Day 40- Mark 16:1-8 (Sunday, April 4)

Assuming that the book of Mark originally ended after verse 8, this is the most unlikely endings that we’ll ever find! It makes no sense to us. Throughout the whole book, Jesus continually tells people not to tell anyone who he is, yet people could not shut up about him. Now, finally Jesus has risen from the dead and the women who come to the tomb are commissioned to go and tell the others. So, of course they go out and tell everyone, right? Nope. It says in v. 8 that they told no one, because they were afraid! And then the book, at least in its original form appears to end! How can you end a book like this? This has to be the worst ending ever!

Or is it? I think this is an ingenious ending. It makes us angry by asking, ‘How could they not tell anyone?’, but eventually forces us to ask ourselves, ‘How could we not tell anyone?’ We start off by wanting to change the ending of the story, but end up wanting to change the end of our own stories. Rather than remaining silent about the risen Messiah, we are challenged to overcome our fear and go share the Good News with everyone! We are challenged to share in both word and deed, knowing that the resurrected life has changed us completely!

So do you want to change how this story ends, or will you let this story change how your story ends? Choose to share the resurrection in all that you do.

Day 39- Mark 15:42-47 (Saturday, April 3)

The first Saturday after the resurrection was a day of great sadness and fear. The followers of Jesus were living in great fear and did not know what to think. The one who they had thought to be the Messiah was now dead. Everything they had trusted in and believed in for the past three years had been shattered. But only for another day.

Our pre-Easter Saturdays are probably much different now. We look forward to Sunday with great anticipation, knowing how the story ends. We start to get excited about worshiping our risen Savior together, as we also look forward to our own resurrection when Christ returns! We eagerly await the day when Christ will restore the earth to the way that he has always wanted it to be, and comes and lives amongst us again forever!

But let us remember this journey of Lent and what it has taught us. Let us not forget the sacrifices we have made so that we could rid ourselves of distractions and sin. Let us celebrate the change in our hearts and attitudes that this type of discipline gives to us! And let us not forget to share this wonderful, life-changing message that comes from the empty tomb!

Day 38- Mark 15:21-41 (Friday, April 2)

Amidst all of the mocking that Jesus endured both on his way to the cross and while he was on the cross, Mark only records Jesus saying one thing: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus was using this as a way of pointing us to Psalm 22, which is also a fitting read for today. In it, the Psalmist starts off by stating how dire his situation appears, but yet ends by placing his trust that God would ultimately prevail.

What strikes me throughout the whole trial and crucifixion of Jesus is his silence. It is almost painful. When we read some of the accounts, we almost want to put words in Jesus’ mouth, so that he wouldn’t just hang there and say nothing. Yet there is something very powerful about his silence. It shows that ultimately he was trusting in God to bring about vindication, but also that he refused to retaliate.

As we strive to allow Jesus to live through us, let us remember that we don’t need to retaliate against the words and actions of others. We can simply trust God to bring about his vindication in due time. Ultimately, our responses only bring about more damage. However, when we remain silent, not only does God allow our lives to shine before others, he also molds us into people who are more like him.

Day 37- Mark 15:1-20 (Thursday, April 1)

It is truly painful to read how Jesus was treated by the people that he came to save. The way he was continuously mocked and slandered, beaten and insulted can make us very angry. How easy it is for us to shout out, ‘How could you!’, without recognizing that we probably would have been just as easily swayed by religious leaders of the day.

When I was growing up, my Dad portrayed Jesus in our church’s Easter musical. It was a very demanding job for him to get crucified 6 times in one weekend! As intrigued as I was by his role, I was equally intrigued by the role of the crowds in the play. In one scene, they all cheered on my Dad as he portrayed the triumphal entry. However, just a few scenes later, they also had the responsibility to shout out ‘Crucify him!’ as he was on trial before Pilate. It was interesting to see how people who had never played that role before really struggled initially to shout those commands against Jesus, even though it was just a musical. But when they did, it often brought tears to their eyes, as it made it so real to them how responsible we all are for the death of Jesus!

We are all responsible for Jesus’ death on the cross. It was our sin that put him there. But let us also remember it was God’s plan all along. In spite of our wicked hearts, Jesus still chose to give freely of himself for our salvation. Let us remember our own responsibility in all of this, but let us not forget that God brought something wonderful out of this! Just as Peter says in Acts 3:15, “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead!”

Day 36- Mark 14:66-72 (Wednesday, March 31)

In Mark’s writing, we see that he often tells part of a story, then jumps to another story, only to come back and complete the first story. This story is a continuation of the discussion that happened in 14:27-31. The irony of this story is that Peter has emphatically stated that he would die for Jesus and never fall away, yet he denies Jesus so easily! It is not before Pilate or the Sanhedrin that Peter denies Jesus, but rather before the one of the servant girls of the high priest! Jesus stands firm through the cross, but Peter can’t even handle the scrutiny of a teenage girl!

It would be easy to leave Peter here in the mud, but what we see in John 21 is that after the resurrection, Jesus completely restores Peter. In one of the great stories of grace, Peter goes on to be one of the most influential leaders in all of Christian history. In fact, extrabiblical history even tells us that Peter eventually faced his own cross, choosing to be crucified himself as opposed to renouncing Christ. In the same way, as we face our own failures and times where we have been ashamed of Jesus, let us not hold the shame over our heads, but may we come to Jesus with great faith in his grace and healing power. God is truly not through with us yet!

