Divorce

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

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