Following the earlier theme of my idea that Jesus actually cared about the people who were Pharisees even while he hated what they stood for, I came to Mark 3.
Here, Jesus is angry and "deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts." I think he is sad because they think they know everything and so they can't learn anything new or open their hearts to see things in a new way. He is sad that their great learning has closed their minds rather than opening them. He is upset because they are Jews, the teachers and leaders of the people, the ones who are supposed to be teaching and showing the people by their example who God is.
And their God is a god of rules and regulations. The God of Jesus (himself) is merciful and kind and gracious and cares about those in need, regardless of the "rules" of the society. God (Jesus) wants to heal the man regardless of the fact that it is the Sabbath.
Jesus wants them to see and to change their minds, so instead of ignoring the man with the shriveled hand (Mark doesn't say the man asked for help, just that he was there), Jesus purposely takes up the challenge and tells the man to stand up in front of everybody. He doesn't just start teaching while ignoring him. Maybe he was front and center and everybody else was already looking at him. It seems that way - like it was staged - like he was in front and the Pharisees were around him when Jesus entered, so he couldn't really help but see the man. But he didn't shy away. He didn't need to. He knew he had the power to heal the man and he knew the Pharisees had brought the man there to try to trick him into breaking the Sabbath law.
He knew all that and he wasn't afraid. He just tackled the question head-on, asking them to answer his question - is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath? But they wouldn't say anything. I wonder why not? They certainly liked to talk in other places. But here, they are silent. I try to picture the scene. The man with the shriveled hand, the Pharisees behind him, standing silently, Jesus in front of them all, having just arrived in the synagogue.
Then Jesus becomes very angry and distressed. Mark says he was upset at their stubborn hearts. How sad when a person gets so stubborn that they won't listen to God himself! Jesus himself is standing right there in the room with them and they won't listen to him!!! No wonder he becomes angry and is deeply distressed!
And then Jesus looks at the man with the problem and solves it. The man believes. One would think that the man with the problem is "lowest" in the room. After all, he IS deformed and the culture of the time thought that the sick and deformed were in trouble with God - that God was mad at them and that was why they were sick - that they must be terrible sinners or they wouldn't be sick or deformed or leprous or whatever.
But when the Pharisees are silent, I think they lowered their own status. The next verse proves it. They begin to plan how to become murderers - killers!! The fact that Jesus healed a man made them want to kill him!!! To permanently get rid of him and his teaching!!!
No, I think that the fact that he healed a man ON THE SABBATH, which they seemed to hold more sacred than a person's life and health, made them see red, proving that their rules were more important than God and people. Again, how sad.
God, please help me not be that stubborn so I feel like getting rid of Jesus when he shows me I am wrong in how I handle life and others. I want to follow Jesus, not to put him out of my life. Keep my heart soft and my ears open, I pray.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The authority of Jesus
I think it is interesting to speed read Mark which I have been doing for several weeks. When I speed read, different things hit me that I don't see when I am reading more slowly. One thing that keeps hitting me over and over in Mark is the question, "Who Is This Man?"
It seems to be asked in many different ways and about many different things that Jesus does. As I begin the book again today, verses 27-28 in Chapter 1 stand out in this way. The people said that Jesus taught with authority, not like the scribes.
I've been told that the scribes would learn the teachings of the scribes who went before them and would continually quote those former scribes when they were asked questions. One scribe would quote one venerated man and another scribe would quote another and then they would debate the question by continuing to pass quotes back and forth.
But Jesus (I think it is cool how many times I see BUT JESUS or some form of that in the gospel) spoke with authority. He didn't quote anybody. He just said this is true or that is true.
And the people were AMAZED. They were shocked. They stopped what they were doing and looked hard at Jesus. They wondered about him. They talked to each other about him. So the news of him spread throughout the region. They were so amazed and mystified by Jesus that they just couldn't stop thinking about him and talking about him. Because not only did he teach like he was THE Answer Man, but he also kept backing up his teaching with miracles.
Dear God, please help me continue to be amazed at Jesus and his teaching. Help me to look for the But Jesus in my life and when I am wrestling with various questions. I know what my culture says. I know what I think. But, Jesus knows the truth. He can see through and past my cultural position and what I have been taught and the conclusions I have drawn. He can see through them to the truth because the truth is shining brightly where Jesus is and I need to knock on his door and go into his house to see it. If I stay outside, it will always be dark and I will think I can find my own way but I can't really see in the darkness, so I am fooling myself. Help me to knock, Lord.
