Mark 9:42-50

Passage

Jesus continues to teach His disciples.  He tells them that whoever causes one of the little ones of faith in Christ to sin would rather have a millstone hung around his neck and thrown into a sea to be drowned than to have to deal with the consequences from God.  Jesus then begins a graphic passage speaking about the intentionality of removing the things in your life that cause sin.  Jesus says that if our hand, foot, or eye causes us to sin we should remove it.  After all, it is better to enter heaven maimed than to go to hell but still have a whole body.   Jesus then tells us all that we will all be tested (literally, salted) with fire.  That testing is good; but if we lose the passion that comes through that testing what good are we?  We need to be passionate about our faith and at peace with one another.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus opens with a unique phrase here.  Jesus says, “little ones in faith who believe in me.”  So often this passage gets spun in a “don’t make children sin” kind of way.  And certainly that applies.  But that isn’t really what Jesus is saying.  If Jesus wanted to talk about children, Jesus would have used the Greek word “paidon” (παιδίον) which means child in the most generic sense.  He could have also used the word “teknon” (τέκνον) which means child as in a term of endearment or as a descendant.  He could have used the word “huiothesia” (υἱοθεσία) which means child in the sense of an adoptive relationship.  But Jesus doesn’t even use a word for child in this passage.  Instead, Jesus uses a word we’re actually familiar with in English.  He uses the word “micros” (μικρός) which means smaller.  Now, it is no stretch to think that Jesus is talking about children, especially because in a fairly recent passage Jesus had just picked up a child.  However, to limit this passage to children does it an injustice.  Jesus is talking about ones who are “smaller in faith who believe in Jesus.”  Jesus is talking about children as well as new Christians.  Jesus is saying that we must be careful to not lead into sin any person who is new to their faith regardless of their age.  That’s really Jesus’ point.  This is a discipleship passage, not a child-rearing passage. This is a passage telling those of us who are spiritually mature to watch out and disciple those who are less spiritually mature.

How would a new believer be led into sin by another believer?  How is it possible for a new believer to be led into sin even while being among a community of believers?  Why is this a dynamic of which we need to be careful?

Second Thought:

Jesus also talks about our need to remove temptation out of our life.  Notice that Jesus does not say, “Limit our exposure to it.”  Jesus specifically says, “cut it off.”  When you cut something off, you get rid of it from your life.  When we “limit exposure” we are really saying, “I’m still open to sinning, I’m just going to manage it so that I don’t feel too guilty too often.”  That isn’t what Jesus is talking about.  If something leads you into sin, get rid of it!  It is better to enter into eternal life feeling like you missed out on something than to miss out on eternal life completely!

How good are you at cutting things out of your life?  Why do you think Jesus is so adamant about using words like “cut off?”  Why can this be a difficult process?

Third Thought:

Jesus also talks about being salted by fire.  In the Bible, fire is always a symbol of judgment.  Sometimes fire is bad – think of hell, condemnation, etc.  However, sometimes the image of fire is a good one – precious metals are made pure through fire.  It is this good sense that Jesus is using the image of fire in this passage.  We will be tested – purified.  Through that testing, we will discover what is truly important in life and what should be cut out.  But if we lose that sense of what is important from God’s perspective and continue to live according to what we should be cutting out of our life – what good are we to God?  We must always live for the things about which God is passionate.

About what has God created you to be passionate?  What does the world put in your way of being passionate?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 10:1-9

Mark 9:38-41

Passage

John approached Jesus and told him a story.  The disciples had been out and they saw someone trying to cast out a demon in Jesus’ name.  The disciples tried to stop him, because to their knowledge he wasn’t following Jesus.  Jesus tells John to not worry about it.  Nobody who does anything mighty in the name of Jesus will be able to speak evil of Jesus before too long.  The person who is not against Christ is with Him.  Nobody who gives relief to a disciple of Christ because they are a disciple of Christ will lose their reward for that act.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I love the fact that John feels the need for a little confession.  John doesn’t necessarily think that they have done anything wrong, he was just checking in to see if they made the right decision.  Sometimes we have to make a decision and we don’t have time to get tons of advice.  Sometimes we just have to do the best that we can and ask later.  (And, if necessary, go back and make corrections.)  I also love that Jesus understands this dynamic and although Jesus would have preferred them to make a different decision, neither does Jesus ream out the disciples because of it.

How is this encounter with Jesus a model of good discipleship?  How can you tell that John fully trusts Jesus?  How does Jesus respond in a way that honors John’s trust?

Second Thought:

Jesus tells John that anyone who is not against Jesus is with Jesus.  Now, we don’t need to go too far down the universalistic road here.  Jesus is not saying that so long as we don’t profane Jesus we’re saved.  The reality is that when we sin, we make ourselves an enemy of God.  Our default position is one of unrighteousness.  Therefore, what Jesus is saying is that a person who is truly living out their obedience to God might look different than you and might act differently than you and might even make a few decisions differently than you.  But that doesn’t mean they are not in Christ.  It just means their relationship with God comes from a different perspective than yours.

Why is it easy to see the world through a “you’re like me or you’re not a true believer” mentality?  Why do we need to live with a spirit of freedom that allows people to genuinely express genuine faith in a way that genuinely brings glory to God – even if it is different than how we would do it?

