Thursday, May 26, 2022
Mark 2:23-28
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Mark 2:18-22
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Mark 2:13-17
Today's story is about spiritual healing which begins with the forgiveness of sin. The problem is we can not heal ourselves, only the Lord can do that. Levi, also known as Matthew, became the disciple who penned the gospel according to Matthew. Before he met the Lord Jesus, it did not appear that his life would turn out as it did.
In Matthew's gospel, Matthew quotes the Old Testament more than any of the other gospel writers. This tells us he was well-trained in the Old Testament scriptures. Matthew was probably of the tribe of Levi and he was dubbed to be a priest. But, he was so disgusted with the religion of his day, he was a rogue who did not want to be a "religious" person. He did not want to join the priesthood, so he became a tax collector.
The last thing a Jew, in good standing, would say to a tax collector, is the first thing the Lord Jesus said to Levi: "Follow Me and be my disciple." By including Matthew on His team, the Lord Jesus risked bringing discredit to Himself in the eyes of the religious establishment. But, since when did the Lord Jesus allow anyone other than His heavenly Father to define Him.
It all began when Levi invited the Lord Jesus to his house for a meal. Levi also invited his other tax collector friends. In that day & culture, sharing a meal with someone meant sharing life with them. One didn’t recline at a table with sinners and tax collectors; one reclined only with those who were the upstanding in the community. Above all, if you preached the kingdom of God, you didn’t recline at a table with tax collectors and sinners. To do so meant you were aligning yourself with the wrong people.
In v.16 of today's passage we read, "But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”"
For the third time in Mark’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus enters a house. When the religious folk saw the Lord Jesus at Matthew's table, they were beside themselves. They reasoned the Lord Jesus to be a fraud because He spent time with such sinners. In fact, this was the issue that led to their rejection of the Lord Jesus in the end. For the One who claimed to be the most holy and righteous, to be most comfortable with sinners, in the religious mind, proved Him to be a fraud.
You will remember when the Lord Jesus healed the leper, He restored him to community. When the Lord Jesus dines with tax collectors and sinners: he restores them to community, as well, if they are willing of heart. The Lord Jesus brings together sinners and disciples and seats them at the same table. In doing so, He gave a glimpse of heaven.
The Lord Jesus heals us by calling us into a deeper relationship with Him. In so doing, He extends to us His forgiveness, inviting us to be part of His community. He does not exclude so-called healthy people, whom he equates here with the righteous. Obviously, this was a slap at the "self-righteousness" of the religious. Biblically speaking, the righteous are not those who live perfectly but those who belong to God through their faith in Him. The Lord Jesus did not need to call those who already belonged to God. He came to call those who were sick and of need of spiritual healing.
Monday, May 23, 2022
Mark 2:6-12
We live in a world that doesn’t attribute its problems to sin. Denial, however, doesn’t make sin go away. Many who deny the existence of sin think the problem is ignorance and the answer is education. They reason that if everyone were educated, the world’s problems would go away. But, some of the smartest people commit the most heinous crimes.
Some of us deal with sin with self-condemning thoughts. Nothing cripples like shame and guilt. We don’t trust the Lord Jesus to deal with our sins; therefore, we punish ourselves. All we succeed in doing this, however, is feeling bad about ourselves. There is a good aspect to guilt, though. Guilt is the nerve ending of the soul. It can serve to drive us to the Lord.
Some of us prefer self-help. We recognize some inadequacy in ourselves and resolve to do better. Or we are over inflated in our abilities and we discover, at some point, we do not know everything. Or, we brilliantly get to the place where we go to God with our questions.
It is only the Lord Jesus who can effectively address our real problems. The forgiveness that He offers works its way into our hearts to liberate us in the deepest parts of our being. Only the Lord Jesus can offer God’s forgiveness. Just as He exposed the flawed reasoning of these religious leaders, the Lord Jesus also challenges our faulty methods of dealing with sin. He shows us, through His Holy Spirit and His Word, the ineffectiveness of our solutions.
Oftentimes, God allows sin to do its life-wrecking work in us so that we might turn to Him. The real problem is that we’re sinners, and the real solution is His forgiveness.
After addressing the religious leaders, the Lord Jesus resumes giving his full attention to the paralyzed man. In v.11, He commands him to get up and go home so that the religious leaders and everyone else can see that he has been healed. The man’s healing served as confirmation for all who could see that his sins had been forgiven.
Friday, May 20, 2022
Mark 2:1-5
Previously, the Lord Jesus left Capernaum because His popularity was on the rise and so many wanted to get to Him. In fact, He had to withdraw to a lonely place. In addition, the people were too enamored with His miracles that they were in danger of missing His message. When the gospel becomes the servant of the miraculous or the entertaining, we must follow the example of the Lord and reevaluate.
