Secret Secrets Coming To Light

Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 4:21-23

Jesus here makes a promise about hidden and secret things. We might think He means our national capital and the so-called leaks that happen from time to time. Probably not though, since legislative bodies and secret keepers have been at odds since ancient Rome and before. On the other hand, those with ears to hear might recall a time when Daniel was told some prophecies that were closed up and sealed for the time of the end. So have the secret secrets come to light yet?

Treading the ground of the end times may be what we are doing right now. However, that difficult ground tends to make the most experienced of eschatologists feel a bit uncertain, I think. For those of us with less experience, we just, to borrow a favorite expression of my boss, feel stupid. Don't feel too badly though, we are all in it with Jesus when we believe in Him!

Bucky

Trying To Be Good Ground

But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.  Mark 4:20

A person named Christian repents and believes in Jesus, and then reads this parable. Christian of course wants to be the good ground producing much for the kingdom of God. All prepared to go forth and produce, Christian meets the world, and it wants something. The boss wants eight hours of five days, sleep wants eight hours of seven days, the pastor loves his volunteers, and didn't Jesus say something about visiting the sick and prisoners? How many hours do they need?!  "I wanna go see this movie," Christian thinks with a bit of the ol' rebellion.  Christian looks inside and wonders how saved one might be when clearly thinking of the pastor as a thorn. The ground of new faith does not look as good as it did this morning, and those bills in the mailbox definitely look like thorny ground to tread. Christian feels a bit wilted in the heat of life, does the soil feel a bit thin here? Was that the shadow of the evil one passing over? 

We can sympathize with Christian. It seems at times as if the Lord Sower planted us at once in all three bad soils. We try to be a good ground plant, but - phew! - life seems out to get us all around and every day. There is a lot of pastoral metaphor going on here, but just hear and accept the word, little sheep, and the Good Shepherd will bring forth the fruit in us! 

Bucky

Ceding Control

Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  Mark 4:18-19

The butter cuts a little harder and the eggs take a bit longer to fry up this morning. Yes, it's a return to winter for us with single digit temperatures this morning. Wait, the weather commentary, could that be a thorn choking the word just now? While I do believe this parable from our Lord could also refer to seasons of life in our journey with Christ, I'm not sure that worrying over every moment of every day will increase fruit production. Some would shoot the bullets at me right now - faithful in the little things, be a good steward of time, and others - but does such intense fretting produce more fruit or just more worry? Am I to walk with Jesus or to try appointing every one of His minutes? How much time do I schedule for listening to Him? Gosh, what happens if I leave the control of this thing to the One who redeemed me? 

Interesting questions from an interesting parable!

Bucky

Sowing The Word

And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word.  Mark 4:13-14

Not all of the parables Jesus will tell in Mark's gospel get such a full explanation as this one of the sower. In this parable neither the disciples nor those of us reading these many years later need to guess over the meaning. "The sower sows the word." (v14) And so it is not left to us to wonder whether a farmer with the latest planter and GPS technology could do a better job of it. We know from our Lord that this is His desire that all the seed be spread throughout all the world. The seed of His word falls on people. And these people have cares in this world, stony hearts, and of course that enemy who steals the word. However, we also have the chance to be that good soil and produce the bountiful harvest. Want to be good soil? Follow the Good Shepherd! 

Soil following a shepherd? And I thought Jesus made it hard to understand. 

Bucky

The Aim Of The Sower

Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.  Mark 4:3-8

A farmer today might read this and criticize the waste of inputs as it appears that 75% of the seed was unproductive. As readers of the word, we might wonder over the aim of this sower. Can the sower be this inaccurate? But what if the aim of the sower was to offer the seed to all soils, no matter what challenges they faced that day? 

Have a critique to offer to one of the Lord's parables? No problem! Remember His invitation given through Isaiah:

"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the LORD,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool."
  -- Isaiah 1:18

Bucky

Them Parables

And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching. Mark 4:1-2

Parables have been mentioned before in Mark's gospel. But here on the shores by the sea, Jesus begins that ministry in parables for which He became famous. Or, was it the miracles that made His name known throughout the world? Here we see the great multitude listening to the parables from that boat in the sea. Did the multitude come to hear the teaching or did they want to see a miracle? For whatever reason they came, parable teaching is what they received.

