All things are possible to the person who believes

Bible reading for Saturday April 1st.
Set your clock forward tonight.

Bible section: Gospel of Mark 9:14-29

I was serving as a chaplain in a hospital in Mid-America. An old man was admitted with bronchitis, he was old and weak and his relatives were afraid he might die. They asked me to get a minister from his own religious group, to come and pray for him. They wanted a Roman Catholic priest. I was the minister on duty but I was not Roman Catholic and they naturally wanted someone whose religious language was the same as theirs. It was late evening and the only priest I could reach at that hour was unable to get his car started.
He called back about 11 p.m. and told me he couldn’t get to the hospital.
“Pray for him yourself.” He told me.
“But we are different denominations, he will want someone from his own group,” I protested.”
“Forget denominations and groups said the priest, just go direct.”
I understood him; I put on a stole (looks like a scarf, represents a yoke of service) so that the patient, who was too sick to talk, would recognize a representative of the universal Church. I took a little oil; anointed him with it in the name of Jesus, asked God to heal him, and left. The next night I went to visit him in his room but he was gone and someone else was in the bed. I asked what happened to him, and the nursing staff replied. “Something funny there; he came in sick enough to die, but after a nights sleep all his symptoms were gone, He went home this afternoon.” I called the priest to tell him, but he had got his car working and gone on a journey

“Go direct” the priest had said, meaning that when we pray to God we need no intermediaries. Except of course that Jesus is the great intermediary who intercedes on our behalf. .

The father of a very sick boy took his child to the disciples of Jesus to be healed. For some reason they weren’t able to heal him although they had previously healed many people in the name of Jesus. Then Jesus came to the group and the boy’s Father was able to go directly to Jesus with his request. Jesus healed the boy.
What no one else can do, Jesus can. This man who came to Jesus requesting help was partly confident that Jesus could heal and at the same time a little unsure. He wasn’t turned away; no one told him to come back when he was fully confident, Jesus accepted what faith the man had and healed the very sick child. That healing would leave the father full of confidence in Jesus. Therein is an understanding of how we receive faith, the man’s eventual strong faith was not a product of his own religious ability but the result of Jesus’ work of healing. So it has been in my life, and many others’s; the faith we have is not produced by some gigantic spiritual effort but comes as the result of the activity of Jesus himself. Our faith is often insufficient for certain situations, but more is always granted when we seek the source, God himself

Divine affirmation

Reading for Friday March 31
Bible section: Mark 9:2-13

Jesus has begun to prepare his disciples for the fact that he must suffer many things and be killed at Jerusalem. But who prepares Jesus? God himself does. When Jesus goes up the mountain taking his closest friends with him, he becomes radiant as they are watching, and Moses and Elijah talk with him. The topic of their conversation is about the death he will accomplish at Jerusalem.

The three close friends; Peter, James and John do not remember much of the conversation; a kind of stupor overcomes them at the height of the vision. But after Moses and Elijah leave, they see Jesus alone and all four are suddenly overshadowed by a cloud and hear a voice from the cloud saying, “This is my beloved Son. Hear him!”

The hardest part to understand is that Jesus says not to tell anyone about their vision until Jesus has risen from the dead, and they do not understand that term. They have seen three people brought back to life, but what is this word resurrection?

We know the end, because we know the end of the story. We know about the resurrection of Jesus and we know that the same three friends of Jesus became leaders of the people of God after Jesus had ascended into heaven. We know how the good news of the kingdom of God spread from Jerusalem to Samaria and then to the uttermost part of the world.

Moses had been the leader of the people of God when they were a religious group of nomads; Elijah had encouraged and supported the people of God when they were established in their own territory but being led terribly astray by their own royalty. Neither of them had been martyred but they had both born the heavy burden of leading the people of God on a spiritual journey. Jesus, by his death, will complete the work that they began. It would be good to know what they said but at this point the three disciples go into a kind of stupor.

It must have been so hard for Jesus to walk away from the mountain top and go back to the people knowing that his arrest and death were approaching. The voice of his Father, affirmed that he was loved and honored, and that he had correctly understood what was required of him. Moses and Elijah were the only other reassurance that Jesus received. Not a single person living at that time understood why Jesus let himself be arrested and why he did not use his divine power to come down off the crucifixion cross. Jesus had no friends to help and support him as he faced the certainty of arrest and painful death. .

Matthew 17:1-8, Luke 9:28-36

God, the Courageous

Reading for Thursday March 30
Bible Section: Mark 8:31 to chapter 9:1.

Now that Peter has recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the hope of the world, Jesus can begin to share his plans for the salvation of the world. Suddenly the whole plan spills out before them, and it is too much to grasp; too much for us, reading it 2,000 years afterwards to grasp. He must “suffer and be killed” he, the one that Peter had just recognized as the hope of the world. Jesus talks quickly and briefly about the foundation of the church, gives warning to those who would like to become his people, talks of his coming in glory and says some of them will see the kingdom of God coming with power before they die.

Here in a few words is almost the whole mystery of our salvation, our life with Jesus, and eternal destiny; spilled on the ground in front of us, like a man emptying a sack of precious jewels at our feet and leaving us to sift through the treasures with exclamations and bewilderment.

The kingdom language they were familiar with; Jesus had from the beginning called people to repent and believe the good news of the kingdom. But the death language; they had not heard that before and Peter reacted with consternation. .
The preparation of his followers for suffering was not limited to the closest friends of Jesus but he called the crowds and began to prepare them for suffering. Who would follow at such a cost?

God’s goodness ultimately triumphs over evil, but at what cost, God calls the masses and tells them that if they value their life they must be prepared to loose it. He who has been so loving and forgiving now warns the masses that if they are ashamed of him in the days to come he will be ashamed of them when he comes in glory. The words, “Take up your cross” were almost an assault on their ears, they had seen men crucified!

The disciples did not understand. Jesus was so severe with Peter that he would certainly have felt crushed and humiliated. Peter’s mind, Jesus said, was not on the things of God but on the things of men. Up till now that was where Peter thought his mind should be. He understood the life of a working man as being preoccupied with earning a living and staying out of trouble.

Jesus turns their lives and the understanding of their lives upside down. From that time onward they must have been perplexed and bewildered, holding their breath in fear and striving to put together the different strands of teaching.

But for us it is all done, we know the end of the story. We know what happened to these men clutched in the grip of a loving Father who would neither shelter them from his purpose, nor deny them the opportunity to be involved with him in the reclamation of the human race.

We understand because we have seen the empty tomb, and read the words of Peter who wrote to the churches that the trial of their faith was more valuable than gold.

God is a risk taking God, he created humans with free will knowing that humans would make wrong choices and men would sin, He took the risk, because some would learn to trust God’s will more than their own, and that was worth the risk. He took the risk of sending his beloved son when he knew that humans would see his divine words and actions as sabotaging the powers of this world and kill him. Then he took the risk of calling people to become loyal to him at the risk of their own lives, He offered us a share in his work of reclaiming humanity and establishing the kingdom of peace and justice, knowing that with his Spirit’s help some of us would be made able to take the offer. Although he loves humanity, which is imprinted with God’s likeness, more than our limited love can fathom, Jesus still warned people that if they are ashamed of him he will be ashamed of them when he comes in glory. This from Jesus who greeted people with, “Your sins are forgiven.”

God’s love will not let us be small. He is seeking to develop his nature in the people who bear his likeness, preparing them to be leaders in the ages to come. He thrusts his chosen people into opportunities that they had neither expected nor asked for, and by his own Spirit supports them as they carry out missions that will be effectual in the eternal ages. He is choosing partners for himself.

We know the end of the story. We know about the triumph of Jesus in his crucifixion. We know about the power of God that resurrected him from a very physical death, and took him physically to be with God in God’s habitation. But do we recognize the kingdom which Jesus told the disciples they would see before they died? What they saw was the resurrection of Jesus, the installation of His Spirit within the hearts of people, and the voluntary formation of groups of people loyal to Jesus and encouraging each other in unity with the Divine. That of course is the kingdom as it is now, we wait with excitement to see what the kingdom will mean to us when Jesus comes to establish what he has started.

“If any person would come after me,” says Jesus and names a price too high to pay. But thousands have paid it willingly and have been supernaturally strong in their ability to resist evil and its temptations and onslaughts.That price, and the effective missions of the people who paid it convince us that what we are receiving is indeed the revelation of the divine God and his Messiah.

