A Prayer Lesson

Reading for Saturday March 3, 2007 Mark 11:1-25

How do you pray? Do you expect that what you pray for will be answered? Or are you just sending out feelers to see what comes back? Most of the time, we are not assured in our hearts or our minds, if we are honest, what the outcome of the praying will be. Of course, we want what we want now. We are impatient and demanding. Why hasn’t God acted on our demand? We are told that God has his own timing. But what if God is looking at the quality of our spirit as we pray?

In this part of Mark, we get a lesson in prayer. Jesus had cursed a fig tree that bore no fruit. The next day the disciples recognize this tree and it is withered. While the disciples are amazed, Jesus tells them: “I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Well, that certainly takes commitment. Commitment of the heart and a real gut belief that what you pray for, God can do, will do, wants to do. It will be in His timing if it is to happen, but nevertheless, there it is: it can happen, God will answer our call. He is listening.

Jesus adds something else when he says: “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." This is the part that we would prefer not to hear, because it puts the onus on us. There is an ‘aha moment” here showing us that there is more to it then just asking God to deliver the goods. We need to have a reverent, clean heart that is willing to forgive and has forgiven. Just maybe all that stuff we are holding in and not repenting, does make a difference. We are not perfect after all. Here is where we have to confront the situation. We need Jesus to intercede. Maybe we do need help in praying.

Once again it comes down to that hard thing we are asked to do. Forgive. God is watching us. No secrets are hidden from Him. His eyes are on us and they are the eyes of a Father who loves His children. Ever watchful. Waiting for our hearts to understand.

Laurie Erdman

Out of the Darkness

Mark 10:32-52

Bartimaeus was blind, but he knew who he was looking for. While the disciples argued over who might be recognized as the greatest follower of Jesus, this blind man could see that Jesus was his only hope and addressed him as his Messiah.

The crowd dismissed him, and tried to push him out of the way, as they often do to people who begin to recognize Jesus as their Messiah. It seems the crowd and the disciples confused themselves into thinking that the Kingdom of God had something to do with status. But Jesus reminds us, as he calls to Bartimaeus, that we our worthy because our Creator made us and loves us. The Kingdom of God is about salvation, not status. The proud people in the crowd who thought they were protecting Jesus by turning this beggar away remain nameless to us, while Jesus invites this unremarkable man to come closer and, through the Holy Spirit, compels Mark to record his name for us forever.

Bartimaeus' request was for sight, but the cry of his heart was for mercy from his Messiah. As Jesus healed this man's eyes and Bartimaeus was blessed to have his eyes opened to see the face of God, he knew that the only appropriate response, the purpose of his life, was to follow the One who rescued him. When we remember where we were when God met us and first helped us to see, we recognize that there is no room for pride or arrogance. Our only response, our life's purpose, is to follow our Savior, to serve our great God and the people He loves.

Heavenly Treasure

Today we read some verses that cause high anxiety among many American Christians. Jesus commanded a confidant young man to sell all of his possessions and give the money to the poor, for then he would have treasure in heaven. In the passages to follow, we read that “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God”.

Jesus really cares about our attachment to “stuff”, doesn’t He? In Jesus’ day (and maybe still today?) material wealth was viewed as evidence of a blessing from God. Jesus cut through that facade, making it clear that riches can hinder people from surrendering to God and trusting in His provision.

What am I willing to give up in order to follow Jesus? Without becoming too legalistic, it seems that when it comes to our money (or lack thereof), we all need to ask ourselves these types of questions:

• Do I trust God to provide for me and my family?
• Do I hold loosely to whatever material wealth has been given to me?
• How much of my time and energy is spent thinking about expenditures outside of what is needed for daily living?
• Do I spend more time thinking about my finances than I do in Bible reading or prayer?
• Am I resentful of the material success of others?
• No matter my income, do I give back to God in gratitude for what He has given me?

God wants absolutely nothing to come between us and a right relationship with Him, least of all something as temporal as money. While the world looks for immediate gratification of every kind, we are asked to cling to God’s future promise of “treasure in heaven”.

Verse 34  Can you imagine?  Arguing about who is greatest!  (The disciples seem so slowly to “catch on”, don’t they?  And then I think of myself, my lack of faith, and I say: “I’m so slow to catch on, too!” )  “Jesus loves the little children”, we sing.  And He does!  Consider the references in the Gospels of Jesus and the children.  Jesus says to us:  “Don’t you dare cause a child to fall into sin!”  Our lives – our examples – are important to children, aren’t they.  Notice the times in our New Testament Gospel readings we read words about 2 ways of living – 2 destinations – the choice that needs to be made by each of us.  Our forefathers sometimes put it bluntly in these words:  “Heaven to gain.  Hell to shun.”  The old preacher said it like this:  “The Lord has voted for you.  The devil has voted against you.  Now you get to cast the decisive vote!”  Chapter 10:1-12.  You may find it helpful to keep a Bible map handy while you are reading the New Testament this year.  It helps to “follow” the footsteps of Jesus as He helped, healed, taught the people.  At times it seems that peoples motives were sort of “mixed” when they quizzed Jesus.  Did they really want to know His answers to their questions?  Or did they want to “trap Him” into saying something which could be used against Him?  v. 2-12  Jesus spoke clearly of the plan of God for marriage . . . speaking of its divine purpose and plan of the heavenly Father . . . the unity of man and woman in marriage as a life-long commitment.  What does this say to a society like ours?  What price must we pay for failure to do it “God’s way”?  Lord, help, our marriages to bring glory to Your Holy Name.  Amen