It seems to be asked in many different ways and about many different things that Jesus does. As I begin the book again today, verses 27-28 in Chapter 1 stand out in this way. The people said that Jesus taught with authority, not like the scribes.
I've been told that the scribes would learn the teachings of the scribes who went before them and would continually quote those former scribes when they were asked questions. One scribe would quote one venerated man and another scribe would quote another and then they would debate the question by continuing to pass quotes back and forth.
But Jesus (I think it is cool how many times I see BUT JESUS or some form of that in the gospel) spoke with authority. He didn't quote anybody. He just said this is true or that is true.
And the people were AMAZED. They were shocked. They stopped what they were doing and looked hard at Jesus. They wondered about him. They talked to each other about him. So the news of him spread throughout the region. They were so amazed and mystified by Jesus that they just couldn't stop thinking about him and talking about him. Because not only did he teach like he was THE Answer Man, but he also kept backing up his teaching with miracles.
Dear God, please help me continue to be amazed at Jesus and his teaching. Help me to look for the But Jesus in my life and when I am wrestling with various questions. I know what my culture says. I know what I think. But, Jesus knows the truth. He can see through and past my cultural position and what I have been taught and the conclusions I have drawn. He can see through them to the truth because the truth is shining brightly where Jesus is and I need to knock on his door and go into his house to see it. If I stay outside, it will always be dark and I will think I can find my own way but I can't really see in the darkness, so I am fooling myself. Help me to knock, Lord.
Not calling the righteous
In Mark 3 and in other places, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees when he is eating with "sinners." In their culture, you ate with friends, family, and equals, not with those beneath you. Jesus responds to their question by saying that he came to call sinners, not the righteous, that he came to doctor the sick, not the well.
Those of us who go to church and read the Bible know the above answer fairly well. But I was thinking, surely Jesus didn't consider himself an equal or a friend of the Pharisees. But he would sit at their tables also.
I am coming to the conclusion that Jesus didn't hate each and every Pharisee as a person, but rather that he stood strongly against what they represented, the pride of knowledge, the pride of heritage, the pride of social status, and pride in general.
When he says he comes to call the sick, I think he is thinking of the Pharisees too. I think he is thinking of their greed, rudeness, arrogance, superior attitude, and narrow mindedness as the greatest sickness of all. I think that Jesus, with his harsh words to the Pharisees, is actually calling them to follow him too. And some did. But others were so stuck in their pride that they just couldn't get past it. And I think that is the saddest thing of all.
At least those who were physically ill or in difficult straits knew they were in trouble. The Pharisees, with their high positions, nice clothes, and the respect of the people (before Jesus came) didn't see how much trouble they were in. So they just couldn't ask for help. Because they thought they were already in the right. They couldn't see how wrong they were. I think that is sad.
O God, please help me to always be ready to learn from you and not to get to the point where I think I know it all and need no help. For I've been there before and, in retrospect, those were the saddest parts of my life. Help me be poor, and so to know my need for you.
Those of us who go to church and read the Bible know the above answer fairly well. But I was thinking, surely Jesus didn't consider himself an equal or a friend of the Pharisees. But he would sit at their tables also.
I am coming to the conclusion that Jesus didn't hate each and every Pharisee as a person, but rather that he stood strongly against what they represented, the pride of knowledge, the pride of heritage, the pride of social status, and pride in general.
When he says he comes to call the sick, I think he is thinking of the Pharisees too. I think he is thinking of their greed, rudeness, arrogance, superior attitude, and narrow mindedness as the greatest sickness of all. I think that Jesus, with his harsh words to the Pharisees, is actually calling them to follow him too. And some did. But others were so stuck in their pride that they just couldn't get past it. And I think that is the saddest thing of all.
At least those who were physically ill or in difficult straits knew they were in trouble. The Pharisees, with their high positions, nice clothes, and the respect of the people (before Jesus came) didn't see how much trouble they were in. So they just couldn't ask for help. Because they thought they were already in the right. They couldn't see how wrong they were. I think that is sad.
