Chapter one of Luke’s Gospel shares the account of the angel Gabriel who appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. After explaining how this would take place, we find the response for which she would be known throughout generations: “I am the Lord’s servant.” Interestingly, everyone who played a role in the life of Jesus in Luke came as a servant. Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John the Baptist–they exist in the story to support Jesus, the main character. It’s... Read more
Mark 16 has long been a problem for New Testament readers. Why? It has two endings. The usual English ending includes drinking poison and preaching the gospel to every creature (even animals?). The shorter ending is quite abrupt, leaving no resurrection appearances like the other three gospels, only an empty tomb. So which is it? The Byzantine tradition typically includes the longer ending, which was the Greek picked up by Erasmus and used in early English Bibles, including the King... Read more
Many have misunderstood the legal reason used to put Jesus to death on the cross. Mark 15:25-26 reveals this reason: “25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.” After an illegal, overnight series of trials before both Jews and Romans, the Roman governor Pilate agreed to crucify Jesus for his claim to be king of the Jews. This act of conspiracy was... Read more
Mark 14 includes one of my new favorite sentences in the New Testament. In verse 8, Jesus responds to the criticisms of those spoke against the woman who had poured an expensive jar of perfume on Him. His response? “She did what she could.” You ever feel like nothing you do matters? Perhaps this woman felt the same way. In what may have been her one and only chance to appear before Jesus, she decided to go “all or nothing.”... Read more
Words matter. In fact, down the road in life much of what we remember are words, good or bad, spoken to us by those closest in our lives. In Mark 13, Mark records Jesus saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” The Son of God again communicates His equality with the Father by stating His words are eternal. What He spoke then speaks to us today, as a comfort, a guide, and at... Read more
Mark 12 includes what is known as the Greatest Commandment. It reads: 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your... Read more
Jesus used the example of a withering fig tree to teach about praying in faith. In the process, he also expressed that praying requires forgiving. Verse 25 notes, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew reflects this same instruction. Jesus tells us to pray. He also tells us that to pray his way, we must forgive those who... Read more
Mark is an interesting gospel for many reasons. One of them is what it says concerning divorce. We are told the religious leaders wanted to test Jesus. They chose divorce, a heated issue in their time and ours. The excerpt reads: Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied. 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce... Read more
It all matters. This is not just a line from the TV show Lost; it is a profound spiritual truth. Of the fifty verses I wrote down that make up the words of Mark 9, verse 41 stood out the most: “I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” From the person who performs miracles to the one who gives a single... Read more
According to Mark’s Gospel, following Jesus includes living in denial. This is not a denial of reality or denial of responsibility, but a denial of self. Mark 8:34-36 expresses it this way: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to... Read more
Holy Writ
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