Matthew 16:13-27, Luke 9:18-26

Moment of Recognition

Wednesday, March 29th
Bible section for today: Gospel of Mark 8: 11-26

It is evening, the day light has faded and you are waiting to meet your friend. Dimly through the dusk you see someone approaching you, but it is too dark to recognize him. You peer at the approaching shape, straining to see who it is. Suddenly he is close enough and you can see his face; yes, it is your friend.

In the Bible section for today Jesus asks his disciples who the people think he is. They reply that some think he is Elijah, or a great prophet, of perhaps even a reincarnation of John the Baptist. Jesus says to them, “Who do you think I am?” and Peter responds quite clearly without any qualification, “You are the Messiah.” How did Peter recognize Jesus? He knew him as a man in his thirties, from the same district as himself; a working man turned public speaker. How did Peter recognize that this man is the man from God, sent to be the leader and friend of all humanity?

Peter appears to have come to this decision about the identity of Jesus, calmly and rationally. Indeed rather slowly; for a long time the disciples followed any public display of the divinity of Jesus by asking one another, “What kind of person is this man?” After listening to what Jesus said, and watching what Jesus did, Peter arrived at a decision, and he only goes public with that decision after he is challenged about it.

Jesus says that Peter has been blessed; God the Father in heaven has granted him revelation.*

There is a surprising mutuality at work when anyone recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. We believe that we have made that decision on the basis of the evidence given to us, but the ability to arrive at that decision is a gift from God. God is at work in us, even helping us to see and understand the evidence he has given us.

This does not mean that people who want to recognize Jesus have to wait around for a flash of divine lightening. The revelation has been given, the flash has happened. Through the Bible record and the witness of people and events we receive that revelation. The least amount of faith is sufficient to be accomplished and accompanied by the Spirit of God the Father in heaven helping us see through the darkness and recognize the outline of God himself.

Peter’s recognition of God in Christ was very incomplete, as we see when he tries to instruct the Messiah on how to be the Messiah. He had much to explore about this mutuality. Along the way there were more revelations of what God has done through Jesus, and there were moments of ecstasy later on. His recognition of Jesus began with a simple decision based on evidence, the evidence was provided by Jesus, the ability to interpret the evidence was the work of God, working in conjunction with Peter. The finite mind needs the help of the infinite mind in order to understand God’s revelation of himself in and through Jesus.

*Matthew 16:17

Moment of Recognition

Wednesday, March 29th
Bible section for today: Gospel of Mark 8: 11-26

It is evening, the day light has faded and you are waiting to meet your friend. Dimly through the dusk you see someone approaching you, but it is too dark to recognize him. You peer at the approaching shape, straining to see who it is. Suddenly he is close enough and you can see his face; yes, it is your friend.

In the Bible section for today Jesus asks his disciples who the people think he is. They reply that some think he is Elijah, or a great prophet, of perhaps even a reincarnation of John the Baptist. Jesus says to them, “Who do you think I am?” and Peter responds quite clearly without any qualification, “You are the Messiah.” How did Peter recognize Jesus? He knew him as a man in his thirties, from the same district as himself; a working man turned public speaker. How did Peter recognize that this man is the man from God, sent to be the leader and friend of all humanity?

Peter appears to have come to this decision about the identity of Jesus, calmly and rationally. Indeed rather slowly; for a long time the disciples followed any public display of the divinity of Jesus by asking one another, “What kind of person is this man?” After listening to what Jesus said, and watching what Jesus did, Peter arrived at a decision, and he only goes public with that decision after he is challenged about it.

Jesus says that Peter has been blessed; God the Father in heaven has granted him revelation.*

There is a surprising mutuality at work when anyone recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. We believe that we have made that decision on the basis of the evidence given to us, but the ability to arrive at that decision is a gift from God. God is at work in us, even helping us to see and understand the evidence he has given us.

This does not mean that people who want to recognize Jesus have to wait around for a flash of divine lightening. The revelation has been given, the flash has happened. Through the Bible record and the witness of people and events we receive that revelation. The least amount of faith is sufficient to be accomplished and accompanied by the Spirit of God the Father in heaven helping us see through the darkness and recognize the outline of God himself.

Peter’s recognition of God in Christ was very incomplete, as we see when he tries to instruct the Messiah on how to be the Messiah. He had much to explore about this mutuality. Along the way there were more revelations of what God has done through Jesus, and there were moments of ecstasy later on. His recognition of Jesus began with a simple decision based on evidence, the evidence was provided by Jesus, the ability to interpret the evidence was the work of God, working in conjunction with Peter. The finite mind needs the help of the infinite mind in order to understand God’s revelation of himself in and through Jesus.

*Matthew 16:17

Understand what?

Reading for Tuesday March 28
Selected Bible portion: Gospel of Mark 8: 1-21

Jesus had taught a great crowd of people who had been with him for three days; he expressed his reluctance to dismiss them back to their homes without feeding them. The disciples responded “But where can we get enough bread to feed them?” Now isn’t that strange? By now they should have known Jesus well enough to wait for a miracle to happen. Once before he had fed five thousand people with five loaves. But no; they act as if Jesus was subject to the same limitations they were.

They remind me of the Children of Israel after their exit from Egypt. They understood that it was God who divided the water for them to walk through on dry land, but they couldn’t believe that God would provide water for them to drink Why? Why were they unable to say, “Let’s see what God will do now?”

Even if they had done that; even if the disciples had said, “Well Jesus here are seven loaves, we’ll start distributing.” that wouldn’t have entirely satisfied Jesus. His miracles had meaning. Learning to expect God’s miraculous provision is only half of learning about Jesus, the other half is learning the meaning of the miracle.
Jesus wanted them to get the meaning as well as expect the miracle, and they did neither. .

Religious lawyers came along, and demanded that he do a miracle to convince them. Jesus refused. Faith constrained by the supernatural was not the sort of faith that would learn the message of the miracles.

A short while after this the disciples get into the boat with Jesus and start to worry about the fact that they have forgotten to buy bread for the journey. Jesus seems exasperated, accusing them of not seeing, not hearing, having hard hearts. He questions them until they recall the number of the people fed on both occasions and the number of loaves. Sadly he says to them, “Don’t you understand?” No they didn’t. They continued to wonder when Jesus would re-establish the kingdom of King David and free them from the Romans.

After the crucifixion, after the resurrection, after the Holy Spirit came, the people who believe Jesus began to understand that feeding thousands of people with a few loaves was a message. It said that the kind goodness of God was inexhaustible; it said that Jesus was like bread, he would sustain us if we took him into ourselves. And his vicarious death would give life to us.

So now do we understand? Truth is we are still learning about God, we understand but not completely because no one can ever fathom out the immensity of God and his inexhaustible greatness. So life with God is still a journey of discovery.
The disciples didn’t seem very interested; when Jesus made an allegory about yeast they didn’t bother to ask for an explanation. They were making preparations to cross the lake and they concentrated on their work.
Solid wooden oars that didn’t change in their hands as the bread had done, sails that they could be in control of, the mundane tasks of daily life. They filled their minds with these things and rested from thinking about the unpredictability of Jesus and the immensity of God’s love. It was easier to work.

Exodus 16:24, Exodus 16:3.

Did Jesus really say that!?

Reading for Monday, March 27.
Bible section: Gospel of Mark 7:24-37


If the gospels were a fictitious writing by a group of heretics this story would not be included, because it seems to show Jesus in a bad light. Commentators write several explanations of the strange words spoken by Jesus, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and give it to dogs.” Their explanations are plausible and partly convincing. However the attitude of the commentators amuses me. They seem worried about Jesus’ reputation; they even seem a little apologetic (for Jesus!) This thing still happens; only let a public speaker quote some passages from the prophets that frighten people and all the people listening hasten to assure each other that God couldn’t really mean what the Bible says. My Father, a strong Edwardian man who never cried broke down in a public service and sobbed under the conviction of sin (He was a very moral respectable person) People reached over to touch him on the shoulder and the preacher thundered out, “Don’t comfort that man, let him see his need of God.” We couldn’t get away with it today; half a dozen people would hug the convicted person and tell him he was a wonderful human being,

Jesus chose to make a remark that would drive a lesser woman away in offence. The lesson that I love is that a truly strong person does not give up and run away when words offend, neither does a truly strong person get angry and start being abusive. This woman shines. I prefer to believe that Jesus chose to draw out her strong character not to offend but to demonstrate her perseverance. This woman refused to take offence; if people copied her, a lot of family quarrels would never happen.

