Mark 2:18-22 Fasting, or Feasting?

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 2:18-22 Fasting, or Feasting?

I’m not sure how many conscious decisions you make about eating, or not eating. It seems we eat all the time. We eat if we are hungry, and we eat even if we are not. Speaking for myself, I often eat without thinking. Sometimes I eat without even tasting.

But in our passage, eating, or, not eating, seems to be more intentional. Fasting, or feasting, depends on what is going on around you, or, what is going on in your heart.

Mark 2:18   Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Biblical fasting is most often associated with prayer, and is a recognition that things are not as they should be. Their heritage was not right. They were under Roman rule. And, for some, their hearts were not right. They recognized that they were in the predicament they were in because they had disobeyed God. Fasting goes along with pleading for mercy. Fasting is an act of humbling. As your stomach shrinks, so should your pride. Proud fasting indicates that you are not doing it right.

Jesus’ disciples, on the other hand, were feasting. The Pharisees took this as an indication that Jesus’ disciples were not very spiritual. Spirituality and misery are often, wrongly, associated with each other. But Jesus says, “the bridegroom is with them.” Who is the bridegroom? It’s Jesus, of course. When you are in the presence of Jesus, it is the time for rejoicing and celebration, for feasting. It is time for enlarging, expanding. 

So, are followers of Jesus presently in a fasting or feasting mode? Are things as they should be? Do we miss Him? Or, is He present with us? I think the answer is: yes, we miss Him, and yes, He is with us - not face-to-face with us, but with us through His Spirit who indwells us. And so, do we fast, or feast? I think we do both. Things are not as they should be, nor what they will be. But also, things are not as they once were, when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, godless, and without hope in the world.

And so I ask myself, do I need to shrink, or expand? Is it time for mourning, or rejoicing? And again, it’s both, but it does indeed need to be both. Different streams of Christianity seem to emphasize one over the other - some focus so much on sin that they are constantly miserable - some only do “praise and worship” and focus on the bright side. Both are needed; both confession, and celebration. What do you need today? What would be best for your soul, and for the glory of God? Ask the Lord to direct you.

Mark 2:13-17 Unexpected Members

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 2:13-17 Unexpected Members

Overheard at Thanksgiving, someone mentioned talking to a couple of old men on separate occasions. They looked like retired, small-town farmers, still wearing their overalls. And they had money. Who would have known they were millionaires? I guess selling farmland is a good gig if you can get it.

But these men were, come to find out, unexpected members of the millionaires club. Why unexpected? Because they looked just like the guys scraping by on their social security checks.

This passage, Mark 2:13-17, also contains “unexpected members.” It may have something to do with money, since tax collectors had too much of “my” money and yours, especially under the system in far-off lands in the days of the Roman Empire. But they were not unexpected members of a rich club, but rather unexpected members of “the Jesus Circle.” What in the world are they doing here?

Jesus’ command to Levi, the tax collector, was just like his command to the fishermen: “Follow me.” And he did, leaving everything behind. He immediately invited Jesus to his house, along with, we assume, the other disciples. The house was filled with Levi’s friends, also tax collectors. The text says that “there were many of them, and they were following Him.” This is not what we would have expected. It should have been the religious, the Biblically educated, who flocked to and followed after Jesus. But it was the opposite. Jesus’ Circle is filled with unexpected members.

Do you regard yourself as an “unexpected member” of Jesus’ circle? Or, do you silently think, “Well, of course I’m a part of that circle. After all, I’m …”  And how would you finish that sentence? Because you are an American? Because you are a Baptist (or, some other)? Because you were raised in a Christian home? Because you give money or do nice things for people? We should be very careful, because there will be many American Baptists (or some other) raised in Christian homes who give money and do nice things who, unexpectedly, are not and will not be part of Jesus’ Circle.

That any one of us is saved by grace is and must be, from our own point of view, unexpected. We do not deserve it. We cannot earn it. God’s grace does not honor pedigree or play favorites. He delights in the salvation of Zacchaeus, and Levi, and perhaps .. unexpectedly, you. Unexpected members.

Mark 2:1-12 Faith is in the Air

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 2:1-12 Faith is in the Air

Capernaum is one of the neighboring towns, a fishing village. Jesus travels there to teach and minister, and, not surprisingly, he draws a crowd. Meeting in a house, some men, desperate to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus, carry him on a cot. Finding their access to Jesus blocked by the crowds, they go to the roof and remove the roofing materials so that they can lower their friend to Jesus.

