Should the Bible be taken literally?

A common label thrown at Bible-believing Christians is that they are “Biblical literalists,” that is, they interpret every part of the Bible in a completely literal, rigid fashion. Sadly, this charge is often made within the church. I was in a class at my church last Spring where nearly all the members were shocked that I believed that the original writings of the Bible were inspired by God. I was accused of being a literalist (eek!).  I thought I had gone to the Unitarian church by mistake.

Sometimes the charge has merit, such as when someone takes a given passage in a wooden fashion and causes unnecessary divisions. Interpreting the Book of Revelation is an example, where in my opinion some are too literal with their end times predictions.  Sometimes people take verses out of context to “prove” something they favor.  Some Bible reading tips to help avoid this are located here.

But I think the charge is mostly aimed at those who take the Bible seriously and who believe that the original writings were inspired by God. The Bible claims to speak for God several thousand times, so one would think that anyone calling themselves a Christian wouldn’t find it controversial to claim that the Bible is God’s Word.

Jesus used hyperbole, or extreme exaggeration, in saying it was better to gouge out our eyes or cut off our hands if that would stop us from sinning (at least I hope He was exaggerating!).  He also said to love your enemies and hate your parents.  But the passage where he said to hate your parents is also hyperbole.  He was making the point that we should love him so much more than other people and things that relatively speaking it would look like hate.  He obviously didn’t mean that literally.

Sometimes the criticisms are leveled at those who think Noah and Jonah are real people. But when you read those passages, do they sound like allegories or real events? If God made the universe and everything in it, is any miracle in the Bible too hard for him?

Ironically, those who hurl the literalist label are usually the first to take a verse literally and out of context. The favorite verse of some Christians (and non-Christians) appears to be Matthew 7:1, where Jesus says, “Do not judge.” They use this as an excuse for any and all behavior and to deflect criticism. If they would keep reading they would see that Jesus meant not to judge hypocritically. There are plenty of verses teaching that we need to make sound judgments, such as John 7:24 (“Stop judging on mere appearances and make a right judgment.”)

In an additional irony, they use this verse to judge those who make judgments. If anyone ever throws that verse at you out of context, then just reply by asking, “If it is wrong to judge, why are you judging me right now?”

Jonah 4

Greetings!  This reading is Jonah 4.

Jonah 4 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”

This would have been a good spot for Jonah to say, “Great point, Lord!  I have no right at all to be angry.  I should rejoice at your mercy and grace.”  But He didn’t say that. 

Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?”

“I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.”

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

Note God’s amazing patience with Jonah!   

Just a little side note – God was concerned about the cattle as well as the humans.  Of course, He considers humans to be much more important, but this is one of many verses that display God’s love for animals.  I did a post on my other blog about “Who will you see in Heaven?” and we discussed the concept of animals in Heaven a bit there.

I find verse 2 to be one of the most interesting verses in the Bible:  “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. ”  While much of the world pictures God as angry and unforgiving, consider that one of his prophets was angry enough to die because he “knew” that God abounded in love, and more.

Consider how the story ends.  Jonah never does come around completely to God’s way of thinking (at least not in the portion documented in the Bible).  God has exercised remarkable patience with the Ninevites and with Jonah. 

Praise God for his incredible patience with us as we wrestle with him as Jonah did.  And pray that we let God transform our minds so we can think more like He does and follow Christ more closely.

 Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Psalm 4.  I thought we would do 3-5 Psalms, then a couple chapters of Proverbs, then I’m open to suggestions.

Jonah 3

Greetings!  This reading is Jonah 3.

Jonah 3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.

Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

Note the simplicity and power of the message.  Jonah obeyed (finally!).  The Ninevites, including their king, believed God and repented.  God was gracious and merciful to them. 

Sometimes we can over-complicate the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ.  If you look at the book of Acts, which chronicles the early years of the church, the Gospel is shared thirteen times in a somewhat similar pattern.  People are made aware of their problem (sinners separated from a perfect, Holy, righteous God) and the solution (Jesus, the Savior of the world, who died in their place and who offers complete forgiveness and reconciliation if they will only put their faith in him). 

