Luke 5:16But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
At least praying in lonely places is quiet!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
juxtapose
At the start of Mark 14 there is an interesting juxtapose about money. I noted in Matthew how you have the woman pouring perfume and Judas next to each other as extravagant love and extravagant deceit- but in Mark I notices that they are also threaded together by money. That the perfume in said to have cost a lot. And Jesus had a price as well (for Judas).
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
taking it personal
In reading Mark 15, I found I was taking it personal. You can read the facts of the story or you can feel the story. I think I am seeing the difference in how to read it.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Mark
I am now working through Mark. I'm finding Mark a lot more fast paced than Matthew was. More of a focus on what Jesus did. It can be read quickly as you go from event to event but I find the conscious need to slow it down- to really take in what was happening. This isn't always easy.
Mark 4:36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.
How else do you take Jesus, other than "just as he is"?
Mark 6:4Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." 5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed at their lack of faith.
The people's faith affected Jesus' ability to work. If this was true for Jesus, it is likely also true for us today.
Mark 6:20 When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
Liked to listen, not to commit.
There appear to be different approaches people have with Jesus and healing
-some think Jesus is probably willing to heal, but not sure if He is able
-some think Jesus is able, but unsure if He is willing.
Jesus was the same everywhere He went but how people saw Him had to do with their own personal filter. How we come to Jesus now has roots in who we are now and how we got there. Hopefully, as we grow our filter improves and we come to Jesus in a healthier way each time.
Mark 11:11Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
For all the times I've heard about Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple and driving out those who were selling merchandise- I had never seen this snippet from the day before.
The day before is palm sunday where he goes through the city on a donkey and the people shout his praise. At the end of the day he goes to the temple and observes what is going on.
Jesus doesn't have a sudden fit when he arrives at the temple the next day. He knew what he was going to do going in there in the morning. His anger was controlled and directed and planned, not a sudden fit.
Mark 11:13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
And then we have the poor fig tree. It's not the season for figs but Jesus expects to find some. Jesus has very high standards for us, that sometimes we can't understand and it doesn't seem to be the right time for us. But it might be the right time for Him.
Mark 13:18Pray that this will not take place in winter
In this Jesus is talking about the end of the age and this little line is in a big speech. When I read it before I thought, well of course you don't want the end of the age to happen in winter as it is cold and snowy and I don't like winter at the best of times, so I thought I guess Jesus doesn't want the end of the age to happen in winter either. I don't want anything to happen in winter myself! But now that I think about it, it can't be referring to physical winter as there would always be SOMEWHERE in the world that it is winter. So, it must be referring to something else, but what?
Mark 4:36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.
How else do you take Jesus, other than "just as he is"?
Mark 6:4Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." 5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed at their lack of faith.
The people's faith affected Jesus' ability to work. If this was true for Jesus, it is likely also true for us today.
Mark 6:20 When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
Liked to listen, not to commit.
There appear to be different approaches people have with Jesus and healing
-some think Jesus is probably willing to heal, but not sure if He is able
-some think Jesus is able, but unsure if He is willing.
Jesus was the same everywhere He went but how people saw Him had to do with their own personal filter. How we come to Jesus now has roots in who we are now and how we got there. Hopefully, as we grow our filter improves and we come to Jesus in a healthier way each time.
Mark 11:11Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
For all the times I've heard about Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple and driving out those who were selling merchandise- I had never seen this snippet from the day before.
The day before is palm sunday where he goes through the city on a donkey and the people shout his praise. At the end of the day he goes to the temple and observes what is going on.
Jesus doesn't have a sudden fit when he arrives at the temple the next day. He knew what he was going to do going in there in the morning. His anger was controlled and directed and planned, not a sudden fit.
Mark 11:13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
And then we have the poor fig tree. It's not the season for figs but Jesus expects to find some. Jesus has very high standards for us, that sometimes we can't understand and it doesn't seem to be the right time for us. But it might be the right time for Him.
Mark 13:18Pray that this will not take place in winter
In this Jesus is talking about the end of the age and this little line is in a big speech. When I read it before I thought, well of course you don't want the end of the age to happen in winter as it is cold and snowy and I don't like winter at the best of times, so I thought I guess Jesus doesn't want the end of the age to happen in winter either. I don't want anything to happen in winter myself! But now that I think about it, it can't be referring to physical winter as there would always be SOMEWHERE in the world that it is winter. So, it must be referring to something else, but what?