Mark 2:3–5 “And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.””

This, of course, is totally inappropriate. I don’t know who the house belonged to, but if it was your house, how would you have felt about it being dismantled? And I cannot think of a kind of building material that, if you start taking it apart above, it fail to rain down all manner of dust, chunks, debris, etc. It had to make a mess of Jesus’ teaching session. Who did these people think they were? It seems rude and impertinent.

But Jesus called it faith. This subject of faith unsettles me. I wish I could define it better. I wish it made better sense to me. It’s not that faith is unreasonable or nonsensical - but it doesn’t fit well in one of my mental boxes. 

We emphasize personal faith. In this instanced the paralyzed man was healed due to the faith of his friends: “And Jesus seeing their faith ..” Now “their” could include all 5 members of the group, but it was the 4 who did the dirty work, getting the man to Jesus. But we say, “you cannot be saved by your parents’ faith,” etc., - it requires personal faith. But Jesus forgives the sins of the paralytic because of the faith of the friends, or the faith of the group.

And so the title, “Faith is in the Air.” Faith may not fit in a box, but it seems as though Jesus is delighted to work when “faith is in the air.” I do not want to say that, in the face of unbelief, Jesus’ hands are tied. Some could argue that. But God has so ordered that He is pleased to move in conjunction with faith, and is not so pleased to work in salvation and healing in its absence.

As you can read in this story, “faith” is not all that is the air. There is also stubbornness and resistance. The scribes were “reasoning in their hearts,” judging Jesus and finding fault with His words and His works. Their reasonings were not full of faith, but rather of unbelief. Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” They might allow Jesus to heal his body. Just don’t speak to his soul. But Jesus is Lord of both.

So does my “reasoning” overrule my “faith”? Does my penchant for making sure people follow rules keep me from faith-ful ventures that would be called daring and risky, or rude and impertinent - in order to get close to Jesus, to invite His interference and engagement in my life. 

Do you think, at the end of the day, those men regretted acting in faith? And do you think you may regret it, as your days grow old, that you did not?

Mark 1:32-45 Cleansing Touch

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 1:32-45 Cleansing Touch

We are given a summary of Jesus’ ministry in a concentrated space for a concentrated period of time. He ministers to scores of people, healing and casting out evil spirits. Men, women, children - all kinds of people come flooding to Him from the surrounding areas. The news of it must have spread like wildfire. 

And so it is surprising that only one single encounter is mentioned in detail: that of Jesus and the man with leprosy.

Mark 1:40   And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” ⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 

When we were young, one of the things that our mothers taught us was to avoid touching unclean things. You can make your own list of prohibited touches. This probably did not apply to your situation, but if lepers had been in your area, you would surely have been told, don’t touch the lepers.

For the Jewish people of the 1st century, the prohibition of touching things unclean was even more severe. Not only did you risk contamination yourself,  - and that was bad enough - but it also would make you ceremonially unclean, and thus not able to participate in certain religious activities. Jesus, regarded as a rabbi, certainly knew this, but, regardless, he reached out and touched the leper anyway.

So how does this normally work? Let’s say you have really, really clean hands. And then you go to the grocery store and push the shopping cart that has the last person’s nasty bacteria all over it. Surely your cleanliness cleanses the handle of the shopping cart, right? Do you leave it in better condition than it was before? Are you in better condition than you were before? Or let’s say you are perfectly healthy, and your friend comes down with the vomiting flu. So you give him a big kiss on the lips, right? Since your extra clean, absolutely healthy condition will heal theirs? Well, that’s all foolishness. It kind of makes me sick just to think about it.

So do we get the wonder of this, that somehow, Jesus, the Clean One, touches the leper, the unclean one - and somehow, the cleanness of the Clean One overwhelms the contamination of the unclean one? Contrary to all of nature, Jesus’ Person; Jesus’ touch; cleanses the unclean.

And further, what we find in this amazing story - this story alone of all the other stories that could have been told on this day in this place - is that Jesus was willing, and able, to do what no other person would, or could, do - to extend the cleansing touch. And he offers that touch to you and me as well.

