Mark 8:27-38 Someone Special, or Unique?

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 8:27-38  Someone Special, or Unique?

Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” A variety of answers are given. All of these answers indicate that people recognize in Jesus something special. He is wiser, more powerful, more mysterious. The answers they provide sound like guesses. Jesus goes a step further and asks, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter, unsurprisingly, the first to answer, says, “You are the Christ.”

“Christ” is not Jesus’ last name. It is an office, or title. It denotes His role and authority before God. The Greek word, from which we get “Christ,” is parallel to the word “Messiah,” which is borrowed from the Hebrew language of the Old Testament. Both these words mean that Jesus is anointed as the official representative of God to fulfill His promises to His people. He is authorized to speak God’s words and do God’s works. He is charged to act as an intermediary for God’s people in such a way, that He will bear their sins and lead them to God. He alone can do this. No one else can.

Peter, therefore, gives a very different answer than do other people who seem to be guessing. They say that Jesus is special. Peter says that Jesus is unique. Others say that Jesus is slightly, or significantly better than others. Peter says that Jesus is in a class of His own. As there can be no other God than the one, true God, there can be no other Christ, no other Messiah than this one, this Jesus.

We admire Peter’s perception, then, when he makes this great statement. And we regret his next move, as the Messiah, the Christ - the official representative of God who lonely speaks God’s truth - as Jesus says that it is a divine necessity and He suffer and die. Peter rebukes Jesus. Yes, that’s right, Peter, a mere man, rebukes the Christ. And anything, anyone who stands in the way of God’s Anointed must be allied, not with God, but with the devil. And so Jesus rightly says, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

What an amazing statement! As Jesus speaks for God, Jesus now makes clear that Peter is a stand-in, in this moment, with these words, for Satan, the adversary of God. But as abrupt as these words sound, we find that they may have application to our own lives as well, because standing on Satan’s side of the line rather than God’s is also described as “setting your mind on man’s interests as opposed to God’s interests.”

And how often do you and I do that - look at things, evaluate things, choose things, according to man’s interests rather than God’s interests? When I am slighted, do I interpret from God’s perspective, or from the perspective of my own hurt feelings? When I am presented with a potential opportunity, do I evaluate it from my own personal interests (more money? more pleasure?), or from God’s interests?

Jesus lived and responded in each moment with God’s interests in the foreground of His heart and mind. As followers of Jesus, we need to learn to do the same, and the next paragraph shows that this will only happen as we put  into practice “denying self, taking up our cross, and following Jesus.” Peter did well in one moment, and messed up royally in the next. Perhaps we can identify.

Walking with God and Blamelessness

One of the highest privileges of the Christian on this earth is to walk with God. It involves a relationship with the King of the Universe, and that relationship is impossible without special revelation, that is, without God specifically making known, outside of natural means, that the relationship is possible, and what are the terms.

It was a privilege that Adam and Eve enjoyed in the “nature” of things. That is, God, their Creator, walked with them in the natural order, in the Garden. And their was no hindrance to that relationship, no interruption, until Adam and Eve sinned. They broke God’s command, and the relationship was immediately changed. Fellowship turned to fear. Communion turned to curse. They were banished from the Garden, and “walking with God” would be re-defined.

“Walking with God” was altered, but not done away with. Just a few chapters later, we find Enoch, “seventh from Adam,” was known for walking with God. And he was rewarded by having his “walk with God” uninterrupted even by death. He “was taken,” without death, directly to God’s presence. Noah also “walked with God,” and it says that he was blameless. I do not believe that it squares with Scripture to say that his blamelessness earned him the privilege of walking with God. What I think we learn, and what Scripture supports, is that walking blamelessly and walking with God go together. They are complementary terms, and to think that we can have no regard for blamelessness and yet walk with God is not complementary, but rather contradictory.

God met with Abraham, and He said, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless” (Gen 17:1). The phrase, “walk before Me,” is a little different from “walk with God,” though I think they are very close. And so what we have in this verse are these two ideas tied together: 1) walking with God, and 2) blamelessness. 

So what does it mean to live a blameless life? I would encourage you to read Psalm 101, which I call “the blameless psalm.” The word “blameless” shows up specifically in vv. 2,6, though the whole Psalm outlines how the king “cleans house” and establishes blamelessness for his life and household. (This article is the outline from this past Wednesday night study, called “What Does it Mean to Walk with God?” We meet next on Wednesday, January 29, and you are invited.)

Mark 8:1-26 Like Trees Walking

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 8:1-26  Like Trees Walking

There is much that could and should claim our attention in this section. It is interesting that Jesus performs a miracle that He has already performed, and that it is repeated in the text, almost like He wants us to notice. And He does. In the first, He ministers to Jewish people in the countryside (12 baskets left over, get it? twelve tribes?). In the second, He is in “mixed” territory, and yet here as well, He is moved with compassion. Notice: Jesus’ love and compassion knows no bounds. Does yours and mine?

But then is confronted by the Pharisees, who are demanding a “sign” that shows that Jesus is properly authorized to do these things. And yet, we have witnessed miracle after miracle, sign after sign, that no one else can do, testifying to the fact that Jesus is no ordinary man, and He does the things that only God can do.

So then the disciples begin “discussing” about who forgot to bring bread. Because that’s a big problem. How in the world are they going to eat if someone doesn’t bring bread? It’s almost as though those “signs” were totally missed by the guys carrying baskets.

