Month: March 2021

Mark 8.33

Peter in one conversation went from hero to zero. When Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Mark 8.29 Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah.’ v29 Peter’s statement is the turning point in Mark’s gospel. Up to then the gospel had been largely addressing the issue of Jesus’ identity. Jesus had amazed, puzzled and antagonized people through his power and authority over sickness, evil spirits, the natural world, sin and death. He taught with authority that could not be matched by the religious teachers of the day. His deeds enacted his words. He fulfilled long prophesied events. He was a threat to secular and religious leaders alike because their motivations and sin were exposed. Exactly who he was remained difficult to pin down for leaders and the public alike. Was he a great teacher or a fraud, a miracle worker or a deluded man. Was he a prophet or the actual Messiah? Then when Jesus asks his closest follower who do they think he is? Peter comes out with his confession, he is the Messiah.

Mark then sets up the second half of the gospel with the clarity that only comes with hindsight. ‘He (Jesus) then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.’ Mark 8.31 There is a sudden shift in the narrative. Mark has moved on from identity to mission. The second half of the gospel answers the questions, why did Jesus come and what did he have to do? In other words, what was God the Father’s will for Jesus? Jesus had come to save the lost and to do that he had to defeat sin, death and the devil. What Jesus described to Peter did not sound like victory, it sounded like humiliating defeat. Why was that? It was because Peter did not understand the mind of God, he viewed the words Jesus said through the eyes of the conventional wisdom of the world. He wanted a saviour like David who was successful in battle and remained untouched by harm.

Jesus knew the way to victory was one of suffering and the indescribable pain of separation from God the Father as he took the consequences of believer’s sin upon himself. Any turning from that way would have been victory for Satan. His way was the way of the cross. But not only his way, it was to be the way for his followers as well. ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’ Mark 8.35

Jesus is very clear being a disciple of his is an all or nothing thing. It is not like belonging to a golf club where we can go if it pleases us and avoid commitments if we wish. Jesus expects us to align our hearts and minds to the will of God the Father as he does. Being a disciple is as serious a matter for the disciple as Jesus’ mission was for him.

Are our hearts aligned to the ways of God or the ways of the world?

Listen to our hearts – Casting Crowns

Mark 6.7-12

Jesus in his ministry years taught and trained his disciples in ministry as part of his own mission culminating in the cross and resurrection. His teaching was by example as well as in words. His personal life carried out numerous prophecies from the Old Testament scriptures that would have been obvious to the Jewish population and especially the religious leadership. Today unless we are introduced to the relevant sections of the Old Testament modern readership would not grasp the full significance of aspects of Mark’s gospel.

In all the gospels a striking theme is how different Jesus’s authority and leadership is when compared with leadership normally found in the world. Hebrews reminds us to, ‘Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.’ Hebrews 13.7 When we consider the message of the word of God it is natural to also consider the messenger. Isaiah made clear in Isaiah 63 that the Messiah was to be a servant with, ‘no form or majesty’ Isaiah 53.2 When Jesus sent the twelve disciples on their first missionary journey to surrounding villages they were not to have an abundance of resources. They were to journey trusting in the Lord, dressed as itinerant teachers with no money, extra clothing, no food, no bag, just a staff. They were to be dependent upon those who received the word of the Lord. There would be those who were open to the gospel and those who rejected it. Where the word was rejected they were to move on making clear that at that moment the rejection of the gospel was also a rejection of them.

Their message was simple, for people to repent. It is easy to understand why there would be people who did not accept their message. However, the Spirit of God was with the disciples and they were able to heal and overcome evil. The use of oil in healing symbolised the restoration of God’s blessing. Isaiah 61.3 The disciples were to replicate Jesus’ ministry. The epistles contain many references to warnings to the early church not to replicate the world’s approaches to leadership and power where it leads into sin and self-promotion. Instead our model is to be Jesus. The church in the first century frequently had to be reminded not to lose its distinctiveness and this tendency has remained an obstruction to the gospel ever since.

Damage is caused to the gospel in terms of people’s willingness to listen where it has been accompanied by Christian leaders using it to acquire significant personal wealth, abuse people especially through sexual exploitation, satisfy their own egos, favour some people above others, cheat or defraud people or distort the gospel. Disciples’ lives need to match the gospel if it is to be believed. The reward for the disciple is witnessing the Spirit’s impact in hearer’s lives. Luke 10.17

The church is to go to people with a clear message, in humility but with the power of the Spirit. Our model is always Jesus. Instead of widespread acclamation he received no personal wealth, rejection by a crowd that once praised him and cruel crucifixion.