Sometimes we jump ahead and forget to point out that people need to know their problem before they hear the solution.  Otherwise, they don’t think they need the solution.

It is easy to be hard on Jonah, but then I remember how many times I have done the opposite of what God wanted me to do.  I praise him for his unending mercy and grace. 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Jonah 4.

Jonah 2

Greetings!  This reading is Jonah 2.

Jonah 2 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.

I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever.

But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

The text isn’t crystal clear on the three day and three night timeline, but it appears that as soon as Jonah repented and prayed that God delivered him.  Jonah could have done this before he got on the ship, when he was on the ship, or immediately after being swallowed by the fish, but he waited until it was almost too late.  It reminds me of Daniel 9:23, where the angel says, “As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given . . .”  God answers prayers with his perfect timing.  If an urgent answer is needed, then that’s what you’ll get. 

Verse 8 is very powerful and is a good one to memorize: “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.”  When we cling to idols of pride, false religions, money, sex, work, power, relationships, entertainment, etc. then we are missing out on the grace that God offers.   Grace is the most unique feature of the Christian faith.  The complete, unearned forgiveness of sins and restoration to God is seen nowhere else.   Yet we may fail to embrace grace because we want to hold onto wordly things that don’t truly fulfil us.

Think about times when you cried out to God in your desperation.  You may be in that place right now, either through consequences of your own actions or due to things beyond your control.  Either way, He has all of eternity to answer a momentary prayer. 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Jonah 3.  Tune in to see if Jonah has completely turned around such that he sees the situation from God’s perspective, or if he still wrestles with wanting things done his way. 

Jonah 1

Greetings!  This reading is Jonah 1.

This is an action-packed book.  A lot happens in just four chapters. 

Jonah 1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

The Ninevites had a seriously wicked culture.  The prophet Nahumchronicled much of their evil – plotting against God, cruelty, exploitation of the helpless, idolatry, prostitution, withcraft and more.  But despite this God still wanted to reach them, just as He reaches out to us in our wickedness. 

Prophets typically just preached and prophesied to the Israelites.  In this case God wanted Jonah to go to the hated Ninevites and preach a message of repentance to them.  As Genesis 12:3 and other parts of the Bible note, the rest of the world was to be blessed through the Israelites.  Jonah didn’t like that idea so he disobeyed and went the other direction. 

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”

Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried to the Lord, “O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased.”

I used to think that Jonah was finally doing something noble by offering to be thrown into the sea.  But James MacDonald pointed out that Jonah was basically saying that he would rather die than obey God.

Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

There is the fish part.  No drama, just a ho-hum notation that God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah. 

Although “three days and three nights” sounds like three literal 24 hour days, it was actually a Hebrew figure of speech meaning any part of a day.  Therefore, Jesus was buried mid-day on Friday and arose on Sunday but it was still referred to as “three days and three nights.”

Note how these pagans had more compassion than Jonah.  Jonah had put their lives in danger and they wanted to spare his life, but Jonah didn’t want the Ninevites to be saved.  The sailors were convinced by this miracle and vowed to follow God. 

We can’t run from God and expect to receive his blessings.  Are there any parts of your life where you are running from God?   

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like. 

The next reading is Jonah 2.

Jonah overview

Greetings!  This reading is an overview of Jonah.

I am excited about this study of Jonah.  Many of us have heard about “Jonah and the Whale” so many times that we think of it as a cartoon, even though the text says “fish” and not “whale” and the text and the rest of the Bible point to Jonah being a real person.

Try to pretend you are reading it for the first time.  There is so much more to this story than just a big fish.  In fact, you may be surprised that the story doesn’t go as you remembered. This is a very short book and can be read quickly.  I encourage you to read it through once then come back through it chapter by chapter.   

