Read Mark 13 here… https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+13&version=NIV

Happy Maundy Thursday! We are two chapters past Palm Sunday in Mark, but this takes place after he cleans out the temple so it’s like Monday or Tuesday of Holy week when this dialogue takes place and the themes here are the darkest we’ve seen yet.  4 of the disciples, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, two sets of brothers ask Jesus about what the end times will be and Jesus points not to his own end time which was in a sense coming that week, but something that sounds scary not for him, but for all of us.  Wars, famines, deception, earthquakes, and the disciples will end up going on trial, but don’t worry about what to say God will give the right words. He doesn’t say anything about don’t worry about persecution but what to say.  Maybe the persecution won’t be that big of a deal if you’re saying God’s truth.  It’s easier to stand up to people even if it means punishment when you know you’re right, speaking up for truth, and helping others.  All of these were true for the disciples.  There’s a reason more people are afraid of public speaking than death and Jesus apparently knew this so he calmed both fears for them!

Then Jesus says something incredible.  He says there’s something he doesn’t know.  He doesn’t know when the last day will be.  God the father does but he does not.  So when a tv preacher says this will be the end- they’re just guessing.  They don’t have information Jesus doesn’t have! 

Then he says simply- keep watch! Don’t sleep.   I don’t know if we’re supposed to be ultimately focused on the last day so much.  I think we’re supposed to focus on today because it could be our last.  If Jesus were to come back right now- what would Jesus find us doing?  I would hope it’d be something good.  Something like serving my neighbor, my church, or my family.  That’s not to say we can’t do the mundane of playing video games or enjoying a Lutheran beverage at a bar but you have to think through your witness at all times.  Then whatever comes at the end times- we can stand proud knowing that Jesus forgiveness and grace has changed us from the inside out.  Clearly there will be times when we don’t use all our time the best, mistakes happen, but the goal then is to quickly repent to ask forgiveness and look to Him for absolution and the ability to change to make us new and right.

So keep watch today!  Enjoy Bethlehem’s Maundy Thursday service online here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LIh5MqsPWc&t=52s and commune in a way that fits best for the unique time we have today it may not be the Last supper maybe it’s footwashing your kids in the bath- maybe it’s with a few friends online in a conversation, maybe it’s individual communion at church, but Maundy Thursday is a day for close friends to unite in some way.  Thank you for uniting and communing with me in a sense by reading through God’s word together today!

Read Mark 12 first here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+12&version=NIV

Here we see the harshest curse yet. Jesus talks about a vineyard owner and the workers killing the owners servants and eventually the owners son. He then says the workers will be killed. This seems harsh then realize murderers probably should be stopped. Justice is to be done. How sad that the death of the son won’t stop the behavior. How sad for us that Jesus has died for us and we know it yet we still continue to live in sin. Yet God doesn’t kill us. His son takes our punishment.

Then the pharisees come up with some crazy scenario perhaps to trap Jesus or maybe they knew a woman who had done this. The custom at the time was when a man died the woman was to marry his brother. But the story they share is of a man with 6 brothers and his wife works through all of them as they keep dieing. I feel like she’s the one with the issue and if I was a brother marrying her would be a death sentence. I have lots of questions about her. But the pharisees only question is who will she be married to in heaven and the answer is- none of them. Praise God! She’d probably figure out a way to knock off her husbands in heaven too! But the point isn’t so much about that- it’s that in heaven we will be like angels. Angels don’t marry, dont have kids, their focus is on God and that’s enough. Marriage is an earthly thing that reminds us of the heavenly relationship Christ the groom has with his church the bride. The focus of our attention won’t be each other- it will be God!

Then Jesus is asked about the greatest command and he responds with a simple but no less profound thought: Love God love your neighbor. And the asker of the question adds that’s better than offerings.

Then he just makes a statement directly to the teachers of the law- about taking money from widows and being all about the show. This is the first he’s gone right at them that I can think of. It’s generally the other way around. The pharisees go after him and fail.

Then he talks about widow giving her last cent to the church and makes her a hero. Why is this different than the pharisees taking widow’s houses before? It’s about who makes it happen- consent if you will. If the pharisees make widows give them their last cent it’s awful. If widows want to it’s beautiful.

No healings in this chapter. 10/12 chapters have a healing. Perhaps that makes the hero in this chapter the widow who gave all to God. May we aspire to do the same.