Day 35- Mark 14:43-65 (Tuesday, March 30)

As we read this passage, we see a rather odd person temporarily enter the story in v. 51-52. At first glance it seems that we have a streaker at the most inopportune time! Who is this young man who turns and runs away naked to avoid capture? Well, we don’t know for certain, but one guess is that this is actually Mark, our author, anonymously putting himself into the story. This might be similar to a director of a movie putting himself in one scene just to put his ‘signature’ on the film. For example, in ‘The Passion of the Christ’, Mel Gibson films his hand holding the nail driven into the hand of Jesus Christ in order to show his participation in the death of Jesus.

If this is truly Mark, it is worth noting that he does not write himself into the story as some type of hero, or as one who stood firm to the end. Rather, he shows himself to be one who turned and ran, just like all of the rest of the followers of Jesus. It is fitting in Mark’s Gospel that the only true hero is Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus’ disciples went on to do amazing things for God after the resurrection, they are shown to be authentic humans who were scared to death. In the same way, may we think of ourselves with great humility, recognizing that if we were there, we probably would have ran also. Yet, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are empowered to live—and to die—for him.

Day 34- Mark 14:32-42 (Monday, March 29)

Only at Gethsemane do we get such an intimate glimpse at the full range of human emotions that Jesus Christ experienced. Here we see him frustrated with his disciples over their inability to stay awake at the most crucial hour. We see him wrestle with his calling, struggling to submit to God’s will. Most importantly, we also see him calling out to his heavenly Daddy (Abba is literally ‘daddy’) as a child would cry out to their earthly fathers in a dire moment.

I don’t believe that it is any coincidence that this crucial event took place in a garden. It was in the first garden that Adam succumbed to temptation, so God placed the second Adam, Jesus Christ, in this garden to submit to God’s will. Because Jesus chooses to submit to God’s will and offer himself as a sacrifice, he has freed all of us from the curse brought upon us by the first Adam! (For a passage dealing with the comparisons between the ‘first Adam’ and the ‘second Adam,’ Jesus Christ, please read Romans 5:12-21).

Our choice is simple: who will you follow? Will you choose to follow the example of the first Adam and choose your own will and death, or will you choose to follow the example of the second Adam, Jesus Christ, humble yourself under God’s mighty hand, and thus choose life?

Day 33- Mark 14:1-31 (Sunday, March 28)

I wonder if you have a very important and costly heirloom that has been passed down from generation to generation in your family. Maybe there is something of great monetary or sentimental value that it would cost you greatly to lose. If you can think about that one thing, then this might capture the significance of what this unnamed woman does for Jesus. This nard would have been made from the roots of plants and imported from India. It would have been sealed in an alabaster jar that could only be used once—it could never be sealed again. Yet she has the desire and faith to know that for as long as this heirloom has been around in her family, now is the time to use it!

Judas is obviously not happy about this. He has been skimming off of the treasury that funded Jesus ministry for some time. He sees this as an act of wasting, but Jesus sees it as an act of worship. She takes what is of greatest value to her and uses it to worship her Lord.

I suppose what we do for God probably looks pretty foolish to the world too. We ‘waste’ our time coming together on Sundays. We ‘waste’ more of that time when we study God’s word together and when we go out to serve those who others say will never change. We ‘waste’ our finances by giving generously to ministries that are going to further the Gospel, both here and abroad. But may I remind you once again that what the world considers to be wasting, God considers to be some of the most beautiful acts of worship!

Day 32- Mark 13:1-37 (Saturday, March 27)

In this devotion, I want to tell you everything that I know about when Christ will return. Are you ready? Here it is: we don’t know. That’s it! Isn’t that refreshing! In fact, in today’s passage, the first 31 verses aren’t about his return. Instead they are about the destruction of the Jewish temple that happened about 40 years after Jesus’ life on earth. Only verses 32-37 are about his return.

I can’t tell you when Jesus is returning; neither can anyone else. I can only tell you that he is returning. So his commandment to us in this regard is not to figure it out, but rather to be ready (he says, ‘keep watch’). We don’t ready ourselves by having our bags packed and waiting by the door. Rather, we ready ourselves for his return by living rightly in this world.

Are there some things that you’ve been putting off in your life? Maybe it is a relationship that needs to be repaired, or by putting off your life’s calling to pursue your own desires. I challenge you to live like he’s returning tomorrow, because you don’t know when he’ll come or when your end will come. Only when we live with this sense of urgency can we truly live the abundant life that he has called us to.

Day 31- Mark 12:35-43 (Friday, March 26)

If you read the newspapers and magazines, you will often read of philanthropists who give millions of dollars to an organization or cause. I always enjoy those stories, and secretly wish that I was able to give like that as well. We often set them up as models of giving in our culture. In other words, we look to the rich for our giving lessons.

In this story, Jesus does the exact opposite. Rather than looking to the richest, he looks to the poorest. Here he points to his disciples to a poor widow, who couldn’t even afford to give an entire penny. Instead of giving out of wealth, Jesus shows how she instead gives out of her poverty.

While it is definitely hard to even conceive someone this poor in our culture, we must acknowledge that her sacrifice is very inspiring to us. To the rich, even millions of dollars are not a sacrifice. But to her, pennies were all that she had. I’d suggest to you that when we determine our giving, don’t do it merely by calculating a dollar figure. Rather do it based on sacrifice—how much is it truly costing you? As C.S. Lewis said, “Give until it hurts, and then give a little more!”

Day 30- Mark 12:28-34 (Thursday, March 25)

When we think of the Greatest Commandment of Christianity, often we think of ‘Love the Lord your God with everything you’ve got, and love your neighbor as yourself.’ However, I think we miss out an important aspect of Christ’s teaching. If we go back and look, it doesn’t start with the command to Love God. Jesus instead starts with what the Jews would have known as the Great Shema: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.’

