this while they are on the sea....

Mark 4:30-32

The mustard seed - certainly not the smallest seed on earth, but one that resonates with the agrarian crowd. Powerful words, right? The Kingdom is like a grain of sand. Is that what you expect Jesus to say? It seems more appropriate to use much larger imagery: the Kingdom of G-D is like the kingdom of Solomon, the Roman Empire, or the United States of America. G-D's Kingdom is liken to that of world empires. Soldiers of Christ arise and put your armor on. Vote for the right people in office, speak out against political opponents, conquer the world through terror and warfare.

But G-D's Kingdom is much more organic in nature. It starts off as a tiny seed, and then grows into a plant than can provide much needed shade for birds. (It's interesting that in several of the prophets (Ezekiel and Daniel in particular) we see birds symbolize other nations.) And notice who gets the glory and who does the work; it's G-D. Just as we learned in the previous parable, G-D spreads His rule on His own terms, not ours. We can line up for battle at the ballot box, but it is G-D who grows His Kingdom.

So, are you growing your own kingdom or G-D's?

For an interesting parallel to this parable, look at Ezekiel 17:22-24.

Mark 4:26-29

Jesus moves from admonition to the Kingdom. The people who hear/do now receive from Jesus parables concerning the Kingdom. What is the Kingdom like? It is like wheat that grows and no one knows how. It's a mystery. The farmer waters it, but somehow G-D makes it grow.

The irony/twist in the parable is that Jesus has just expressed the need for His disciples to hear/do, and the parable He then tells relates to the fact that G-D alone makes the seed grow. G-D provides the action/growth, not the person.

So as you continue to prepare your soil (hear/obey), remember that G-D ultimately produces the crop and spreads His Kingdom. It's HIS Kingdom, and the forces of evil will not prevail against it.

Mark 4:21-25

Jesus continues to speak to His disciples in these verses, pushing the theme already elaborated upon - that of hearing/seeing is liken to one who takes Jesus' words and puts them into practice. He speaks of concealment and disclosure - what He has said by way of theology is expounded and better explained through parables. Verses 21-23 help explain why Jesus was so upset with His disciples; they heard His theology, but they couldn't make the connection with the parables, and furthermore had difficulty putting some flesh and blood to those parables (living them out).

In verse 24, we have an interesting sentence structure in the Greek. In English, "Consider carefully what you hear." A more literal translation, "See what you hear." Maybe a good English rendering would be, "Are you getting the picture?" And He continues that the person who gets what He is speaking of will continue to get more and more. The person who does not "get it" (or put it into practice), even what he/she gets will be taken away (or forgotten). Hence, hearing is doing. The person who hears but does not do does not truly hear. It's a call to action, similar to the Sh'ma in Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear [Do!], O Israel...."

But Jesus is soon to give a twist to this action in the next parable.

Older Blog from My Time in Israel

Dear readers,

In case you are new to my blogs, you may have no idea about the blog I kept in Israel:

http://ge-offnisrael.blogspot.com

Upon visiting that blog, you will notice that I switched to blog-city because of the emailing benefits. Blog-city, however, began charging for their services, so I created the one you are reading now. I saved all of my posts from blog-city, so I will begin to re-publish blogs from my time in Israel on that blog.

I hope you enjoy it!

Mark 4:13-20

I have asked you what you think about Jesus' parables; now I will give my opinion (based on Brad Young and others).

Jesus intention with His parables was NEVER to confuse His audience. His intention with parables was to make His teaching easier to understand. Again, parables were meant to aid in understanding for His audience, not hide something from them.

"Then Geoff," you may ask, "why does Jesus say those who see don't see and those that hear don't hear?"

Jesus' statement is a matter of action on those who are in the audience. Will they be like people who hear His words and then do nothing with them, or will they hear His words and practice them in real life. Actually, Jesus is simply expounding on the parable of the soils He just told. What will people do when they hear the His words? Will they put them into practice (and produce a crop yielding 30, 60, or even a 100 times), or will they hear His words and do nothing with them (like seed on the path, or on rocky places, or among thorns)?

