St. Luke Church-Wide Lenten Bible Study
The Gospel of Mark~~The Question of Faith
Lent, the time of preparation before we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, begins Ash Wednesday,
February 22, 2012. Our goal in St. Luke’s 2012 Lenten Bible study will be to draw close to Jesus as he is
portrayed in the Gospel of Mark. This Jesus is challenging and active, and he calls us to respond actively
to his challenges! Just a few chapters from the gospel will comprise the focus of our study for each week
and will be supplemented by essays and poetry, other Scripture, and even some fictional prose. These
supplements will be found in boxes within each week’s chapter. Another supplement will be what is
probably for most people the most familiar book of theology we read: the United Methodist Hymnal. The
hymns that are paired with certain passages are believers’ responses to that text which, in turn, encourage
certain responses from us. The information about the text on which the hymn is based can be found at the
bottom of the page in your United Methodist Hymnal.
You are encouraged to participate in the Church-Wide Bible Study in these ways:
 Participate in the February 12 seminar with Dr. Carl Holladay: “The Message and Meaning of
Jesus Christ.” 10:00 a.m., combined Sunday School in the Ministry Center. 10:55 a.m., preaching
in the sanctuary.
 Attend worship regularly. The Rev. Robert Beckum will preach from Mark’s gospel each week.
 Participate in a small group study. Whether it’s an in-home Bible study or a group or Sunday
School Class Study at the church, strengthen your understanding of Mark’s gospel through group
study.
 Read, study, and pray individually. The St. Luke Prayer Calendar will cover the whole of Lent and
will follow the same breakdown of chapters. Spend time doing an in-depth study to hear what God
says! Listen for the quickening of the Spirit as you pray.
 Respond in Service. There will be many ways for you to respond to God’s call on your life in new
and creative ways. Reach out in service to others as you grow closer to Jesus during this Lenten
season.
During this Lenten season, pay very special attention the questions in the gospel of Mark, both those
asked of Jesus and those asked by Jesus. They reveal much about the mindset of the people—both in
Jesus’ time and today—and much about Jesus’ keen insight into the true nature of the problems we all
face.
If you are studying with a group, make a note of the names of the other people in your group on the
following page and keep them in your prayer throughout Lent. There is a space at the end of each lesson
to add specific concerns or celebrations from the church or from your group. If you wish to make a
request of the Prayer Ministry, please call 706-327-4078 and leave a message, or go to the St. Luke
website, www.stlukeum.com and go to the Prayer Ministry page under the Ministries and People tab.
Please respect the confidentiality of your group and share only requests which you have permission to
share.
Plan to make regular worship part of your Lenten observance. As Rev. Beckum preaches on these
passages and as we all study together, anticipate a great stirring of God’s Spirit within our congregation!
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NAMES OF PERSONS IN MY BIBLE STUDY
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Who Is This Jesus?
Bob Hydrick
Each of the four gospel writers tries to answer this question in their accounts of the gospel (“good news”).
All four present Jesus as the Son of God, the perfect Revealer of God’s identity, nature and character and
the Redeemer of the world. However, each one tells his story in a slightly different way, giving us a more
complete understanding of who this Jesus is, of his redemptive mission, of the many ways he reveals God
the Father and what it all means to us.
Matthew presents Jesus as the King, the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, the fulfillment of Old
Testament prophesies. Luke presents Jesus as everyone’s Redeemer: Jew and Gentile, male and female,
the ups and ins, the downs and outs, and everybody in between, including the clean and the unclean. John
is the Spiritual gospel. John has the gift of being able to see beyond the immediate meaning of the words
and deeds of Jesus to their eternal and spiritual meaning. John wants us to understand that Jesus is not
simply God’s Son; he is God AS Son. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
Mark presents Jesus as the Servant of God. The theme verse of the gospel account is 10:45: Jesus is
speaking, “45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for
many.” The action in Mark’s account of the gospel focuses on this aspect of Jesus earthly ministry – how
he was obedient to the Father and lovingly met the needs of people, climaxing in his death on the cross,
which met the most important need of all mankind. Mark devotes 37 percent of his account to the
crucifixion, the largest percentage of all the gospel writers.
Many believe that John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas and co-worker of Paul, wrote Mark. The early church
apparently met in Mark’s home in Jerusalem and Mark evidently met many of the original disciples
personally, particularly Peter. These scholars believe that Mark came to faith in Jesus through the
influence of Peter. Late in Peter’s life, their paths crossed again in Rome. Mark had been asked to come to
Rome by Paul and arrived to find Peter already there. Apparently the two men spent a good deal of time
together with Mark listening as Peter gave his testimony about Jesus and preached the gospel to the
Romans.
It was most likely based on this experience that the Gospel according to Mark was written. Led by the
Spirit, Mark recorded Peter’s eyewitness account of the life and ministry of Jesus. The most prominent
title Mark uses for Jesus in his gospel account is Son of God. In fact, the account begins with it in 1:1: The
beginning of the account of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark is emphasizing Jesus’
Messiahship and his unique relationship with the Father.
Mark’s account of the gospel also moves along at a rapid pace. His focus is more on what Jesus did and
less on what Jesus said. In fact, one of the words that characterizes Mark’s gospel account is the Greek
word that means, “at once, without delay, immediately or quickly.” It is used 47 times beginning in 1:12.
Mark used the word to appeal to his original readers, the Romans, an active people who admired
accomplishment.
The danger in a brief study like this is that we can get caught up in the rapid pace of the action and
overlook the important and meaningful messages that Mark has packed into his concise account of the
Good News of God in Christ Jesus. The goal of our study is to balance the excitement the quick pace
creates with the need to carefully consider the meaning of each incident Mark records and see how it
helps us answer two questions, “Who Is This Jesus,” and what does that answer mean to me?
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WEEK 1 (FEBRUARY 19-25)
MARK 1-2
WHO CAN FORGIVE SIN BUT GOD ALONE?
Area of Service: Pray for our Confirmation Class. Their names and addresses are appended at the end of
this study. Take the time to write each of them a personal note expressing your prayers for them as they
go through the confirmation process.
A gathering of students
If you are doing this Lenten Bible study in a small group, you are experiencing something very like what
Jesus experienced when he taught in the synagogue. Jewish law teaches that there must be a minyan, or
gathering of ten believing adults (ten men, according to Orthodox traditions) in order to have a prayer
service. Recall that Paul found a place in Philippi down by the river, where he supposed there was a
place of prayer (Acts 16.12-15). He was looking for a minyan, or gathering of believers, where he could
teach and preach. Until the temple fell (70 AD), the primary place for observing high holy days was still
the temple in Jerusalem, although believers gathered formally in synagogues to pray and study.
The word “synagogue” comes from Greek words meaning “to gather” or “a gathering place.” They were
places where people came to heard God’s word expounded upon. Following Jewish tradition, they were
relatively plain places; focus was to be on God’s spoken and taught word. In Jesus’ day, only the adult
men would come throughout the week to discuss (argue) points of the law or to bring their sons to be
taught.
The development of synagogues throughout the Mediterranean was a direct result of the persecution of
the Jews. Every time Jews were persecuted in one area, they would scatter to other areas, developing
“gathering places” there for study and prayer. It was to these gathering places that the apostles went first
to teach and preach. In a very real sense, God took something evil (persecution) and used it for his glory
(see Romans 8.28) as the seeds which were planted by the Jews blossomed into house churches all over
the Mediterranean. The synagogue, perhaps like your Bible study group, was a place of learning and
prayer and, occasionally, heated discussion! May God bless us as we share in this tradition which goes
back to before the time of Jesus, a tradition in which Jesus himself participated—and still does through
the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1.1-20: Fasten Your Seatbelt!
Reading the gospel of Mark is like getting onto a ride at the fairgrounds when it is in full swing; you had
better step lively to keep up! The word translated as “immediately” in our Bibles is used some 40+ times
in Mark’s gospel. Readers are plunged into
Mark 1.9-11
When Jesus Came to Jordan
a story that is already moving: The
Words: Fred Pratt Green, 1973
UM Hymnal p. 252
beginning of the good news of Jesus
When
Jesus
came
to
Jordan
to
be
baptized
by John,
Christ, the Son of God. 2As it is written in
he did not come for pardon, but as the Sinless One.
He came to share repentance with all who mourn their sins,
the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my
to speak the vital sentence with which good news begins.
messenger ahead of you, who will prepare
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your way; the voice of one crying out in
He came to share temptation, our utmost woe and loss,
for us and our salvation to die upon the cross.
the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the
So when the Dove descended on him, the Son of Man,
Lord, make his paths straight.’”
the hidden years had ended, the age of grace began.
The Evangelist uses an intriguing literary
device to introduce Jesus: he points at him
from three different directions:
Come, Holy Spirit, aid us to keep the vows we make;
this very day invade us, and ev'ry bondage break.
Come, give our lives direction, the gift we covet most:
to share the resurrection that leads to Pentecost.
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 From the Old Testament prophet
Temptation
C. S. Lewis makes his point on temptation eloquently in The Screwtape
Isaiah
Letters. The demon Wormwood inquires of his mentor Screwtape whether
 From a current preacher (John the
he has lost his targeted soul—the “patient”—just because the man has
joined a church: “One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do
Baptist)
misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see her spread but
 By observation of Jesus’ inaugural not
through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with
moments as messiah
banners. That, I confess, is a spectacle which makes our boldest tempters
uneasy. But fortunately it is quite invisible to these humans. All your patient
The reader sees that the Evangelist
sees is the half-finished, sham Gothic erection on the new building estate.
believes that Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s
When he goes inside, he sees the local grocer with rather an oily
prophecy, that Jesus is the one who
expression on his face bustling up to offer him one shiny little book
containing a liturgy which neither of them understands, and one shabby
will baptize with the Holy Spirit,
little book containing corrupt texts of a number of religious lyrics, mostly
(1.8), and that Jesus has been
bad, and in very small print. When he gets to his pew and looks around him
empowered by God to do this work
he sees just that selection of his neighbors whom he has hitherto avoided.
You want to lean pretty heavily on those neighbors. Make his mind flit to
(1.9-12). We are offered evidence that
and fro between an expression like “the body of Christ” and the actual
Jesus is the messiah of God (messiah
faces in the next pew. It matters very little, of course, what kind of people
is Hebrew for “anointed one”) but
that next pew really contains. You may know one of them to be a great
warrior on the Enemy’s side. No matter. Your patient, thanks to Our Father
because of the particular kind of writer
below, is a fool. Provided that any of those neighbors sing out of tune, or
the Evangelist is, we must draw our
have boots that squeak, or double chins, or odd clothes, the patient will
own conclusions. This is very
quite easily believe that their religion must therefore be somehow
ridiculous.” (Screwtape’s Second Letter to Wormwood).
different from the way the Jesus of
John’s Gospel is presented to the
reader. There, Jesus introduces
himself and offers his own credentials: I am…the bread of life, the good shepherd, the vine, etc. Even
when Jesus is baptized by John, the appearance of God’s Holy Spirit in the form of a dove is not recorded
as appearing to everyone, but only to Jesus: 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw
the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. A heavenly voice is heard—by
Jesus only? Also by the crowd?-- “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
It is at this point, when Jesus is on a spiritual “high”, that he is driven by the Spirit (!) into the wilderness
outside Jerusalem, where he was with the wild animals and tempted by Satan (1.13). It might be a good
thing for us to remember—that Jesus was tempted, not when he was weak, but when he was strongest
spiritually. We should never assume that, just because we are faithful in our Bible study or church
attendance, that we can escape temptation.
Mark 1.21-2.12 Healing and Belief
We are barely into the gospel before we are introduced to a subject that continues to plague pastors,
theologians and—sooner or later—almost every believer: What is the connection between miraculous
healing and belief? Here in the first chapter we see several examples of healing:
 The healing of the man with the unclean spirit (1.23-27)
 The healing of Simon’s
Mark 1.41
He Touched Me
mother-in-law (1.30-32)
Words: Bill Gaither, 1963
UM Hymnal 367
 The healing of the leper
Shackled by a heavy burden, 'neath a load of guilt and shame,
(1.40-45)
Then the hand of Jesus touched me, and now I am no longer the same.
Refrain: He touched me, O he touched me, And O the joy that floods my
 The healing of the
soul!
paralytic (2.1-12)
Something happened, and now I know, He touched me and made me
whole.
The only one of these who is known to
have personal faith in Jesus is the leper;
Simon’s mother-in-law and the
Since I met this blessed savior, since he cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise him; I'll shout it while eternity rolls.
Refrain
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Mark 1.21-28
With Authority
Rev. Robert Beckum reminds us that all great teachers do three
things:
1. They have a love for and thorough knowledge of their
subject matter. Jesus, the master teacher, is also the
master of and authority on the Kingdom of Heaven—and
he didn’t just know about it, he lived in that Kingdom reality.
2. They have a love for and a relationship with their students.
The student is transformed not just by the information he or
she receives, but by the relationship with the teacher.
3. They have expectations of the students. Jesus expects the
Kingdom to provoke a response in his disciples. Good
teachers know how to instill in their students a vision for
how the world might be different if their teaching is
enacted.
~~Robert Beckum
Sermon notes from January 29, 2011
paralytic have family or friends who believe but
there is no indication that they do or do not
believe. We don’t know about the man who
had the unclean spirit; we do know the spirit
itself recognized—and feared—Jesus. So to
say that miraculous healing follows belief is not
entirely sufficient. There is something else
going on.
Clearly Jesus cares very much about the
suffering of those around him. The word used
to describe Jesus’ reaction in 1.41 is translated
“pity”, but it literally means “moved in his
bowels.” Splanchnizoma is the Greek word for
that gut-wrenching feeling of compassion you
have when you see the suffering of another. Jesus wasn’t just a little sorry for the man; he felt ripped in
half by the pain of this leper.
It is curious that, when Jesus heals the leper, he commands him to say nothing to anyone; but go, show
yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to
them.” (1.44) Many have wondered why Jesus gave this command. Was he practicing reverse
psychology? Doubtful. Jesus is pretty well-known for playing it straight. Was he trying to keep his
ministry secret because of fear of the authorities? Possible, but Jesus is not famous for being afraid. Bill
Mallard, professor emeritus at Candler School of Theology, has pointed out that everyone has to discover
Mark’s Jesus for him or herself. Furthermore, Mark’s Jesus never violates the spirit of the law of Moses
(although he will be accused of such!—more on that shortly.). The result of the healed leper’s
broadcasting of Jesus’ fame is that Jesus can no longer move freely around the towns, but rather had to
stick to the countryside (1.45).
The average life span for a man was around 40 (no surprise that “40” often stands for “a long time” or “a
generation” or “a big number” in the Bible!)—women would live much shorter lives due to the perils of
child-bearing. Most children would not see their second birthday. Palestine in Jesus’ day was what we
would think of as a “Third-World country.” Because the suffering was so very great, Jesus became
notorious rather that believed in, famous rather than understood.
Within the House
After a period of time in the country, Jesus returns “home” (was
this Jesus’ home? The Evangelist is not clear) to Capernaum.
We see the immediate problem of fame: So many gathered
around that there was no longer room for them, not even in
front of the door (2.2). The friends of the paralyzed man believe
Jesus can heal him, and they resort to extraordinary measures:
making an opening in the rushes on the roof, they lower the
man’s pallet down to where Jesus is. Jesus is moved, not by the
faith of the paralytic, but by the faith of his friends, and says to
the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (2.5)
Luella Krieger, the Biblical teacher
and actress who visited St. Luke on
February 8, 2012, notes in telling this
story that the people in the house
surely got annoyed with all the mud
and leaves falling on their heads, but
“it didn’t seem to bother Jesus to be
interrupted.” From her lips to God’s
ears, let this be true for us as well!
Her ministry’s website is
http://www.visitorsfromthepast.org/
What happens next is critical for our understanding of who Jesus is: 6Now some of the scribes were
sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7“Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy!
Who forgives sins but God alone?” 8At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing
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these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your
hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and
take your mat and walk’?10But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins” —he said to the paralytic— 11“I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your
home.” 12And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that
they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
?
What are the questions that are asked in the previous passage?
