QT 11/30/2023 Mark 7:24-30, Do we ache to serve Jesus?

Mark 7:24–30 (ESV) —

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

 

NOTE: This is passage is best understood by a Jew but also gives a glimpse of the future ministry with Gentiles. The term "dog" is typically used by Jews to describe Gentiles. It can also be viewed as puppies, as opposed to scavengers (adult dogs). Jesus' ministry was to the Jews, and it was not time for it to spread to the Gentiles. He was already having a problem with crowds as expressed in the opening verse of this story. While the women doesn't necessarily express faith, her persistence shows her implicit faith. The intent was always the whole world, but that was the job of the Jews. It was always their job to be God's witnesses. With the rejection of Jesus by the Jews, that responsibility fell to the church, a new entity composed of Jew and Gentile. If I could summarize the key responsibilities of believers in Jesus Christ, it would be the following three (there is overlap among the three).

 

1. Make disciples (Matt 28:19-20)
2. Be a witness for Jesus Christ to a dying world (Acts 1:8)
3. Love God and love people (Matt 22:37-40)

 

I believe a disciple making disciples (1) does (2) and (3) as part of the definition of a disciple of Jesus Christ. I believe being a witness (2) means doing (3). And I believe loving God and loving people (3) should lead to (1) and (2). All three are inseparable to a true follower of Jesus Christ.

 

PONDER:

1. Are you a true follower of Jesus Christ or just a religious person?
2. Do the three key responsibilities ache at your heart? If not, you are religious and don't really know the savior.

 

PRAYER: Father, in these last days, help me to see opportunities to share my faith. Give me boldness and the words to share Jesus with others. I pray my life would express my faith in all that I do.

QT 11/29/2023 Mark 7:14-21, We need transformed hearts

Mark 7:14–23 (ESV) —

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

 

NOTE: It is easier to control what goes in the mouth than what comes out of the heart. I'm sure this "parable" (more properly, riddle) was discouraging to the disciples. They still had a works-focused mentality, and Jesus had just stripped away one of the works that they could most easily accomplish. It is interesting to note that the first seven items in the list of sins from the heart are plural in the Greek, and the last six are singular, suggesting the first seven are repeated acts, while the last seven are attitudes (Brooks, James A. 1992). The battle is within us, although that is not to mean that external factors do not contribute. Also, as suggested by Brooks, the heart is a symbol of the rational, intellectual, decision-making element in the bible. I would argue that it is also a symbol of the emotional and affectionate element as well. In other words, the battle is in our heart (mind). The flesh wages war against our heart (mind). And we must go to war against our flesh in the heart (mind). What does that mean? That is a difficult question. I suppose that what we feed our hearts (minds) matter. To the extent that we let trash in, we will trash our heart. The best cure is the word of God taken daily and in copious quantities through devotional times, bible study, regular reading, and scripture memory. I think the Doctor (Jesus) would write that prescription.

 

PONDER:

1. What am I feeding my heart?
2. Do I need a new prescription?

 

PRAYER: Father, continue to change and transform my thinking. May I not give into the flesh (keep me from evil), but may I become more and more like my savior.

QT 11/28/2023 Mark 6:53-7:13, The selfish responses to Jesus

Mark 6:53–7:13 (ESV) —

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

7:1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“ ‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

7 in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

 

NOTE: The passage at the end of chapter six and the passage that begins chapter seven go well together. They show the contrast in the people's response and the leaders' response to Jesus. Both responses are not completely correct, but they do offer interesting contrast and similarity. The people, wherever they see Jesus, rush to him (a good response), so that they can heal their sick (an okay response). There is nothing wrong with looking to God for healing but it is a slightly selfish response, because they are trying to remove a source of pain from their life, not necessarily meaning they want to become followers of Jesus -- they just want their lives to be easier. The leaders go to Jesus looking for some way to criticize him because his popularity threatens their position. Rather than being excited about his healing, they are skeptical … no, jealous. To them tradition is everything. They have memorized the moral laws. They know the reasoning (the Mishna and Talmud interpretations). They are comfortable with their upper class lifestyle. Yet Jesus' teaching and the confirmatory miracles threaten their whole lifestyle. The are selfish too, and want to keep their comfortable lifestyle and position. And they wanted to selfishly keep the people's devotion to their teaching.

