Tag: Gospel of Mark

  • Dan

    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 people try to do that they’ll…

  • Dan

    When spiritual authority is lost

    Reading for today: Psalm 6, 12, 94 Lam. 1:17-22 2 Cor. 1:8-22 Mark 11:27-33 The closer Jesus gets to the work of the cross, the more the spiritual leaders press to trap Jesus. They sense their power base fading and they are desperate. 

  • Dan

    We only see what we want to see

    Our perpetual struggle is blindness. Not physical blindness. Mental or spiritual blindness. From claims of conspiracy theories to fake news, we don’t like hearing what is counter to what we hold dear. And here is some news that isn’t fake: it is like this all the time. Everywhere. 

  • Dan

    Kingdom Authority

    “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” — Karl Barth

  • Dan

    When the desert comes

    I love the Gospel of Mark. He’s in such a hurry. In four short verses we get the baptism of Jesus AND the 40 days in the wilderness. Here is a lesson I was meditating on this morning in prayer. 

  • Dan

    The new journey we begin

    I can beat myself up over past failures to pray and press in. But the Spirit presses me on!

  • Dan

    Jesus’ sermon notes

    I read passages like this: The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. (Mark 1:22) and I think, “I sure wish I had those notes! WHAT did he say to get people to respond in this manner?”

  • Dan

    Are we MOVED?

    40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” (Mark 1:40-41) Indignant. Other translations choose “moved with compassion.” Early in Mark’s gospel we see the action of Jesus and…

  • Dan

    When we are out of power

    As I read through the gospels again I am struck this time by the many ways the religious leaders tried to trap Jesus. When we have lost spiritual power and authority all we have left is manipulation. We are left trying to trap people in “doctrinal error” rather than walking in true authority ourselves. Mark 12:24 (CEB) Jesus said to…

  • Dan

    One thing you lack

    Mark 10:17-22 gives us the story of the rich man asking about eternal life. One big thing that continually stands out to me from Mark and Matthew on this story: When asked point blank what was needed to inherit eternal life, Jesus did NOT point to himself in a way we would think. He did NOT say, “Well, believe in me! DUH!” He…