Third Thought:

Jesus also talks about how anyone who gives relief to a true disciple because the person is a disciple will receive a reward from God.  We must be careful here.  There are other passages that talk about caring for the poor and needy.  This is not one of them.  This passage is talking about tending the disciples of Christ because they are following Christ.  This passage is about caring for one’s own.  This passage is about intentionally looking after those who are following Christ.  We need to be about many things, but we need to especially be about that.

Why do we need to care for the followers of Christ?  Why do we need to look out for one another?  How does this reflect our relationship with God?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:42-50

Mark 9:33-37

Passage

Jesus and His disciples come back to Capernaum, where Jesus’ house was located.  Once they got in the house, Jesus asked them all, “What were you guys talking about as we walked?”  They were quiet, because on the way they had been arguing among themselves who was the greatest.  Jesus sat down and called the twelve together.  He told them that if anyone would like to be first, then they must be last and a servant from all.  He took a child and set the child among them.  Jesus took the child into His arms and told the disciples that if they receive a child in a like manner they receive Christ.  Whoever receives Christ receives the one who sent Jesus: the Father.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The disciples were in silence because of Jesus’ question.  They knew that their topic of conversation wasn’t really right.  So they kept quiet.  Guilt is an amazing motivator.  However, I think there is something deeper here.  In order for them to talk privately without Jesus hearing they must have walked with a bit of distance between them and their mentor.  Isn’t it amazing that when we feel the temptation to sin we know who to exclude in our midst!  When we want to do something that we know is wrong, rather than turning to the people that can help us avoid doing wrong we actually tend to push them away or at least distance ourselves from their presence.

Why do we enjoy the temptation of sin – especially when it comes to social sin like gossip, arguing, etc?  Who are the people you tend to push away when you are behaving in such a manner because you know they wouldn’t approve?  What can this reflection teach you about human behavior – specifically your human behavior?

Second Thought:

Jesus tells the disciples that if anyone wants to be first, they must be willing to be last and adopt a servant’s mindset.  There are two neat things about this point.  First, notice that Jesus addressed their conversation in spite of the fact that nobody was willing to tell Him about it.  He knew without being told.  It’s proof that He was the Son of God.  Second, Jesus is telling His disciples that the greatest people are the ones who think of themselves last.  Think about what Jesus was going to do.  He was going to die through no fault of His own for the sake of others.  He thought of the whole world before He thought of Himself.  That’s greatness, and we see His disciples engage in that kind of behavior once He ascends into heaven.  Throughout history, the greatest Christians are always those who think of others before themselves.

How does this teaching contrast with the world?  How much do you think about yourself, your agenda, and your needs?  Look to the truly spiritual people around you.  How much do they put their needs ahead of the needs of others?

Third Thought:

Jesus scoops up the child in His arms.  I think there is an often overlooked message in this passage.  Yes, Jesus is telling us to care for children.  Absolutely.  But Jesus is also talking about the means of reception.  To hold someone into your arms means to embrace them.  It means to welcome them like you would family.  It means to allow them into your personal space.  It means to grant them a fairly intimate access into your life.  Jesus is telling us that we need to receive one another closely – in true relationship.  When we grant others a personal intimacy to see God at work in our life, we reflect the intimacy that Christ extended to us by allowing us into His life.

Do we live in a culture that promotes letting people see us in our real state?  What does our culture tell us we need to do when we are going out with people or having people come into our homes?  Why do you think intimacy – realness in relationship – can be such a powerful tool in our culture?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:38-41

Mark 9:30-32

Passage

Jesus takes His disciples once more through the region of Galilee.  This time, however, He didn’t want anyone to know.  Jesus told His disciples for a second time the He would be handed over into the hands of human beings.  Jesus told His disciples that they would kill Him and after three days He would rise from the dead.  However, the disciples did not understand what He was saying and they were afraid to ask Him to explain.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus didn’t want anyone to know they were in Galilee.  Galilee had proven to be a spot where people were willing to listen in the past, so it might seem strange that Jesus went incognito here.  However, this is what I believe is going on.  Jesus knows His time is short.  He knows that His disciples still have some things to learn.  He knows that when the crowd is around, deep teaching doesn’t happen very often.  So this moment of incognito is for His disciples.  They need to learn.  So Jesus must sacrifice time away from the crowd and instead devote it to the “small group” or the “inner circle.”  Jesus knows that before He dies, He must have a small group of disciples who can pass along what He has or else His time on earth was fruitless.  Any teacher can leave behind a set of instructions.  Jesus knows He needs to leave behind disciples who can make disciples.

Why does Jesus seem to always resort to small group times for moments of deep teaching?  How does the crowd actually detract from our ability to teach out of the relationships we have?  How is this dynamic true in our modern lives – even our modern churches?

Second Thought:

Jesus clearly teaches the disciples that He is going to be handed over, put to death, and raised.  There’s the plan.  It’s been the plan all along.  God is consistent.  He has a plan.  He has an agenda.  And quite often He’s actually not afraid to tell us the plan ahead of time.

Why do you think Jesus tells the disciples the plan ahead of time?  Why would Jesus need to prepare them for the things to come?  Whose fault do you think it is that we don’t often feel like we know God’s plan – His for not telling us or ours for not being in a place to listen?