 

Also, the leaders were more interested in the letter of the law than the spirit of the law. Technically, the ritual washing was more for priests than the people, and we see the influence of religion, i.e., more rules are always better (which is not true).

 

Additionally, the description of Corban, a gift given to God, allowed the participant to use the gift until death whereby it then passed over to the temple. The rule allowed the rich to avoid having to use their wealth to take care of their parents.

 

We are all selfish in various degrees (none good). And we need to take note of our actions and recognize the selfish act (even in giving or sacrifice, like, "to be seen"). We can't escape our selfish flesh, but recognizing it can help us to live less selfishly.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I see myself as selfish or have I "whitewashed" my actions?

 

PRAYER: Father, I am selfish even when I think I am not. Help me to see it in my everyday actions. Free me from myself. Help me to think through ways to truly give and sacrifice without being seen or known.

QT 11/27/2023 Mark 6:45-52, Walk the talk

Mark 6:45–52 (ESV) —

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

 

NOTE: They had just seen a miracle of food multiplied, but they missed the "who" in the previous incident. Maybe they were too close to Jesus -- they recognized the teaching, the miracles, the power, his relationship to God the Father, but they missed the "who is this man." They did not know that they traveled around with the Son of God, and by nature, the God of the universe. He can do whatever he wants to do (according to the Father's will). There are multiple miracles here. One, is Jesus seeing them out in the middle of the sea in the midst of a storm. The second is Jesus walking upon the water with no difficult caused by the storm. The third is the immediate cessation of the storm upon Jesus stepping into the boat.

 

I really can't be too hard on the disciples. How many times have I experience God's work in my life and then I worry when the next event hits me? I do it too regularly. My wife said something profound yesterday in regard to one of those events, "this time I am going to do it right and believe that God is in charge." That is a good lesson for me. Struggles are opportunities to truly live by faith and not just talk the talk.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I see struggles as an opportunity to walk the talk?
2. Do I forget God every time a new crisis occurs?
3. Do I show my forgetfulness of God by excessive worry?

 

PRAYER: Father, You know what you are doing and you will do whatever it takes to get a hold of people. Help me to trust you and let go of my worries. I believe you are working for good. I pray that I would not give in to worry, but I would trust you.

QT 11/24/2023 Mark 6:35-44, We need to give up being our own gods

Mark 6:35–44 (RSV) —

35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late; 36 send them away, to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down by companies upon the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

 

NOTE: This is an amazing miracle that Jesus accomplished at least two times. He created food out of nothing. What started out as five loaves and two fish, became 12 baskets of leftovers. The miracle may have been lost on the disciples, but it was not on the people. Later they would chase him around looking for more free meals. God created the earth out of nothing. God can create food out of nothing. In the days after the tribulation, until life settles down, we may be the distributors of God's food created out of nothing.

 

The obvious reaction of the unbelieving world is that the event did not happen. But at what point, with four gospels, and the impact in the first century do you realize that a "lie" would not have lasted. You can't start a movement with lies when there are so many eyewitnesses to the truth. Yes, many movements start today, but not with miracles and certainly not with dozens and dozens of different types of miracles. It has never happened before or after. None of the cults or religions can point to this level of miracles. Some have one miracle observed by few or none, but no movement has this many miracles observed by so many people.

 

We have to realize that this all happened, so what am I going to do with it?

 

PONDER:

1. Have I truly considered the impact of all the miracles of Jesus' upon his statements?

 

PRAYER: Lord, there is only one response to the historical record. It requires submission and repentance. You are who you claimed to be, the son of God whose mission was to save mankind by death on a cross. We must put our faith in you alone and give up on being our own god. We do not own our lives. They are yours and are meant to serve you.