And then, a step further, Jesus warns them about leaven - the leaven of the Pharisees. They think He is talking about bread, but He’s not. He is talking about something, like leaven, that is contagious, and thus becomes captivatingly pervasive. Leaven does that in bread, and the bread is forever changed. And the Pharisees’ unbelief is like that. It spreads like a virus, and it binds people in an eternal condition from which they will not escape.

Guess what also is pervasive: arguing and complaining about dumb stuff. That is what the disciples were doing - blaming each other for not bringing the bread. The text says, “discussing,” but that’s what parents say to their children when the children ask why they are arguing. They say, “We’re not arguing, we’re just discussing.” But the kids aren’t stupid. They know the truth. And so does Jesus. The disciples were adopting an attitude, a mindset which would be contagious and captivating, and they needed to see the bigger picture: they were in the presence of Jesus, and bread, or lack of bread is not the point, nor the problem.

Finally, Jesus meets a man who is blind. Jesus  is again physically involved in the healing of this man, as in other cases, and the miracle is performed, but not completely. “What do you see?” The man says, “I see men like trees, walking.” He could see, but not really. Just like the disciples. Did they get it? Yes, but not really. Did they realize who Jesus was? Yes, but no. And what about us? Do we realize the difference that is made in our lives and in the world by the Person and Work of Christ, and do we walk in the light of that difference? Yes, we can see it clearly, like trees walking. Praise the Lord, Jesus is still working on us.

Mark 7:31-37 He Does All Things Well

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 7:31-37  He Does All Things Well

Mark 7:31   Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. ³² They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. ³³ Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; ³⁴ and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He *said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” ³⁵ And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. ³⁶ And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. ³⁷ They were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Even today, after all these years, and with all of our scientific and medical progress, we still have tremendous limitations when it comes to our eyes, and ears; with our nerves and our brains. There are so many areas where the medical community is offering its best guess.

Jesus has moved from the last setting, in which He healed the the daughter of the woman who was not an Israelite. Now Jesus has moved back to the region of Galilee. The Decapolis, or “Ten Cities,” is a largely Gentile region on the east side of the sea. Here he is introduced to this man, deaf and largely mute. Jesus is moved with compassion, and gets personally involved with this man. He puts His fingers in His ears, and spits on His fingers and places the saliva on His tongue. This is in sharp contrast to several miracles (not all) where Jesus heals by the speaking of a word. But here, there is much more intimacy. 

Jesus, as we have said before, is Jewish. The lineage is made clear in both Matthew and Luke. Salvation comes to the Gentile people through the Jews. The apostles took the message of Jesus and shared it beyond, way beyond the borders of Israel. But the first messengers were in fact Jewish. They were following in the steps of Jesus.

Jesus, in touching this unclean man - fingers in ears, touching his tongue - this would make Jesus ceremonially unclean. But Jesus desire to be involved with this man made it worth it. We have no such concerns about ceremonial uncleanness, and yet we are worried about germs and diseases. In such a case, we are not just like Jesus.

Mark 7:24-30 Jesus Deals Under the Table

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 7:24-30 Jesus Deals Under the Table

Mark 7:24   Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. ²⁵ But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. ²⁶ Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷ And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁸ But she answered and *said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” ²⁹ And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” ³⁰ And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.

This passage almost seems offensive. Jesus is Jewish. The woman is from up north. We could say that she is Syrian. He is there to serve “the children,” that is, the Jews, God’s chosen people. She’s an outsider. But she desperately wants to be served. Her daughter is demon-stricken. She keeps asking, over and over, for help. Would Jesus help someone outside His own people?

Let’s keep some perspective here? Jesus had traveled northwest to Tyre, and so the woman was in her home territory. I assume Jesus was there, not to minister to Syrians, but to Jews who had scattered that direction. But there is even bigger perspective. Jesus had not only traveled to Tyre; He had traveled to earth. His starting point was not primarily Galilee. His starting point was heaven. Jesus didn’t need to come at all - to Israel, or to Tyre. Every minute and every moment of Jesus’ earthly ministry was absolute mercy. We are in tough territory if we start asking why He didn’t do more.

But one of the lessons of this passage is the the woman kept asking. I believe that it is presented here as model for how we should seek Jesus. We could ask once, get uppity and say Jesus wasn’t responsive, and go our own way. But that would not be the kind of faith that is exemplified here. But then Jesus pushes it even further.

“Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” Jesus says. Jesus is making an obvious distinction between peoples; between children, and dogs. And if I understand the culture right, children were regarded as a gift of God, and dogs were not highly valued family pets, but were mere scavengers, more like rats or raccoons.

The lady responds, and there is no apparent offense in her reply: “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” She maintains the distinction, perhaps realizing that Jesus, true to His mission, has been sent to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” among whom she is not numbered. But then, as if to say, “Is it possible that there would be just a little bit left over for me, for my daughter?” And, Jesus responds: “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

Jesus speaks, and it is done. The demon is driven from the daughter, even though we are not there to see it. Jesus speaks, and the woman is done. She takes Jesus at His word, and I do not believe that she is the least bit surprised when she gets home and finds her daughter well. 

There are other instances of Jesus reaching beyond the people of Israel in His earthly ministry. And then, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, the apostles are led in full measure to the Gentiles. Jesus’ priority of mission to the Jews was critical to the fulfillment of God’s plan. But He left some bread crumbs along the way, so that the Gospel would find its way to all nations and peoples; so that Jesus would indeed be “the Savior of the world.”      

Responsible Individualism vs. Radical Autonomy

I am in awe of what it took to build this country. Whether one looks at the transportation system, with its roads, bridges, and railroads; or its energy system, delivering electric and gas through pipes and lines to the most remote of places; or the building of cities with their underground infrastructures or tall buildings - all of these, and more, speak to a lot of men and women working very hard. They worked as teams, and yet they worked as individuals, responsibly supporting their families and building their dreams.