Who wrote this and when was it written? Jonah, a prophet of God, wrote it around 775 B.C.  It is possible that someone else wrote it because it is written in the third person, but it is quite likely that a repentant Jonah wrote it himself.

Was Jonah a real person?  Did he really preach to the people of Ninevah?  He was referred to in 2 Kings 14:25.  And Jesus sure thought he was real:

Matthew 12:39-41 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

Who was it written to?  Israel (the Jewish nation) and all followers of God.

Why was it written?  The Book of Jonah shows the message of God’s salvation to all people, not just the Israelites.  It also shows how God pursues us and how painful disobedience can be. 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Jonah 1.

Listening to the Bible

Years ago a friend told me how he listened to the Bible when he commuted. I bought some tapes from a ministry called Faith Comes by Hearing and started listening to them. They have many versions to choose from. You can get tapes, CDs or MP3 files. There are many other organizations that produce audio Bibles as well.

No matter how busy you are you probably have time to listen in the car.  The whole Bible takes about 80 hours to listen to. With 15 minutes a day, you could listen to the Bible in a year, or the New Testament in just 3 months.  Just don’t shut your eyes to pray if you are driving. 

Sometimes I listen while in my car, exercising, or doing yardwork or anything mundane.  My youngest daughter is an auditory learner and she liked listening to the Bible when we tried it last week (we are in Leviticus, no less!).

Even if you like to read, give listening a try. You will be surprised at the things you pick up that you miss when you read (and vice verse).

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Mark 16

Greetings!  This reading is Mark 16 – the last chapter of Mark.

Mark 16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Three of the most magnificent words the world ever heard are, “He is risen!” Jesus had a bodily resurrection, just as He had predicted.  The death and resurrection of Christ is the central even in human history.  The tomb is still empty.  I am not aware of any historians who claim that the body was found. 

There are some fanciful speculations about the Disciples stealing the body, but these make no sense given that teams of Roman guards staked their lives on the ability to protect the body.  Also, these were the same Disciples who fled during the crucifixion.  What would motivate them to risk their lives to steal the body?  And why would the Disciples endure suffering, poverty and painful captivity and deaths for something they knew to be a lie?  His physical resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1) completely transformed the lives of his followers from being confused and scared to being clear thinking and bold. 

The truth is that He is indeed risen!  That is a fact you can stake your life on.

Mark only mentions one angel at the tomb, but Luke mentions two.  This is an example of a Bible difficulty that seems like a big problem at first, but is easily and logically explainable.  When two people describe a situation there will always be differences in the accounts.  But the accounts, if truthful, are complimentary, not contradictory.  This is the case here.  Mark doesn’t say there was just one angel.  He just mentions the angel that spoke.  If Mark had claimed there was only one angel, then that would have been a contradiction.

The other Gospels – Matthew, Luke and John – plus the book of Acts contain more information about the post-resurrection appearances of Christ and what the Apostles did next. 

Note: The earliest manuscripts of Mark do NOT contain this last section, verses 9-20.  These verses and the passage in John about the woman caught in adultery might have been inspired by God, but the latest consensus in scholarship indicates that they may have been added after the original writings.  It is important to note that neither passage makes major doctrinal statements or contradicts other teachings.  In fact, these are examples that the system works and that we can rely on the Bible as an accurate reflection of the writings originally inspired by God.  There are thousands of manuscripts dating back to the early centuries after Christ that were recovered from around the world.  By comparing them closely scholars can determine what the originals said. 

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

One of the best of Bible reading tips I have heard is “Never read a Bible verse” by Greg Koukl at Stand to Reason.  The main point is to always read a verse in light of the whole passage.  Otherwise, you may read something into the passage something that was never intended.  Sometimes people make points that are true, but they use the wrong verse to back it up.  This can be confusing and unnecessarily impact someone’s credibility.  In addition, it is useful to let the clearer verses help you to understand less clear verses.