As a result of the hustle and the bustle of the crowd, the Lord Jesus chose to spend a few days in a lonely place. No doubt, as before, He spent a lot of time in conversation with His Father. When He returned to Capernaum, the Lord Jesus stayed as He had before with Simon Peter and his family. It didn't take too much time for the people to discover He was back in town. It was at Simon Peter's home that many gathered to hear the message of God from the Lord Jesus.
Now, houses in that day were constructed with flat roofs, and, a set of stairs on the side of the house allowing access to the roof. These roofs were usually made by laying timbers across the top of the house, and then, covered by a layer of branches. The branches were covered by a layer of clay tiles, and finally, a thick layer of mud was placed on the very top. All of that was torn out in order for these men to get their helpless friend to the Lord Jesus.
Instead of rebuking these men for tearing open the roof of the house and interrupting His sermon, the Lord Jesus brings attention to their faith. There is nothing more important to the Lord Jesus than the development of our faith in Him. You see, it is not the quality of our faith that impresses God, the only thing that impresses Him is the object of our faith.
Most consider it odd that the Lord Jesus didn't address the man's paralysis first. But, that day He went deeper. You see, deeper than our physical needs are our spiritual needs. This man had to be made right with the Lord in order to really appreciate the physical healing that eventually came. It would have been a tragedy had he been healed physically and remained in his sin. The Lord didn't address this man's paralysis first, He addressed the root of his paralysis. He addressed his eternal problem of sin.
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Mark 1:40-45
Today's story is about a man with a very contagious skin disease. Those who had this disease were called "the walking dead." Once this man was diagnosed to having had this disease, he was separated from community, and, when he was within 50 paces from anyone, he was required to loudly yell out to all around him "unclean, unclean" to keep them safe from him. According to Leviticus 13 the Lepers were kept outside the camp, and they were very lonely people.
Like this man, we all want to belong. True belonging only happens when we ask the right questions and we embrace our authentic, imperfect selves. Belonging is the essence of life. Everything else rests on it. Every other gift celebrates it, in its own way. We belong to God. And, until we see that, we will never know our place in this world or the one to come.
The Lord Jesus was moved with compassion for this highly diseased man, and so, He touched him. In that touch, the Lord Jesus gave that man the greatest amount of value ever. In addition, He granted the man the greatest amount of belonging, as well. The Lord Jesus has always been known to touch the untouchable. He has always had a heart for the unlovable.
The Lord Jesus was also moved with compassion to speak with this man, pronouncing to him the greatest words he had to that point ever heard, "Be healed." Here was a man who had not experienced a human touch in who knows how long. If he was married, he hadn't felt the embrace of his wife, or his children for a long, long time.
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Mark 1:35-39
As a result, Simon Peter and some others went to look for the Lord Jesus to inform Him that folks back in town were asking for Him. Unlike most, the Lord Jesus didn’t need popularity to uphold His identity. His identity didn’t depend on public approval. His definition came from the Father. And, this is why He is the servant. He is whole, and His completeness enables Him to not be defined by the lesser.
In v.38-39 we read, "38 Jesus answered, 'We should go to other towns around here so I can preach there too. That is the reason I came.' 39 So he went everywhere in Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and forcing out demons.'"
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Mark 1:29-34
The Lord Jesus took Peter's mother-in-law by the hand and helped her off of the bed and the fever was gone. The healing of Peter's mother-in-law illustrates, yet again, the Lord Jesus has total sovereign control over the spiritual and physical worlds. The Lord Jesus rebuked the fever, and, there was no recovery time needed. He not only healed her from the fever, but also healed her of the weakness that accompanies fevers. The Lord Jesus made the command and the sickness immediately was gone. After the fever left Peter's mother-in-law, she went to serving others.
In context, Mark records this story for us, so that we would see the compassion and power of the Lord Jesus who ministered to all according to His will. As is clear, His compassion and power was not reserved for only the big cases that day, His compassion and power was for all who were willing enough to avail themselves to Him. This is the key to it all, our willingness of heart for His will to be done in our lives. And this is what enables us to endure hardship, because we know that even the hardships have purpose.
After the Sabbath and after the sun set on that Saturday, the Lord Jesus ministered to the various needs of the people. Mark tells us in v.33 that the whole city gathered at their door bringing with them all who were sick and demon-possessed. During the Sabbath, the people were not allowed to travel, at least those who lived a considerable distance away, and wanted to get help from the Lord Jesus for their ailments. Once the sun set and the Sabbath was over, the next day had begun, and, the people were free to travel to the Lord Jesus.
The next to the last phrase in v.34 of today's passage reads, "... he would not let the demons speak..."