Third Thought:

As the last question asserts, just because God tells us the plan doesn’t mean that we listen.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re disobedient, either.  Sometimes God’s plan is just over our head.  In this case God tells us the plan so that after it happens we can look back and see God at work.  Sometimes God tells us the plan and we don’t want to hear it even though we understand it.  In these cases, we act out of our rebellion and ignore the plan.  Sometimes we hear the plan from God and jump on board.  In these cases, we act out of Christ’s righteousness and surge ahead with God.

Why do you think we don’t hear God all that often?  When we do hear Him, why does it often feel like it is hard to hear Him?  How does it feel to hear God and rebel?  How does it feel to hear God and give yourself to Him fully?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:33-37

Mark 9:25-29

Passage

Jesus sees that a crowd came together.  They sensed that Jesus was about to do something special.  Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, calling it deaf and mute.  Then, Jesus told the spirit to leave and never come back.  The spirit caused the boy to cry out and convulse terribly before coming out.  Once the spirit came out, the boy laid still causing everyone to think he was dead.  Jesus reached down, picked the boy up, and helped him to his feet.  The disciples privately asked why they couldn’t do that.  Jesus replies to them that this kind of spirit only comes out with prayer.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The crowd comes running.  They know Jesus.  They know that a sick boy has been given to Him.  I hate to paint the crowd out so repeatedly as spectacle-hunters, but that is exactly what they are.  When we look closely at the behavior of the crowd, the crowd repeatedly are only interested in the demonstration.  These people are chasing a miracle show.  They know one is about to start when Jesus takes interest in the boy.  So they come running for the show.

What does this tell us about the emotional and spiritual focus of the crowd?  What does this tell us that we need to be careful of when it comes to our relationship with God?  How easy is it to get wrapped up in the spectacle?

Second Thought:

Jesus commands the spirit to leave and never come back.  That is the power of God.  Of course, it is one thing to say the words.  It is entirely a different thing to have the authority behind those words.  Any one of us could make that claim and say those words.  But only someone called by God can have that kind of authority over the evil spirits.

Under whose authority do you act most of the time?  What does it mean to act under the authority of God?  What do you think is required of us to act with His authority?

Third Thought:

Jesus’ reply to the disciples is humbling.  In effect, Jesus says this to His disciples.  “You can’t cast out this evil spirit because you don’t live close enough to God.”  After all, what is prayer except relationship with the Father?  I think it is impressive that Jesus taught so bluntly.

I can’t imagine how sharp those words must have sounded to the disciples.  But Jesus is absolutely accurate.  We don’t live as close to God as we could – especially as we should.  Our spirituality starts with our closeness to God.  If we aren’t close to Him, how could we ever expect to do anything in His name?  If we aren’t close to God, how is it that we expect the gifts that God gives to us will ever be sustained?  The truth is that the failure of the disciples rests upon their failure to put in the time and effort it takes to walk closely with God.

How close are you to God?  Is your closeness to God increasing, staying the same, or decreasing?  What can you do to sustain growth towards God?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:30-32

Mark 9:21-24

Passage

Jesus asks the father how long the boy has been convulsing.  The father replies that it has happened since he was a child.  The father also confesses that the evil spirit has tried to throw the boy into fire to kill the boy.  Then the father asks Jesus to do something if He can.  Jesus rebukes the man and tells him that all things are possible to the one who believes.  The man immediately sees his error and repents.  He claims belief, and then asks Jesus to help his unbelief.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus queries the man.  He wants to know a little more information.  What we find out is that this boy has had this issue his whole life.  Nothing has been able to be done for this boy.  Whether it is because the father hasn’t tried or because nobody was capable of doing anything, we don’t know.  But the reality is that this boy has struggled in this condition his whole life only to be present at this moment with the very one person who can absolutely help him.

Why is Jesus fundamentally at the heart of every healing?  Why must this be so?  Having read this part of the story up until now, why do you think nothing could be done by the father or the disciples to help this boy?

Second Thought:

 We have a very interesting confession.  The evil spirit has tried to throw the boy into a fire to kill the boy.  One might ask why it is that an evil spirit would try and kill someone over whom they have possession.  Here’s the reason – and it goes back to our willingness to submit to God and see Him even in the dark places of life.  As I said a few days ago, because of this boy’s condition the boy, the father, the disciples, and the gathered crowd will get to see a display of God’s power.  So why would the evil spirit want to do harm to the boy?  The evil spirit knows that such an act is the only way to prevent God from being able to use this boy and his condition.  Ultimately harmful acts – especially self-imposed harmful acts – are merely evil desires designed to prevent God from being able to demonstrate His glory through a person.

Have you ever thought about evil in this way?  Why would it make sense that evil would try and destroy those things through which God intends to reveal Himself?

Third Thought:

We have an incredible moment of growth here in this story.  The man comes to Jesus, hoping Jesus can do something.  Jesus rebukes the man, telling him that God can do anything.  It is not God’s power that is limited; rather, it is our belief that is limited.  The man immediately recognizes that this is true within him.  He confesses it and immediately asks Jesus for help.  This is repentance at its finest.