Mark 1:29-31 Saved to Serve

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 1:29-31 Saved to Serve

Mark 1:29   And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰ Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. ³¹ And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew lived in the same house, it seems, along with Peter’s wife’s mother. Fishing buddies James and John came as well. It may be that they were frequent visitors. But the special guest was Jesus. He was the reason they were leaving their vocation, which would seriously affect the financial support of the household. In addition to this, all was not well at home. Peter’s mother-in-law was ill. It seems as though several were not able to fulfill their “normal” calling.

The text says Jesus “came” and “raised.” On the most common level, it means he showed up at her house (came) and took her hand and lifted her off the couch (raised). But at a larger level, Jesus’ “coming” involves his entrance into the world for the sake of people just like her, and his “raising” speaks of more than mere relief from a fever. “Raising” points one to the resurrection, and to the hope of eternal life, not only for Jesus, but also for all those who believe in Him.

So when Jesus “came” and “raised” her, yes, it certainly involved her healing, but also signifies that her life is changed at a deeper level as well. And a signal of that deeper change is a sign that should mark every believer in some way: we are saved to serve: “she waited on them.”

If we were not saved to serve, then Jesus might as well translate us to heaven immediately upon conversion. But He clearly does not. He leaves us here for a reason. Loving service. And this lady, and all believers, get right to it. So, let’s serve lovingly.

Mark 1:21-28 A Teaching for Teachers

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 1:21-28 A Teaching for Teachers

Mark 1:21   They *went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. ²² They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, ²⁴ saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are — the Holy One of God!” ²⁵ And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” ²⁶ Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. ²⁷ They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” ²⁸ Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.

Jesus taught not like the teachers. Perhaps this is a teaching for teachers.

The scribes would teach the people from the Law. They would rehearse the opinions of this rabbi and another. They would delineate the “if, then’s” of how this would apply (or not apply) in all kinds of special situations. But Jesus taught “as one having authority.” He taught as though He were were speaking for God; as though He knew the Word of God and thus the will of God. He was Lord, not only of the Sabbath, but Lord of the lesson. He is Lord of the commentaries, and the 15 views on divorce or end times. And He was able to put those things aside, and simply speak the truth.

Now teachers today are not Jesus, and we should not be confused about that. Jesus was and is the Son of God. We are not. But we are charged to speak the truth of God as ambassadors - giving the message with authority and not merely discussing interpretations and theories. What does God say? Say it.

Somehow in this synagogue they went and let in “a man with an unclean spirit.” Someone wasn’t doing their job. Though we might have to admit that this may be the case in every single congregation with which you have ever worshipped. The point here is that the spirit knew who Jesus was: “the Holy One of God.” Here is a second point of application for teachers: when you speak, do people know who Jesus is? Is His identity unmistakeable? There seems to be something seriously wrong if the demons get it, and the people who come to worship leave confused. We are not to be found merely talking about social justice and good works and a good man who said interesting things. This is Jesus. He is like no other. He stands alone, above all else. Is that clear?

And then the power. Again, we are not miracle-workers, and yet, His Word is to be attended with power. We may not cast out unclean spirits, but we should witness the Word changing lives. If the power of the Word is missing, then we should be on our knees seeking God’s help (as we should be in any case). It would seem that somehow the iron has been mixed with clay; that the gold is in need of being tried by fire so that it can be purified. We can be sure there is nothing wrong with the Word. God help the messenger; protect his life and his tongue. God help the congregation; open their hearts and minds. Let your Word ring true and clear.

Mark 1:16-20 First Disciples

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 1:16-20 First Disciples

Mark 1:16   As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” ¹⁸ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. ¹⁹ Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. ²⁰ Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.

This devotional series is entitled “First Things.” Mark, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, clearly presents Jesus as the First Thing, the First Person. Our text today shows that the First Disciples thought Jesus was indeed the First Person.

Jesus is in Galilee by the sea. He comes upon two fishermen, brothers, Simon and Andrew. Jesus calls them, and they follow. They come then to another set of brothers, James and John, and they likewise are called, and they follow.

Think of it. Imagine it were you. You are sitting in class, or working your job, or walking down the street. A man, a stranger steps up to you and says, “Follow me, and I will change your life.” That’s not exactly what Jesus said, but “fishers of men” would not mean much to today’s man or woman on the street. But it was clear that he was dictating in such a way as to drastically change the trajectories of their lives - even more than they presently knew.