Monday, May 16, 2022
Mark 1:25-28
Today, we return to our study of Mark 1. The events of this particular Saturday began as the Lord Jesus and His disciples went into the synagogue in Capernaum. While teaching there, a demon possessed man interrupting the Lord Jesus. This was the first recorded miracle by the Lord Jesus in this gospel account, and, it set the stage for the purpose for which He came: to free us all from the bondage of Satan. Four of Christ's thirty-three miracles involved the casting out of demons.
The teaching of the Lord Jesus was so piercing that the demon was tortured by the truth which turned the demon-possessed man to the Lord Jesus. This is the purpose of truth, to turn us away from evil and error and to turn us to the Lord. As C.S.Lewis reminded us, "We never know how much we really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to us."
When this demon was confronted by the Lord Jesus, he was forced to leave this man. Even though the evil spirit was reluctant to go, he left immediately. The only name demons have ever feared is the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who sets us free from the influence of the evil spirit world. As a result, within hours, the news about Jesus spread like a flame all through the area.
Friday, May 13, 2022
Mark 1:21-24
Click here for the Mark 1:21-24 PODCAST
21 Jesus and his followers went to Capernaum. On the Sabbath day He went to the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught like a person who had authority, not like their teachers of the law. 23 Just then, a man was there in the synagogue who had an evil spirit in him. He shouted, 24 “Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are—God’s Holy One!” ~ Mark 1:21-24
Capernaum was the hometown of brothers, Andrew and Simon Peter. It was a city of about 10,000 people. Ten miles from Capernaum was Tiberius which was famous for its mineral hot springs. These hot springs had medicinal properties, and, the people came from all over the area to bathe hoping to be healed from their ailments. As we shall see, the Lord Jesus performed many miracles in this seemingly insignificant area up north.
According to v.21 of today's passage, there came a day when the Lord Jesus went into the synagogue and taught the people. Teaching is the primary means by which the Lord Jesus liberates us. It is in the changing of our minds to think as He, that we are truly set free from the false. And, the most preferred way of the Lord to change our minds is through the verse by verse teaching of His word.
According to v.22 the people were amazed at the teaching of the Lord Jesus because He did not teach like their religious teachers. The people were familiar with truth but they had moved so far from it that they were amazed when they were confronted by it. As we have, they discovered the words of the Lord Jesus were full of life. This is why you and I are drawn to His words when we hear Him. They understood that the Lord Jesus knew the secrets of life. This means that we must measure everything by the truth, what the Lord Jesus has said about any subject.
For 2000 years we have possessed the complete answer to the restless and fruitless yearning of the human soul. In His Word, God has given us the tools we need for a satisfying life. This is why the people in the synagogue at Capernaum that day were amazed at His teaching. His words are always pregnant with truth that resonates within the human soul.
According to v.23-24, the Lord Jesus taught with such insight that a demon who had possessed a man was tortured by the truth that He spoke. This is what caused the demon to lash out at the Lord Jesus in a fit of rage. As we will see, when this demon was forced to leave the person he was inhabiting, he left reluctantly. But he had to go, as we shall see because he was confronted by a superior power. This is the first of seven times in the Gospels that the Lord Jesus cast a demon out of someone.
Throughout all of time, the only name demons have ever feared is the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the first of at least 3 times when demons identified the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. In the demonic world, unlike the world of sinful men, there are no atheists! These demons knew exactly with whom they were dealing and that gives credence to the identity of the Lord Jesus as God.
So, in v.24 of today's passage, a pattern is established that will continue throughout Mark’s gospel: the demonic world never failed to identify the Lord Jesus for who He is: the Son of God. The forces of evil have always known His identity and they are often not quiet about it. Today's passage reveals it was the goal of Mark to tell and to show us the identity of the Lord Jesus. This only reinforces the fact that the Lord Jesus is the sovereign God and we can trust Him with our very lives. And, like the very first disciples, when we see Him for who He really is, we will be known as His disciples.
Discipleship is different for all of us. God taylors the truth for us for where we are in our development. He doesn't change the truth, but He trains us all differently by it. This is what I mean when I say He taylors the truth for each of us. God formed each one of us lovingly and intentionally. We are not just "accidents-of-nature." In fact, God caused, involved and utilized unique purposes, plans, and designs that led to our existence.
According to Psalm 139, God was and is personal involvement in making each of us. In Psalm 139 certain phrases are used to capture the idea of God's nurture and creativity when He fashioned us in our mothers womb. He used phrases like "knit together" and "fearfully and wonderfully made" and "woven together" to communicate this idea. God created us with certain purposes and destinies in mind. He even determined the number of days we would live on this earth. And, God's ultimate purpose for our lives is that we would bring glory to Him by enjoying a personal and eternal relationship with Him, now.
Unfortunately, there are many who are convinced that their life is not important or are useless. Some even consider themselves a burden to society, thinking it would have been better if they had never been born. Nothing could be further from the truth! God has created each of us in a way that is unique and special. Each of us is designed in a way that no one else is, and, God desires to accomplish His good works in each of us and through each of us for the good of others.