I can understand if some of you are thinking that this seems a bit technical, but hang with me. When the Jews originally received this command in Deuteronomy 6, they were coming out of a period of time where they had seen God’s great provision. They had most notably seen his provision when God led them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, while the Egyptians who pursued them were wiped out. It was then that God showed them that ‘the Lord is one’ by proving his strength over the inferior Egyptian gods who were truly just manmade idols.

What does this mean to us? Jesus was showing us that we love God in response to who he is and what he has done for us. We are not trying to earn God’s love. He has already given it to us. Just as the Jews were to love God in response to his great saving work that he did for them in Egypt, we are to love God in response to his great saving work that he did for us at the cross. We love God because he first loved us.

Day 29- Mark 12:1-27 (Wednesday, March 24)

I suppose it is fitting that today’s passage comes as many of us are preparing our income taxes. On the surface, this appears to be a quite simple teaching. If you owe your taxes to the government, then you should pay them. It’s that simple. However, if we dig a little deeper, there is a profound spiritual truth here.

Whereas we have an image of presidents on our coins, the Romans would have had an image of Caesar on theirs. This is important, because Caesar would have been viewed as a god in Roman culture. This obviously conflicted greatly with the Jews. So Jesus sets up this picture beautifully in his teaching. He teaches them that if something has Caesar’s image on it, then they should be willing to give that to Caesar. However, if something has God’s image on it, then they should give that to God.

Genesis tells us that we are created in the image of God. Jesus reminds us that since we bear God’s image, we ought to give ourselves back to him for his purpose. I know that nobody likes to pay taxes back to those whose images are on our coins, but let me challenge you with this thought: Just as we all try to keep from paying any more taxes than we have to, do you also try to keep from giving any more to God than what you feel like you have to? God has not held back his image from any part of us. Don’t hold back any of yourself from him either.

Day 28- Mark 11:20-33 (Tuesday, March 23)

It is very easy to become blind to the work of God. We can get so caught up in our way of doing things that we can miss when God is at work right in front of us. This is exactly what happened to the religious leaders who opposed Jesus. In 11:27 and following, we see that they refused to acknowledge the work of God in John the Baptist, even though all of the common people clearly could see that John was a prophet. This showed that their hearts were truly not in tune with God.

In this season of repentance, I would challenge you to look at some of the areas of your faith where you have been judgmental towards the work of others. Maybe it is those from a different denomination, those within our church, or even people within your own family. While we’re certainly called to live out biblical truth, sometimes we confuse truth with the way we’ve always done it, or with what we are most comfortable with. Confess your heart towards God, and ask him to show you how he is at work through those whom you have greeted with a hard heart. I think you will find that this will be a very rewarding experience for you that will reward your faith, and help to repair relationships as well. .

Day 27- Mark 11:1-19 (Monday, March 22)

On the surface, this seems to be two of the most unlikely stories to be wed to each other. In the first story, we read of Jesus essentially being celebrated as the liberator of Israel (‘Hosanna’ simply means save), and yet in the next story, Jesus seems to be making opposition not against the Romans, but against the Jewish religious leaders. How could this be?

Once again, we see people who seem to have a misguided understanding of who the messiah was really supposed to be. They saw him as someone who would set their country free, as opposed as someone who came to be a blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:3). Often when I read the account of Jesus cleansing the temple, I focus more on the aspect of it being ‘a house of prayer’ and fail to notice that it is to be ‘for all nations.’ Here we see once again that Jesus’ heart was not only for his own country or race, but that it truly extended out to all peoples.

Here at Jeff Street, we have always strived to further the gospel of Christ not only here, but all around the world. We partner with many people who are committed to live in a foreign land so that the good news of Jesus will be shared there as well. Take some time today to lift up some of our Global Outreach Ministry partners in prayer.

Day 26- Mark 10:46-52 (Sunday, March 21)

A few days ago, we read about how Jesus did not want us to hinder the little children from coming to him. Today, we see that Jesus also does not want us to stand in the way of the disadvantaged and underprivileged. As Jesus is leaving Jericho, a blind man is calling out for him. Apparently, this is rather embarrassing for the people around Jesus, so they try to silence him. Interestingly enough, Jesus uses the very people who are trying to silence this man to call him to be healed. How embarrassing this must have been to those in the crowd!

We must remember that we are not a club for the righteous, but we are a hospital for sinners. All of us are in need of God’s grace. We cannot think of ourselves more highly than we ought. Those of us who are healthy or wealthy cannot see ourselves as more blessed than those of us who are not. We must continually open up our doors to all people to be blessed.

One of the greatest joys I have in seeing people serve at Jeff Street is to look who we have manning our front doors on Sunday morning. While we have a rotation, two of our regular ‘first impressions’ of Jeff Street are Carl Boward and Phil Rogers. Both have had extremely serious health problems, but greet as often as they can. We have received so many positive comments about how this blesses people because they are a constant reminder that God is faithful no matter what our earthly circumstances may be. May we always be people who show just how much God loves everyone, no matter what our earthly circumstances may be.

Day 25- Mark 10:32-45 (Saturday, March 20)

In this eye-rolling episode, we see Jesus instructing his disciples for the second time that he is going to be killed. Totally oblivious to what Jesus has just said, James and John present a completely selfish request to Jesus by asking that they would be seated at higher places of honor than those around them. Jesus responds by calling them to be great by becoming a servant and following in the example of Jesus.