I think that there is a responsible individualism present in the Bible. Certainly, the Christian life is born not out of our works, as responsible as we might try to be. It is the finished work of Christ that is our hope and salvation. And yet, we are responsible, as individuals, for the decisions and choices that we make. No one is saved because their parents were, and we cannot save our children. Each individual needs to hear the Gospel and respond.

But there is something else going on in our country these days. It seems that responsible individualism is being eclipsed by a surge of radical autonomy. What is the difference? I have described responsible individualism as not necessarily self-focused. Oh, there have always been selfish people. But an individual can harness his/her desires and make tough choices that are good for himself/herself without being selfish, or good for his/her family without being self-focused. But radical autonomy is a person who decides that he/she will decide for themselves, often in spite of family, what they are going to be, not by exercising commitment and hard work, but by merely declaring that “I can be whatever I want to be.” And so, they are demanding that historic marriage and gender definitions be altered to accommodate their notions. 

But there is a further angle to this. For the responsible individual, he/she might expect that the government could encourage their personal industry through common-sense regulation and provisions, but they did not rely on the government to make it happen. But now, with radical autonomy, these persons are declaring what they proclaim themselves to be, often contrary to nature and custom, and now, in this new environment, they are demanding that the government clear the way for them - that the government legislate their new, alternate lifestyle, and declare it hateful for anyone to disagree. This is a very dangerous world.

Mark 7:1-23 From the Inside Out

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 7:1-23 From the Inside Out

It’s flu season. Wash your hands. Wipe the handles. That’s how you protect from the flu. Until you get it. 

It’s Pharisee season. Wash your hands. You don’t want to be unclean. But you are. From the inside out.

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” (Mark 7:21–23 NAS95)

That’s the message of Jesus in this longer passage. The religious leaders are focusing on the outside in. Jesus is focusing on the inside out. He says that a hand scrub is not going to do it. It’s going to take a heart scrub. So how do you do that?

Hand washing is doable. Heart surgery, not so much. We cannot open our chests and cleanse our hearts. We cannot trim the ugly off it. It requires more than what we can do. Which is why self-salvation is impossible. We cannot cure our hearts. Only God can.

And so it seems that the Pharisees thought they could manage cleansing and acceptability before God in worship through a set of routines that they and their forefathers had established. Jesus steps on the scene and says that our first step is repentance - to agree with God about our sinfulness - and then to find in Jesus our only hope of receiving a new heart that is like His heart - clean.

And then, there is another point. All those ugly things that leak out of your life - those things that flood your mind or let loose from your mouth - where do they come from? We would like to have someone or something to blame. Is it the devil? Our parents? Our environment? Lack of discipline? No, it’s actually worse than that. It’s your heart. It’s the real you, not-yet-cured from sin. And so we are reminded, once again, that we need Jesus’ work from the inside out, re-fashioning our heart to be more like His. It is a process that has a beginning, but it will take time, a life-time, in which every moment is important and every battle is critical. 

Most of life as we encounter it from day to day operates from the outside in. But here, in this central issue of the kind of person that you are and will become, there is another kind of principle at work - the Jesus principle - in which He works on you from the inside out.

Mark 6:47-52 Your World is like a Boat

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 6:47-52 Your World is like a Boat

Mark 6:47   When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He *came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. ⁴⁹ But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; ⁵⁰ for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” ⁵¹ Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, ⁵² for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

There are couple different accounts of Jesus and his disciples and a boat. In one, Jesus is asleep in the boat, in the middle of a storm, and they wake him and he stills the storm. This one is different. Here, the disciples are alone in their boat, without Jesus, and then He appears from - where? - and he stills the storm. In either case, I think it can be useful for you to think about your life, your world, like a boat.

What you know and what you have some control of is in the boat. But that boat is in the midst of a large, wild, unpredictable sea. There are a few things over which you have control. There are much bigger issues that you don’t understand, and which you cannot control. Isn’t that quite a bit like life. We can’t control the economy. We can’t control the existence of wars, or diseases. We are often surprised at how events turn. We say, “We didn’t see that coming.”

In this particular account, the disciples are in desperation. And then all of a sudden they sense the presence of a mysterious figure. The strange thing is, they do not seem to even suspect that it might be Jesus. It seems as if, in their minds, Jesus is far away, and this is their own problem, to be solved by themselves. The fact that Jesus is not in the boat communicates to them that Jesus is not a solution to their immediate problem. And there we have it: your view of life, and the problems of your life, is like a boat - and it could be that you don’t see Jesus as part of the mix. That’s where we go wrong.

They thought He was a ghost. In our experience, I don’t think we go to the “ghost” theory often. That’s probably best. But, absent Jesus, for what do we grasp? I’ve seen so many situations where people facing problems go to the very worst sources of advice and help, often with disastrous results. Why not go to Jesus? He is readily available, whether we see Him or not. The problem seems to be that He is absent from our minds.

It is interesting to me that in several passages, faith is not mentioned at all. Jesus does miracles, not merely in relation to faith, but at times, in relation to no faith. The people aren’t ready. The people aren’t worthy (we’re never worthy, but faith makes it seem more likely), and yet Jesus acts anyway. He is Lord. 

He gets into the boat, and the wind stops. That’s it. It does not say here that He waves His arms or says anything. He is present. He is present in your boat, in your life, and He is able to still the storm, though He doesn’t guarantee that it will always be the case. But we know that He can. You and I need Jesus in our boat. You and I need Jesus in our life, in our world.