Women were despised at the time this story was told, and this person was a woman. Nations hated other nations, and this woman was a different nationality to Jesus. At that time a sick child was considered to be a punishment for some sin the parent had committed* This woman had everything going against her. Furthermore it seems Jesus was seeking a time of rest when he went to stay in a house in Syria, away from Judean border, a miracle would collect a crowd and he would have to teach people who perhaps were not ready to understand. .

This woman persists. Jesus told several other stories about the value of persistence in prayer, so I am sure he appreciated her persistence. He gives this woman what the Americans would call, ‘a hard time.’ He points out that he is a Jew healing Jews and says that it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. Shocking isn’t it? That’s what I mean by saying that if the gospels were fiction this story wouldn’t be in there.

The woman doesn’t miss a beat; she continues the verbal fencing with the remark that dogs eat the crumbs the children drop. And Jesus concedes defeat. Yes I mean it. He says she has won the argument. She dared to argue with the miracle working teacher and he didn’t try to overcome her or subdue her, he acknowledges the skill of her argument. And heals her daughter.

People who are despised, people who are the wrong nationality, people who seem to be at fault; they are all made welcome by this story. Men who would never loose face to a woman, people who can’t bear to loose an argument, folks who love to walk away in anger and nurse resentment, they are all made humble by this story. I love it, offence and all.

The woman went home and the demon was gone. This brings to my mind the startling silence in the European skies after the Second World War ended. The destruction that threatened us night after night was gone – people looked out of lighted windows and stared at the sky in wonder. The demon of war was gone.
God also, wants the demons gone. Demons such as unbridled power, lying civil officials, silly governors and inhumane punishment. Such great hopes require perseverance.

God enjoys people who persevere with him, who break down perceived barriers, and overcome hindrances. He casts out our personal demons, and instructs us to heal the society around us, but it requires perseverance in prayer.

The demon left. Imagine the mother going home to a place where her little tormented daughter lies peacefully quiet. Imagine our world when war ends and we live together in peace. All over the world, all people who trust God are praying for just that. It requires perseverance, but we have this lovely shining story of the woman who didn’t let anything deter her and persevered till Jesus conceded and granted her request. All we who persevere in prayer for the healing of our world are united in our service to God and humanity; more than we think.

*John 9.2

We need new hearts

Reading for Saturday March 25
Bible selection: Gospel of Mark 7:1-23
It is not about our physical hearts that Jesus is speaking here. He is using the word 'heart' to identify the emotion, will and passion that are so deeply hidden within us that we talk about our heart when we do not mean anything physical or visible. In today's Bible portion, Jesus says that we are self-contaminating people, what comes out of our own hearts is what contaminates our person. Hearts often do surprise us, we are surprised to find that thoughts and emotions not worthy of us, are springing up in our deep secret places. If this is true then our hearts are already sick beyond cure. Evil thoughts, sexual immorality, murderous wishes and intentions, plans for dishonest gain, lies, pride. We do not plan to think or feel these things, they grow in our hearts without cultivation or permission, they simply arise, sometimes we struggle against them, and sometimes we allow them free expression. People have the feeling that because such thoughts came up without planning them, then it is alright to entertain them. Whatever we think about the condition of our own hearts, the Bible says we need new ones. Hearts worthy of the great humanity that God has created, and suitable for the kind of person we are always striving to be.

The new hearts that the Bible talks about are the gift of God, replacing the sickness that often festers inside good respectable people.Sick hearts cause wrong actions, and so contribute to the corruption of the world we live in, evil causing evil, until hatred and revenge are the only things that hardened hearts can produce.

The great command that unites all people who worship God is that we love him with all our heart, soul and mind. The history sections of the Bible show that people could not keep that command, they couldn't get good enough. The prophetic parts of the Bible show that God purposed to change our hearts so that we could obey his command.

These new hearts will have all of God's law inscribed on them. . The promise that God will do this, (give us new hearts with his law written on them) is called the is the new covenant that God will make, instead of the old one that people could not keep. This is God's purpose, intention and work. We do not have to do great works of self-improvement, we simply come to God for new hearts.

This is good news for all people, yet some people are afraid because the new covenant is made by Jesus in God's name. Deeply reverent people are afraid that they may sin against God by thinking that Jesus could participate in a work so important as new hearts inscribed with the laws of God. But there is no need to fear. The ressurection of Jesus is the sign that Jesus pleased God. God himself has chosen his response to Jesus, he has incorporated us into the death of Jesus so that our sinfull heart dies, and incorporated us into the ressurection of Jesus so that we are made new.

God calls all people to turn from sin and receive new hearts from him, along with the new covenant he has made with us. It is not a religious group that has done this but God himself. He has sent his messenger to turn us back from sin and to release us from it's power and consequence. The Bible says that when we seek God with our whole hearts we will find him. Let us all be united by that instruction. Let us seek the Lord that we may live, and the our world may be healed.

Exekiel 18:31 Jeremiah 31.33

We need new hearts

Reading for Saturday March 25
Bible selection: Gospel of Mark 7:1-23
Physically it is very important what we put in our mouths, because diet influences our physical heart. When scripture talks about the heart however it is talking about the emotion, will and passion that proceeds from our inner selves. Spiritually speaking, our hearts are already sick beyond cure. Evil thoughts, sexual immorality, murderous wishes and intentions, plans for dishonest gain, lies, pride. These things come out of our hearts without cultivation or permission, they simply arise, sometimes we struggle against them, and sometimes we allow them free expression. People have the feeling that if it came up in them then it must be O.K. We need new hearts because the ones we originally have are diseased and making our whole person sick. Our sick hearts are corrupting the world we live in, evil causing evil, until hatred and revenge are the only things that hardened hearts can produce.

God has commanded all people to love him with all our heart. Also with all our soul and with our entire mind. This command unites all people who honor God.

God, through the prophet Ezekiel has purposed that our hearts should be made new. Also that God’s laws will be written on our hearts so that we are naturally inclined to remember them. This promise is the new covenant that God will make, instead of the old one that people could not keep. This new heart comes to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is Jesus who has been God’s agent in making the new covenant a reality.

This is good news for all people, yet some people are so hostile to Jesus that they cannot receive the new covenant and be renewed in heart. To those people I would say, why? Why have you let Jesus become an obstacle that divides us in the love of the same God we all serve? What has Jesus done that you despise him, and his followers? He came to do the will of God, the very thing we are all endeavoring to do. The people who trust in Jesus have sinned; will you let the sins of humans separate you from the love of God? Will you not much rather disregard the poor feeble efforts of people and be joined to the perfect life that was lived without sin. Jesus has brought us the message that God is love and how can you disapprove of that? Do you not know it to be true? Jesus brought two messages from God; one that humanity needs to stop sinning and turn to God, secondly that God is making for himself a kingdom that he will rule and will share with all who believe. What can you deny? The message is the same one that you yourself believe. You believe God, believe Jesus also. There are no legitimate reasons for despising the son of God that came down from heaven to reveal God. God is the judge of all; will he be satisfied with the response that you didn’t like Christians so you refused the message of Jesus? God has not manifested anger at Jesus’ God-like behavior; instead justice and mercy have increased throughout the world. Love and kindness have been taught and practiced in the name of Jesus. Can you deny this?

Join with us, we need to impress on the rest of the world that God is calling all people to turn from sin and believe that God forgives sins and makes people new. Our first call is to be united with God through Jesus and receive the new heart that God promised us through the prophet Ezekiel. Jesus has made us acceptable in God’s sight; it is not our religious group that has done this but God through Jesus. Do not feel that in order to join Jesus it is necessary to join an organization you distrust or dislike. Seek God, seek him with your whole heart, and God will find you a place with people who do not offend you. .
Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promised to give us a new heart. Jesus came to seal that new covenant in his blood. All that the prophets said is coming true. All nations are hoping for the righteous rule of God to be established. Many people from many nations and from different faith groups are praying, “Thy kingdom come.” God has transferred to all who believe the righteousness of Jesus, and placed on Jesus the sins of all humanity. With the death of Jesus the power of sin has died. With the resurrection of Jesus eternal life has been given to all who believe. There is nothing hard to believe, nothing other than the God-like behavior of the God and Father of us all. Accept the transfer with thanks, and be amazed as day after day your heart and life are renewed.

Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:31-33

Alone with God

Reading for Friday March 23
Bible section: Mark 6:45

Between the feeding of five thousand people and the mass healings at the land of Gennesarat Jesus chiseled out a time for prayer. He dismissed the 5,000 who appeared to leave willingly having had their minds and their stomachs filled. He may have had more trouble getting the disciples to leave; the reading says he ‘made’ them leave.

Then he went into the hills, alone, to be with God. What did he pray about and why? We know the answer. Jesus’ whole life was focused on understanding the will of God and doing it. Finding the will of God requires prayer, doing the will of God requires much prayer.

It is interesting to me, at this time in our lives, that Jesus did not find out the will of God in order to enforce it on other people. He found out the will of God in order to do it himself. Because he did the will of God he accomplished what could not have been done by force. I think it is the same for us, people who believe Jesus. We can do more for God by finding and doing his will ourselves than we could ever do by trying to force other people to some man-made opinion of God’s laws. Therefore let us always seek the will of God, and when we believe we have found it, let us pray often and earnestly that we may do it. For in doing this we become partners with Jesus, God uses our lives to convince other people that he is God, and that union with him is possible and crucial for every individual.

Jesus prayer was therefore not about himself but about the will of God and how he could conform to it. Jesus purposely shared in the humanity of the people he was going to bring into union with God. It was necessary that he be made like humanity in every way so that he might become our priest, understanding our lives, and in fact praying for us, even in heaven, where he is re-united with God the Father, and still interceding on our behalf. Because he shared our humanity he was tempted like other humans. What temptations accompanied him as he made his way up the hills to pray? We can guess, because we know that the national population wanted him to be an earthly king and supply their needs for revolt against Rome through his miraculous power. We also know that he and the disciples had been too busy to even eat, a few days before, and that it was evening now.

The determining focus of Jesus’ life was the will of God. He found out the will of God like any other human does, by reading the Jewish scriptures. They contained references to God’s servant and God’s anointed one.

Now he goes to pray. Prayer is such a strange thing. It consists of words, mere words. Words addressed aloud or silently to God who is unseen. Faith is present whenever a person addresses God. So many people are praying at this time in the history of the world. Wherever they seek the will of God and correctly understand it, their prayers are heard. The private silent prayers and the public prayers of the people obedient to God will always direct history. Even though people in power will imagine they were in charge at the time. Therefore let everyone who reverences God join to pray mightily that God will make us agents of his good and peaceable will.

Jesus knew that the will of God was that not one human might be deteriorating out of contact with him, but that every one would return to him, first in faith, then in obedience born of faith and the assurance that God is good and has plans for humanity and will bring those plans to reality.

Leaving the mountain where he had prayed, Jesus returned to the shore and walked on water to where the disciples were rowing against a contrary wind. He entered their boat and the wind died down. Our lives are like that boat, we intend to do well, we strive strongly to do well, but many things are against us. When Jesus comes into our lives he controls the forces that were against us and we are able to remain on course. Present with us, he explains our journey, so that by faith, we see horizons beyond the shore line and understand that we are journeying to a glory shared with God.

Hebrews 2.14-18, John 8:46, Romans 8:34, Isaiah 53:12,

Bread from heaven

Reading for Thursday March 23
Bible section: Mark 6:30-46

It was a pleasant evening. People were reclining on the shore by the lake, well fed and satisfied, both in body and spirit. Jesus was popular that day. He had taught spiritual truths as though he had personal experience of the things he talked about, and he had multiplied five loaves and two fishes into enough food for five thousand people to eat.

Looking at the crowds Jesus perhaps remembered the time he had fasted alone in the desert and been hungry. During that time he was tempted to change stones into bread but refused to do so. The reason he gave was that man did not live by bread but by the words of God. This day he had given the people the word of God. And then he had given them bread in abundance.

The next day the crowds came again, looking for him. Jesus told them not to work for food that perishes but for food that endures to eternal life. He said he would give them that food also. "Indeed," he said, "the bread of God is the man who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Then he spelt it out for them; “I am the bread of life,” he said, “if a person eats this bread of life he will live forever.”

The crowd chose to concentrate on the words ‘came down from heaven’, rather than on the ‘live forever’ part. They could not accept that Jesus, who was born of a natural woman, had come from heaven to do his Father’s will and give eternal life to everyone who believed him.

The physical meaning of bread and the spiritual meaning of 'bread of heaven' were inter-twined, it was hard to focus completely on the spiritual, and even harder because when Jesus talked of giving his flesh he meant it physically. "The bread that I will give is my flesh." he said.
Through the physical death of the ‘one from above’ the spiritual reality would be realized. His physical death would demonstrate to the world the consequences of sin. But because he had not sinned, God would resurrect him, and every person who believed in him.

It is an exchange; the consequences of an individuals sin, is death; Jesus died instead of that individual. Because Jesus lived without sinning; God transfers the sinless record of Jesus to every person who asks God for forgiveness. The devil, who has defeated every individual except one, has been defeated by that one. Death has lost its power and eternal life begins now, for all who accept the death of Jesus as God’s gift to them. Even though they die they live forever. Because Jesus has given his flesh for the life of the world.

The evening of the day in which he fed five thousand people was indeed a pleasant evening. It did not deflect Jesus from his purpose. He had come to give his physical body as an exchange for the life of the whole world. He looked into the scriptures and understood the death he would die and accepted it willingly so that he might bring eternal life to many people. Thanks be to God.

John 6:32-58

The temporary triumph of evil

Reading for Tuesday March 22
Bible selection: gospel of Mark 6:13-29

The Bible selection today is ugly. There is no blessing in these words. Unlike the previous selections, there is nothing about justice or mercy. Only a disgusting story about a malicious woman, and a cruel ruler.

The contrast between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God is clearly shown by this story. Jesus lived a sinless life in a sinful world, and John who called hundreds to repentance became a victim of Herod’s refusal to repent. John was beheaded, Jesus was crucified and the men responsible were not punished. They lived on, apparently not suffering for their actions. The incriminating details were suppressed. The people over whom they exercised power, fearful of offending them, loudly applauded in public and secretly wished that God would do justice.

In the end God does do justice, at the very end when he comes to judge the earth. In the meantime he waits for people to repent: many do. To eradicate evil would mean eradicating the people who cannot give up their own personal use of evil; these people need to deceive, want to have revenge and intend to use power to control. A heaven where this is not possible does not appeal to them. There are others whose names have been written in the book of life and the law of God has been written in their hearts; these people will delight in justice, peace and righteousness.

Evil will be defeated on the last day, and God will overthrow all wicked people and powers. “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our God” is how the Bible describes what will happen when God comes to judge the populations of the earth. Until that time, people will argue about what it means to be cast out of the presence of God, they will scornfully dismiss the Bible’s teaching that the unrepentant sinner will be eternally cut off from God, and eternally suffer. Until that time they will utterly despise the scripture that says everyone whose name is not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Like the wife of Herod they will scheme and plot to do away with anyone who tells them they have done wrong.

Until the time when God comes to live with his people we wait in hope and expectation. In the meantime, the waiting time, the Spirit of God and the people who have relied on Jesus for forgiveness invite anyone who wishes to take the free gift of God, the gift of eternal life.

Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:27, Revelation 22:17

Why keep it secret?

Bible section for Tuesday, March 21.
Gospel of Mark 5:21-43

Two people, both in need of healing. One was a little girl, daughter of a respected man and prestigious family. Her father loved her enough to risk the disapproval of the Pharisees, go to find Jesus; and beg him to come and lay healing hands on her before she died.

The other was a woman, alone, no family to encourage her. She had been ill for 12 years and had spent everything she had, trying to find a cure. Her illness was one she could not talk about in public; people shunned her in case she contaminated them.

Jesus had just assented to the appeal of the father of the sick child and was on his way to heal the dying girl. The woman dare not delay him when every second counted. She did not want the crowd to know what her illness was, because they would have little tolerance for a person who might be making them ritually unclean just by contact with her clothes. As the father of the dying girl hastened towards his home accompanied by Jesus, she reached out and secretly touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.

