Mark 5:1-20 Who Have You Given Up On?

Hi Chatterboxes, sorry I was AWOL yesterday! I wasn't quite abducted by aliens (see the "How This Works" page), but my computer was help hostage by strange and hostile programs that made it impossible to load a page. (And yes, I am now counting Internet Explorer among them! Thankfully, a Google-eyed knight in Chrome armor slayed that dragon!)

So anyhow, here's a passage for you to read. It's kinda creepy. But it's a good reminder that God can work in ANY circumstance, even the ones that seem impossible from a human standpoint. Is there someone in your life that you're in danger of giving up on? (Or maybe you're in danger of giving up on yourself?) Don't stop praying!!! No matter what the circumstances are, God is bigger.

Mark 5:1-20 (New International Version, ©2010)

Mark 5

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

 ¹ They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.^[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³ This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴ For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

 ⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

 ⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

   “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

 ¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

 ¹⁴ Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.¹⁶ Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷ Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

 ¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis^[b] how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Wow, what a testimony that guy had!!! I'll try to chatter more after work, but I've got a couple busy weeks here. So we shall see.

Mark 4:35-41 Jesus Calms the Storm

We have another favorite passage today: Jesus calming the wind and waves on the sea of Galilee. Boy, do we need to be reminded of this one over and over! "Why are you so afraid?" Good question!

Mark 4:35-41 (New International Version, ©2010)

Jesus Calms the Storm

 ³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  ³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
 ⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
 ⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

What's going on? (Who, what, when, where, why)

The way I read it, this is the evening of the day that he taught the parable of the sower from the boat out on the lake. Jesus suggests going over to the other side of the lake (maybe to avoid being mobbed when he tried to disembark, who knows), and they left then and there, without making any preparations. Other boats came too--I had never really caught that before. I think in the past I usually thought of just the twelve disciples and the crowds--I didn't give much thought to the larger assembly of disciples that followed him around as well. But they were significant--in Jesus' time and in the early church.

A storm comes up, the boat (and probably the other boats) take on water, and the disciples wake Jesus up saying "Don't you care if we drown?" Notice that Jesus doesn't scold them for waking him up--it was a perfectly appropriate response to a crisis situation. He scolds them for being afraid, which betrayed a lack of faith. Jesus speaks to the wind and waves, they quiet down, and the disciples stop being afraid. Now, they're terrified. But they're terrified of the right person.

What's the main point?

I think the main point is that  Jesus is Lord over creation. There is nothing outside his power.

How might this apply to my life?

Hoo boy. I don't know about you all, but I sometimes get worried and worked up about things. ;-) Actually, I think I'm improving in this area, but laying down worry is part of that ongoing surrender we need to practice in our walk with Christ. If we've surrendered our lives, circumstances, children, marriage, etc. to Christ, and we are trying to live how God has called us to live, and God truly is big enough to handle anything, then what are we worried about? Horrible things may happen--scripture is very clear on that--but horrible things happen anyway. God is in control, so there is no reason to live in fear.

Mark 4:26-34 Growing Like a Weed

Here are two more parables that talk about seeds, growth, and the kingdom of God. I think the kingdom of God aspect could use more research--what exactly does Jesus mean by this? I'm seeing the theme of growth, massive growth. This reminds me of a passage I was just studying in Daniel, where a boulder "not cut by human hands" crushes the earthly kingdoms and grows into a mountain that fills the whole earth.

I'm not going to comment too much because I want to wait until this evening, when I have time to really get out my resources and dig into this topic. The emphasis on the kingdom of God and Jesus' references to himself as the "Son of Man" have deep roots in the book of Daniel, so that's probably where I'll start my search. What is Jesus referring to when he talks about the "kingdom of God?"