I saw another blogger who had some really good messages on his site but also took part of this passage and made a broad claim about it.  He insisted that all believers should “speak in new tongues” as noted in verse 17 above.  This has a couple problems.  First, it ignores other more specific and reliable teachings about tongues in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14.  Second, using this logic, we should all be picking up snakes and drinking deadly poison without dying, as the following verse notes.  I have picked up a few snakes in my time, but this was always done (A) with a hoe and (B) after they were really, really dead. 

I hope you got a lot out of our study of Mark!  Please join me as we begin a study of Jonah.  There is a lot more to it than just a big fish. 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is an overview of Jonah.

Mark 15

Greetings! This reading is Mark 15.

Mark 15 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

Pontius Pilate was a Roman leader in charge of this area.  He was very sensitive to potential uprisings by the Jewish people, who severely resented Roman occupation of their land. 

Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them. “Crucify him!” they shouted. “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Democracy’s not-so-finest moment: The people chose Barabbas, a murderer over Jesus, God in flesh and the perfect, innocent human being.  Interestingly, Barabbas was literally saved by the substitution of Jesus in his place.  We too are saved by Jesus’ substitutionary atonement, which is the fancy way of saying that He died in our place. 

The Bible is an extremely accurate historical book.  It does describe dramatic moments, but usually in a matter of fact way.  Mark simply notes that “He had Jesus flogged,” while he could have gone into incredible detail on the unfair punishment Jesus endured.  Flogging meant 40 lashes with a whip, which was often embedded with bits of bone or other objects.  People could have their organs exposed due to the flogging and could die from it.

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

As Romans 14:11 says, every knee of believers and unbelievers will bow before Jesus.  The soldiers did it in a mocking way, and they will do so again in all sincerity..

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

The dividing of Jesus clothes was predicted in Psalm 22:18. 

It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

It is useful to read Psalm 22 to get a better understanding of the crucifixion and some of the related prophecies.

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

John 19:30 notes that Jesus said, “It is finished,” meaning that the debt of our sin had been paid in full.  Jesus’ work was complete.  Jesus was in control at all times and willingly gave himself up for us.  Again, the Bible spares us graphic descriptions, but crucifixion was the most painful and humiliating method of execution ever devised.  Nails were put in the criminal’s hands and feet and they hung naked or nearly naked for all to see.  Death could take hours and came about by a slow and painful suffocation.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

The tearing of the temple curtain carries great symbolism.  This is the curtain to the “Most Holy Place” where only the temple priest could go once per year to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people.  Once Jesus paid the ultimate price, the system of sacrificing animals was no longer needed.  We could now approach God directly.  See Hebrews 9 for more.

Note all the women who were there at the gruesome crucifixion.  All of the disciples except John had already fled.

It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

This was a big risk for Joseph of Arimathea.  He was a prominent Jewish leader who was obviously taking sides at what appeared to be the worst possible time.  Jesus was dead, and Joseph was publicly caring for his body.  Are we so bold as to declare to the world whose side we are on?

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 16.

Mark 14

Greetings!  This reading is Mark 14.

One of the main Jewish celebrations was Passover, where they remembered how God miraculously led the Israelites out of Egypt after 400 years of slavery.  The religious leaders had hundreds of their man-made laws that they tried to make people obey, yet they plotted to murder Jesus.

Mark 14 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.” While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  

Jesus was right – people are still talking about what this woman did!

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not I?” “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. “I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The bread represents Jesus’ body and the wine represents his blood. 

I wonder what hymn they sang? 

“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.” But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

One of the powerful evidences for the resurrection of Jesus is the transformed lives of the Disciples.  After Jesus was captured, they scattered.  Only one (John) viewed the crucifixion.  The rest went into hiding in various places.  Yet a couple months later they were boldly preaching the message of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  All of them but John were eventually killed for their faith and could have escaped death by saying that Jesus hadn’t risen.  If Jesus stayed dead, their behavior would make no sense.  People will die for a lie if they think it is true, but they won’t die for something they know to be a lie. 