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Mark 1:19-20
Click Here for the Mark 1:19-20 PODCAST
"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." ~ Mark 1:19-20
Today, we come to the call of the sons of Zebedee. The call of the Lord upon James & John to be His disciples was much like the call of brothers, Simon Peter & Andrew. In both cases, the Lord Jesus walks along the sea of Galilee and invites them to follow Him. The difference for James and John is that they left their father and the family’s hired servants. For James and John, the call of the Lord Jesus took precedence over both family and wealth.Following the Lord Jesus Christ not only means submitting to His vision for our lives, it also means allowing Him to correct our understanding of life as we learn to walk with Him. The Lord Jesus will overturn our preconceptions of what He is all about and open our eyes to see life as He defines it. The Lord Jesus tells us to follow Him in order to give us His vision for our lives. He took fishermen and turned them into fishermen of a different kind. Like them, this call from the Lord Jesus connects with our experiences, our natural makeup, and resonates with our natural passions.
In order for this to happen, we must first present ourselves to Him, daily. This means we must make it our habit to listen to Him while reading His Word and as we live our every day lives. If we spend time with Him, He will share His passion with us. After a while of this, we will begin to recognize His impact on our lives and we will care about what He cares about.
In addition, we must be diligent to watch for opportunities with people whom He brings into our daily lives. Learning to be sensitive and attentive to "coincidences" that have His fingerprints all over them is a must for the disciple in the making. As a result of sticking close to the Lord Jesus, He’ll put the right things on our hearts and get us moving in the right direction at the right time. He will shape us for His call on our lives. He is our Shepherd who will lead us in the way of our every day lives with Him.
In Mark 1:14-15 the Lord Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God. If we didn't have the other gospels, we would think that the Lord Jesus was just walking by the Sea of Galilee and happens to come across some men fishing. He calls out to these men to follow Him & they walk away from their livelihood in order to follow Him. But, when we compare the other gospels to Mark's, we learn that this wasn't Peter's first encounter with the Lord Jesus.
In John 1:35-42 we discover that Peter & Andrew had already met the Lord Jesus. They had profited from the ministry of John the Baptist and they had accompanied the Lord Jesus at a wedding in Cana. In John 1 the calling of the disciples was a call to believe in Christ for salvation, the initial forgiveness of sins. A year later, here in Mark 1, we see that this is a different call. This is the call of the Lord Jesus to these men to follow Him as His disciples.
Discipleship happens in our lives after we have been forgiven of our sins and we have entered into a relationship with the Lord Jesus. Discipleship is another word for sanctification. Discipleship happens after justification and within sanctification. Lacking the understanding that a year goes by from John 1 to Mark 1 has caused many to not understand the difference between justification (forgiveness of sin) and sanctification (the process whereby we learn that His way in this life is better than ours). This lack of understanding has caused most of the heresy that has been born in the church since the time of Christ.
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Mark 1:16-18
In step one, the children began their study at age 4 or 5, memorizing the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. In step two, the best students continued their studies being taught by a Rabbi of the community. During this time, they memorized the whole Old Testament until they were fifteen years old. In step three, the students received permission to study with a famous Rabbi leaving home to travel with him for a lengthy period of time. In step four, if the student learned well, the Rabbi would place his Yoke or his teachings on the student.
Now, according to Mark 1:14-15, the Lord Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God. The Lord Jesus calls out to these men to follow Him & they walk away from their livelihood. According to John 1, Simon Peter and Andrew had already met the Lord Jesus. They had profited by the ministry of John the Baptist. In addition, they had accompanied Jesus at a marriage in Cana, and they accompanied Him at the Passover in Jerusalem. In John 1 the calling of the disciples was a call to believe in Christ unto salvation.
A year later, here in Mark 1, we see the call of the Lord Jesus to these men to follow Him as His disciples. Here, in Mark 1, the emphasis is on discipleship. Many use the term "disciple" as synonymous with that of a Christian.
As Mark 1:16-18 illustrates, there is a difference between a Christian and a disciple, just as there is a difference between our justification and our sanctification. When we follow the Lord Jesus, He defines and shapes us. He defines and shapes us for purposes that perfectly suit his plan for our lives. Following the Lord Jesus means submitting to His definitions of all things and vision for our lives. The mission isn’t dependent on us, it’s dependent on the Lord Jesus, who takes upon Himself the task of transforming the disciple into a fisher of men. He does not ask us to transform ourselves; He asks us to follow Him. And, if we follow Him, He will transform us. This is a process that doesn't happen over night.
Now, if we embrace the Lord Jesus’ acceptance of us, the world’s acceptance of us will shrink in importance to us. We will be increasingly liberated to offer our authentic selves to the world. And, like the disciples, we will eventually bless the world with our authentic selves the Lord Jesus is liberating.