And remember, we're a diverse group, and likely to have a whole lot of different opinions about this. The nature of the kingdom of God has been a rather controversial topic throughout history. That's okay, as long as we keep the letter to the Ephesians in mind--we are all one family, with God as our father, and our unity in Christ is more important than our doctrinal disagreements. Jesus Himself is foremost, not our beliefs and opinions about him. Sing it with me! "We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord...and we pray that all unity may one day be restored...and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love..." :-D

I'll fire up my Logos software tonight (super-cool software that has most of the major commentaries built in, and allows you to toggle between all the major English translations and the original languages), see what I can find out, and pass it along. Until then, chatter amongst yourselves!

Mark 4:26-34 (New International Version, ©2010)

The Parable of the Growing Seed

 ²⁶ He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸ All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹ As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

 ³⁰ Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. ³² Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”  ³³ With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. ³⁴ He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Mark 4:21-25 Don't Get Stuck Hydrating with a Dixie Cup

Today, we're looking at four short verses. Before you dive into, though, it might not be a bad idea to go back and re-read yesterday's verses, so you catch the context Jesus is saying this in. (If you're navigating to this page from Facebook or Twitter, just click on "The Chatterbox Commentary" at the top of the page, and it will take you to the home page where you'll find the last several posts.)

My original plan had been to include the two short parables that come after this, but I changed my mind, since this so clearly refers to yesterday's reading, and it could get easily get buried in the imagery of the next parables. Let's take a look:

Mark 4:21-25 (New International Version, ©2010)

A Lamp on a Stand

 ²¹ He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? ²² For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”    ²⁴ “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. ²⁵ Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

Okay. So, yesterday, we read about the farmer who sowed the word of God. The disciples ask Jesus why he always speaks in parables, and Jesus says:

“The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,
   “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
   and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

Huh? Doesn't Jesus want people to turn and be forgiven?

Jesus is quoting the book of Isaiah here, from the chapter 6:9-10, where Isaiah agrees to go to the people on the Lord's behalf. God is sending Isaiah, but is telling him right up front that the people won't understand or accept his message--otherwise, they would turn from their sins and be healed. This, I think, is what was actually happening in Jesus' time. God had enough of sending the prophets, and came himself, but the people still refused to accept the message or perceive what was going on.

Then Jesus explains the parable of the sower to his disciples (scattering the word on all different sorts of soils) and gets on to today's reading about the lamp. Verse 22 is a juxtaposition to the Isaiah quote: "For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed; whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open."

So Jesus is laying it all out there. He's scattering the seed on good soil and bad alike. He has put the lamp up on the stand, and people have no more excuse for living in darkness. He urges his disciples to listen carefully to what he says, because "with whatever measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away from them."

What does that mean? What's being measured out "according to the measure we use," what's being given or taken away?

If we look at the context, we find that it's the word of God. God is trying to speak to all of us, to impart truth, wisdom, and instruction. Some will receive it like the good soil, and it will produce good things in their life. The word will reproduce in their lives--they'll be given even more.

Some won't accept the word of God when it comes to them--they'll ignore God's truth, wisdom, and instruction. The seed lying on the hard, shallow ground will be whisked away by birds or wither when the heat is on.

Some will accept God's word, but only on a shallow, surface level. They'll look great for a while, but when the heat is on they'll wither, and won't produce a good crop. Some accept it, but allow everything else in their life to take precedence, choking out the harvest God wants to produce in them. They don't produce much either. Their measuring cup is filled with other things--they will only make room for so much of God's truth, wisdom, and instruction in their lives.

Application: Jesus has laid it all out there. Are you going to whole-heartedly embrace His truth, allow His wisdom and instruction to produce a crop in your life? Or are you going to be one of those people who hears what God is saying, but becomes so good at blocking it out, so skilled at ignoring the conviction the Holy Spirit, that you eventually don't even hear the truth anymore? Maybe it is drowned out by the stories and explanations and excuses you're making?

He who has ears, let him hear.

Don't brush God off. Don't ignore God's wisdom and instruction. It will only diminish your soul. And who wants a withered, stunted, or languishing soul?

