Tuesday Morning: 28 May 2019 – Mark 14:32-42 ~ on the agony of Gethsemane

Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for Peace – Tuesday)

O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Mark 14:32-42 (NLT)

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. And they didn’t know what to say.

When he returned to them the third time, he said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
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Morning Reflection:

on the agony of Gethsemane

“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you.
Please take this cup of suffering away from me.
Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” – Mark 14:32

We can’t begin to fathom the agony that Jesus experienced in Gethsemane. The physical dimension to Jesus’ suffering has been described by medical experts in excruciating detail. But what of his spiritual suffering – the prospect of bearing God’s wrath for the world’s sins and experiencing separation from His Father?

Jesus said: “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.” (vs 34) The original words Mark used describe bewilderment, fear, uncertainty and anxiety. The agony that Jesus experienced was much more than any mere martyr has ever had to endure; it was unique to the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

So how did Jesus pray?

+ Jesus expressed his confident faith in God with whom all things, consistent with His nature, are possible.
+ Jesus expressed his willing submission to God’s will, to renounce himself, as agonizing as that might be.
+ Jesus expressed his complete dependence on God to save him, whether before or after his suffering and death.

Questions for consideration:

Have you ever prayed for God to relieve you or a loved one from suffering? How did it work out? Please explain.
How do you distinguish between your will and God’s will when it comes to suffering? Please explain.
What does spiritual wakefulness mean to you, especially when it comes to suffering and prayer? Please explain.
In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes: “If we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” (Romans 8:16-18) What does that mean to you? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

The Persecuted Church: Prayer for those who are doing the persecuting:

Merciful God: Open the eyes and soften the hearts of the people who have brought unfathomable suffering and abuse upon Christians around the world. Remind us again that you sent your Son to save the whole world, and that you don’t want anyone – even these people – to perish. I ask this in Jesus’ name, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer: For Submission to God’s Will – Joseph Mercier

O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do; give me your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that you desire of me and to accept all that you permit to happen to me. Let me only know your will. Amen.

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“Go to Dark Gethsemane” – Page CXVI

Go to dark Gethsemane,
feel the tempter’s power;
Your Redeemer’s conﬂict see,
watch with Him one hour,
Turn not from His griefs away;
Turn not from His griefs
Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.
Turn not from His griefs

See Him at the judgment hall,
beaten, bound, arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall!
the pangs His soul sustained!!
Shun not suffering, and shame;
Oh Shun not suffering!
Learn of Christ to bear the cross.
Shun not suffering

Calvary’s mournful mountain climb;
adoring at His feet,
Mark that miracle of time,
God’s sacriﬁce complete
“It is ﬁnished!” hear Him cry;
Oh It is ﬁnished, done
Learn of Jesus Christ to die. It is ﬁnished, done

He wept,
we wept …
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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Tuesday Morning: 21 May 2019 – Mark 12:13-27 ~ on taxes and resurrection

Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for Peace – Tuesday)

Morning Reading – Mark 12:13-27 (NLT)

Taxes for Caesar

Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”

Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.” When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

His reply completely amazed them.

Discussion about Resurrection

Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name. Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

“But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.”
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Morning Reflection:

on taxes and resurrection

Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod
to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested….
– Mark 12:13

Controversy over Jesus’ authority led to controversy over His teaching. The Jewish religious leaders attacked Him trying to destroy His credibility and popularity. Today’s malicious attempt at entrapment involved the payment of taxes and the resurrection.

+ on the payment of taxes – As residents of an administrative area, we have an obligation to the governing authorities which do not infringe on the rights of God, but are ordained by God. We are to give each its due.

+ on the resurrection – God’s power is sufficient to raise us to a different type of life. Marriage as we know it will not exist when we have immortal bodies, and deathless existence will not require propagation of the human race.

