Podcast

Facebook

Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Good morning!  Welcome to the RefleXion Community.  The Lord is with you.

“Why should I?”  “Why do I have to be the first to change?”, I’ve heard myself asking a few times lately (well, maybe not out loud).  Do you ever respond to what someone else is doing, or not doing, in a way that is reactive and not in keeping with your Truest nature.  It’s pretty common to use our familiar defenses and coping strategies, to hold a self-protective stance, or even to cower in fear or shame.  Well, it’s all about control, isn’t it?

The Lord answered my “why should I?” one morning recently with a passage from Ezekiel 36.  The Israelites had  defiled and polluted the land, and the Lord had scattered them in punishment.  But then other nations had taunted them, “Why couldn’t your God keep you safe?” So, the Lord responded: Then I was concerned for my holy name, on which my people brought shame among the nations. (He’s speaking to Ezekiel, the prophet here.) Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name.  I will show how holy my great name is.  And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign LORD, then the nations will know that I am the LORD.  For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.  And I will put my Spirit in you so that you can follow my decrees. And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God.  Not because you deserve it, but for My Name’s sake.

The Lord not only forgave them, but brought them back to their land, washed them clean, and gave them a new heart and spirit.  Why?  Not because they deserved it, but because that is the character, the nature, of God.

So why must I forgive, bless, and provide for someone who doesn’t deserve or doesn’t want to change?  Why must I show my righteous character in the midst of unfair circumstances?  Because this is my True nature, because someone else or something else, can’t stop me from being who I am.  Our friend, Paula, says “You do you.”  Amen; your responses and your reactions belong to you, and I’ll be true to me, to my new heart and spirit.

Let’s pray:  Lord, what opportunities you give us to practice living righteously.  How stubborn and weak we are.  Thank you for giving us a new heart and a new spirit, that we don’t have to try harder or rely on willpower.  Thank you for your new covenant with us and the gifts you’ve given that we might offer love for Your Name’s sake.  Let us live with wisdom and discernment, as well as compassion.  Thank you not only for dying for us but showing us how to live in our new nature.  May Your light shine brightly through us, and may the nations know that we are Christians by our love.  Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes Mark 5:1

Intro: I have enjoyed this story ever since I was a child

When spending the night with cousins or friends,
– we would sit in the dark and tell ghost stories
• it surprised me to find one of the spookiest of ghost stories in Mark’s gospel
◦ and this one is true – it really happened
◦ Mark turns flashlight into his face and tells “The Legend of Legion”
• “It all began on the other side of the sea”
◦ this is like saying, “the other side of the tracks” — it was a bad neighborhood
◦ it was Gentile territory – and anything awful could happen there
– in fact there was a wild man there, tormented by demons, and who lived in the graveyard
• he lacerated his body with stones and was heard howling night and day
◦ he was like an animal, but too strong to capture and cage
for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him (v. 4)
◦ doesn’t Mark begin this story well?
• as soon as Jesus set his foot on the shore,
◦ this man came running at him, screaming

This is the first of three extraordinary stories told in this chapter

One story erupts into the middle of another story
– all three touch on our most common worries:
• conflict – illness – and death
• Jesus resolves the conflict, heals the illness,
◦ and proves to be more powerful than death
– crowds are present, but it’s these three faces that grab our attention

The demonic encounter is unlike any other in the Scriptures

Until now, Jesus has silenced the demons he encountered
– but he speaks to this one – and we’re told where the demons went once they were cast out
• we have seen in Mark that demons know who Jesus is
I know who you are—the Holy One of God (Mk. 1:24)
You are the Son of God (Mk. 3:12)
◦ here he is recognized as, Son of the Most High God
• the first time Most High God appears is when a Gentile priest blessed Abraham

Abraham had known God as El Shaddai, “God Almighty.” Later on he discovered that God was his Provider, so that title was added to Abraham’s list. That is how a record of theological revelations first developed, by the list of titles ascribed to God.

