For NIV reading click here
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%209:2-41&version=NIV
Several happenings in today's reading:
The 'transfiguration' of Jesus
The healing of a boy with an unclean spirit
Disciples argue about who is the greatest
This all takes places as Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem with His disciples, teaching them about what it means for Him to be the Christ, the Son of God, and what it means to follow. Lot's of material here for our own learning and discipleship.
Your ruminations, wonderings, and ways you might live something of these stories...what is God speaking into your heart through these passages?
V24 "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
ReplyDeleteThis has always been a very powerful statement for me. Who among us believes enough? Whose faith is strong enough? Certainly not me. It's scary.
V35 "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
Imagine a world that fully embraced this. There would be 6+ billion people looking out for me ahead of themselves.
Wow ! Some great stuff here . First , I don't like Jesus' "snotty " comment in 9:19 about how long shall I put up with you . You suppose He's talking to me and that's why I don't like it ?
ReplyDeleteNext is one of my favorite parts of the book ;9:24
where the father of the possessed boy says " I do believe ;help me overcome my disbelief. Here we go again with the 1/2 mustard seed faith . That's me all day . I believe with all my heart yet there are times of doubt . How can this paradox exist ? Yet it does and I know I'm not alone .It's so comforting to hear this expressed by a biblical figure directly to Jesus .
And in 9:29 " this kind can only come out by prayer " . This shows me the paramount importance of prayer .
9:35 is such an important teaching . I hope I remember it always . You wanna be first , dude ? Ya gotta be last AND servant to all . I just have this feeling that if we Christians lived that way out in the world , we would have the unchurched flocking to our doors .
9:36 Jesus takes a little child and holds him in His arms and speaks of the overwhelming importance of " welcoming these little ones in His name ." To me this says that of everything we do in church , our Sunday schools and youth groups should have top priority .George Barna
the famous Christian statistician claims that if we don't put Jesus in the hearts of our children by age 13 , the chances are slim that we ever will . Top priority !
Lastly in 9:39 I take the " us " who are not against us as those that the hard line conservative Christians like to bash . The gay preachers , women preachers ,Catholics, churches that vary from the conservative interpretation of the Bible .I'm not stating an opinion either way here but I wonder if this passage isn't Jesus telling us that there is some good work being done by those that don't necessarily follow the letter of the law .Am I way off base here ? Help me out .
Dave , I heard a great sermon on doubt a couple years back . The message , in part , was to remember some of the great things God has done for us in the past , imagine what potential lies ahead if we do not disconnect now and let our doubts get the best of us , and ( maybe most importantly ) to let our faith be " fastened " to the person of Christ . For me that means I need to envision Jesus right here with me at all times willing to work with me and through me if I only believe .Does He not say in 9:23 that "all things are possible for him who believes " ?
ReplyDeleteI find the story of the boy and his father very powerful. Jesus takes aside three disciples. This leaves the other nine behind to do His work. The other nine are US! Things don't go the way they thought they should and they end up arguing with the Pharisees, instead of focusing their attention on the need of this father and son. Jesus is frustrated that He leaves them alone for just a short period of time and they quickly fall back into worldly patterns of behavior - more concerned with defending their own status as the chosen ones of Christ than praying to their Father for help and meeting the needs of those in front of them.
ReplyDeleteJesus enters the scene and immediately addresses the need. He is not concerned about his worldly status, His concern is for the father and his son. Notice he doesn't just immediately heal the boy, either. He first addresses the condition of the father's heart. He shows us again where priorities should be.
When I read these stories I realize that we haven't come that far....We're still pretty much in the same boat. Thank God He is a God of mercy and grace, because I sure need it!
can someone explain 9:12-13 to me? I don't understand....
ReplyDeleteThe transfiguration (literally metamorphosis in Grk.) likely recalls Malachi 4:4-6 where Moses and Elijah are both mentioned.
ReplyDeleteMalachi 4:4-6 (New International Version)
4 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
Pretty cool that Peter, James and John got to be there!
I've read that on the Mountain (Hermon which dominates the area) as Jesus was transformed, He became visibly to the three of them what He is in His nature. Some suggest that this event also points to Jesus as the new tabernacle/temple of God's dwelling.
Most of all, I hear the 'voice' that tells us 'Listen to Him!'
Wendy, vv. 12-13 have to do with the Malachi passage in my previous post. Many Jews believed Elijah would appear before the Messiah, and John the Baptist is understood as the Elijah person (though John seems to have a slightly different picture). How people have reacted to Elijah/John suggests how they will react to Jesus...not, ultimately with great acclaim - same as was true with the prophets of the Old Testament. We don't learn very well sometimes.
ReplyDelete