Mark 4:1-20 What's the Dirt on You?

Uffda! Sick kiddo + Benadryl for mommy = one Chatterbox who overslept! Here's today's reading--I'll comment after work. Have fun--this is one of my faves!

Mark 4:1-20 (New International Version, ©2010)

Mark 4

The Parable of the Sower

 ¹ Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”  ⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
 ¹⁰ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables ¹² so that,
   “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
   and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’^[a]”
 ¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? ¹⁴ The farmer sows the word. ¹⁵ Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. ¹⁶ Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸ Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; ¹⁹ but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²⁰ Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Mark 3:20-34 Jesus' Family Stages an Intervention

There's a lot to unpack in today's verses. Here we see two very different groups of people--one with good intentions, one with bad--trying to shut down Jesus' ministry.

Mark 3:20-34 (New International Version, ©2010)

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law

 ²⁰ Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. ²¹ When his family^[a] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”  ²² And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
 ²³ So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. ²⁷ In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
 ³⁰ He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”
 ³¹ Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
   ³³ “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.
 ³⁴ Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

There are a couple things that I find particularly interesting about this passage.

First, Jesus' family stages an intervention, under the premise that he is "out of his mind." This is odd, because his mother, at least, knows that he is not exactly your average thirty-something man. In other places, you even see her asking Jesus to perform miracles, when he didn't want to yet--ie., turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. But obviously, what Jesus is doing is making them very uncomfortable.

This is pure speculation, but I wonder if the "out of his mind" part had as much or more to do with the danger he was putting himself in by going against the grain of the established religious leaders of the day than with concerns about his mental stability. I mean, I can see how his brothers might think he was didelusional, but still--he was performing all these miracles, and doing all these amazing things. That's not delusion--that's reality.

And then there were the Pharisees, who insisted that he was doing all those miracles because he was possessed by the prince of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. No big surprise in their negative response. But the reason it's notable is because this is where that "blaspheming the Holy Spirit" passage comes up. People talk a lot about the "eternal sin" of "blaspheming the Holy Spirit," and I've known people who are afraid that they could somehow commit this "unforgivable sin" by accident.

But look at what is going on here. Jesus is God in the flesh, doing the Father's work through the power of the Holy Spirit. But the Pharisees are saying it's Satan at work. They are saying that God is Satan, that God is evil--they are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. And you can never seek God's forgiveness or accept his salvation when you are insisting that God is not God, that God is anything less than God.

Application: Don't try to squelch the work of the Holy Spirit (like Jesus' family was trying to do), even when it makes you uncomfortable, worried, or embarrassed. And don't malign God's work in the world, even when it makes you feel uncomfortable, threatened, or you don't like the people who are doing it.

Wow. I'm finding lots of application in Mark about how we should treat our brothers and sisters in Christ. Good stuff--but I guess this means I can't make fun of TBN, LOL! What if we used all the energy we spent bickering with other Christians trying to reach out to those who aren't? What a revolutionary concept!

Mark 3:7-19

Super-quick post today, because I've got to get to work. I'll comment this afternoon--until then, talk amongst yourselves. :-D

Mark 3:7-19 (New International Version, ©2010)

Crowds Follow Jesus

 ⁷ Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. ⁸ When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. ⁹ Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. ¹⁰ For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. ¹¹ Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” ¹² But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.

Jesus Appoints the Twelve

 ¹³ Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed twelve^[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach ¹⁵ and to have authority to drive out demons. ¹⁶ These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), ¹⁷ James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Mark 2:23-3:6 The Sabbath Controversy

Hey, I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Thank you all for making the first week so fabulous--I LOVED reading all of your insights and taking part in the conversation!