◦ it would seem that Yahweh is recognized as the God above all other gods
◦ in almost every instance that Most High God appears in the Bible, it is connected somehow with Gentiles

The news of this exorcism traveled fast into nearby villages

When the locals arrived they were shocked to see
– Mr. Legion sitting there, clothed and in his right mind
• in his right mind means he was sane, but also he was also in possession of his own mind
◦ no longer controlled by or confused by demons
• his transformation terrified the locals more than when he was wildly possessed
◦ now, it’s not demons that scare them, but Someone far more powerful than the demons
– in the previous chapter, the disciples were frightened by a storm at sea
• but after Jesus calmed the storm,
they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mk. 4:41)
• isn’t this wonderful?!
◦ this was not a fear related to a specific physical danger
◦ it was a fear of the unknown – of the supernatural

I always feel sadness when I come to the end of this story

On other occasions, when people wanted to join Jesus,
– he did not reject them outright, but he did discourage them
someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another recruit, Jesus said, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” And to a third, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk. 9:57-62)
• but here, the man now delivered and sane, begged Jesus to let him be with him
◦ he did not request to be made a disciple, but just to be with him
• perhaps this is first time the man ever felt safe
◦ what was he going to do with his life now? he had nothing
◦ but Jesus flatly denied his request
– this rejection is intensified, because of the number of times Jesus is begged in this chapter and he has granted their request
• people in that area begged Jesus to leave,
◦ Jairus begged for daughter to be healed
◦ even the demons begged Jesus not to send them out of the country
• but with Mr. Legend we find the only instance in this chapter that Jesus denied a request
◦ I do not doubt Jesus’ love for him
◦ or that he did what was best for him, and perhaps what was best for both of them

Anyway, the man took it well
– what Jesus did for him, is he turned him around and gave him a mission
• a mission he jumped into with enthusiasm (v. 20)
◦ Jesus gave him a new life, and a purpose
◦ he gave him a way to please Jesus – and show his gratitude
• if he could not travel with Jesus, he would travel for Jesus

The other two stories have to be told together

Jairus was a man of some importance
– he did not run to Jesus like Legion did,
• but he also fell at Jesus’ feet in desperation
◦ he begged Jesus–to heal his daughter, his little daughter!
• two times Mark tells us there was a great crowd around Jesus
◦ this would have made walking down streets difficult and very slow
– that’s when a woman made her move
• she used the crowd to sneak up behind Jesus
◦ she had a physical disorder that rendered her impure
• both Jairus and woman came to Jesus with the same thought and purpose
◦ to “be made well” (vv. 23 and 28)
◦ both faced the challenge of fear and faith
But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well . . . .
Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” (vv. 34 and 36)

When I read this chapter last year, was also reading Leviticus

Specifically, passages about the priests and their holy garments
– the priests were never allowed contact with anything unclean
• they could not even tend to the body of a deceased relative
◦ their sacred robes were worn only in the sanctuary
◦ no one else was ever allowed to touch those garments
• so Jesus’ words jumped out at me when he suddenly asked,
Who touched my garments?
– I was reminded that Jesus lived outside of designated sacred space
• he even entered Gentile territory
◦ his body and clothing were exposed to impurities
◦ the demon-possessed; a woman with a bleeding disorder; the corpse of a little girl
• when Aaron’s sons violated the purity of worship,
fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them (Lev. 10:2)
◦ but when woman touched Jesus’ garments, power went out from Jesus and healed her
◦ this was the new wine – this was Jesus changing religion
– Jesus continues to live freely in our world
• he’s not afraid to touch us or be touched by us
– the woman received something from Jesus, she received healing
• or, did she steal the healing?
◦ if so, Jesus blessed her, and the faith that gave her boldness to attempt such a theft

When Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter, he kept it secret

His strict warning to parents was opposite to what he told Legion
– I think that may be why he told the mourners the girl was only asleep
• so afterward they wouldn’t realize the magnitude of this miracle

Can you imagine the desperation of countless people coming to Jesus, begging, perhaps demanding that he, raise a recently deceased loved one from the dead?

– it occurred to me, he might have wanted both parents present for this miracle
• so when their daughter regained consciousness,
◦ she would see familiar faces and not be frightened
◦ but I don’t know; it’s just a thought and seemed to be something Jesus would do

Conclusion: I have spent time sitting in each of these stories

I’m not sure that I can muster up the faith of the nameless woman
– or the faith Jesus told Jairus to have
• but what I notice about each of these main characters,
◦ is that they came to Jesus
• they came and each one fell down before him
I can do that – I can collapse at Jesus’ feet
And if that’s all I can do, it is enough
Because Jesus is enough
It is enough, because Jesus is everything