In the case of the disciples, they know Jesus' theology, and so when He speaks to the people in parables, they are expected to understand (because they have the "secret"). However, when they hear the parables (especially in Mark, by the way), they can't put the two together - His theology and His teaching.

And Jesus doesn't appreciate that. One can feel the tension when He explains the parable to His disciples.

The reason I brought up Mark 4:33-34 is that the audience shifts from His disciples to the crowd. Notice that Jesus used parables to help the people understand His theology. Unfortunately with the disciples, Jesus has to draw the connecting lines for them.

So the question still remains: what kind of soil are you? Or put another way, what are you DOING with what you KNOW? Are you connecting your theology with your actions?

Mark 4:9-12

I find it interesting that this "secret" of the kingdom was given to the disciples, yet Mark makes it very clear that Jesus was quite frustrated with them. And why does Jesus teach in parables? So that those on the outside will be ever seeing but never perceiving, ever hearing but never understanding, or they would turn and be forgiven.

Jesus quotes Isaiah 6 here - when Isaiah is asked who will go for Him. Isaiah responds, "Here I am. Send me!" And then the words get difficult because G-D informs Isaiah that he will be preaching to a dense crowd who will be ever hearing but never understanding, and ever seeing, but never perceiving (Jesus reverses them in Mark 4).

Just the kind of message and welcome you want to have, right? And Isaiah asks for how long, and G-D says - until everything is completely destroyed except for stumps.

Great. So Isaiah gets to preach a message that people don't want/can't hear until they are completely destroyed. Every young preacher's dream job.

So what does this have to do with Jesus? Perhaps Jesus is sarcastically speaking of His less-than-brilliant disciples at the moment? Is He comparing Himself and His message to that of Isaiah, drawing on that prophetic image? Or is He speaking against "the outsiders" - the very people He was sent to call? Or perhaps to the hypocrites in the audience?

What do you think? (Also pay attention to 4:33-34.)

Mark 4:3-8

In Jerusalem exists a school of thought that believes in Lukan priority instead of Markan (they believe Luke was written first and not Mark), and they base this on several reasons. One reason they believe this is that Luke appears to be so Hebraic, and thus, closer to the original sources. I remember sitting in a class one Shabbat and the teacher used this parable as an example of Lukan priority. Luke uses different words. (For example, notice that the seed fell on a rock in Luke, not on rocky soil.)

The example I want to emphasize regards the amount the farmer reaps when the seed falls on good soil. We see in Mark that it yields 30, 60, or even a 100 times. Luke only mentions a hundred times. That's a lot of produce! In Genesis 26 we see that G-D blesses Isaac with a great crop that yields a 100-fold...in a time of drought! So when all other's are dying, Isaac's not only survives but thrives.

What is difficult about this parable is that we are provided 3 bad kinds of soil and only 1 good kind. (Dividing things in four [in regards to how people behaved] was very common in Jesus' day.) The obvious question at the end of the parable is, "What kind of soil are you?"

Mark 4:1-2

Jesus goes from having a meal in a house to having to teach from a boat because the crowds were so large. Not bad. I imagine the acoustics worked well also. (And notice that the Teacher is sitting, while the crowds are probably standing.)

And because of this massive crowd, He decides to speak to the people clearly to allow them to understand the basic message of G-D's grace...right? Why does He NOT do that? Why instead does He speak to the mass of people in parables? What is it about Isaiah 6 (verse 12) that He wants to get across?

I will provide, L-RD willing, some thoughts on why Jesus speaks this way to the crowds when I get down to that verse in my memorization.

In the meantime, what implications do these verses have on our lives and churches? Should our vocabulary be particular? Should our actions and liturgy (church service) be one that is comprehended by all, or should there be a tinge of mystery within it?

Mark 3:31-35

So we've already looked at Jesus' strained relationship with His family at this point. (Notice that they sent someone into the house; they did not go in.) And since they would not give Him the time of day, He ignored them.