O God, please help me to always be ready to learn from you and not to get to the point where I think I know it all and need no help. For I've been there before and, in retrospect, those were the saddest parts of my life. Help me be poor, and so to know my need for you.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Mark 7:20-23
There is a new movie coming out soon and a commercial for it said something like, "What if you could do anything you like?" implying that there would be no consequences. Well, I wondered about that and I thought if I could do anything I liked for even a day, I wouldn't put my foot in my mouth, I'd be kind to everybody because I really wanted to be not just because I should, I'd only think clean thoughts and have pure motives for everything I did and said.
But the movie clip immediately showed people doing things that normally would get them jail time or at least a severe reprimand from some people.
So when I read these verses, I pictured a person like a volcano, with all the things listed in the verses spewing out of the person. Yuk.
So, although I thought when I saw the clip, why do movies always say somehow it is good to do what you want but then always seem to interpret that as doing whatever you SELFISHLY want to do and ignore the effect the action will have on others or even on yourself, after reading these verses, I am not wondering why anymore. I am just praying for a new heart and a clean mind and the strength of the Holy Spirit in me to help me do what is good, the hardest thing I can think of to do consistently all day, every day. Help me, Lord.
But the movie clip immediately showed people doing things that normally would get them jail time or at least a severe reprimand from some people.
So when I read these verses, I pictured a person like a volcano, with all the things listed in the verses spewing out of the person. Yuk.
So, although I thought when I saw the clip, why do movies always say somehow it is good to do what you want but then always seem to interpret that as doing whatever you SELFISHLY want to do and ignore the effect the action will have on others or even on yourself, after reading these verses, I am not wondering why anymore. I am just praying for a new heart and a clean mind and the strength of the Holy Spirit in me to help me do what is good, the hardest thing I can think of to do consistently all day, every day. Help me, Lord.
Mark 6:55-56
I think it is cool in verse 55 that Mark tells us that the people, upon recognizing Jesus, RAN to get their sick. They RAN! Did they wonder how long he would stay? Other places it is clear that he traveled around a lot. He would heal people in a town and then leave to go to another place. He told his disciples that he came to tell many, not to stay in one place. So they ran.
But then I thought, would they have RUN if they thought there was no hope? If they thought Jesus was just a man and that he just taught nice things and gave them good ideas about how to live their lives and treat each other?
And would they have RUN to get their sick, carrying them (and people are HEAVY - I recently witnessed three strong men struggle to lift one person a few feet and that person wasn't over 150 pounds) some distance to where he was? I can't imagine lugging a person as far as even a block - I've never tried it (kids are heavy enough!). But they RAN.
I think they were pretty sure that Jesus was somebody special. They even begged him to JUST touch the EDGE of his cloak - not even to grasp it, or to hold on - but just to TOUCH. And they believed they would be healed - and they were!
They RAN. They lined the sick up in the main area of the town, the marketplace, and waited for him to pass by so they could just barely touch him. And they were all healed.
Imagine if I were really sick and my friends brought me all the way from my house out to the marketplace and Jesus walked close enough for me to just reach the edge of his cloak. Would I reach out and touch? Something to think about.
But then I thought, would they have RUN if they thought there was no hope? If they thought Jesus was just a man and that he just taught nice things and gave them good ideas about how to live their lives and treat each other?
And would they have RUN to get their sick, carrying them (and people are HEAVY - I recently witnessed three strong men struggle to lift one person a few feet and that person wasn't over 150 pounds) some distance to where he was? I can't imagine lugging a person as far as even a block - I've never tried it (kids are heavy enough!). But they RAN.
I think they were pretty sure that Jesus was somebody special. They even begged him to JUST touch the EDGE of his cloak - not even to grasp it, or to hold on - but just to TOUCH. And they believed they would be healed - and they were!
They RAN. They lined the sick up in the main area of the town, the marketplace, and waited for him to pass by so they could just barely touch him. And they were all healed.
Imagine if I were really sick and my friends brought me all the way from my house out to the marketplace and Jesus walked close enough for me to just reach the edge of his cloak. Would I reach out and touch? Something to think about.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Mark 6:30 - end
In Mark 6, Jesus is teaching a crowd of over 5,000 people. But it gets late and they are hungry and far from any town. Besides, the disciples of Jesus claim that it would take a small fortune to feed them all. Then Jesus takes what they have - 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish - and blesses it to feed the entire crowd (and even has a lot of leftovers!)!!!
