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Category Archives: Mark

The Last Supper & Confusion

31 Mar

Dear God, I was at a church service Thursday night (the night before Good Friday), and I got to thinking about The Last Supper. I started to think about the real-time confusion the disciples must have experienced. There were things going on that they had no way of understanding. Jesus was saying things they didn’t understand. They were assuming things would play out in one way, but things were actually on a much different course—a course for which they had no paradigm. So I’ve decided to sit down and try to make a list of everything that happened that evening (as represented in all four Gospels combined), starting with Jesus washing their feet and ending with their walk to the Garden. Here’s what I came up with:

  • Jesus washes their feet and asks if they get what He’s teaching them (John 13:4)
  • Jesus wants to eat Passover with them before his suffering begins (Luke 22:15)
  • One of you will betray me (Matthew 26:21) Jesus says he’s telling them that so that they will know, after the fact, that He is who He says He is (John 13:19)
  • Jesus labels Judas as the traitor, but “no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him.” (John 13:28)
  • Jesus says He is leaving soon and they cannot follow (John 13:33)
  • Disciples are troubled because Jesus tries to comfort them: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” (John 14:1)
  • They ask about the way to where Jesus is going. Jesus answers vaguely that He is the way…” (John 14:6)
  • Jesus tells them He is sending the Holy Spirit (John 14:16)
  • Jesus does some last-minute teaching about being the vine and branches (John 15:1)
  • Love one another and ignore hate for them (John 15:17-18)
  • Telling them this so they will not go astray (John 16:1)
  • Tries to explain Holy Spirit (John 16:5-16)
  • The disciples are openly confused and talking among themselves about what He means (John 16:17)
  • Jesus prays for Himself (John 17:1)
  • Jesus prays for His disciples (John 17:6)
  • Jesus prays for all believers (John 17:20)
  • Breaks bread as body and wine as blood for sins and covenant (Matthew 26:26-28)
  • Jesus will not drink wine again until in Father s Kingdom (Matthew 26:29)
  • Disciples argued about who would be greatest in Kingdom (Luke 22:24)
  • Everyone will scatter and abandon Jesus (Mark 14:27)
  • After  raised from the dead  Jesus will meet them in Galilee (Mark 14:28)
  • Get money, travel bag and a sword (Luke 22:36)
  • Peter’s denial predicted (Mark 14:30)

When I went through this exercise I either realized for the first time or remembered some interesting facts about this that I had forgotten. And they are all mainly about John’s version of the story. First, John gives us so much more about the conversation between them that night. There’s a lot of detail there. Second, John’s version of the story is five chapters long (chapters 13-17). Third, John makes zero mention of breaking the bread and pouring the wine. That part of the evening was apparently unimportant to him when compared with the other parts—and yet, as Christians of different denominations, we allow something like how we do communion divide us and count it as of the utmost importance. Are we missing something there? Has Satan used something beautiful as a way to divide us? But I digress.

The real point of all of this is to show that, even when Jesus spoke plainly to them about what was happening (e.g. pointing to Judas as His betrayer), they had no clue. They couldn’t see it. They were about to go through a horrific 72 hours and it seems that they were not prepared for it. Or were they?

Father, at the end of the day, you give us what we need to get through a crisis. It might not look the way we want it to look. It might all go bad. Things might get very dark, and we will need to find our way, moment by moment, with no light. We might be scared, confused, and overwhelmed. We might even feel like giving up. But you call us to press on in the valley of the shadow of death, fearing no evil (Psalm 23:4). And you will give us little remembrances of you and your words. So as my wife and I go through a current confusing time, and as we love some different relatives through their own uncertain times, help us to take your peace with us, embrace the confusion and overwhelmedness (is that a word?), and look forward to what we will have learned from this when it is all over.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 31, 2018 in John, Luke, Mark, Matthew, Psalms, Uncategorized

 

Mark 9:2-10

25 Feb

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials —one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them. As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.”

Mark 9:2-10

Dear God, I never before wondered why Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, but I suppose this was a story that you/he wanted us to know. It makes me wonder how many more events like this Jesus had when there were no witnesses. Now that I think about it, I doubt this was the first time because it seems like Jesus knew what he was doing when he invited these three men to join him.

So why did they need to see this? Well, it was obviously for the post-resurrection experience because that’s what Jesus tells them. It’s not for comfort between the crucifixion and the resurrection. It’s for confirmation of who Jesus is AFTER the resurrection. And he didn’t take just one or two witnesses. He took three. He obviously wanted credibility for the men testifying that this event happened. He wanted people to know that there was something on an historical scale happening here.

Father, thank you for this story. Thank you for taking time to affirm who you are, who Jesus is as a part of the Trinity, and who I am as your child. Give me faith to see beyond what my eyes can see and patience to await your timing for the desires of my heart.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 25, 2018 in Mark

 

Mark 9:33-34

29 Jan

After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

Mark 9:33-34

Dear God, there’s a part of me that has a hard time understanding this conversation between the disciples, but then again I kind of get it because this kind of thing came up with my coworkers recently. Jesus had to deal with it like a manager. It was basically the same kind of personnel issue that I had.

I would imagine this was a difficult group to manage. You had very different personalities. They ranged from Peter (probably ADD at some level) to Judas (a malcontent). You had the more thoughtful ones who might not as readily jump into action like John.

My biggest struggle as a leader is dealing with personnel issues. I like this example here of getting everyone to sit down together, challenge the with what is seemingly a rhetorical question and then giving them a truth that breaks the paradigm of their argument—greatest works against you.

Father, help me to be a better leader of people. Help me to find the balance of leading and serving. Help me to decrease while you increase. Help me to bring you glory in everything I do.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2018 in Mark

 

Mark 20:22

12 Sep

Matthew 20:22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 

Dear God, the “My Utmost for His Highest” reading was great today. I don’t always read his commentary when I look at the verse of the day from there, but today I did and I’m glad I did. 

There have been times in my life when I just knew you had made a mistake and now I can look back and see you were doing good things. There are other times when I have been really disappointed in you and felt like you didn’t keep the promises you’ve made and I still haven’t figured out what you are doing. But my faith is in you. 

Father, work all of this together for the good of your will, no matter what it costs me. Of course, I don’t want it to cost me anything. I want to hold onto as much comfort and as mettle stress as possible. But I lay that at your feet and commit to you that no matter what path you have for me to walk I will worship you. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen 

 
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Posted by on September 12, 2017 in Mark, My Utmost for His Highest Scripture of the Day

 
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