We made it to Palm Sunday! We’re only two days late. This rendition focuses on a borrowed colt and an interesting aside that after he checks our Jerusalem he leaves and goes to Bethany. His friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived there so it seems likely that’s where he spent the night. But it reminds me how many moments of Jesus life were temporary. Yeah parade! Let’s move on. He’s always moving on to the next thing in life. He had a mission during those 3 years of his ministry and he made them count. Let’s do the same!

This is the cursing chapter in Mark. He curses a couple of things- one a fig tree of all things for not making fruit out of season and then the folks in the temple making money off the things of God. Then we see the fig tree has whithered- the point Jesus and Mark makes is about faith. A recurring theme here- believe in your prayer and fig trees may wither, mountains may shake. Believe in what you pray for! I know when it comes to most things I don’t typically pray that way. I often have hopes that way- but over the last few weeks I’ve been concerned about giving at my church- not so much about money- but that our staff could be paid so they could feed their families. I had this suspicion but not a prayer that maybe giving could go up even though we don’t have church as people seem to be loving our online services and some of our bigger givers are retired so their jobs aren’t really affected by this and they may even have less to spend on right now. I don’t have a large sample size but last Sunday was a huge Sunday for giving over double the week before. That’s a huge sign of hope. Should I have prayed earnestly for that? Yes. But I feel weird about praying for money- but God wants to be a part of all aspects of life so maybe I should. But even here- Jesus ends his statement about prayer saying the most important thing you should be praying for is forgiveness. And that I’m used to praying for- but why do I pray more for spiritual things than physical things? I don’t know.

Then we see the teachers of the law trying to trap Jesus. Jesus turns it around and traps them. Almost a political answer.

So what’s the take away- curse fig trees and avoid confrontation? No. I think the point is stand up for what’s right like Jesus did in the temple. Pray for what’s right and believe that it will be done. Pray for forgiveness and shout Hosanna to Jesus. And when the crowd gives you a parade, enjoy it, but enjoy time with your friends more.

Read Mark 10 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10&version=NIV

Mark 10 is the here’s some difficult teachings chapter. We’re half way time to get to some meat. The pharisees ask Jesus about if it’s okay to divorce. His response in Mark is no. It’s more eloquent than that, as he says, “What God has joined together let man not separate.” That’s to the pharisees. Later to the disciples he says and if you remarry after divorce- that’s adultery. Now in other books Jesus gives reasons for divorce- unfaithfulness, abandonment, which I would say includes abuse are part of that. Based on all of that I would say there are reasons for divorce and there are some instances where remarriage after divorce could be allowed- but one should take their vows very seriously. “Til death do us part” is a pretty big vow. If people had the idea going into marriage thinking this truly was til death- I think we’d have a lot less divorce and a lot less marriage for that matter. But that’s a conversation over a beverage sometime.

We get away from controversial statement for a moment here and for the second time Mark mentions that Jesus loved children- when the disciples send them away he calls them back to him and blesses them. I’ve never thought about this before but it’s thought that Mark was a child and his mother was the owner of the upper room and an early church leader so it’s possible that Mark knew Jesus as a young boy and that perhaps he was one of the kids who came to Jesus. That would explain his second mention of Jesus love for kids.

Then Jesus tells a guy with money to give it all away to the poor. And at this the disciples are finally at their end of their rope. “Hey Jesus- you serious about that?” Here is where we get the gospel- With man this impossible- but with God all things are possible” That’s incredible! Peter then finds a way to put his foot in his mouth for possibly the third time in the book- “hey we’ve given up stuff for you Jesus don’t that count” Peter doesn’t get it. No matter what we give for God we can’t give everything. You can’t out give God. Yet Jesus doesn’t say that- he says that many will give up a lot for the kingdom of God. So when we give we’re not alone and we should give willingly as God has given us everything and gave up everything for us on the cross.

Jesus predicts his death a third time- then James and John say hey can we be on your right and left in glory? I don’t think they understood what he said before? Hopefully these conversations were further apart than they were recorded. But to the disciples credit they rebuke James and John- but Jesus brings them back with a familiar refrain of the first shall be last. Don’t strive for greatness. Strive to serve. Too often we think about greatness rather than service. Service is great! Figuring out how to do it best is the challenge and the creativity that’s coming to us now.