Too often we make Jesus out to be more of a superhero of our faith than our Savior and Lord. We want him to give us our immediate needs and to bless us, but we don’t want to give anything up. What we learn from Jesus is that the greatest choice we can make is to sacrifice ourselves for his kingdom by serving others. We are not merely called to tell people about Jesus. We are called to live out Christ’s love and to show people Jesus by serving them.

Day 24- Mark 10:17-31 (Friday, March 19)

Considering the fact that we live in the richest and most materialistic society in the history of the world, I don’t suspect that this passage gives us much comfort. It is tough enough to get thread through a needle, let alone a camel! Once again Jesus is using hyperbole to dramatically emphasize how important it is for us not to allow our lives to be controlled by wealth.

What we must take away from this passage is that we cannot allow wealth or the pursuit of wealth to stand in between us and God. While we must be wise in what God has entrusted us with, money must not become an idol. One of the easiest ways to tell whether it is an idol or not is to continually give it away. If we cannot bring ourselves to tithe and to look around and to bless those who are in need, then wealth has certainly become an idol.

Jesus concludes this passage by reassuring the disciples that anything that we give away in this age will not go unnoticed in the age to come. Remember, we are not called to live for the here and now. We are called to live sacrificially for the joy that God has set before us.

Day 23- Mark 10:13-16 (Thursday, March 18)

A wise man once told me that inside of every man, there is a little boy who has either been blessed or cursed. What we see in this passage is that Jesus desires to bless all children. There are two points of application for us:

First, we must make every effort to make sure that we are blessing our children and not cursing them. This is easier said than done. When we discourage children or push them towards finding their self worth in something or someone other than God’s love, we curse them. When we neglect children by becoming so self absorbed that we do not give them the nurture that they need, we also curse them. However, when we choose to speak meaningful words to them, sacrifice our time for them, and affirm them with a loving touch, we bless them.

Secondly, we must understand that we have been deeply affected by the way that our parents have blessed or cursed us. This has directly affected our relationship with God either positively or negatively. If you are one who has been cursed, please understand that God wants you to be able to come before him without guilt or shame. He wants to give you the love and affirmation that you have always needed. May you be reaffirmed as God’s child today.

Day 22- Mark 10:1-12 (Wednesday, March 17)

One of the greatest dangers in marriage is to harden your heart towards your spouse. It happens to everyone who is married at some time or another. Honestly, to some degree it probably happens to us everyday. When we sense that our heart is hardening to our spouse, the only way to overcome it is to choose to love and serve your spouse, especially when you do not feel like doing it. In the tradition of C.S. Lewis, when we act out our love towards our spouse, we will find that our feelings follow.

When I was in college, one of my professors shared with us a story about a couple that he and his wife knew quite well. One day, they overheard the couple joking with each other about getting a divorce. This didn’t sit well with my professor. Within a year, this couple who had joked about divorce ended their marriage. My professor’s simple advice to us was to not even joke about divorce. Don’t make it an option in your marriage. Continue to offer your hardened heart to God and let him shape you through choosing to love your spouse even when you don’t feel like it. If you do this, you will find your marriage to be quite blessed.

Day 21- Mark 9:38-50 (Tuesday, March 16)

I don’t suspect that any of us are ready to go and cut off our hands or pluck our eyes out after reading this passage. Jesus is obviously using hyperbole—a dramatic overstatement in order to convey the seriousness of an issue. However, I think that we should take seriously Jesus’ call to make dramatic life changes in order to rid our lives of sin.

We must recognize though that the purpose of ridding our lives of sin is not merely for our own benefit and spiritual status. It is also for the good of those around us. Jesus warns us that there are extreme consequences for us when we cause others to sin by our own actions. This probably comes to play most in our lives when we are around children. Whether you have your own children or are closely connected to someone else’s children, take seriously the impact that you have on them. Encourage them and bless them. Just as Jesus let the little children come to him, so also welcome them with open arms. Live a life of exemplary character before them so that you can influence them to follow Christ.

Whether you live for Christ or live for this world, children will imitate you. Choose to give them the example of Jesus Christ.

Day 20- Mark 9:14-37 (Monday, March 15)

In this passage, we encounter a demon-possessed child who is brought to Jesus. His father is apparently still unsure as to whether or not Jesus can heal him. He asks, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” It’s not exactly the sterling profession of faith that Jesus is looking for, so Jesus calls him on it. The man’s response is beautiful: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.”

What a wonderful confession for us as well. Rather than asking God “If you can”, we must have the faith that he can do anything he desires. He can truly answer any prayer that we ask. But the beauty is also in the transparency. We all have limits and doubts in our faith. We should not be ashamed of those doubts, but must acknowledge them before God and ask him to help us to overcome our unbelief.

My challenge to you today is to make a similar confession of faith in God in an area where you’ve been doubting. Choose an area of your live where you’ve lacked faith and boldly say, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.”

Day 19- Mark 8:27-9:13 (Sunday, March 14)

One of the main themes so far that we have seen is that people continually are amazed by Jesus, but yet only the demons recognize who he truly is. Here, it seems that after all of the miracles that he has witnessed, Peter finally gets it right (although in Mark he only says that Jesus is the Christ, not the Son of God). What we see Peter really meant is that he thought that Jesus was the Messiah who would come and set the people of Israel free from the political oppression that they had faced at the hands of the Romans.

Jesus blows this idea of the Messiah out of the water when he immediately begins to teach them for the very first time that he must die. This seems like the dumbest thing that Peter has ever heard, and so he lets Jesus know about it. Of course, this doesn’t go well at all! The rest of the book of Mark is a gradual walk towards the cross, where God took one of the most humiliating symbols of the world and transformed it into his greatest victory.