QT 11/23/2023 Mark 6:30-34, Whose agenda am I on?

Mark 6:30–34 (ESV) —

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

 

NOTE: This is a great passage that all believers need to stop and meditate upon -- "whose agenda am I on?" The disciples were weary after their going out on missions. They needed time to talk to Jesus (and probably got some on the boat). But when they got to their desolate place, there was the crowd, i.e., "my agenda is thwarted." We have a couple of responses to this situation. Most fit under the first category of wanting my way (we sometimes call this rights) -- we can be angry; we can help but seethe inwardly; we can just leave believing ourselves are more important than others, etc. Now, I know some will take exception to what I said because we do need to take of ourselves. But we use that as an excuse to rarely sacrifice for others. You can only do it (sacrifice) so long before you collapse, but we can all certainly learn to sacrifice more our goals and desires. God's plan 'may' (sarcasm) be a lot better. The second category of responses is submission. In this category we accept the situation and look for the good in it. We seize the opportunity gratefully. We serve others joyfully. We see God's hand in the interruptions of life. We believe Romans 8:28 (RSV) —

 

We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.

 

Jesus chose this category of response, seeing the good and the opportunity, and sacrificing his agenda for the Father's agenda. He set an example to his disciples who were tired and a little grumble-ly (I made the word up), as we will see in the next group of verses.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I grumble at the interruptions to my agenda?
2. Do I see interruptions as opportunities for God to work good through me?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to be sensitive to interruptions. Help me to look and see if maybe you are doing something, and I am just being selfish. I want to submit to your will, and not be ruled by my will (agenda).

QT 11/22/2023 Mark 6:21-29, Let's fight the "right" battle

Mark 6:21–29 (ESV) —

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

 

NOTE: This text has some disagreement with Josephus' account and there appears to be a two-letter change by a copyist that has caused some problems over the issue of who is the girl. In one sense, it is not important, there was enough sin in the Herod household, that just about anyone would have wanted John dead. So let's forget about the textual criticism and turn to the question: what do we learn? A few things stand out. 1) Until we meet the Lord, we will face opposition, unjust imprisonment, and even death. God knows the truth. The world system is corrupt. Someday, we will be the rulers and judges in the new millennial. There will still be sin on the earth, and we will need to maintain justice in the sin-stained world. The good news is that we will be free from our bodies of sin, and we will not be tainted by sin. 2) The world can try to hide its shame and guilt through words like "pride" and "choice," but deep down they cannot escape their sin. What they did to John, did not free themselves, but only added to their guilt and pain. Sometimes winning is actually losing. 3) We can't stop being a witness because of the potential for false imprisonment. This is already happening in the political arena, where false imprisonments are occurring because people believe (politically) what is deemed wrong or false. Personally, we need to stay out of the political arena, no matter how much it bothers us. We need to get more involved in the spiritual arena, not matter the consequences. They will come after us soon, but it has not happened yet.

 

PONDER:

1. Where is my focus, in the political arena or the spiritual arena?
2. Does my heart ache more for those who are dying spiritually or because my political party is not getting what is wants?
3. In the last days, the church will experience apostasy. People will call themselves believers and be religious, but God only wants to spit them out of his mouth. Does that bother me, our fake religiosity?

 

PRAYER: Father, continue to give me boldness to stand up for your truth. I pray my conversation and my teaching would honor you. I pray that my actions and lifestyle would be consistent with the your word.

QT 11/21/2023 Mark 6:14-20, As we near the end, we must keep our lamps lit

Mark 6:14–20 (ESV) —

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

 

NOTE: Apparently, many people struggled with Jesus and who he was. Herod was a man deep in sin. Keeping John alive, even if he preached against him, probably made Herod feel he was in charge. Or maybe he thought this act of kindness might outweigh his other sins. For whatever reason, Herod (an evil man), liked listening to John, but still kept him in prison.