Podcast

Facebook

Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Good morning RefleXion Community. The Lord is with you!          The recent talk of The Jesus Movement got me thinking about movements, flow, streams and rivers.  Rivers are mentioned in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.  I especially love Psalm 46:4, There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

Some of us here and online were a part of what was called The Jesus Movement, or we have been involved in other movements—things that seemed important to us at a certain time.  And, whether these movements came and went, or grew and changed, I picture these movements as parts of the larger river.  For instance, you may see The Jesus Movement as a wave, a whirlpool, a bit of white water.  They are in themselves important things, but we can’t forget that they may come and go, and they are still all part of the larger flow of the river, and we are all held and carried by that river.  The movement of God has had its own pace and form since the beginning of time, and who knows how it was before that.  Jesus didn’t let little disturbances cause Him to doubt or sideline his movement.  He knew that He was in the Flow of the River carried forward in the time and way of the Holy Spirit, for His Father’s purposes.

“Aslan is on the move” (do you remember the Beaver’s word to the children in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?).  Aslan was a Lion and the True King of the land.  The Beaver says, “They say Aslan is on the move- perhaps has already landed.”

The story goes on.  And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don’t understand, but in the dream it feels as if it has some enormous meaning- either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in their inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.

Let me read you the first few verses from the last chapter of the book of Revelation; this is where the river is taking us. What do you feel as you hear it?  Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.  And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there–no need for lamps or sun–for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.”  Do you feel something jump on your inside?  It might be the Spirit of God leaping with the joy of it all.

My prayer:  Thank you, Savior Jesus for making a way; You are the Way.  Let us be carried forward in Your Flow of Love.  Let the joy of being with you now and forever help us to keep our heads above water and trust that You are the True King, who has landed and will come again. Come quickly now and take us all the way Home.  Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow . . . .” Mark 4:1-3

Intro: I’ve enjoyed the privilege of walking the shores of the Galilee “sea”

Sometimes in the early morning, other times in the afternoon, and some evenings as well
– so once, when reading this chapter, I put myself there
• Jesus could be seen walking those shores frequently
◦ that’s what he was doing when he called his first disciples (Mk. 1:16-20)
• in the previous chapter, people found him there
◦ so many, in fact that the press of the crowd threatened to crush him (Mk. 3:8-9)
◦ what he did then, he did again this time
◦ he climbed into a boat, pushed off from shore, and taught them from there
– I imagined serene surface of the lake, heard ripples running on shore,
• and noticed that the gentle rocking of the boat was mesmerizing
◦ it is easy to sit and listen to his voice coming across the water
• he tells his simple stories and my mind watches them unfold ,
◦ filling in details with color and texture

“Listen!,” he says, “Behold, a farmer went out scattering seeds”
– I picture the “sower” walking back and forth along the furrowed rows of the field
• he scatters handfuls of grain from a large sack slung over his shoulder
◦ the wind carries the kernels in all directions
◦ to the roadside next to his field, among a pile of rocks, and into a patch of weeds
• but, as we expected only the seeds in good soil thrived
– that was it – that was his message to the crowd
• only, in conclusion he added,
Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear
• I scratch my beard and wonder, “What’s the point?”

Jesus’ parables communicate truth in a rough narrative form

The purpose of a story is different from a lecture or essay
– stories are meant to create an experience for hearer or reader
• a good story gives you a sense of being there
– Jesus used parables to create a bridge
• between what we know and the unknowable
• they helps us make rational connections, but they do more than that,
◦ they produce an enlightening experience

In verse 30, Jesus asks, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like . . . .
– here is your assignment: describe yellow to a person who is color blind
• you would most likely start with “It is like,” because no visual description would be meaningful to them
• then what? “Yellow is like the feeling of sunshine on your face,” perhaps
◦ or, “Yellow is like a low note softly played on a saxophone”
◦ you have to work with what they know and have experienced

At the end of the day, Jesus met with a small group of disciples

They wanted to know what he was saying with all his parables
– he first told them why parables were necessary
• the parables were not meant for them as much as for the crowd
To you has been given the secret (mystery) of the kingdom of God
• I wondered what had been given to the disciples?
◦ was it what we call head-knowledge of the mystery of God’s kingdom?
◦ or had the kingdom itself been given to them
– is it possible disciples possessed more than they knew?
• obviously, if Jesus had to tell them the kingdom was given to them they had not known it
• at any rate, the parables were for those outside Jesus’ circle
◦ since the time of Isaiah, they were unable to grasp the straight-forward word of the prophets (vv. 11-12)

