The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse reading Mark 3: 20-35 (day two) 

“And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal.” Vs. 20

I took the day off today. It was a big weekend. There was lots going on, and I spent a lot of time preparing and presenting Christmas at First. I don’t often take a personal day, but I did today. Maybe that is why this scripture spoke to me. We often speak of Jesus not having a home or a “place to lay his head,” and, depending on your translation, verse 20 may say “into a home.” Regardless of whether it was Jesus’ own house, he still needed to eat. He still needed rest.

I find a strange dichotomy between the command for Sabbath and our excuse to “get away.” We are made to rest, and the command is to rest in the Lord. To spend our time meditating and communing with him. How often, though, do we check our Christianity at the door on the premise that we just need a break. Jesus needed and deserved rest, but Jesus never gave up his call follow his father’s command. There are two lessons here: Find Sabbath, never abandon your call.

 

 

Re:Verse reading–Mark 3: 20-35 (day one)

“He is possessed by Beelzebub!”–v 22

Reality check #1.  The way of Christ is narrow.  Not many people are going to actually walk it toward an eternity with God.

Reality check #2. Those who don’t follow Christ will arrive at some conclusion (evaluation) of Christ and His followers.

Reality check #3.  These conclusions may not always be kind.

Mark 3 describes the growing opposition to Jesus.  “A man who goes around talking about God and healing people has got to be stopped!  Am I right?”  So, His enemies turn to a familiar tactic.  Rumors.  Gossip.  When in doubt, sling mud!

“He is demon possessed”, they whispered to the tabloids.  Without any mention of the demonic, even His family seems concerned about His mental stability–v 20.

Such encouragement to see Jesus unwounded and undefeated by such unfair criticism!  Secure in the Father, He answers the critics as best He can and then He moves forward!

Great lesson!  Great Savior!

Re:Verse reading–Mark 2:1-12 (day seven)

Healing a paralyzed man is something only God can do and signals (is a sign) of Christ’s identity.  Like the Father, Jesus is caring and capable and competent.  Nothing is too hard for Him.

But physical healing, at least in this story, is sort of an afterthought.  For Jesus, the spiritual healing of the man is more important.  The visible miracle points to/proves a larger truth.

Reflection on this event leads to two powerful conclusions.  1) Sin is the real problem. Always.  For all.  2) Christ has authority to “send it away” (literal meaning of forgive).

When Christ first met me I was paralyzed too.  Not physically, but spiritually.   Helpless to move in righteousness.  Numb to feelings and duty.  A silent and invisible killer had entered my life, weakened my limbs, confused my thoughts.

Christ sent my paralysis away.  Commanded me to walk in the Spirit.

What does Mark 2 tell you about your life?   About Jesus?

Re:Verse reading–Mark 2:1-12 (day five) 

⁵ And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  Who’s faith was Jesus referring to? Some scholars say the paralytic and the ones who brought him. Others say just the ones who brought him. What both of these viewpoints have in common: the ones who brought him, had faith and also influence on paralytic man.

A few observations of these “friends”:  They believed that Jesus could and would meet the paralyzed man’s needs.  They used their influence to get him to come encounter Jesus.  They were persistent in finding an opportunity for him to be with Jesus.

Do you have intentional friendships with lost people to grow and leverage influence for the Gospel? Do you truly believe that Jesus could and would meet their needs?

George Barna’s research continues to show 47% of people indicate that they would come to church if invited.   Researchers also tell us that the Christmas Season is a time that people are more open to spiritual discussions and attending events.

Will you “make the ask” this Holiday season?   Will you be persistent?   Christmas at First is this Saturday and Sunday. Christmas Eve Candlelight and Lord’s Supper Service begins at 5:30.

Re:Verse reading–Mark 2:1-12 (day four)

(Vv. 9-12) This was a real dilemma for the scribes.  Here they were, thinking to themselves, and Jesus calls them out!  “How did He know what I was thinking?”  And to make matters even worse, Jesus asks them a question.   They certainly can’t answer it!  If they say it is easier to forgive than heal, and then He heals the paralytic, they would have to admit that Jesus had authority to forgive sins.  If they said it is harder to forgive than to heal, then there was not a visible way for them to convince the people that Jesus did not have the authority.  How could they possibly get out of this one?  They were not willing to acknowledge that Jesus had any authority.

What would your answer be?  Do you acknowledge that Jesus has the authority to forgive?  Are you willing to yield to His authority and submit to it?  If Jesus came to forgive our sins and provide for salvation, how will you respond?

Re:Verse reading–Mark 2:1-12 (day three)

“So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…”  Science vs. faith.  Secular vs. sacred.  Earth vs. heaven.  Western society has done quite a thorough job of sequestering religious conviction—confining it to the sphere of the unknowable, or, if you will, the imaginary.  Believers have gone along with this project, happy to cordon off heavenly-minded things from perceived hostile forces.  But where did we learn this?  Certainly not from our Lord, whose sovereignty holds sway over both the spiritual and the material realms—over soul and body, faith and knowledge, revelation and research lab, the hereafter and the U.S. government.  Your behavior at work, the problems in your family, the deepest needs you know—Christ has authority over it all.  Do you live as if that is true?

Re:Verse reading–Mark 2:1-12 (day two) And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. v 2.

Mark’s gospel account does not include the story of Christ’s birth, but this verse struck me this morning as I read it in context with the Advent season. There was another time that Jesus encountered “no room.” He was born to parents that held no nobility or great wealth. They were forced to take the charity of an inn-keeper who was willing to let them stay in a stable on their census visit to Bethlehem. Now thirty years later, Jesus is faced with a much different scenario. Others are forced to clamor outside because there is no room left where Jesus is teaching.

Where are you this season? What is filling your heart? Is it so full of “stuff” that there is no room for Jesus, or is Jesus so filling your life that there just isn’t any room for anything else? Never too late to do some heart-cleaning.

 

Re:Verse reading–Mark 2:1-12 (day one)

“And many gathered together, so many that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door.”  v 2.

In his gospel, Mark skips most of the first year of Christ’s public ministry  “The year of obscurity” scholars call it.  So too, he omits the nativity narratives.  Other gospels teach us these facts.

Mark’s preference is to plunge “immediately” into the “year of popularity” and the “year of opposition”–years two and three.

Chapter 2 is an illustration of both.  Throngs of people.  Intense public interest.  Crowds seeking Jesus wherever He goes.  But, the opposition is also growing.  The rulers are shocked by his reception of sinners, angered by his teaching re Sabbath.  Early in his account, Mark wants us to notice these two themes.  People loved Him.  People hated Him. People wanted to be near Him.  People wanted Him gone.

Hmmmmm.  Sounds like our day.  He is the same.  So are we.

Re:Verse reading–Mark 1:21-39 (day seven) “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” 1:35
Mark portrays Jesus as a busy man. Nine times in chapter 1, he uses the word “immediately”. No pause in the action. Continuous movement. Sort of feels like my schedule at Christmas!
But Mark also pictures a man who knew his own need for quiet time with the Father. Unrushed. Time to pray, to speak, to listen. The busier He was, the more necessary this time became.
When the disciples find Jesus in v 37, he is “interrupted but not disturbed”. In prayer, the Lord had received fresh new perspective on “what to do next”.
We walk by faith. Fast when we know the Father’s will. Slow when we don’t. Like our Savior, we need both pace and peace.