Leave what you are doing behind. You have no idea what is ahead, but leave what you know behind. Responsibilities will be altered. Relationships will be changed. Interests and passions will be replaced. Your planned future will be completely reoriented. Ready? Follow me.

This is as good a time as any to comment on one of Mark’s key words: immediately. It’s used twice in these five verses. It is used of both sets of brothers, in their responses to Jesus. They left their nets. James and John left their father. They left their boats. They followed Jesus.

It makes me wonder about our slow responses to Jesus. We think about following him, maybe a little here, a little there. Change is welcomed gradually, very gradually. But that’s not what Mark sees. He sees that the first disciples were disciples immediately. Commitment to Jesus is a First Thing.

Guilty of the Highest Ingratitude

Well, this title has a ring to it: guilty of the highest ingratitude. It comes from a phrase in John Owen, speaking of the gift of prayer, and then that gift’s neglect by those to whom it is given. I suspect it applies to many other things as well.

We are approaching within days the best (in my opinion) of our American holidays: Thanksgiving. There is no golden era of history where everything was done well, and no historical figure, other than Jesus, who cannot be faulted. But the preparation for winter by that fragile fellowship of pilgrims on our Atlantic coast, their celebration of provisions given by God’s goodness, and the kindnesses shown by native Americans who must have wondered about the nature and intentions of these recent arrivals to their lands - these things make up a fitting narrative suitable to be institutionalized as a national holiday: Thanksgiving. And now, as the descendants and beneficiaries of these events, whether directly or indirectly, is it possible that we could be guilty of the highest ingratitude?

A young person can go to university and get “educated” on the evils of our history and system. They can be mobilized to seek to destroy established institutions, one of which is the network of colleges and universities, one of which is where they currently study and party; and then to condemn the system which allowed their parents to have the kinds of jobs and incomes that could pay for this college experience, plus the plane ticket to fly home for .. Thanksgiving - they can attempt to cut off the very branch on which their nest is built - and it seems that they would then be guilty of the highest ingratitude.

But I only use a younger generation to illustrate what is true of many of us on many occasions, that we ourselves fail to appreciate how the providence of God has given us so many shoulders on which we stand - and we then criticize and denigrate. But when we do so, we are demeaning not only the evils of and failures of man, which are many, but also the amazing and comprehensive grace of God that has afforded us blessings of health and wealth and security and satisfaction.

Our sweetest American carole (in my opinion) contains the phrase “God shed His grace on thee.” How has He done so? With every freedom that you enjoy. With every pleasure that lifts your spirit. With every help with which you are assisted. With every encouragement. With every expression of thanksgiving.

Mark 1:14-15 What is God’s ETA?

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 1:14-15 What is God’s ETA?

Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

We suppose we are safe from long-term consequences. And, at the same time, we gripe about delayed solutions to inconvenient problems. Which do we want - things right now, or out there in the foggy future?

Jesus shows up in Galilee, in fulfillment of the promises of God, and announcing the nearness of the kingdom. What has been awaited has finally come. Or, is it that what has been avoided has finally arrived? I guess it depends on one’s perspective.

If I have an intruder in my home, and I call the police, I anxiously wait for their arrival, and am quite impatient until they get there. If, on the other hand, I myself am the intruder, I want them to have time to make my get-away, and am jealous for every extra minute.

Jesus coming, based on Old Testament promises (which often come across as very foreboding - we might call them threats), if a coming in both judgment and salvation. If you fear judgment, you would like to delay His appearing. If you are anxious for salvation, you say, along with Scripture, “Maranatha,” (Come quickly). 

Not surprisingly, the Book of Revelation highlights this difference. The world is divided into two basic groups of people: those who are faithful followers of Jesus; and those who reject and oppose him. The latter group is shocked when He comes in judgment. They supposed it would be (much) later. The former group has been waiting anxiously. Final statements in the book highlight that His coming is imminent: “I am coming quickly.”

So Jesus’ statement which took place at the beginning of His public ministry in what we now know as His first coming - that statement about fulfillment and nearness - preaches loudly and clearly to us that it is time, now, to decide where you will stand. Will you pledge your life to the One who died to give you life? Or will you continue to live as a rebel to His will, and to His goodness, and to His grace. It’s time to decide, right now.