Do you think it is interesting how quickly repentance happens in this story?  Why do you think it happens so quickly?  What is the catalyst for this man’s repentance?  Who is ultimately responsible for bringing this man to repentance?  Of what does the man repent?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:25-29

Mark 9:19-20

Passage

Jesus spoke aloud to the crowd.  He said, “Oh faithless generation, how long am I going to be here on this earth?  How long will I have to continue to bear these people?”  Then Jesus orders the boy to be brought to Him.  The boy was brought to Jesus and the spirit within saw that he was being brought to Jesus.  The spirit convulsed the boy and the boy rolled on the ground and frothed at the mouth.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus asks two really poignant questions to start this passage.  The first is, “How long will I be with you?”  Jesus sees the complete and utter lack of faith in all the people around Him and wonders how long he’ll be able to continue to do everything for them.  Nobody can deal with this evil spirit.  Nobody has the relationship with God through which God could heal this boy.  Yes, God can do it on His own; but He sent His Messiah to reveal Himself to us and to invite us into a relationship.  The reality is that this story and this question from Jesus demonstrate that none of the people standing around the boy is close enough with God to discern God’s will and His direction.  We know the disciples had tried, but they hadn’t been able to do it.  Jesus wonders how much time He has left to train these disciples in the faith.

What does this say about Jesus’ disciples?  What can we learn about those times when we fail?  Why is our relationship with God important not just for ourselves but also for the people around us?  Why is it important to make the most of our time with people who are closer to the Father than we are?

Second Thought:

The second really profound question that Jesus asks is how long He will have to bear with the crowd.  In the first question, Jesus is worried that His time is short and worried about how little the people are in relationship with the Father.  In this question Jesus demonstrates the wearing effect that the crowd is having upon Him.  Although He wants to legitimately train His disciples, the reality is that always having to perform these miracles is tiring and wearing Him out.  Jesus wants to do something other than perform for a people who just want to see the spectacle.  Jesus came to this world to make disciples, not be some kind of sideshow act.

When can it be difficult to continue doing things over and over again?  What do we need to do to keep doing things repeatedly and still feel productive and satisfied? 

Third Thought:

The boy is brought before Jesus and immediately the spirit within him convulses the boy.  We don’t know why the evil spirit did this.  Perhaps the spirit did it to try and scare the father, the disciples, or even Jesus Himself.  Perhaps the evil spirit did it to try and get Jesus to leave it alone.  Whatever the reason, when the evil spirit convulses the boy the evil spirit proves its existence to everyone.  Now, everyone has seen that the evil spirit is present.  The fact that the evil spirit convulses the boy will actually add to the credibility of Jesus’ demonstration of God’s power.

Why is the healing more credible because the evil spirit convulses the boy?  How does this point tie in to the point we spoke about yesterday regarding seeing God even in bad circumstances?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:21-24

Mark 9:16-18

Passage

Jesus asks the people why they are arguing with His disciples.  A man in the crowd answers Jesus and informs Him that he had brought his son to Jesus’ disciples.  The son has an evil spirit that causes the boy to be mute.  The spirit also seizes him and causes him to convulse and throws him to the ground.  The boy foams and the mouth and grinds his teeth.  The man also tells Jesus that he asked the disciples to cast out the demon and they could not.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The man had brought his boy to the disciples.  I’m willing to bet that he was looking for Jesus.  But he found Jesus’ disciples instead.  But here’s the cool thing.  The man was willing to find the power of God through the disciples.  The man made the assumption that Jesus’ disciples could bring the power of God into his life and the life of the son.  The assumption may not have turned out quite the way the man planned, but the end result is the same.  Because the man came to Jesus’ disciples, he does meet with Jesus.

Have you ever thought that people may expect to meet Jesus through you?  How do you respond to that thought?

Second Thought:

Here is a child who is caught up with some sort of evil spirit.  In cases like this, I always wonder why it is that things like this happen.  What could a little boy have possibly done to deserve to be inflicted with such a condition?  The answer in these kinds of circumstances usually doesn’t lie in consequences.  Yes, sometimes we do get the consequences of our actions.  Some people are oppressed by evil because they invite it into their life.  However, other things are simply opportunities for us to recognize God.  Here’s a really deep reality.  Because of this boy’s being possessed by an evil spirit, the whole crowd – including the boy and his father – will get an encounter with Jesus and see firsthand the saving power of God!  Having an evil spirit is bad, certainly.  But is anything so bad that having a life-changing encounter with Jesus on account of it is not worth the cost?

Why do we tend to see things like this through a negative lens?  Why do we have a difficult time seeing silver linings and opportunities to meet God even in bad circumstances?

Third Thought:

The disciples could not cast out the demon.  We don’t know why, exactly, but tomorrow we’ll get a clue.  For today, let’s focus on the fact that they couldn’t.  Here they are – disciples of Jesus!  They are the hand-picked disciples of the Son of God.  Yet, they weren’t supermen.  They couldn’t do it.  It wasn’t in the cards for them to do it on their own.  We may be disciples of Jesus, but we need to learn our limitations.  Better yet, we need to learn to rely more upon Him and less upon ourselves.