 

That sounds like our own sin. We know sin is wrong, but we like our sin. We are perplexed in how to deal with our sin. The key is repentance and starting over, no matter how often we fall. We must never give in to sin. We must never allow it a place in our soul, hidden away. We must run; we must flee; we must never try to control evil -- it is beyond our ability.

 

Someday, we will have new bodies. We truly will not be slaves to sin anymore. Our flesh will be gone. We will have "creature holiness," a state where sin is not even attractive to us and we will feel great. We will not be missing anything. Our joy and experience of joy will satisfy our souls.

 

"Someday" is coming soon. I can't say for sure, and would certainly not predict it, but I feel as if we are living in the last days. The end seems very close. We need to keep our lamps lit. We need to be prepared for the dark night which approaches.

 

PONDER:

1. What am I doing to keep my lamp lit?
2. Am I putting my lamp on a hill and uncovering it so that others can see?

 

PRAYER: Father, give me opportunities and boldness to share the truth of Jesus Christ to others. I pray for those in the world that I will "run" into. I pray they will hear my words, and I pray that they might repent of their sins and turn to Jesus in faith.

QT 11/20/2023 Mark 6:7-13, Trusting God when circumstance suggest otherwise

Mark 6:7–13 (ESV) —

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

 

NOTE: In some ways, this is a little like a parable. Rather than getting wrapped around the axle on the specific things one could and couldn't take, it is more productive to consider the reasoning. Clearly Jesus' training of his disciples and this exercise were intended to show the disciples their need for dependence upon God. They were going out with a message of repentance and healing. Jesus wanted them to depend upon God for their provision. They didn't need a lot of planning. They needed to trust in God. There is still a need for trust today, although I don't think these are commands for how to send missionaries out. And trust does not have to be limited to food, clothing, and shelter. Faith is learning to trust God, that he cares about me, that understands my situation, and that he is bringing about what is best for my life. I need to trust him despite circumstances that suggest otherwise.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I let circumstances steal my joy and my faith?
2. I'm not supposed to be stoic, life hurts, but I do need to keep my trust in God. How am I doing?

 

PRAYER: Father, I feel as if a lot is happening these days. There is a hecticness to life. Help me to step back, be calm, and trust your control.

QT 11/17/2023 Mark 6:1-6, Enjoying the wonder of Jesus

Mark 6:1–6 (ESV) —

1 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.

And he went about among the villages teaching.

 

NOTE: There are a number of observations one could make about this passage, such as why Jesus was referred to as the son of Mary, and not the son of Joseph? Also, why did they not know Jesus better? It is possible that as a craftsman (the better translation of tekton), that Jesus had been itinerant and so they did not get to know him. Also, why did God choose this occupation as opposed to many others? While all of these are interesting, the obvious one is that "familiarity breeds contempt." They were familiar with Jesus and his family and so they only saw him as an ordinary man. This lack of faith, combined with the rejection by the leaders, did not allow him to do many miracles. So they missed out on something because it was too common place. They were more interested in where and how he came to his wisdom and teaching. Cole (1989)comments,

 

“In this, they were not unlike our modern scientific age, which is much more concerned with the mechanical question ‘how’ than the theological ‘why’.”

 

In what ways are we like this? Has the change the Jesus made in our life become too common? Are his blessings too common? Have we lost our wonder and the thrill of the new creation?

 

PONDER:

1. Are we still thankful for the good things God is doing in our life, or have we forgotten our blessings and his work?

 

PRAYER: Lord, you are good and have been exceedingly good to me. Forgive me for not recognizing all that you are and have been doing in my life. I pray to enjoy the wonder of you.

