The following lines from South African poet Mzwakhe Mbuli’s Zulu poem reminds me of Paul’s words about our belonging together to one body: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” [1 Corinthians 12:26] An injury to the head, Is an injury to the whole person,…
9/11 and the cross
SCRIPTURE: Mark 15 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: 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!” [Mark 15:39] A non-Jew, a witness to the horrific death of Jesus, and also to the circumstances surrounding His death, comes to this conclusion,…
something beautiful for God
SCRIPTURE: Mark 14 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. [Mark 14:6] These last hours of Jesus must have been horrible for Him. He is preparing for death, and He knows it will not be easy – His passionate prayer in the garden makes that…
called to witness, not debate
SCRIPTURE: Mark 13 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. [Mark 13:10] Jesus seems to have different priorities than us. As He describes the end time, He is more concerned that the message is preached than that the messengers are kept safe and comfortable. He notes that His followers (the elect or called…
it comes down to love
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: 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.” [Mark 12:43-44] What does God desire from…
helping people find God
SCRIPTURE: Mark 11 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: 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.’” [Mark 11:17] Why does Jesus curse the fig tree? The tree wasn’t at fault, it wasn’t the season for fruit….
seeing God’s riches
SCRIPTURE: Mark 10 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: “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,…
holding back, resisting, doubting
SCRIPTURE: Mark 9 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: “’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!” [Mark 9:23-24] I have often used these words myself, they describe how I often feel about my own weak faith. This passage presents Jesus as a glorious messiah…
I can’t see clearly now…
SCRIPTURE: Mark 8 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: 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…
spit shiny clean
SCRIPTURE: Mark 7 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: 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.’” [Mark 7:15] By ‘unclean’, Jesus is not talking about visibly dirty, but spiritually dirty, and therefore unacceptable to God. His point in this passage is that God is…