Then of course we end with another healing because we have to have one of those- this time for Bartimaeus- his story is unique in how little there is to it. Jesus asks the blind man what he wants- and he asks of course for sight and that’s the end. It brings to mind- what should Bartimaeus have asked for. If Jesus can give all- what is the best thing a blind person can ask for? Is it sight? Forgiveness? Wisdom? Regardless it doesn’t matter Jesus says “your faith has healed you” Yet it adds one more little note that’s different than the other healings.

He received his sight and followed Jesus down the road.

Perhaps the important thing isn’t the sight. Maybe it’s that he didn’t let that deter him from following Jesus down the road. Follow Jesus down the road this holy week and every week. Where his spirit says go- go follow Him. Adventures await!

Read Mark 9 here first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+9&version=NIV

We’re reading about the transfiguration on Palm Sunday. There are some interesting parallels between the two. I think you could say that transfiguration is the social distancing version of Palm Sunday. There’s only 7 if you include God the Father on the guest list for the transfiguration. So well under 10 and if Peter had each way and each had their own shelter they would certainly be 6 feet apart. On Palm Sunday Jesus is heralded by a crowd of Jewish people on Jerusalem preparing for the passover and seen as king. At the transfiguration God and Moses- two very key players in the passover- show up and Jesus is celebrated by a small group of Jewish folks. The transfiguration is more intimate but Jesus is shown to be king in many signs- riding on a donkey or shiny clothing and the way that people react to Him. But the transfiguration includes God saying “This is my son whom I love- listen to him” a better indicator of the kind of King he is.

The disciples response is confusion- “hey doesn’t Elijah need to come again before the Messiah is here?” oddly the strangest question they can ask as they just saw Elijah. Then Jesus heals. It’s a theme throughout Mark. I was thinking Jesus had healed someone in every chapter we’ve read thus far- but that’s not true in chapter 4 Jesus only heals the fears of his disciples by calming a storm. The other 8 chapters thus far have included a healing. This is something I would never have noticed if not for going through this quarantine. Jesus as healer is not high on our list of roles for Jesus- yet it fits well. I think I’m afraid of using the term to refer to Jesus because I want people still to go to doctors- but Jesus as healer is incredibly comforting especially at this time. I think of what a relief knowing Jesus as healer is at the end of life when I’ve watched my grandparents suffer and know they need the healing only Jesus can give even though I’d rather they stay here with me longer.

Here we also have the most honest prayer in scripture, “I believe help my unbelief” and Jesus responds with kindness and healing. It’s a beautiful honest prayer and a reminder that where ever your at in your faith walk- come to Jesus- he doesn’t reject- he wants you to come to him in truth.

Then Jesus discusses dieing more- the dsiciples get confused and argue about who the greatest is- and we assume their idiots and should say Jesus. But instead Jesus redirects- “the first shall be last- and the servant of all” and he says “whoever welcomes children welcomes me” He doesn’t slap them and strike them with lightning which would be my human response. No just serve others and serve my kids. This may as well be my mission statement. Might put it on my office door.

The chapter ends with an appropriate prayer for your celebration of holy week at home – “have salt in yourselves and be at peace with each other.”

May God bless your holy week and feel free to watch our services here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcAPd0pUI55EG0FOwK4sfHA?view_as=subscriber

Read Mark 8 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+8&version=NIV

Jesus feeds another group not quite as big this time- 4000 and it seems like a very similar story to what happened with the feeding of the 5000. It seems like a copy and paste error.  But the fact that it’s recorded twice may imply it happened even more than that- and it points out just how clueless the disciples are.  They still don’t have faith that God will get them through. 

How often is that true for us as well? How often has God gotten us through tough jams?  Helped us find our lost car keys?  And yet we’re like well maybe God won’t help this time?  It’s reassuring that Jesus keeps coming. 

I’m also told the story happens twice because this time it’s with Gentiles.  Mark seems to focus a lot on Jesus helping the Jewish insiders and their complaints, helping the gentile outsiders and their praise, add to that the disciples confusion and doubt and you have some of the major themes of the book!

Then the story continues as the disciples are confused by Jesus analogies- which is certainly reassuring.  I have given out what I believe are some pretty good analogies and people end up being very confused as well.  And there are some parables of Jesus that I certainly still don’t get. 

Then we have Peter giving the amazing declaration that Jesus is the Christ- the anointed one.  The one who had come to redeem Israel.  So Jesus rewards him by telling his full plan of death and resurrection and Peter rebukes him.  Again the theme of clueless disciple keeps coming up!  Jesus even calls him Satan. 