QT 11/16/2023 Mark 5:35-43, Jesus' compassion for pain

Mark 5:35–43 (ESV) —

35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

 

NOTE: So much could be written and has already been written regarding this passage. Each time I read this and the previous one, I am moved to tears by the raw emotion of the events. In the previous passage, Jesus was delayed by a women, who for twelve years, had a bleeding problem. He was delayed in stopping the death of a young girl, twelve years old, who died on the doorstep of becoming a woman. The woman started suffering in the year this girl was born. The woman was dying and the young girl died. But on this day, twelve years from the start of the woman suffering and the girl's birth, both would meet Jesus, and would live. Of course, both are dead now, physically. The little girl needed to be fed, because her resurrection was not the resurrection to a new life. But soon, both will receive new bodies, incorruptible bodies. We don't know the faith of the little girl, but given the impact of Jesus on her parents, I have no doubt she comes to faith in Jesus.

 

This is where faith in Jesus shines. Jesus understood our pain and hurts. As God-become-man, he is uniquely suited to understand us. And he died for us because he loved us.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I believe that God truly understands my pain?
2. Or do I see God as outside of this world and some cosmic judge who only cares about my performance to his rules?

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for the simplicity and vulnerability of Jesus. He came and experienced our life in all of its ugliness in order to be a sympathetic high priest for us.

QT 11/15/2023 Mark 5:21-34, Trusting in God when it is hard

Mark 5:21–34 (ESV) —

21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

 

NOTE: This is a very emotional story, and is done very well by the Chosen miniseries (season 3, episode 5). The pain and humiliation of the woman is great. One cannot even begin to understand twelve years of attempted medical solutions. It is also emotional for Jairus who is in a great hurry to save his young daughter who is at the point of death, when the interruption occurs. We can all related to struggling with God's timing not matching our timing. Yet it reminds us that God is not unaware of what is happening. I believe Jesus' question of "who touched my garments?" was not because Jesus was unaware but was asked for the woman and everyone else's sake. It makes the story very real to those who would read it even today. God knows our life and he knows what is best, but it is difficult in our sin-marred world to believe. Everything seems so wrong, and it is. It has been wrong since Eve and Adam bit into the fruit that would make them like God, able to decide what is good and evil. They chose to be their own gods and we have inherited that choice. This world will only be right when we give up on being our own god, repent, and believe in God. Salvation is available in Jesus, we only need believe.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I truly believe God understand, God knows my situation, and God cares for me? Or are my words stoic religious verbosity intended to make me look good?

 

PRAYER: Father, I can't say I have learned this lesson yet. I struggle with your timing. I struggle with pain. But, I know intellectually that you have a plan and a future which far exceeds what I am experiencing now. Thank you.

QT 11/14/2023 Mark 5:14-20, People ask questions to deflect a serious look at Jesus

Mark 5:14–20 (ESV) —

14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

 

NOTE: The region, formerly part of the two-and-a-half-tribes of Israel, was on the west side of the Jordan. It was probably a mixture of Gentiles and Jews, mostly Gentiles. The pigs may or may not have been owned by Jews, so it is hard to say if there was a monetary perspective to their reluctance to Jesus staying. Later, he would return and receive a different response. Maybe, that was a result of the previously demon-possessed man's testimony. To be a witness for Jesus, we don't need all the answers, we really only need our own testimony -- how he changed our life. Most people's objections (questions) are not serious, only a deflection to avoid dealing with truth. Much like the people of the Decapolis who begged Jesus to leave their region, they did not want to deal with the truth of Jesus.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I let the fear of questions prevent me from sharing my testimony?
2. Do I have a prepared response to the deflector? Something like "I only know what Jesus did in my life, I do know that many people smarter than me have excellent responses to those questions if you are serious about knowing the truth." If they press you on where the information is, direct them to josh.org or apologetics.com

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray for courage and boldness to identify with Jesus and to share the miraculous change you brought about in my life.

QT 11/13/2023 Mark 5:1-13, The danger of the evil dimension

 

Mark 5:1–13 (ESV) —

1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

 

NOTE: We really don't understand the spiritual dimension. This man, or maybe I should say, these demons, were there soon after Jesus stepped off of the boat. They felt or were warned of his presence. They assumed that Jesus was there to torment them -- which is an extremely important insight into a fallen angel. They are probably tormented day and night by the fact that they revolted against God. And now seeing Jesus, they worry about additional torment. They understand, and at one time knew, God. They plead for mercy. I'm not sure what advantage going into pigs brought, or even, what was the alternative. In another passage, Jesus talks about a demon cast out and then coming back with seven others. Where do they go? When can they come back? We know their future -- the lake of fire, but how does it work today -- that we don't know.

 

What is the lesson? There is a spiritual dimension and there is a battle going on even now. We need to be very careful in these issues. The bible says to flee from sexual immorality and cultic practices. But for some reason, we prefer hanging around the campfire.

 

PONDER:

1. Are there evil things in my house that need to be thrown away?
2. Are there activities that I need to avoid?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to be sensitive to evil. Help me to see the schemes of the evil one. Give me strength to say no when tempted to sin, as Jesus taught us to pray -- lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil.

QT 11/10/2023 Mark 4:35-41, Do I believe God cares?

Mark 4:35–41 (ESV) —

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

 

NOTE: There are three rebukes in this passage. First, the disciples rebuke Jesus for seeming not to care that the storm may kill them. Second, Jesus rebukes the storm as if it was a child responding to his parent. And then Jesus rebukes his disciples for their fear. They did not understand who he was and they certainly didn't understand the most important aspect of faith and that is to believe God loves me and cares for me. He knows what is best for me. They were correct in going to Jesus for help, but their questioning his care for them showed a lack of faith. And finally they are really afraid, because they were sharing a boat with someone who had the unbelievable power and they had the audacity to rebuke him. This is almost an "Isaiah-woe-is-me-moment" -- I am in a boat with God, and I am a sinful creature.

 

PONDER:

1. True faith is believing God cares even when everything is falling apart -- do I have that faith?

 

PRAYER: Father, I can't criticize the twelve. I have been in that boat for what seemed like a long time. The storm did not want to end. I despaired of life. And you rescued me in your time. Even today, I would not wish to repeat the experience. Have mercy on me.

QT 11/9/2023 Mark 4:30-34, Protecting truth

Mark 4:30–34 (ESV) —

30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

 

NOTE: It is interesting that we only get one of the explanations (the four types of soil), but many more of the parables were explained (it says everything) to the disciples. In the parable of the four types of soil, the bird was identified as Satan, who comes and snatches away the word. In this parable, a small seed grows to a large tree. Fruchtenbaum believes the tree to be Christendom and sitting in the branches of this large tree is the enemy. And that is certainly true now as it was in Paul's time, where false teachers slipped into the church and took advantage of the weak-willed.

 

There are birds (enemies of God) nestled in our churches. They look religious and do all the right things for appearance sake, but they worship a different god. They have accepted the culture of the world and rejected God's word on many issues, creating idols right in the church. Paul told us to be on the watch for false teachers. They attend our love feasts and have communion with us, but they are blemishes. There gluttony and selfishness reveals that there true love is their self.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I hold to God's word as true or do I substitute human wisdom and philosophy?

 

PRAYER: Father, protect us from the world. We do not to be a bird used by the enemy to destroy the church. Help us to keep our focus on truth and on your word.

QT 11/8/2023 Mark 4:26-29, The harvest is near

Mark 4:26–29 (ESV) —

26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

 

NOTE: The first thing to note is the phrase "is as if" meaning that parts of the parable are similar but some parts are definitely not. I think the difference is probably in the scattering and also ignores the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing conviction to our soul. The sameness is that salvation results in change. The change is both surprising and gradual. The seed appears to do nothing, and then a blade appears out of the soil where there was nothing. Then more changes are seen until it is full grown. But at this point, the harvest, I think the parable probably has more to do with the church and not an individual. The church appeared out of nowhere. It has been growing throughout time. But at some point, when the church has done all that it can do, the harvest will happen.

