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?