Are we ready to take the risk of being a disciple of Jesus?

Do we believe we need the wealth of the world to be effective in communicating the gospel of Christ?

And He Shall Reign – Graham Kendrick

Mark 8.27-30

I watched a Youtube video of Dr Paul Lim giving a talk about how he became a Christian that illustrated the difference between mental understanding and spiritual dawning or revelation. Paul Lim was a Korean, born in Korea but emigrated to USA as a child following the arrest and imprisonment of his father in Korea for political activity. From that point onwards, he had not felt he belonged or established friendships until he entered university where he found and joined in with people pursuing a hedonistic lifestyle. Listening to him his life aims at that time were wealth and success and he despised Christians and Christianity despite his mother being a Christian and strongly encouraging him to go to Korean church. He did spend time at university studying religion and rejected it having been taught by skeptical academics. To his great disappointment his sister became engaged to a man who was training to be a Pastor. His mother for the sake of the family face asked Dr Lim to go to a conference his brother in law to be was helping lead. Paul hated every aspect of the conference. Then near the end of the conference he was sitting in a worship session not enjoying himself when they sang, not that well, Keith Green’s song, “To obey is better than sacrifice, I don’t need your money, I want your life”. To Paul’s surprise he found he was sobbing uncontrollably. To him the words were not being sung by a dubious worship group but were Jesus speaking directly into him. God did not want the money he valued above all, he wanted his life. He had encountered Jesus. The pro and con arguments of academia had not become irrelevant, he still had loads of questions but now they were reset because he had met Jesus. Jesus wanted him. It was now demanding and relational. His life was re-centred from that moment onwards.

Peter’s experience was similar. It was a moment of revelation. Peter had witnessed miracles of healing, the feeding of crowds of four and five thousand people from meagre amounts of food and along with the other disciples he had still not fully grasped who Jesus was. The eyes of the disciples were on the miracle and not the miracle maker. Mark 8.14-21 Jesus in his frustration said, ‘Do you not yet understand?’ Mark 8.21 There then followed Jesus’ healing of a blind man at Bethsaida, where he slowly regained his sight by stages. Jesus asked the disciples, ‘Who do people say I am?’ He got back a range of answers, Elijah, John the Baptist raised from the dead or another prophet. Jesus then said, ‘Who do you say I am.’ Mark 8,29 Peter came back with, ‘You are the Christ.’ Mark 8.29 It was for Peter a moment of revelation. The evidence had fallen into place and suddenly he knew. It is you Jesus. You are the one my heart has been longing for even if I hadn’t realised it.

Are we still unsure who Jesus is?

Has our heart responded to Jesus as Peter’s and Dr Lim’s did?

Are we praying that the spiritual eyes of others are opened even if it seems impossible?

If you would like to watch Dr Paul Lim tell his story here is the link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ9TfkdgeFc – From atheist to Christian at Yale

To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice – Keith Green

John 16.25— 17.1

We come now to the concluding section of the long discourse between Jesus and his disciples the evening before his death. It started in the upper room following the last supper. At some point it would appear they had left the room and were walking to the Gethsemane garden as at the conclusion of the discourse Jesus moved into prayer. His last words in the discourse were, ‘In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.’ v33 The disciples were to face tribulation with immediate effect, they were only minutes from Jesus arrest and Jesus words that, ‘they will scatter, each to their own home and leave him alone,’ v32 were sadly fulfilled. They had still not yet grasped how Jesus was to overcome the world but they had understood he had come from God. v30 Jesus’ questioning of their belief v31 was an indication of how incomplete their understanding and faith in him still was. His crucifixion was going to shake them to the core.