1. _______________________________________________________________________________
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2. _______________________________________________________________________________
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3. _______________________________________________________________________________
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4. _______________________________________________________________________________
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What is the answer to Jesus’ question of verse 9? _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
How does that compare with your own experience: is it easier to heal than to forgive? Put another way,
compare the number of times you’ve experienced physical or mental healing with the number of times
you’ve experienced forgiveness. What is Jesus trying to teach the Pharisees? ______________________
Mark 2.13-17 Who were the Pharisees?
Most of the time when we read the New Testament, the Pharisees get the role of the “bad guys”.
Certainly they sometimes ask Jesus questions that would seem to indicate a lack of faith or a spirit of
antagonism. Yet Jesus also numbered Pharisees among his disciples, or followers. So who are these guys?
Recall that the gospels were written well after the life of Jesus. Most scholars agree that Mark was the
first gospel written. As we read it, its brevity and rapid pace tend to support that theory. The other two
gospels which share the “same view” (syn + optic), Matthew and Luke, share a common reference point
with Mark, though they both expand on things Mark gives short shrift. There is no birth story in Mark,
and the story of the Resurrection is almost painfully brief.
The date scholars give for the composition of the Synoptic Gospels is sometime after the fall of the
Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. The fallout of the cataclysm which accompanied Rome’s complete
subjugation of Israel suffuses the Synoptics (see Mark 13, for example). After the destruction of the
Temple, tension between Christians and Jews increased. Rome lumped the religions together, persecuting
the Christians as well as the Jews. Judaism itself fractured, with the once-dominant Herodians, Jews who
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had accepted the civilizing influence of Greco-Roman culture (Hellenism) falling out of power and the lay
movement which stressed personal righteousness, Pharisaism, rising in influence. The Sadducees, who
had been allied with the Temple hierarchy, disappeared almost overnight.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees are often lumped together, but they are very different. The Pharisees
were not the powerful Temple leaders—they were the lay leaders of Judaism—what we would call “the
pillars of the church.” The Pharisees maintained a belief in life after death, as did many or perhaps most
of the Jews of Jesus’ day. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection (that’s why the Sadducees
were sad, you see).
The Pharisees sometimes oppose Jesus, but we can be grateful for their existence because they ask the
needful questions. They ask the questions that we might ask and that we certainly want to know the
answer to! Some Pharisees certainly worked with the Sadducees to bring about the arrest and death of
Jesus. They are not, however, the bad guys any more than “the Jews” are the bad guys in whole of the
New Testament. Jesus and all of his disciples were Jews, of course. And the Pharisees, with their focus
on personal righteousness, are not so very different from the highest ideals of all the Christian revivalists
who encourage us to “get right with God”. When we point fingers at them, we should check to see if we
are also guilty of any of their misdeeds!
This tendency to look down on the Pharisees may surface in the story of the call of Levi the tax collector,
2.13-17. Mark notes that many tax collectors and sinners followed Jesus, arousing the ire of the
Pharisees, who sought to live by all 613 of the mitzvot or Jewish laws (a list of these can be found at
www.jewfaq.org/613.htm). We would do well to try to abide, for a brief period, by most of these laws,
especially those which address personal holiness, one’s attitude toward God and others, one’s role within
community, and the justice system. The Pharisees believed, however, that they could achieve complete
personal righteousness through their own behavior, so they asked Jesus’ disciples a very good question:
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (2.16) Because they were blind to their own selfrighteousness, they failed to see the irony of Jesus’ response: “Those who are well have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” (2.17)
?
What is Jesus saying to them?_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What will they have to do to draw close to God? _______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What does Jesus’ response say to us? How must we respond to him? ______________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Mark 2.18-22 John’s Disciples and the Essenes
The Pharisees were joined in their very strict observance of Torah by another group: John’s disciples (see
2.18). John the Baptist was a huge figure in the religious life of first century Palestine. He still had
disciples a generation after his own death; Paul writes of the great preacher Apollos, who knew only the
baptism of John (Acts 18.25, see 18.20-19.2 for context). In fact, there are still disciples of John the
Baptist today, the Mandaeans, though they are very few in number. We associate the word “disciple”
with Jesus, but the followers of John the Baptist play a big role in defining what this new movement is all
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about—and what it is not all about. Judging only from “air time”, or the amount of text in the Gospels
devoted to him, we can tell that John the Baptist was important both in the early Church and to Jesus.
John the Baptist seemed to follow the tenets of the third great movement in Judaism at the time of Christ:
the Essenes. Often identified with the founders of the Dead Sea community Q’umran (where the Dead
Sea Scrolls were found), the Essenes believed in living an ultra-righteous life away from the temptations
of “the world.” Ascetic, visionary and celibate, they did not survive the destruction of the temple,
although their spiritual influence continued to be felt in the New Testament.
Mark 2.23-28 New Life/New Law?
When reading the Scripture, it’s always important for us to pay attention to context. Here, Jesus is clearly
talking to the Pharisees, which offers us the perfect excuse to ignore what he’s saying. After all, we are
the “new” wineskins, right? It is true that the Pharisees seemed to lack the quality of self-examination,
after all, they fail to see that, when Jesus says he came to call not the righteous but sinners (2.17), he
meant he came to call them as well!
If we fall into the trap of thinking Jesus’ admonitions are directed at someone else, we have become the
Pharisees. Once we seek the imprimatur of righteousness on our behavior, we have already become the
shrunken cloth, the old wineskin, the stultified faith. Righteousness is not about justifying what we
already think or believe; righteousness is about God’s reordering of our actions and thoughts and beliefs.
We want to be very careful when we say, “I believe this because it’s in the Bible.” Most of the time, what
that really means is “I believe this, and I’ve found a verse to support it in the Bible.” That is being an old
wineskin. Jesus explodes this kind of thinking and acting in the next passage.
23One
sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began
to pluck heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful
on the sabbath?” 25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his
companions were hungry and in need of food? 26He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was
high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat,
and he gave some to his companions.” 27Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for
humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; 28so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
We have to give the Pharisees some credit: at least they take the sabbath seriously! Modern conservative
or orthodox Jewish communities construct Eruvim (‫)עירוב‬, symbolic doorways (usually poles with wire
strung between them) to define a large area in which it is permissible to carry items usually forbidden on
the Sabbath. An Eruv has defined the border past which an observant Jew may not walk for generations;
engraved stone markers have been found all over Israel which date to the period of Roman occupation.
Perhaps Jesus and his disciples are cutting through the grainfield in order to avoid taking more than the
2,000 steps which are allowed on the sabbath and bounded by eruvim. They are hungry, and they snack
on some heads of grain as they walk. This qualifies as work, which is forbidden on the sabbath. Spying
on other people is apparently not forbidden, for the Pharisees see them eating and are outraged. It is at
least a mark of their spiritual maturity that they take their outrage straight to the one with whom they are
angry rather than complaining about it to someone else!
Jesus engages them in a classic rabbinic argument: each side marshals scripture to support his or her
beliefs (Note to the reader: it is not wise to engage the Son of God in such a debate. He will win. Every
single time.) Jesus’ conclusion may be unexpected: he comes down on a less rigorous interpretation of the
purpose of the sabbath. Torah places the institution of sabbath observance at the beginning of creation:
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2And
on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day
from all the work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it
God rested from all the work that he had done in creation (Genesis 1.2-3). The sabbath is a time to
draw close to God, to experience God’s nurture and love, to step away from the daily labors which would
whittle away at our spirits.
?
When do you observe your sabbath? _________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What do you make a practice of including in your sabbath? _______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What do you make a practice of avoiding on your sabbath?_______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
How would you like to change your observance of the sabbath to better glorify God? __________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER FOCUS: pray for those in your own life and in the life of the church who are coming to know
Christ. Ask God to lead you in responding to these people in the best way. Pray for these people by
name:________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER: Make me your messenger, Lord. Let my words and thoughts and actions prepare the way for
your message to be heard. Let me be guided by grace, moved by mercy, and led in love so that I may be a
fit disciple. Pour out your Spirit on St. Luke church as we begin this holy season of Lent. Bless our
pastor, the Rev. Robert Beckum, in his leadership of us, that he may deliver and we may hear your Word
for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
10
WEEK 2 (FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 3)
LESSON WRITTEN BY BOB HYDRICK
MARK 3-4
“WHO THEN IS THIS, THAT EVEN THE WIND AND THE SEA OBEY HIM?”
Area of Service: Operation Appreciation, St. Luke’s ministry to soldiers in Basic Training at Ft. Benning,
meets on the 4th Saturday of every month (excepting November and December). We are looking for a
“few good Sunday School classes” to assist in this wonderful ministry. To get your class involved,
contact Doug Harvey at rosecroix@knology.net.
Mark 3.1-6 Purposefully Resisting the Servant
Response to Jesus is the theme of Chapter 3: some resist, some assist. The issue here is the same as in
2.23-28, healing on the Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath holy is the fourth commandment. In applying the
commandment to daily life, the Scribes and Pharisees had created a long list of activities that were either
permitted or prohibited on the Sabbath. Interestingly, the fourth commandment is the only one of the ten
that Jesus does not reaffirm verbally during his earthly ministry, although he affirms the Sabbath by his
customary presence in the Synagogue.
The overall point here is the same as 2.23-28, as God’s Son, the Servant, is Lord of the Sabbath. Them in
3:2 refers back to the Pharisees in 2.24. Jesus knows what the Pharisees are thinking, they are looking for
a reason to accuse [him], so he challenges them: “4Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to
do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. Jesus looked around at them in anger,
deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.
Jesus’ anger is always righteous indignation. He is indignant that the Pharisees’ man-made rules are more
important to them than God’s greater commandment: love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12.31). The
religious leaders are putting their traditions ahead of God’s commandment to do good to their neighbor
by healing his shriveled hand, which very well may have kept him for making a living.
6The
Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy
him. Here is the real reason they are looking for a reason to accuse Jesus: power. Their place in the
Roman ruling hierarchy depended on their power to keep the people in line. Jesus is threatening to
undermine that power.
?
What does this mean to me? How does the fact that God’s Son is the Lord of the Sabbath apply to
my life? What traditions or habits in my life are causing me to act contrary to God’s purpose? ___
_______________________________________________________________________________
Am I afraid of change because it would threaten my power to control my own life? ____________
What area of my life am I willing to let Jesus be Lord of? ________________________________
3.7-12 Unwittingly Resisting the Servant
This summary paragraph signals the end of the “Early Galilean Ministry.” Notice verse 11: Whenever
the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” They
are acknowledging his lordship over their lives because they recognized who he is. Do you suppose this
suggests that the crowds were following him for some reason other than that they recognized that he was
the Son of God? Could it have been out of their own self-interest, to see what Jesus would do for them?
Jesus knew what was in the minds of the people in the crowd. Is Mark drawing an ironical contrast
11
between the evil spirits who recognized Him as the Son of God and the crowds who didn’t? Why else
would Jesus give the evil spirits strict orders not to tell who he was?
?
What does this mean to me? Am I following Jesus because I want him to be the Lord of my life, or
because of what I hope he will do for me? _____________________________________________
How am I like the “crowds” in my following of Jesus? ___________________________________
?
How am I different from the crowds who followed Jesus? ________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3.13-19 Assisting the Servant
This is beginning of the “Later Galilean
Ministry.” Several months have passed since the
events in verse 12. Remember that the gospels
are not biographies, a chronological recounting
of Jesus’ life. They are tracts written to
encourage people to receive Jesus as their
Savior by grace through faith.
Jesus’ ministry has proceeded to the point that
he is ready to empower his disciples to help in
carrying out his ministry, which is the meaning
of the two words, appointed and apostles in
verse 14. He is in effect commissioning them to
be his representatives, endowing them with the
authority and the power to preach and drive
out demons in his name.
There are two applications here. One is that all
believers have a place in Jesus’ ministry to
reconcile the world to God. It may something
big, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be
something routine like being a good Christian
parent, grandparent, friend, neighbor or
coworker. The second application is a corollary to the first and is found in the familiar statement: “God
does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.” When God calls us to a ministry of any kind, through
the power of the Holy Spirit, he will qualify us for that ministry just as Jesus does here for these early
disciples. But keep in mind that whatever that calling is, it is not our ministry; it is a ministry in Jesus’
Name. We are to be his hands, his feet, his eyes, his ears, his tongue. Whatever we do, it is to be done in
his Name and for his glory, not ours. Just as Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and Lord of our lives, he is also
Lord of God’s work of redemption and reconciliation.
?
What does this mean to me? Have I been called to ministry in Jesus’ name? ________ _________
What part of me is resisting God’s call to do something I find unpleasant? What would I just
rather not do?____________________________________________________________________
12
Here are some tasks that need doing in St. Luke. Is God calling you to do any of these?
 Sunday School Teacher
 Carry Cancer patients to treatment
 Communion Steward
 Assist in Youth Mission activities
 Usher
 Phone volunteer at Church
 Prayer Room volunteer
 Help with First Saturday
 Hospital visitor
 Development assistance for December First Saturday
 Meals-on-Wheels “wheels”
 Play piano for a Sunday School class
 Food Pantry Volunteer
 Bereavement committee member
 Acolyte helper
 Work with College Ministry
 Children’s Choir helper
 Participate in Music Ministry (vocal/instrumental)
 Food Pantry volunteer
 Go into the United Methodist Ministry
 Samaritan Fund volunteer
 Participate in a mission trip
 Teach a Bible Study
 Other: ____________________________________
If you think God is calling you into one of these areas, please talk with one of the pastors or staff.
3.20-27 Disparaging the Servant
There is an old legal maxim: “If you have the facts in the case, argue the facts. If you don’t, try to
discredit the other side’s witnesses.” That is what is going on here; his family and the teachers of the law
do not understand Jesus’ miraculous powers; so they try to discredit him. The family says, “He is out of
his mind.” The teachers of the law say, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is
driving out demons.” Jesus responds with a metaphor that demonstrates the ridiculousness of their
accusation: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot
stand.”
3.28-30 The Unforgivable Sin
This section begins with I tell you the truth, which tells us it is a very important statement. Books have
been written and countless sermons have been preached on these verses, so to try and explain them in a
few words is a fool’s errand. But here goes anyway! Remember the basic teaching about dealing with sin
in 1 John 1.9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us
from all unrighteousness. Genuine confession is always accompanied by sincere repentance. In Mark,
Jesus is apparently saying that to attribute the work of the Spirit to Satan is blasphemy of the highest order.
Remember he knows what is the hearts of these teachers of the law. He knows that their hearts of are
hardened against him, and that they are not going to repent and seek forgiveness for this blasphemy. So
they are compounding their sin of resisting the work and will of God by attributing the Spirit’s work to
Satan. The motivation for their attempt to disparage Jesus is pretty clear. He is a growing threat to their
authority over the people, which is the source of their position and power under the Romans.
3.31-35 The Servant’s Own Family Resists
The motivation for the actions of Jesus’ family is unclear. It could be out of love. The text says that he
and his disciples were not even able to eat (3.20). Maybe they think it is for his own good. Or they may
be genuinely concerned for Jesus’ safety; the opposition to him is growing stronger. Or they could have
been motivated by fear for their own well-being; the authorities might take out their vengeance on them.
Or it may have been the old cliché, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” They knew him so well that they were
having a hard time believing that he was who he said he was; he really was out of his mind.
13
?
What does this mean to me? Are these motivations present in my life? Do I fear that living openly
as a follower of Jesus is too high a cost to pay because of the comforts I may have to give up or
the ridicule or retribution it may bring on myself or my family?____________________________
Am I just too familiar with Jesus? Do I regard him too much as my friend and not enough as my
God? Have I heard about him all my life in Sunday School and church—to the extent that I really
think I know all there is to know about him? But am I so familiar with it that I don’t even think
about it any more? Mark asks us these questions to lead us to the central question in our study,
“Who is this Jesus and what should he mean to me?” ___________________________________
How did the first disciples learn more about Jesus? They lived with him everyday. We can’t live
with him physically as they did, but we can live with him spiritually every day through regular,
planned Bible study and prayer. What part of my day am I willing to set aside to just be with Jesus,
to study the Word and pray?________________________________________________________
In number of minutes, how does this compare with other activities: watching television, working
out, eating lunch with a friend? _____________________________________________________
Chapter 3 records the responses to Jesus’ ministry and miracles in Chapters 1 and 2, the evidence that
Jesus is who Mark says He is in 1:1, “The Son of God.” Some resist, even disparage. Others assist and
the work of the kingdom moves forward. What does it all mean to me? How I am responding to all of the
evidence I have that Jesus is the Son of God? Am I resisting him purposefully because I want to be Lord
of my own life? Am I resisting him unwittingly because I
Prevenient Grace
am too familiar with him? Or am I ready to assist him – to
Prevenient Grace is a concept John Wesley
used to define the grace that “goes before” (Latin
be commissioned to ministry and do my part in the
pre venir) our conversion or justification. It was
fulfillment of God’s plan to reconcile the world to himself
the way that Wesley explained how it could be
through Jesus Christ?
that God loves everyone, yet not all love God.