And then Jesus says to lose your life to save it. In a sense- isn’t that what we’re doing now?  I often think of having a life as being outside the home and outside work.  Currently that’s all I’ve got.  Yet world wide we’re doing this for the greater good!  We live our lives apart now so that our loved ones don’t die alone later.  World economies are being toppled- today we learn of hero Captain Crozier who went against protocol to help his men and lost his job. What a hero! I’ve never sacrificed much in my life and I’m realizing more and more that maybe I should.  The world is on a fast from going out.  I worry about what we might lose in the process- a dependence on technology and screen time-an increase in anxiety and depression- but I’m more interested in what we might gain. Greater family bonds?  Life skills and independence?  Will we all be better cooks? A desire to help the greater good? Better hand washing abilities?  More folks living in the country?

We’ve sacrificed a lot in the last month. But it’s nothing compared to the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross and continues to make for us- his confused doubting bumbling disciples who forget his love and even go against him most of the time.  May His sacrifice shine through us.   

Read Mark 7 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+7&version=NIVChapter 7 may be the most difficult we’ve read yet- it’s the first time we hear about Jesus not wanting to heal- Jesus being against hand washing- and of course because Mark needs to fill us in on everything with limited details there’s a healing of a deaf man. What does all of that mean for us? The Pharisees thought Jesus was one of them. They and their disciples had specific ritual forms of hand washing that others didn’t use. Seeing Jesus disciples not do them was a surprise and an offense to them. These washings weren’t dictated by the Old Testament and Jesus uses this as an opportunity to point out sins of the heart. Actual sins as we might call them. Then we have Jesus healing what appears to be another gentile but he tests her faith first.

It’s interesting that I don’t know if Jesus heals a Pharisee. He heals lots of gentiles though. It’s interesting that the gentiles- this woman also hadn’t washed her hands appropriately- comes to Jesus looking for healing. But the Pharisees come looking to judge and trap Jesus. The theme of a prophet not being accepted in his hometown keeps coming up throughout Mark. He’s prepping the reader for the betrayal that is to come and perhaps also for the good news that will be more accepted by gentiles than by the Jewish people that Jesus was a part of.

We finish the chapter off with a deaf and mute man speaking also in the gentile region. I don’t recall another story of the deaf speaking. It’s interesting that Mark’s focus seems to be more on the miracles than Jesus teaching. He’s a fan of showing what Jesus did more than telling in his writing.

This is good for us to know as well- it’s easy for theologians to pontificate and discuss the number of angels on a pin and debate the intricacies of the trinity. Those things while interesting don’t bring people to faith. Share what Jesus has done in your life and the lives of those around you instead. That’s what brings people to Jesus. Don’t dissect what the spirit has done. Share what the spirit has done for you and your family. Then come to Jesus with faith and look for healing and see what God does with that!

Read Mark 6 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+6&version=NIV

Mark is back to his old ways! We have so many stories here- we have at least 5. At the beginning we learn Jesus had sisters. And he’s frowned upon in his hometown. A prophet is always rejected at home- it’s an interesting thought. I have a good relationship with my family so I must not have the gift of prophecy? Or is your job as a person of God to challenge people deeper in the faith and that includes your family? Often I’m harder on others than my own family I suppose when it comes to faith and try to keep a work life balance. I often end up praying more with congregation members than I do my own family. I need to work on creating a stronger faith culture with those I’m closest too.

Then he sends out the 12 in pairs. We learn of John the baptist’s death- which then leads into the story of the feeding of the 5000, the walking on water, and there’s more discussion about Jesus healing people with his cloak.

What does all of that say? I love that these stories are all connected. In the other synoptic Gospels it’s more clear that Jesus goes to mourn the death of his cousin and then the more than 5000 show up and rather than turn them away- he has compassion on them and feeds them. How awesome is that? He could have let other people’s problems take care of his problem. Don’t feed them- then Jesus gets private time to mourn and of course 5 loaves of bread and a couple fish. If served properly may have take care of the 12 or at least Jesus. But that’s not the Jesus way. The Jesus way is to bend over backwards for others in compassion. He spent more time with them because he knew their need. Then he prays, grieves, and escapes the crowd in the most epic way possible. He sends the disciples one way- misdirection- he goes another to pray- then he walks on water in a wind storm to get back with the disciples. He even does the “I’m just going to walk by you guys” move. He makes it to the boat the wind dies down. He makes it to land.