A couple of you messaged me that you were having a hard time keeping up. *insert me clearing throat, lowering glasses and glaring at you librarian-style* Need I remind you that this is supposed to be FUN? It's okay if you can't comment in-depth on everything, or if you can't read or participate every day. In fact, there was at least one day where I didn't answer my own questions about a passage. Don't get me wrong, I love and value your participation, but no one is keeping score here, and even if they were, it would only be gold stars and lollipops for everyone who even glanced at the blog! Because God loves you, and gold stars and lollipops are how I roll. :-)

UNLIKE THE PHARISEES, who we'll be encountering again in this passage. I thought of posting these two passages seperately, to give those of you who want to dig into them more time, but they're on the same topic! And they're right next to each other! And it was too tempting!

Mark 2:23-3:6 (New International Version, ©2010)

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

 ²³ One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”  ²⁵ He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? ²⁶ In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”
 ²⁷ Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸ So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Mark 3

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

 ¹ Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. ² Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. ³ Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”  ⁴ Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
 ⁵ He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. ⁶ Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Share the Love!

Hey Chatterboxes! Thanks for making the first week so fabulous! I'm really enjoying studying together and hearing all of your responses. One of the neat things about this, in my opinion, is that we're getting a more diverse array of experience and knowledge than we might in a typical church-based Bible study. We come from different backgrounds, have read different books, heard different speakers, and studied the Bible from different perspectives, so we all have something so incredibly unique to add to the discussion! I love it!!!

Two things:

Thing 1: I know that some people don't have time to or feel uncomfortable commenting on a blog, so I've enabled "reactions" at the bottom of the posts--kind of like the "like" button on Facebook, only cooler, because I can customize it. (Gold stars and lollipops, anyone?)

Thing 1b: Also, we are all at different places in life, and have varying amounts of time and interest, so please don't feel that you need to post something long and profound just because someone else posted something long and profound. Long, profound posts are awesome! So are short comments along the line of "Love that passage!" or "Hi, mom!" or "Huh???"!

Thing 2: Right by the "reaction" buttons at the bottom of the posts are the "share" buttons, that automatically allow you to link the post to the social networks of your choice: Facebook, Twitter, etc. If you think your friends might be interested in reading along or joining in the chatter, repost! Who knows--it might be a good conversation starter.

Thanks again for all the great chatter!

Mark 2:13-28

Today we're looking at two short stories that deal with the Pharisees disapproval of Jesus' choice of friends and lifestyle. There's a whole lot to unpack here, but first I want to point out something about the literary form of this passage.

In the absolutely amazing, incredible, must-have book "How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth" by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, they talk about the interesting charge the Gospel writers had. They had to write a historical account of the life of Jesus, record the apostles' "memoirs'," to use a modern term, and also somehow preserve the teachings of Jesus--those precious proverbs, parables, and other sayings that had been handed down word-for-word from Jesus' mouth to believers half a generation later.

I think we're starting to run across some of the sayings of Jesus here--in my opinion, the author's purpose in these particular sections (to get ahead of myself) is to record things that Jesus said, moreso than the things Jesus did. Also notice that these passages seem to be grouped according to topic, not necessarily chronology. You'll notice passages beginning with "Some people came to Jesus," "One Sabbath day," "Another time," etc.

So see if you can pick out the sayings of Jesus in these passages, those little nuggets that are straight from the Master's mouth. People in the early church memorized them, passed them along, preached sermons on them, etc. Maybe we should do the same!

Mark 2:13-22 (New International Version, ©2010)

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners

 ¹³ Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. ¹⁴ As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.  ¹⁵ While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
 ¹⁷ On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

 ¹⁸ Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”  ¹⁹ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. ²⁰ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.
   ²¹ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. ²² And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

Have at it, ladies. What message do you think Jesus (and Mark) is trying to get across here?

Mark 2:1-12 Digging Down to Jesus

Today's reading is probably familiar to those of us who grew up with Bible stories and flannelgraph Jesuses. But wow, there's a lot to unpack in these verses! Let's have at it.