Why do you think the disciples couldn’t cast out the evil spirit?  What does it mean that even though we are servants of the Most High we can’t do everything?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:19-20

Mark 9:14-15

Passage

Jesus, Peter, James, and John come back down the mountain to find the rest of the disciples.  When they get there, they find the disciples arguing with some scribes.  When the crowd recognizes Jesus, immediately they come to Him and greet Him.  They were amazed when they saw Him.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

They come down from the mountaintop experience.  I think that right there is a huge point.  Remember Peter from a few days back?  “Lord, can’t we stay here forever?  Let’s build some homes for you all!”  No, Peter.  We can’t stay on the mountaintop forever.  God has not called us to stay on the mountain.  God has called us to the mountain so that we can learn atop the mountain and then come down from the mountain and engage the rest of the world again.  There is a saying that solitude is a necessary tool in the Christian toolkit, but solitariness is not.  We need to have those moments of communing with God.  But if we never come back to people, what good are they?

Why do we need those moments of solitude and communing with God?  Why do we need to learn to come away from those moments?  When is it hard to find those moments with God?  When is it hard to leave our moments with God?

Second Thought:

The rest of the disciples are arguing with various scribes (teachers of the Law).  I love this part of the story.  Just because Jesus isn’t around doesn’t meant the opposition will sit around and twiddle their thumbs.  Jesus isn’t there, so His disciples get ambushed!  Word to the disciple: when the teacher is away, you are the most vulnerable.  When the teacher is away, you need to be the most prepared.  That makes so much sense when you think about it.  But how many of us actually live the opposite truth?   We get ourselves so ready to learn and participate when the teacher is present yet we completely relax when the teacher is away.  It should be the opposite.  We should relax when the teacher is present – abide in the presence of the teacher.  When the teacher is out of our presence, we should be prepared to act and be on our guard!

Why is it easy to live life backwards – prepared when the teacher is around and relaxed when the teacher is not around?  Why do you think the enemy argues with the disciples when Jesus isn’t present?  Do you think the enemy might have even relished the opportunity to argue with the disciples and not Jesus?  Why or why not?

Third Thought:

When the crowd sees Jesus, they are amazed and they come out to see Him.  They wanted to see Jesus.  The rushed to the teacher because they thought He would have the answer.  For the crowd, the teacher was the focus.  For Jesus, it was the end of the mountaintop experience.  For the teacher, being around the crowd is an opportunity to feed, not to be fed.

How difficult do you think it was for Jesus to know that wherever He went he was going to be the focus – for good or for ill?  Why is that important to understand for those of us who are called to be spiritual people in this world?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:16-18

Mark 9:11-13

Passage

His disciples asked Jesus why it is that people were teaching that Elijah must come before the Messiah.  Jesus replied that Elijah does come into order to prepare the way by restoring God’s teaching.  Even so, it is said that the Son of Man (Messiah) must be treated with contempt and suffer greatly at the hands of the people.  Jesus affirms that Elijah has already come again and the people treated him as they pleased as it was written would happen.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The disciples are still trying to make sure that they understand that Jesus is the Son of God. I find this amazing, because they just heard the Father speak from out of a cloud that Jesus is the beloved Son of God.  Where the disciples are confused is that if Jesus is the Messiah, then who prior to Jesus was Elijah that was said to come again.  The disciples are confused about how God said that He would work.  At least in this instance they do come to the source of truth, Jesus.

How does it make you feel to know that even after hearing the direct voice of God that the disciples still weren’t completely sure that they understood?  What does this teach us about God’s ability to use people who may not fully grasp what God is doing in their midst?

Second Thought:

Jesus tells us that Elijah would come to “restore things.”  I believe that what Jesus means is to set theology (teaching) on a right course.  We know that prior to Jesus John the Baptizer came.  He pointed to Jesus.  He taught sound theology, not the strict obedience to human made laws that was being passed through the Pharisees.  In this sense, Elijah absolutely did come before the Messiah!

How do you view John the Baptizer?  How do you view his teaching?  How do you view his life?

Third Thought:

Jesus also tells us that not only will the Son of Man (Messiah) suffer at the hands of the people but that Elijah come again also suffered at the hands of the people.  We know the Jesus suffered and died a horrible death on the cross.  As we read several chapters back (Mark 6), John the Baptizer died a pointless death because of some silly promise by Herod.  Here we see Jesus reaffirming that scripture is coming true in the sight of the disciples.  They might not understand it as it is happening, but they would understand it eventually.  Their level of understanding does not change the truth that it did indeed happen.

How does it make you feel to know how the world treated John the Baptizer?  How does it make you feel to know how the world treated Jesus?  What can this teach us about how the world is going to react to those who follow Jesus?  How does that make you feel?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:14-15

Mark 9:9-10

Passage

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus tells the disciples to not tell anyone about this experience until after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  So they were obedient.  They kept the matter to themselves.  However, they did continue to question among themselves what exactly Jesus meant by “rising from the dead.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus asks His disciples to not say anything about it until the time is right.  This sentence absolutely speaks volumes into modern culture.  We are an information people.  We like to know everything, know what is going on everywhere, and talk about it with one another.  However, Jesus shows us quite clearly in this passage that there are times and places for some people to know some things and other people to not be included.  It is most definitely not a part of human nature, but sometimes it is necessary in ministry.  Some things cannot be understood until they are experienced.  Then they are understood for the better.

How do you react when you don’t know something that is going on?  How do you react when you know something that you cannot share?  Do you believe Jesus is right in this instance when He asks the disciples to keep this just between them until the time is right?

