What Jesus treated as basic discipleship in his time on earth we’ve made into a rarity and some “specialist” work. In Mark 9 Jesus has come down from the Transfiguration and a father runs straight to him.
Tag Archives: Gospel of Mark
Power hungry
Mark 10:42–45 (NIV): Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants toContinue reading “Power hungry”
Our spiritual blindness
Mark 8:22–26 (NIV): They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”24Continue reading “Our spiritual blindness”
Where am I found?
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 taxContinue reading “Where am I found?”
Living in the gospel wrecks your daily schedule
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”Continue reading “Living in the gospel wrecks your daily schedule”
The way of the cross
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34) My personal prayer as I walk through this very difficult passage in the Gospel of Mark:
Legalism is great
I am finding the Spirit calling me to walk a little more intentionally through the Gospel of Mark right now, so I have suspended my Daily Office reading for a season to see what the Lord wants to say to me in this gospel, which happens to be my favorite of the four. Mark 7Continue reading “Legalism is great”
Tearing off the roof in prayer
As I read through the Gospel of Mark again, the story of the friends carrying their paralyzed buddy to Jesus (Mark 2:1-12) continues to challenge me. They have the faith to get him to Jesus. The paralytic himself doesn’t have that faith. The others have that faith and carry him to the One who canContinue reading “Tearing off the roof in prayer”
When we have power and no authority
Mark 3:20–22 (NIV): 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 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 cameContinue reading “When we have power and no authority”
The Kingdom of God and wineskins
Mark 2:22 (NIV): 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.” What Jesus is doing can’t be fitted in to the existing ways of thinking and living. If peopleContinue reading “The Kingdom of God and wineskins”
Apprentice 2 Jesus 