In verse 13, it sounds to me like Jesus was frustrated with them
“If you don’t get this parable, how can I take you any further? Okay, this time I’ll explain my parables to you. You have to receive the word like a seed, you have to receive the kingdom like a child” (Mk. 10:15)
– if they already had the mystery of the kingdom, they should have known what the seed is and does
• when the seed falls on a human heart, it may:
◦ never be given a chance to sink in
◦ or grow quickly, but without deep roots it dies
◦ or sprout, but have its life choked out (by distractions)
◦ or in good soil, grow, and produce grain – a lot of grain!
– I have to admit, his explanation is really helpful

One morning, the second line of verse 13 rattled my cage
How then will you understand all the parables?

Is Jesus saying that this parable is a gateway to all his parables?
– that it is the key to understanding his parables?
• in explaining this parable Jesus says, The sower sows the word
◦ that is to say, the seed is the word as Jesus delivers it–each parable is a seed
◦ Matthew refers to it not only as the word, but as the word of the kingdom
• parables are the seed that is scattered
◦ as Jesus talks about seed and soils, he is planting seeds!
– I’m convinced that Jesus’ next illustration brings further clarity to this
“Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears, let him hear (Mk. 4:21-23)
• a parable is like a lamp put under a basket
◦ the truth is there, but it’s hidden in a story
The light is revealed to those who are ready to receive it
But it is concealed from those who are not ready or who resist it
• the kingdom of God is a hidden, transcendent dimension
◦ but its light shines in Jesus and through his parables
◦ they are like portals through which the light of the kingdom of God enters our hearts

How do we receive the word so that it enlightens and grows in us?

Where did Jesus begin? In verse 3 he began with, “Listen! Behold”
– we listen and we look with focused awareness
(there is also open awareness where we are not concentrating on any particular thing, but noticing our environment with openness and no judgment)
If anyone has ear to hear, let him hear (vv. 9 and 23)
Pay attention to what you hear (v. 24)
• we choose how much attention we give to parables
◦ and the quality of that attention
◦ our attention determines how much we get from the parables
• but the principle of listening works both ways
with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added (v. 24)
– what happens next is that the more we exercise our awareness, the more it grows
For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away (v. 25)

How do the parables make these incredible things happen?
The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear Mark 4:26-28

Do you hear the rhythm of these words, “sleeps and rises” – “night and day”?
• it’s the rhythm of the farmer’s life
◦ farmers calibrate their lives according to the rhythm of nature
• they rise and plant, they sleep and the seed sprouts and grows
◦ but they don’t know how! –they don’t have to know how
– we just do the work and accept our ignorance of things infinite and eternal
◦ we don’t know how the word changes us, or what kind of changes it will work in us,
◦ or how its growth occurs
• God’s Spirit makes it happen, so it is beyond knowing
◦ what we are allowed to know is the fruit of the process

God knows our limits and weaknesses, and he assists us

Many times I conclude my meditation with a prayer of confession
For instance: “I know God’s kingdom surrounds me right now and that it is in me at the same time. I also know that I do not give it all the space that it requires. Lord Jesus, I want to follow You; please help me do a better job of it.”
– I used to be frightened by the parable of the seed and four soils
• they looked like a test or trial used to cut the less talented from the team
• they are exactly the opposite
◦ Jesus gave us parables to qualify us for discipleship

Conclusion: In 2016, after meditating on this chapter, I wrote:

1. I am not the first disciple who has been a slow-learner
2. It’s possible that I posses more than what I know
3. Jesus wants to give us the secret of the kingdom of God
4. It’s okay to ask questions
5. Faith will be enough to move forward when reason fails
6. Jesus supports our success as his disciples
   In fact, he will guarantee it if we let him and trust him

Podcast

Facebook

Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Good morning and welcome to our RefleXion Community!  The Lord is with you.