Jesus knew what had happened but would not let her hide. His miracles were not remote and impersonal. His healing was not like magic or lucky charms. When Jesus healed it was a sign; a sign that God the Father was reaching out to his created children with healing, forgiveness and love. If this woman went away healed in body but without any word from Jesus, she would have no spiritual healing to accompany the physical healing. Since she had spent all her money, and was not accompanied by family, she would go home alone. Jesus insists that whoever touched him come forward; greatly fearing, the woman stands before him, and tells him her story. The response of Jesus was to tell her that her faith had healed her and to go in peace, but he also addressed her as ‘Daughter’. Jesus was between 30 and 33 years old, scarcely the right age to address someone who had been ill for 12 years as ‘daughter’, but it established a relationship. She was reminded that she and all other women are children of a loving father who sent Jesus into the world to heal the world’s diseases. From that moment on she knew herself, loved, protected and cared for by God himself and by his representative on earth.

We know that a group of women went with Jesus and his companions, seeing to their food and their other needs. It is pure conjecture on my part, but I like to think that one of those women took this newly healed woman into the loving care of the group, so that she could become friends with them and have family-in-Christ. It is conjecture but very likely, because that is what the Church world-wide had always done.

The little twelve year old dearly-loved daughter of the family of prestige and position had died when Jesus got to the house. This time Jesus heals privately. Only the parents and his three closest companions are there when Jesus takes the hand of the dead girl and instructs her to get up. “Tell no one,” he says.

Why? Why did he demand public recognition from the woman, and deny it to the parents of the girl brought back from death?

Because the people wanted to crown him king. They were trying to do this whether he agreed or not, someone would come and anoint him with oil and the crowd would proclaim that he was king. Jesus did not want to be crowned in this way. It would be dangerous for the whole nation because they would be seen as rebelling against Rome. More important his kingdom was not of this world. An earthly coronation would distract and confuse his true purpose. He had come to win back his Father’s kingdom. The heavenly kingdom without limitation of time, over-arching all geographical boundaries, and encompassing all of human history. Tell no one, Jesus said, and went on his way towards the death which he had come to die.
John 6:15, John 18:36,Luke 8:2

Turn around

Reading for Monday March 20
Bible portion: Gospel of Mark 6:7-13

The voice of twelve men, calling out, “Repent””. The disciples of Jesus had been sent by him to the neighboring towns with the same message that he preached; ‘Repent’

The message that God had sent Jesus to preach could be summed up, in either 6 words; ‘Repent and believe the good news’, or 9 words, ‘Repent for the kingdom of God has come near.’ In today’s Bible portion Jesus begins to send the men who worked with him to preach these same words in the townships. Surely this is the hardest message to be sent with; the instruction to change direction. We usually only do that after we have asked directions, and then we are often so sure we were going the right way that we continue to travel in the same direction until finally we are convinced that the road does not go to where we want to be.

The word repent, means, ‘turn around’, it does not necessarily involve sorrow often that does not come until later, when we realize which direction we were traveling in.

Before repentance, most people live their lives turned away from God. They have their backs to him instead of their faces. It is inconvenient to think of him, or be reminded of him. Instead they want to be guided by their own desires, motives and opinions. To the men sent out with the message it might seem rather a lost cause – to advise people to turn around and look towards God. After all people make a choice about which way they want to face, so how successful could these messengers be in their recommendation?

Except for one thing. Always there are people who have grown weary of their own choice. These people are beginning to see that journeying away from God leads to no utopia. There are other people who wish in their secret hearts that they could receive the friendship of God. These people are ready to listen to the message of the nearness of God and to follow the instruction to repent.

And then there is the appeal of the message. Turning towards God reveals a wide prospect of new life just waiting to be explored. All the noble intentions a person has become possibilities. All the longings for peace and joy begin to be realized. Repentance is a positive action not a negative. All through the Bible, God makes many promises to people who turn towards him and live for him. And the witness of the Church is that God keeps his promises. From the very first day of their turning towards God people feel the beginning of his restorative work. From somewhere outside their lives comes the strength to be different. That strength is God’s response to their repentance. Repentance is different to making a resolution, resolutions receive no outside help. Repentance is towards God and opens the self to God’s life-changing activity.

Many, perhaps most people, experience all sorts of warm feelings when they turn towards God. A few people, who want to be scientific rather than emotional, will say that they feel no change. To them my answer is, ‘Use the scientific method, has your behavior changed, has your orientation changed? Or I will ask them if there is some action they feel God is requiring of them; until that action is performed they haven’t truly changed direction. Often the action God is requiring is a public commitment, rather than a private secret commitment. Secret partnership with God is like being ashamed of him. Sometimes God is requiring something that is needed to put right the past, God requires them to forgive someone, or they have to ask someone to forgive them. Alone they have too much resistance to do these things. With the help of a church or a preacher they can ask God to overcome the resistance they feel. In spirit Jesus will go with them to the place where they have to go and will give them strength from beyond themselves to do God’s will. That is why he came into this world.

Through the prophets, whose writings are in the middle of the volume of the Bible, God spoke to people who were intent on doing their own thing, “Why do you want to perish?” He said, “Turn to me and live.” He is the same today as he was then.


Isaiah 53:6, Jeremiah 2:27, Psalm 80:17-19, 2 Chronicles 7:14,

The man who wasn't worth a herd of pigs

Reading for Saturday, March l8
scripture section: Mark 5:1-20

Why was the man in this story chained? He didn’t appear to be hurting anyone other than himself. He was able, ultimately to break any chain that was put on him, but by whom and how, was he restrained long enough to put them on?

He wondered in the tombs and feared torture; is that an indication of what evil had overpowered him? He said his name was legion, because the evil activity in him was legion; there was a legion of Roman soldiers converting the local town into a centre of Roman culture. Was there a connection?

Was he Jewish? The neighborhood was not predominately Jewish. Was he Arab or Greek, a fugitive from compulsory service to the world power, or even Roman, a drop-out, horrified by some military act of brutality. We do not know.

What we do know is that when he was clothed and in his right mind and sitting peacefully listening to Jesus the local people begged Jesus to leave right away. There was no celebration of the man’s recovery, no thanksgiving to God. No pushing pleading crowd of people asking for healing.

Instead they asked Jesus to leave, quickly! Some evil force had left the man and entered a herd of pigs and the herd had rushed into the water and been drowned. Pigs were valuable, this man was not. Jesus got back into the boat and he and his companions returned the way they came. It would seem that he had made the journey across the lake to for the sake of this one man.

Some things can be said with certainty; no evil is too strong for Jesus, he can heal the most possessed persons. One despised and broken man is so important to Jesus that in his incarnate life on earth he went searching for that one person.

The rest is wide open to personal application; so that people who are destroyed by evil can put themselves in the place of the man who was totally healed. People who suffer a mental agony that has made them unable to live in society can know that a mind occupied with knowledge of Jesus will become a peaceful mind. The lonely teen age girl cutting herself in secret can know for sure that there is a healer who understands her unexpressed need to be free from her compulsion.

What happened to the town that abandoned their citizen to his self-mutilation and tried to chain him so that he would not disturb their sleep by giving loud voice to his unspeakable agony? Did they recognize the greater power of good that had entered their country that day? Possibly not, most people prefer self reliance to divine rescue, most people will always imagine themselves stronger than the power of evil. What about the other people? They individually and corporately, pray fervently to be delivered from evil and forgiven from sin. Their confidence is that their prayer has been and is being granted.

Philippians 4:6-9

Don't you care?

Reading for Thursday March 16
Scripture portion: Mark 4:35-41

It certainly seemed as if Jesus didn’t care. He was asleep when everyone else was struggling to survive. He was in a small boat making the journey down the length of the lake of Galilee. That lake is surrounded by hills and a weather change can stir the lake up like stirring water in a cup. It was evening, perhaps dark, and the people in the boat were fighting a squall, expecting the strong waves to submerge the boat any minute. Jesus was asleep on a cushion.

Don’t you care is an accusation frequently hurled at Jesus. Once when I was working in a children’s psychiatric unit, one of the admitting staff walked onto the unit carrying a two year old with both feet heavily bandaged, the child’s father in an attempt to punish and train the two year old had plunged the child’s feet into a pan of boiling water. “Where was God when he was needed?” The staff member raged “Why does God allow wicked men to do evil things.” The only answer I gave at the time was that God was with the staff member, and as we did all we could to comfort and heal the child God would partner us.

