Day 9: Not Understand Who He Was

Today's reading is Mark 3. It's the second Friday in Lent and on Fridays and Saturdays during Lent we'll read through the gospel of Mark.

Reading Mark 3 is a lesson in understanding who Jesus was, and what he was about. It starts off with Jesus' healing of a man with a deformed hand on the Sabbath day. When Jesus asked them whether or not it was right to do good, to restore, to heal, on the Sabbath...no one would respond. You can sense the crowd of Pharisees knew the answer was "yes", but wouldn't say anything taking the posture of "I dare you" to Jesus' questions. The response of Jesus is telling:

"He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!"

The crowds following Jesus, along with his healings and deliverances set the stage for the two main things to follow.

First, Jesus selects the 12 disciples who will serve as "Apostles", "Designated Sent Ones" of Jesus...his ambassadors, the ones who would serve his purposes and be his intimate circle...and most importantly, apart from Judas, they would end up as his friends. It is one thing to "serve", and important also; but to do so as a friend, willingly, lovingly, with care and concern that bends towards the need of the others without wanting to be paid back - that is the goal of serving Christ.

Secondly, there are two encounters with people who seek to control Jesus. First the Pharisees who are determined to discredit Jesus and secondly his own family who questions his sanity.

People misunderstood and in some cases outright opposed Jesus. They did not understand who he really was, and consequently they didn't know why he was doing what he did. Those who battled him were unwittingly cooperating with the enemy; but they probably thought they were doing God's will.

The division between Jesus and the Pharisees was never much less than a canyon. He spoke the truth and defined God's law the way it was meant to be understood, stripping it of anything that did not truly set people free.

The truth had one goal - the heart. Those who were offended bled resentment. The religious spirit is always lurking and we must not give in to that which would removed love, mercy and grace...Jesus didn't.

Peace

If you're reading through the Bible in a year, today we read Judges 1 & 2.

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