Later on, in the middle of the night, the disciples are in a boat in the middle of the lake, working really, really hard ("straining at the oars"). They are trying to get to the other side but the wind is blowing them back to where they started ("the wind was against them"). Perhaps they weren't even making any progress at all! I remember when I was young, getting caught out on the lake in the evening with the wind against me. It was pretty scary because it often seemed like I was never going to get to shore. It was just so exhausting to fight the wind and the boat. And beside that, bats started flying over the water, flying low to get the bugs, but that meant they kept swooping at our heads! (I try not to think about that much - gives me the willies! - but I just thought of it while trying to picture the situation the disciples were in.)
I thought, how many times are we working so hard at life, trying to get where we are going and feeling like the winds of life are continually blowing us back to where we were. Discouraging. Most of the time we just put our heads down and work even harder.
The disciples were working so hard that when Jesus walked by the boat, they were very surprised. Tough, hard-working fishermen though they were, they cried out in fear, thinking he was a ghost.
Had they not been with him day after day? Had they not seen him do amazing things over and over? Had they not seen him just feed over 5,000 people with a tiny amount of food? But Mark tells us that they just didn't get it because their hearts were hard. They didn't get it that Jesus could do ANYTHING he wanted to do with the things of the earth. Apparently they forgot to ask for help and were just doing the work on their own, by themselves.
How many times have I been working hard on something, on my own, and am surprised by Jesus? How many times does he have to remind ME of his power and his ability to help?
Then, Jesus gets in the boat and the wind stops and they can go where they wanted to go. They are still doing the work, but Jesus made it possible. How many times have I remembered to ask Jesus to ride with me and saw the "boat" was much easier to handle. I need to remember this.
Jesus, please help me to ask you to ride with me, and if I forget, please help me see you coming on the water and take away my fear. Soften my heart so I can know it is you and so I can "see" what you are doing and are able to do in this earthly world. Remind me of your power and your love so I can have the courage to ride with you. Show me when I am "straining at the oars" when "the wind is against me" and to realize that when you stop the wind, I CAN do the work.
Later on, in the middle of the night, the disciples are in a boat in the middle of the lake, working really, really hard ("straining at the oars"). They are trying to get to the other side but the wind is blowing them back to where they started ("the wind was against them"). Perhaps they weren't even making any progress at all! I remember when I was young, getting caught out on the lake in the evening with the wind against me. It was pretty scary because it often seemed like I was never going to get to shore. It was just so exhausting to fight the wind and the boat. And beside that, bats started flying over the water, flying low to get the bugs, but that meant they kept swooping at our heads! (I try not to think about that much - gives me the willies! - but I just thought of it while trying to picture the situation the disciples were in.)
I thought, how many times are we working so hard at life, trying to get where we are going and feeling like the winds of life are continually blowing us back to where we were. Discouraging. Most of the time we just put our heads down and work even harder.
The disciples were working so hard that when Jesus walked by the boat, they were very surprised. Tough, hard-working fishermen though they were, they cried out in fear, thinking he was a ghost.
Had they not been with him day after day? Had they not seen him do amazing things over and over? Had they not seen him just feed over 5,000 people with a tiny amount of food? But Mark tells us that they just didn't get it because their hearts were hard. They didn't get it that Jesus could do ANYTHING he wanted to do with the things of the earth. Apparently they forgot to ask for help and were just doing the work on their own, by themselves.
How many times have I been working hard on something, on my own, and am surprised by Jesus? How many times does he have to remind ME of his power and his ability to help?
Then, Jesus gets in the boat and the wind stops and they can go where they wanted to go. They are still doing the work, but Jesus made it possible. How many times have I remembered to ask Jesus to ride with me and saw the "boat" was much easier to handle. I need to remember this.
Jesus, please help me to ask you to ride with me, and if I forget, please help me see you coming on the water and take away my fear. Soften my heart so I can know it is you and so I can "see" what you are doing and are able to do in this earthly world. Remind me of your power and your love so I can have the courage to ride with you. Show me when I am "straining at the oars" when "the wind is against me" and to realize that when you stop the wind, I CAN do the work.
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