Sunday, May 9, 2010
backtrack
When I read Matthew 26 (before Matthew 27 but I only remembered to write it now) I thought it was interesting how verses 6-13 where the woman shows extravagant love in anointing Jesus with oil backs against verses 14-16 where Judas shows extravagant deceit in agreeing to betray Jesus.
Since I have been looking at decision making processes, I thought these two examples were interesting. The woman took the oil and what did she think - did she think about the cost? did she think about what others thought of her? did she think at all? I'm guessing either no - she was someone who made decisions based on feelings OR she was someone who felt the prompting of God and just did it even though her mind may have been telling her it didn't make sense. I am not someone who makes decisions based on feelings. Sometimes I wish I did. But I hope to override my brain and be obedient to God as much as I can.
I can see better what was going on with Judas. I can see that he may have really thought that he was doing the best thing. He was logically analyzing what was going on and it didn't make sense what Jesus was doing. In fact it still doesn't make sense, but then God is so much bigger than our little human brains. I guess Judas didn't grasp the sacredness of what was going on.
Don't let us miss Your sacred touch.
Since I have been looking at decision making processes, I thought these two examples were interesting. The woman took the oil and what did she think - did she think about the cost? did she think about what others thought of her? did she think at all? I'm guessing either no - she was someone who made decisions based on feelings OR she was someone who felt the prompting of God and just did it even though her mind may have been telling her it didn't make sense. I am not someone who makes decisions based on feelings. Sometimes I wish I did. But I hope to override my brain and be obedient to God as much as I can.
I can see better what was going on with Judas. I can see that he may have really thought that he was doing the best thing. He was logically analyzing what was going on and it didn't make sense what Jesus was doing. In fact it still doesn't make sense, but then God is so much bigger than our little human brains. I guess Judas didn't grasp the sacredness of what was going on.
Don't let us miss Your sacred touch.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Decisions in Matthew 27
1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death.
18For he (Pilate) knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
emphasis mine
This indicates that the decision making that went into Jesus being crucified was based on envy. Was Jesus too good? Too popular? Too true? Too threatening?
One part of Matthew 27 that I don't remember reading before:
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Verse 51 I was familiar with but 52 and 53, not so much and I'm not sure why- this is kindof a big deal if you have a bunch of holy people raised from the dead. I think that's a VERY big deal!
18For he (Pilate) knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
emphasis mine
This indicates that the decision making that went into Jesus being crucified was based on envy. Was Jesus too good? Too popular? Too true? Too threatening?
One part of Matthew 27 that I don't remember reading before:
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Verse 51 I was familiar with but 52 and 53, not so much and I'm not sure why- this is kindof a big deal if you have a bunch of holy people raised from the dead. I think that's a VERY big deal!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Matthew
The last few months have been a bit of a whirlwind. I have enjoyed the consistency of reading a chapter of the Bible every night before I sleep. On April 11, I started new- the New Testament that is.
In Matthew 23:35 Jesus refers to "Zechariah son of Berekiah". I hadn't noticed that before and wondered which Zechariah we were talking about (there are a few in the Bible!). I found this link.
Yesterday I read Matthew 25 where Jesus tells a couple of parables- the parable of the 10 virgins- the parable of the talents. I wasn't looking so much at what the people in the parables did but at their motivation and their hearts. The 'foolish' vigins did not bring enough oil for their journey. This can show lack of foresight and lack of understanding but it also shows how selfish it is to be only focused on the here and now. There are times when we need to be, but we can't loose sight of the big picture, of the important things to focus on.
In the parable of the talents, the servant that gets chastised is the one who made his decision based on fear.
God looks at our hearts
In Matthew 23:35 Jesus refers to "Zechariah son of Berekiah". I hadn't noticed that before and wondered which Zechariah we were talking about (there are a few in the Bible!). I found this link.
Yesterday I read Matthew 25 where Jesus tells a couple of parables- the parable of the 10 virgins- the parable of the talents. I wasn't looking so much at what the people in the parables did but at their motivation and their hearts. The 'foolish' vigins did not bring enough oil for their journey. This can show lack of foresight and lack of understanding but it also shows how selfish it is to be only focused on the here and now. There are times when we need to be, but we can't loose sight of the big picture, of the important things to focus on.
In the parable of the talents, the servant that gets chastised is the one who made his decision based on fear.
God looks at our hearts
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