***Mark 7***
I love the gospel of Mark... In Mark, Jesus is more human than in the other gospels. He sometimes comes across as a little cranky... a little mean. How else can you explain him telling a woman that she is a dog?
Truth be told, in their culture she was the lowest member of society. Back then women had very few rights, plus she was a gentile. The Jews despised the gentiles and wanted them out of their promised land. Still, it doesn't sound like something we would expect Jesus to say.
If Jesus called me a dog to my face, I'm sure I might have something not so polite to say back. I think my pride would take over. I'm not saying I'd punch Jesus, but I would let him know I didn't appreciate it. I imagine most of you would do the same.
But she was desperate, she was there for her daughter, pride had gone out the window a long time ago. She was at the point of begging. She accepted the insult and accepted her role in life, which means she accepted the fact that she was a dog. In that moment, she understood what faith is.
Martin Luther's last written words were "We are beggars, this is true." She was a beggar, you are a beggar, I am a beggar... begging for undeserved mercy, grace, and love from Jesus. Jesus didn't owe her anything and he doesn't owe us anything. Yet he gives, and gives, and gives.
God does not want us to be like the hand-washing Jews, thinking that we are deserving... God wants us to understand who we are, so that we can understand who God is. God is love. No matter how clean our hands are we will never earn that love, it must be a gift, and it is meant to be accepted like a beggar receiving a piece of bread... it is the most important gift we will ever receive.
***Mark 8***
Oh Peter!
The disciples had a rough chapter in Mark 8... bless their hearts, but they come across as real amateurs. (I have been told that in Texas you can say whatever you want about someone as long as you say "bless their heart" before or after you tear them apart)
First of all, when Jesus feeds 4,000, the disciples are concerned about where they will find enough food to feed the people. Do they not remember that 2 chapters ago Jesus fed 5,000 people with less? No matter how many times Jesus performs miracles in front of them, they never really get it... the never trust Jesus to perform the next miracle.
Then Peter, right after he proclaims Jesus to be the Messiah, just when he thinks he understands... blows it.
Peter proclaims Jesus to be God and then proceeds to tell God what to do. Jesus' response is interesting, he calls Peter "Satan."
Have you ever told God to do something? Have you ever said "God damn..."? Have you ever though that you knew what God should do? or how God feels? Have you seen the Christians with signs that say "God hates gays?" Did you hear the Christians who said that "New Orleans got what it deserved?"
Remember what the devil did in the garden? He talked Adam and Eve into eating off of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The work of Satan is make you think that you know what God should do and what God should not do. Is to make you think that you know who is good and who is evil. That's what Peter did and that's what we do.
Learn from the mistakes of the disciples... let God be God and instead of worrying about everyone else, just trust that he can feed you.
************We are halfway through Mark and on break until Tuesday*****************
Your blog gives me another view of communion. I'm a sinner AND a beggar waiting for that piece of bread.
ReplyDeleteIn various classes and studies over the past few weeks, the concept of God giving me what I need not what I want has been very apparent. So if I imagine myself starving and someone offering me just enough food to keep me alive for another day, I don't think I would say, "Look, if you're not going to give me enough to keep me alive for a week or a month or a year, then forget it. I'll just starve." I think I would accept what I could get to keep me alive, and keep coming back every day for more, for more "daily bread" just like the Israelites in the desert. But of course God does give us more. More grace than we can possibly contain. But what do we do with the excess? What happens if we hoard it for a "rainy day?" Like the manna God gave the people of Israel, it won't last. But if we would all share our portions of grace, there would be enough for everyone. This is where I'm going with this: sometimes when we think about living a life of service we imagine giving up everything we have and becoming a beggar. But what if God is saying give something of yourself, of your gifts, of His grace every day. Give enough to keep someone else's faith alive for one more day. And if they come back the next day give some more. Do we, like the disciples doubt that God will supply us with enough to share? He is always enough, but not everyone knows that. We all know someone who's starving, and we are called to share our daily bread, the manna of God's grace. That my friend is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving!
ReplyDeleteThe posts this week have been both thought-provoking and fun--thanks, Pastor Nick! Om Mark 8 when you talk about the temptation to put our words in God's mouth I think of a quote from Abraham Lincoln (had to look it up--memorization isn't my thing): "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right."
ReplyDeleteJesus called the women a dog not to insult her but to see where her faith was at. She replied to Jesus, "Even the dogs get the scraps or crumbs from the table!" Which told Jesus that this women had much much faith in Him. She believed even a small portion of His power would help her.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the most beautiful stories along with the women with an issue of blood who had tried everything humanly possible to get herself healed. The woman with the issue of blood reached out and just barely touches the hem of Jesus' garment and is instantly healed. Her strong faith healed her in this story. Jesus actually felt power (Virtue) go out of Him and He knew she had touched Him and was healed.
I remember when I first accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. My faith was soooooooo child like and it seemed everything I was asking Jesus for was happening. Now that I have been walking with Him for awhile it has become harder.
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