As Chuck began our series in the book of Mark, I noticed—and maybe you did too– that the word “wilderness” was mentioned four times in the first 13 verses.  Before Jesus invited anyone to “Follow Me,” there was the wilderness.  John the Baptizer was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that there would be a voice calling from the wilderness, and then he was baptizing in the wilderness.  Jesus was driven into the wilderness (by the Holy Spirit, no less) and was in the wilderness for 40 days.  Since we want to “follow Jesus,” just as He was led by the Spirit, so must we be led.  And, if we’re led into the wilderness…well, what is the wilderness?  The Greek word eremos is translated:

As a type of place: solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited, and an uncultivated region, though fit for pasture.  As the state of a person: deserted by others, deprived of their aid and protection, especially of friends, acquaintances, kindred.

I imagine that we all have experienced some aspect of the desert (desert-edness) or soul-drought.  Yet the desert is never seen in scripture as an empty region.  It is a space provided for shaking off all forms of disordered desires and attachments and carrying forward only what is necessary.  It’s a place of renewal, of returning to essence.

Jesus’ temptations, it seems to me, were focused on his identity: “If you are the Son of God…” came the temptation.  I wonder if the primary temptation we all face is to doubt our identify:  that we are children of God, with a divine identity and a unique calling.

There are some great quotes by one of the 4^th century Desert Mothers (those who chose to go to the Desert, by the way).  Her name was Amma Syncletica of Alexandria. She wrote, “If you find yourself in a monastery do not go to another place, for that will harm you a great deal.  Just as the bird who abandons the eggs  she was sitting on prevents them from hatching, so is the [one] who grows cold and their faith dies, when they go from place to place.”  Amma Syncletica is counseling us not to run from ourselves and is encouraging us to stay faithfully with whatever new life is being hatched in us. 

At least, these have been God’s word to me of late:  “Don’t try to control; don’t try to escape.”  We are always in the nest of God (our Provider, Comforter, Nourisher).  Yet in the wilderness?  In the wild?  Yes, we’re still in His nest, though perhaps without the feather bedding.  Maybe then we can call our wilderness the “Wilder-Nest.”  We’re still in His Nest.

Shall we pray:

Thank You, Lord, for Your covenant of love.  We are grateful for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We surrender to Your love however it may look.  Keep us safe from wild beasts and pity parties.  Encourage us by empowering grace.  Feed us with your good word this morning, for our sake and for the sake of the Kingdom.  Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch forth you hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Mark 3:1-6

Intro: In our current excursion through the Gospel of Mark, I am more of a tour guide than a teacher

These talks come from my personal meditations,
– and I’m inviting you to let me show you what I have seen
• to appreciate the ground we’ll cover today, I’m going to share another personal observation,
◦ because it is relevant to this chapter
– I see two Christian paths that run parallel to each other
• one path is relational – I see it as the true path
◦ on this path, trust in God is real and refreshed daily
◦ the primary characteristic of this path is love for God and love for others
• the other path is religious – it looks right, but it’s missing something
having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people (2 Tim. 31-5)
◦ on this path, trust is placed in a person’s beliefs and specific habits
◦ being “right” doctrinally is confused with being “righteous”

It seems to me, in Jesus’ day, Israel’s religion looked right
– but the devotion of believers like the Pharisees,
• was given to the forms of religion, not to the heart or spirit of the Law
◦ God sent poets and prophets to bring Israel to himself
◦ but having discovered that the forms could be controlled by people, they rejected the prophets
• Israel chose to live at a distance from God, but close to the Law and their interpretations of it
◦ in that way they could justify being greedy and unmerciful,
◦ yet, at the same time, believe they were godlier than other less religious people
– remember last week? Jesus said,
no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins (Mk. 2:22)
• his life and ministry were incompatible with the established religion
• we witness that incompatibility in this chapter

