Mark 9:30-37 “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (verse 35.) This is basic Christianity. Christianity 101. And yet so many Christians keep flunking out of this most basic of courses. This is because, unlike simply memorizing the Creeds or a catechism, this course is a practical course, and the entire “grade” is based on the dreaded “lab practical” exam. Jesus, the Master Teacher, has tried to teach us this before. ... Read more
Mark 9:14-29 Today we hear another lesson about the growth of the disciples of Jesus Christ, which means us. Faith and faithfulness are not an On/Off switch so that you either perfectly have faith or perfectly don’t. Our faith is partial most of the time: it is not perfect yet. For this reason, it is the faith and righteousness of Jesus Christ that is my hope, and not my own performance. And yet, when I do draw nearer to God... Read more
Mark 9:2-13 My all-time favorite opening sentence from a work of fiction has to be the first line from Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. It goes like this: “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” Kafka proceeds in a perfectly deadpan fashion to describe the sad fate of this transformation of the life of Gregor Samsa. This morning we read in a work of non-fiction, the Bible, about... Read more
Mark 8:27-9:1 “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asks you this morning. He asked it to His disciples and to all men in the 1st century, and He asks it to you today. “Who do you say that I am?” “Some say Jesus was a good teacher.” “Some say Jesus was a son of God and that we can all be similar sons of God.” “Others say that Jesus is their Savior but He doesn’t have to be... Read more
Mark 8:11-26 Poor, stupid, disciples. They just don’t get it, do they? Their conversation with Jesus goes something like this: “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Stunned silence. Gears slowly grinding in 12 crania. Let’s see, Jesus just fed the 4000 thousand . . . and we only have one loaf of bread.” “Hey guys – I think what He’s saying has something to do with bread.” “Of course it does –... Read more
Mark 7:24-37 Today’s meditation begins a little differently. Because the meditation will take more time, your suggested resolution for today is at the beginning! Resolution: I resolve to read and meditate on Mark 7:24-37 today. Does any one of you have Jeremiah 38:12 memorized? I didn’t think so! When I was in junior high and my oldest brother Paul was in high school, he and his best friend Scott McLarty were into all kinds of weird fun. They made 8... Read more
Mark 7:14-23 We live in a strange world in which we try hard to make sense of our lives and keep the different parts in health and harmony. We are at one and the same time individuals with unique identities and personalities and also essential parts of the communities that we live in. We live in the world, taking it into ourselves, but maintaining our integrity against it. We live in a world, therefore, where some things are outside of... Read more
Mark 7:1-13 “making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down” (verse 13.) This is the essence of Jesus’ teaching this morning. He is so concerned that people not exchange the Word of God for the traditions of men that He goes so far as to call the Pharisees hypocrites. It’s easy for us to root against the poor Pharisees. They seem so stiff, so self-righteous, and such hypocrites that it’s easy to... Read more
The Gospels are filled with the most intriguing and edifying details. I find that they are so odd and unexpected sometimes that they confirm the authenticity of the Gospel writers’ accounts. Here in Mark 6:48 we come across one of those intriguing and at first baffling details. Here’s the set up to the story: Jesus, with the help of the disciples feeds the 5000 hungry men. He then makes the disciples get in a boat and go to the other... Read more
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Monday of Quinquagesima Sunday – Mark 9:38-50
Mark 9:38-50 Hell! No, I’m not saying this as a curse but as a reminder of this terrible place. Hell is an idea that has been tamed. The fact that we can so easily say “Hell!” as a curse, and not as an exclamation about the place of God’s judgment, is an indicator that our society doesn’t take Hell seriously. I’m sure you’ve heard that it’s only the God of the Old Testament who is judgmental and threatens to send... Read more