Mark 12
Whew! Lots going on in this group of passages. The parable of the tennants, the resurrection, money and possessions, and on and on. As we get further into the book of Mark, we begin to see the ministry of Jesus really begin to advance. Jesus is teaching some hard and harsh things and he is just giving one lesson after the other. I can only imagine the disciples walking around with Jesus thinking, wow! This just keeps getting better and never lets up.
And I think often times we forget that. Our walks with God should just keep getting better, every day. And we should never want to let up on it. It should energize us to go deeper and farther in our search of God.
Two things that stand out to me here. First, Jesus foreshadows his death in the very first parable. They don't understand what he's talking about, of course, but it's right there. I love how Jesus would tell people things that were very easy to understand, if they would just listen. And second, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." I love that Jesus just says this. He allows them to believe the illusion of something being someone's other than God. Cause if you look hard enough, you see the very next thing is the story of the woman who gives her last two pennies to the offering and what Jesus says about her. I believe that those dinari probably had Caesar's image on it. And yet, Jesus says that because she gave all that she had to our Father in heaven, she would receive great reward. In the end, Jesus was saying that everything is God's. It doesn't matter who's image is on the coin. It all goes to intent. And what you do with what God has given.
-Robbie
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I have always loved reading the scripture about the woman giving her last two pennies to the offering, because it puts everything into perspective in life. I think we all have been guilty of believing that we deserve certain rewards because of our hard work and dedication, and that we should receive success from our achievements. When in all reality, our success, our achievements, the very fact that each breath we've been given has been given to us by God, and if we expect further breaths in heaven, then we have to lay down everything we have to our Creator that has blessed us with it. It's hard to come to a realization that you have failed so miserably in areas of your lives, but it's such an amazing feeling when you rectify the situation knowing that you did it for God, and God gave you the ability to do it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this chapter I imagined the faces of the people asking the questions. I imagined them as wide eyed almost child like with question after question and that when Jesus answered them their faces would light up with delight. Their questions were not hostile like some Jesus had faced before. They genuinely wanted wisdom and Jesus answered them very matter of factly with no room to misunderstand what he was saying. We are commanded to love. How easy is that? Love the Lord with everything and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Sounds so easy, but how hard is it to love with all your heart,your soul, your mind,and your strength in every situation?? How hard is it to love your neighbor as your self,and I dont think God was talking about the people that live across the street from us either. Is it possible to always walk in love? To live by the golden rule seems so far fetched in this day and time. So many people live more by the "kill or be killed" theory. It amazes me sometimes how much hate is so apparant just watching the news or observing people in life, but hardly ever do I look around and think to myself wow look at all this love, look how wonderful we as a society are behaving. If I see it in my tiny little existance and it breaks my heart, I can't imagine what it does to God's.
ReplyDeleteI love the portion about the lady giving all she had. I feel like God really blesses us when we give, and sometimes I can't help but wonder what her life ended up like.
ReplyDeleteVerse 34, Jesus saw that the man had the idea. The right thinking that leads to salvation. He was close, but not there yet. Did this mean he knew the truth but needed to act on it? Did this man eventually act on his knowledge and enter the kingdom of heaven?
ReplyDeleteThis verse made me think, I can say the word is truth, and that I believe what the word says. I believe at times I could even make my actions look impressive. When Jesus told the man he was close, it just goes to prove a point. God always knows what is truly in your heart. No hiding it!
Here lately a friend and I have been trying to practice something which, so far, has made a pretty big impact in our lives. We see in Mark 12:31 Jesus says to love your neighbor as you love yourself. In Luke 6:31, we see Christ tell us the golden rule "Do to others as you would want to be done by." Too many times we live by what I call the "black rule." The black rule states "Do to others what they do to you." When others are nice to us, we are nice to them. When others are mean to us, we return the attitude and disrespect. Jesus points out the black rule in the verses following Luke 6:31 stateing, " 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that." My question, to connect this back to Mark, is how can we love others as we love ourselves if we continue to follow the "black rule"? If you are reading this then I challange you to hold yourself, and a friend in Chirst, accountable to the standard of the Golden Rule.
ReplyDeleteSecond, Jesus speaks about marriage in Mark 12:27. Every Christian needs to know this passage to make a defense against Mormon beliefs about marriage. Though the doctine of polygamy is no longer practiced by Mormons, they still believe marriage is eternal; married on earth = married in heaven. The reason they believe in eternal marriage is because they put their book of "Doctrines and Covenants" above The Word; not to mention their "scripture" "Doctrines and Covenants" is a false revelation. We need to be informed about marriage's proper place when we evangelize and build bridges. In order to combat lies, we must know the truth.