Interesting fact from Jesus in Mark 7: Eat what you want. That’s right! Organic or non-organic. Waffle fries, meat of all kinds, and even chocolate. Details from verses 18-19 include: “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) Our socially conscious culture tends to make one kind of... Read more
The average human is supposed to get about eight hours of sleep per night. But how many of us actually get a good night’s rest on a regular basis? The same was true of Christ’s disciples. He had sent them out on a mission. When they returned, they were exhausted. What would Jesus say? “Grab a Red Bull and let’s keep going”? I don’t think so. Instead, Mark 6:30 notes Jesus saying, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet... Read more
After Jesus had cast the evil spirits out of a man in the region of Garasenes, the guy wanted to serve as one of Christ’s followers. He had been transformed. He was ready to go anywhere and do anything for the one who had changed him. You would think Jesus would have taken him up on the offer. Instead, he told the man, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you,... Read more
Mark 4 introduces us to the story of the man spreading seed. Each seed produces a different result, with the application being that those who hear the message of God each respond in different ways. Throughout the history of the church, interpreters have attempted to categorize each of the four types of seed as to whether it referred to someone who was really a Christian or not. This misses the point. The point Jesus wants us to see is that... Read more
The words of Jesus in Mark 3 provide a profound redefinition of our real family as followers of Jesus. Verses 31-35 read: 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... Read more
Simply put, Jesus loves sinners. Interestingly, the religious people of his day questioned why Jesus would hang out with such people. Jesus politely answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” What he didn’t say was that at least the so-called sinners he hung out with were teachable; the religious leaders often were not. In a world where Jesus is often associated with a political party, it’s refreshing to see our Lord willing to share... Read more
After handwriting 28 chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, Mark is a speed freak. He writes in 16 chapters what it takes the other three Gospel writers at least 20 chapters to say. Plus, he uses words like “immediately” (euthus) several times a chapter. Maybe he was impatient, in a hurry, or actually expanding some kind of shorthand notes he had taken from the Apostle Peter, but for whatever reason, Mark is by far the fastest of the Gospel writers. In some... Read more
Last words are important. Jesus is exceptional in the fact that he shared last words on the cross and before ascending to heaven. In the last chapter of Matthew, we find Christ’s parting words are: 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy... Read more
The death of Jesus is graphic. Even Mel Gibson’s rendition of the cross (barely R-rated) does not do it justice. An innocent man was nailed through the wrists and ankles to crossbeams of wood and left in the sun to die. To confirm the death, a Roman spear was thrust into his heart. There is nothing here that can even be included in a children’s story book about Jesus without some creative adaptation. All this to ask the obvious: Why... Read more
God and evil have always served as an intriguing discussion. Whether philosophers or everyday parents struggling with the trials of life, there is the ongoing question of how can a good God allow (or create) evil? Volumes have been written, but Matthew 26 offers some interesting insights. Here, Jesus is betrayed by Judas, arrested by his enemies, and even denied by his top disciple Peter. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong–and that was before being beaten and hung... Read more
Holy Writ
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