Of course the crowd follows. The folks who heard about the demon possessed man who had been healed show up. And Jesus walks away to take a nap right? Nope. Jesus heals. He knows the crowds will get bigger. But he doesn’t care. He cares about the people. He cares about you! It doesn’t matter if you make fun of him and say nothing good can come from Nazareth or that carpenter family. He still heals. Kill his best friend, and don’t give him personal time nor space to grieve? He’ll light up the barbeque and give others a fresh made tilapia sandwich. You can’t stop the healing power of Jesus. He cares. He cares about you more than you will ever know.

Read Mark 5 first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+5&version=NIV

Finally Mark starts to tell a few less stories in one chapter. This time it’s three stories and two of them are directly connected! Mark is starting to tie things together and go a little deeper. We get details about Jesus driving out the demons that possessed a man and sends them out into pigs. Then he tells that man to “Go home and tell your family how much God has done for you.” Then he goes into detail about the healing of Jairus daughter but then says to her- don’t tell anyone. Why the change of heart?

My understanding is it’s based on the messianic secret. The demon possess man lived away from the Jews in a gentile part of the world with thousands of pigs. No Jewish farmer would do such a thing. So Jesus encourages the gentiles to share all about who he was, but not the Jewish leader- Jairus. It was in some sense for Jesus safety and so that he would come to trial and death at the appointed time. But it wasn’t just for his own safety and timing. It was for Jairus. He was a synagogue leader as well. By telling Jairus not to share this- Jesus was keeping him safe from scrutiny and hardship. The point is not keep Jesus to yourselves- that was a Jewish problem. The bacon eating Gentiles were supposed to tell everyone about Jesus.

But in between these two stories we have the random story of a woman with a health problem simply be reaching out and touching his cloak- she is healed. The words for the day are, “Go in peace and be healed from your suffering” That contrasts with the men who say to Jesus- “hey Jairus’s daughter is dead- don’t even deal with her” They clearly have no faith. Yet Jesus still heals. Faith can move mountains. I don’t know how often when I pray I believe that God will bring physical healing. I want him to but I rarely have faith that he will. I do when it comes to spiritual things- especially youth who have walked away from the faith where I’ve heard God’s voice in their life and watched their faith grow before me. I suppose that faith is more important. Not for fixing problems like bleedings or sprains but having faith that God will move someone’s soul back to Him.

But it’s amazing that Jesus says he will take away suffering today. Bethlehem’s worship service is up and theme is facing suffering-you can watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRMf37A2ZQg The service was already posted before I read today and now I have to say- the proper way to face suffering is with faith. Faith that suffering is temporary. Demons are no match for God. Sickness and pain are temporary ailments Jesus can solve with a touch. Death is just sleep. So like Jairus’s daughter rise, walk, and eat. Knowing that your God cares for you!

Read Mark 4 first! https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark+4&version=NIV

Jesus has used analogies before in the previous chapter- but now he goes full parable. The parables all are about seeds and soil and the chapter is bookended by stories of Jesus being on the water. In the beginning Jesus is speaking to people from the water in the boat. At the end of the chapter- he speaks to the stormy water from the boat and the water listens. Mark started with John’s baptism- our lives of faith often being with God’s word connected with baptism- water is earthly stuff connected with the divine Word- so it makes sense that Mark would use that again here as Jesus begins using parables- earthly stories connected to divine truth.

In the middle Jesus speaks about throwing out the seed which is the word of God and the different kinds of soil is different kinds of people. Yet unlike the stormy water- the soil and people can reject God’s word. The water doesn’t. It’s an interesting mix of stories that do go together!

Last week I was talking with a friend about their kids perceived lack of faith and this was bringing guilt on the parent. I’ve also had many in my youth ministry as well who have said they don’t have faith. This bothers me a lot. Often times I take it personally. I assured this parent that their child’s faith isn’t something you can control that’s the Spirit’s job. This chapter shows that in full. We throw out the seed daily, regularly, sometimes it works! Often it doesn’t. But that shouldn’t stop you from growing or sharing God’s word or digging into it. We’re assured God’s word doesn’t return void. and that how someone else responds is beyond our control. That’s annoying because we want to be in control, but if we’ve learned anything over the last few weeks its that we’re not in control and I’d rather not be.

However we do know the one who is in control. Rest in Jesus for growth. Rest in Him to calm your storms!