The various responses chronicled in Chapter 3 set the stage
for the Parables and the storm narrative in Chapter 4. Jesus
is preparing his disciples for the resistance they will face,
which is going to get worse. The first thing they need to
understand is the reason why they will face this growing
resistance: not everybody is going to accept the Good
News. God does call everybody to come to faith in Jesus.
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not
wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance (2 Peter 3.9). But here is the paradox: God
calls all, but not all respond. Only those who receive the
Good News of God in Christ Jesus and, who by grace
through faith believe in the efficacy of his finished work of
Salvation are justified, made right with God. Yet to all
who received Him, to those who believed in His name,
He gave the right to become children of God (John 1.12).
It is "...the divine love that surrounds all
humanity and precedes any and all of our
conscious impulses. This grace prompts our first
wish to please God, our first glimmer of
understanding concerning God's will, and our 'first
slight transient conviction' of having sinned
against God. God's grace also awakens in us an
earnest longing for deliverance from sin and death
and moves us toward repentance and faith" (UM
Book of Discipline, 2004).
Wesley understood grace as God’s active
presence in our lives. This presence is not
dependent on human actions or human response.
It is a gift—a gift that is always available, but that
can be refused.
God’s grace stirs up within us a desire to
know God and empowers us to respond to God’s
invitation to be in relationship with God. God’s
grace enables us to discern differences between
good and evil and makes it possible for us to
choose good….
God takes the initiative in relating to
humanity. We do not have to beg and plead for
God’s love and grace. God actively seeks us!
(www.umc.org)
14
4.1-20 The Parable of the Sower, Jesus’ Explanation
The Parable of the Sower appears in all three synoptic gospels, indicating that it is an important parable.
Remember, a parable is not an allegory. In an allegory, each character or object represents something or
someone in a one-to-one correspondence. A parable is a story drawn from everyday life that has a single
spiritual meaning. Parables can be taught in an allegorical fashion, attaching meanings to specific
elements in the parable, but the parable itself still has a single spiritual meaning. The meaning of the
Parable of the Sower is that whether a person receives Christ as his or her personal Savior and Lord is
dependent on the condition of that person’s heart.
The seed is the Word of God, specifically the Gospel. People with hard hearts are the path. They will not
receive the Word. People with divided hearts are the rocky soil. Like those who were following Jesus
unwittingly in 3:7-12, they have been exposed to the Word but their heart is divided and the good news
cannot take root. The seed among the thorns are people with conflicted hearts. The Word takes root but
cannot survive because their preoccupation with the cares of the world chokes it out. This could have been
the case with Jesus’ family. Their concern for his health or his safety or their own personal safety kept
them from seeing that he is the Word. The good soil are people with hearts that are open to the Word.
Like the disciples, they receive it and believe in it and it takes root in their hearts.
?
What does this mean to me? When is the last time I had a spiritual EKG? What is the condition of
my heart? Have I received and believed? Am I a born-again believer or just a church member?
4.21-25 When the Seed Takes Root: The Lamp on a Stand
Jesus says when the seed takes root in the good soil, it begins to grow, transforming itself from a seed
into a plant capable of bearing fruit. It is the same with the good heart in which the Word takes root. That
person’s life is transformed from one characterized by darkness, living according to the world’s values, to
a life that lives according to the Kingdom’s values, growing in Christlikeness every day.
4.26-31 How it happens: The Parable of the Growing Seed
The seed in the good soil sprouts and
Mark 4.26-29
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
grows because of what is inside the seed.
Words: Henry Alford, 1844
UM Hymnal number 694
The Christlike life sprouts and grows
Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
because of what is inside the believer,
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
the all-sufficient grace and power of the
Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.
Holy Spirit. Under the leadership of the
Spirit, the person will grow toward
All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto his praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.
spiritual maturity becoming more useful
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
to the One who planted the seed. The
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.
harvest of the Christian life is the
For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take his harvest home;
influence the believer has on others, a
From his field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
powerful witness that encourages the
Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
work of the Spirit in the lives of others.
But the fruitful ears to store in his garner evermore.
4.30-33 Why It Happens: The Parable
of the Mustard Seed
Because it is part of God’s plan to
reconcile the world to himself through
Jesus Christ. Even the smallest bit of
Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring thy final harvest home;
Gather thou thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.
15
faith can grow into a life that plays its part in God’s plan. As hymn writer Ernest W. Shurtleff puts it: “For
not with swords loud clashing or roll of stirring drum, but with deeds of love and mercy the heavenly
kingdom comes ” (“Lead On, O King Eternal, #580, UM Hymnal).
?
What does this mean to me? Is the seed growing in my life in such a way that I am playing my
part in God’s plan? If I were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to
convict me? ____________________________________________________________________
4.33-34 A Summary
In Chapters 1, 2 and 3, Mark presents Jesus as God’s Son exercising God’s power as his Servant in
meeting the physical needs of people with miraculous healing. In chapter 4, he presents Jesus as God’s
Son exercising God’s power as his Servant in meeting the spiritual needs of people with the wisdom of
God. In these closing verses, he presents Jesus as God’s Son exercising God’s presence as his Servant
overcoming the disciples’ fear. The storm is real, but is also a metaphor for the most extreme opposition
that they will face. Jesus is telling them, “Even when things are at their worst and all hope seems gone,
remember that I love you and will be there with you and bring you through it.”
4.35-39 The Disciples’ “Mid-term:” Jesus Calms the Storm
Often when this incident is taught, the focus is either on how it is convincing evidence that Jesus is
indeed the Son of God, or on the disciples’ puzzling lack of understanding of that fact based their
experience with him. But the key idea here may well be the disciples’ question to him in v. 38, “Teacher,
don’t you care if we drown?”
Mark 4.35-41
Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me
It has been said that the most frequent
Words: Edward Hopper, 1871
UM Hymnal page 509
Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea;
command in the Bible is, “Do not be
Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treacherous shoal.
afraid.” Throughout the Old and New
Chart and compass come from thee; Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
Testaments you will find case after case of
As a mother stills her child, thou canst hush the ocean wild;
God reassuring his people that, because of
his unfailing love for them, he will be with Boisterous waves obey thy will, when thou sayest to them, “Be still!”
Wondrous Sovereign of the sea, Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
them in all times, good and bad. Jesus’
When at last I near the shore, and the fearful breakers roar
calming of the storm is a demonstration
’Twixt me and the peaceful rest, then, while leaning on thy breast,
that, as God’s Son, he doesn’t just possess
May I hear thee say to me, “Fear not, I will pilot thee.”
the power and wisdom of God, he is the
very presence of God with them. Jesus
demonstrates in his person God’s most defining characteristic: his unfailing love toward his people. We
all used to sing Anna Bartlett Warner’s little song, “Jesus loves me this I know, ‘cause the Bible tells me
so. Little ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong ” (UM Hymnal #191). That is the message
for all believers in this story. We are delivered through the tough times not because we deserve to be
delivered, but because of God’s great love for us, expressed to us in Jesus. Warren Wiersbe says, “Our
faith in his word is tested in the storms of life. If the disciples had really trusted his word, they would not
have panicked and accused him of not caring. You can trust his word for it will never fail.”
?
What does all of this mean to me? It brings us back to the central question of our study. We see it
on the lips of the disciples in 4.41: Who is this Jesus? It is the most important question we have to
answer in life and it must be answered. What is my answer?
16
PRAYER FOCUS: pray for those in your own life and in the life of the church who are coming to know
Christ. Ask God to lead you in responding to these people in the best way. Pray for these people by
name: _______________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________________
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PRAYER: Holy Lord God, how I love you. How I long to serve you in a way that pleases you. Yet there is
a part of me which resists your call on my life. I open my heart to you, Lord. Enter in and make it your
home. Open all the rooms full of resentments and hard-heartedness and clean them out. Wash the
windows of prejudice and hurt feelings so that the clear light of your grace comes in. Open the doors of
my life to strangers and those who are so very different. You never called me to be comfortable, but to
serve. Help me, Lord Jesus, for I do want to serve you fully. Amen.
17
WEEK 3 (MARCH 4-10)
MARK 5-6
WHAT SHOULD I ASK FOR?
Area of Service: Valley Interfaith Promise provides long-term housing for homeless families as they
establish roots and find jobs. To find out more about VIP and how you can support this ministry, contact
Kay Denes (kaybiker61@bellsouth.net) or Doris Reid (doris@brgmcpa.com).
EVE
Charlie Cox
A woman I will call Eve sat in my office wearing a short-sleeve, flower print dress. It was the first dress
she had worn in a long time, and the first thing she had worn in years that was not orange. Earlier that day
Eve had been released from a prison in the hills of north Georgia. Now she was sitting across the desk
from me, alternately smiling and crying, as we talked about the legal problem that was the reason for her
visit. Scars crisscrossed her bare arms, a testament to the internal and external torment she had endured
both in and out of prison. She was a cutter. I talked with her about her legal problems, and she talked with
me about being a cutter. I wondered if she wore the dress because that was all she had, or if she wore it
because it had short sleeves, and I would be confronted with her scars.
As we talked, I remembered a story in the Bible about a man who was a cutter. I found him in Mark 5.
"Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones" (Mark 5:5).
"My name is Legion," he told Jesus, "for we are many" (Mark 5:9). I told Eve the story of Legion and how
Jesus healed him. At the end of the day, I felt good that I had been able to pull from my memory a story
from the Bible that seemed to so clearly fit the circumstances of her life. I hoped it helped her.
Over the next few months I handled Eve's legal matter, and my contact with her ceased. We never
spoke of Legion or her cutting after that first day in my office. I do not know where Eve is now, whether
she remains a cutter, or whether she is in or out of prison.
On occasion, like now, I think about Eve, and I wonder what she thought of the story of Legion. Did
she think the story of Jesus healing the tormented man, the cutter, was a story for her, or did she think the
story of Legion might have been about me.
Jesus healed Legion by casting the demons into a large herd of pigs feeding on a nearby hillside. The
herd in turn rushed down a steep bank into a lake and was drowned. The people tending the pigs ran and
told others what had happened. The people came to see what had happened, and what they found was
Jesus, two thousand drowned pigs, and "the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting
there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid" (Mark 5:15). The people began to plead with
Jesus to leave their region. And he did. As Jesus was getting into the boat to go to the other side of the
lake, the man begged to go with Jesus. Jesus did not let him. Instead, Jesus told the man to return to his
family and tell them what the Lord had done for him and how the Lord had mercy on him. The man
returned and told the people in the area what Jesus had done for him, "and all the people were amazed"
(Mark 5:20).
Perhaps when Eve heard the story she saw me as one of the people who was comfortable with her, or
with Legion, being in the tombs or cells of the hills of Georgia or the Gerasenes, cutting and crying out in
torment. Perhaps Eve saw me as one of the people who became afraid, even angry, when the
manifestation of Christ's miraculous, healing and liberating power effected a change in someone else's life
at the expense of my material well-being. Perhaps Eve saw the ultimate irony of the story that even though
the people sent Jesus away, the transforming power of his love and mercy remained and was spread
through the region by the man we know as Legion. God used the broken and despised to speak to those
who saw themselves as favored and whole - the story of the cross.
As I write this a few days after Christmas, I look out of the window of the cabin and see Rabun Bald.
On a nearby hillside, but not so near that it disturbs my view, is the prison known to most of us as Alto
State Prison. . . .
18
5.1-19 Demon Possession
On the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, just under the Golan Heights, is a windswept hillside that is held
by tradition to be the area which was inhabited by the Gerasene demoniac. It is desolate and rocky,
entirely devoid of charm. How could anyone prefer to live there rather than in a town, among friends and
family?
Frank Collins might be able to tell us. You may remember driving past Mr. Collins
on the 13th Street bridge, huddled amidst a mound of garbage bags, often wearing
his heavy coat event in the hottest weather. Allison Kennedy told of his quiet
victory over mental illness in a moving article in the Ledger-Enquirer. “When asked
how long he'd been on the streets, Collins thought it'd been two or three months.
Passersby knew better. It was years. ‘It wasn't difficult, except the winters,’ he
said” (June 13, 2011).
When the gospel of Mark speaks of demons, is it talking about mental illness?
Perhaps. In the Bible, demon possession is not the same as sinning, except in the
sense that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3.23). Certainly neither the
demon-possessed nor those who suffer mental illness have caused their condition. Neither do they have
the capacity in themselves to cure the condition. Most cope the best they can. Mr. Collins coped by
isolating himself from the problems of the world—and the people of the world. His illness or possession
was terrible to behold, and it had thoroughly isolated him from community, and they seemed happier
without him. We are familiar with that tactic of dealing with mental illness: pretend it’s not there, don’t
share your “dirty laundry” in public, and certainly don’t talk about it in church! But the sin in Mark’s
story is not committed by the demoniac, but by the swineherds and townspeople, who, when they saw the
man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they
were afraid. …17Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood.
Ignoring mental illness and mental disability is sinful. Sometimes it is deadly. All of us have missed
opportunities to reach out to someone who is suffering from depression, compulsive or eating disorders,
or drug or alcohol addiction. Of course, those people can always seek assistance through St. Luke’s
Congregational Assistance Program (CAP) at the Pastoral Institute. Is Jesus calling us to do more?
5.20-43 The Interrupted Healing
Immediately, we see that not all of the Jewish leaders opposed Jesus. Jairus, one of the leaders of the
synagogue, goes to the extent of falling at Jesus’ feet and repeatedly begging him to heal his precious
daughter. Several things are notable. Firstly, Jairus’ concern for his daughter is unusual. Daughters were
not considered to be the blessings sons were, as indicated in Psalm 137: “3Sons are indeed a heritage
from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons
of one’s youth.” In earlier Semitic cultures, daughters were often put out to die on the trash heap,
although Judaism abhorred this practice. Today, we can still see evidence in some cultures that daughters
have less value than sons. Because of gender-determining tests and selective abortions, birth rates for
girls in China and India have plummeted, even while the governments there officially ban the practice.
Even in the United States, we count on sons to “carry on the family name.”
But Jairus was an unusual man. He treasured his daughter and placed her well-being above his own name
and stature in the synagogue. Jesus knew who Jairus was and what he was risking to come to Jesus. That
makes the healing of the woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years.
According to Leviticus 12.1-8 and 15.19-30, this condition meant that she was ritually unclean and
therefore unable to participate in the religious life of her community.
19
There could not be a more dramatic interruption: two individuals, both with terrible needs but at different
ends of the social and religious hierarchy, lay claim to Jesus’ healing power. Jesus himself does not make
a distinction between them; he gives each of them attention at the time their need arises. The woman is
perhaps a little superstitious: she thinks that if she can but touch his clothes, [she] will be made well.
This is not the way Jesus usually operates, in fact, he has done everything conceivable to avoid this kind
of attitude toward himself. But as soon as he realizes that power had gone forth from him, Jesus
turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’” The disciples, as they often do, offer
the quick (and erroneous) solution: there are lots of folks around you; it could have been anyone; what
are you talking about, Lord? Jesus assumes that it was a touch with intention and no accident. The
woman shows remarkable courage and comes forward in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and
told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace,
and be healed of your disease.”