Mark 1:12 Don’t confuse the Wilderness with the Garden

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 1:12 Don’t confuse the Wilderness with the Garden

Mark 1:12   Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. ¹³ And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.

God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden. It was great, perfect. They were in harmony with creation, and at peace with God.  He walked with them in the Garden, and the Son was there. In fact, many students of the Bible believe that it is the Son Himself who is the representative of the Trinity who is walking with His creation in the Garden - 

“and he walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”

But man and woman followed the serpent’s lead, they sinned against God, and they were expelled from the Garden. Perhaps they were thrust from the Garden by the Spirit, into the wilderness. If so, it would certainly parallel what we find in our verses: “Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness.” God sent Jesus at this point not into the Garden, but the wilderness.

The wilderness is an unfriendly place. No fruit on the trees. Why not? No trees. Wild animals; not pets. And the Enemy, Satan himself, bent on bending Jesus from His mission.

Why was Jesus sent to the wilderness? So that he could identify with Garden-expelled wilderness-dwellers like you and me. We may have feathered our nests, but spiritually speaking, we are described as “having no hope and without God in the world.” We live in danger of being eaten alive and led astray.

But Jesus, our Captain, leads the way. He is resolute; face like a flint; unmoved by Satan’s temptations. He is as safe with the wild animals as was Daniel with the lions; as secure in the guardianship of angels as Elijah in his wilderness.

Yes, our world is a spiritual wilderness. But Jesus has already been here, and we will make it through if we follow His lead, sticking close, resisting hell’s call; leaning on heaven’s care. 

Mark 1:11 With Whom is God Well-Pleased?

Quite naturally, we view the world through our own eyes. In doing so, the panorama in our heads revolves around - me; around - us. Quite naturally, I’m at the center of my world.

But we are not to think naturally. We are to think spiritually. Our eyes do not provide the perspective that is most important, much less most accurate. It is as we depend on God’s Word that we find the proper perspective. Here we find that the world, the universe - heavens and earth - revolve around God. And this world, as we know it, revolves around Jesus. How do we know this? Let’s read our text.

Mark 1:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; ¹¹ and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

John is out there baptizing at the river, and here comes Jesus. As you remember, John is inviting people to a baptism of repentance, a preparatory act confessing that things are not as they should be - that I am not as I should be - and I am humbled even as I await God’s arrival.

And here comes Jesus, wanting to be baptized. John says, “No, not you. You don’t need this.” But Jesus says, “Yes, I don’t; but you (all) do. I’m doing this for you.” And so, Jesus is baptized, identifying with a people who desperately need salvation, though they don’t know how it will come about. And yet, it is coming about even as they dry the river off themselves.

The remarkable thing in this passage is the voice from heaven. We don’t hear these voices often. Like, never. But here, on this day, at this place, Jesus is baptized, and there is a voice from heaven. “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

Quite naturally, when I am pleased with myself, I assume that God also is pleased with me. Likewise, at those moments when I am disgusted with myself, I assume that God also is disgusted with me. It is my natural view of the world through my own eyes and feelings.

But spiritually, Scripturally, we find here that the pleasure of God is found in one Person only - “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” God’s Pleasure is found in Jesus alone. If you and I are ever going to experience the good pleasure of God, it will be because we are found in Him; in relationship with Jesus. To go back to our devotion title, Jesus is the First Thing, the First Person, the only One with whom God is well-pleased. But from faith of (and in) Jesus, He is delighted to share that pleasure with us, regardless if our day is excellent, or crummy. 

Not-So-Reality TV

I have suggested to Jane that we may not know as much about Chip and Joanna as we think. Their names may not actually be Chip and Joanna; they may not actually be married; he may know nothing about carpentry. How could this be possible? Because all we know, we gather from the far side of a TV camera, or on the outside of a glossy magazine looking in. We know what we think we know through a very heavy filter - a filter that is actually designed to alter reality. 

Were Ward and June Cleaver married? (You have to be pretty old to get this one.) Of course they were. Well, no, not really, since Ward’s “real” name was Hugh Beaumont, and June’s “real” name was Barbara Billingsley. They “played” a married couple, but they were not, in fact, married to each other. But they seemed so, on screen.