Similarly to Peter, we have a tendency to make Jesus who we want him to be instead of who he really was, is, and always will be. We often try to make him out to be more of a sugar daddy than a savior, someone who spoils us with riches but yet calls us to no life change. His response to Peter is not only to teach him that Jesus must die, but that we must take up our crosses and die to ourselves as well. That is a big part of what Lent (and the entire Christian life) is all about: dying to ourselves and our own way of thinking. What false ideas of Jesus do you still hold on to today?

Day 18- Mark 8:1-26 (Saturday, March 13)

In Jewish culture, yeast was seen as a metaphor for evil. In fact, before the Jews would have partaken in the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (Directly connected to the Passover), they would have cleansed the entire house of yeast. Even the children were involved in this ritual cleansing in order to teach them this lesson. The idea is that it is impossible to let just a little yeast into the dough. It would spread throughout it all, ruining the entire batch (if you were striving for unleavened bread).

Jesus uses this imagery of yeast to show that the teachings of the Pharisees were extremely dangerous, because they would work their way in to every bit of our teachings. As we see in earlier teachings, the primary indictment of the Pharisees is that their hearts are far from God and they have followed the traditions of men rather than the commandments of God.

There are a few ways that we must guard ourselves against that spiritual yeast today. One is that we must continue to grow in our love of the word of God. We must make the Bible our sole authority, and not merely men’s interpretations of it. We can be so caught up with certain teachers that we wind up idolizing their teachings, rather than going back to God’s word. Secondly, in our love for the word of God, we must be careful to treat it appropriately. What I mean by this is that we cannot merely pull verses that back our position, but that we must study it in light of the grand narrative of the entire Bible, which is God’s redeeming work through Jesus Christ. Too often we make a stand on a certain issue and fail to love those on the other side, because we fail to remember that more than anything else, God wants to redeem those who are far from him.

Day 17- Mark 7:24-37 (Friday, March 12)

After Jesus spends time in a primarily Jewish region, he proceeds once again to a region that appears to be primarily Gentile. At first glance, Jesus appears to almost insult the woman who comes to him, but as we read the story we see that is not what is happening at all. Instead we see someone who would have been looked down upon by most of Jesus’ contemporaries acting in faith towards Jesus. He responds by healing this woman’s daughter.

This is one of the many signs throughout the book of Mark that the Christ’s gospel is not to be limited only to the Jewish people. Indeed, that is where it started and where Jesus clearly spends a majority of his time, but his mission is to fulfill the Abramic Blessing in Genesis 12 and to be a ‘blessing to all people’.

Our challenge today is to continue to live out that blessing by taking the gospel to all people. This means that we must be the first to be willing to cross social boundaries in our culture, whether that is race, social classes, or any other man-made walls designed to divide people. What boundaries do you see between people in your world that you should tear down for the gospel of Christ?

Day 16- Mark 7:1-23 (Thursday, March 11)

Jesus’ indictment of the Pharisees in this passage is extremely important for us to consider during this season of repentance, confession, and fasting known as Lent. Have we thrown out God’s commandments for the traditions of men? So often we worry more about our traditions rather than what is truly important. Often times we complain if the music is too loud or too soft; or whine about if we take the Lord’s Supper a little differently than normal, but fail to remember the people who are in need around us.

Apparently the Pharisees had pitted one law against another in such a way that it would have been the elderly who were ultimately neglected for the pledge that their children had made. In response to this, Jesus calls their hearts into question. In the same way, we must constantly evaluate our hearts above our religious practices, keeping in mind that the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Day 15- Mark 6:1-56 (Wednesday, March 10)

While Mark is generally very short in his accounts, he seems to spend more time here describing what became a major shaping event in the lives of the disciples. Jesus had just learned of the death of his cousin and forerunner, John the baptizer. At about the same time, the disciples had just returned from their first ministry trip, so they all went away to rest. However, in the midst of all of this, the crowds follow. Rather than just sending them away, Jesus had compassion on the crowds, because they were ‘harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’ So after a day’s worth of teaching, everyone was hungry, and the disciples were apparently hungry and tired. So their request of Jesus was simple: get them out of here so they can eat. But Jesus takes that moment of weariness and turns it into a faith lesson for the disciples.

Even after the miraculous feeding, they didn’t get it. It says in the next story that they didn’t understand because their hearts were hardened. So, Jesus shows them more than just another miracle; he reveals more of himself to his disciples.

I think the most important lesson that we can learn is not how to serve people better, but rather is to see Jesus as he really is—Lord over all. The disciples had just learned about ministry and had apparently did it effectively, yet Jesus wanted to show them more. He didn’t just want them to be able to do ministry, he wanted them to know the one who was truly doing the ministry through them.

God has empowered you to reach out to your world. But don’t settle for just doing ministry. Strive to know the one who is at work in you and through you.

Day 14- Mark 5:21-43 (Tuesday, March 9)

The heart of Jesus always goes out to those who have no where else to turn. We don’t know how long Jairus’s daughter had been sick, but chances are, this had been a more sudden illness. Through this illness, Jesus brought about one of his most amazing miracles. As for the bleeding woman, her illness had plagued her for a dozen years. Even the best healthcare around couldn’t heal her. She was in dire straits. All she could think to do was to reach out to Jesus and to touch the robe of his garment, believing that a simple touch of his robe could heal her, and it did.

The world is still full of hurting people. Some are new to hurt, and some have been living through the pain for decades. The church must be there to walk alongside of these folks, constantly mirroring the compassion of Jesus. We may not be able to heal in the same manner that Jesus did, but we can be there to offer support and encouragement to those in their time of need. And yes, when we are hurting, we can turn directly to Jesus and his people as well. We should be the first to cry out in our time of need, not allowing our faith to be stymied by our embarrassment, but recognizing that God and his people deeply care for us.