Second Thought:

The disciples obeyed.  They kept the secret.  Sure, they talked among themselves.  But they obeyed Jesus.  First, notice that they got the Father’s point from yesterday’s study.  They listened to Him.  Second, notice that their obedience displayed trust.  They probably didn’t understand why they should keep the secret.  Shoot, they didn’t even understand when they would be allowed to talk about it!  (We’ll get to that in the next point.)  The point is that they were obedient and trusted their spiritual leader.  Jesus said to keep it quiet and they did.

Why is it difficult to trust the wisdom and foresight of others when you might not see things yourself?  Why is it so difficult to choose trust over gossip?  Why is it so difficult to choose trust over anything?

Third Thought:

The disciples didn’t understand what Jesus meant when He said “rise from the dead.”  Go back and read Mark 8:31.  Clearly Jesus had told His disciples what they needed to know.  They just hadn’t grasped it.  They didn’t want to grasp it.  To be fair, in some respects it was beyond them; God was doing an incredibly unheard of thing in Jesus.  But part of their lack of understanding was their unwillingness to be open to what God was really doing through Jesus.  Because they didn’t want to hear about His rejection and death they also didn’t hear about His resurrection either.  They were confused.

How does our own perception of reality actually serve to cloud our understanding of truth?  How can our circumstances get in the way of understanding what God wants us to know?  How does each of these issues speak to our need to be even more obedient to God?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:11-13

Mark 9:7-8

Passage

A cloud overshadowed the disciples and Jesus.  Out of the cloud, the voice of the Lord spoke.  The Father told everyone that Jesus was His beloved Son and they should listen to Him.  Suddenly, the disciples were left alone with Jesus.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The voice of the Lord spoke.  Of course, we know that Jesus communed with the Father on a very regular basis.  But this time, the Father communed with Jesus and His inner circle.  As Jesus prepared to head to Jerusalem for the last time, the Father endorsed the act.  The Father confirmed what the disciples need to hear.  The Father Himself places a word of public approval upon the actions of His Messiah.

Why might Jesus and His disciples benefit from knowing that God approved of this path for Jesus?  How might the disciples benefit from this act even years after the crucifixion and the resurrection happened?  Why is it important in general for us to seek God’s will?

Second Thought:

The Father calls the Son “beloved.”  The word here for beloved is a derivation of the Greek word “agape,” which means “to love unconditionally.”  God is telling the disciples that Jesus is not just a special teacher, but rather one who is unconditionally loved by the Father.  This may seem like it goes without saying from our perspective.  Of course the Father unconditionally loved the Son, right?  However, where this becomes ultimately significant to us is in knowing that how the Father relates to the Son, the Father will also relate to those who a part of the Son.  Thus, if Jesus is God’s “beloved” then so also are those who are in Him.

What does it mean to you that God loved Jesus unconditionally?  Why did the Father love the Son unconditionally?  What does it mean to you that God loves you unconditionally?  Why does the Father love you unconditionally?

Third Thought:

God then gives a command: listen to Jesus.  I think there are two dynamics here at work.  The first is very much nuts-and-bolts.  Jesus is headed to Jerusalem.  He’s going to give some hard teaching.  In fact, remember the discourse between Jesus and Peter when Jesus told Him that He was going to die.  The disciples needed to be reminded that they should listen, even when it is hard.  The second reason is far more general.  It is easy to let the distractions in the world pull our focus off of Jesus.  We need to hear this reminder.  He should be the teacher in our life.  He should be the direction-giver.  He should be the one who leads us.  We need to listen to Him, not the rest of the world.

Why is it so easy to lose sight of Jesus in this world?  Why is it so easy to reject difficult teaching because it isn’t what we want to hear?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:9-10

Mark 9:5-6

Passage

Peter says to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good that we are here.”  Then, Peter tells Jesus that he thinks they should build three portable buildings.  One building would be for Moses, another for Elijah, and another for Jesus.  Peter said this not because it was from God but rather because he was scared and didn’t know how to respond.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Peter opens up his mouth and speaks.  While doing so, some foolish things come out.  Peter doesn’t speak out of his wisdom.  He certainly doesn’t take time to discern God’s will and speak out of that.  Rather, Peter speaks out of his fear.  He doesn’t understand what he is seeing so he feels like he has to say something.  In the end, he just ends up looking stupid.

Why do we usually say things that we regret when we don’t think first?  Why is it sometimes hard to think before we speak?

Second Thought:

Peter asks to build three portable dwelling places.  Now, Peter’s heart – from a human perspective – is absolutely in the right place.  Peter knows that something cool is happening.  In recognizing that God is at work, he wants to stay here and dwell in the moment for as long as possible.  From a human perspective, this is true.

Why is it good to recognize that fundamentally, Peter’s error in these verses is not all bad?  What is the advantage to looking at and critiquing past actions and determining where the good can be found?  Specific to this passage, how do you recognize when God is entering into your life and doing something cool?

Third Thought:

However, from a godly perspective this is absolutely another “Get behind me, satan” moment for Peter.  If God were to listen to Peter and let this moment continue on into perpetuity, the crucifixion would never happened.  The Gentiles would never hear about the grace of God.  The advancement of the Kingdom of God must take precedence over all things – even our desire to stay in the spiritual moment.

Why is it easy to want to stay in the spiritual moment with God?  Why is it necessary to move beyond the spiritual moment and get back to life? 