 

Don Pardun

 

 

 

Lots of questions; one answer.

Mark 9: 1-29

I'm not surprised Peter didn't quite know what to say.

Today's reading contains one of those moments in scripture where we're given a brief glimpse into the supernatural realm, and as always, it's a bit mind-blowing. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain, and then something happens that leaves the three disciples terrified, and Peter at a loss for words. Scripture tells us that Jesus' appearance was transformed somehow, and his clothes became whiter than anything you'd see in a detergent commercial. If that wasn't enough to spook the disciples, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. This is when Peter starts babbling about building shelters.

So many questions come to mind. Jesus' appearance was transformed, but was it more than just his clothes that changed? Did he look different? Why were Moses and Elijah there? How did they get there? Did they look all ghostly, or did they look like solid flesh and blood? And though scripture tells us what Peter said, what I really want to know is what Jesus, Moses, and Elijah talked about. But either Peter, James, and John couldn't hear the conversation, or they were too overwhelmed by what they saw to bother eavesdropping.

When we read about these strange and miraculous things, we're often left with more questions than answers. It can be very easy to get caught up in the questions; to try to explain things that quite possibly can't be explained in limited human terms.

All we know is that the voice from the cloud said "This is my dearly-loved Son. Listen to him." For these questions -- for all our questions -- that's all the answer we really need.


Drew Clausen

When was the Last Miracle...

Mark 8:11-38

Jesus' followers were in the boat off to a camping trip, but they had forgotten to bring the food. Jesus did not seem happy. Whatever were they going to do? Human nature took over, and they handled this dilemma the best, most experienced way they knew how: they began to argue, blame, & worry. They could feel pangs of hunger even before they really were.

In the very recent past these were the same disciples who had seen miracles of healing, provision, even death overcome. They themselves had been given authority from Jesus to go out and preach and anoint and heal and rescue people from demonic evil (Mark 6:7-13). When they returned from their version of Inspiration Point Bible Camp / a friend's miracle recovery from ICU / seeing hearts melt and mend in a dead marriage / witnessing firsthand the re-provisioning of God in the faith practice of stewardship / looking at divinity-on-display in the detail of a newborn's face... well, they came back understandably 'pumped'! (6:30)

But, that was yesterday.

Now, we are with Jesus. More importantly, Jesus is with us. Not too long ago, He has taken meagerness, and raised it in his hands, and broken the so limited bread of the visible. He has offered in advance thanks to his Father for what He would do. We have seen Jesus time and again provide bread and life for thousands and thousands who had none.

But that was yesterday. Today, here I am stuck with my one loaf, lots of hungry folk depending upon me, for a stretch I can't see the end.

Whatever will I do?

Three Short Stories

Today’s reading tells three short stories in the life of Jesus, each offer insight into His character.

First, the woman from Tyre. This seems like an unusual place for Jesus to go. It’s as though he made the long trip—on foot—just to encounter this woman. Reminds me that he made an out-of-the-way journey from heaven to earth to encounter me. I am eternally grateful.

Second, as the crowd observed the healing of the deaf and speechless man they said, “Everything he does is wonderful.” Wonderful seems to be a bit of an understatement! Never the less, I praise Him for his wonderful life.

Lastly, it was reported that the 4,000 ate as much as they wanted. (8:8) Some other translations say they were satisfied. Encountering Jesus is satisfying! All I need to do is taste His provision.

Steve Louden

Three Short Stories

Today’s reading tells three short stories in the life of Jesus, each offer insight into His character.

 

First, the woman from Tyre.  This seems like an unusual place for Jesus to go. It’s as though he made the long trip—on foot—just to encounter this woman.  Reminds me that he made an out-of-the-way journey from heaven to earth to encounter me.  I am eternally grateful.

 

Second, as the crowd observed the healing of the deaf and speechless man they said, “Everything he does is wonderful.”  Wonderful seems to be a bit of an understatement!  Never the less, I praise Him for his wonderful life.

 

Lastly, it was reported that the 4,000 ate as much as they wanted. (8:8)   Some other translations say they were satisfied.  Encountering Jesus is satisfying!  All I need to do is taste His provision.

 

Steve Louden