Here, the connection between healing and belief is made explicit by Jesus. We are tempted to draw from
this woman’s experience the easiest lesson: she had faith sufficient for her healing. If I have sufficient
faith, I (or the person for whom I am praying) can be healed, too. But that application is dashed by the
story of Jairus, which this healing has interrupted. 35While [Jesus] was still speaking, some people came
from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” Did
Jairus have less faith than this unnamed woman? Perhaps, but that does not seem to be the point of this
story. Jesus treats each case with individual love, attention, and respect. The woman, though “unclean”,
was worthy of his attention. Jairus’ daughter, though dead, is equally worthy. Jesus tells Jairus, “Do not
fear, only believe.” Fear what? Why would he be afraid? Death was a very familiar face in Jairus’ and
Jesus’ world. What do you think Jesus is telling Jairus? _______________________________________
?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Jesus took the girl’s parents and those attending them and allowed no one to follow him except Peter,
James, and John, the brother of James. These men seem to have been his most trusted disciples, with
him on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9.2-8) and in the Garden of Gethsemane (14.32-42). Their
presence in the room of the little girl tells us that this is such an important event that only the top
lieutenants among Jesus’ disciples are allowed to be present—perhaps because what was about to happen
could so easily be misconstrued (as on the Mount of Transfiguration) or go wrong (as in the Garden).
“Sleep” is a common New Testament metaphor for death, so whether the child was in a coma, from which
Jesus restored her, or literally dead is not the issue. Mark clearly means for us to understand that she is
being raised from the dead, as Elijah raised the widow’s son in I Kings 17.17-24.
We have no further word on Jairus’ reaction. Instead, we are treated to a terrible caricature of people’s
response to tragedy. Perhaps the people outside the little girl’s room were hired mourners, at any rate,
their response—skeptical laughter—is horribly inappropriate. If they lived today, they would have had out
their smart-phones to post a video of the event on YouTube. Their kindred are the ones who slow down to
gawk at the site of a highway crash. And Jesus speaks clearly to them—and to us—after the little girl is
raised when he brushes aside their amazement and orders them to feed the little girl. Luella Krieger
offers a vivid image, imagining the parents hugging her and crying until Jesus finally interrupts with a
practical response: 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give
her something to eat.
In our own time, we have thousands of little boys and girls in Somalia whose emaciated forms hover near
death. Jesus doesn’t want us to gasp at their tiny limbs and swollen bellies; he wants us to do something.
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When we hear the sirens go by the church on Sunday mornings, Jesus doesn’t want us to frown in
irritation that the anthem or sermon has been interrupted, he wants us to do something. And when we see
the homeless man on the bridge or the homeless family in their car, Jesus wants us to do something.
6.1-6 Tensions rise
Despite Jesus’ orders that no one should know of the miracles, word gets out. He teaches in the
synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown, and people are astonished at his wisdom. They also resent it just
a little bit, because they know his family: 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of
James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” A Jewish friend,
remarking on the well-known aphorism that “where there are three Jews there are five opinions” said that
you know Nazareth was a really small town if they could all agree to dislike Jesus.
We can’t be too hard on the Nazarenes; we, too, judge people by their past actions. It’s so much easier
than re-forming opinions! Think back among the people with whom you went to high school or college.
There may be among them prominent physicians or politicians or pastors—the same people who were
noted for behavior which was in school singularly undignified. We expect other people to give us second
(and third, and in this writer’s case, fifth and sixth) chances; should not we also give others a second
chance? Who among your friends or acquaintances needs a second chance from you? Whom do you need
to forgive?____________________________________________________________________________
?
_______________________________________________________________________________
6.14-33 Herod and John the Baptist
Among the names which appear with regularity in the gospels are those of John the Baptizer and Herod
Antipas, one of the four son of Herod the Great (who ruled over Palestine at the time of Jesus’ birth
according to Matthew 2). The family drama of the Herodian line is ridiculously complicated and full of
incest, fratricide, and various intrigues (6.17-19). One of these plots results in the death of John the
Baptizer (6.21-24). What is interesting is that, as hard as the Herods sought power and as fiercely as they
scrabbled to preserve their influence, their hold over the minds and hearts of the people was tenuous even
in their own time and did not last past their last breath on this earth. Try as they could, they could not
change the path of God’s grace. That is not to say, however, that their actions did not have an influence.
John’s death devastates Jesus and we already know (see week 1) of the lasting influence of John the
Baptist. Jesus and his disciples went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. It is not that
Jesus could not pray with or in the presence of others; we already know he does not hesitate to do that.
But Jesus demonstrates over and over in the gospel of Mark his awareness of the nourishing power of
prayer. John Wesley, whom we Methodists regard as our founder, rose at 4:00 a.m. because he said that
he had so much to do that he had to pray in order to accomplish it.
6.34-56 The Wrong Questions and the Right Questions
Two remarkable miracles are in this section: the feeding of the multitude and Jesus’ walking on water.
The disciples appear in a singularly unflattering light in both. We should be grateful for this, because
their ineptitude promises us that we, too, are just as qualified to be followers of Jesus! As Mr. Hydrick
pointed out earlier, our calling is not based on our qualities, but on Jesus’ qualification of us.
Speaking to a similar passage in Matthew (14.22-33), the Rev. Frank Cooper (Christ the King Episcopal,
Santa Rosa Beach, FLA) said, “‘How did he do it?’ is the wrong question. ‘Who are you?’ is the right
question. Once you’ve answered the second, the first doesn’t matter.” Once we know who Jesus is, once
we have claimed him and allowed him to claim us, there really is no limit to what he can accomplish in
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and through us. In the presence of Jesus’ greatness and power, we, like the disciples, may be afraid.
Jesus’ response is “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
It does not matter how Jesus accomplished these miracles. In fact, the arc of the Biblical narrative does
not address questions of how but rather questions of why. And the why is the same why that motivated
friends at the House of Mercy to reach out to Frank Collins: because of the great love of God for his
creatures.
PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for the needs of this church, this community, and the world, and how we should be
responding to them. If you have questions, talk with one of your pastors. __________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER: Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, so that I may see your face in the least likely and least likable.
I may get discouraged by the immensity of suffering; lift me up and make me strong to serve you. I may
get sidetracked by desires which are not your will; turn me around and set me on a right path. Help me to
see you more clearly, follow you more nearly, and love you more dearly, day by day. Amen.
International Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #982450
UMCOR is working with our partners in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia to provide food, clean water, and shelter for
those that have been displaced and are living in refugee camps because of drought and hunger in the Horn of
Africa. The drought, considered to be the worst in 50 years, is affecting 11 to 12 million people. Your gift of $25 can
feed a child under the age of 5 a nutritious meal for 15 days in Somalia, or $250 can stock and operate a nutritional
health and feeding center to rehabilitate malnourished children. $500 can provide seeds, tools and fertilizers for 500
local farmers.
International Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #982450
How to Give: Please write the UMCOR advance number and name on the memo line of your check.
By Offering
Put your gift in the offering plate on Sunday.
By Check
Make your check to UMCOR and mail to
UMCOR
PO Box 9068,
New York, NY 10087
By Credit Card
Call toll-free (800) 554-8583
Walking on Water
Christopher Moore’s best-seller Lamb purports to be the biography of Jesus by his childhood friend Levi,
known as Biff. Although Moore does not profess Christianity, his starting point for this book was to “take
seriously” the gospels and their pictures of Jesus. Profane in places, it is also profound in its
understanding of Jesus’ humanity and compassion. Recommended for mature readers! Here, Jesus,
called Joshua in the book, has sent his disciples across the Sea of Galilee, telling them he’ll join them.
The narrator is Biff.
We assumed that he would be swimming or rowing out in one of the small boats, but when he finally
came down to the shore the multitude was still following him, and he just kept walking, right across the
surface of the water to the boat. The crowd stopped at the shore and cheered. Even we were astounded by
this new miracle, and we sat in the boat with our mouths hanging open as Joshua approached.
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“What?” he said. “What? What? What?”
“Master, you’re walking on the water,” said Peter.
“I just ate,” Joshua said. “You can’t go into the water for an hour after you eat. You could get a cramp.
What, none of you guys have mothers?”
“It’s a miracle,” shouted Peter.
“It’s no big deal,” Joshua said, dismissing the miracle with a wave of a hand. “It’s easy. Really, Peter,
you should try it.”
Peter stood up in the boat tentatively.
“Really, try it.”
Peter started to take off his tunic.
“Keep that on,” said Joshua. “And your sandals too.”
“But Lord, this is a new tunic.”
“Then keep it dry, Peter. Come to me. Step upon the water.”
Peter put one foot over the side and into the water.
“Trust your faith, Peter,” I yelled. “If you doubt you won’t be able to do it.”
Then Peter stepped with both feet onto the surface of the water, and for a split second he stood there. And
we were all amazed. “Hey, I’m—” Then he sank like a stone. He came up sputtering. We were all
doubled over giggling, and even Joshua had sunk up to his ankles, he was laughing so hard.
“I can’t believe you fell for that,” said Joshua. He ran across the water and helped us pull Peter into the
boat. “Peter, you’re as dumb as a box of rocks. But what amazing faith you have. I’m going to build my
church on this box of rocks.”
“You would have Peter build your church?” asked Philip. “Because he tried to walk on the water.”
“Would you have tried it?” asked Joshua.
“Of course not,” said Philip. “I can’t swim.”
“Then who has the greater faith?” Joshua climbed into the boat and shook the water off of his sandals,
then tousled Peter’s wet hair. “Someone will have to carry on the church when I’m gone, and I’m going
to be gone soon. In the spring we’ll go to Jerusalem for the Passover, and there I will be judged by the
scribes and the priests, and there I will be tortured and put to death. But three days from the day of my
death, I shall rise, and be with you again.”
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore, Harper Perennial
(paperback), 2002; pages 390-391. Reprinted with permission from the author.
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WEEK 4 (MARCH 11-17)
MARK 7-8
BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?
Area of Service: Hospitality at St. Luke is critical—ushers and greeters are the first people visitors see
when they arrive on our doorsteps, and following up with visitors by inviting them to your Sunday School
class or other small group is essential for helping people become involved in the family of God. If you
would like to become involved in our Ministry of Discipleship, contact the Rev. Brett Maddocks at
bmaddocks@stlukeum.com or 706-327-4343.
Who Is Jesus?
The Rev. Brett Maddocks
I sometimes wonder if the disciples ever asked Jesus, “Are we there yet?” They traveled to many towns
covering countless miles along paths that were difficult to say the least. Midway through chapter eight,
the disciples come to a pivotal point on their journey. They are in Bethsaida where they encounter a blind
man who begged Jesus to touch him in order that he may be healed. Jesus does so and very
enigmatically, the man can see but his vision is not clear. The disciples look like walking trees. Once
more, Jesus touches the man and his vision clears. Was the first touch not adequate? Did Jesus not do
enough the first time that required him to finish the job of the miracle? Is the Gospel writer telling us
something profound in this interesting story?
Afterward, Jesus and the disciple begin the long trek to Caesarea Philippi. By car, on modern roads, the
trip takes an hour or two, so one can only wonder how long the walk would be. Again, did the disciples
ever get impatient and ask, “Are we there yet?” Along the journey, Jesus decides to have a conversation.
“Who do people say I am?” The disciples report that people think he is a prophet from Israel’s past or he
may even be John the Baptist. Jesus pushes back, “Who do you say I am?” Peter proclaims, “You are the
Messiah.”
Notice the parallel in the stories of the blind man and Peter’s confession. New Testament scholar and
historian, N. T. Wright notes about these two stories, “The blind man sees people, but they look like trees
walking about; the crowds see Jesus, but they think he’s just a prophet… Then, as it were with a second
touch, Jesus faces the disciples themselves with the question. Now at last their eyes are opened.”i
The conversation about Jesus’ identity did not end that day on the road to Caesarea Philippi. The question
still lingers today. “Who do people say I am?” There are many thoughts and beliefs about who Jesus is.
Some say Jesus was prophet, a good moral teacher, an influential character, a revolutionary and so on.
And, to be sure all these are correct. However, they are not the complete picture of who Jesus is. The
complete portrait includes his divinity, which makes it possible for us to affirm, “Jesus is Lord.”
“Jesus is Lord” was probably one of the earliest confessions of the Church. We see this statement in
Romans 10 where Paul states, “If you declare with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”ii This confession of Christ is an agreement with
who Jesus truly is—the Son of God. Christ was fully human. He was able to see our relationships, see
our pain, speak to us, and teach us how we should live. However, as was revealed by the resurrection,
Christ was more than a man. He was also fully divine. As the second person of the Trinity, Christ
provided for humanity what humanity could not provide for itself—redemption. “Jesus is Lord” means
that Jesus Christ is indeed divine and has brought redemption to all of creation through his sacrificial
death and victorious resurrection. So, what does Jesus’ lordship mean for us today? It may be helpful to
think of Jesus’ lordship in four spheres of our existence.
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The first sphere is personal. Jesus Christ is Lord of the individual person. This means that through the
death and resurrection of Christ, redemption is made available to individuals. It also means that
individuals, if they are capable, must acknowledge the redemptive work of Christ if they want to
experience personally the redemption that God offers. The book of Acts exemplifies the personal sphere
of Christ’s Lordship in the story of the jailer who saw Paul and Silas miraculously freed from jail. After
asking Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will
be saved—you and your household.”iii Here we see that Paul and Silas believed that Jesus’ redemptive
act was able to save the individual jailer (and his family). The jailer only had to believe, trust, and
confess this reality himself. Understanding the personal sphere of Christ’s lordship should give us
concern for the salvation of every person.
The second sphere is communal. Jesus Christ is Lord of the Church. As Lord of the Church, Christ
unifies individual, redeemed people into one body. Paul writes in Ephesians, “There is one body and one
Spirit, just as you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all
and through all and in all.”iv Paul understands Christians not just as individuals who confess the reality of
Christ, but as members of a “body” who are unified under one Lord, one redeemer, one God. As Paul
writes, “…[W]e will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is Christ. From him the whole
body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each
part does its work.”v The communal sphere of Christ’s Lordship gives us concern for unity within the
Body of Christ. Christians are held together by their common agreement of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
We may disagree with other Christians about predestination, infant baptism, sacramental theology, among
other things, but in our differences, we are one because Jesus Christ is Lord. Christ’s communal lordship
should move us, as followers of Jesus, towards being more ecumenical and less confrontational.
The third sphere is societal. This means that Christ is Lord over every society, culture, government, and
nation. Even if he is not recognized as such, Christ is still sovereign over all peoples. As the second
person of the Trinity, Jesus is divine—he is God in unity of nature and will with God the Father and God
the Spirit. As I stated earlier, Christ’s Lordship does not depend upon groups of people or nations
believing or not believing that Jesus is Lord. His Lordship is only dependent upon himself as the second
person of the Triune and holy God. Philippians exemplifies this when Paul writes that, “At the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”vi According to Paul, Jesus’ Lordship is a fact
that will be realized by people in every nation, tribe, tongue, and group when Christ returns. This societal
sphere of Christ’s lordship should give us concern for our society and even the world.
The last sphere of Christ’s lordship is the Cosmic. Jesus Christ is the Lord of the heavens and the earth;
He is the Lord over all creation. This means that Christ is not only Lord of humanity—individual,
communal, or societal—he is also the Lord of everything because in him everything was created. vii The
redemptive work of Christ was not just for humanity. His redemptive work was cosmic in scope. “For
God was pleased to have his fullness dwell in him, and through him reconcile to himself all things, where
things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”viii The cosmic
sphere of Christ’s lordship should give us concern for the environment. The environment is not
something that God has no use for so we can do whatever we want with it. Creation is God’s handiwork
and he called it good.
In dealing with Jesus’ identity and the claims that Jesus was just a great moral teacher, C. S. Lewis wrote,
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.
He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be
the Devil of Hell. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can
25
fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising (sic) nonsense about
His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”ix Who do you
say Jesus is? No other question may be as important to get right.
i
Tom Wright, Mark for Everyone. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004) p. 107
Romans 10:9, Italics mine
Acts 16:31; See Acts 16:16-40 for the full story.
iv
Ephesians 4:4-5
v
Ephesians 4:15-16; See John 17
vi
Philippians 2:10-11
vii
See Colossians 1:15-20
viii
Colossians 1:19-20; See Romans 8:18-21
ix
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. (New York: Macmillan) 55-56
ii
iii
7.1-23 What is Kosher?
Kosher is one of those Hebraicisms like “Amen” and “Hallelujah” that have become so familiar to us that
we don’t think about their origins. We know that kosher has to do with Judaism’s dietary laws because
we can buy kosher food products in our grocery stores. Making a food item
kosher has supposed health benefits that make it attractive even for non-Jews.
Oreos, for example, were not kosher until 1997, while the Hydrox sandwich
cookie was approved for Jewish consumption (author’s note: the relative
efficacy of consuming an entire package of Oreos as an over-the-counter antidepressant was not changed by the switch from lard to vegetable shortening).
Often our translations of the Bible render the word kosher (kashrut in
Hebrew) as “clean” and its Hebrew opposite, trefah as “unclean.” More
properly, these words should be translated as “permitted” and “not
allowed.” Ham, contrary to the widely-circulated photo above, is never
going to be kosher. Judaism does not have an opinion as to whether ham is
“clean”; it’s quite simply not permitted under Jewish law. The
commandment to wash hands that Jesus and his disciples ignore in 7.2 is
encouraged in restaurants and public places all over Israel and anywhere
there are large populations of observant Jews. The emphasis here is on
public; even if you have washed your hands in the restroom, you still want
to complete the visible ritual of running water over your hands before
eating or praying.
The Evangelist is clearly writing for a non-Jewish audience, for he feels it necessary to explain something
that all the Jews would already know: For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they
thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4and they do not eat
anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they
observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles. Since the transmission of bacteria was
unknown in the time of Jesus, this curious practice of the Jews was worthy of note to a non-Jewish
readership!
The religious authorities are concerned that this famous teacher from Galilee and his disciples not live
according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands. In week 1, we talked about the
desire of the Pharisees to achieve righteousness through their observance of God’s law, Torah, as well as
the fact that Jesus had followers who were Pharisees. The failure of these religious authorities is not
because they are trying to right, but because they are trying to look like they are doing right:
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
26
7in
vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.’
8You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.
Jesus’ indictment of them is alarming in its familiarity! These Pharisees are not the only ones who honor
God with their lips, but not with their lives. Thinking first of the secular world, where do you see a
dissonance between what people say and what they do? ________________________________
?
_______________________________________________________________________________
A little closer to home, where do you see the Church failing to do what it says, to “practice what it
preaches? ______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Finally, how are you falling short of the faith you profess? How have you honored God with your
lips, but denied him in your heart? Where are you adhering to human tradition over God’s
commandments?_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
By the time of the writing of the gospel of Mark, the separation between Judaism and Christianity had
become well-defined. The issue of permitted and impermissible foods, critical for the Jews and the first
Christians (who had been Jews), was a moot point for later Christians, most of whom were pagan converts.
Mark’s gospel gives another perspective on what the disciple Peter will have to deal with a little later on
(Acts 10), the issue of whether or not eating something can make someone ritually defiled. When we
separate Jesus’ words from the issue of “clean and unclean” foods, their truth rings across the centuries:
20And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. 21For it is from within, from the human
heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a
person.
7.24-37 Signs and Wonders
The gospel of Mark is not the literary gem that the gospel of Luke is, nor does it approach the theological
profundity of John. It is very plain and forthright. Right after talking about what is and is not permitted,
we see an example of what is and is not permitted. Jesus has gone to the largely Gentile coastal area of
Tyre only to find that his notoriety has preceded him. A woman who was was a Gentile, of
Syrophoenician origin, comes to Jesus asking him to heal her little daughter, who had an unclean spirit.
Jesus’ response seems, to our Southern sensitivities, at best rude. At worst, it’s not very “Christ-like.”
One of the marvels of our Bible is that the rough edges are largely intact. We do not see a document that
has been cleaned up for publication, with all the loose ends snipped away and all the questions answered.
Sometimes, the document is puzzling. That makes it the more trustworthy. Any prosecutor will tell you
that, if all the witnesses agree to the last detail, they’ve agreed on a story beforehand. Such is not the case
with our Bible. The witnesses agree in the essentials but not in the details. Some questions are
unanswered. And sometimes, as in the story of the Syrophoenician woman, things just don’t make sense.
27
We do know several things about this Jesus. Firstly, Jesus is the kind of person whom outsiders feel they
can approach—lepers, Gentiles, sinners, tax collectors—all these folks behave as if they somehow have
the right to approach this man. Secondly, Jesus does not “shut people down” if they argue with him.
Arguing about points of the law is a wonderful Jewish tradition. You may remember Tevye singing in
Fiddler on the Roof (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick): “If I were rich, I'd have the time that I lack to sit
in the synagogue and pray. And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall. And I'd discuss the holy books
with the learned men, several hours every day. That would be the sweetest thing of all.” The interchange
between Jesus and this Gentile (non-Jewish) woman is a rabbinic argument illustrating the point Jesus has
made in the preceding section: that which defiles comes from the inside, not from the outside. A woman
outside the covenant demonstrates that the covenant extends to her. Thirdly, Jesus is interested in seeing
1. Awareness of the gospel writers of OT prophecy
2. The awareness of Jesus’ hearers of OT prophecy
3. Jesus’ self-chosen references and behaviors
Jesus’ actions are fulfilling what the prophets declared to be the actions of messiah. That this was occurring
was not necessarily evident at the time. Messianic behavior in the Synoptic gospels can be understood in
three layers.
1. The most common, outermost layer is the thorough-going awareness that the gospel writers have of Old
Testament prophecy. They make the connection for the reader between OT prophecy and the ways that
Jesus fulfills this prophecy. An example of this first layer is Mark’s opening reference to the prophet
Isaiah (1.2-3).
2. The middle, less common layer is the awareness of Jesus’ hearers of OT prophecy. The people who
heard Jesus preach could see how Jesus was fulfilling these. An example of this second layer can be
seen in the healing of the man who was deaf and mute, which fulfills Isaiah 35.5-6.
3. The innermost layer is Jesus’ self-chosen references and behaviors—how Jesus chose to make his own
behavior conform to the Old Testament prophecies. This will be seen in his careful plans to enter the
city of Jerusalem on “Palm Sunday”, fulfilling Zechariah 9.9.
people be made whole, no matter who they are, and he is quite willing to become “unclean” himself to
that end. He touches the deaf man (7.32-37) in his ears and on his tongue, and speaks to him in Aramaic,
commanding that his impediment be released.
8.1-10 The Second Feeding of the Multitude
The Rev. Frank Cooper has pointed out that when you share bread, you share what is in the hands and in
the hearts of the other person. He says that we not only are what we eat, we are also who we eat with.
According to the Rev. Cooper, the first miracle here is that of trust: the people even ate bread from “God
knows where.” How did they know it was kosher? It could have been anywhere! The second miracle is
that of humility: although the disciples failed in hospitality, yet Jesus gives them a role in the care of his
kingdom. These are the same disciples in whose steps we follow and from whom we must learn the twin
lessons of trust and humility. Trust precludes checking to see if someone is “trust-worthy.” We’ll get
burned, and burned badly, if we trust people. We have to trust anyway if we are to be disciples. Humility
precludes checking to see if the other person is worthy of our respect! We’ll be embarrassed, and
28
embarrassed often, if we try to be humble. We do not deserve the trust and respect Jesus offers us—and
no one else does, either. But that will not stop him, and it should not stop us.
?
Where do I find a barrier to trust in my relationships with other parts of the body of Christ—the
Church? Who do I have a hard time trusting? __________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What does it mean for me to be truly humble? What are my “conditions” that must be met before I
serve someone? _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
8.11-21 What is a “Sign”, Anyway?
The peculiar thing about signs in the New Testament is that they are insufficient, in and of themselves, for
faith. It seems that, with all the miracles Jesus performed, that the entire nation, indeed, the entire world
should have been converted. Such has not been the case. Perhaps we would have reacted differently, but
that seems unlikely. What seems to make the difference in the stories about signs and miracles is not the
character of the supernatural events, but the character of the people who witnessed them. Referring back
to Bob Hydrick’s insight in Week 2, we want to be “the good soil, …people with hearts that are open to
the Word. Like the disciples, [we want to] receive it and believe in it [so that] it takes root in [our] hearts”
(p. 12). The issue then, is not the miracle itself, but what we do with it.
The Rev. Charles Cox tells the story of his former barber in Albany regaled his captive audience with the
story of how he went over the dam in the Flint River in his fishing boat. The barber survived, he said,
because “The Lord was with me!” After the haircut was finished, my father arose and said, “It’s true that
the Lord was with you when you went over the dam. But he would have been with you if you had died,
too.” Of course, then he had to find a new barber.
Jesus’ frustration with the Pharisees shows that, like the barber in Albany, they are not getting it: “Why
does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” He is
likewise frustrated with the disciples, who seem not to grasp the deeper meaning of his teaching. We can
be both amused and comforted by the disciples’ simplicity and superficiality. We might feel superior to
them in our grasp of Kingdom teaching on some days; other days, we are so very grateful that Jesus did
not choose brilliant philosophers and religious leaders as his disciples. The apostle Paul reminded the
Corinthians, “25For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger
than human strength…. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose
what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world,
things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29so that no one might boast in the presence
of God.” (I Corinthians 1.22-29)
8.22-37 The Confrontation at Caesarea Philippi
The question of comprehension comes to a head at Caesarea Philippi, a Roman town in the neighborhood
of the great pagan shrine at Dan. Jesus has been teaching and healing at Bethsaida, a town whose location
is believed to be in this area. Jesus is still in Galilee, but is about to begin his journey to Jerusalem.
In healing the blind man of Bethsaida (8.22-26), Jesus again makes use of saliva (compare 7.33 and John
9.6), which was believed then to have healing powers. After all, animals lick their wounds clean, so why
wouldn’t that work on people? Although science has taught us that saliva (animal or human) is not really
29
anti-bacterial, we nevertheless still see some evidence that people this contact is beneficial: “Let Mommy
kiss it and make it better.” And most children know what it feels like for their mothers to try to rub away
some dirt on their faces with a thumb or finger which the mother has licked!
In all three synoptic gospels, the confrontation at Caesarea Philippi is a hinge point in the story of Jesus. It
occupies a central place in each gospel (compare Matthew 16.13-20 and Luke 9.18-22). The sequence of
events makes a tumultuous transition between the Galileean ministry of Jesus and the events in Jerusalem:
1.
Peter’s confession of faith: Matthew 16.13-16, Mark 8.27-29, Luke 9.18-20
2.
Jesus’ predicts his suffering, death, & resurrection: Matthew 16.21, Mark 30-31, Luke 9.21-22
3.
Peter’s rebuke of Jesus: Matthew 16.22, Mark 8.32 (Luke omits this)
4.
Jesus’ cursing of Peter: Matthew 16.23, Mark 8.33 (Luke omits this)
?
Why do you think Peter argues with Jesus? ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Some possibilities:

Peter didn’t want Jesus to suffer

Peter though he could make everything better by not talking about it

Peter was afraid of the consequences for Jesus’ movement

Peter was afraid of personal consequences
Jesus’ response is that Peter is setting his mind “not on divine things but on human things.” One
sympathizes.
Jesus’ question “Who do you say that I am?” must be answered by all his followers before we can carry
his good news to others—before we can be apostles of the gospel. When the answer involves suffering
and rejection—for him and for us—it is very hard for us to keep our minds focused—to set our minds on
divine things.
Those who wish to save their lives must lose them (8.34 ff.). Jesus commands his followers to take up
their cross and follow him. In context, this is not a metaphorical request. 34He called the crowd with his
disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take
up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose
their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For what will it profit them to
gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their
life? 38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of
them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy
angels.”
PRAYER FOCUS: How is St. Luke reaching out to the community? What are we doing to lift up the name
of Jesus? Where are our weaknesses? What can we do better? How is God calling you to answer these
needs? _______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER: I want to be able to be strong and clear about who you are, Lord Jesus, in all that I speak and
think and do. Help me be a good witness of your great love and mercy. Amen.
30
WEEK 5 (MARCH 18-24)
MARK 9-10
I BELIEVE; HELP MY UNBELIEF!
Area of Service: Bishop James R. King will lead a district-wide worship service on March 25 at St. Luke
at 4:00 p.m. in the Ministry Center. Contact Maggie Roberson at 706-327-4343 or
maggie@stlukeum.com to volunteer to greet our visitors. Plan to be a part of this wonderful celebration!
9.1-13 The Present and Coming Kingdom of God
Of all the gospels, Jesus is most reticent about claiming messianic power and authority in Mark’s gospel.
We cannot know the Evangelist’s reasoning; we do know that the result is that the “burden of proof” is
shifted to the reader. Jesus’ teaching that some will not taste death (9.1 ff.) points to the clear
eschatological expectation in the Evangelist’s gospel. Eschatology is a study of the “end times,” as in the
end of time as we understand it. This is something that has been very much in the news over this past
year and into 2012. The secular world struggles with how this belief affects the lives of Christian
believers, and many Christians struggle with it as well.
Jesus’ phrase would seem to indicate that he believed that God would bring time to a close very soon.
However, it’s hard to know what “soon” is for God, since God exists outside of time, in the realm of the
infinite. Better to think of the end of time as being “near” than “soon”, and to balance this statement with
the Evangelist’s recording of Jesus’ own caveat in 13.32: But about that day or hour no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” The capitalizations of son and father
are by the translator and are not original to the Greek.
Theologians teach that God’s
Kingdom both is and is to come. It’s
not as complicated as it sounds.
Compare to marriage: on one’s
wedding day, one is as married as
one can ever be. Nevertheless, we
would not say that a newlywed has a
full understanding of what it means
to be married. In the same way, we
can be a part of God’s Kingdom here
on earth and grow into it all our lives,
without ever exhausting what it
means to be a part of God’s
Kingdom.
Mark 9.2-8
Words: Sarum Breviary, 1495
“O Wondrous Sight! O Vision Fair”
UM Hymnal 258
O wondrous sight! O vision fair of glory that the church shall share,
which Christ upon the mountain shows, where brighter than the sun he glows!
From age to age the tale declares how with the three disciples there
where Moses and Elijah meet, the Lord holds converse high and sweet.
The law and prophets there have place, two chosen witnesses of grace;
the Father's voice from out the cloud proclaims his only Son aloud.
With shining face and bright array, Christ deigns to manifest that day
what glory shall be theirs above who joy in God with perfect love.
And faithful hearts are raised on high by this great vision's mystery;
for which in joyful strains we raise the voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.
The curtain of mystery that shrouds Mark’s Jesus for most of the gospel is swept aside as Jesus and his
three most trusted disciples ascend a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured
before them, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach
them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5Then Peter
said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7Then a cloud
overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to
him!”8Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
Moses and Elijah (foretold in Malachi 4.5-6 to return before messiah) appear and endorse Jesus, a voice
from heaven blesses Jesus—as at his baptism (1.11). The gospel of Mark has no birth story, but Jesus’
31
sonship could not be more powerfully affirmed than it is at his baptism and transfiguration. What God
says, God makes real. Jesus is physically transformed by being in the presence of God so that he has an
unearthly appearance.
Peter, who has called him Messiah at Caesarea Philippi, now inexplicably reverts to calling Jesus
“Rabbi.” Jesus is
(from the United Methodist Website: www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2310047/
transfigured; the other
Conversion
disciples, not so much. They
This process of salvation involves a change in us that we call conversion.
have questions about the
Conversion is a turning around, leaving one orientation for another. It may be
sudden and dramatic, or gradual and cumulative. But in any case, it’s a new
resurrection but again,
beginning. Following Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, “You must be born anew” (John
discuss it among themselves.
3:7 RSV), we speak of this conversion as rebirth, new life in Christ, or regeneration.
Peter—the good-hearted one,
Following Paul and Luther, John Wesley called this process justification.
Justification is what happens when Christians abandon all those vain attempts to
the one who speaks before he
justify themselves before God, to be seen as “just” in God’s eyes through religious
thinks, the one who will
and moral practices. It’s a time when God’s “justifying grace” is experienced and
become the first to turn away
accepted, a time of pardon and forgiveness, of new peace and joy and love. Indeed,
we’re justified by God’s grace through faith.
and the first to preach—Peter
Justification is also a time of repentance—turning away from behaviors rooted in sin
tries to hang onto the majesty
and toward actions that express God’s love. In this conversion we can expect to
of the moment. He is still in
receive assurance of our present salvation through the Holy Spirit “bearing witness
with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16).
the process of becoming a
Excerpt from The United Methodist Member's Handbook, p. 78-79.
disciple, a process that will
Sanctifying Grace
not be fully realized until
Salvation is not a static, one-time event in our lives. It is the ongoing experience of
God’s gracious presence transforming us into whom God intends us to be. John
after the resurrection.
Wesley described this dimension of God’s grace as sanctification, or holiness.
(Excerpt from Teachers as Spiritual Leaders and Theologians. Used by permission.)
Through God’s sanctifying grace, we grow and mature in our ability to live as Jesus
lived. As we pray, study the Scriptures, fast, worship, and share in fellowship with
other Christians, we deepen our knowledge of and love for God. As we respond with
compassion to human need and work for justice in our communities, we strengthen
our capacity to love neighbor. Our inner thoughts and motives, as well as our outer
actions and behavior, are aligned with God’s will and testify to our union with God.
(Excerpt from Teachers as Spiritual Leaders and Theologians.Used by
permission.)
We’re to press on, with God’s help, in the path of sanctification toward perfection. By
perfection, Wesley did not mean that we would not make mistakes or have
weaknesses. Rather, he understood it to be a continual process of being made
perfect in our love of God and each other and of removing our desire to sin.
(Adapted from Who Are We? : Doctrine, Ministry, and the Mission of The United
Methodist Church, Revised: Leader's Guide by Kenneth L. Carder, Cokesbury, p.
46.)
John Wesley talks about this
process in terms of the word
sanctification, but it could
not be better expressed than
in the story of the father of
the boy who was having
seizures. As they come
down from the mountain,
they see the remainder of the
disciples in a noisy crowd.
Some of the scribes from the
synagogue are arguing with
them. The Evangelist
implies that there was something about Jesus’ appearance, even hours later, that was awesome. The
comparison with Moses’ transfigured appearance after encountering God on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20.18-21)
is evident in the gospel of Mark.
9.14-29 I Believe; Help Thou My Unbelief
Exactly what was the nature of the argument is unknown; Jesus’ question in v. 16 is not really answered
by the response in v. 17. It’s interesting that the Evangelist found the subject of the argument less
important than the fact of the argument. That’s a telling insight into arguments within all houses of faith:
what the world sees is not our differences over theology or practice. What they see is whether we fight a
lot or are loving and accepting. It would be wonderful if we met the ideal described by the church father
Tertullian, writing in the 3rd Century about how the world sees the church: "Look," they say, "how they
love one another" (for they themselves hate one another); "and how they are ready to die for each other"
(for they themselves are readier to kill each other).
32
?
?
Have you ever heard of arguments within a congregation? How does that affect your opinion of
that congregation? _____________________________________________________________
What kind of things do congregations argue about? What is the responsibility of the member who
is a part of that congregation? ______________________________________________________
Arguing within a congregation is an ancient (and
still embarrassing) tradition. There is an old
Jewish joke (on which there are many Protestant
and Catholic variations) about the man who was
rescued from his desert island home. The
rescuers were confounded by the presence, in
addition to his little hut, of two shuls, or houses of
worship. “Why two?”, they asked. “One is
where I go to pray, and one is where I don’t go.”
Philippians 2.1-10
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation
from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and
sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind,
having the same love, being in full accord and of one
mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in
humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of
you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of
others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ
Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but
emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in
human likeness. And being found in human form, 8he
humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. 9Therefore God also highly exalted
him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
The arguments detract terribly from the mission
of the church. Jesus is furious with his disciples:
“You faithless generation, how much longer
must I be among you? How much longer must
I put up with you?” When they bring the boy to
Jesus, he experiences yet another convulsion.
Jesus inquires closely of the boy’s father about
the nature of the convulsions. The father’s response elicits memories of agonized midnight emergency
room visits from any modern parent: how terrible to see your beloved child suffer and be able to do
absolutely nothing!
21Jesus
asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From
childhood. 22It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able
to do anything, have pity on us and help us.”
Jesus hears and responds not to the tragedy of the boy’s illness, but to the father’s use of the conditional
“if”: “What do you mean if!” All things can be done for the one who believes. And the father makes the
most profoundly honest confession of faith in all of Scripture: “I believe; help my unbelief!” Here is
where we find ourselves most of the time, somewhere on the road between confidence and confusion.
Few Christians can dwell for long on the razor blade of question-free faith. The late Marion Edwards,
former pastor of St. Luke, later Bishop in North Carolina, said that he had quite a list of questions which
he wished to ask Jesus when he arrived in heaven—things that bothered him. He acknowledged that, by
the time he stood on the streets of gold, some of the questions might not bother him anymore, but his
relationship with God was such that he trusted that he could ask God anything.
The man’s honest appraisal of both his faith and his failings moved Jesus as nothing else would. Here is
the truth: God desires us to be honest with him. How else can he help us? When the parent asks the
crying child, “What is the matter?”, that parent wants to know what is really the matter, even if it is
hurtful for the parent to hear. There is absolutely nothing we can say to God that has not already been
said by the psalmists. He is God; can we diminish him by our questions? Can we reduce him by our doubt?
33
No. But we can open our souls to his inquiring spirit, so that we can be searched and known, cleansed and
made whole. If we do not come to him with our questions, we find ourselves in the same boat as the
disciples in v. 32: 32But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
Jesus explains to the disciples that the kind of spirit that had possessed the boy can come out only
through prayer. The text is not clear at this point on the exact meaning. But Jesus’ uniquely open
relationship with the boy’s father reveals a profound truth about what it means to be a follower of Jesus:
those who are willing to open themselves to him are entirely transformed and made whole. Sometimes
this is a physical healing. Sometimes it will be a spiritual or emotional healing.
?
?
From what do you need to be healed? ________________________________________________
What is standing in the way of your healing? __________________________________________
9.33-48; 10.28-44 “The Greatest”
Muhammed Ali once said, “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was.” See? It’s just
embarrassing to talk like that. And yet Jesus catches his disciples at it more than once: “What were you
arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another
who was the greatest (9.33-34). “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your
glory” (10.37).
In what must have been the first children’s sermon, he assumes the teaching posture of the rabbi
(whenever Jesus sits down, you know it’s time to pay attention!) and gathers the twelve around him.
Because of what happens next, we know that there were more people there. He takes a little child in his
arms and looks around at the men to whom he has entrusted the sharing of the good news: “Whoever
wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all….Whoever welcomes one such child in my
name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” Later,
Jesus reiterates this theme, saying “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to
such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it” (10.14-15).
Mark 10.13-16
“Tell Me the Stories of Jesus”
Do the
Words: William H. Parker, 1885
UM Hymnal 277
disciples get
Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear; things I would ask him to tell me if he were here:
it? They do
scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea, stories of Jesus, tell them to me.
not. Like the
First let me hear how the children stood round his knee, and I shall fancy his blessing resting on me;
children in
words full of kindness, deeds full of grace, all in the lovelight of Jesus' face.
the back seat
Into the city I'd follow the children's band, waving a branch of the palm tree high in my hand;
of the
one of his heralds, yes, I would sing loudest hosannas, "Jesus is King!"
parents’ van,
they seem to
think that they are invisible and inaudible. Their continued jealousy of one another is expressed by John,
who is upset that some unnamed disciple is horning in on the exclusive turf of the apostles: healing in
Jesus’ name. After their failure in 9.28, you’d think they’d be okay with someone being able to heal, but
their focus is on their own power, not on serving others. Again and again, Jesus redirects their (and our)
focus. Whoever is not against us is for us. 41For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to
drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
And then more specifically, he narrows the focus to his disciples. In the mind’s eye, you can imagine him
narrowing his eyes as well. Jesus clearly does not want his disciples to ever put their own ambition before
34
the needs of children. Ever. If that means with putting up with music that is not our favorite, so be it. If
that means tolerating a bit of mayhem in the Sunday School class next door, so be it. If it means hearing a
child cry out during church, so be it.
Several years ago, a young mother was abashed when her newly-adopted four-year-old daughter
responded to a beautiful anthem by our choir with a hearty “Bravo!” in her native Romanian. Jesus would
have responded to her as he responded to his disciples: If any of you put a stumbling block before one
of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung
around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. He is using hyperbole to make his point, but that
does not make it less true or less appropriate. Be nice to little kids. It’s in the Bible.
How do we keep from stumbling ourselves? Jesus says that we are to remove—or allow God to
remove—whatever it is that causes us to sin. Most of us do this by trying to push the sin away or push
ourselves away from the sin, but that seems only to increase its power. The Rev. Jim Trice, former
Columbus District Superintendent offers this suggestion: rather than thinking that we have the power to
address the sin and conquer it ourselves (that is blasphemy), offer the sin to God. Let God deal with it.
It’s not like God doesn’t already know we have this problem, right?
Regarding 9.49—“salted with fire”—the New Oxford Annotated edition of the New Revised Standard
Version remarks that the meaning of such passages is “quite opaque”. In scholarly jargon, that means,
“We have no idea what this means, and we don’t care.”
10.1-12 Jesus’ Teaching on Divorce
Jesus goes “behind the Law” (Leander Keck’s phrase) to the intent of God’s will. No one would argue
that divorce is a blessed event.
An Anonymous Story
Whenever divorce is necessary,
It took me a year [after I was divorced] to be able to say the "D" word. I
Jesus teaches that it is because
had always been taught that "good people" did not get divorced.
of the hardness of somebody’s
However, I can now say with no hesitation that God does not love me
any less. It's comforting to me to remember when I read passages [like
(or two somebodies’) heart(s)
this one in Mark] to remember the story of Jesus and the woman at the
(10.5). Dr. Jon Gunneman,
well (John 4.1-42).
ethics professor at Candler
School of Theology, Emory
One of the things I think the Church (and I am not talking just about
University, said that people
St. Luke) needs to learn is how to minister to those persons as they
travel this road. Divorce is messy even in the best circumstances. It
sometimes condemn the
affects us financially, emotionally, physically and mentally. We need to
Church for teaching that
reach out at this time as much as when there is a death because in
divorce is sin, but, “I can tell
many ways it is.
you divorce certainly feels like
sin. And we need to know that
I came to St. Luke before the divorce was final because I thought St.
Luke was big enough I could get lost and never have to be involved. It
before we can experience
seems God had other plans for my life. This church, collectively and
forgiveness.”
individually, put their loving arms around me and loved me back to
wholeness. A lot of those saints have gone on to their reward, John and
Marjorie [Richardson], Mary and Bill Trembath, Johnnie Pritchett were
among those who loved and welcomed me. Gilbert and Frances
[Ramsey] and Blair Richards were staff members who were there for
me. While this was true of St. Luke, it was not true of the wider church.
The Pharisees seem to have
lost sight of the human element
here. The name for the divorce
in Hebrew is the get, and just
like everything else, the get is
bound in law and restriction.
Note that Jesus’ comment in 10.12 about the wife divorcing her husband does not apply in Palestine,
where it was forbidden for a woman to seek to divorce a man.
35
In dealing with divorce, there are several things of which we in the Church can be guilty, among which
are:
 Pretend that there is not a problem in our friends’ marriage until it’s too late to help them. If we
suspect a problem, are we not supposed to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4.15)?
 Forget that building one another up—supporting one another in Christian marriage—is one of the
tasks of the Church (I Corinthians 14.12)
 Put the interests of the mother or the father ahead of the interests of the child. What is best for the
child(ren) trumps what is best or desired for the parents.
 Tolerating or forgiving serial marriage while condemning other sexual relationships.
 Devaluing Christian marriage by focusing on the event of the wedding over the institution of
marriage.
 Turning a blind eye to adultery within our religious, social or business circles.
?
?
What do we need to learn about marriage and divorce from Jesus? _________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What can St. Luke do better about how we respond to persons who are divorcing? _____________
_______________________________________________________________________________
10.17-27 Do the Rich Go to Heaven?
The Bible’s teaching on wealth is complicated. The Hebrew Bible is pretty clear that wealth is a sign that
God has blessed a person—think of Job or David or the prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4.5-10). The
Hebrew Bible would be the only Bible the disciples had, which explains their confusion in 10.24 and the
surprise (shock, 10.22) of the man who asks Jesus: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal
life?”
Luke’s gospel favors the poor and oppressed (Blessed are you who are poor, 6.20); Matthew’s gospel is
more circumspect (Blessed are the poor in spirit, 5.3). Mark’s gospel does not seek to resolve the
question but reminds us that entering the kingdom of God entirely depends on God, not on our efforts or
wealth (or lack thereof): “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are
possible.”
Jesus’ commandment to this man—who is “young” and rich in Matthew’s gospel (19.22), “rich” in
Mark’s (10.22), and a “ruler” in Luke’s, (18.18)—seems to be specific to him, although we know that the
first generation of Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 2.43-47) sold their possessions and had a sort of
communal life. The problem with possessions, as one wag pointed out, is that sooner or later they begin
to possess us. Jesus clearly wants us to avoid that. We may be just as confused as the disciples in that
regard. What is the path to salvation like when it is so very difficult for us to disentangle ourselves from
our “stuff”?
?
?
If I ran up to Jesus and asked him, “What must I do to be saved?”, what would he say to me? ____
_______________________________________________________________________________
36
10:46-52 Following Jesus on “the Way”
Jesus is headed south now from Galilee. He passes through Jericho, an important oasis on the way to
Jerusalem. Three important stories in the Synoptics are placed in Jericho: the healing of the blind man
(Mark 10.41-51), the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-35), and the story of Zacchaeus, the “wee
little man” (Luke 19.1-6). In Mark’s gospel, this is the last event in Jesus’ life before his final week.
In Hebrew and Aramaic (the Semitic language spoken by Jesus), bar means “son of”. Simon bar Jonah
(Matthew 16.17) is Simon, son of Jonah. This man, the blind beggar, has no name known to us other
than “the son of Timaeus.” He sits in the dust on the road leading from Jericho up to Jerusalem. 47When
he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have
mercy on me!” 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of
David, have mercy on me!” 49Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind
man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up
and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man
said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you
well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Again, followers of Jesus try to “protect” him from folks who would disturb his holy path (compare
10.13-16). Again, Jesus makes a space and time for the one who is seeking his blessing. The verbs in this
passage give a sense of the intensity of the encounter: there is shouting, ordering, crying, calling out,
throwing off, springing up, and following. Jesus tries to send him home, exactly as he has done with every
other person whom he has healed in Mark’s gospel. Only the son of Timaeus does not obey. He followed
Jesus on the way—and the way he follows is the way to the cross. Less than one week later, his formerly
blind eyes might have seen this Jesus crucified.
PRAYER FOCUS: One way to help sort our priorities is to practice a tithe of our income—10% of our
“first fruits” to be returned to God. If you are not currently tithing your income, submit your question to
God: is this something God wants you to do to help you? Talk with one of your pastors or a friend who
tithes about what that might mean for you and your family.
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PRAYER: Lord, what do I need from you to be a truer, more faithful disciple? What do I need to cast aside
to follow up on the way? I’m so used to my own way that it is hard to see your way clearly. Forgive me
for my blindness. Give me new eyes and a new heart. Help me to follow you in your way. Amen.
37
WEEK 6 (MARCH 25-31)
MARK 11-13
“WHICH COMMANDMENT IS THE FIRST OF ALL?”
Area of Service: Teaching children and youth in Sunday School, at Summer Camps, at United Methodist
Youth Fellowship or Vacation Bible School; assisting with choir or puppets or Scouts; reading and
volunteering in your child’s class at school and being there for every single game: all of these things lay
down a foundation for faith which someday they will have an opportunity to build on. How are you
helping lay the foundation for faith at St. Luke? To find out how to help, contact Mitch or Tammy Watts
with the Youth Ministry (mitch@stlukeum.com or tammy@stlukeum.com), Hannah Ayers with
Children’s Choir and puppets (hayers@stlukeum.com), and Rev. Loretta Dunbar with Education and
Children’s Ministries (Loretta@stlukeum.com).
11.1-11 Jesus enters Jerusalem It is apparent from the narrative that there is some prior arrangement
with some unnamed follower in Bethpage or Bethany for the borrowing of the donkey. Jesus orchestrates
his entrance into Jerusalem in a highly symbolic way: he is choosing to fulfill scripture and portraying
himself as the messiah, and as a Messiah of Peace. A conqueror would have ridden in on a war-horse. Dr.
Bill Mallard notes that after the Messiah makes his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, he does not stay, but
ironically leaves and returns to Bethany.

chairos is God’s
time—the “right
time”,
translated as
“seasons” in the
Bible. Chairos
occasionally
intersects
chronos, as at
Mt. Sinai or at
the
Resurrection.
 chronos: chronological or linear time, the
time in which we live— chronos is a mortal creation.
Translated as “times” in the Bible, this is the time by
which we live while on earth.
The word which is translated “season” in the NRSV refers to exactly the right time or to God’s time
() Contrast this with the word which we might have expected to be used here, chronos, .
Chronos is the word from which we get “chronometer” (watch) or “chronological”, and refers to time that
flows in a linear fashion. The two forms of time are contrasted above. We tend to think in chronos-time,
which is human time, and we expect God to act in chronos-time, because every now and then, God’s time
(chairos) intersects with chronos. In fact, if you were to put your own life on a time-line—a chronological
line—you could point to where God’s time—God’s chairos—intersected with your life. That would be the
time or period when you came to know God’s saving grace. God always acts in chairos time, every time!
God’s business is conducted “at the right time.” Jesus came at the right time, he died at the right time, and
rose again at the right time. We move along with our mortal instruments, watches, calendars, computers,
measuring time and somehow expecting the infinite God to conform to our standards. During the
Christmas season, you may have seen “Jesus is the Reason for the Season!” Mallard explains that is not
quite right: “Jesus is the Season!” His arrival makes it the right time!
11.12-14 The Cursing of the Fig Tree
Mallard also points out that Jesus is acting here in accordance with the prophecies of Malachi, key to
understanding the role of messiah. When Jesus comes back into Jerusalem from Bethany, he is hungry
and sees a fig tree. Mallard notes that Augustine of Hippo found it unacceptable that Jesus, God’s Son,
the Almighty, the  (logos), could be hungry. Augustine asserted rather that Jesus chose to be
hungry for our sakes. He chose that so that the prophecy of Malachi (4.1) could be fulfilled: See, the day
38
REFLECTION ON MARK 12:28 – 34
Helen Berenthien
Mark’s Gospel tells us that this incident takes place during Jesus’ last week on earth, as
he visits and cleanses (casts out the vendors and money changers) the Temple in
Jerusalem. Mark tells us that the Chief Priests and Scribes wanted to do away with and
destroy Jesus (just as the Pharisees and Herodians had back in Mark 3:6, after Jesus
had healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath.
After several verbal challenges (the baptism of John in 11:27 – 33; the Parable of the
Vineyard and the Unjust Tenants in 12:1 – 11; the Question of Paying Taxes to Caesar
in 12:13 – 17; and the Belief in Marriage After Death in 12:18 – 27), in all of which Jesus
gets the best of his adversaries with truths which they cannot deny; they choose to
remain silent in order not to be outdone and embarrassed before the people.
Then, after hearing these exchanges and “seeing that Jesus answered them well” (Mark
12:28), one of the Scribes asks Jesus another question: “Which commandment is the
first of all?” Unlike the other authorities who were “testing Jesus” and “seeking to justify
themselves”—an attitude which unfortunately we hear from and see in practice in others
today—and which too many times I recognize as my own, as well! —this Pharisee is
really trying to hear what Jesus is saying and to see if what he has learned and believes
is right. As Halford Luccock says in The Interpreters Bible (1951, Vol. VII, p . 846): This
Pharisee is “the model for the right approach both to Christ and to the scripture….It is the
reverent, humble search to learn the will of God for us and for our time; vastly different
from the frequent attempt to bend the Almighty around until we can use him as a support
for policies and points of view which we have already decided upon without reference to
him.”
Jesus’ answer summarizes the entire law and satisfies the questions not only of the
Scribes and Pharisees centuries ago, but also describes clearly how I as a sometimes
st
perplexed and struggling Christian in the 21 Century should live and believe and
behave in a complex and rapidly changing world. Jesus gives two plain (but certainly not
simple) rules:
1.
Love God with all of my heart, my soul, my mind, and my strength; and
2.
Love my neighbor as myself.
These are for me some of the most powerful and challenging words that Jesus every
spoke. As I ponder them, I must ask myself: Do I really want to learn from Jesus? Is my
heart open and receptive to hearing the true word from our Lord, or am I more
concerned with justifying myself and the position(s) I hold or have held for a long
time….because it makes ME look better, and I can therefore say: “see, I knew I was
right!...and since I’m right, then you’re wrong…..so I’m smarter and more perceptive than
you are…so there!” and I can walk away patting myself on the back and feeling
superior—never having learned anything at all!
st
So…what did this Scribe do right, that might apply to my 21 century living?
1.
He LISTENED TO Jesus and what he had to say, and observed how he behaved
and interacted with people.
2.
He tested Jesus’ words and answers against what he also had been taught and
believed was true.
3.
He stated his faith: “I am responsible for loving God with all that I am and all that I
have; and then I must love others as much as I love myself - - which is the other half
of the equation.
Jesus welcomed this attitude from the Scribe and welcomes that same attitude from us.
This is a monstrous, 24-hour-a-day task; but I am encouraged by the fact that “Only a
God who IS love would make love his supreme demand!” (Luccock , p. 847); and I may trust
that love to be my guide and my strength and everything I need as I seek to do His will
day by day.
PRAYER
Lord, please help me always to be open to hearing the truth from you: hearing, trusting,
believing YOUR truth, and then with your help and direction, applying this truth to the
way I think and feel and live every day of my life. Thank you, holy Lord. Amen.
39
is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that
comes shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
In Augustine’s understanding, Jesus acted in accordance with Malachi, not out of some petty
vindictiveness against a harmless fig tree!
11.15-19 The Cleansing of the Temple
Mallard also points to Malachi (1.10-12) for help in understanding the next event in Jesus’ life. 10Oh,
that someone among you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not kindle fire on my altar
in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from
your hands. 11For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and
in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the
nations, says the LORD of hosts. 12But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted,
and the food for it may be despised. As in the other synoptic gospels, the “cleansing of the temple” is
one of the precipitating events to Jesus’ arrest. Given that the Temple in Jerusalem, unique in its absence
of statuary, was one of the best known public structures in the Roman world and had been restored and
updated by Herod the Great at considerable public expense, Jesus’ actions are a very clear religious and
political threat.
Mallard explains that the prophets of old spoke and acted for God. Jesus is here employing a
prophetically symbolic act in much the same way as did the prophets of old. The doves were sold to the
poor, who could not afford a sheep or goat (compare Jesus’ parents’ sacrifice in Luke 2). Possibly the
poor were being taken advantage of, though we do not have Scriptural evidence for this. Jesus would not
allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. Mallard notes that folks used the outer court of
the temple, the Court of the Gentiles, as a shortcut from the city of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus and the disciples went
Mark 11.20-25
“Give Me the Faith Which Can Remove”
out of the city because it was
Words: Charles Wesley, 1749
UM Hymnal 650
Give me the faith which can remove and sink the mountain to a plain;
not safe for them to stay in
give me the childlike praying love, which longs to build thy house again;
Jerusalem.
thy love, let it my heart o'er-power, and all my simple soul devour.
I would the precious time redeem, and longer live for this along,
It takes a lot to kill a fig tree to
to spend and to be spent for them who have not yet my Savior known;
its roots (11.20ff.). Any
fully on these my mission prove, and only breathe, to breathe thy love.
gardener who has tried to root
My talents, gifts, and graces, Lord, into thy blessed hands receive;
out stray “suckers” from a fig
and let me live to preach thy word, and let me to thy glory live;
tree can attest to that. Peter is
my every sacred moment spend in publishing the sinner's Friend.
amazed at Jesus’ power, but
Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart with boundless charity divine,
Jesus tries to help him
so shall I all my strength exert, and love them with a zeal like thine,
understand that anything is
and lead them to thy open side, the sheep for whom the Shepherd died.
possible with God, using
hyperbole: If you say to this
mountain (Mt. Zion, on which the temple is built) ‘be taken up and thrown into the sea’ and if you do
not doubt in your heart.. . .it will be done. . .” The cursing of the fig tree is a parable which may refer
to the rejection of Jesus’ message by some of the Jews. However, the parable is by no means clear.
Mallard encourages a comparison of this story to Malachi 4.1: “See, the day is coming, burning like an
oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up,
says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” This is an instance of Jesus
actively fulfilling the prophecy (compare to illustration on p. 23).
Mark’s gospel contains no “Lord’s Prayer” (as found in Matthew 6 and Luke 11), but the teaching to
forgive as we are forgiven is repeated in 11.25. That this is found in the context of Jesus’ final earthly
40
week brings home the point that Jesus wants his disciples to learn this most difficult of his lessons before
he is killed.
Again in 11.27-33 and 12.13-17, there are attempts
by the religious leaders to trap Jesus with questions
about his authority. Jesus counters both times with
questions of his own, which, while astute and
impressive, do nothing to defuse the situation with
the powers that be. These classically rabbinic
exchanges would have left his opponents ruefully
acknowledging that he’d just beaten them at their
own game, and vowing revenge. These two
encounters bracket the parable of the wicked
tenants, 12.1-12. The parable is aimed against the
religious leaders, who realize its point and try to
arrest Jesus.
A further specious encounter with the Sadducees,
who do not believe in resurrection, culminates in
the wonderful statement of faith: He is God not of
the dead, but of the living.
Mark 11.25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you
have anything against anyone; so that your Father in
heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”
Matthew 6.9-15 “Pray then in this way: Our Father in
heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also
have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the
time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
Luke 11.1-4 He was praying in a certain place, and after
he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord,
teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said
to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your
name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily
bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive
everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time
of trial.”
Italics mark additions in Matthew’s gospel to what Luke’s
gospel records.
Most of the leaders are infuriated by Jesus’ insight (12.35), and Jesus warns the people against the scribes,
who wore robes with long sleeves which would have prevented them from doing any manual labor.
Pharisees all had some sort of occupation by which they earned their living. Saul of Tarsus, for example,
was a tentmaker (Acts 18.1-3). The robe about which Jesus speaks would have been worn over the tunic
and would generally be sleeveless. The scribes are contrasted with the widow (12.41), who gave all she
had.
13 Mark’s “Little Apocalypse”
This is the name which you may find as a heading in your Bible, but it doesn’t sound at all “little” when
you read it! It is little only in comparison to the far lengthier treatment in Matthew’s gospel (chapters 2425). The teachings of Jesus concerning the “end times” are not extensive—Jesus talks about money and
its proper use far more than he talks about the end times. Jesus’ teachings seem to reflect events of 70 AD,
when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Messianic pretenders, people who presented themselves as
(or who perhaps who believed they were) messiah, were everywhere around the time of Jesus up to and
even beyond 70AD.
There was a great rebellion against Rome known as the Bar-Kokhba rebellion in 132-135 AD. Many of
the Jewish leaders—notably Rabbi Akiva—believed Simon bar-Kokhba was the real deal in messianic
terms; he was successful (for a while) in defeating some Roman forces. It was Akiva who gave him the
name “bar Kokhba” (“son of the star’), because he thought Simon was the one about whom Numbers
24.17 referred. The Emporer Hadrian brutally crushed the rebellion and sought to break the ties that Jews
(and by association, early Christians) had to Jerusalem, even though the Christians did not acknowledge
Bar Kokhba. Evidence of this failed rebellion was excised from contemporary Jewish writings but would
have been common knowledge to the early Church, the first readers of this gospel.
41
Some of the foundation stones of the Temple are the size of a
school bus and weigh as much as a fully loaded 747 jet. The
picture at the left is of a Bat-Mitzvah, or coming of age ritual for
a “daughter of the Law” held along the Western wall but
separate from the public area for praying, which divides male
from female worshippers. Here the whole family can worship
together. The stones in the background are smaller than the
huge foundation stones; these came from the upper levels of the
temple, not the foundation.
The disciples are impressed with the beauty of the building, but
Jesus tries to impress on them that all of what they can see is transient and will disappear: “Heaven and
earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (13.31). The disciples are also reminded that
though there will be many signs, “about that day or hour no one knows,”. . .therefore, “keep awake”
(13.32, 37).
How do we reflect the values which Jesus held for others? He offered healing for those who needed it. He
fed the hungry, ate with sinners and the diseased, and recognized the gifts of even the most unlikely
persons. What is a human life worth? What kind of difference in value do I assign my children as
compared to a beggar on the street? One I shower with all they need and more; the other should be
grateful for a stale sandwich or a coupon for a hamburger. One I stay up worrying about; the other rates
barely a mention in my prayers.
PRAYER FOCUS: How am I loving God with all my heart and mind and strength? Where am I falling
short?
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PRAYER
Let me hear you in all the voices around me, Lord. Let me speak to you in tones of love and respect. Let
me serve you in all that I do. Let me care for those over whom you have given me responsibility with
tenderness and compassion. Let me be kind to the friendless. Let me be courageous to the unjust. Let me
be your servant. Amen.
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Week 7 (April 1-7): Mark 14-16.8 Material to be added by Robert Beckum
Area of Service: A group from St. Luke, led by Dr. Lee and Mrs. Suzanne McCluskey, will make a
mission trip to Kenya June 28-July 10. They would like to take with them these items: new pencils, small
hand-held pencil sharpeners, packs of notebook paper, un-inflated soccer balls and basketballs, and oven
mitts for the women to use with cooking pots. Please bring your donations to the church office. Financial
support is also welcome!
14.1-11 A Growing Storm
The conspiracy to kill Jesus grows at the Passover approaches, however, the religious leaders are trying to
avoid that particular coincidence, because they know that if they arrest Jesus during the festival. . .they
may be a riot among the people (14.1-2). Four of the six insurrections against Rome happened during
the Passover, always with devastating results. Jesus continues to work, although he does not stay in
Jerusalem all the time. The fact that the religious and political leaders were trying every way possible to
avoid arresting Jesus during the Passover is significant: how is that he came to be arrested at that time if
they were seeking to avoid it?
In 14.3-9, we read of the anointing at Simon’s house. This is not Simon Peter, but Simon the leper.
“Leprosy” is used in the Bible as a general term for several skin conditions, including what we now know
as Hansen’s disease. We don’t know what skin condition Simon had. Nard was imported from India and
very expensive. Those who were offended by the extravagance (the Evangelist doesn’t specify who was
offended. It could have been the disciples or Simon or onlookers.) may also have been offended by
having a woman invite herself in while the men were eating—men and women did not eat together. Jesus
makes it clear that he understands what the woman
I Would Be True
meant to do—to anoint him beforehand for his
Howard A. Walter, 1906
coming burial. The tribute Jesus pays her is the
v. 4-6 by Samuel R. Harlow, c.1918
highest compliment he pays anyone in the gospels: 1.
2. I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
“Wherever the good news is proclaimed in the
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
whole world, what she has done will be told in
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.
remembrance of her.”
3.
4.
14.7 The Poor You will Always Have
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 15.11: Since there will
never cease to be some in need on the earth, I
5.
therefore command you, “Open your hand to the 6.
poor and needy neighbor in your land.” This is not
as an excuse for us to ignore the poor but for them to
be a perpetual focus of our generosity. The woman’s 7.
8.
action was singular and timeless.
Again the Evangelist contrasts the faith of an outsider
9.
with the lack of faith of the disciples, in this case,
with the lack of faith of Judas, who begins to look for10.
an opportunity to betray Jesus (14.10-11). Again
we face the question: what is a human life worth?
11.
The woman gladly gives nearly a year’s worth of
12.
wages in the form of the perfume, yet Judas sells
Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
I would be friend of all—the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gift;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.
I would be faithful through each passing moment;
I would be constantly in touch with God;
I would be strong to follow where He leads me;
I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.
Who is so low that I am not his brother?
Who is so high that I’ve no path to him?
Who is so poor I may not feel his hunger?
Who is so rich I may not pity him?
Who is so hurt I may not know his heartache?
Who sings for joy my heart may never share?
Who in God’s heav’n has passed beyond my vision?
Who to hell’s depths where I may never fare?
May none, then, call on me for understanding,
May none, then, turn to me for help in pain,
And drain alone his bitter cup of sorrow,
Or find he knocks upon my heart in vain.