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:7-8

Mark 9:2-4

Passage

Jesus then takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain to pray.  While up on the mountain Jesus was transfigured (literally metamorphed).  His appearance changed before their very eyes.  His clothes became whiter than anyone could possibly have achieved through bleach.  Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, talking to Him.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus takes His three inner circle members up a mountain to pray.  It is interesting to note here that Jesus doesn’t take all twelve of the disciples.  Jesus takes His inner cadre.  What is interesting is simply to note that Jesus had an inner cadre.  I’ve been saying all along that Jesus taught the crowds with parables and explained everything plainly to the disciples.  But here we see that it went deeper than that.  Jesus may have taught plainly to the disciples, but there were a few among even the disciples who knew more than the others.  Jesus had His leaders; He also had the leaders of the leaders.

How does it sit with you to realize that Jesus didn’t treat everyone the same?  Why do you think Jesus was closer to Peter, James, and John?  Why do you think Jesus would want the three of them in on this very special event?

Second Thought:

Jesus’ appearance changed.  His clothes became whiter than humanly possible.  His appearance changed.  Clearly, this is an important moment for Jesus.  Jesus has decided to go to Jerusalem for the last time and to take His disciples with Him.  Having made that decision, He goes up the mountain and has this experience.  The fact that His clothes become white is symbolic of His purity.  Although He has made a tough decision to take His disciples with Him and have them experience what will happen in Jerusalem, God is telling Jesus that His decision is the pure one.  It is the right one.  God changes the appearance of Jesus as a sign of solidarity with His decision.

Why is it important to have the approval of God?  How do you think it made Jesus feel to have such a visible sign of God’s approval with respect to His journey?

Third Thought:

Moses and Elijah appear.  Moses is the one to whom the Law was given.  Elijah is considered by the Hebrew people to be the greatest prophet to have ever lived.  Clearly the appearance of Moses and Elijah is a sign that the Word of God and the Spirit of God are in support of Jesus.  They come to encourage Him.  They come to talk.  Symbolically, as Jesus turns to Jerusalem for one final time He is supported by the Word and the Spirit.  In fact, I think it goes deeper than that.  As He begins His trip to Jerusalem in order to be crucified, Jesus begins rooted in the Word and the Spirit of God.

What can this passage teach us about the importance of having the support of God’s Word?  What can this passage tell us about the importance of having the support of those who speak through God’s Spirit?  Why is it important to note that Jesus begins this last and greatest journey as He does?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:5-6

Mark 8:37-9:1

Passage

Jesus continues His teaching by asking what good it is for a person to profit tremendously in this world if they forfeit their soul eternally.  Jesus then asks what any person could give in exchange for their soul.  Jesus then adds a third simple teaching.  Anyone who is ashamed of Him in this life will find that He is ashamed of them in the life to come when Jesus comes again in the glory of the Father with His angels.  Then Jesus adds that there are some standing with Him who will not see death until they see the kingdom of God come.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus is not saying here that those who profit in this world have forfeited their soul in the world to come.  What He is saying is that keeping one’s soul in eternity is the higher priority.  At the same time, there is nothing wrong with profiting in this world – so lose as profiting within this world is not done at the expense of eternity.  This is an important distinction to make.  While yes, in other parts of the Bible Jesus certainly teaches that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven; He does not say it is impossible.  There is nothing inherently wrong with profit and especially nothing wrong with success.  There is something wrong when worldly profit and success supersedes listening to God’s call.

Why is it easy for us to read this passage as a passage against being successful in this world?  How hard is it to remember to allow success to be defined by God and not ourselves?  How does one live focused on the eternal first and the things of this world second?

Second Thought:

Jesus follows this thinking up with an equally difficult teaching.  What can a person offer up in exchange for their soul?  Think about this for a second and it really makes sense.  What perishable thing of this world has any kind of value equal to the worth of a person’s eternal soul?  Jesus is telling us that nothing in this world is as important as the human soul.  That should be our priority.  Care of the soul is our most important human task.

How often do you consider the true care for your soul?  How often do you consider the care for the soul of another?  Why is it easier to consider other things to be more important?  How does one care for their own soul and the souls of others?

Third Thought:

Then Jesus lowers the absolute boom.  Those who are ashamed of Him will find that He is ashamed of them in eternity.  Those who step up to the plate and take on the affront of the world will have the eternal support of the world.  Those who conform to the world rather than live according to God’s ways will perish with the world.  It’s really that simple.

Into which category do you fall?  Why?  How do you know?  How does one live their life unashamed of Jesus Christ?

Fourth Thought:

Jesus says that some of the people standing around Him would not see death until after the kingdom of God has come in power.  If this passage is read with the second coming of Christ in mind, then clearly Jesus was wrong.  All of the disciples are dead – long dead – and Christ has not come back.  However, I don’t personally believe that Christ is talking about the second coming when He talks about seeing the kingdom of God.  Remember what John the Baptizer preached in the wilderness.  “The Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near.”  Jesus Christ coming was the inaugural event of the Kingdom of Heaven’s approach.  Then comes His death and resurrection.  Finally, the approach of the Kingdom of God is completed when the Gentiles are welcomed into the kingdom.  There were plenty of Jesus’ disciples who were around when Peter had the experience with Cornelius at the first Gentiles were welcomed as followers of Christ without having to become Jewish first.

