Mark 4:1-20: the seeds of the message about the Kingdom fall upon many types of ground, some of which is healthy and receptive while, from what Jesus describes here, most seed falls on less productive and even infertile soil. In looking at the various types of places where the seed falls we can see Continue reading
Monthly Archives: July 2013
A mad man!
Mark 3:20-35: The critics of Jesus ministry went from bad to worse in this passage when they actually attributed the work Jesus is doing to a tag team event between Jesus and Satan himself! Only a few verses back in Mark 3:3 we see Jesus indignant when faced with the heartlessness of the Continue reading
Lying in wait
Mark 3:2: It seems that despite Jesus demonstrating that He had the power to heal and despite His teaching on the Kingdom of God the Pharisees were intent on finding wrong in Jesus in order to discredit Him. A Pharisee even told Jesus that they knew that He was a teacher who had come from God (John 3:2). But Jesus was disturbing the well order life Continue reading
The Old and the New
Mark 2:18-22: Jesus is faced with another criticism of His work and the actions of His disciples. People were wondering why Jesus’ disciples weren’t more spiritual because they weren’t fasting like the Pharisees and John’s disciples. Once again people were confusing outward appearance and inner spiritual reality. We’ve already discovered that Jesus put more importance on the inner spiritual life but as usual people expect appearances and practices to accompany the spiritual life. Continue reading
Who are you?
Mark 2: 17: Jesus really nails it in this verse as he talks with the Pharisees, a group of well intentioned religious purest. No doubt these men, it was a men’s only group, felt that they merited Jesus’ attention if he really wanted to be part of the in group of the day. These men had it all; authority, money, influence and ‘respect’. Continue reading