Wednesday Morning: 22 May 2019 – Mark 12:28-44 ~ on loving God and others

Wednesday Morning

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

Opening (A Collect for Grace – Wednesday)

O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Mark 12:28-44 (NLT)

The Most Important Commandment

One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, “Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David? For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said,

‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

Since David himself called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with great delight.

Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”

The Widow’s Offering

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
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Morning Reflection:

on loving God and others

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this:
‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’
The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
No other commandment is greater than these.” – Mark 12:29-31

The religious teacher asked for one commandment, but Jesus gave him two. Why? Because love for others grows out of love for God. These are the greatest commandments because they summarize our two basic human responsibilities. Jesus didn’t come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.

Even as God has loved us totally and completely, through his Son Jesus Christ; we are to love God totally and completely in response, through his Son Jesus Christ. Everything else flows out of that essential relationship with God through his Son.

Questions for consideration:

When you think of today’s “to do” list, where does loving God fit in? Please explain.
“Heart” represents the control center of our human personality. How does your personality affect the way you express your love for God? Please explain.
“Soul” represents our self-conscious thought life. How does your thought life affect the way you express your love for God? Please explain.
“Mind” represents our capacity to think. Are you a “thinker” or “feeler”? How does your way of thinking affect the way you express your love for God? Please explain.
“Strength” represents all of our physical powers. How does your physical strength affect the way you express your love for God? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

The Persecuted Church: Prayer for the families and loved ones of those being persecuted:

Heavenly Father: Comfort the families that are affected by the persecution of their loves ones. Open up safe channels and opportunities for them to support and/or visit those who are imprisoned, or otherwise detained. Empower them by your Spirit to remain faithful to you and to their loved ones, even as they wait patiently for deliverance and release. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Decalogue: My Prayer –

Lord God: Write these words on my heart and keep them ever before me;

First, that I might love you –

+ I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods but me.
+ You shall not make for yourself any idol.
+ You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain.
+ Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

And secondly, that I might love my neighbor as myself –

+ Honor your father and your mother.
+ You shall not murder.
+ You shall not commit adultery.
+ You shall not steal.
+ You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
+ You shall not covet.

Lord God: Empower me by your Spirit to love you in the decisions I make, in the desires of my heart, in my thought life, and in my actions. I ask this through Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord. Amen.
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“SHEMA | A Prayer for Israel” – Misha Goetz & Shae Wilbur

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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

Wednesday Morning: 15 May 2019 – Mark 10:17-31 ~ the handicap of wealth

Wednesday Morning

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

Opening (A Collect for Grace – Wednesday)

Morning Reading – Mark 10:17-31 (NLT)

The Rich Man

As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”
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Morning Reflection:

The Handicap of Wealth

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” – Mark 10:23

Ordinarily, we think of wealth as being an advantage in life – if for no other reason than it makes life easier. But not so, when it comes to the Kingdom of God. Jesus identifies wealth as a handicap to receiving eternal life. His encounter with the rich young ruler is instructive.

+ The young man approached Jesus earnestly and respectfully, but viewed eternal life from the perspective of work rather than faith. “What must I do?”

+ The young man viewed himself as a “good person,” and perhaps saw his success as God’s reward. But something was missing, and he sensed it.

+ Jesus loved the young man enough to tell him the truth. His reliance on wealth as a measure of self-worth was a handicap to following Jesus, to inheriting eternal life.

+ The young man couldn’t let go, and walked away – sad and empty. His value system and world view had been turned upside down.

The problem that Jesus addresses in this encounter is not that there is something inherently wrong with wealth, but rather that wealth (or anything else we rely on to measure our self-worth) is a handicap to following Jesus and, consequently, going to heaven.

Questions for consideration:

Do you see yourself as a “good person,” living a generally moral, decent life? Please explain.
How does your response impact your relationship with Jesus? Do you consider it a help, or hindrance? Please explain.
What is preventing you from drawing closer to Jesus? What would it cost you to “give it away,” so to speak? Please explain.
Have you given up everything to follow Jesus? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

The Persecuted Church: Prayer for the families and loved ones of those being persecuted:

My prayer:

Heavenly Father: Without your mercy and grace, I am hopelessly crippled – relying on the artificial props of this world to keep me standing. But the very things I lean on to keep me upright are the very things that prevent me from leaning entirely on you – my strength and my hope. Give me the courage and faith to “give up everything” to follow Jesus. Help me to understand what that means in my everyday life. And replace any sadness I may feel with the joy and freedom that comes from trusting Jesus with my life. I ask this in his Name. Amen.
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“All My Hope” – Crowder

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Closing:

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

Wednesday Morning: 08 May 2019 – Mark 8:10-26 ~ on demanding miracles

Wednesday Morning

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

Opening (A Collect for Grace – Wednesday)

Morning Reading – Mark 8:10-26 (NLT)

Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.