And in so doing, he expounded on the relationship of a rabbi/teacher with his disciple/student. The relationship is familial, and everyone who does G-D's will is part of that family.

(An interesting note: the people around Jesus are sitting. What was Jesus doing? Jesus invites so many to the table, yet not everyone has to accept. He does not force His blood family to eat with Him; He simply turns the tables on them by calling His disciples His true family. Reminds me of a parable in Matthew 22.)

Mark 3:22-30

Several things caught my eye while memorizing this section.

First, notice that the people who accuse Jesus of demon-possession are from Jerusalem. (I love how people always "go up" to Jerusalem or "go down" from Jerusalem in the Bible. I hope to expound on that some other time.) These teachers of the law are not from Galilee but from Judea - very different places religiously - and these are the ones who accuse Jesus.

Second, the name Beelzebub in Hebrew means lord/master (baal) of a fly(zebub). It is the name of the deity in Ekron (II Kings 1:2).

Third, Jesus "calls" them. He does not berate them, chastise them, or ignore them. In the story just before, Jesus "calls" His disciples to Him. It's the same word.

Fourth, Jesus uses three parables to plead His case: divided kingdom, divided house, robbing a super-hero. Yes, He could have answered the question directly, but He rarely EVER does; why change that now? And notice that He uses "common sense" in His reply. Who would divide the house to accomplish something? How can a kingdom divided function? And why would you rob someone without first making sure he was taken care of? In the same way, Jesus says that He cannot be possessed because that would completely destroy the Enemy (and they are smarter than that).

Last, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. What is it?

Mark 3:20-21

Can you imagine people considering you crazy? "Well, there goes the nut-job!" And if you've gone crazy for something you absolutely believe in, it gets more upsetting. You've given your life whole-heartedly to something, and people call you possessed.

What makes it really difficult in Jesus' case is that His family thinks He's lost His mind. Now on one hand, that's almost humorous; the created call their Creator crazy. But on the other hand, we may have a picture here of what Jesus' family really thinks of Him. We can only speculate what Jesus' early life looked like. Was He appreciated? Was He loved?

In Judaism, Jesus comes from an affair between Mary and a Roman soldier (I forgot his name). Though we as Christians believe otherwise, what was the thought in Jesus' day? We don't know for sure, but I suppose that most people considered Him a second-class class citizen and possibly illegitimate. He came from an unwed mother and father. The mother says she got pregnant through the Holy Spirit. That whole story sounds ludicrous and bizarre.

And now, your crazy mother calls YOU crazy! Apparently, Jesus did not have the greatest relationship with His family.

Which then makes me wonder....

Am I sold out for Jesus; obsessed with Him to the point that people call me weird? Are you?

Mark 3:13-19

Jesus designates twelve apostles (missionaries/emissaries) to hang out with Him, preach, and have authority to drive out demons. We know these twelve are not the only ones to drive out demons (Mark 9:38-41), and we also know that not everyone who drives out demons is known by G-D (Matthew 7:21-23). (Even some of these twelve [and/or other disciples] could not drive out a demon [Mark 9:14-18].)

We do know from church tradition that nearly all of the twelve went out all over the world driving out demons and preaching the Gospel, and because of them, those of us who follow the Christ are here today.

Several interesting things about this list:

1) Jesus changes Simon's (hearing) name to Peter (rock)
2) James and John are called boanerges (which Mark says, "means Sons of Thunder") - they were probably rather prone to emotional outbursts
3) Matthew (a.k.a. Levi) - a tax collector
3) Simon the Zealot - a Zealot being one who wanted Rome out of Israel and was willing to use physical force to achieve that end. He and Matthew probably had some issues.
4) Judas Iscariot (Judas, the man from Kariot - a city 20 miles south of Jerusalem) - the only Judean (not Galilean) we know of in this list

Quite a spread demographically, yet Jesus calls these twelve to change the world.

Mark 3:7-12

So Jesus goes to a more solitary place (to keep from being killed?), yet even in remote areas, people come to Him from all over the area - Jerusalem (center of Judaism), the rest of Judea (South), Idumea (Southeast), Regions across the Jordan (East), and Tyre and Sidon (North). That just about covers it.

