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