My meditation in the synagogue

The synagogue was the local headquarters of the religious institution
– I imagined myself there when Jesus entered
A man was there, who did not want to draw attention to himself, yet he could not go unnoticed. His disability made him a perfect candidate for the compassion and power of Jesus.
The Lord’s presence did not go unnoticed either. He was being watched, scrutinized. He had critics who wanted to confirm their suspicions. Would he honor the Sabbath according to their tradition? Or would he do what he had been doing everywhere else, all the time?
The Pharisees were not interested in learning whether he was sent by God. They weren’t even interested in his miracles, his compassion, or changed lives. They believed in their beliefs. Did he? Did Jesus believe in and share those beliefs? That is what they were waiting to discover.
Jesus tells the disabled man, who doesn’t want attention, to come forward. I feel nervous for him. I see him holding his arms behind his back, looking down at the ground in front of his feet. Then Jesus asks the others sitting in the Synagogue whether the Sabbath law permitted a person to do good or harm, to save life or kill. I imagine the Lord making make eye-contact with each person sitting there.
No one answered. I notice Jesus’ emotional response: anger and grief.
Why did they clam up? Why were they unwilling to answer such an easy question? I’m guessing that they did not want to yield anything to Jesus. No wonder this hardness of heart angered and grieved him. For centuries God faced the same stubbornness with his people, this same unwillingness to cooperate with him. Jesus’ sadness came not only from they way they hardened their hearts to him, but to the broken man as well.
A child complains to a parent about other kids, “They won’t play with me!” No one in the synagogue was willing to play along with Jesus. No one was interested in doing good or saving a life on the Sabbath. Later, Jesus would say,
“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
‘We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Mt. 11:16-19)
Today, if Jesus asks me, “Can you come out and play?” I’m going with him.

People on the parallel path of Christianity tend to have hard hearts
– some have shorter or longer lists of who is going to hell
• but long or short, it doesn’t bother them to pronounce sentence
◦ try to get them to re-examine their beliefs and they resist
• our theology and doctrine about God is not God
◦ those are rational concepts, and God is not a concept
◦ it is not only humility, but also compassion, to allow God to correct our beliefs

My meditation by the “sea”
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed him (Mk. 3:7)

“Jesus withdrew” – he did not continue to engage his critics
– there was no way he could win them over
• however, he could do good for the crowds who followed him
– sometimes the best course of action is to withdraw
• the morning that I meditated on this passage, my prayer was:
“Lord Jesus, please share Your wisdom with me, so that I may choose the best course of action. In every instance of conflict, slander, opposition, or trouble, give me clear thoughts and guide my actions. Remind me that it is not cowardice to withdraw. That to walk away is to find the path of peace. And may it not frustrate me that I cannot convince everyone to rethink their relationship with You and others. I thank You for the revelation that trouble need not stop me, slow me down, or cause me to despair. There is always the choice to walk with You through everything, and in making that choice I can go on my way rejoicing.”

My meditation on the mountain

Jesus did not own a home or rent an apartment – he stayed in the homes of others
– so there was no room he could retreat into for privacy
• no door where he could hang a “Do not disturb” sign
• but he had mountain and desert spaces
◦ in this instance he found solitude on a mountain
◦ and the twelve that went with him were “by invitation only”
– the invitation was to a new role, to become something new
• in fact, he gave three of them new names
• and because this was special, he invited them into his private office

The first phase of their new calling was to be with him
– that would qualify them for the work they were to do
• I wonder what criteria Jesus used in choosing these particular men
◦ was it because they had left everything to follow him, and he wanted that type of devotion?
◦ or perhaps because they were not special, gifted, or trained
• what we’re told is that Jesus called those he desired
◦ I want Jesus to desire me – desire me to be with him
◦ I want him to want me

Several times I have meditated on the various reactions to Jesus
Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard of it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind”(Mk. 3:20-21)
And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons” Mk. 3:22)

Jesus’ family and the scribes had different opinions about him
– both concluded something extraordinary was going on,
• but both assumed he was messed up, and both were wrong
– demon possession depicted in today’s movies and books,
• is nothing but ghost stories — garish, terrifying, and overdone
◦ I wonder whether it was as spooky in Jesus’ day as we think of it today
• perhaps people reacted to the possessed as we tend to psychotic behavior when we see it in public
◦ we feel pity and concern, but keep our distance

Most everyone I know has been shocked by Jesus’ statement
“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit” (Mk. 3: 28-30)
– the scribes were sincere and devoutly religious people
• and they were on a mission
◦ but they slandered Jesus and what he did for the crowds of men, women, and children
• at present, millions of people speak blasphemies every day
◦ some say hateful things about Christians and God intentionally
◦ all of that is forgivable
– I hear words spoken that jar my soul – profanity using “God” or the name of Jesus Christ
• but it doesn’t bother God the way it bothers me
• however, people who speak in the name of God or represent God to the world offend him,
◦ when they withhold mercy and express hate in his name

Conclusion: One parting look at this chapter
And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside the sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother (Mk. 3:31-35)

The focus of this meditation is Jesus’ two families
– Jesus detached himself from the one in order to attach himself to the other
The Pharisees wanted to destroy Jesus,
The crowds wanted something from Jesus,
His mom and brothers wanted to get him home to fix him,
And the scribes wanted to discredit him