Questions for consideration:

How do you view your governing authorities – ordained by God, or something else? Please explain.
At what point does your responsibility to God take precedence over your responsibilities to your governing authorities? Please explain.
How do you think about heaven? What place do loved ones and favorite things or activities have in your view of heaven? Please explain.
Does Jesus’ teaching about the resurrection change your thinking about heaven in any way? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

The Persecuted Church: Prayer for those who are doing the persecuting:

For the President and All in Civil Authority [Anglican Church in North America]

O Lord our Governor, whose glory fills all the world: We commend this Nation to your merciful care, that we may be guided by your providence, and dwell secure in your peace. Grant to the President of this Nation, the Governor of this State, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them continually mindful of their calling to serve this people in reverent obedience to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

For Our Resurrection to Eternal Life [Anglican Church in North America]

Almighty God, you knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord:

+ Grant to your whole Church in heaven and on earth, your light and peace.
+ Grant that all who have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection may die to sin and rise to newness of life, that through the grave and gate of death we may pass with him to our joyful resurrection.
+ Grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk as yet by faith, that your Holy Spirit may lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days.
+ Grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve you in faithful obedience.
+ Grant to all who mourn a sure confidence in your fatherly care, that, casting their grief on you, they may know the consolation of your love.

Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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“Resurrecting” – Elevation Worship

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Closing:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Tuesday Morning: 14 May 2019 – Mark 10:1-16 ~ let no one split apart what God has joined together

Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for Peace – Tuesday)

Morning Reading – Mark 10:1-16 (NLT)

Discussion about Divorce and Marriage

Then Jesus left Capernaum and went down to the region of Judea and into the area east of the Jordan River. Once again crowds gathered around him, and as usual he was teaching them.

Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”

Jesus answered them with a question: “What did Moses say in the law about divorce?”

“Well, he permitted it,” they replied. “He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away.”

But Jesus responded, “He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again. He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses the Children

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
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Morning Reflection:

“‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation.
‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife,
and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one,
let no one split apart what God has joined together.” – Mark 10:6-9

Concerning Preparation for Holy Matrimony
Anglican Church in North America

Marriage is a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, binding both to self-giving love and exclusive fidelity. The rite of Holy Matrimony is a worship service of the Church, in which the couple exchanges vows to uphold this covenant. They do this before God and in the presence of witnesses, who pray that God will bless their life together.

The covenantal union of man and woman in marriage signifies the communion between Christ, the heavenly bridegroom, and the Church, his holy bride (Ephesians 5:32). While all do not marry, Holy Matrimony symbolizes the union all Christians share with their Lord.

In Holy Matrimony, God establishes and blesses the covenant between husband and wife, and joins them to live together in a communion of love, faithfulness, and peace within the fellowship of Christ and his Church. God enables all married people to grow in love, wisdom, and godliness through a common life patterned on the sacrificial love of Christ.

Questions for consideration:

Are you married, or have you ever been married? Were you married before God in a church? Please explain.
As a married person, which of these best describes your relationship: partners in prayer, strength in need, counselors in perplexity, comforters in sorrow, and companions in joy? Please explain.
As a married person, are you growing in love and devotion to Christ and with one another? Please explain.
As a married person, when you hurt one another, do you have the courage to recognize and acknowledge your faults, to seek God’s forgiveness, and to forgive and be reconciled to your partner? Please explain.
As a married person, how could you make your marriage more like the relationship between Christ and the Church? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

The Persecuted Church: Prayer for those who are doing the persecuting:

Pastoral Rite (Anglican Church in North America): Blessing of Marriage:

Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the Cross to be the way of life. We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in his Name.

By the power of your Holy Spirit, pour out the abundance of your blessing upon every man and woman united before you in the bond of marriage. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.

Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. In your mercy, bring them to your heavenly banquet where your saints feast for ever at the great marriage supper of the Lamb; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Make Us One”

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Closing:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Tuesday Morning: 07 May 2019 – Mark 7:24-8:9 ~ on feeding the dogs

Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for Peace – Tuesday)

Morning Reading – Mark 7:24-8:9 (NLT)

The Faith of a Gentile Woman

Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.

Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”

“Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.

Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.”

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.”

His disciples replied, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?”

Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

“Seven loaves,” they replied.

So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.

They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten.
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Morning Reflection:

Good News for Gentiles

“Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.”
And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed,
and the demon was gone. – Mark 7:29-30

Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,”
which means, “Be opened!” Instantly the man could hear perfectly,
and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly! – Mark 7:34-35

In today’s readings, Jesus has moved away from the conflict of Galilee and traveled northwest to the Mediterranean coast into the Gentile world of Tyre and Sidon – ostensibly to get some rest. But his reputation has preceded him and Gentiles come to him for healing.