Day 13- Mark 5:1-20 (Monday, March 8)

This passage makes me angry when I read it. Here, this man is clearly both personally disturbed and a huge problem to the people around him, and Jesus has mercy on him. Yet the people were more concerned about their pigs than they were about this man. They beg Jesus to leave, and so he does. Yet it also makes me angry because I can see that I would be very uncomfortable with what Jesus did as well. I’m afraid that in many instances, this might be a little too much Jesus for me.

So, how much Jesus is too much for you? What cost is too much for you to pay to reach out to the needs of others? We will encounter times in our lives where we will have to immediately choose to give up things that are very dear and costly to us for the good of the Kingdom. Will we respond in faith?

Two closing thoughts: First, the crowds were amazed, but their amazement did not equate to faith. It is not enough to be amazed by Jesus. Amazement is just one step above amusement. We must have true faith. Secondly, even though the people did not believe, God still left a true witness of faith in their midst. Fortunately for us, even when our faith is not enough, God is still faithful to bring about his purpose.

Day 12- Mark 4:21-41 (Sunday, March 7)

In this story, Jesus and the disciples go from being swamped by the crowd to being swamped by a storm. We should keep in mind that several of the disciples are fishermen and were very familiar with the Sea of Galilee. They would have known that very dangerous storms show up there almost instantly. Undoubtedly, they probably would have known people who died on that lake when such storms came up so quickly. So, it is natural that they are very afraid.

What strikes me here though is how the come to Jesus. He is tired and is sleeping right through the storm, probably because he knew that God wasn’t going to let him die before the cross. He trusted God. But what do they ask him? ‘Don’t you care if we drown?’ We’ve been there before, haven’t we? Maybe we have never been so bold to use those words, but we can identify with them. We have thought, ‘God don’t you care about what is happening to me?’

What is even more amazing than that though is that after Jesus rebukes the wind and waves at once—a double miracle—the disciples go from being afraid of the storm to being terrified of Jesus!

Our times of greatest adversity give God the chance to show us just how powerful he really is. We all have diminished the power of God to some degree in our minds. However, when we are at our time of greatest need, he takes that opportunity to show us his true strength. How does Jesus want to show his true power through the adversity that you are now facing?

Day 11- Mark 4:1-20 (Saturday, March 6)

While the parable of the sower is one of the most popular parables that Jesus told, to a farmer the parable has to sound crazy. Jesus tells the story of a farmer who takes very expensive seed and goes out and plants it everywhere, even though he knows most of it will never bear any fruit. If we were telling this story in today’s language, we would talk about a farmer planting everywhere—trying to plant on parking lots and in deserts. What kind of a farmer would do such a thing?

The parable shows us a God who even though he knows where seed will grow, he loves us enough to plant it anywhere. For people who are committed to carrying out God’s mission on earth, this has significant implications for us. This means that it is not for us to try to determine where to sow, but rather that we must take God’s word everywhere! The great mystery of this parable is that when we sow everywhere, some of the ground that we thought would be the least fertile will wind up bearing the most fruit!

It is not our job to be soil testers. It is our job to sow everywhere. Have you written someone off as unfertile soil? Be faithful to sow there, and you may be amazed at what God will grow.

Day 10- Mark 3:7-35 (Friday, March 5)

We often wonder how Jesus’ family responded to his teaching. Mary had seen and heard the angels announcing his birth, and stood beside him while he died. However, Jesus was such a revolutionary that he blew everyone’s conception of who the Messiah was supposed to be. His family would have heard all of the negative comments, and it is thought by many that they were coming to straighten him up.

When his family calls for him, Jesus instead says that ‘Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’ I think that it is most important for us to understand what it takes to do God’s will. While Mark doesn’t give us much of a definition, this story is also contained in Matthew and Luke. However Luke’s account does not say ‘whoever does God’s will.’ Instead, in Luke 8:19-21, we are told ‘Whoever hears God’s word and puts it into practice . . .’

If we want to know what it means to follow God’s will, I believe that ‘hearing God’s word and putting it into practice’ would be a great definition. It means two things for us: First, we must constantly put ourselves in the way of God’s word. We cannot come to God’s word looking for the answers we want, but must instead come to God’s word looking for our hearts and minds to be molded. Secondly, it is not enough to hear God’s word. We must also be doers of God’s word. It isn’t enough to know our Bibles well. We must do everything we can to live out God’s word. How can you hear God’s word and put it into practice today?

Day 9- Mark 2:18-3:6 (Thursday, March 4)

In the passages that we read today, we see more opposition coming towards Jesus from religious people. In 3:1-6 we see the opposition coming to a head with those who are looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. I must admit that often times I hold other religious leaders in contempt and am looking for a reason to find something wrong with their ministries or their churches, rather than looking to see what I can learn from them. That is something I always have to watch about myself.

In this instance we see that the religious people are more concerned with not doing something wrong, as opposed to doing what is right. When Jesus heals this man, they are more concerned about not breaking the Sabbath than they are about this man who is hurting. It is easy for us to fall into the same trap, focusing so much about sins of commission that we forget all about sins of omission.

The two greatest commandments of our faith are not ‘do not’s.’ Rather they are ‘do’s.’ Love God with everything you’ve got, and love your neighbor as yourself. Who does Jesus want you to reach out and bless, but yet your religion is holding you back?