Jesus spent no time assuring the frightened disciples that he does care. Instead he stood up and spoke to the waves, “Be still” the wind died and the lake was calm, glistening in the soft evening light. The disciples who had feared for their lives, were now terrified of something else, “Who have we got with us in this boat? Even wind and waves obey him”

These fishermen who were in the boat often heard the psalms being read when they were in the synagogue. The psalmist calls upon all nature to praise God; rain wind and weather are called to praise God by obeying him.* Was God in the boat with them?

*Psalm 148.8

Two really interesting sites, show the kind of boat that Jesus was in, and give specifications for it. Click or cut and paste these links. With many thanks to the people who made them available for us.

http://www.jesusboat.com/imgs/site/site/boat.htm

co.com/history/readerscomp/ships/html/sh_036400_galileeboat.htm l
.
If you have trouble clicking, try putting; ‘boat galilee’ into the search bar, that’s how I found them.

Strange News

Reading for Thursday March 16.
Mark 4:21-31


Jesus was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, but chose Capernaum as his home base. Why?

Bethlehem was close to Jerusalem where the established clergy despised Jesus. At Nazareth, the town where his relatives still lived, the citizen tried to kill him. Him, but at Capernaum the citizens were astonished at his doctrine and great crowds followed him. Once the crowds pressed around him so much that he had to get into a boat and talk to the people from the boat, while the crowd stood between the mountains and the water and listened to him eagerly.

Even today the Spirit of Jesus goes where he is accepted and doesn’t stay where he is rejected.

From the boat Jesus talked to the people about what it was like for him to teach a spiritual truth. He had a great spiritual concept to teach and therefore had to look for minds that could understand and personalities that could cultivate the truth. He likened this to sowing seeds in four different kinds of soil; hard trodden down soil, shallow soil, weed infested soil and good arable soil. The hard trodden down soil were those sad persons too beaten down and too defeated to care about spiritual truths. The shallow soil was people who can understand a spiritual truth but can’t hold onto it. Hard times have left that personality without the ability to imagine him or her self different to the way they are. Then there is the weed infested soil that is able to grasp the concept in all its beauty and possibility, but the cares of life, desires for things and the deceitfulness of riches, crowd out the good teaching. You often hear people regretting the life style they live but saying that they are too pressured to do otherwise. Last of all is the mentality which hears and understands and begins to practice the teaching. From them come the results.

It’s a little like teaching liberation of slaves in a time when slavery was accepted. Some people couldn’t understand how such a thing could happen; others immediately grasped the goodness of the idea and begin to practice it. Through them the world changed

Jesus came into the Capernaum teaching that the Kingdom of God had come near. It was a heavenly concept a little difficult to understand, and even more difficult to practice. But the Prince of the Kingdom announced it. Wherever he went the sick were healed, the hungry fed, and nature calmed. The signs of the kingdom were evident.

People must have thought it impossible to become a citizen of that kingdom where God is the only ruler and all allegiance is voluntary, except for one thing; The Prince said he had come to make it a possibility for every person who chose to believe what he was teaching. It is still so, his death removed all barriers, his Spirit enlightens and strengthens all who voluntarily give allegiance to God. The kingdom already is, but the kingdom is still to come. What identifies the citizens of that kingdom is their allegiance to God and the brotherhood of Jesus. The kingdom has many enemies, and the citizens still struggle. Throughout the world we are united when we pray, “Thy kingdom come.” It will come; we have the evidence of it already. When it comes the hopes of every individual will be fulfilled. When the kingdom comes the Prince will know who has given allegiance and to those he will say, Enter into the joy of the Lord.

We are family

Reading for Tuesday March 14
Mark 3:19-35

The tremendous popularity of Jesus filled his home town, Nazareth, with crowds.
In the somewhat distant capital of Judea, the teachers of the religious law heard about the crowds and came down to see what Jesus was preaching. They watched the people being healed, saw the people who had hosted evil spirits being set free, and could not explain how Jesus had such power over sickness and evil. The religious leaders had spent their lives studying God’s word and they could not do what Jesus did. To save face they pronounced, “He is in league with the devil and therefore the evil spirits obey him.” Jesus called to them and said, “If I were doing this by the power of the devil, then the devil is divided, he is opposing his own self, and his end has come. No one can enter the territory of a strong power unless he first disables the power itself.” Jesus had begun to disable the devil and would ultimately defeat him by overcoming death, but it was too early to explain that to a group of visiting lawyers, concentrating of legal language and rational explanations.

Jesus family heard of the miracles, frightened by religious leaders and the close vicinity of the Roman army they announced that Jesus was ‘out of his mind.’ They went to take charge of him, and bring him away. A messenger got the message to Jesus that his family was waiting outside. Jesus did not leave; instead he looked around at the crowd surrounding him. People he had never met before, who had come from as far away as modern Lebanon, Syria Jordan and Samaria. “Here, he said, looking at the, crowd, is my family. “Whoever does the will of God is my mother, my sister and my brother.”

His mother would remember those words. When Jesus was being crucified he called to her and to the disciple he loved and committed them both to a mother and son relationship, in order that they might care for each other.

Therefore if we are doing the will of God in Heaven, everyone who also does God’s will is our mother and sister and brother. We have a large family. People we have never seen before. In the spirit of Jesus, who manifested undying love, we extend our hands and our hearts to each other. We pray for those we have not seen. Even now we are members of God’s family and we look forward to the time when the Kingdom of God is established on earth and we all will live together; all the people who accept and do the will of God. Because God is present with us, we will understand each other (for surely love involves understanding) and at last, with God’s guidance, treat each other with fairness and respect.

Note: Because Jessie is leaving town it is possible there will be no post for Wednesday

How many sons does God have?

Reading for Monday March 13
Gospel of Mark 3: 7-19

Every evil spirit that Jesus confronted cried out, “You are the Son of God’ and Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.

All people are children of God; there is an innate recognition in them that they are connected to God. After God brought Adam and Eve into being he breathed his spirit into them, and it remains. Some people did and do drive out the spirit of God, filling themselves instead with evil spirits. God destroyed the original world population because the world was full of violence and the original people thought only evil continually. The next population however is still stated to have the likeness of God in them. God has many sons.

Some of God’s children are comfortable with the notion of being related to God. They seek God’s company, communicate with him, recognize his kindnesses and enjoy being a child of God. Others however, are absent from home. God loves the absentee no less than the children who are at home with him. Even while the absent children are distancing themselves from him, he is watching over them, often protecting them from danger.

If everyone is a son or daughter of God, why did Jesus command the demons not to tell anyone that he was the son of God? The demons were not wrong; Jesus relationship to God is unique and he stresses that by refering to himself as 'The one and only son'. But he wanted no mere lip-service. God in heaven would reveal to people on earth that Jesus was The Son of God, and Jesus was willing to wait. First he would demonstrate the true nature of God by healing, the sick, and raising the dead. And he would deliver the message he had been sent to give. John the Baptist talks about The Son and says, “The Father loves the son and has given everything into his hands.” When Thomas voices the desire of all people everywhere by saying, “Show us the Father” Jesus makes a clear statement, “If you have seen me you have seen God.” We might still respond that Jesus was one of many sons but John the Baptist takes that argument away from us by saying this; “God loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.” When Pilate asked the people why they wanted Jesus killed, their answer was; “Because he claimed to be the Son of God”

God did reveal it, "Who do you think I am?” Jesus said to Peter, and Peter responded, “You are the Son of God” This time Jesus does not command him to tell no one, but rejoices, saying that Peter is happy because he has received a revelation from God. To accept this revelation is to believe in the Son of God and to believe in the Son of God is to have, now and already, eternal life.

Genesis 9:6 John 3.16, John 3:35, John 19:7 John 3:36

Lenten journey

Sunday March 12

Lenten journey will resume on Monday

Live In The Light

Live In The Light

Why not wait until tomorrow?

Reading for Saturday March 12
Gospel of Mark 2:23-3:6

Two men met in the synagogue that day. The Healer and the man with a useless hand. It was the seventh day of the week and the religious law forbade any one to work on that day. Since Jesus was a healer if he healed the man with the useless hand he would be working. Would Jesus refuse to heal or would he break the religious law? The answer of course, is that he would keep the spirit of the law but break the actual words of the law.

Two groups of people were amongst the worshipers that day. One was scrupulously religious and the other was a national political group. Both were threatened by the teaching of this gentle healer. If Jesus healed a sick person on the day of rest then they could score a point against Jesus, and press for his execution.