You or I may have come to the Lord by way of some amazing story we heard. And like this multitude in Mark, we may get a teaching by parable. A person might go to the Red Sea and tell the Lord that he is waiting to cross, but he may wait there and never see the waves divide and stand like walls to either side of the pathway through the sea. Instead, someone may show up in a boat and tell that man a little parable story.

Rejoice in the Lord, and learn from Him!

Bucky

How We Became Family

But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” Mark 3:33-35

In our scripture passage for today we have that most important time when we became family. All those who do the will of God first come to believe in Jesus His Son. And we are named family - brothers, sisters, and mothers - by our Lord Jesus. You come from every nation, people, tribe, and tongue, and you are all family. You may find me offensive, but as long as you believe in Jesus, then we are family. You may despise the spring time change this morning, and we agree on that, but with faith in Jesus the Christ, we are family. So, brothers, sisters, and mothers in the family of Christ, let us rejoice in Him!

After we wake up later, we can rejoice even more,

Bucky

Loving His Spirit

“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” Mark 3:28-30

When someone you love is called an awful name or accused wrongly, you will react strongly to it. Here we see Jesus reacting to His dear Spirit being called 'unclean' by the scribes. We might say in our day that He came out swinging. He certainly did because for the Spirit of God to be called the opposite of what He is by ignorant creatures of His was fightin' words! So strong is the love of Jesus that He does not allow such blasphemy go unanswered. And if a human or other fallen creature should maintain that opposition to the Lord's Spirit, there can be no forgiveness.

Rejoice in the Lord always,

Bucky

Called To Himself

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan?
-- Mark 3:22-23

After His family had called into question His mental stability, Jesus also had to face the scribes from Jerusalem who never missed an opportunity to say a crazy thing or two. The scribes proposed that the method Jesus used to cast out demons was along the lines of a quarterback going to the defense's line coach and having him remove that defensive end that is causing his offense so much difficulty. We can imagine the reaction a request such as that would cause. So Jesus called the scribes to Himself for some instruction. 

The world has some crazy things to say to the Christ, and He calls them to Himself. Let us pray for them and help them to come for instruction with us. 

Bucky

An Interesting Fellow

Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”  Mark 3:20-21

To have a crowd come together just as you are sitting down for a meal can be deeply irritating. But then your own people, also referred to as 'family', make excuses for you that may not be entirely complimentary...well that can just ruin your day. Of course your family may not actually mean to levy a mental health diagnosis on you, but when it is put into print it does look bad. Does 'out of his mind' count as a term of affection? 

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus and the chosen twelve disciples faced this sort of opportunity and opposition at the same time. A multitude to hear His word and be healed by Him, and a teaching time if they could just get a bit of elbow room at the dining room table. And someone send the publicist out to restrain the family's kidnapping urge and commentary, please! We settle down with the disciples to marvel that at this time the demons proclaim Him the Son of God (He shushes them), while His family calls Him 'out of His mind' (He doesn't silence them). Even to the unbeliever Jesus presents an interesting case. 

Follow Jesus, our most interesting Master!

Bucky

The Twelve He Wanted

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.  Mark 3:13-15

Many questions rise up at this passage. Why twelve? And many others that come to mind in the other gospels where we learn more about the individuals chosen by Jesus. We can only trust our Lord's selection in faith, but then He does something more! Heal the sick? Just like He did with a word of authority or a touch? Plus the authority to cast out demons. Most of us do not even want to meet a demoniac. Uh oh, then there's that 'send them out' bit. Yes, with gifts such as these, the twelve special disciples probably didn't get to go home for the weekend. And preach? The pastor makes it look easy, but public speaking ranks as one of the great fears in our time. No, these twelve may be special, but easy will not be their way. 

Let us have a faithful week in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

The Current Big Thing

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  Mark 3:7-8

From all over the region they came to see the current big thing. It seems almost disrespectful to refer to Jesus like that, but most of that great multitude did not know Him as the Son of God. We read that John did baptisms and spoke forth, but not miracles. Before John, a prophet had not been seen in the land once known as Israel for four hundred years or more. They grew up on the stories of Moses in Egypt, Elijah and Elisha, and the great wonders of the Lord God. Yet, the stories of wonders were becoming ancient, perhaps a bit dusty to the multitude. Suddenly, a whole new batch of stories has sprung up in Galilee. And people with all manner of awful conditions had a hope, or perhaps just a sense of maybe it could be hope if the stories are true. 

In our time, those stories of the gospels and the Acts are getting a bit ancient and dusty too. Are we getting close then to another appearance of our Lord? Keep the watch! The next big thing could be one who has been here before. 

Love and peace to you in Jesus our Lord and Savior! 

Bucky

Synagogue and Sabbath, Oh My!

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. Mark 3:1-4

Jesus came with compassion and love, able to heal a man in need. On the other side sat the Pharisees ready to write Him up, to use a phrase from back a few years. Their interpretation of the law was more important to the Pharisees than the mercy of the Word of God. Also, they were using the law as an excuse to gain power over this man, this Jesus of Nazareth. The withered hand man just wanted to be healed. Tomorrow the healer might not be available. But it was in the synagogue and on the Sabbath! We can 'burn him' the Pharisees thought in their plotting hearts. From our point of view many years later, we are like, "Um, guys, miracle, right there in front of you!" Would it be the same Pharisees who would later demand a sign?

Jesus came on a mission of salvation. He had a time constraint, and He was not going to let some legalistic Pharisees get in His way. However, Jesus was not afraid to try for their repentance if they would listen to Him and learn. Didn't happen though, the Pharisees go out and conspire with the Herodians in the next verses of the story.

Such a stark difference between the legalists and the Healer,

Bucky

The Lawful Sabbath

But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” Mark 2:25-26

The Pharisees called the disciples of Jesus not lawful. Jesus points out an example from scripture where David did a not lawful deed. And both involve eating. Clearly the problem is men and our eating. Wait, no, that's not where I want to go! Note that Jesus also points out an exception in the Law, seen by the words following 'except' in our verses for today. Priests also worked on the Sabbath. But if we read the big ten, those commandments Moses brought down from the mountain, we find no such exceptions. Not even the cattles were allowed to work. So how did we get to arguing over this?

I would imagine from the first reading there were lawyers among the children of Israel who asked, "How do you define work or labor?" Is putting together a cold sandwich work? How about cooking a hot meal? Is a person to remain in bed starving and thirsty all day? It is interesting that the law is established and immediately raises all manner of questions. So, how do we answer these questions?

In our age, we do faith, and prayer, and the word of God. We ask of Jesus who fulfilled the law. We seek out His answers. He is the Lord of the Sabbath, therefore He seems like the one to ask!

Love and peace to you in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Bucky

Lord of the Sabbath

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”  Mark 2:27-28

The Pharisees had cornered Jesus, or so they thought, and caught His disciples violating the Sabbath. In response, Jesus went there, yes right to one of the heroes of Israel, David. First the Pharisees' scriptural knowledge was thumped, "Have you never read...", then one of their religious and national heroes testified against them from scripture. And finally, Jesus gives these Pharisees a chance to believe in Him, saying that He, the Son of Man, is also Lord of the Sabbath, which is God. From the Pharisee stories to come in the gospels, I guess they didn't repent and follow Him. 

However, Jesus also tried to turn around the Pharisees' concept of the Sabbath. But wait, isn't the Sabbath one of the big ten commandments? It is, and it has what looks like the longest explanation with it. Long enough to take up this another day.

To the Lord's Word we go!

Bucky

Something Teachable

Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Mark 2:23-24

Have you ever had someone who made it their mission to find something wrong with you? Of course you have. Jesus had a whole troop of them, scribes, priests, and those Pharisees. Even out in a grain field, Jesus had them waiting to pounce on the slightest infraction by Him or His disciples. The Pharisees prided themselves on their scriptural knowledge, and Jesus met them there. In the next verse, Jesus asks them, "Have you never read...?" And Jesus proceeds to teach the Pharisees about the Law.

The Pharisees must have felt a bit of an earthquake as this worker from Nazareth tried to lead them to the righteous path.

Love to you in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Ruined Wineskins

No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins. Mark 2:21-22

New, but do we understand how new? Jesus brought His good news, and it quickly ran into old and established views. The Law wasn't enough for the Pharisees and they had added hundreds of traditions to it. Jesus was about to ruin some old wineskins. The Pharisees had set themselves to be strict Sabbath police. Which would seem to be a kind of work...but anyway. Jesus challenged them to apply the law with mercy and love, in place of the mean and cruel they liked. He was about to tear some old garments. The Pharisees thought themselves guardians against false prophecy and heralds of the coming Messiah. Instead they guarded against the Messiah and acted as false prophets. Garments torn, wineskins ruined.

Act in love and mercy, rejoice in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Something New

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”  Mark 2:18

Fasting was a thing of 'must do' for the Pharisees, but they used the implied criticism trick of asking a question of Jesus. As in, we do this and we are always right, therefore you must be wrong and why don't you get on board with us? Jesus gave His answer, and what an answer it is! In His answer is the new cloth on old garments and the new wine in old wineskins illustrations familiar to most everyone by now. Something new had arrived and the first group of chosen disciples did new things with the Teacher. Fasting has become a 'can do' in place of the former way. 

As today is Ash Wednesday, we will see many starting a Lenten fast. Hopefully no modern-day Pharisees are putting a 'must do' on anyone today. If the Spirit has placed a desire on your heart to hold a fast, then do it with joy. That would be something new.

In Christ Jesus our Lord,

Bucky

We The Sick

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Mark 2:16-17

So Jesus went along and called a tax collector. And then the Pharisees questioned it when He dined with the tax collector and his friends. We the sick are glad that Jesus dined with the sinners since the time the Holy Spirit came upon us and showed to us our sin. Those with Pharisee wellness can stand outside and question; we rather like being with Him. Those who think of themselves as lawful and good can stand far off and do their criticism. We the sick will repent and dine with our Savior.

It's a privilege to be with Jesus!

Bucky

Compassion Enough For 5,000-plus

But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.  Mark 6:33-34

In Mark's gospel, the disciples had just returned from their first mission trips and Jesus led them to a deserted place to rest up a bit. However, multitudes saw them leaving, word spread quickly, and people ran from cities to get to where Jesus was going. The Lord Jesus steps out to minister to His twelve...and finds the eyeballs of five thousand men, plus their wives and children, looking back at Him. Adapting quickly to the circumstance, Jesus had compassion enough for the 5,000-plus and began teaching them all. And as people will do, they were hungry for His word but soon became hungry in body as well. Jesus had an answer for that hunger too. 

The story has become famous wherever the gospel has been told. The disciples were tested, 200 denarii of bread would not be enough. Today we figure conservatively that 5,000 men would also have a wife and children, or a minimum of 16,000 persons who would need a Swiss Mushroom Runza® each for a mere $105,440 at the current Sidney price on their online menu. No, no, these people were hungry! Double cheeseburger combo meal for sure, plus most of them wouldn't know a Runza® from a loaf of bread! Okay, big burger combo makes it $188,640 plus the Sidney 'good grief!' tax on hungry travelers, and a generous tip for the Runza crew who is even now weeping in the back, "He wants sixteen thousand of them?!!" 

I've been following the beginning of the start of our Lord Jesus' ministry for a bit now, and suddenly I skipped ahead a little to the feeding of the five thousand. There is a reason to share with you of course. Today, as soon as this is posted on Blogspot, will be the 5,000th posting from this little devotional message you read and share! 

Have a great big day in Christ our Lord!

Bucky