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”  

Note how Jesus prayed, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.”  Praying that God’s will be done instead of mine can be a hard thing to do, but always works out for the best.  In this case, there was only one way to save people from their sins, and it was for Jesus to die in their place as a substitute.  When people say there are multiple paths to God they ignore that the Bible has 100 passages noting that Jesus is the only way.  If there were other acceptable paths, his death would have been unnecessary.

Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Then everyone deserted him and fled. A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

As noted yesterday, tradition holds that it was John Mark, the author of this Gospel, who fled naked.

They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’” Yet even then their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

Jesus claimed to be God, which meant that it was either true or that it was blasphemy. 

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said. But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

It is easy to criticize Peter for denying Jesus, but how many times do we deny Jesus by our actions and lifestyles?  And consider the amazing redemption of Peter.  After denying Jesus three times he becomes a leader in the early church and boldly preaches the Gospel, even though it eventually gets him killed. 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 15.

More about Mark

I heard a good sermon by David Moore about failure that dealt a lot with the author of this Gospel, so I thought I would add some additional thoughts to the Overview of the Gospel of Mark. 

Mark’s real name was John.  Mark was a nickname, and it apparently wasn’t very complimentary. 

Tradition holds that this passage refers to Mark: 

Mark 14:51-52 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

He was a cousin of Barnabas and started on Paul’s first missionary journey.  Then things went badly.

Acts 15:36-40 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted themin Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

At this point Paul had no use for Mark.  Yet see what happens years later as noted by Paul:

Colossians 4:10-11 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. . . . These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.

2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.

Philemon 23-24 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

Mark was also a traveling companion of Peter, who lovingly referred to Mark as “my son.”  Mark became a scribe and documented Peter’s sermons, which became the Gospel of Mark. 

What a remarkable turnaround!  Mark goes from fleeing Jesus naked and being considered a deserter to being a trusted companion of Peter and Paul and the writer of one of the Gospels!  God can do amazing things in your life regardless of what failures you have had to date. 

Mark 13

Greetings!  This reading is Mark 13.

This is a challenging chapter, as it deals with predictions of Jesus’ return and other prophecies.  As with other Biblical prophecies, there can be a mix of near-term and long-term predictions.  Jesus predicted that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed, and it happened in 70 A.D. (roughly 37 years after Jesus ascended into Heaven).  The Bible doesn’t record the destruction, which is a fairly strong argument that virtually all of the New Testament was written before that time. The temple was the focal point of Jewish worship and its destruction was a huge issue for them.

Once again Jesus warns about false teachers and the potential costs of being his disciple. 

Mark 13 As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

When Jesus returns, there will be no mistaking it.  Be very wary of those making predictions about when Jesus is coming back.  Yes, we should watch for signs, but countless people have made themselves and Christianity look foolish with their false predictions.

“But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Jesus is God, but He divested himself of certain rights when He humbled himself and came to earth.  That is why he didn’t know the exact time of his return.  But He warns us to keep watch and be ready.  You may live 50 more years, or 50 more days or just 50 more minutes.  Jesus may return before you die, or He may not.  Either way, that will be the time of judgment. 

We shouldn’t be so focused on his return that we withdraw from society, though.  Jesus taught us to be “salt and light” and to share his truth with the world. 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 14.

Mark 12

Greetings!  This reading is Mark 12.

The first section is a parable that deliberately angered the Jewish leaders because it exposed their hypocrisy.  God is the man, and the vineyard is Israel.  The servants are the prophets God sent to the Israelites.  The son is Jesus. 

Mark 12 He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Next up is the famous line “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”  The Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus again.  The Israelites hated the tax collectors who took advantage of them.  The Pharisees were trying to get Jesus to take sides with Caesar, the Roman Emperor (which would make the Jewish people mad at him) or to oppose Caesar (which would get Jesus in trouble with the Romans). 

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.