Mark 2

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

 ¹ A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ² They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  ⁶ Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ⁷ “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
 ⁸ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, ¹¹ “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹² He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Whenever you read something that you're really familiar with, there's a tendancy to gloss over things, get so caught up in what you THINK you're reading that you don't read what's actually there. So I read this a couple times, and DID see a couple things I had never thought about before.

What's going on (who, what, when, where,why):

Jesus is back in Capernaum, preaching the word and eventually healing a paralyzed man whose friends DUG THROUGH THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE to get him to Jesus. That's commitment, my friends. What if we were just as determined to bring our loved ones to Jesus?

But here's what I noticed--the text says Jesus was HOME in Capernaum. Huh? Jesus wasn't from Capernaum, he was from Nazareth. So what is this "home" they're talking about, and whose roof is being demolished?

Looking back in the text, I would assume they are talking about Simon (Peter) and Andrew's house. Now, it's not that unusual that you have two brothers living in the same house, but what IS interesting to me is that Simon Peter's mother-in-law lives there too. ??? As I understand it, sons commonly built on to the family home and lived there with their wife and children. But the fact that Simon Peter's mother-in-law lived with him AND Andrew is an interesting bit of trivia that I had never noticed or thought about before.

What is the author trying to say? 

I think Mark is trying to communicate the beginning of the strained (to say the least!) relationship between Jesus and the religious establishment of his day.

What's the main idea?

Hmm. I think the main idea communicated here is that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, and that we need spiritual healing more than we need physical healing.

Other questions:

Okay, so Jesus heals the paralyzed man to prove that the "Son of Man" has the authority to forgive sins. But he's still trying to keep his identity under wraps, not allowing the demons to talk because they knew who he was. So what was he saying when he refered to himself as the "Son of Man?" Was it a reference to his messiahship, or his humanity? And if it was a reference to his humanity, do humans have the authority to forgive sins? (I don't think so!) Or perhaps just proclaim the forgiveness of sins based on the other person's faith in Jesus? And if you want to be technical, wasn't he the son of a woman? (Okay, that's just silly, but I had to say it, LOL!)

But my big question is, what is Jesus saying by refering to himself as the "Son of Man"? If he's dropping hints that he is the messiah, then why is he silencing demons because they knew who he was? Did he want people to know at this point of time, or not?

How might this apply to my life?

I see two obvious things here. First, how determined am I to bring my loved ones to Jesus? How hard do I pray for my children? My friends? My family? Am I willing to work and sweat and get dusty and tired and dirty just for the privelege of laying my loved ones down at Christ's feet, and allowing him to control the outcome?

Second, DON'T BE A SELF-RIGHTEOUS SNIT so concerned with being right and correct about everything that I miss what God is doing right in front of me! God works in a lot of different ways, through a lot of different people, and who am I to judge the way my fellow Christians are ministering to others, especially if the fruit of their ministry is good? I'll be honest--there are Christians with whom I vehemently disagree about certain issues, and others who just plain piss me off. But instead of grumbling and stewing, I should be thanking God for the ways in which He is working through them.

Mark 1:21-45

We're going to look at slightly longer section of text today, containing three stories about Jesus healing people with spiritual or physical ailments. Remember to keep your questions in mind as you read: what's going on, what's the main idea, what is the author trying to say, and how might this apply to my life?

Mark 1:21-45 (New International Version, ©2010)

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit

 ²¹ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. ²³ Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”    ²⁵ “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” ²⁶ The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
 ²⁷ The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸ News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many

 ²⁹ As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. ³⁰ Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. ³¹ So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.  ³² That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. ³³ The whole town gathered at the door, ³⁴ and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

 ³⁵ Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ³⁶ Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷ and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”  ³⁸ Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” ³⁹ So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

 ⁴⁰ A man with leprosy^[a] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”  ⁴¹ Jesus was indignant.^[b] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
 ⁴³ Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ⁴⁴ “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” ⁴⁵ Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

I'm going to answer my questions here today, instead of in the comments section, for the sake for fair use copyright licensing. :-D

What's going on?