We should know this about all sorts of “famous” people that we know only through a screen: we don’t really know them. This applies to media figures; sports figures, political figures, and TV preachers. We may think we know some details through gossip columns (which these days, is most all news). What could go wrong there? And these people, being “famous,” whatever that means, have acquired expertise in shaping and maintaining the image that they desire. We know what they want us to know, or what the industry wants us to know.

But we do not know God through a camera. He is the invisible God, and no image can capture His majesty (thus the 2nd commandment, “Thou shall not make for yourself an idol.” He has revealed Himself indirectly through creation, and thus we can know certain things about Him, but only certain things. But that we might know Him personally, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the “Word made flesh,” “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,” “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.” It was God’s plan that we might know Him personally in this way: “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that we cannot know personally and accurately two people in Texas who decorate homes, or an athlete in Los Angeles who dunks basketballs, or a politician in Washington who tweets a lot? We cannot know them - but we can know God. Because He wants us to know Him; to really know Him.

(1:4) Would You have been Baptized?

Mark 1:4 “John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Here’s the question that I have for you: if you lived there (Judea) at that time (in the days of John the Baptist), would you have gone out to the river and been baptized?

Let’s start here: John was kind of weird. His diet was weird (locusts and wild honey). His clothes were weird (camel hair and leather belt). His message was weird (“Prepare for the coming of the Lord.” “Confess your sins.”)

For a person at that time to go to John the Baptist was to step outside the normal flow of life. It was to step away from the established, accepted patterns of piety. It was to admit something was lacking. Something was wrong. 

If God was coming (how that would happen, people did not know), they somehow knew that they were not ready. Preparations should be made, but they didn’t know what, or how. John gave them a way, a weird way. Come on out to the river, confess your sins, and be baptized. 

This was not a baptism for babies. I doubt a single baby confessed his sins and got wet. It was for young people and adults who knew that things weren’t right. It was a pro-spective baptism, not retro-spective. You were identifying with a group of people who were preparing for the coming of God, and who knew they needed washing. I doubt that anyone thought the waters of the Jordan River would do the trick. They were merely admitting their need of a deeper, better cleansing - something that only God could do - and they wanted to be ready.

So would you have been baptized? You would go out there, and in front of this crowd of people, however many, whoever they were, you would confess your sins. Perhaps some people said, “I’m a sinner.” Perhaps some actually named their sins. Would you have done that? Would you have said, “The current system is not working. It’s time to follow the voice in the wilderness.”?

It’s as if the whole world is in line, marching single-file to hell. Everybody’s doing it. It must be right. But you know that something isn’t right. Something’s wrong, with the system; with other people; with me. Something’s definitely wrong, and I’m not ready for God’s arrival.

Are you convinced enough to step out of line, and to go to the Jordan? Would you have been baptized?

(1:1) First Things - “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

(1:1) First Things - “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

When Mark says, “The Beginning,” he means that this is the First Thing; the Most Important Thing. And so here we begin. Is this the First Thing in my life, and in your life?

There are many things that are important in your life: where you were born; when you were born; what happened or didn’t happen to you after you were born. Mark says that none of these things are the First Thing. The First Thing is, Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Jesus is His earthly name. The eternal Son of God was not named Jesus until He was born of Mary as a baby. He was named Jesus, according to the angel’s instruction, and He will forevermore be known as Jesus. But He was not known as Jesus before then. So, have you come to know this Jesus who was born into this world, and is He your First Thing?

Christ is His office. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One, Appointed to do what no other man could do. And He does what no other man could do because He is not a mere man. He is also God, the eternal Son of God. But as Messiah, or Christ, He is the pivot point of all history, the fulcrum, the crux, the intersection. He is the One who is the key to your life and identity, and therefore, He must be your First Thing.

He is the eternal Son of God. He always was, and always will be. Our Triune God is One God, yet three Persons, always in fellowship, never in competition, accomplishing One Will and purpose, having different roles. He was and is involved in creation, and He was and is involved in redemption. He is the One, the only One, who can introduce you to the Father, and so He deserves to be, and must be, your First Thing.

We tend to treat Jesus like a charm on a bracelet. The bracelet is populated by any number of precious and sentimental things. And Jesus, or maybe His cross, is one of the above. Not the First Thing, but one of many things. Mark says this is wrong. If Jesus is to be Savior, your Savior, then He must be your First Thing. This is not like investing. When it comes to Saviors, you don’t diversify so that you only lose a little. It’s all or nothing, First Thing or No-thing. 