The Sadducees were another group of Jewish leaders.  They did not believe that our bodies will be physically resurrected some day, so they tried to trick Jesus with a question.  Jesus points out to them that our souls live forever and that the Sadducees misunderstood the concepts of marriage and heaven.

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

The next question appeared to be sincere.  Jesus summarizes all the 10 Commandments and all the laws from the Old Testament into two commandments.  These commandments may be easy to memorize and repeat, but think how hard it is to truly love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to always love your neighbor as yourself. 

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight.

As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

The chapter closes with a powerful true story about rich people donating money out of their abundance while a poor widow gave all she had.  No matter how much we give out of our wealth it is hard to imagine the faith of this woman.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 13.

Mark 11

Greetings!  This reading is Mark 11.

Mark 11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

When Jesus rode in on a donkey it fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.  Of course, this could have been a self-fulfilling prophecy as Jesus could have used some of the prophecies as a sort of script to follow.  Yet most of the predictions from the Old Testament about how He would be born, live, suffer, die and be resurrected could not have been controlled by him if He were faking it. 

Some people point to the irony that crowds praised him here (“Hosanna in the highest!”) and later yelled “crucify him!,” but I am not certain that these were the same people.  Perhaps some were in both places, but not all.  Still, not many people stuck around to defend him when he was being flogged and crucified. 

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city.

This is an example of Jesus’ righteous anger.  Anger is not always a sin.  Vendors were taking advantage of those who had to convert their money or to buy animals to be sacrificed at the temple.  Note that Jesus said it was to be a house of prayer “for all nations,” not just for Jewish people. 

In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Jesus taught here about how to pray.  We need to pray for God’s kingdom to be fulfilled (He won’t answer prayers that aren’t for the long-term good of his kingdom or for us).  We should pray with confidence.  We need to forgive others to cleanse our hearts. 

They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’….” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Here is another trap the Pharisees set for Jesus.  If He said his authority was from God, they would accuse him of blasphemy (irreverence towards or cursing of God) and if He said it was from himself they would say he was crazy.  They wanted to trick him, but as usual He asked them questions back and turned the tables.  He wasn’t bashful about explaining who He was, but it was part of his plan to expose certain things at certain times. 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 12.

Mark 10

Greetings!  This reading is Mark 10.

The first passage is about marriage and divorce.  The Pharisees (religious leaders) are trying to trick Jesus to make him look bad or to find an excuse to have him killed.

Mark 10 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” “What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) as He hates other sins because He knows how destructive it is.  Fortunately, He doesn’t hated divorced people. 

Note Jesus’ comments on marriage.  The part about “a man will leave his father . . . one flesh” is the most often repeated verse in the Bible (four times).  The Bible is clear and emphatic that God’s design for marriage is between one man and one woman.  There is not even a hint that any other combination is desirable.  The Bible does have examples of polygamy, but the negative consequences are shown.  It is never presented as something beneficial.  Remember that the Bible is a thoroughly honest book.  It shows how even the heroes of the faith still sinned. 

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

This story of the rich man has many important points.  First, it shows that Jesus loved the man but gave him a choice whether to follow or not.  Jesus did not run after the man and try to bargain with him, saying, “OK, you don’t have to sell all your possessions . . . just sell half and we’ve got a deal!”  If Jesus didn’t make the young man (or the Pharisees) believe, why should we think we could make someone believe?  We should share the truth in love (not the pampering kind of love, but the kind that has others’ long term best interests at heart), but whether someone follows Christ is ultimately between them and the Holy Spirit.  Our duty is to obey Jesus’ command to share the Gospel. 

Jesus is not saying you have to sell everything to follow him.  He was pointing out to the rich young man that while he thought he was perfectly righteous his real “god” was money, not the Lord.  Jesus wants us to make him the top priority in life.  No one ever regretted trusting in and following Jesus.

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The request of James and John falls into the category of, “Be careful what you ask for.”  They thought they were asking for glorious, powerful positions in an earthly kingdom.  But despite Jesus repeated warnings that He would be killed, they didn’t realize that to be at his “right” and “left” could have meant to be crucified with him. 

