Author: Don Guthrie

RE Verse reading–Mark 15:40-47, 16:1-8 (day seven)  ” Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.”  (16:1)  For a moment please think of the women who have figured significantly into the Gospel of Mark.  The woman with the issue of blood–Mark 5, the little girl raised from the dead–Mark 5, the Syrophonecian woman–Mark 8, the Lord’s protection of women through His teaching on divorce–Mark 10, Mary’s anointing–Mark 14, the women who followed Him from Galilee to help with chores–Mark 15, Mary Magdelene and Mary and Salome who were first to know and first to tell the resurrection–Mark 16.  Why (in a world as biased against women as the 1st century was) would the Lord have taken such bold actions?  Why would the scripture be so faithful to report such culturally unpopular activity?  Only two available answers.  “Male AND female created He them”  (Genesis 1:27)   “There is neither male nor female. . .for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus”  (Galatians 3:28)

RE Verse reading–Mark15:40-47, 16:1-8 (day six)  “And there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem”  (15:41)  I wonder whether they expected life to change permanently when they decided to go with Him.  They must have known the danger.  It must have been a sacrifice, a labor of love.   Their tender/feminine hearts must have been particularly devastated to see Him arrested and crucified.  Would they go home, now?  No time to answer the question.  Work to do.  Then the empty tomb and the angel words, “He is going ahead of you to Galilee!”  (16:7)  Did they dare imagine that these words included them too?  The adventure had not come to an end–a new, next chapter was just beginning.  It has always been so for me, as I have followed Christ.  Just as one door closes, another opens.  There are no dead ends on this road, not with a Savior who is eternally alive and active.  The adventure continues!

RE Verse reading–Mark 15:40-47, Mark 16: 1-8 (day one)
“But go tell His disciples and Peter that He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.”  (16:7)  It was a loud, clear statement on the subject of equality.  The first people to carry the good news of Christ’s resurrection were women.  Unheard of in His day and not the first indication of Jesus’ view.  The Samaritan woman experienced respect from Jesus rather than condemnation (John 4).  Mary was encouraged to study the scripture along with the men (Luke 10).  Now, the Lord tasks these faithful women with a duty.  To these loyal souls, to these willing-to-brave-the-scorn-of-association-with-Christ people He says, “Go tell!” and then trusts them to act with the same sort of bravery that led them to the tomb in the first place.  Without an ounce of prejudice, the Lord gave an assignment to them and a lesson to us.  The first preachers of the Easter message were women.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:10-11, 17-21, 41-50 (day seven)
“It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”  (vs 21)  I believe that Judas is in hell.  It is not something I say with any joy.  I believe Jesus was telling us.  What could be worse than not ever living?  What could ever make life itself a mistake–something to regret?  Answer–to experience eternal death.  Sober words, I know.  Not, however, unusal in Scripture.  “Whoever wishes to save his life will LOSE it.”  (Luke 9:24)  “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME.’ ” (Matthew 7:22-23)  I believe that the universe is much harsher than most of us imagine–much cleaner, more ruggedly just.  I believe that Jesus was warning Judas, I believe He was warning us.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:10-11, 17-21, 41-50 (day six)
“Then Judas Iscariot. . .went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.  When they heard it, they were greatly pleased and promised to give him money.”  (vs 10-11)  Matthew adds a sad detail to the Judas story.  He ASKED for money.  It was HIS IDEA–not something the Sanhedrin offered.  “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?”  (Matthew 26:15)  Makes it worse for me, somehow.  Colder.  More heartless.  What do  I take in trade for Christ?  What do I ask/seek from an unbelieving world, knowing that the purchase price will be the “first love” that legitimately belongs only to Jesus?  “Everyone has his price” says the old cynicism.  “Still as of old, man by himself is priced; for thirty pieces, Judas sold himself, not Christ.”  “Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of the wicked.” (Psalm 37:16)  Keep us pure, Lord.  Only yours.  Not for sale.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:10-11, 17-21, 41-50  (day one)
“So when he (Judas) came, he went up to him (Jesus) at once and said, ‘Rabbi’ and kissed him.  Then they laid hands on him and arrested him.”  (vs 45-46)  Did Judas think Jesus was naive?  Did he actually believe that the Lord would be fooled by such a pretense of friendship?  That Jesus would conclude that Judas was innocent, that the guards had found Jesus and identified him without his help? Perhaps, Judas was trying to say (as we sometimes do)  “I still have great respect for you.”  “Nothing personal.”  Trying vainly to separate what he was doing from his heart.  It won’t work.  Not for Judas.  Not for us.  “There is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be made known”  (Matthew 10:26)  Try as we might to hide, who we are and what we do with Christ stands in the open for all to see.  No secrets.  Nothing is hidden.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:1-9 (day seven)
“She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head.”  (vs 3)  Wisdom is different than knowledge.  Wisdom is the ability to use right information (knowledge) to make right choices.  Mary was, by this definition, a wise woman.  Over three years, she learned to listen carefully to Jesus.  She didn’t have perfect choices.  No circumstance ever presents perfect choices.  She did see, however, that the best choice, given His coming death, was to love Christ.  To communicate her love to Christ.  To go public.  Even at great cost.  There were (and are) many who will second-guess such a public declaration.  One charactersitic of wisdom is the ability to remember whose approval ultimately matters.  Proverbs 31 says, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in WISDOM. . .Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.”  (31:25-26, 30)  True.  Still true.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:1-9 (day six)
“She has done a beautiful thing to me.”  (vs 6)  It is a beautiful day in San Antonio.  Friday as I write this blog.  Clear skies, sunny, just a hint of cool in the air.  The work of God.  Are we made to do something similar?  Maybe not on the same scale, but yes!  Our lives and choices are intended by God to be morally and intellectually splendid, reflecting the Creator and His goodness.  In Mark 14, Jesus commends Mary because she has done something beautiful.  The greek word is kalos, “good because it is beautiful rather than good because it is practical”.  What will you do today that reflects the beauty of God’s love for others?  What will you do today that will reflect the beauty of God’s generosity?  “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good (kalos, “beautiful”) works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:11)

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:1-9 (day one)
“And they rebuked her harshly.”  (vs 5)  Sad.  People are often critical of others on religious grounds.  We second guess the songs they sing, the emotions they express, the liturgy they use.  The irony (often) is that the critic is more deserving of rebuke than the one being criticized.  Mark 14 tells the story of a simple (extravagant, yes, but still simple) act of worship by Mary toward Christ.  She opens an expensive jar of perfume and pours it out on His head and feet.  She is harshly criticized for it.  How typical.  How sad.  “Do not judge lest you be judged. . .why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, then you will see clearly (and compassionately–ed. note) to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”  (Matthew 7:1,3,5)

RE Verse reading–Mark 12:28-34 (day seven)
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied.  “You are right in saying that God is one . . .To love Him. . .and to love your neighbor. . .is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”  (vs 32-33)  I am impressed with this scribe.  Jesus was too.  He was more open and honest than his culture and colleagues.  Not controlled by the prejudice of the crowd or tradition.  How does this happen?  The work of God.  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”  (John 6:44)  Christ notices this man’s spiritual appetite. He spots “one in the crowd”.  All of us should be so sensitive.  Even on stressful days, we are likely to encounter people in whom God has been at work.  Our task is to watch and be ready.  He gives openness to people not yet in the Kingdom.   He gives opportunity to us to help them get all the way in.