Mark 6:31-44 It’s Easy with Jesus

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 6:31-44 It’s Easy with Jesus

It’s going to happen. You heal a lot of people; more people are going to come. And come they did. They came to be healed. They came to hear Him preach. They came to be in His presence. And so there they were, out and away from homes and towns, and it was late in the day. Jesus had compassion on them. The were “like sheep without a shepherd.” The disciples wanted to send them away. Jesus wanted them to be fed.

“You feed them,” he says to his disciples. “Impossible,” they say to Him. “No money, no stores, it cannot be done.” “Go see what the people have,” He says to them. They go through the whole crowd, 5000 men plus women and children. This many people, and no one thought to bring food?! Finally, one boy, just one, is found with a lunch, enough for himself and perhaps a little to share, 5 loaves, and 2 fish. That’s it. Not enough.

Our title is, “It’s easy with Jesus,” and I suppose that it’s not completely true. The learning process is difficult. But the task at hand, not that hard. It’s easy, with Jesus. If the disciples had not allowed their consternation to rule their hearts, they could have watched to see how Jesus was going to do the impossible. It was in His hands all along, but they recognized it late. While they still supposed that it was in their hands, they found the responsibility to be miserable.

Don’t we do the same thing, over and over? Don’t we get knotted up about how things are going to get done, when, in the end, it’s going to be God that works it out? Why can’t we just follow along and enjoy the story as it plays out?

One danger with these questions is that we retreat into a kind of passivity where we say that we won’t be involved at all; where we suppose that we can be mere spectators. This was not Jesus’ plan for His disciples, and it is not His plan for us. They were called on to go and investigate the possibilities, though they could have done so without all the “impossibility thinking.” They were to survey the crowd to assess their ability to contribute, though they could have done so without despairing over such a bunch of people operating without a plan. No, they could have said to Jesus, “We’ve discovered that we have few resources available to us, whether to procure food, or to gather from the people. What do you suggest we do next.” And then Jesus would have said, as He in fact did say, “Have the people sit down.” And they would have actively obeyed, as they did, and then watched the most amazing thing happen - the feeding of a great crowd of people, out of almost nothing. And, for Jesus, it was easy.

I need to remember that today, and this week, and this year. It’s easy with Jesus. Jesus knows me, and you, that we tend toward self-sufficiency, which is hard, even impossible. He knows that we are slow to learn, and that the process of learning is slow and often painful. It’s hard. But He leads us to discover that, with Jesus, it’s easy.

Mark 6:7-30 Good and Evil

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 6:7-30 Good and Evil

In this passage, which begins and ends with the apostles’ mission, we find two things: that Jesus intends that His mission be extended through His followers; and that this mission, by Jesus Himself, and by His followers, will be opposed by evil in this world.

Jesus sends out his twelve disciples on a limited and unique mission. Their authority was unique, and is not a template for the future work of missions. And yet it does make clear that the mission of Jesus would continue on after the earthly life of Jesus, as made clear in the book of Acts. 

But it is the action of Herod that draws our attention. He is caught off guard by the multiplication of stories that he is hearing, about amazing, supernatural events taking place around his region. He has already put John the Baptist to death, and wonders aloud if perhaps John the Baptist has come back from the dead. There is a note of irony here, in that few contemplate even the possibility of such an event, and that event did in fact eventually happen, not with the resurrection of John the Baptist, but rather with Jesus.

“Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man,” (Mark 6:19–20 NAS95)

In this “sandwich” section then, with the apostles’ mission being the “bread,” and the death of John the Baptist being the “meat,” we are “treated” to the details of his execution. The details are provided not for our entertainment, but so that we can see wanton and gratuitous evil at work. This action just doesn’t make sense, and yet, due to Herod’s capricious evil, it actually happened.

The question is, “Why?” It seems that righteousness is always a threat to evil, and that evil people will respond with aggressive initiative against the righteous. The righteous, on the other hand, are to be meek, and so their aggression is not manifested in cruel attacks, but rather in truthful mission.

Is that how it is working out today? Are righteous people marked by meekness, and are they more interested in service and mission than in making arguments against those who oppose them. We are to be “ready to give an answer to those who ask about the hope that we have,” but that is different than trying to out-slander our opponents. Let’s be sure to follow the Jesus-pattern, the New Testament pattern.

Woke, or Awakened?

It’s tough to keep up with the changes in language. Lately, you need to know whether you’re “woke” or not.

According to Merriam-Webster, “woke” means “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues.” But these “important facts and issues” don’t have much to do with what we used to learn in school: spelling, math, literature. They have much more to do with hot-button cultural issues, like racism, issues of social justice, and gender-identity. If you’re not “up” on these subjects, and even more so, “with it,” you’re not “woke.” I guess that means you’re “un-woke.”

A couple of us are using a selection of sermons by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, called “Saved by Grace Alone: Sermons on Ezekiel 36:16-36” as a discipleship tool. At the close of a chapter on the phrase, “I will put My Spirit within you,” he asks about our “awareness,” and whether or not we have been “awakened” by the Gospel. And so I ask the question, are you “Woke,” or “Awakened”?

I think there is a big difference. On the one hand, “woke-ness” insists that you need to be taking your cues from the culture. It is shifting swiftly, and you need to keep moving and changing to keep up. On the other hand, “awakened” implies that you have been asleep, as though you were dead, and have been “brought to” by the grace of God in the form of the Gospel message that God is real, that Jesus, His Son is alive, and that what was accomplished on the cross is the remedy you need to be restored to fellowship with God, and to have the image of God re-created in you. 

The second term, “awakened,” is a response of faith to a message, and to a Person who stands behind the message, and to a Person who is the center of the message. It is to be rescued from the old life, and to begin anew, living in the light of forgiveness, and in the hope of glory, serving the One who saves you.

This, unlike “woke-ness,” is not evolutionary. Rather, it is revolutionary. You can become “woke” by listening and learning. But that won’t result in redemption. For that, one needs to be “awakened,” “born again,” “saved.”

John Newton wrote the song, “Amazing Grace.” “I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.” He could have added a line: “once dead, but now alive; asleep, but now awakened.”

Mark 6:1 Hometown Blues

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 6:1 Hometown Blues

Mark 6:1   Jesus went out from there and *came into His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. ² When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? ³ “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. ⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” ⁵ And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He wondered at their unbelief.

Jesus had been travelling, teaching, doing miracles, and creating quite a stir. Now he came home, to his hometown, to Nazareth. This is the place where his people lived, where everyone knew him. They knew his mother and father, and the rumors that were attached to his birth. There must have been a bit of a stigma attached to Mary, and to Jesus.

I’m not sure how Jesus fit in with the other kids as he grew up. Here is the One who never sinned, the perfect child, completely righteous. How do all the sinner-kids react to such holiness? I can guess that it was not always good. How do other parents act, feeling defensive about their own kids in comparison? And now he goes off, following a quite non-traditional track, leaving the day-job behind, disrupting normal life wherever he goes. Well, it’s just not proper. 

He comes to the synagogue and begins to teach. We have already been told that he does not teach like the scribes. They could describe the fourteen views on this or that subject, and argue the pro’s and con’s. But when Jesus spoke, it was as though God were speaking. Or at least some thought so. But not everyone.

When people know you, well, they think they know you. But they didn’t know Jesus. They didn’t understand His true identity, the eternal Son of God, without beginning and ending. They didn’t understand His uninterrupted fellowship with the Father, and the power of the Spirit that rested upon Him. They didn’t understand His mission, His commitment, His love. They misjudged Him. They resisted Him.

And, though Jesus did a few miracles of healing there (and even one is amazing), the text says this: “And he could do no mighty work there, except …” - that somehow the unbelief of the hometown people acted as a restriction on the power of God in that setting, whether we say that He could not work, or that He would not work. People’s lives could have been changed, and yet they weren’t, because of unbelief.

It scares me (does it scare you?) to think about how I have hindered the work of God because of unbelief; because of what I thought that I knew, but I had it wrong; because I viewed things from an earth-bound paradigm instead of that which is from heaven; because I placed myself in the seat of the judge instead of the one to be judged, convicted, and seeking mercy and forgiveness. 

Let’s learn to look at Jesus’ in heaven’s light, and not in the shadows of hometown blues.

Mark 5:21-43 A Somebody and a Nobody

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 5:21-43 A Somebody and a Nobody

This longer section of Mark’s Gospel is a “sandwich” section. These are a common feature used by Mark. In this case, we see the two passages tied together by the reference to “twelve years,” both of the age of the deceased/resurrected daughter, and regarding the length of the woman’s illness.

What I would like to point out from these stories is the contrast of characters. It tells us something about the ministry of Jesus; the heart of Jesus.

First we have Jairus, a synagogue official. He was a respected, religious leader. And, in his desperation, he was willing to come to Jesus for help. This is important, since those who look up to him might be willing to follow his lead, and to consider believing in Jesus.

“One of the synagogue officials named Jairus *came up, and on seeing Him, *fell at His feet and *implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.”” (Mark 5:22–23 NAS95)

On the other hand, we have a nameless woman who also is desperate. She comes to Jesus, though her approach is different. Jairus asks for considerable time and attention. His request implies that Jesus must stop doing what he was doing - don’t go where you were planning to go - and come to my house instead. “Make my daughter a priority.” Now we wouldn’t expect anything less from a worried father. But it is a contrast nonetheless. 

“A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse — after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak.” (Mark 5:25–27 NAS95)

The unnamed woman merely wants to approach Jesus as discreetly as possible, and touch him. If she could be healed without speaking to Jesus; without interrupting him - that would be ideal. Perhaps also she does not want to be noticed. Jesus is not going to allow that to happen.

And so, perhaps, in these two examples we can see the seeds of two different sins. One the one hand, we have Jairus who assumes that he is worthy of Jesus attention, even as he falls at Jesus’ feet. He may assume that this will be good for Jesus. And he might be right, though I doubt any of us are very good at deciding what is good for God and God’s purposes. On the other hand, we have a woman who wants the benefit without being noticed, as though God’s salvation might visit us without a real interaction with Him. On which side do you tend to fall? I know where I am on this, and I find it convicting.

But the larger point is this: Jesus is willing to enter into a saving relationship with both “somebody’s” and “nobody’s”. The “somebody” in this story was probably a little frustrated that Jesus’ approach to his house might be delayed by the interruption of this woman. How dare she get in the way? The “nobody” in this story was compelled to do something most uncomfortable: to speak to Jesus; to admit her condition; to face her shame. The amazing point is not so much what we learn about the man or the woman, but what we learn about Jesus. He has time and attention for me and for you. And, both were helped by Him.

“And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”” (Mark 5:34 NAS95)

“Taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.”(Mark 5:41–42 NAS95)

Strange Christmas

  “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

(2 Corinthians 9:15 NAS95)

Many of us have our Christmas traditions. We have Christmas artifacts, saved from year to year. We have Christmas patterns, of doing one thing on Christmas Eve, another thing on Christmas Day. We have Christmas practices, like annual caroling and cookie-making. But it’s not that way for everyone.

Especially this year, I’ve been thinking about how different Christmas is for different kinds of people. I’m not sure why. I’ve noticed people working in unsuitable jobs, or working in jobs for which they are completely unsuited - and I notice how difficult this holiday season must be for them. I’ve been aware of several who have no place to go, none with whom to gather, nothing in particular to do. They are surrounded by people caught up in the rush of their Christmas traditions, and yet, theirs is, at least to me, strange.

I overheard a phone conversation of a gentleman while waiting in line at Barnes & Noble. I was waiting to purchase a travel book for my father, who will no longer be traveling, but can do so with his eyes. It’s a Christmas tradition. The man on the phone was talking to perhaps a relative, maybe his daughter. He was telling her about wanting to buy something for someone, perhaps her child, and she was telling him that he didn’t need to. He was evidently in a regular state of not having enough money for such things. I would guess that applies to a whole lot of people. He said he wanted to do it this year. His boss had been good to the crew, which I took to mean that he had received some kind of bonus. I have no idea of this was a boss of long standing, or new this year; if the bonus came in the form of a gift card, or cash. But he had a little bit to spend, and he wanted to give a gift.

I never turned around to look at the man. He sounded as decent as could be, just getting by. And then he said, “And besides, both my ex-wives send me some money every Christmas.” All of a sudden, I was trying to re-frame the picture in my mind. I don’t know which part caught me more by surprise: “both my ex-wives,” or “send me money.” I had guessed in most cases that it was the other way around. Nonetheless, it was shaping up to be a pretty good year for this fella. Strange Christmas.

Maybe you didn’t get a bonus. And maybe your ex-wives send you nothing, or maybe you don’t even have any ex-es. But in Christ, we have a Father in heaven who has  given us His Son, described as the Indescribable Gift - that first Christmas was very strange.

Mark 5:1-13 The One and the Many

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 5:1-13 The One and the Many

Mark 5:1   They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. ² When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, ³ and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; ⁴ because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. ⁶ Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; ⁷ and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” ⁸ For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” ⁹ And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. ¹¹ Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. ¹² The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” ¹³ Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.

The story of “the man among the tombs” is striking. Here is a man, truly deranged and dangerous, possessed and tormented. But he is, after all, only one man, a long way from home. I wonder, how many men are there in the world just like this?Certainly he is just one among many.

Jesus addresses the evil spirit, commanding it to leave the man. He addresses the evil spirit as one, though this spirit later identifies himself this way: “My name is Legion; for we are many.” He says, singularly, “My name,” not “Our name.” He speaks as an individual, but acts as a horde.

The enemy in this case is formidable. The text says, “no one was strong enough to subdue him.” None from the political realm; none from the religious realm. It was left to the “corrections department” to try and keep him out of sight. But their efforts were a failure. And then the man went on his own and lived among the tombs, screaming and cutting himself.

Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, with the mere speaking of His voice, commands the spirit(s) to come out. They beg to be sent to the swine, and Jesus, surprisingly, gives permission. Think of it. Jesus has such authority that He can command not only angels, but also can give permission or refusal to unclean spirits. 

Jesus, alone, in concert with the Father’s purpose, and in dependance upon the Spirit’s power, releases this one, single man from the power of the enemy - an enemy that is both one and many. Jesus, alone, but not acting alone, is able to defeat an army of evil in this remote, death-and-demon-dominated place, in order to save one, just one man - one of out many.

Perhaps you can identify with this man. No, not in every detail, nor in most details. But you feel the power of evil that is persistently overcoming the more decent influences of political/religious/social forces, and you feel yourself being dragged down. You are afraid that you may end up dying this way. You haven’t found a way to subdue it. There is one, Jesus, who has acted on behalf of the many - the many like you - and who wants you to have freedom restored by finding life in Him.

King of Truth

Jesus is the King of truth. It seems as most every other leader, in order to maintain their positions of power, resorts to misleading and excusing and rationalizing and, let’s just say it, lying.

Herod did it. The magi came seeking “the one who has been born king of the Jews.” After investigation by the scribes (since Herod surely didn’t know the Scriptures) it was found that there indeed was prophesied one who would be born as ruler and shepherd of the people (Micah 5:2). Jesus’ birth would fulfill that prophecy, vindicating its truth, even as He brought truth into the world: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:6).

Close to the end of John’s Gospel, we find Jesus, betrayed by Judas, arrested, and then rushed to the Roman governor pilate by the Jewish high priest and his crowd. Pilate finds no matter of Roman concern, but seems curious and puzzled about what Jesus really is all about. He asks Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus knows that Pilate knows nothing about Old Testament promises and prophecies. He is little interested in the redemptive purposes of God. He’s got his little corner of the empire to run - to make things run smooth - for the sake of his reputation. And he is willing to do whatever it takes to do so, even if it means crucifying the truth.

Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world.” It couldn’t possibly be of this world, because it is governed by - truth. It is from heaven, from God, whose Word is truth. Truth will be the rule of the kingdom that is not of this world, but is from above.

When we come to worship Jesus, we must do so in truth: “those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” It is a large commitment on our part, and beyond our own resources.

Why? Because we have this world stamped all over us, including its penchant for deception, whether it be deception of others, or of ourselves. We like to live according to “sweet, little lies” that make us look better, feel better, and help us fit in or be more successful.