Jesus had just spoken plainly that he was about to leave the world and go to the Father having come from the Father. V28 There was no confusion about what he meant by the Father, he was referring to God. v27 His promise to them was one of a loving intimacy with God the Father which was radically different from the rules and fear governed religion being propounded by the religious leaders seeking to kill him. Their relationship with Jesus had opened up to them a direct communication with God the Father. ‘In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father loves you, because you have loved me and have believed I have come from God.’ v26-27

Jesus also makes a break in his own style of teaching. Up to now he had extensively used parables and metaphors to speak about himself (e.g. the I am statements) but now their teaching was to be more explicit and direct. v25 He was referring to the period following his resurrection and then to the Holy Spirit’s work leading them into all truth following Pentecost. We see this greater direct instructional style in the epistles in the use of extended sequential exposition addressing both doctrine and real life issues. All of this was intended so that believers in Jesus could share in his victory over the world and have peace whatever their tribulation. v33

The important point to grasp is, it his victory not ours. He has already achieved it. By the world he means all those forces ranged against him, evil spiritual forces, the sinful hearts of his enemies and our own sinful desires. His enemies were going to kill him but God was going to raise him from the dead. He would then lead those who believe in him into an eternal relationship with him and victory over sin and death. We are not able to do that for ourselves, only Jesus can do it for us.

When speaking of Jesus’ victory over sin and death Paul says, ‘But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ 1 Corinthians 15.57 We then should go on and live victorious lives. As Paul describes it, ‘Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord you labour is not in vain.’ 1 Corinthians 15.58

Are you confused about a part of the Bible or Christian teaching? What could you do to gain clarity?

In what ways does Jesus’ resurrection victory give you confidence, joy and peace?

To You O Lord I lift up my soul (Psalm 25) Graham Kendrick

Mark 7.20-23

There are many of us who are great at making up rules for life that demonstrate our worthiness. My mother would never allow a milk bottle to be put directly on the breakfast table. People who did she assured me were common and by that I assume meant they were somewhat inferior to ourselves who always put a milk jug on the table. Truth be told I still always put milk in a jug before putting it on the table, except in our caravan where a calamitous drop in standards is allowed. There are a host of rule breaking behaviours that I have come to realise can quite quickly allow one to spot a morally inferior individual. Top of the list is allowing the grass to grow so long that small wild flowers appear. Monty Don heads that particular list of evil doers. In a church I know it is enjoying singing praises to God too happily and dancing about as you do so. Then there is the deed that I am convinced destines someone to certain hell which is eating with your mouth open. I am sorry, I really shouldn’t have mentioned that.

Back in Jesus’ time Pharisees and scribes were busy spotting the morally lax and seized on the casual approach adopted by Jesus’ disciples towards washing and eating. Pharisees and all Jews (now there’s a presumption) do not eat unless they wash their hands properly. Mark 7.3 Sound advice, even before bacteria and other microorganisms were known about. But this was not mainly a public health rule, it was a religious rule. In some way washing hands was a moral issue that had the capacity to greatly offend God. This was one of many detailed specifications about how one was to stay pure and holy. So certain of their ground were they that confidently challenged Jesus. ‘Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders?’ Mark 7.5 they demanded.

Jesus turned on them as hypocrites quoting Isaiah, ‘This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ Mark 7.6-7 Jesus had gone straight to the heart of the problem which was the problem of the heart. The Pharisees and scribes were in love with their own version of morality, none of which was in the Mosaic law that they professed to abide by. He went on to condemn their common practice of “dedicating” their money to God and therefore saying for reasons of holiness they cannot afford to care for their parents in old age. It was pious hypocrisy. This Jesus said was just one example of their corrupt and defiled hearts. They were, he said, making void the word of God. Mark 7.13

What defiles you in the sight of God, said Jesus, is what comes out of the heart. Our hearts are not naturally aligned with God’s heart. Even when our self-control prevents us from acting on our passions and lusts it doesn’t stop our hearts desiring them. Being honest and looking in the spiritual mirror we see too much of Jesus’ illustrative list of the evil thoughts of humankind. ‘From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.’ Mark 7.21-22 These are the things that come from within and in the sight of God defile a person. It is often said in modern society, “That is not the person I am now,” as a way of separating ourselves from responsibility for past acts. However, the same society and frequently the same person eagerly pursues justice for historic crimes. It is as if we want God to have a lower standard of justice than we want applied if we have been sinned against. To no longer hold us accountable because we would not do now what we have done in the past.

How honest are we before God about our heart life and need for forgiveness?

Do we genuinely repent or say sorry out of convenience with no desire for our hearts to be aligned to God’s?

Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)