If Jesus is Your First Thing, then your looks are not; your popularity is not; your successes are not, and neither are your failures; your skin color is not, nor is how you like to think of yourself. Your nationality or politics is not your First Thing. It can’t be, if Jesus is your First Thing. 

And so if you and I are ready to agree with Mark in what he says right here in God’s Word, that Jesus Christ the Son of God is the First Thing, the Most Important Thing, then let’s agree together that none of these other things will act as rivals in our hearts, minds, words, or actions to Jesus, my First Thing.

Squirming through Life

Jane and I listened to a podcast as we were riding in car. It was the account of a young man who has suffered much from his addictions, and from the harm that his behaviors have done to others. He seems to have emerged from this life to begin anew. I hope this is true, and I pray for him. But one phrase caught my attention. He said that, in the midst of the struggle, you are just “squirming through life.” I  wonder how many people feel that way.

The picture that comes to my mind is what you see on the sidewalk after a heavy rain. There are the earthworms, driven, I suppose, from their wormholes by the influx of water, now in an unfriendly environment, squirming on the concrete. As the sun comes out, many of them don’t find their way back again, and they die and dry, to be blown off by the breeze or swept by the broom. I wonder how many people feel that way.

The much talked-about book “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D.Vance chronicles the travels and interviews of this author as he sought out those who had been left behind by change and progress in our society. These communities are opioid friendly, but certainly not friendly to family and education and, - hope. The people he describes and photographs, hanging out in MacDonald’s, hoping for a place to charge a cellphone, pushing their kids around in stray shopping carts - these people, we could say, are squirming through life. I wonder how many people feel that way.

God in His grace does not leave people to squirm through life. Ezekiel 16 mentions the abandoned, new-born baby, squirming in its own (or its mother’s) blood. But He does not wait and watch to see if it survives. God reaches out. He cleans us and clothes us. He provides and protects. He adorns us and gives us a new identity. In fact, as the story goes, He marries us. He enters into covenant relationship with us. He favors us with his love and affection. He graces us.

This vile world is not “a friend to grace.” Some people have learned to ride the wave and work the system. Some of those same people will be bucked off. Others are simply ground down, merely surviving, squirming. Don’t put your hope in this world. Reach out to God in Christ, because He has already reached out to you in love and sacrifice. Let Him lift you up. Accept the life that he offers - not a life defined by squirming, but one defined by “life, and rest, and joy, and peace.” 

The Valley of Trouble

Different countries have meaningful locations. To those who live elsewhere, those place names hold no significance. For instance, Gettysburg means (or, should mean) quite a bit to someone in the United States. I would not expect someone in China to care so much. Likewise, most places in China, I can’t even pronounce, let alone know what meaningful things happened there.For Israel, Achor is one of those places. To the Bible reader who spends most of his or her time in the New Testament, that reference may be obscure. But it’s not.

Do you remember the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho, when “the walls came a-tumblin’ down?” The aftermath of that story has to do with a man named Achan who violated the solemn restriction placed on all the plunder from the destruction of that city. All the plunder was to be devoted to God. Take nothing for yourselves. Israel’s army soon after suffered defeat, and in the search for the cause, Achan was caught with the goods. He and his family, his tent, and the stolen goods were stoned with stones in the Valley of Achor, and then burned with fire. Under God’s direction, Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” The Hebrew word “Achor” means “Trouble.” 

Nearly everyone has experienced trouble. Perhaps it was trouble of your own making. We all make mistakes. Many travel sideways paths. But there is also trouble that comes through no fault of our own. We lived in a troubled world, and in this troubled world, we will experience trouble. But the story of Achor does not end here.

Way over in the prophet Hosea, serving under the last kings of the northern kingdom (Israel) and the latter days of the southern kingdom (Judah), we find that Hosea’s message is heavy with trouble. And yet, in the midst of that trouble, there is hope. I’ve underlined this phrase in my Bible: “And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.”  The text indicates that God would restore His people to a time and a place of sweet fellowship and blessing once again. Trouble need not be the last word. God can make the Valley Achor a door of hope.

I would like to suggest to you that this door of hope has a name: Jesus. It’s in a distant text, but I would draw a straight line in my Bible from Hosea to John, where Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep."