BIBLE READING: Mark 4

The parable of the sower brings to light many positive elements regarding our relationship to God and his word. The baseline implication of the parable is that the word wants to change the hearts of men because that is what it is designed to do (Isaiah 55.10-11). Notice however, the entrance of the seed also encourages some negative things. Whenever the seed is cast, the birds come to eat.

This is not a good thing because the birds have a conflicting motivation with that of the sower. They are selfish and seek only to remove something that could potentially change the situation. In his explanation, Jesus tells us that Satan is like the birds (Mark 4.15). Whenever the hearts of men are exposed to the word of God, Satan makes it a point to be there.

We don’t often talk about the tactics of Satan, but need to acknowledge that he is working against us to minimize the effect God's word can have in our lives. He operates in a variety of unseen ways (Ephesians 6.12) but his first line of defense is to steal away God's power from our lives. When we are exposed to the word of God, Satan will show up in our lives because he wants to get to us before the word has an opportunity to change us. But he doesn't show up in a little red jumpsuit with a pitchfork and let us know what he is doing. 

He works through seemingly unavoidable situations that create distraction, discouragement, and disillusionment. Ultimately if he can get us to believe the word of God cannot change us or if we do not allow ourselves time to consider its application to our life, he has succeeded in taking it away from us because we are like the hard ground. The word cannot sink in, and we provide Satan an opportunity to swoop in and take away the potential for God’s power in our life. So how do we combat this tactic of Satan?

1. We must saturate our lives with the word of God. Where there is no seed, there are no birds, and there is no change in the ground. But when the seed is sown, the birds are on the prowl. The more we expose ourselves to God’s word, the harder Satan has to work to take it away from us.

2. We must be open to change. Notice that where the ground is soft, the seed can sink in and begin to work. The only way he has opportunity to take away the seed is if the ground is hard. In the same way, we must cultivate our hearts to be soft to receive the word of God.

Satan is a liar and a deceiver. He understands the potential of God's word and he does not want us to be changed by it. When we cultivate our hearts to receive “the implanted word which is able to save our souls” (James 1.21), not only do we diminish Satan’s opportunity to take it away from us, but we create occasion for God to fulfil His purpose in us. The word has incredible power to change our lives when we accept its instruction. Don't let Satan take that away from you … it’s not for the birds.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5.8)

BIBLE READING: Mark 2

“When [the Pharisees] saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mark 2.16)

Many today do not appreciate the significance of Jesus actions as he opposed (what we regard as) the stuffy piety of the Pharisees. Although we can see the fault in their attitude, the Pharisees were regarded as those seeking to offer God the utmost respect in their worship. 

This group developed over hundreds of generations of Jews who lived under the law. Their driving motivation was to “Be holy because I, the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19.2). Under the law, Israel was to abstain from animals and peoples who were considered unclean for fear that they would become contaminated. In many cases, meals defined social boundaries in terms of who was “clean” and who was not. And so, the tradition of the Pharisees represented an attitude that approached sin from the preventive side.

Jesus’ bold outreach took a completely different approach to sinners as he ate with them; and so, it was easy for the Pharisees to interpret his behavior as a violation of the instructions laid down in scripture not to associate with evil doers (Psalm 1.1). But Jesus’ actions were not in violation of the law. Rather they represented an attitude that approached sin from the proper perspective, seeking to reclaim the impure and immoral. Jesus's actions highlight the contrast between their religious attitude that kept sinners away, and the good news of God that welcomes everyone to come near.

This incident exposes a tendency among God’s people throughout history to exclude or write off others we classify as hopeless. Many Christians today do not recognize that they harbor the very same attitude as these 1^st century Pharisees. We sing “Amazing grace … that saved a wretch like me,” but we have in mind only our kind of wretches. This episode reveals 2 things that we would do well to consider today:

1. By eating with sinners, Jesus did not condone sinful lifestyles but attested that their lifestyle could be transformed. That’s the point of the gospel! We must be careful not censor our faith with people no matter how hopeless they might appear to us. Everyone can be transformed, but we must embrace the opportunity to spend time with them.

2. Jesus did not fear being "contaminated" by sinners but instead he “cleansed” them with God’s grace and power. Obviously we must be careful about the company we keep (1 Corinthians 15.33), but if the object of our religious life is to completely shield ourselves from bad influences, it forces us to look at people as potential polluters, who will make us impure. Jesus rejects this perspective. He doesn’t regard holiness as something that needs to be safeguarded but as God’s transforming power which can turn tax collectors into disciples.

Jesus makes it clear that we cannot win people with whom we are not willing to eat. It’s not about the food—it’s about our attitude towards others. We must seek to honor God as holy, but we must also caution ourselves against self-righteousness, and recognize that we’re all sinners in need of saving (Romans 3.23). And that’s what Jesus came to do.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners.” (Mark 2.17)

BIBLE READING: Mark 1

Imagine you are sound asleep, when suddenly your bedroom door bursts open, and someone shouts “WAKE UP! It’s time to go! You’re going to be late!!!” That’s what the opening of the Gospel of Mark is like. There is no infancy narrative, no genealogy or prologue, but simply a fiery prophet shouting in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” (Mark 1.2-3).

Mark’s gospel has an obvious intensity to it. When you read Mark 1, you probably noticed that everything seems to be happening “immediately”. Mark is fond of the Greek word euthus, often translated “immediately,” which appears 41 times in his gospel. Though the word does not always mean “just then,” it serves to propel the narrative forward with speed and urgency.