 

The only problem with fitting this with today's time is that the church has not reached an apex, but rather has withered and turned to apostasy, mixing the world and what is holy into an unholy concoction. The remnant of true believers still exist, but we are badly compromised. We don't take our mission seriously. We have fallen in love with this world. The harvest is getting nearer each day. The world turns to evil solutions for answers, and yet we have the answer. O, how we need to be bold to share the truth.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I shrink back in the face of statements of the culture?
2. Do I stand up and share God's truth?

 

PRAYER: Father, give me the words and the boldness to stand up and share truth. Let me not shrink back.

QT 11/7/2023 Mark 4:21-25, Being faithful with what God gives

Mark 4:21–25 (ESV) —

21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

 

NOTE: I think this passage shares three similar thoughts. First, God is expecting us to stand up, stand out, and show the world what he has done in our life. We are not to hide away. Life was not given to be hidden. Second, as you exercise responsibility to stand up, identify with Jesus, and use your gifts, God will give you even more opportunities. Third, if you hide away, don't use the opportunities, or don’t use gifts God has given you, God will not use you, even taking away what he has previously given you.

 

If you will not serve God, he will find another. And then the question becomes, what are you doing if not serving?

 

PONDER:

1. Am I using what God has given to make his name known?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to be faithful to you in all that I do. I don't to waste the resources and gifts that you have given to me.

QT 11/6/2023 Mark 4:13-20, What is my response to God's word?

Mark 4:13–20 (ESV) — 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

 

NOTE: Over the years, I have debated with myself which soils represent believers and which unbelievers. And I think that might be reading into the parable too much. The point of the parable is to show four responses, three negative and one positive. The three negative responses are biblical principles. The first, Satan snatches the seed. Our enemy is Satan. The second response, is a shallow reaction where our flesh and emotions respond, but not fully. Our enemy is the Flesh. The third response is the interaction of our heart where the word is crowded out because of things of the world, things we prefer over walking with God. The third enemy is the world. So we have three enemies: Satan, flesh, and the world. The good soil does not have these issues. It is not hard soil, it is deep soil, and it is not full of weeds. How do we prepare good soil? We prepare good soil by understanding how Satan tempts us, the weakness in our flesh, and the world's lures.

 

PONDER:

1. Have I hardened my heart to any sins, allowing Satan a foothold?
2. Have I responded emotionally, but not willfully? In other words, do I feel I ought to change but I make no specific effort with the Holy Spirit to change? In this case, the person prefers to be shallow.
3. Have I accumulated so much, that God is crowded out of my life? Am I worried about many things because I have many things?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see how I can improve my soil so that I can be a better witness for you in these last days.

QT 11/3/2023 Mark 4:10-12, Things are changing, and are we ready?

Mark 4:10–12 (ESV) —

10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that

“ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive,

and may indeed hear but not understand,

lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”

 

NOTE: Some have suggested that the use of parables increased or became predominant after the rejection by the religious leaders of the messianic miracles. Phrases like "this generation," and the need for faith to heal, and the telling of parables all start to characterize Jesus' ministry. The rejection of Jesus as the messiah ultimately causes God to put his plan for Israel on hold. Individuals could still come to saving faith, but the nation has been put on hold -- in essence, the 70th week was delayed, and the church age (a mystery in the OT) begins. I wonder if that 70th week is coming soon. Recent events in the Middle East suggest that some type of larger peace treaty will be required to prevent world war three from happening. If that is the case, the rapture is even sooner.

 

PONDER:

1. What am I doing now that would need to change if I knew the rapture was very close? Hopefully, the answer is nothing different than what I am already doing

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray I would use my days wisely. I pray for you to provide for all of my needs, and that I would continue to minister to people until the end of my life.