To follow Jesus is to be changed by the truth, and then to be committed to the truth. It is to reject the telling of lies, and not to follow those who do. We commit to following Jesus, as servants of His kingdom, and we repeat to ourselves, and to others, the truth, which is not of this world.

Mark 4:35-41 In the Boat

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 4:35-41 In the Boat

Mark 4:35   On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. ³⁷ And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. ³⁸ Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. ⁴⁰ And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” ⁴¹ They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

The boat provides a fitting metaphor for life, and the obvious question would be, “Is Jesus in your boat?” Or maybe the question should be, “Are you in Jesus’ boat?” Whose boat is it anyway?

I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t buy the boat. Some of the disciples had been fishermen. Maybe it belonged to one of them, now in general disuse due to this disciple thing. Maybe they had the boat on a lease, or you could rent if for a day, but I’m not sure they were doing those kinds of deals back then. It seems like a good argument that the boat belonged to the fishermen. But on the other hand, when someone actually calms the storm and saves the fishermen, and the boat, maybe it all actually belongs to him.

I’m not sure that it matters. In fact, maybe both sides are true. Because the Bible speaks of these reciprocal relationships. Is Christ in you? Yes, definitely, as it says in Col. 1:27:  “to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” And, on the other hand, are you in Christ? Yes, and here there are too many verses to count, but here’s one: Rom. 8:1  “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Further, now that Christ is ascended and has given His Spirit to His followers, we have the presence of Christ in us through the Person of the Spirit: 2 Timothy 1:14 “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”

So whether Jesus is in your boat, or you are in His, the point is that you are together, and that He is able to calm the storms that you face. As Jesus prayed, John 17:21-23 “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; ²³ I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” 

Mark 4:30-34 God’s Kingdom

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 4:30-34 God’s Kingdom

We may not understand very well how governments work. There seems to be a lot of things that go on behind the scenes, and a lot of the truth is not told. There may be lies, but it also may be that there are things that government is working on that is simply not ready for public consumption or public view.

That seems to be the case with the kingdom of God as well. God has a lot going on that we know very little about. It’s above our pay grade, our level of wisdom, and the capabilities of our minds. We are given hints about the kingdom of God, but we are not experts.

And so Jesus has been dropping these hints in these parables, and in this passage, the mustard seed, so small and seemingly insignificant, that turns into something rather remarkable in the end.

But let’s be clear about one thing: the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this earth are more un-like each other than they are alike. We will discern very little about God’s kingdom by studying human history and the history of civilizations and kingdoms. They are like child’s play compared to God’s kingdom, and not just in the sense of not-being-grown-up. They are relatively short-lived, with flashes of brilliance (in some cases) surrounded by seas of stupidity and cruelty, unintended consequences, and weak character. God’s kingdom, on the other hand, is eternal. Its decrees are wise and just; its purposes are eternal; and every action is perfectly consistent with the holy character of God. 

And so when Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed - a speck that might be mistaken for dust - he is not saying anything negative about the kingdom of God. He is saying something negative about man’s estimation of the kingdom of God. God’s kingdom is actually and truly an expression of His glory. It is the sinful mistake of man that us to regard it as insignificant, able to be overlooked or dispensed with, and judged as worthless.

The illustration might allow one to imagine one sweeping a house or yard, and mistaking a mustard seed along with specks of dust, gathering it up with the refuse and throwing it over the back fence. But no, man will not be rid of God’s kingdom. Quite the opposite, it is God who has the proper measure, contrary to man’s opinion:

Is. 40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, 

And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; 

Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are a child of the King, and a subject of God’s kingdom. All that we do is involved in kingdom work, and yet in what ways our acts of service and sacrifice contribute to this kingdom, we cannot tell. Our role is not to be kingdom masters, but rather to be obedient servants, realizing that God is able to work these things together for good.

Mark 4:26-29 God is Always Working

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 4:26-29 God is Always Working

Mark 4:26   And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; ²⁷ and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows — how, he himself does not know. ²⁸ “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. ²⁹ “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

In this parable, it appears that you and I show up at the beginning and the end. Truthfully, when we read our Bibles, we always want to place ourselves right in the middle, and in the best light, no less.

At the beginning of the parable, we “cast seed upon the soil.” Pretty noble of us, right? But that’s all we are doing, just chucking seed. If we are like the sowers of seed in the earlier parable, we don’t even have very good aim. Some went on the road, some of the rocks, some among thorns, and only a little made it to the good ground. Seems like God could have found better sowers. But that’s our role, and we actually are never told to “target” the seed, the way the consultants tell churches they must do.

We show up at the end of this parable also. Once the growth has occurred, we “put in the sickle.” We cut the mature grain, and do the other things, I assume, that have to be done to grain (though I’m no farmer). Somehow it needs to bundled or baled and brought into the barn. I assume we are supposed to do that.

So the process is all about us, right? Not by a long shot. We show up at the beginning and the end, but God occupies the middle. In the parable, “production” comes not from us, but from the seed, from the soil, from the dynamic that was placed in them by the Creator. We are told that the sun shines and the rain rains because of the goodness of the Creator. He has much more to do with the harvest than do we. 

And even before the beginning, before we do our seed-chucking, God is there. Where did the soil come from? The farmer didn’t provide it. He may have cleared it and plowed it. But God gave the soil. Where did the seed come from? God gave the seed, though future generations may save some from earlier harvests. Ultimately, we have to admit, it all comes from God.

When it comes down to it, our work is a part, but a very small part. We work a bit, but the major portion is from God. Our work is really a small project on the back of God’s plans and purposes. 

So we need to remember, whatever we do, God was there first; God will be there after; and everything we do is dependent on God always working.

Mark 4:21-25 Burying the Light

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 4:21-25 Burying the Light

Light from God is a gift. This light is clearly identified as Jesus Himself. He is the light of the world. It comes up often in John’s Gospel, and John is going to help us understand what is being communicated in this paragraph: 

Mark 4:21   And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? ²² “For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. ²³ “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” ²⁴ And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. ²⁵ “For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

There are two illustrations given in this section. The first has to do with a light or a candle. Its presence in your life is a blessing, and makes a difference. How hard are you going to work to bury it? On the other hand, the second illustration is a measure, either a scoop shovel or a teaspoon. With which would you rather invest in God’s blessing?

To both of these, we are presented with common conclusions that just don’t make sense. Why would someone hide heaven’s light? Why would we be stingy in our own lives with the measure of God’s blessing. But, it happens all the time. We want to straddle the fence. We want a foot in two different boats. I just doesn’t work. The benefits are ruined, replaced by pain.

So this is where John helps. In John 12, there are Jewish leaders who “believe into” Jesus (John’s way of showing personal commitment to Jesus). But, but, but … 

John 12:42–43 “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.”

You see, they felt that they had too much to lose. So they reached out to Jesus, but, but, but … at the same time, they kept holding on to their former attachments and alliances. They wanted the approval that comes from God only through faith in Jesus Christ, but at the same time they also wanted the approval that comes from men. They wanted it both ways. And that’s not faith. That’s playing games with God.

Do I think God likes being toyed with? No, I don’t. And yet, can we see that we sometimes do the very same thing, when we hide our Jesus-profession behind our public persona, or when we short-arm our commitment to God’s will and ways, in service or sacrifice, protecting and preserving self, keeping ourselves safe from what? From the blessing of God?

No one does this, right? No one would bury a candle? No one would cheat themselves from what is best, would they? No, never. And yet it happens every single day.

Mark 4:10-20 Choking on this World

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 4:10-20 Choking on this World

In this first, foundational parable in Mark’s Gospel, about the seed and the soils, there is one condition that sticks out to me. All of them are important, and I am sure that all of them happen all of the time. But it is the seed sown among thorns that seems to describe what happens so often in our prosperous, frantic culture.

Mark 4:18–19  “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” 

There are three conditions, three enemies that afflict us in our culture as we seek to heed God’s Word and to feed on Christ: worries; riches; and desires. 

Worries can be translated as “cares” or “anxieties.” It can also include “ambitions” and “preoccupations.” It is the things that occupy our minds, whether negatively, or, as we might think, positively. If I want to get rich, that might be understood as a “positive” ambition, but it certainly might “choke” out my walk with the Lord.

And there are certainly many things in our society or city to worry about, on the one hand, or get excited about, on the other. These things may or may not be good in themselves. But though good, they may not help the “seed” grow in our lives, that “seed” of discipleship that would lead us, change us, and grow us to become more like Jesus.

Would you rather be rich or poor? Dumb question, right? But there is a “deceitfulness” to riches that is not true of poverty. When rich, we are led to believe that we can be self-sufficient. It may contribute to a notion that we are better, smarter, more skilled than others who are less rich. It is a worldly way of evaluating self and others, and puts us on the wrong track, away from Christ.

And then there is that general word, “desire.” God created us as creatures of desire. We want things. This is not necessarily wrong, except when those desires come unhinged from God’s will. That’s why this word “desire” is often translated “lust.” It is then a love for something that has gone out of bounds, which no longer takes the other person into account, but concentrates on what’s in it for me. And it can be a major choking mechanism in our lives.

Perhaps the seed has been sown in your life. Can it even be found amidst all else that grows around it? Is there some weeding that needs to be done?

Blessings and Curses

We are in the hot lead-up to Christmas and the blessing of these holidays (Thanksgiving included, and the reflections of old year’s end and the hopes of new year’s beginning) are high in our minds. And yet, blessing does not exist in a vacuum. In fact, the blessing of the Christmas story is so rich because the people involved were so aware of the curse - the presence of sin and their personal  experience of its evil effect.

So perhaps, in order to better appreciate the blessing, we ought to more seriously consider the curse. In reading through Deuteronomy this year, I underlined several lines in chapter 28 that vividly capture the consequence of the curse in our lives.

28:34 “so that you are driven mad by the sights that your eyes see.” A lot of those sights these days come via our screens. The news can drive us mad. The predictions by those who don’t have a clue can drive us mad. We listen and watch the wrong things.

28:44 “He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.” We have lost intentionality, and are the captives of earlier choices for which we failed to think and pray, and simply followed what the neighbors are doing. It is impossible to live an authentically Christian life this way.

28:47 “because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things.” The seed sown among thorns gets choked, as do we, by so many concerns, and by so full a schedule, and by so much stuff - and a choked heart and life is bereft of joy and gladness.

28:65 “the Lord will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul.” This seems to be the description of those who have lost their grip on “faith, hope, and love,” or, perhaps better, have been gripped by something else. A “trembling heart” is one that has lost confidence in the promises of God. “Failing eyes” are those who have lost sight of the hope outlined by the promises of God. A “languishing soul” is one that sits, worrying about self, feeling sorry for self, rather than investing self in the lives of others, as God has invested Himself in us.

Now, if these things, by the grace of God, were to be radically reversed, then we would have, not curse, but blessing - a world in  which Christ is King and we are His joyful servants and subjects, delighted to do His will.