What is it though that draws people to Jesus? It could be His teaching. But he also ostracized a lot of people with that. It could be His personality. He's compared to Elijah, John the Baptist, Zechariah, or one of the prophets. But we all know what happened to almost all of them in the end.

Mark answers simply: "For He had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch Him."

In my experience, many of us in the Western world want to be like Jesus, but when it comes to the spiritual gift of healing (specifically physical healing), we quickly label that as "the past" (died with the closing of the Bible) or impossible - G-D doesn't work like that anymore.

To which I respond: "There are too many examples of healing all over this globe today, especially in the Southern Hemisphere." I preach to myself when I say, "Maybe it's time to be like the crowds who followed Jesus and GO there!" We don't have to do it physically. Perhaps you have missionaries you can contact. Go online and find out some things. Check in your neighborhood (you might find a revival or service just around the corner).

If miraculous physical healing is too drastic, then recognize G-D's work (and GIVE HIM THE GLORY) when He uses medicine to heal a simple headache. Recognize Him when the cancer is suddenly gone. Praise G-D when the surgeon takes off his/her gloves and gives a good report.

But there is another side to this healing. Unclean/Evil spirits surround the diseases that Jesus healed. Exorcism was a part of the picture. As part of the healing process, Jesus drove out many demons.

Now I am not saying that the next time you go to the hospital a demon exists in every patient, but know that is how they viewed it in Jesus' day. One of Jesus' goals was to cleanse people - not only of their sin, but of their physical illnesses. Unclean/evil spirits do not promote healing, but suffering, and thus, Jesus got rid of them. And all of this leads me to this resounding question:

What would happen if we actually BELIEVED Jesus healed those people?

This would change the way we pray!

Jesus did not heal everyone. Not everyone for which we pray He heals, and the ones He does choose to heal, He does so sometimes in a way that may seem contradictory to us. So what? Should that change our plea? Would that not move us closer to the heart of G-D? If only we BELIEVED.

"L-RD, help us with our unbelief."

Mark 3:1-6, Part II

Verse 6: "Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus."

What do the Pharisees and Herodians have in common? Nothing - except a strong desire to get rid of Jesus. Modern Orthodox Jews are shocked to see these two circles running in the same league. Why does healing a man on the Sabbath bring such animosity?

But then I ponder how Jesus does not always work within my framework or timing. Do I get mad at G-D for that? Granted, I do not ever want to kill Jesus, but with every sin that I commit yesterday, today, and tomorrow, I in a way have killed Him. Think about times in your own life that G-D has moved you out of your comfort zone or out of your "structures"/boxes that you have created for Him. G-D despises your box and mine. As we learn in this story, Jesus gets angry and distressed at stubborn hearts.

What does your heart look like?

Mark 3:1-6

The very idea of someone using a maimed human being in order to discredit another individual is sickening. Mark makes it clear that only "some" were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus - not all.

At this point, we see Jesus express some emotion toward an opposition that is concerned more with keeping rules than reaching out to people - obeying the law rather than promoting healing. Do we ever fall into the category of "rule keepers" that we neglect more important things? Which is more important on a given Sunday morning: to be at church on time or give a homeless person breakfast that you see on the way?

Jesus could have healed this man on any day of the week. Why does He not, and what implications does this story have in our lives and culture?

Mark 2:25-28

So we have a "problem." Mark records that Jesus says, "In the days of Abiathar the high priest..." Abiathar was not the high priest that David went to; it was his son Ahimelech. I suppose we could argue that those could well have been "the days of Abiathar," but it is interesting that we have Abiathar instead of Ahimelech.

But the story itself is what matters. To combat the Pharisees' argument, Jesus draws from the life of David and one interesting story found in I Sam. 21. David and his followers were extremely hungry, so they eat the only thing available - the Bread of the Presence. Jesus uses this story to express that humans and their lives are more important than the Sabbath.

"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

And then Jesus shows us what that means....

Mark 2:23-24

In Judaism, the Sabbath (Saturday) is the most important day of the week. It's the first thing G-D made holy or sanctified. It's the day G-D rested. We are told in the Decalogue (Ten Words/Commandments) to keep it holy. Jews take that VERY seriously, and one of the questions to ask oneself is how do we make a day holy.

In Jesus' day this was a big discussion, but of even more importance was which commandments are greater than others. In other words, should one break the Sabbath (work on Saturday) in order to fulfill the commandment of circumcision? Or sacrifice? Or healing? Or eating?

This story looks different in the Synoptics, but the basics are the same. The Pharisees are questioning whether it is ok to do what the disciples are doing - picking heads of grain on the Sabbath. I am not sure what Jews follow today (whether or not it is ok/legal to pick heads of grain), but Jesus soon points out that this practice is ok on the Sabbath and does not desecrate it.

And we know that Jesus obeyed the 4th commandment - He kept the Sabbath holy. Two question, however, remain: what does that mean and should we be doing likewise?

Mark 2:18-22

Fasting. Something we all look forward to with great expectation.

We know that the Pharisees fasted two days a week. (Yes, you heard correctly - two days! And our righteousness should surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law.) Fasting is a time that brings us closer to G-D by eliminating distractions such as food. We find out in these moments of suffering what we're made of. Who do we rely upon as our sustenance?

Yet Jesus and His disciples went through this season of not fasting, and Jesus uses three metaphors to explain why that was so. First, you always celebrate and feast when at a wedding. Second, you wouldn't sew an unshrunk cloth on an old garment because that would then cause more damage. Third, you don't pour new wine in old, cracked wineskins or they'll burst (because of fermentation).

By presenting these three metaphors, Jesus explains why it's almost comical that His disciples and He would fast at that time.

Two questions: why did He not fast and should we fast today? I have some thoughts. What do you think?

Mark 2:15-17

We see very early in Mark who Jesus targets as His audience. He calls fishermen and tax collectors. He eats with "sinners" and IRS agents. Or in His own words, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

As a minister, I wonder who my target audience should be. Many churches have moved to "seeker services" where they attempt to reach out to the "unchurched." But what then do you do with members who have been inside the walls for decades? How do you deliver meat to a starving portion of the body?

It's interesting that on the Sabbath, Jesus was ALWAYS in the synagogue. For His day job, however, we find Him constantly in homes eating with the outcasts or teaching in the countryside. Ideally, my ministry would look something like this on some degree...and so should yours as a follower of Jesus.

When was the last time you had lunch with someone below the poverty line?
When was the last time you wrote a thank you letter to the IRS? :-)
When was the last time you hung out with "sinners" - in their homes?

Tough litmus test.

Mark 2:13-14

Jesus then heads back to the lake. I wonder where He was exactly: within Capernaum city limits (it's on the shore), along a road of some kind, or close to some fishermen on the beach. I ask because I am curious what kind of tax collector Levi was. Did he collect travel taxes? Did he collect taxes from the fishermen? If he levied taxes against the fishermen, Simon the Zealot was not the only one with whom Levi would have had confrontations. I'm sure Zebedee didn't appreciate paying his fishing taxes which in turn would affect Peter, Andrew, James and John.

Poor Levi.

Yet, Jesus called him. I love Jesus' spunk - especially since he waits a while after he's already called the fishermen. I would have liked to see Peter's face when Jesus said, "Follow me" to Levi. What would Peter have thought? What would Levi have thought?

And the event culminates in a feast/party. Neat story.

Mark 2:8-12

"This amazed everyone and they praised G-D saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

To which I respond: "Saweeeeet!!!!" Jesus' response to the teachers of the law strikes home to my sense of justice. Not only does He put them in their place but heals the paralytic to everyone's amazement! And their response should be the response of all of us. They praised G-D!!!

Mark 2:6-7

When I read the stories in the Bible, I try to place myself in the "bad guys'" shoes. In this case, some teachers of the law question Jesus' ability to forgive, and we find out that Jesus lays into them rather harshly.

How many times do I question Jesus' ability to forgive myself and others? How many times do I look at someone and wonder how G-D could forgive them after all they have done to hurt me and those I love? How many times do I think of past sins - particularly that of wasted time - and wonder how G-D could not only forgive me but also help me make up that "lost" time?

Unfortunately, I find myself in the sandals of these Torah teachers - unwilling to receive and give the forgiveness G-D offers.

Mark 2:1-5

I am struck by verse five in this chapter. Jesus is back home in Capernaum and is so popular that five guys can't get in to see him. So four of them dig through the roof and lower the fifth right in front of Jesus. And what does Jesus say? "Son, your sins are forgiven." But why are they forgiven? IT'S THE FAITH OF THE FOUR FRIENDS!

Not the faith of the paralytic, but the faith of his friends that not only healed him but also spurred Jesus on to forgive His sins.

So what does this mean? Can the faith of parents carry their faithless children? (Job comes to mind.) Can a holy wife "save" her unholy husband? (Paul anyone?) Can those praying for us in monasteries "save" us?

This story sheds a whole new light on intercessory prayer. Who are some in your life that you have wept over. Who are some that you have skipped days of eating in order to pray for them? Who are some that you have sacrificed so much financially to help them? Who have you placed before the feet of Jesus?

Take heart, your faith may be their saving grace....

And perhaps your saving grace is because someone else placed you at the feet of the Anointed One.

Mark 1:40-45

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. I love how Jesus reaches out and touches the leper - the untouchable - before He says a word. What would happen if we actually touched people who are considered "unclean?" What would happen if we shook a hand, gave a hug, or even offered a kiss on the cheeks or forehead of someone who craved human touch? It would solve a whole lot of problems if people could feel genuine touch.

Mark 1:35-39

Jesus gets up early - before dawn - after staying up late into the night with people.

Do I have that kind of drive? I know there are people who can function on only several hours of sleep, but I am one of those who likes my 7-8 hours. But even with that amount of sleep, am I getting up to meet with G-? Am I driven so much by His love that I can't wait to spend time with Him?

I must confess that I do not always do that. I am unfortunately driven more by guilt (which in this case is better than not being driven at all) than I am by love and a desire to simply be with G-D. Jesus did not miss that. His relationship with the Father was close.

To which we say, "Duh, Geoff. He's G-D." Yes, and G-D desires that same oneness with Him for all of us.

And after His prayer, He leaves the crowds and continues to go to synagogues and drive out demons. Busy guy.

Mark 1:29-34

Mark moves quickly. Jesus shows up and after His baptism, wilderness journey, and calling of the disciples He is off healing like crazy. Fevers? No problem. Demons? Bring them on...just don't let them talk because they know who He is.

Jesus serves as almost an action figure. He answers the bat phone and it's off to the races. Jesus' popularity increases exponentially; what will He do next?

One has to wonder how exhausted Jesus is. It's been a big day and now crowds are pressing in at the door when one would normally wind down to go to bed. Yet Jesus remained with them that day and throughout much of the night, and then....

Mark 1:21-28

So when was the last time you had a demon show up in your church?

A great teacher shows up and in the midst of his sermon a person jumps up and asks what he wants. One can sense the demon's fear in the situation. "Have you come to destroy us?!" And what makes the demon think this? Because he knows who Jesus is - the Holy One of G-D.

We see this wording in Psalm 16, which Peter quotes in Acts 2 and Paul in Acts 13. It's a psalm of praise to G-D, and it appears to have several meanings. First, the psalmist refers to himself as a holy one - one of the saints who lives in the land (v. 3). Peter and Paul saw this as a reference to Jesus...and so did the demon. They understood the resurrection and the power of G-D over death. I LOVE it!

And apparently the people did as well. No wonder news spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee!

Mark 1:16-20

There's a traditional spot on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus called these disciples - a small waterfall splashes into the sea from springs. The fish like the mix of cool and warm water. I love the spot - it's where my wife and I took our first picture together before we were even dating. It's exciting to think that Jesus could have called His first disciples in that place.

