Mark 10: 1-16: Divorce, it’s one of the ugly realities of our society. It happens for many reason and sometimes it’s the best thing for the situation. I’d never ask someone who’s life is in danger to stay in a relationship that is so dangerous. In the days of Jesus divorce was an issue too, and who else but the Pharisees to bring the question to Jesus? Continue reading
Being the Greatest
Mark 9:33-50: It’s not surprising that to find our travelling band of disciples confronted with their own ambitions to be the greatest. They’re all very human and quite like the rest of humanity, including me. In reading the text the embarrassment can be sensed and the reader can imagine each of the disciples trying to disappear into the shadowy parts of the room as Jesus spoke. Continue reading
Trusting Jesus Totally
Mark 9: 14-32: Jesus comes back from his trip up the mountain to find his disciples embroiled in a controversy with the teachers of the law over their failure to deliver a boy from a demon. Every thing in this passage seems to be amplified. Continue reading
Intentionally Living His Life
Mark 9:2-13 Jesus goes up a high mountain with his closest three disciples, we might even say his best friends. The way Mark rights this story it leaves us with the impression that Jesus knew exactly what he was doing as he set out on this private excursion. Continue reading
The Cost of Discipleship
Mark 7:31-9:1 A lot happens in this section of Mark’s narrative of the life of Jesus. Jesus heals several people, feeds another large group of men with only 7 loaves of bread, Peter proclaims Jesus to be the Messiah but then rapidly faces Jesus’ rebuke for his own rebuke of Jesus’ talk of the need that he suffer and die at the hands of the Jewish authorities. Continue reading