Of course, the Kingdom of God will be realized in full truth with the return of Christ.  But that doesn’t mean that the Kingdom of God isn’t here with us now!

How do you live in the Kingdom of God?  How do you count yourself a citizen of that kingdom?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 9:2-4

Mark 8:35-36

Passage

Jesus then teaches that whoever would seek to save their life will ultimately lose it; but whoever is willing to sacrifice their life for the sake of the Gospel will find that their life has been saved.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

To make His point fairly clear – although still using abstract terms – Jesus tells the crowd that if they seek to save their life they will lose it.  In other words, Jesus is saying that if we go through life pursuing our own agendas, we will come to the end of life realizing that we’ve lost everything.  The reason we’ll lose everything is because in pursuing our own agendas we aren’t pursuing God.  So as our life expires – and it will for each and every one of us – if we haven’t pursued God then we’ll have nothing left.  Our life will have been spent without having anything spiritual to gain once this life is over.

From this perspective, how sad is the life of a person that is spent pursuing their own agendas?  Why is this such a fleeting goal?  From an eternal perspective, why would anyone pursue the things of this world and the things of this life that are not also the things of God?

Second Thought:

On the flipside, those who are willing to lose their life will find that they have saved it.  The same logic applies here.  If we are willing to lose this life by spending our life not on what we desire but rather on what God desires for us, then as this life expires we will see that God has stored up a treasure for us with Him.  We may have lost our temporal life, but we will have gained a permanent spiritual life in the presence of God.  Literally, this is an exchange that God makes for us.  We trade what we have – our temporary physical life – and through obedience we exchange it for what God has – a permanent spiritual existence.

Have you ever thought of obedience as an exchange with God?  How can seeing life as an exchange help us when we are trying to make decisions about what path to take in life?

Third Thought:

Of course, there is the question of what God desires for us.  Jesus spells it out pretty clearly in these verses.  Jesus says that God desires the things that further the cause of Jesus and the message of the Gospel.  That’s a pretty clear and a fairly narrow focus.  Want to exchange temporary life for permanent life with God?  If so, then stop doing things that don’t further the Kingdom of God and start doing the things that do further the kingdom of God.  It really is not a difficult concept.  It’s just that the application of the concept on a consistent basis in this world is fairly difficult.

What do you do in your life that does not further the kingdom of God?  Why do you do those things?  What could you be doing in your life that does further the kingdom of God?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 8:37-9:1

Mark 8:34

Passage

Jesus then calls a crowd around His disciples so that He can teach.  Jesus tells the crowd that anyone who desires to follow Him must first deny themselves.  Then, they can take up their cross.  Once a person has taken up their cross then they can follow Him.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus calls in a crowd to teach.  Jesus doesn’t do this to publicly shame His disciples – especially Peter.  Instead, Jesus knows that He needs to do some intentional teaching to His disciples and it is material that is good for the general public to hear.  So He calls in a crowd to listen.  However, notice that the teaching is not too dissimilar to a parable.  This is not exactly straightforward instruction.  Jesus is teaching the crowds, but He is using some fairly abstract concepts in doing it.

Why would Jesus teach the crowds in abstract concepts?  What is the purpose of bringing people together for teaching if you are going to teach things that aren’t very basic?  What does Jesus stand to gain with respect to discipleship by teaching in a reasonably abstract manner?

Second Thought:

Jesus says we must deny ourselves first.  This is a teaching that I think many Christians in the world like to ignore.  At least I do.  However, notice that this is not an optional step.  In fact, not only is this step not optional it is also the very first step!  We absolutely must deny ourselves if we are to follow Jesus.  We must toss aside our personal agendas for life before we can ever claim to be following anyone but ourselves.

Then, we can take up our cross.  After we have tossed away our personal agendas we can pick up the struggle against our humanity.  We can pick up our constant struggle against the call to bring back into our life those priorities that we just tossed aside.  Taking up our cross means resisting the urge to make life about ourselves once more.  This is why one must deny themselves before they can pick up their cross.  Unless we deny our that part of our humanity that is apart from God, we have nothing against which we should resist.

Have you denied yourself?  Are you truly pursuing what God wants for your life?  Or are you pursuing what you want but doing it in a fashion that looks like you are trying to also pursue God?  If you have denied yourself, how are you doing with picking up your cross?  How are you doing with resisting the urge to make life all about you again?

Third Thought:

Only after we have denied ourselves and picked up our cross can we truly follow Jesus.  In order to follow Jesus, we cannot be following anything or anyone else.  Of course, what is scary is that this passage comes at the heels of Jesus having just told His disciples that He was going to die.  If we put this all together, here’s what Jesus is saying.  Jesus is telling His disciples that He is going to die.  He asks us to toss aside our agendas and follow Him to the point of being willing to sacrifice our own desires for the sake of what God desires for us.  That’s literally what Jesus did.  He sacrificed His own life because God wanted Him to atone for our sins.  Only the person who is willing to sacrifice their own desires and instead embrace the desires of God can truly be said to be following God.

Does it seem natural to think about following Jesus in these terms?  How easy is it to follow Jesus if following Him means denying ourselves and picking up our cross?  Why is this teaching fundamental to the Christian faith?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 8:35-8:36