I find it interesting that Jesus did not go to the synagogue to call his disciples. Why not start at the school? Instead, he chose guys that were working with their father in the family business. And I love their response: "At once they left their nets and followed Him."

I often ask myself if I have that same drive. Would I drop everything to passionately follow Jesus, or is He a side attraction that consumes a couple of minutes out of my day? Can I leave my livelihood to follow this prophet who speaks against the religious circles and welcomes IRS agents and prostitutes to dinner?

Could you?

Mark 1:14-15

And so Jesus speaks, "The time has come...The kingdom of G-D is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Mark could have chosen any saying or words of Jesus to put here, but he chose to talk about the kingdom and what our response should be. I hope to venture off into this idea of the "kingdom" but for now I want to reinterpret our response: repent and believe the good news. Put another way, "Turn 180 degrees and live like Me." Leave the mess you're in - the self-doubt, the pride, the consumer, the busy bee, the pornography, the gossip, the greed, the poor self-image, the "health/wealth gospel" - and be just like Jesus. Believe that He will do what He says He will do.

It's interesting that Jesus speaks of the "good news" before His death, burial, and resurrection. To what "good news" is He referring? I believe it goes back to the kingdom idea. "The kingdom of G-D is near." Stay tuned for more on the kingdom....

Mark 1:9-13

I love Mark's imagery of the Triune G-D. Jesus (the Son) looks up and sees G-D (the Father) ripping heaven open where the Spirit descends on Jesus. I love to think of G-D grasping the heavens with His hands and ripping it apart as Sampson did the lion; it appeals to my Russell Crowe "Gladiator" masculine side. Just awesome.

Mark 1:7-8

John knew his place. Do we know ours? Do we realize that we are not worthy to even stoop down and untie Jesus' filthy sandals?

Mark 1:4-6

John the Baptist...looks a lot like Elijah to me (2 Kings 1:8). And Jewish tradition says that Elijah was Phinehas because of his passion and zealousness (Numbers 25:6-13). Jesus was thought to be John the Baptist returned from the dead. These comparisons give you an idea of how zealous and passionate Jesus was. Do we share His same passion!?! Do people see us and KNOW that we are followers of Jesus!?!

That same passion for G-D brought the multitudes - the WHOLE Judean countryside and ALL the people of Jerusalem! (I know Mark uses hyperbole here, but it gives you an idea of how the people viewed him. We know that the chief priests knew the people considered him a prophet.)

Mark 1:1-3

Where else does one begin than at the beginning. Mark draws from creation imagery to begin the narrative of Jesus' life - a good news story. And as in the original beginning, G-D continues to be the main character.

In verse 3 we have an interesting construction. Is the voice calling "in the desert" or is the way of the L-RD to be prepared "in the desert"? Verse three could read (1): "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the L-RD'. OR it could be read (2): "A voice of one calling, 'In the desert prepare the way for the L-RD'. Nearly all translators have gone with the first reading; John's voice cries out in the wilderness to prepare the way for Jesus. But if read the other way (2), we can see a call for all who are preparing a way for G-D must begin in the wilderness.

I wrote a previous blog about the wilderness, and one does not have to search the Bible and life to see that G-D prepares His people and His leaders by leading them into the wilderness. Where else could Jesus have gone, really?

Mark: An Introduction

Jeff Sproles and I are taking up a new project. We will memorize the book of Mark this year. Some of you may be asking, "Is that all?" While others say, "Why?" The first question is easy to answer - "Yes, that is all." The second, however, requires a little bit more of an explanation.

Jeff is on fire for Jesus right now, and it's contagious. Apparently, the book of Philippians wasn't enough for him - he's whizzing through that and needs more.

I had committed to memorize the four Gospel narratives by age 27 when I was 21 to a group of 87 students and faculty at Focus on the Family Institute. Well, I'm 28, and I only have one memorized.... And so, I'm picking it back up.

Along the way, I hope to share with you some insights I glean from my memorization as well as things I've picked up from my travels and studies.

And so, without further adieu, the book of Mark.