Mark 9:2-50

Mark 9:2-50

Another baptism event: Jesus is transfigured and God speaks. A monumental event that plays vivid with the imagination (and identity of Jesus) but which plays no role in the gospel. It is just an affirmation of what we have already seen. Neither the Disciples nor the author of Mark, make a big deal about what it means for Jesus, although he does seem to have an attitude shift. Jesus seems to be more impatient with the disciples, and others. It is as if he has been handed his marching orders and no one else seems to understand what that means. “Oh unbelieving generation,” “if you can?” Terms of frustration directed at other’s inability to make sense out of Jesus simple teachings.

And then Jesus explains his marching orders. He will be betrayed, killed and rise form the grave. The disciples, after seeing and hearing so much, still do not understand. Who they think Jesus is, the Greatest, is not who Jesus shows them he is, a servant healing others, teaching the truth of love and peace. And now he is going to his death. That kind of disconnect has to create a certain amount of friction and frustration. Students who are so preoccupied with their own perceptions and expectations cannot grasp the simple message of the teacher.

The disciples, who cannot cast out demons, act as religious leaders and forbid others from doing it. Jesus corrects them. Any in the name of Christ are all part of the same family, a house divided... But those who cause stumbling in the believer are not part of the family and need to be cast out. It is better to have an incomplete body then one that causes harm to it members. Peace is the hallmark of a united body and family.

Mark 8:1-9:1

Mark 8:1-9:1

Right after Jesus feeds 4,000 with just a few loaves and fishes he is asked to give a sign. What could they have been looking for? Jesus has already feed thousands, healed dozens and cast out demons. When you do not believe, no amount of evidence will ever be enough. Even the Disciples still do not grasp the full truth. It is not about things here on this plane; Jesus has that covered. It is having eyes to see and ears to hear the things of God which brings truth.

To see, sometimes means to leave the village. How many conversations has Jesus had with people outside of the village, away from the city. Now he takes a blind man out to the countryside to help him to see. And this is right after he chastised the Disciples for not seeing.

Peter must have learned something because now he can see Jesus for who he is, the Christ. But Peter’s sight is still not clear. He needs Jesus to touch his eyes one more time to see things as they really are.

Jesus teaches the true way to the Kingdom of God. It is through compassion and love for others. But it must end at the cross. We must all take up the cross, forsake the world of men, the religious traditions, and the expectations of others. We must live the life of the cross, which is sacrifice for love and compassion.

Mark 7

Mark 7

Traditions often become more important than a right understanding of God. And tradition can be used as an authority to control others. What makes you right is how you act and what you say, not what traditions may define or dictate. If compassion and goodness come out in you words and actions, as they do with Jesus, then you are clean before God regardless of what the religious leaders of the day may say. Action reveals the heart; a pure heart does pure actions, an unclean heart betrays evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. That is quite a list! There is not a list of goodness because it is a condition of the heart depending upon the circumstances. Goodness knows how to act and does not need a laundry list to check against. That is the failure of religion trying to contain a clean heart with traditional ways to act in goodness. Goodness always finds a fresh way to act, through the spirit with newness of life.

Even outsiders, gentiles and Greeks, see the truth and power of Jesus. An open tongue is to speak plainly; an open ear is to hear the truth. Those who gather to Jesus cannot but help to share the openness of who he is which draws more people to him. But the religious leaders stay “closed” to Jesus. They cannot hear or see except what they want to because, although they act according to tradition, they do not understand the truth. To be open is to live with God in a life moving towards the Kingdom of God, which it truth and peace.

Mark 6

Mark 6

Familiarity leads to doubt. Others cannot accept you if they think they know you. Knowledge stunts faith in that faith must move beyond what one knows to a new understanding. Jesus amazes his hometown and yet they cannot move in faith to accept him.

Jesus sends out the Twelve, and yet they hardly have faith and understanding in Jesus. As they are sent they are told to have total faith in God’s ability to provide. Which is funny because when they return they do not have faith in God’s ability to feed 5,000. In the midst of the story of Disciples’ faith we find John and Herod. Jesus, in fame, has surpassed John and Herod takes note. There must be more to the John/Herod story but we do not hear it. With the downfall of John and with Jesus’ rise in fame we get a hint that a conflict will happen.

A timeline of events will help to make clear a number of themes that are happening concerning faith in this chapter.

1. Jesus sends out the Twelve

2. They return thrilled at their experiences but exhausted.

3. Immediately they go with Jesus to rest in a quiet place, but crowds follow.

4. Jesus orders the Disciples to feed the 5,000

5. Jesus orders the Disciples to shepherd the 5,000 into manageable sized groups.

6. The crowd eats with abundance.

7. Immediately Jesus sends the 12 away in a boat, while he goes to pray.

8. The 12 struggle against the wind all night, Jesus appears walking on water.

What happened to the Disciples’ thrill about the power when they were sent out? Did exhaustion overtake them? Why did Jesus push them so hard when he knew they were on the edge?