Conflict resolution would recommend waiting until the next day when the man could return and Jesus could heal him quietly without arousing antagonism. Instead Jesus became angry at the stubborn callousness of people who would deny healing to a sick man in order to strengthen their own cause. There was something dramatic in the way he chose to bring the man to stand out in public and stretch his arm forward. As the man stretched out his arm his hand was restored to health. When the service was over the religious group and the political group called a meeting. The topic was how to kill Jesus without causing a riot. .

For many people it is not convenient to meet Jesus. Not anywhere, not any time.

Some of us religious people, wanted to meet Jesus. Dissatisfaction, spiritual pain and a continuing battle against evil caused us to go eagerly to meet Jesus. Others among us, felt comfortable, were convinced that they were good and need no changes. In the worship service Jesus confronted us. He instructed us to change.

Religious people who believe in God and his son Jesus are among those who need to change. It is not who we believe but how we believe that we are to change. We are to put away callousness towards others and the stubbornness with which we prefer our self-interest to anything else.

We are instructed to examine ourselves and to declare before God our need to come more into line with the life of Jesus and our willingness to do so. It is amazing that having done this, we find such great assistance from the Spirit of God that we are assured of the validity of our faith and the possibility of change.
For some people change would be much harder, and indeed more frightening. It would mean very drastic changes in life-style and resultant loss of friends. The courage Jesus showed by healing the man with the withered hand in front of people who wanted Jesus dead, is the courage that he will give to any person who is willing to change under such circumstances. Amongst us religious folk, there are people who made such drastic changes and they exert great power for good.

Rigid Religion

Reading for Friday March 10
Mark 2:13-28


Jesus shocks the religious community several times in this part of Mark’s story. Yesterday we read that Jesus forgave a man’s sins; something only God can do. In today’s reading he invites a despised man to join his band of disciples. Then Jesus sits and eats with the despised friends of the despised man. Jesus explains that he has ‘come’ for these despised and excluded people. They recognize that they need healing. People who believe they can provide their own health and rightness do not see that they need Jesus. It’s upside down that the self-recognized sinner gets something which the self-righteous cannot have.

The religious people fast, but Jesus’ disciples do not. They even infringe the ‘no work’ law and pluck some heads of grain as they walk through a field on the day of rest. Jesus replies to shocked questions by saying that he is master of the day of rest and can make decisions about it. God made the seventh day a day of rest, now Jesus says that he is master of that day.

Forgiving sins and claiming to be master of the day of rest are both things that only God can do. When Jesus said these things he was either blaspheming or saying he is God. The religious people were shocked and very angry. Jesus tells them to go and think about the words God spoke through the prophet Hosea, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice. and acknowledgment of God rather than sacrificial offerings"* He is referring to the fact that their religion is getting in their way. God has come to them and they are unable to recognize him because they cannot fit him into their religious system.

Think about Levy, the despised tax gather, Jesus has invited him in, and he has become the accepted and included member of the group of people who are being instructed by Jesus. Now he is shaped and matured as he lives with the people who are learning from Jesus. When he was excluded the only thing achieved was protection of the people who considered themselves to be all right. Now that he is included he is receiving the new righteousness. The righteousness that will be a gift to him when Jesus is crucified and God the triune, gives to all the people who believe in Jesus the same righteousness as Jesus.

*Matthew 9:13/Hosea 6:6

Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Reading for Thursday March 8
Gospel of Mark 2:1-12

It’s confusing when a person first begins to make contact with Christians because they talk about so much about sin. Today’s Bible section is about the healing of a paralyzed man who goes to Jesus for help and first of all Jesus announces that the man’s sins are forgiven. If the man was like most people he might well have been indignant that his moral condition was being given priority over his great physical need. He perhaps was more than a little offended because most people don’t think they have sinned very much, certainly not enough to be in need of forgiveness when they are looking for healing.

The man who had been paralyzed went home healed though.

A lot of people would like the benefits of friendship with Christ but are bewildered by the Biblical emphasis on sin. Respectable law-abiding people are often quite unable to form a public friendship with Jesus because they don’t feel any need for forgiveness. Law-breaking people feel that the circumstances excused the sin.

So does admitting sin become a barrier to forming a friendship with Jesus?

All branches of the Christian Church state that all people are sinners and all people need forgiveness. It is only human to want to argue, deny and dismiss such a statement.

What usually happens is that the call of the Divine propels a person to Jesus because the person recognizes that through Jesus some empty place in their life can be filled. When people pray, ‘Forgive us our trespasses’ they are sometimes going as far as they are able in the process of recognizing sin.

After that prayer, which they often make with only a very hesitant admission of sin, most people become assured of Jesus’ friendship towards them. As people continue in that relationship they begin to get to know who Jesus is and what he did for them. It is when they study why Jesus died in the way he did, that they begin to understand something; God puts much more emphasis on sin than people do. Why? Because sin is the thing that has broken the unity between God and people. People who are friends with Jesus think about how Jesus demonstrated God through his own actions and begin to feel a quite supernatural desire to live like Jesus. At this point in their life-journey they begin to understand how much they need to be forgiven and changed. Since they already know Jesus they are now able to accept forgiveness without denying the need. They can ask for forgiveness without fearing that they will be penalized, and they can talk about forgiveness without embarrassment.

Wondering if ...

Wednesday March 8
Gospel of Mark 1:29-45

Smith wiggleswith was a minister who prayed for people; when he did this, they frequently recovered from their illnesses. He came to a church in Leeds, England and was told that one of the people in the congregation was having trouble seeing. Immediately he volunteered to pray for her. "No thank you replied the woman with visual difficulties, I prefer to get a pair of glasses through the National Health Service. They don't require as much spiritual effort"

Sickness can offer a refuge when the demands of every day life become more than we can cope with. We can rest, a luxury we often long for. We are released from all obligations. We can blame ill health for all the things that go wrong.

But would God be willing to heal us if we asked? The man with the skin condition (At that time it was named leprosy) had watched everyone else get healed but he wasn't sure that Jesus would heal him. Why? Similar reasons to the ones people give today. 'My case is different.' 'It wouldn't work for me.' 'Something in my past would prevent it.' But the man with the leprosy had the courage to find out. Approaching Jesus he says "If you are willing you can make me well." The reply leaves no room for misunderstanding, Jesus replies, "I am willing."

When we are united to God through Jesus health begins to flow into our bodies and minds. Receiving and maintaining that health still requires spiritual effort and for many people that effort is just too much.
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All of these things happened in Capernaum. Out on the web are beautiful pictures of Calilee and Capernaum. I've pasted these other people's links into this blog so that you can quickly find them. I am very grateful that they have made such beautiful and informative web sites available. Look for the pictures of the excavations of Peter's house, where his mother-in-law was healed. http://www.bibleplaces.com/capernaum.htm When you have finished looking there, type 'Capharnum' into the search bar.

The Opportunity

Tuesday March 7
Gospel of Mark 1:14-19

It’s a wonderful thing to be given an opportunity. Peter and Andrew and James and John were given their opportunity by Jesus. He said to them, “Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men”. Jesus still makes that invitation today. What kind of people are on the invitation list? Every person who hears. Not a single person is ever eliminated, disqualified, or rejected. Every one who comes, for whatever reason, is passionately welcomed and incorporated into the company of God’s people. Even the angels sing about it.

The four men that Jesus spoke to were fishermen, making a living by selling fish to the townsfolk and to the Roman soldiers who came to buy for their garrison. They didn’t hesitate; they put down their nets, left their boats and went with Jesus. It wasn’t unusual, large crowds followed after Jesus everywhere he went. They never got tired of watching Jesus heal and never tired of hearing the authority with which he taught about God.

It’s likely these four men, living in a nation occupied by the Romans had been waiting for a strong leader. Maybe they hoped to join a rebellion. Their quick response shows that they believed Jesus to be a leader they could both respect and trust. That kind of leader was and is hard to find. Even the best fail at some point, but Jesus never did.

What did they understand by the strange expression “I will make you fishers of men"? Did they understand it at the beginning, or only years later? Did they think they would be rescuing people from the power of unbelief or from the power of the Romans? Perhaps at that early stage they thought they were going to enroll people in a revolt against Rome.