It continually amazes me that the God of the universe came to earth not “to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

The chapter closes with another magnificent miracle, a healing of a blind man who begged Jesus for mercy.  Jesus loves to be merciful.   

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 11.

Mark 9

Greetings!  This reading is Mark 9.

I am trying a new format.  You can still click the link above to read the whole passage separately, but I thought I would try pasting the verses below then commenting in between passages.  Leave a comment or email me at neil@4simpsons.com if you have a preference. It seems like this method would be more readable, but I’m open to suggestions.

The first passage is an excellent example of how to use one of the most important Bible study tips: Always read a verse in the context of what is in the whole passage.  If you just read a single verse you may not get the meaning that was intended for it.

Some people find the first verse below to be a mysterious prediction that may or may not have been fulfilled.  However, the story of the transfiguration of Jesus that follows is told three times in the Bible – here, in Matthew and in Luke.  In each case the quote that “some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power” immediately precedes the transfiguration story.  While it is possible that the quote doesn’t tie to the story, it doesn’t seem likely.  After all, what happens next?  Some of them see the Kingdom of God come with power.

Mark 9 And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

See what I mean?  It seems obvious to me that the prediction was immediately followed by a description of its fulfillment. 

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him.

When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

One of my favorite Bible verses is where the father says, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  We may have faith – and a little faith in the right source of faith is what really matters.  But strengthening our faith helps us live more peacefully and victoriously. 

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

This is one of the three times that Jesus clearly predicts his death and resurrection.  However, the Apostles were expecting him to be a different kind of leader, so they couldn’t make sense of what He was saying or they just didn’t want to believe it.

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Jesus often turns the wisdom of the world upside down.  We struggle to be the greatest, but it is by serving that we experience real joy. 

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.

The Bible mentions rewards many times.  It can be confusing, because our salvation has nothing to do with our actions (or “works”).  We are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus.  But after we are saved, the good we do in Christ’s name does earn us heavenly rewards. 

“And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire. “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

The one true God is revealed throughout the Bible, but sometimes people think the “Old Testament God” was mean and the “New Testament God” was nice.  But you need to read the Bible to get a better understanding.  These people overlook the fact that in the Old Testament God showed his mercy and forgiveness many times, and that in the New Testament Jesus speaks of Hell twice as much as He speaks of Heaven.  And there is much more talk of Hell and judgment in the New Testament. 

When Jesus mentions cutting off your hand or gouging out your eyes, he is using hyperbole (extreme exaggeration).  At least I hope He is!  Seriously, He is pointing out just how serious the problem of sin is.  Notice how many times He refers to Hell and its horrors.  Some people question what the exact properties of Hell are, but a couple things are clear: Jesus says Hell is a real place and He warns against going there in the strongest possible terms.  He lived the perfect life in our place and took our punishment on himself so we could be spared an eternity in Hell.  All we have to do is confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). 

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 10.

Mark 8

Greetings!  This reading is Mark 8.

I am trying a new format.  You can still click the link above to read the whole passage separately, but I thought I would try pasting the verses below then commenting in between passages.  Leave a comment or email me at neil@4simpsons.com if you have a preference. It seems like this method would be more readable, but I’m open to suggestions.

Mark 8 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

Jesus fed another huge crowd – 4,000 men plus women and children – with only 7 loaves and a few fishes.  It is not clear exactly how long it was between the first mass feeding and this one, but the disciples were either dropping hints to Jesus or they weren’t sure if He would do the miracle again.  I thought it was interesting that with the first miracle feeding there were 12 baskets of food left over – one per disciple!  I’m not sure if there is significance with the 7 baskets in this miracle. 

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

Oddly, Jesus is performing miracles left and right yet the Pharisees want a special miracle in the sky.  Sometimes people think that if they could just see one miracle then they would believe in God.  But people are quick to rationalize or deny miracles.  After Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead (John 11) many people put their faith in Jesus.  Yet the religious leaders not only ignored the power of the miracle Jesus performed but they plotted to kill Jesus and Lazarus to hide the evidence!  It can take more than miracles to change rebellious hearts to turn towards God.