Pharisees Demand a Miraculous Sign

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.

Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”

“Twelve,” they said.

“And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they said.

“Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

Jesus Heals a Blind Man

When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”

The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.”

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Morning Reflection:

on demanding miracles

“When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived,
they came and started to argue with him. Testing him,
they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven
to prove his authority.” – Mark 8:11b

Jesus responds to the religious leaders unbelief with grief and disappointment. His ministry had already included sufficient miraculous signs to persuade open-minded people of his deity; he was not about to “perform” for unbelievers.

Jesus’ miraculous signs were intended to fulfill Old Testament prophecy, e.g.

feeding the multitudes – the Good Shepherd, providing his flock – Ezekiel 34:5
healing the blind – the Messiah, opening blind eyes – Isaiah 29:18.

And they were an expression of God’s love and compassion for those who were helpless and hopeless. Jesus’ performed signs and wonders only in response to what the Father told him to do.

Why is this important? Because Jesus wanted his disciples to understand who he was – both Son of Man and Son of God – so that they could have a realistic and fulfilling relationship with him.

Questions for consideration:

Do you believe that God gives miraculous signs today in order to bolster faith in Jesus Christ? Please explain.
Have you ever witnessed a God-given miraculous sign? How did you respond? Please explain.
Have you ever asked for a God-given sign to bolster your faith? What happened? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Prayer for the families and loved ones of those being persecuted:

My prayer:

Heavenly Father: Open my heart and mind to your Kingdom presence around me. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear of the life-giving presence of your Son, Jesus Christ, through the work of your Spirit moving among us. Have mercy on me and all those who need help, hope, and healing. Make me a channel of your blessing to others, and may I always point them to Jesus – the true source of any goodness that may result. It’s in his Name I ask it. Amen.
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“Make Me a Blessing” – SERAPHS Official

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Closing:

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

Wednesday Morning: 01 May 2019 – Mark 5:1-20 ~ Kingdom authority over evil spirits

Wednesday Morning

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

Opening (A Collect for Grace – Wednesday)

Morning Reading – Mark 5:1-20 (NLT)

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man

So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
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Morning Reflection:

Go and Tell

As Jesus was getting into the boat,
the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.
– Mark 5:18

In today’s reading, Mark gives us graphic details on how demonic influence distorts and destroys the image of God in a person.

The poor man was miserable – shunned by neighbors, living in burial caves, out of control in spite of attempts to restrain him, howling and hurting himself. Demonic presence controlled the man’s speech and physical movement.

But Jesus is stronger than any demonic presence – and the demons within the man recognized it.

In a surprising turn of events, they acknowledge that Jesus is their superior and plead with him for their lives. And Jesus grants their request, sort of – by permitting them to enter nearby pigs who immediately plunge down a hill and drown in the lake.

The man was transformed.

He was a new person in Christ – peaceful, fully clothed, in control of himself and his senses, and so grateful for his deliverance that he begged Jesus to go with him in the boat, as Jesus was preparing to leave.

But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family,
and tell them everything the Lord has done for you
and how merciful he has been.” – Mark 5:19

Questions for consideration:

Have you ever encountered a demonized person? How did you know? What happened? Please explain.
How has your life changed because of encountering Jesus? Was the change evident to the people who knew you best? Please explain.
Think about some of the ways that God has shown you his mercy. What are the highlights? Try putting them together into a short story that you could tell to others. It might help to write it down.

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Morning Prayer:

Prayer for the families and loved ones of those being persecuted:

My prayer:

Thank you Jesus for delivering me from evil influences over the course of my life. Give me discernment to recognize demonic presence when I run into it; and show me a way of escape, that I might not sin against you. Give me clarity in remembering the many ways you have shown me your mercy, that I may have a compelling story to tell – of your love, mercy, and grace. All to the glory of your name. Amen.
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“You’ll Come” – Hillsong United