You and I have been invited. We are being invited. Most of us respond because we recognize we can trust Jesus. Usually we don’t know much more than that at the beginning of our partnership with him. We have no idea what our future will be, but we trust that Jesus will deliver us from temptation and not lead us into evil. The record shows that it is so. In every church most of the people will tell anyone who asks that since they became followers of Jesus their lives have developed beyond all expectations. They will hesitantly tell you that they have discovered within themselves an amount of self-control, gentle kindness and goodness that they did not begin with. They will tell you, striving not to appear conceited, that because they follow Jesus they have become a greater benefit to their families and neighborhood than they ever expected to be. They will happily tell you that the small amount of faith they had at the beginning has, because of their experience of God’s goodness, become their strongest conviction, and the motivating power in their lives.

Someone's coming

Monday March 6, 2004 Mark 1:1-8

Someone is coming, said John

People streamed out of the city and out of the villages, gathering at a spot where the river runs through the desert. There they confessed their sins and were baptized. Six hundred years ago their ancestors had heard a voice calling out ‘Prepare the way, level the paths.” That meant that someone was coming. For six hundred years they had waited for someone to come.

That voice still calls; over the waste land of our finite lives, over our half remembered sorrows, and our well remembered joys. “Make a way, level the paths.’ For whom? For God who rules the winds and rides on the waters. Why would he need us to make a way? But we understand, and like those people long ago we hastily take down the barriers and remove the obstacles that would hinder him because he only enters hearts that make him welcome.

This washing in the waters of Jordan was their attempt to prepare the way. To shake off the apathy and unbelief, to wash away all that they hated or were ashamed of in themselves. To feel new all over and know what is was like to hope, and to thrill with anticipation. .

Someone is coming said John.

Water: so transient a cleansing. Newness: so soon to fade away unless - unless the very Spirit of God cleansed their inner selves as the waters cleaned their outer selves. Unless the Creator would recreate their weary hearts and tired minds.

Someone is coming said John. The promised someone came and they killed him.

A new voice speaks, I am he who was, and is, and is to come." No more waiting. The one we have longed for comes. He comes willingly into every heart that is made open to him. With him comes forgiveness and every cleansing is effective and by him every earth-bound heart is made new. Because of him we begin to know God the way the nursing child learns to know his mother, through the union of the two. He has come, and he has come to stay.

(Isaiah 40:3 Ezekiel 11:19 Revelation 1:8)

Sunday March 5, 2006

Lenten journey will resume tomorrow

Take this personally

Saturday March 4, 2006
John 17:20-26

Take this prayer personally, you were meant to.

We have been listening to the prayer of Jesus on the night he was arrested. He has finished the last supper with the twelve disciples, and he speaks this prayer that has been remembered and passed on to us by the people who heard him

“I am not praying for these disciples alone but for all who will come to me and believe in me because of their witness.” That includes you and me, Jesus prayed for us. And of course Hebrew 7.25 tells us that he is still praying on our behalf.

We might expect Jesus to spend a lot of time praying about the shock, horror and terror that the disciples were going to experience by being involved with him during his arrest and crucifixion. But he has few words for that because he intends to be return to them after three days and his words then will heal their trauma and strengthen them for the hostility that will come towards them from many sources. He says, “I have revealed you and will keep on revealing you.”

Jesus had faith, he was about to die in faith, he believed that God dwelt in his inner personal being. And he was asking and expecting that after he went back to his father he would enter into the inner being of all who believe in him. We would be united with God through him and because of this union with the Divine the world would know that God loves the person who believes in Jesus as much as God loves Jesus. That’s an extravagant statement.

This claim is so extravagant that we tend not to hear it. Of course we believe that God loves everybody, but we don’t hear in what way or how much God loves people.

Talking about love is hard to do because almost immediately we start talking about loving behavior; and indeed love is a behavior, but it is more, it is the expression of the heart of God. A poor attempt to identify love is that we enjoy behavior that is motivated by a person’s love for us but are delighted by the statement that we are central and motivating force in the inner being of the person who loves us. God’s love for us makes us equal with Jesus, we are the central and motivating force of God’s being.

“I have given them the glory you gave me, the glorious unity of being one as we are.” Society frequently comments that if this part of Jesus’ prayer is answered we would all belong to one denomination. The focus of this prayer is not about how the various groups of believers will organize themselves for mutual support but about the connection of each individual to God through Jesus. The glorious unity that Jesus asked for is evident in that we are all individually united to one God.

“Father I want these individuals that you have given me to be with me so that they can see the glory I had with you before the world began“. These are Easter words, this is the Easter Hope. In order to prepare ourselves for Church-wide annual celebration this Easter, we can choose to consider the glory Jesus had with God before the world begun.

Continuing the prayer that Jesus prayed

Friday, March 3, 2006 .
John 17: 9-19

On the night of his arrest Jesus prayed. How do we know what Jesus prayed for? Because he prayed aloud. Perhaps he prayed similar prayers more often than once. His close companions remembered the prayer, Jesus intended them to. This prayer would be amongst the most important memories they shared together and carefully repeated to other people.

We are at verse 9 of this public prayer. It is surprising to I read; “I am not praying for the world.” (It is coincidence that we are reading this passage on the first Friday in March, a day which has been named World Day Of Prayer and when many Christians do just that; pray together for the welfare of the world.)

On this night Jesus concentrates his prayer requests on one special group of people: the people who believed he had been sent by God and that his message was true.

He asks great things for these people, the people who had listened to what he had to say and accepted his message. On this night of all nights he talks about joy. “I am saying these things while I am still in the world that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” What was his joy? His strong faith that God was in control of all that was going to happen to him and would resurrect him in three days. Jesus was deliberately and knowing allowing himself to become the climax of all the sacrificial offerings people made to God when, in the past, they had tried to lessen the gap between humanity and God. Jesus was very joyful because he understood that his death would close that gap.

“I am coming to you” he said to God, but these people who believe me are staying here in this world. They are different now to the world around them, I don’t ask you to secret them away to a safe place, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the evil one. Why do you think Jesus talked about the evil ‘one’ when there were at least two groups of people who wanted him dead?

His close companions heard the prayer but couldn’t comprehend what he was talking about. In three days they were going to be astonished, and constantly become more astonished as part by part the tremendous consequences of Jesus’ vicarious death became apparent.

That night he prayed, something he may have often prayed before: “In the same way you sent me into the world with your message I am sending them.”

We, who believe, have been given a mission to be messengers and witnesses of the deep love that God has for the world. By and large we don’t do an awfully good job of it, but in and through our rather feeble efforts God himself acts. This peaceful method of witness and message is the method God has chosen to call humanity to himself.

God’s love is pervasive, persistent and powerful, in spite of the weakness of the messengers the message gets through. ‘God wants you back home with him’. We who believe are joyful when others believe, we are joyful when another human makes friends with God and we are still astonished at the difference it makes.

Old Testament reading (Psalm 22)
For years people have asked why did Jesus cry out, “My god, My God, why have you forsaken me.” We know from scripture that God does not forsake people who endeavor to please him. The answer has always been that when the sins of humanity were transferred to Jesus God could not look upon him because God is so pure and sinless. It is a valid answer. But here is another one. This explanation comes to us from the people who study Aramaic and Aramean customs. At the time when Jesus was alive the psalms were not numbered. To identify a psalm you referred to its first line. According to this explanation Jesus called out, 'Psalm 22 is what is happening to me now.' Read it and see if you agree with this explanation

Prayer Before Execution

Thursday March 2. John 17:1-8

‘Make me glorious!’ That’s a reasonable prayer coming from a man who is about to die bravely.

The word glory as it is used in the Bible means to make the true nature of a person or thing evident. The way warmth is the glory of the sun, and beauty is the glory of nature.

Let humanity see my true nature and your true nature prays the man who has received power to give eternal life to others, even while he is preparing to die. Make me glorious by making evident to humanity what is really going to happen as a result of my death. That’s interesting; do we fully understand all that happened when the Life-giver died? We know some of the things that happened; Jesus closed the gap between God and people. We know that God demonstrated that death is not the end by bringing Jesus back from death. However do we fully understand all that is the result of that sacrificial death? I ask myself that question and my answer is, No. Because, for one thing it is still happening, I am still seeing new consequences of that effective death. For another thing, I am still understanding it better every Easter. It takes all of life to comprehend what has happened. Moving from partial understanding to a fuller understanding is a pilgrimage – the kind of pilgrimage we make during Lent.