Day 12: Mark 7-9. "He Does Everything Well!"
That's what the people say at the end of chapter 7. Jesus has been teaching (and wrangling with the Pharisees), healing and throwing the demons out. Again, he feeds a crowd; this time it is 4,000, not 5,000, and he has seven baskets left over, not twelve. The disciples don't understand the significance of the bread, and Jesus asks them so many questions that it appears that he is exasperated.
The wrangling with the Pharisees is over the fact that his disciples don't follow all aspects of the law. Jesus points out that the Pharisees themselves have (ahem) loopholes; they are supposed to Honor their parents and help provide for them, but they can declare everything an offering to God, and then they don't have to help their families. Jesus declares them hypocrites. Later on, he explains that it is not what goes into us that makes us unclean, but what comes out (of our mouths, he means.)
Jesus heals the daughter of a gentile woman -- although he doesn't want to, at least at first. He even calls her and her daughter "dogs" (and make no mistake; this is not a term of endearment.) But the woman replies that even dogs get the crumbs. And right then and there -- Jesus changes his mind. (In my translation, he says to the woman, "Good answer!")
My very favorite healing story is in chapter 8. It is a story unique to Mark, just a few verses long. Jesus heals a man of his blindness, but the first time he heals the man, he asks what he sees, and the man says that the people look like trees, walking. So apparently, he has not received 20/20 vision yet. So Jesus heals him AGAIN, and this time his healing is complete. There is nowhere else in the gospels where something like this happens. It just seems odd to me that Jesus would not have been able to heal completely on the first try. But I also love this story because it seems so real to me. The healing does not happen all at once. If you are nearsighted, people do sometimes look like "trees walking."
Also, I think the disciples are sort of like this blind man. They see, but not completely -- at least not yet. They don't understand a lot of what Jesus is trying to teach them. Look at Peter -- who confesses that Jesus is the Messiah and then, in the next moment, tells him that he should not have to suffer and die. "Get behind me, Satan!"
Again, we hear the story of the three disciples on the mountain with Jesus, Elijah and Moses. Only this time, I'm struck by the fact that they are all terrified. Jesus's garments are "whiter than any fuller could bleach them." There's a down-to-earth image. And for some reason, this time I notice his admonition to tell no one about this experience.
After they come down from the mountain, Jesus throws demons out of a young boy. The disciples can't do it. The father of the boy pleads with Jesus to heal his son -- if you can, he says. Jesus asks him if he believes that Jesus can do it. And here's one of the most honest passages of Scripture: 'Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.'
Which passages from these chapters stood out for you? Where is challenge and where is comfort for you?
We are more than halfway through Mark now -- Mark is the shortest Gospel at only 16 chapters. I'm a little sad that we won't have more time to explore.
The wrangling with the Pharisees is over the fact that his disciples don't follow all aspects of the law. Jesus points out that the Pharisees themselves have (ahem) loopholes; they are supposed to Honor their parents and help provide for them, but they can declare everything an offering to God, and then they don't have to help their families. Jesus declares them hypocrites. Later on, he explains that it is not what goes into us that makes us unclean, but what comes out (of our mouths, he means.)
Jesus heals the daughter of a gentile woman -- although he doesn't want to, at least at first. He even calls her and her daughter "dogs" (and make no mistake; this is not a term of endearment.) But the woman replies that even dogs get the crumbs. And right then and there -- Jesus changes his mind. (In my translation, he says to the woman, "Good answer!")
My very favorite healing story is in chapter 8. It is a story unique to Mark, just a few verses long. Jesus heals a man of his blindness, but the first time he heals the man, he asks what he sees, and the man says that the people look like trees, walking. So apparently, he has not received 20/20 vision yet. So Jesus heals him AGAIN, and this time his healing is complete. There is nowhere else in the gospels where something like this happens. It just seems odd to me that Jesus would not have been able to heal completely on the first try. But I also love this story because it seems so real to me. The healing does not happen all at once. If you are nearsighted, people do sometimes look like "trees walking."
Also, I think the disciples are sort of like this blind man. They see, but not completely -- at least not yet. They don't understand a lot of what Jesus is trying to teach them. Look at Peter -- who confesses that Jesus is the Messiah and then, in the next moment, tells him that he should not have to suffer and die. "Get behind me, Satan!"
Again, we hear the story of the three disciples on the mountain with Jesus, Elijah and Moses. Only this time, I'm struck by the fact that they are all terrified. Jesus's garments are "whiter than any fuller could bleach them." There's a down-to-earth image. And for some reason, this time I notice his admonition to tell no one about this experience.
After they come down from the mountain, Jesus throws demons out of a young boy. The disciples can't do it. The father of the boy pleads with Jesus to heal his son -- if you can, he says. Jesus asks him if he believes that Jesus can do it. And here's one of the most honest passages of Scripture: 'Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.'
Which passages from these chapters stood out for you? Where is challenge and where is comfort for you?
We are more than halfway through Mark now -- Mark is the shortest Gospel at only 16 chapters. I'm a little sad that we won't have more time to explore.
With the blind man getting healed, I took it as he didn’t get complete healing the first time because he didn’t have enough faith. But I see now how it shows that healing can take time. I remember Jesus healing a mute man who was possessed in Matthew. I assume it is the same mute man healed in Mark. But it doesn’t describe him as being possessed. I am wondering why Jesus spit when healing him. Mark didn’t mention the Parable of the Leaven with the other parables in our last reading but it does mention in this reading, “beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees”. Another thing I noticed was when Peter “rebuked Jesus” about His upcoming death. Matthew did not use the work rebuke. It makes it sound so much harsher. And less harsh for Jesus to say, “Satan get behind me”. Something else that stood out to me what when talking about “little ones” caused to stumble (or take offense as in Matthew). It says, “Their worm does not die”. What is the worm? My favorite part of the reading is the transfiguration on the mount. It gives me a visual to how Splendid, Majestic, and Beautiful the Glory of God is. I could say I find comfort in it. I also want to say I identify with the man who asked the Lord to help his unbelief. I was saved after pleading for the Lord to help my unbelief as well.
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