14.10-11 Judas’ betrayal
43
The story of the woman’s generous gift contrasts sharply with Judas’ act of betrayal. It is not that
devotion and denial can be measured in money; it is more her extravagant gift contrasted with his meanspirited focus on an immediate result. We really do not know what Judas’ motives were. We do know
how very common betrayal is—among families, friends, fellow students, co-workers—and for much less
money (about a month’s wage) than Judas was paid.
“HE GAVE THANKS”
Mark 14.12-26
Charles Cox, Sr.
In the gospel according to Mark, there are three specific episodes in which Jesus gave thanks for bread that
was to be consumed at a meal.
The first episode is the feeding of the 5,000 and is recorded in Mark 6.30-44. In this particular event, the
disciples were commanded to feed the crowd, but they could come up with only five loaves of bread and two
fish. John tells us that it was a boy that provided the bread and the fish. Nevertheless, from this small fare, the
five thousand were fed, and afterwards, the disciples filled twelve baskets with leftovers.
In the second episode, as recorded in Mark 8.1-10, Jesus took seven loaves of bread, gave thanks and fed a
crowd of four thousand. Afterwards, his disciples filled seven baskets with leftovers.
The third episode is the most fascinating and intriguing of the three. It occurred on the evening of the first day
of the Feast of Unleavened Bread when Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples. The story, as it is
told in Mark 14.12-26, has the same format as the other two episodes. Notice that in all three events Jesus
took the bread, gave thanks, and gave it to others. While the format is the same for all three events, the
message Jesus delivered in giving thanks for the bread is staggering. Note that in John 6.35 Jesus said, “I am
the bread of life.” In today’s memory verse, “Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his
disciples saying, Take it; this is my body.”
Dare we comprehend what Jesus said at the Last Supper? There, Jesus the bread of life, took a loaf of bread,
broke it, gave thanks, gave it to his disciples and said, “This is my body.” Simply stated, in the breaking of the
bread, Jesus said that he was willing to give himself up for our salvation.
In our finite minds, the things he said and meant are inconceivable and completely unreasonable. Yet, the
truth of the Last Supper is there. Jesus was willing to die for our salvation, and for that he gave thanks!
Memory verse: “While they were eating, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his
disciples, saying, Take it; this is my body.” Mark 14.22
Thought for the Day: “What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for
my soul.”
(The United Methodist Hymnal, #292)
14.12-25 The Last Supper (compare to Matthew 25.17-19 and Luke 22.7-13) Jesus’ words in v. 13
make it clear that this supper is also prearranged, as was the borrowing of the donkey. A man carrying a
water jug would be rare—carrying water was women’s work—and thus easy to spot. A guest room
upstairs would also be unusual; few homes would have enough space for 13 people to gather in one room,
much less have an extra room in their home where they could set up a private, separate Passover meal.
Some people bought a new set of earthenware dishes for Passover—they would be sure they were kosher.
The host of this dinner must therefore be fairly wealthy. Jesus’ comment, “It is one of the twelve, one
who is dipping bread into the bowl with me” is puzzling: if Jesus clearly identifies who the traitor is,
why didn’t the disciples do anything? The NOA/NRSV notes that the wording of the question asked by
the disciples in v. 19 indicates that they expect the answer to be negative: “Surely, not I?” Sometimes,
when you already think you know what the answer should be, you can’t hear the actual response.
44
The setting of the meal within the context of the Passover makes Jesus’ words deeply symbolic: “22While
they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said,
“Take; this is my body.” 23Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of
them drank from it. 24He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for
many. 25Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink
it new in the kingdom of God.”
The meal ends with the singing of a hymn, one of the “Psalms of Ascent”, Psalms 115-118, the second
part of the Hallel psalms. These were psalms sung by Jewish pilgrims as they streamed by the hundreds
and thousands into Jerusalem
Mark 14.26
“When in Our Music God is Glorified”
for the high holy days. Using
Words: Fred Pratt Green, 1971
UM Hymnal, p. 68
the dry wadis as natural
highways, their voices would
When in our music God is glorified, and adoration leaves no room for pride,
It is as though the whole creation cried: "Alleluia!"
have echoed and resounded
to the heavens as the very
How often, making music, we have found a new dimension in the world of sound,
stones cried out (Luke 19.40). As worship moved us to a more profound Alleluia!
So has the Church, in liturgy and song, in faith and love, through centuries of wrong,
Borne witness to the truth in ev'ry tongue: Alleluia!
After the meal, the disciples
and Jesus return to the Mount
And did not Jesus sing a psalm that night when utmost evil strove against the Light?
Then let us sing, for whom he won the fight: Alleluia!
of Olives, where they had
been seeking shelter at night,
Let ev'ry instrument be tuned for praise! Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
perhaps in the small caves
And may God give us faith to sing always: Alleluia!
that dot the hill. His
disciples are quite confident
of their strength in the face of danger, yet they do not have the strength to stay awake and pray with Jesus
as he asks (14.26-42). The Greek words which are translated in the NRSV as “distressed and agitated”
should carry with them some sense of deep distress and alarm. The same word is used again in 16.5. The
“garden” of Gethsemane was an olive grove facing the eastern side of the Temple Mount. It is now
largely a cemetery and the sight of many Christian churches, but some old olive trees remain.
Olives bear fruit only on new growth. The trunks of the olive trees can live for decades and the roots for
hundreds of years, but it is doubtful that there are any trees or roots on the Mount of Olives which date to
the time of Jesus, as some over-zealous guides would have you believe. Despite the differences in the
gospels’ presentations of the arrest of Jesus, the similarities between the four are striking. It is unlikely
that the disciples would have chosen to present themselves in such an unflattering light unless this is
actually what happened! No one wants to be remember for sleeping on watch. There is an oblique
reference in 14.51 to a certain young man, which may be the “signature” of John Mark, held by some to
be the author of this gospel. It is at the home of his mother, Mary, that the disciples meet in Acts 12.
? Did Judas have a choice?
The question of whether Judas had a choice is really a question about our own freedom of will. It
?
is quite clear from Jesus’ own actions that he was set on being arrested during the Passover, to make the
impact and symbolism of his own death the most clear. If Judas had “declined the opportunity” that the
religious leaders offered him, Jesus would have found another way to get himself arrested because that
was his goal as he carried out God’s will for his life.
There are plenty of Bible verses which can be marshaled in defense of the idea that Judas did not have a
choice, however, none of them explains how Judas was singled out of all humankind for the task of giving
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up the messiah to his enemies, how Judas and no other had no choice. For him to have a choice makes
him more like you and me, which raises the next question,
What is the Difference Between Judas and Peter?
What is the difference between the actions of the two men? _______________________________
?
?
What is the difference between the consequences of the actions of the two men? ______________
What is the difference between Jesus’ reaction to the two men? ___________________________
What is the difference between the reactions of the two men to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion? ____
Given that the Bible tells us all we need to know for us to live a life “with God,” what do you
think that God would have us learn for our own lives from Peter’s and Judas’ choices? _________
_______________________________________________________________________________
14.53-65 Jesus is Arrested and Tried He is arrested at night and taken immediately to the high priest’s
home. Jewish law required that trials take place in the light of day. The witnesses do not agree (14.56),
something that is also required by Law. Jesus’ prophecy of the coming of messiah is interpreted by the
priests as blasphemy, therefore they asserted that they did not still need witnesses (14.63) though that was
required by Law. Luke 23.41 asserts that Joseph of Arimathea did not assent to the condemnation of Jesus
(compare Mark 14.64).
14.66-72 Peter’s betrayal Peter is recognized by his accent (14.70) as one of Jesus’ followers and is
accused as such by some of the bystanders. Despite the fact that Peter had sworn to risk his life for Jesus
and had promised not to deny Jesus, he does so. The gospels differ as to the number of times the cock
crows. When Peter realizes what he has done, he breaks down in tears.
15.1-15 Jesus before Pilate Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of the region of Syria, into which
Judaea fell. He normally resided at Caesarea Maritime, but was in Jerusalem, accompanied by troops, to
quell any possible insurrection at Passover. Although there is no Roman record of Jesus’ crucifixion, the
details in the gospel are consistent with Roman practice. Jesus is inconsequential as far as Rome was
concerned, just one of many who were crucified daily throughout the Empire. Pilate sees that the will of
the people is that Jesus be killed; it is expedient for him to accede to them to appease their blood-lust.
15.16-20 The game of the king. Josephus, the Jewish historian, records
Roman soldiers in the provinces playing a cruel game with condemned
prisoners in which they mock them as kings before killing them. The game
was so barbaric as to be outlawed in Rome (!). Records of this game survive
from the 4th century, scratched in marble paving stones in Jerusalem in a
convent along what is now known as the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrows
(a designation which postdates Jesus’ death by some 1800 years).
15.21-24 Jesus is crucified. Generally, the condemned would carry only the
horizontal bar on which he would be crucified. Sometimes, a passerby might
be compelled to carry the crosspiece if the condemned was too weak to carry
it. Cyrene is on the north coast of Africa in what is now Libya. Alexander and Rufus are mentioned by
not further identified, possibly because the early readers of Mark’s gospel knew who they were. In the
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same way that you wish your grandparents had identified the people in their photo albums, so, too, do we
wish that the Evangelist had further identified these men! Casting lots for the clothing of the condemned
was common; these soldiers were probably not well-paid, and this was a terrible job.
15.25-32 The two thieves. In Mark’s gospel, both thieves as well as the passersby deride Jesus.
Everyone who was sympathetic to the condemned would have stayed away for fear of being cast to the
same fate.
15.33-47 The death and burial of Jesus. About six hours after he was crucified, Jesus cried out, “My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, a partial quote from Psalm 22. This particular psalm ends in
hope, leading some scholars to assert that Jesus was beginning to quote a psalm of triumph and hope,
rather than crying out in anguish and sorrow as it would seem.
However, it should be noted that Mark records this cry in Aramaic, Jesus’ native language, not in the
Greek in which the gospel was written or the Hebrew in which the psalm was written and in which it
would have been used liturgically. This indicates that Jesus is lifting this part of the psalm out of context
deliberately as a way of expressing his desolation, rather than merely beginning to quote a psalm of
triumph. This is important because it gives us insight into how fully Jesus understands our feelings of
abandonment in times of pain and grief: he was there.
The rending of the temple curtain from top to bottom (15.38) was a sign of “a great disturbance in the
Force” (Star Wars, episode IV, Obi Wan Kenobi to Luke). Whatever caused the curtain to rip, it is clear
that for Christian readers, it symbolized God’s mighty act of reconciliation in drawing us to him in
unhindered access through Jesus’ death. The curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the
temple; that it was rent from top to bottom rather than the reverse (and as it is erroneously depicted in the
stained glass window in the St. Luke Sanctuary) indicates that it was a supernatural act.
Mark 15.16-20
“O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done”
Words: Charles Wesley, 1742 UM Hymnal, p. 287.
See also p. 286, “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”
O Love divine, what has thou done! The immortal God hath died for me!
The Father's coeternal Son bore all my sins upon the tree.
Th' immortal God for me hath died: My Lord, my Love, is crucified!
Is crucified for me and you, to bring us rebels back to God.
Believe, believe the record true, ye all are bought with Jesus' blood.
Pardon for all flows from his side: My Lord, my Love, is crucified!
Behold him, all ye that pass by, the bleeding Prince of life and peace!
Come, sinners, see your Savior die, and say, "Was ever grief like his?"
Come, feel with me his blood applied: My Lord, my Love, is crucified!
The centurion who commanded the
detail which killed Jesus (Romans,
remember, not Jews) saw Jesus’ death
as the beginning of something. Out of
this crisis came a kind of faith for him.
Jesus gives up his spirit and
immediately there was a convert: “if
you kill me now, I will become more
powerful than you can possibly
imagine” (Star Wars, Episode IV, Obi
Wan Kenobi to Darth Vader).
Note the appearances of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome (15.47, this is either
two or three women, depending on whether or not you think James and Salome were siblings. There were
no commas in Greek, so it is unclear.). The faithful journey of these women who loved Jesus meant that
they alone among the disciples witnessed his crucifixion (according to Mark’s gospel). They refused to
turn away even at the last. This took great courage, as anyone who cares for the dying can attest. There’s
nothing the women can do to prevent the death or the placing of the stone (they had no political power),
yet they have access to real power, which the men have apparently missed up to this point.
16.1-8 The resurrection. The Sabbath ends at sundown on Saturday, which was determined in the days
before clocks as the point at which a white hair held by the side of a black hair are indistinguishable.
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Mallard reminds us that “the women waited to buy spices until the Sabbath had ended.” It is three days,
by Jewish reckoning, since Jesus’ death. The same women who witnessed the death of Jesus go now to
the tomb to properly anoint the body of Jesus for burial. Mallard notes, “Those who are beloved of the
deceased regard it as a blessing to care for the body of the decease, but it was always done within 24
hours of death.” Here they have been delayed by the Sabbath from attending to this duty. Mallard adds,
“Don’t overlook the power of darkness. When the siege of Sarajevo ended in 1995, residents were less
excited about the cessation of bombardment than the fact that they once again had electric light!” Perhaps
the women were also afraid of the darkness.
16.4—They were downcast, but when they looked up, they saw the stone that they had been worrying
about (16.3) was already rolled away. Mallard imagines them saying to one another: “This is what we
wanted! Now don’t be afraid!” The young man whom they see inside urges them not to be alarmed (the
word used is the same as distressed, 14.32). The young man encourages them: You were looking for
Jesus, the crucified one. He was got up.” Mallard notes that the young man is clear that what happened
to the women was not a “subjective vision. No, the one who is raised is the same one who was crucified.”
The Greek in Mark indicates that it was a power from outside Jesus which resurrected him. The Greek in
John’s gospel says he rises or got up on his own. Here, he is raised by the power of God. “Well, then,
where is he? He is going ahead of you” to Galilee. The tomb is empty. Mallard invites us to “reflect on
empty—how emptiness is essential for life, music, birth, breathing, silence. We will not experience new
life unless first empty ourselves.”
The remainder of Mark’s gospel (following 16.8 in some Bibles) was added later, probably based on the
testimony of the other gospels or at least other witnesses. As we read, we must consider that, when this
gospel was written, it would have been shared in the context of a house church meeting. A passage,
perhaps the story of the crucifixion and resurrection, would be read, followed by a sermon or testimony.
The leader or teacher would then exegete or explain the passage. This slim reference to the resurrection in
Mark would provide a perfect entry point into the leader’s testimony of his or her own experience with the
Risen Christ.
The women flee from the tomb in terror and amazement. Mallard: “It is awesome to look upon the
resurrection! We think we can put out some lilies and have some trumpets, but we don’t approach the
awesomeness of the resurrection with that. How much do you have to grow before you can truly look on
the resurrection? Mark says you must go through the crisis to find faith. Compare an empty wall with a
wall with a window: the latter is a blessed emptiness. What makes a difference is one word---if you are
lost in a cave and come across one word—EXIT!—you are no longer lost. It takes a word to transform
the stultifying emptiness to the blessed emptiness. Think of the emptiness in a dying congregation—how
can that be transformed to a window? Our emptiness becomes blessed by the word: ‘He has been raised’,
the same word that transformed these women!”
The challenge of the emptiness—the silence—is that it is not the entirety of the truth. Many of us love the
“Hallelujah Chorus” from G. F. Handel’s The Messiah. You will recall that before the final “Hallelujah”
there is full break in the music. It is known as a “Grand Pause”, and woe be unto the musician who breaks
the silence before the conductor so indicates! Worse, imagine something so trivial as a cell phone going
off during that majestic silence. The silence is necessary for us to appreciate the magnitude of the final
word.
In the Christian Church, we have a period of the year very much like that Grand Pause. It is the season of
Lent, and its quiet and focus on the sacrifice made by Christ is very much necessary for us to appreciate
and begin to understand the power of the resurrection. Tony Campolo reminds us that just as Good Friday
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needs Easter, Easter needs Good Friday as well. Mark’s gospel does not have the powerful stories of the
resurrection shared in the other gospels, but it does have a profound silence that sometimes we fail to
appreciate. The good news for us is that the Risen Christ pierces the silence and desolation, that he treads
the mystery of the centuries to walk among us again, that he has been raised and is risen. Thanks be to
God!
Have you heard enough to convince you of the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?_________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Having heard and believed, how will you share the good news—the gospel of Jesus Christ? ________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Cynthia Cox Garrard © 2012
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