The Gentile Woman: Her persistent request for help for her demonized daughter demonstrated her faith in Jesus – she believed he could, if he would. And her repartee with him showed that she was fully aware that she was a beggar – without rights or standing – depending solely on Jesus’ mercy and grace. And when she went home her daughter was healed.

The Gentile Deaf Man – He was brought to Jesus by his friends – again Gentiles who believed in Jesus’ healing power. Was the man himself a believer? We don’t know, but Jesus took him away from the crowd and dealt with him personally, using signs to communicate what he was doing. And the man was healed instantly.

Jesus rewarded Gentile faith as well as Jewish faith. Jesus had come to deliver both Gentiles and Jews.

Questions for consideration: In the cases cited above, family and friends plead with Jesus for healing on behalf of a loved one.

Do you have a loved one who needs healing and/or deliverance? Please explain.
Do you believe that Jesus can, or will, heal that person? What’s the difference? Please explain.
Have you prayed for that person to be healed, or delivered? What has been the result? Please explain.
At this point in time, what more can you do – persist in prayer, believe that it is done, thank God for working wonders, something else? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Prayer for those who are doing the persecuting:

My prayer:

Heavenly Father: Have mercy on me, my loved ones, and friends – especially those who desperately need your forgiveness, healing, and deliverance. Make a way where there is no way and change their lives. Show them your loving-kindness in ways they never before imagined, that they may be completely amazed and give glory to your Name, through Jesus Christ your Son, my Savior. Amen.
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“I’m Amazed” – Jason Crabb / The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
[Live at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola]

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Closing:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Tuesday Morning: 30 Apr 2019 – Mark 4:21-41 ~ Kingdom Revelations and Authority

Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for Peace – Tuesday)

Morning Reading – Mark 4:21-41 (NLT)

Parable of the Lamp

Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

Parable of the Growing Seed

Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

Parable of the Mustard Seed

Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”

Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.

Jesus Calms the Storm

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
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Morning Reflection:

“Pay close attention to what you hear.
The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given
—and you will receive even more.” – Mark 4:24

So what are we to make of Jesus’ Kingdom revelations?

+ The Lamp: The kingdom of God, as embodied in Jesus’ Person and ministry, was now a veiled revelation to those without, but He intended that later it should receive a glorious manifestation through the ministry of His followers.
+ The Growing Seed: Growth of the believing community would increase, though no one could really explain why it was growing except that God was responsible for it. Eventually there would be a harvest of the crop when God, the ultimate sower, saw that the time was right.
+ The Mustard Seed: When Jesus came declaring that the Kingdom of God was at hand, He planted the seed. That beginning was very inauspicious. Nevertheless, Jesus assures the disciples that the Kingdom of God would one day be impressively large.
+ The Storm: Jesus demonstrates his Kingdom power over nature. He is Lord over all of creation. Faith overcomes fear.

Questions for consideration: Re-read these Kingdom stories and ask the Holy Spirit to apply them to your personal circumstances.

Which one of these stories do you find most encouraging? Please explain.
Can you think of examples of how one or more of these stories have played out in your memory? Please explain.
In your present situation, where do you need Jesus to exercise his authority over creation? What storm do you need Jesus to calm? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Prayer for those who are doing the persecuting:

Merciful God: Open the eyes and soften the hearts of the people who have brought unfathomable suffering and abuse upon Christians, especially those who have perpetrated the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka. Remind us again that you sent your Son to save the whole world, and that you don’t want anyone – even these people – to perish. I ask this in Jesus’ name, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

My prayer:

Lord Jesus: Give me eyes to see and ears to hear – that I might understand the workings of your Kingdom all around me. May I value the slow and steady growth produced by faithfulness to your Word. Show me the potential of small beginnings and give me the faith and vision to discern what they can become. And when I am afraid, still the storms raging within me that I might persevere in faith, hope, and love. All to the glory of your name, and the advance of your Kingdom. Amen.
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“Kingdom Come” – Darlene Zschech