Did anyone want Jesus for Jesus?
I think those sitting around him, listening to him teach the will of God wanted him
We can be those members of his redefined family
We can be his disciples, whom he desires to be with him
We can live with open hearts, and open minds, and open hands

Podcast

Facebook

Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun
A prayer for this Lenten season

Lord,
You laid down Your life and gave up everything for us.
Let us place our death in Yours
The death of our plans
The death of our expectations The death of our willfulness
The death of our selfish ambitions
The death of our imagined selves
Teach us to accept all afflictions
All disappointments
All regrets
So we may know our great need of you
So we may  know your loving care
Take hold of us with Your love,
Bind our wounds
Make us whole
Make all things new
To know your voice
To know your care
To know your healing presence
So we may freely
And wholly give ourselves to you
Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
[Jesus] went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them Mark 2:13

Intro: If you haven’t noticed,

There’s a pattern that many sermons and Christian books follow
– the preacher or author begin with a problem:
• what Christians or churches are doing wrong – or not doing
• then in the sermon or book they set out to solve the problem
◦ for instance, what we’re supposed to do and how to do it right
– every week people hear their preacher begin by pointing out their shortcomings
• not praying enough, giving enough, their faith isn’t strong enough, etc.
• people go to church or read books, because they hunger for God
◦ they are burdened, worn out, anxious about their family and future,
◦ some are unemployed, or perhaps a single mom, a lonely senior, a confused teen
• and in the first minutes of listening or reading, they get beaten down
– the way of Jesus is not to condemn people or place heavy yoke on them
• but he welcomes, clothes, feeds, heals, reassures, and loves them

Mark chapter 2 records four episodes of Jesus’ run-ins with the “religion police”
– they’re like a dark cloud wherever he goes
• he wasn’t looking for trouble, but he kept getting into trouble
◦ they questioned his words and actions, or his disciples’ actions
• in fact, those questions move the plot through the chapter from one episode to the next
◦ and each question that Jesus is asked begins with, “Why?”
◦ Jesus is pressured by the religion police to defend himself or his disciples
– typical of his teaching style, Jesus uses
• analogies, word pictures, and examples from the OT
• what does Mark want us to get from each of these episodes?
◦ for me, he wants to give us a glimpse of Jesus and the mystery of who he is
◦ the light of God shines through Jesus in Mark chapter 2

Jesus is the Son of Man – Why does this man speak like that?

Capernaum was a lovely, little seaside village
– Jesus returned there (cf. Mk. 1:21) and was teaching in someone’s home
• four men brought a paralyzed friend – but the house was too crowded for them to get him inside
◦ so went up on roof, dug through ceiling, lowered friend down into the room where Jesus taught
this would cause most preachers to lose their composure
– but it was exactly the kind of thing Lonnie Frisbee would have loved
• I know of specific instances when while speaking Lonnie was interrupted by some bizarre event
◦ he always seemed comfortable when that happened, as if he knew what was going on and what God’s Spirit wanted him to say and do
• that is how Jesus responded to this strange intrusion

Jesus’ first words to paralytic, “Son, you sins are forgiven”
– I think that would perturb me if I was one of the friends who brought him to Jesus
“I didn’t help carry him all the way here for that!”
• meanwhile, the religion police were offended and outraged
Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone? (v. 7)
◦ they were asking themselves two questions: why and who
◦ now if they had the answer to the Who question, they would have had the answer to the Why question
• Jesus called them out, and answered them with a demonstration of what he had authority to do
– this is the truth that was revealed: The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins
• “Son of Man” identifies him as one of us – one with us
◦ in the next chapter, he uses same expression, only plural
◦ “the sons of man” refers to all of humankind (Mk. 3:28)
“Has authority on earth to forgive sins”
• on earth, because this is where we live, this is where we suffer, and this is where we sin
◦ forgiveness is a major healing and the beginning of our complete healing
◦ it goes to the deepest roots of all that is wrong in our lives

Jesus is a Physician – Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners

Mark describes a shocking scene
– the first shock: Jesus calls a tax collector to follow him
• the second shock comes in verse 15
And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus
• when I came to this passage in 2008, I was reading the New American Standard Bible
◦ the NASB has a note in the margin for the word “sinners”: “irreligious Jews.”
◦ when I read that, I wrote:
I’m not sure why this notation was placed here, because there is nothing in the original language to justify it. It was someone’s interpretation of the kind of guests who were present at Matthew’s dinner party. But the attempt to soften the word “sinners” is pathetic.
“Forgive us, O God, that we deny Jesus’ descent into the darkest places among the truly sinful. We try to protect the purity of his image. We tell other Christians that it is not okay to hang out with sinners. Forgive us for trying to justify our resistance to being among people who do not share our faith or are antagonistic to it. Forgive our resistance to loving them, even though that is what the Lord taught us by his example. Don’t let us forget what we were.”
– I am forever amazed and grateful for Jesus’ answer in verse 17
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
• I am one of his patients – and that means I am his problem
◦ I cannot heal myself (any more than paralytic could stand up on his own)
• Jesus moves among all the broken people
◦ caring for them, defending them, and defending his love for them

Jesus is a Bridegroom – Why do . . . your disciples not fast?

I hear another unasked question:
“How come your disciples aren’t as dismal, unpleasant, and depressing as John’s disciples and the religion police?”
– the answer was, “Because my disciples are at a wedding, not a funeral”
• they had not learned to be miserable from Jesus
◦ fasting is a way of expressing grief and contrition
• they had his forgiveness, his help, his love – they had hope
◦ they were following Jesus, not religion
– Jesus went on to use analogies – a new patch on new cloth and new wine in new wine skins
• the kind of fasting they did was a duty, a routine piety
• wine sometimes has positive connotations in scripture–cf. Jdg. 9:13; Ps. 104:14-15
◦ Jesus’ first miracle mentioned in John’s gospel was when he turned water into wine at wedding
– the old religious system was not ready for this,
• it was an old wine skin that could not accommodate the new wine
• some Christians believe there’s a spiritual advantage to fasting
◦ but every spiritual need we have is fulfilled in Jesus

Jesus is like David – Why are they doing what is not lawful?

Years ago I learned a valuable truth from a seminary professor
Chuck Kraft, “The Scriptures are inspired–our interpretations are not inspired.”
– interpretations change as we learn more about the Bible
• they also change with cultural shifts (e.g., when women began wearing slacks in mid-20th century)
• Jesus’ disciples were not breaking any Sabbath law,
◦ but the were violating one of the interpretations of Sabbath law
– David provided a good example of the Lord’s point
– Jesus’ actions were similar to David’s, and Jesus had disciples as David had his companions
• it was a bold comparison – the Messiah would be a descendant of David
• but then Jesus makes an even bolder statement

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath(vv. 27-28)

In the Old Testament, God set strict boundaries around the Sabbath
– he was adamant about Sabbath-keeping, and required Israel to treat it seriously
• so who is this Son of Man that God would make him lord of the Sabbath?
◦ Jesus is saying that God has authorized him to make the Sabbath rules
◦ or at least to be the one who interprets the rules correctly
• this rattles the entire law and how they understood and used it
◦ we must look at it through new eyes — the Sabbath was made for men and women
◦ and we must look at Jesus with those same eyes if we want to know God’s purposes for us

Conclusion: I have one other meditation from this chapter I want to share with you

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him (v. 13)
“Reading these words, I longed to be there. Right now, I do not want to read another book, or listen to a sermon, or learn of someone’s method of prayer. I wish I could follow Jesus down to the beach and listen to whatever is on his mind. Jesus would not concern himself with being profound or clever. I doubt he would have “three points,” or use alliteration, or acronyms, or any other “preacher gimmicks.”
If we walked together alone, I would ask him, ‘Lord, what is wrong with me? What do You want from me that I haven’t been giving You? From Your perspective, what’s the most important concern of my life? What should have my undivided attention in this stage of life?’
Two times in this chapter Jesus was either preaching or teaching (vv. 1-2 and13). Mark doesn’t give us an indication that Jesus had planned to preach or teach, and in neither instance does Mark report what Jesus taught–not one word of it. Everything was spontaneous. Jesus’ words were for that moment; they fit what was happening in that moment. That is what I want: spontaneity. To be with Jesus and hear whatever he has to say for this moment. To be free from all past and all future moments. What is Jesus doing here, now?”

What happens when we take those meaningful walks along the shore?
Jesus stretches the imagination of our faith
And deepens the reservoir of our love