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”  

Jesus warned again about the dangers of false teachings.  He noted that they were like yeast, which represents evil in this passage.  Just as a little yeast makes the whole loaf of bread rise, a little bad teaching can do great damage to people and cultures.  For example, see False teachers in action.

Jesus performs another miraculous healing of a blind man.  He did it in two stages, perhaps to show that some healings will be gradual.

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village.”

There is an interesting contrast in the last two passages.  Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the Christ (the promised Messiah of Israel).  In the parallel passage in Matthew 16 Jesus praises Peter for saying this.  Yet when he rebukes Jesus for predicting his death Peter is criticized for speaking as Satan would.  Among other things, there is a good lesson in here about knowing some things about Jesus but remembering we don’t know everything (ironically, my first analysis of this passage had an error!).

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Jesus asks Peter a crucial question that we all must answer: Who do you say that I am?  Is He my Lord and Savior, or just some guy who taught a few good things and a few things I don’t like?

When Jesus said to come after him is to “take up your cross and follow” it meant a lot to those listeners.  Crucifixion was the cruelest form of execution ever devised, and the condemned killer had to carry his cross publicly to the execution site.  Jesus offers eternal life and peace in this life, but He does warn that following him comes with a cost. 

Meditate on these words of Jesus: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 9.

If you want to hear from God . . .

If you want to hear from God, read the Bible.

If you want to hear from God out loud, read the Bible out loud.

Seriously, the Bible is God’s preferred method of speaking to people.  It is possible that He could use some other means such as an angel or a dream, but it is not likely.  And if He does speak in some manner outside the Bible, the message will never contradict anything in the Bible.  This is good news, not bad news, because it means you can hear from him anytime you want.  Like right now!

You can learn about what God is like, why Jesus the Son came (to save lost sinners), what the chief problem of man is (sin), how to be forgiven for all your sins and be reconciled to him, how to best live your life, how to love others, how to be a better spouse / parent / friend, and much more.  No one should go through life without reading the book written by the inspiration of the creator of the universe. 

Also see Listening to the Bible.

Mark 7

Greetings!  This reading is Mark 7.

The first section about washing hands had nothing to do with germs.  The issue wasn’t whether everyone was using Purell or not; the washing in question was ceremonial in nature.  It was a ritual the Pharisees (religious leaders) came up with on their own and expected the other Jews to follow.  Jesus pointed out their hypocrisy, noting that they pretended to honor God but really worshipped their man-made rules. 

As you read the Gospels, note how much time Jesus spends correcting false teaching.  False teachers are still a big problem today.  We need to exercise caution to ensure our teachers use the Bible as their source of guidance.  Also see Doctrine counts for some verses relating to the importance of sound teaching.

Then Jesus gets very specific in verses 14-15 and provides a fairly detailed list of what comes out of us that is evil in verse 21 & 22.  Read the list slowly and think about each item.  It is a very convicting list.

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’”

For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

The Bible typically shows how people had to be aware of their problem of sin before they turned to accept Jesus as their Savior.   

Note that in verse 19 Jesus declared all foods at “clean.”  This is another one of his claims to be God.  God the Father had established the Jewish dietary laws in the Old Testament as one of the ways He was setting them apart from other people.  For Jesus to undo that was a major claim.

The story of the woman with the demon-possessed daughter can be confusing at first.  Jesus wasn’t being cruel to the woman.  He was just pointing out that she was interrupting his teaching of the disciples.  He healed the girl without even being there in person.   

The chapter closes with Jesus healing a man who was deaf and mute.  Imagine the joy the man felt at being able to hear and speak!  The people there were “overwhelmed with amazement.”  We should be, too.

Reflect on what stood out to you in this reading and share your comments and questions if you like.

The next reading is Mark 8.