Day 8- Mark 2:1-17 (Wednesday, March 3)

Jesus seems to befriend the people that we write off the quickest. In Levi’s case (also known as Matthew), he was a tax collector. Believe it or not, tax collectors were even less popular then than the IRS is now. They were responsible not only to collect taxes, but also to collect an extra amount to keep for themselves as payment. The Jewish people saw the tax collectors as friends of Rome, and thus held a lot of animosity towards them.

I have to wonder what was going on in Matthew’s mind when this happens. There’s no question that he would have heard of Jesus. I wonder if he had dreamed of following Jesus, but yet had written that off as a possibility since he was a tax collector. All that we know is that when Jesus calls him to follow him, Matthew leaves everything to do so.

Obviously, the Pharisees were not happy about this. They looked down upon Jesus for this and apparently even ridiculed him about it. This doesn’t phase Jesus though, as he knows his mission. It is here that Jesus gives us the very memorable line: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Our temptation as religious people is to hang out with a lot of people who look and act like us. While it is important to have Christian friends, we must constantly strive to build friendships and reach out to the ‘tax collectors’ and ‘sinners’ in our world. So how’s your life look? Who are you reaching out to that makes you or those around you feel uncomfortable? It is there that God does some of his greatest work.

Day 7- Mark 1:40-45 (Tuesday, March 2)

This is an amazing story that shows Christ’s true compassion. The lepers were the social outcasts of the day. They were infected with a skin disease and were forced to live outside their cities and away from their families. Since they were contagious, they were so feared that they had to shout out ‘unclean, unclean’ every time someone would approach them. So what does Jesus do? Not only does he heal the person, but before he ever heals the person, Jesus touches him.

This is a powerful example for us to follow. There is no question that we have been given much power through the Holy Spirit. However, our power is useless if it is not guided by God’s love and compassion. In our quest to heal and redeem this world, we must never forget that this world doesn’t only need healing. It also needs to be touched by the love of Christ.

But the story doesn’t end there. Jesus clearly told the man not to tell anyone. However, that didn’t work. Instead, the man went out and told everyone what Jesus had done for him. As a result, the people so flooded Jesus with their requests and demands that he in essence took the role of the leper—being forced to stay outside of town in lonely places. In many ways, this foreshadows what is about to take place at the cross. By taking our sin upon himself, Jesus faces judgment so that we can be set free. It also models for us that as we bring Christ to people, we may also find that it costs us in some way as well. What are you willing to sacrifice to bring healing into this world?

Day 6- Mark 1:35-39 (Monday, March 1)

We have already heard about the power and the authority of Jesus, but today we begin to see how Jesus was able to maintain his vibrant ministry here on earth. Jesus was continually refreshed and strengthened through his time with his Father in prayer. There are two aspects that we will look at today:

First, Jesus put a value on spending time with God in a solitary place. For us, that means that we need to get away from noise and distractions such as TV, the internet, cell phones, mp3 players, and yes, even people in order to spend regular time with God. It may mean you have to get up earlier in the morning or devote some time after the kids go to bed, but it is worth it.

Secondly, Jesus time with the Father allowed him to make a distinction between the voices of the crowds and God’s call on his life. Jesus was a man in high demand. It would have been very easy for him to have spent his life merely meeting the demands of the crowds. However, he knew that he needed to follow God’s will above all else. It has been said that you spend the first half of your life learning to say yes, and the second half learning to say no. We can learn from Jesus’ example the value of saying no to the crowds in order to say yes to God.

Day 5- Mark 1:29-34 (Sunday, February 28)

The healing that we saw in yesterday’s reading was clearly very powerful. However, what we see today is more than powerful; it is also very personal. In the midst of the strangers and the nameless people that were brought to Jesus for healing, we read about a house call that Jesus makes for one of his disciples. It seems that Simon’s (soon to be Peter) mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. We don’t know how sick she was, but we do see for the first time how Jesus clearly cares for those who were close to him.

I don’t think we have to imagine how much this would have meant to Peter. He has dropped everything to go and follow Jesus, yet Jesus cared enough to go and show compassion upon his mother in law. My guess is that Jesus’ actions built even deeper loyalty within Peter than what Peter had for Jesus before.

It would be wise for us to reflect on the times that God has ministered deeply to us in our past as well. Was there a time when you sensed God coming very near to you to minister to your family? Was there a time in your life when you needed help, and God sent someone your way to encourage you? When have you seen God use the church to reach out and minister to you? Reflect on these times and let them compel you not only to a life of thanksgiving, but also to have eyes of compassion. Look around you and see who needs to be helped or encouraged, and reach out with the power of God and do it!

Day 4- Mark 1:21-28 (Saturday, February 27)

In today’s reading we first encounter one of the dominating themes throughout the book of Mark: the people are constantly amazed by Jesus, but yet they fail to recognize who he is. Only the demons truly recognize him. However, we also see repeated twice that Jesus’ teaching had authority behind it, unlike the teachers of the law. This is not merely religious teaching that Jesus brings with him. He brings with him the power of God.

In this passage, we see that this power is made clear as Jesus frees those who are demon-possessed. In other accounts, we see Jesus freeing people from sickness and disease. If we are to teach with the power of Jesus, we must ask ourselves what social ills in our culture Jesus longs to heal. Religion is not enough to stand against addictions to alcohol and drugs, the decay of the family, and the poverty that we see so rampant in our community. People need the power of God. People need Jesus.

Ask yourself these two questions today: First, Am I living with the power of God, or am I merely being religious? Secondly, who am I overlooking or writing off that truly needs the power of God?

Day 3- Mark 1:14-20 (Friday, February 26)

There is an immediacy to following Jesus that we must recognize. Throughout the book of Mark, we continually see that both Jesus and his followers take action ‘immediately’, ‘at once’, or ‘without delay’. Unlike the other gospels, we have no indication here as to how much these men really understood who Jesus was, or how much interaction that they had with him prior to their calling. We must assume that there was some. All we know is that they dropped their nets, along with their livelihood, and yes, even their families to come and follow Jesus.

I do not think that Mark is encouraging us to merely be free spirits here who leave our lives behind at the drop of a hat. However, I do believe that Mark is using the story of the immediate response of these men to show us just how powerful the message of Jesus really is. If these men were willing to leave so much behind so quickly, then we must consider the importance of this man as well.

While these men did not fully recognize who Jesus was, they did know that his message was not only what they had been waiting for their entire lives, but also what Israel had been waiting for hundreds of years. We must also recognize that what we have is not merely a religious figure, but we have Jesus, who has brought with him the kingdom of God. Along with Simon, Andrew, James, and John, he has also called us to drop everything and follow him.

Day 2- Mark 1:9-13 (Thursday, February 25)

I must admit that Mark has always been my least favorite of the four gospels. However, today’s account brings out something that isn’t brought out in Matthew. When Matthew tells the story of Jesus’ baptism, he tells us that God the Father spoke from heaven to the people that were there and said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). It makes sense. Matthew wants those who are reading his gospel to know just who Jesus is. However, Mark’s account is much more personal for Jesus. Rather than the crowd hearing the voice, God’s affirmation is directed only to Jesus. He hears, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (1:11).

God the Fathers affirmation of Jesus helps us to connect with Jesus by seeing his true humanity. So often we hold Jesus on such a high level in our minds that we forget that he was every bit as much human as you and I are today. He was a person who faced the same temptations that you and I face, yet was without sin. He also was a person who needed and longed to hear his Father’s affirmation.

One of our consistent Lenten themes is repentance. We must take it seriously. However, we also have the tendency to beat ourselves up and to hold our sins over our heads for years to come rather than to accept God’s forgiveness. When you read this story, don’t forget that our heavenly Father is an affirming father. Just as Jesus was reminded of his Father’s love for him before his own 40 day journey into the wilderness, may you be reaffirmed of God’s love for you on this Lenten journey.

Day 1- Mark 1:1-8

Mark’s writing style is very succinct. When he begins his gospel, he doesn’t waste any time. His readers were probably Christians who already knew the basics of the story, so he starts off very directly: If we are truly going to encounter Jesus Christ, we must be a repentant people. Just as John the Baptist was sent to ‘prepare the way’ for Christ, so must we also prepare the way for the work that God wants to do in our lives. We prepare by repenting.

Repentance is simply defined as ‘changing your mind’. Its goal is that as a result of a changed mind, every bit of us would be changed. We need a change of direction in our lives. That involves our hearts, our minds, and our whole being. Yet emptying ourselves is not enough. In Mark, we see people who repent, but still don’t figure it out. Throughout the gospel they continue to miss the point of the life of Jesus. While we can certainly identify with these folks, I’d suggest to you that Mark would want us to notice something different. He says, “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (1:8). Since we are followers of Christ, we have been filled with the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to live the life that we were previously unable to live because of our sinfulness.

The Holy Spirit works in many ways in our lives. One way is that he convicts us of sin. As we go through this Lenten season, my guess is that the Holy Spirit will convict you of some sins that you’ve never thought twice about before, and maybe some others that you’ve been holding onto with a white-knuckled grip. My advice: let him do his work. It is painful at first, but it will result in you being the person that God has created you to be.

Lent Devotions starting on Wednesday, February 24!

I was first introduced to the idea of Lent when I was growing up. All I really knew about it was that for several Fridays leading up to Easter we were going to have to eat nasty fish patties in the school cafeteria. That didn’t leave me with a very positive perspective. I just assumed it was some kind of torture that the Catholics did because they were kind of odd.

What I’ve realized since then is that we get so distracted by the things of this world that we need special times through the year to refocus ourselves on Christ. In its simplest form, that is what the season of Lent is all about.

You may feel uncomfortable with the name Lent. That’s okay. I’m not thrilled with it either. If you need to call it something else, please do. Several years ago, a pastor named Rick Warren started a program called ’40 Days of Purpose.’ I thought it was a very original idea. What I later realized is that he really just took Lent and repackaged it.

I once asked a wise man to define Lent to me in a sentence or less. He said he only needed three words: repentance, confession, and fasting. So over the next 40 days, that’s how we will work to refocus our lives on Christ. Repenting not only from our sins, but even more so from our sinful selves that have strayed so far from the image of God. Confessing our sin not to beat ourselves up, but rather so that we may find true healing. Fasting so that we would yearn for God in the way that we yearn for whatever else has been filling us, yet keeping us from ever being satisfied.

But first a word about fasting. We’re not going to ask you to fast from eating anything. Rather in the tradition of Lent we’re going to ask you to give up for these 40 days one particular thing that tends to consume your life. If it happens to be a sin, then you should give it up for good, not just for Lent. For example, if you’re having premarital sex, don’t give it up for Lent; just give it up all together. What are some things that you may want to consider giving up for Lent? Here’s a partial list to stimulate your thinking: TV, cell phone, chocolate, soda, coffee, caffeine, texting, facebook, myspace, American Idol, Lost, Sportscenter, Wii, surfing the internet, talk radio, MP3 player, etc. I’m sure you get the point.

Since our purpose is to focus on Christ, this guide will have daily readings from the book of Mark. It is perfect for Lent: it begins with repentance and ends with resurrection! Each day there will be a suggested reading, a devotional thought from the reading, and additional Scripture readings for all of you overachievers!

Enough talking! Let’s get started!