Because Mark’s gospel moves quickly, it implies the information included is critical to understanding Jesus and the gospel story. And so, consider what we learn from the snapshot episodes about Jesus from Mark 1:

• Jesus was a man of action. Whenever he got to his next location, I don’t get the sense he even sat down to rest. Immediately he is helping, healing, serving and teaching. Clearly, Jesus was an active worker during his time on earth.
• Jesus was a man of power and authority. These terms are used nearly twenty times in Mark. He wants us to see that Jesus wasn’t just a philanthropist – he was a man worthy of your attention and respect.
• Jesus was going to do God’s will. He began his public ministry by saying “the time is fulfilled” (Mark 1.15). This statement was a definitive nod to God’s plan of redemption and Jesus’ understanding of his role in that plan (Galatians 4.4; 1 Timothy 1.15). His time on earth was not his own and therefore he needed to make the best use of it.

Mark wants us to see Jesus as a man of intentionality and purpose. But Mark doesn’t just tell us the story of Jesus; he challenges us to consider our lives as we follow him. People who encountered Jesus seem compelled to reciprocate the fervor with which Jesus lived (Mark 1.18, 20, 27-28, 45). Immediately they followed him… immediately they talked about him… immediately they went about their lives differently because of Jesus.

There must be an immediate response to Jesus if we are to follow his example. We cannot have a casual, “I’ll get around to it” approach to life… that’s just not how Jesus lived! Rather we must “make the best use of our time” (Ephesians 5.16) and serve God “today” (Hebrews 3.15). As we read this gospel, we must develop our intensity to do God’s work, not just when it is convenient or makes sense, but immediately.

“Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One [Jesus] who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!” (Hebrews 12.25, NLT)

BIBLE READING: Matthew 27

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. (Matthew 27.11-14)

At this point, Jesus' life was in the hands of this man, Pilate. He had the power to save or to condemn Jesus. As governor, likely Pilate had faced a similar scenario many times before. I'm sure on more than one occasion the defendant had thrown himself down and begged for mercy from Pilate.

But that is not the case with Jesus. Although beaten and bloody, he stands there calm and collected as the crowds call for him to be put to death. When asked to defend himself he doesn’t say a word (Matthew 27.14). A shocking role reversal unfolds as Jesus – the man condemned to die – stood there fearless; and the man who controlled his fate wavers, feeling powerless to stop these horrific events (Matthew 27.15-24).

So, Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” (John 19.10-11)

In this moment, the true authority and love of Jesus was demonstrated. Instead of wielding his power in what could have been a magnificent display of his deity (Matthew 26.53), Jesus chose rather to endure the suffering because he had confidence in what came next (Matthew 25.31-32). We must understand that his death was not simply some noble act of self-sacrifice; it was the ultimate demonstration of trust in the power of God. There was no doubt in his mind that God could and would raise him from the dead. That's why Jesus was able to stand there – a man condemned to die – and be fearless.

Many people view death as the end game, and so, they are afraid because they don’t know what happens next. As believers, we must learn to trust the perfect plan of God and look forward to what comes next. When Jesus died, it wasn't just the end of a life. It was the fulfillment of God’s plan to give us hope beyond the temporal. We too can be fearless like Jesus, but it requires we look beyond this life and trust in something outside our control.

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15.53-56)

This is the crux of our faith. Life will end. When faced with the reality of an eternal future of which we have no control, do we trust that God is faithful? 

BIBLE READING: Matthew 26

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” (Matthew 26.69-70)

Peter was one of the most vocal followers of Jesus Christ. He worked with Jesus and he walked with Jesus; Peter swore up and down he would never forsake Jesus. "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away" (Matthew 26.33). But in this moment of weakness, he did that very thing.

What happened to Peter? Would this not have been the perfect moment to stand up for Christ and demonstrate his allegiance? But he faltered, and in his fear, he denied Jesus three times. To make things worse, Jesus turns and makes eye contact with him (Luke 22.61). In that moment Peter knew what he had done; he had denied Jesus, the very thing Jesus said he would do (Matthew 26.34).

This certainly was a crushing moment in Peter's life, but it was also a reality check. When Jesus looked at Peter, and the reality of what he did set in, Peter broke down in tears because he knew he was wrong (Matthew 26.75). He could have made any number of excuses for his actions, but he didn't, because not only did he know the Lord, but he loved him, and Peter was sorry for his sin.

We have these moments of weakness in our lives too, don't we? We know what Jesus says, we know what he stands for, and yet in moments of weakness and fear, we do the very thing we say we will never do. It happens… but the question is, when Jesus looks at us, how do we respond?

We need these moments of clarity to understand and appreciate the mercy and grace and love of Christ. Just prior to this episode Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, as a reminder of what he was willing to give for the sins of the world. As disciples of Christ , we partake in this same memorial every week to remember his commitment to our salvation and the hope that we have through the death of Jesus.

We may be fickle, and we may not always see clearly, but the point of this memorial is to offer clarity to the reality of our shortcomings. Whether we are in the best or the worst moments of our lives, it is the grace of God through Christ that even makes salvation possible (Ephesians 2.8-9). We cannot save ourselves by our own merit... but thank God we have a Savior!

Partaking the Lord’s Supper should be a time of great humbling because, as Christ looks at us, we know that we are not worthy of his love; and yet he still offers mercy and grace to all who hope in him. And so, with humility and grace “let us hold fast our confession of hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10.23).