Faith is hard to hold on to when exhausted. Grudging obedience creates hard hearts that are not open to the thrill of faith and the power one has in faith. Rest is important to faith, but rest often does not come when it is needed. The thrill of faith in one moment can turn to bitter griping the next when life throws wind and demanding crowds into your way. Were the Disciples expecting a pat on the back for their service in the field? They certainly wanted time alone with Jesus but instead they got another day of heavy service followed by a night of hard work. Often the work seems to have no end and one feels obligated to trudge on in obedience. That mindset only gets you to a point of pulling against the wind all night long, instead of walking on water in faith. Spend time in prayer, even in the midst of work. Faith is work expressed in true power. But that faith only comes through trusting in God to provide, for the journey, for the meal, for the crowds, for the way across the lake at night.

Mark 5

Mark 5

Jesus’ compassion even extends to the demons in the demon possessed man. He should have banished them, but Jesus shows mercy to them. And the man, healed, becomes the symbol of the gospel message to the people in the area. Here the demons beg Jesus to stay, and the people beg Jesus to leave. Fear rules both the people and the demons. But in the midst is the man, calmed, the message of health and peace that Jesus brings everywhere.

That message is beginning to reach into the religious structure of the day. A Synagogue ruler responds with faith in Jesus’ ability to heal. And in the midst of Jarius’ story of faith, another story occurs. Here a woman of faith is healed. Although it serves as a comma to create a pause to ponder faith, really it serves as an exclamation point about how it is faith that brings healing, not Jesus. Jesus merely blesses the event that has already happened. But holding to faith in the midst of fear, doubt or dismay is hard. Especially when friends or family tell you otherwise. But healing only comes through faith. Jesus is already willing to show mercy on any and all who come asking for it. Jesus confirms the faith that is already present. “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”

At this point we could have a spirited debate about faith healing, and if faith is a works, if faith starts with the believer, if healing that does not happen is because of a lack of faith... and the list on faith could be endless. But all that discourse, although it might (or might not) be edifying and thought provoking, misses the point. Jesus heals, and healing is available through faith. But Jesus is not a faith healer. Jesus came with a message, as a pointer, towards repentance and the Kingdom of God. Healing comes when one walks in Jesus footsteps towards the Kingdom of God. That kind of healing only comes to those with open hearts, eyes and ears to see and hear and respond to Jesus. In the next few chapter this will be made clearer. Jesus is heading towards confrontation, one that will define what it truly means to live a repentant life with eyes on the Kingdom of God.

Mark 4:35-41

Mark 4:35-41

Jesus not only teaches about nature, but has control over nature. Certainly his rebuke of the Disciples could be taken that they should have had enough faith to rebuke the storm as well. Or it could read that they should have had faith to know that no harm would be fall them. Here the Disciples have seen miracles and received teachings where all things were revealed, and yet they feared a storm.

It is easy to lack faith in the midst of life’s storms, often when we need it the most we find it hardest to hold. If the storm is not calmed, at least we can know we will make it through safely. There are no secrets to having faith in the times of crisis, either you do or you don’t. But even though they were chastised for it, the Disciples did the right thing by turning to Jesus when they lacked the faith to fight on. Knowing the limits to one’s faith, and abilities, is a very sound self- knowledge. The boat was packed with knowing and able fishermen. Running a boat was not past their abilities, but the storm was. When they reached the end of their skills they needed to rely on faith. But that is hard to do when life circumstances are over whelming.

Mark 4:1-34

Mark 4:1-34

Again Jesus is by the lake, away from the city or village, out of the church/synagogue. Again crowds come to hear him speak. He gives them a number of parables, stories that would make sense to them; stories out of their own life experience. But the parables contain more than just farming techniques, they teacher a deeper lesson.

The seed must be spread everywhere, just as light from the lamp must be cast everywhere. What the light reveals or how the seed grows is of God, a mystery to the farmer. But the seed must be cast and the soil will respond as it can. Good soil returns good crops, bad soil no crops. It is up to the farmer to sow the seed and up to God to bring the seed to fruit in its time. The Kingdom of God will be fulfilled. And the deeper one wishes to mine the parables for truth, the more they will find. Like a Zen koan. Meditation upon the parables of Jesus can be a life long endeavor and the truth will just keep coming like a mustard seed growing into a large tree.

One could reflect upon whose responsibility it is to prepare the soil? Isn’t rejoicing in the potential abundant harvest of the prepared soil enough, or do we need to chastise the path and rocks for not being soil? Or do they serve another purpose that is not part of the parable as it was told? And what about those birds? And who in their right mind would put a lamp under a bed? The answer is obvious, but that parable of a parable means all things are revealed in the light of Wisdom, even though Jesus reveals it in secret to the Disciples. A hint that there is no “secret” teachings of Jesus, only teachings that have not been meditated upon sufficiently for the truth to be revealed.