I'm not going to go through the entire who, what, where, when and why (because there are so many of them), but I think there are two main dynamics here. Jesus is preaching and teaching the people, and the people are discovering that he has spiritual authority, and can heal them. Verse 22 says that people were amazed at his teaching, but it seems that it was Jesus' ability and willingness to heal people that was drawing the crowds. They weren't clamoring for sermons, they were clamoring for relief.

What's the main point?

The main point that I got out of it is that Jesus has authority.

What is the author trying to say?

It seems to me that Mark is trying to show his readers how popular Jesus was becoming with the crowds, to the point that he couldn't even enter a town if people knew he was there, because he would be mobbed.

How might this apply to my life?

Wow. There are definitely times when I want a lot of things from Jesus, and Jesus is compassionate, and knows my needs. But instead of spending so much time fretting about my personal well-being, I should probably spend more time getting to know Jesus better, appreciating the fact that he wants to have a relationship with me, instead of focusing on me, me, me. I think I need to post John 12:22-31 on my wall--don't seek "stuff," seek God. Why? Because God deserves our focus and devotion, and besides, he knows our needs and has everything under control.

What bugged me about this passage?

Remember this question, from the How This Works page? Verse 41 bugged me. Here is this leper, falling to his knees at Jesus' feet, begging to be made clean, and Jesus is indignant? That doesn't seem like a very compassionate response.

So, I looked the verse up in a couple different translations, and the general consensus seems to be that Jesus was moved with compassion, sympathy, pity, etc. So the NIV's use of the term "indignant" seems to mean that Jesus was indignant about everything the man had suffered, not indignant toward the man himself. That makes more sense--I've definitely felt indignant about the things people have to suffer through at times, and can relate to that emotion.

What about you? What did you get out of this passage?

Walking Through the Wilderness

There were so many great comments in the Mark 1:1-13 post that talked about or alluded to the role "the wilderness" plays in our Christian lives that I wanted to open up a chance to talk about it more. The Children of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. Jesus spent 40 days there, surrounded by wild beasts and being tempted by Satan. And John the Baptist--he lived there!

But God sustained all of them while the sojourned through the wilderness, and even seemed to be with them in a special way--feeding the Israelites and guiding them with pillars of fire and smoke, sending angels to attend to Jesus, and pouring out an amazing measure of his Spirit on John, the man appointed to point the way to the Messiah. The time in the wilderness wound up playing a crucial role in their spiritual lives.

What about you? What role have those dry, desolate, and difficult places played in your life? Have they helped you find clarity? Made you aware of God's care and provision? Strengthened you for a coming task? Or just brought you to the end of yourself, so you could begin relying fully on God?

Let's chat.

Posting Problem Solved!

A couple people commented today that they haven't been able to post their comments to the blog. I looked into it and think that I've fixed it, so now the chatter can go on, unobstructed by technical issues (hopefully)! :-)

Mark 1:14-20

We have a short little section today, Mark 1:14-20. Remember to ask yourself questions about the text as you read through it: what's going on (who, what, when,where, why), what's the main idea, what is author trying to say, and how might this apply to my life?

Mark 1:14-20 (New International Version, ©2010)

Jesus Announces the Good News

 ¹⁴ After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵ “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

 ¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him.  ¹⁹ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰ Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

The thing that stands out to me most about this passage is the way in which Jesus' ministry compliments and completes John's. John was preparing the way, calling people to turn from their sins and get right with God, because the Messiah was coming. Then, after John is put in prison, Jesus begins preaching the same message--with a twist. John was preparing the way, but now Jesus says the time HAS come, the kingdom of God HAS drawn near, and it's good news!

I'll answer the questions in the comments section--if they don't get zapped again, LOL! Thanks for all your great thoughts and answers on the last post--we can all learn so much from each other!!!

Mark 1:1-13

Today we're reading Mark 1:1-13. You can read it in your own Bible, read it online at BibleGateway.com (a FABULOUS free resource that has all the major translations of the Bible in one place), or read it below. Remember the key questions we'll be asking as we read: What's happening (who, what, where, when, why), what's the main idea, and what do you think the author is trying to say, and how might this apply to my life? Feel free to chat about anything else that stands out to you, too.

Mark 1

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

 ¹ The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God,^{[b] 2} as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:    “I will send my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way”^[c]—
³ “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
   make straight paths for him.’”^[d]
 4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I baptize you with^[e] water, but he will baptize you with^[f] the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism and Testing of Jesus

 ⁹ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”  ¹² At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, ¹³ and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted^[g] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

The Gospel of Mark, the A.D.D. Disciple

The Gospel of Mark is a short, fast-paced account of Jesus' life, death, and ministry, originally written for the Christians in Rome. While the author didn't "sign his name" on the book, writings from other early Christians state that Mark (John Mark, according to most commentaries) wrote it, based on Peter's account of his years with Jesus. John Mark was the perpetual tag-a-long, traveling with Paul, Barnabas, and Peter at different times, and really cheesing Paul off when he ditched Paul and Barnabas in the middle of their first mission trip. (Paul got over it eventually, and who knows; if Mark had stuck with Paul, he might not have wound up working as Peter's interpreter in Rome, and the Gospel of Mark would not have been written.)

John Mark is kind of viewed as the A.D.D. disciple, and his punchy, action-packed writing reinforces this image. He is first officially mentioned in Acts 12, when an angel releases Peter from prison and he runs straight to John Mark's mom's house (her name was Mary, naturally--evidently, Mary was to 10 B.C. what Jennifer was to 1975), but there is good reason to believe that Mark was the young man who ran off naked when the officials came to arrest Jesus on the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14--and you thought the Bible was boring!) This is interesting not just because it gives you a glimpse into his life and personality, but because if this is the case, Mark was an eyewitness to many of the events he wrote about himself. He wasn't one of the twelve disciples, but he was one of the people who followed Jesus, even onto the Mount of Olives.

So here you have Mark, a squirrly Jewish kid from Jerusalem, all grown up and writing down Peter's (and his) account of Jesus' life, probably shortly after Peter was killed. Mark didn't want Peter's words to die with him, and must have been acutely aware of the fact that fewer and fewer eyewitnesses were left to pass on the words of an even more important friend and mentor: Jesus.

So let's see what Mark has to say, shall we? If he sat still long enough to write it down, it MUST have been important!

Happy 2011!

Happy 2011, everyone! I'm not big into resolutions myself--anything you HAVE to do has a tendency to become a drudgery, and not a passion--but here are some of the things I want to tackle this year:

First, I want to become a better mother, by being more mentally and emotionally present with my children. Life can get overwhelming, between school, work, and other projects, and it's too easy to tune out those high-pitched little voices--especially when you live in a cacophony of them! But some of those voices aren't so "high-pitched" anymore, and I wouldn't be surprised if by this time next year, I'll be looking up at my oldest, instead of down.

The plan: family reading times, and yes--gulp--I'm going to learn how to play the Wii. Hey, if I make them sit through the Chronicles of Narnia, it's only fair that I play Princess Peach in Super Smash Bros.

Second, I want to get better acquainted with the Bible. I've been learning all sorts of fascinating things in my studies, had a lot of "aha!" moments that make me want to go back and tear through the books again with my newfound perspective. The Bible--read it again, for the first time! :-P

The plan: chart out the individual books, so I can "see" the big picture unfolding, and have something to refer back to later. Has anyone ever shown you how to chart out a book of the Bible? (No one ever showed me, until I went back to college.) It's super-cool, and super-helpful!!! I'll explain how it works as we go along, so you can make your own charts, if you want.

Have a fantastic 2011, everyone! And please, if you insist on making resolutions, be kind to yourself! Because God loves you, and he wouldn't want anyone bullying you--not even yourself.