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Peter & John — Mark 10:35-45

10 Oct

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.” “What is your request?” he asked. They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.” When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:35-45

Dear God, my first thought when I read this story is, “Oh, John and James, don’t do it!” I mean, what did they think they were asking for? Were they hoping to get to sit back and judge people all day long? Did they simply want to be in a position of authority over everyone else? Was that what was in their hearts?

So as I sit here in judgment of them, I have to ask myself if I do this? In my position at my work or even in my own home, do I lord it over others? I hope I am both a leader and a servant. At home, I’m obviously a co-leader with my wife, and I don’t think she feels like she cannot exert her will at any given time. At work, I’ve learned over the years that it is important to have that person who is responsible and sets the tone and direction, but at the same time it’s important to serve those who are working for and with you and ensure that they are getting everything they need to feel successful at their jobs.

Of course, I fail at all of this at times. I have failed with my wife and children. I’ve failed with coworkers and subordinates. I’m really sorry for that. I know better. I have the bad examples of John and James to follow here.

Father, help me to be a servant to those around me. I know I have to be careful to not abdicate the leadership they need from me, but show me how to do it in love. Help me to build them up. Help me to hear your voice and lead with your wisdom. And let all of this be for your glory and so that your kingdom will come, even in the small way my life can influence it, on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 10, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 10:32-34

09 Oct

They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him. “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.
Mark 10:32-34

Dear God, I wish I understood the picture of what it looked like for Jesus to move around. There is this idea that there were a lot of hangers on, and then there were the 12 core. And then there were the three (Peter, James and John) who seemed to go even closer than the 12.

What’s interesting about this story is as much what Jesus is saying, but how each group is reacting. The hangers on were afraid and the 12 were in awe. As is evidenced by what John and James are about to ask Jesus in the next passage, it didn’t matter how many times Jesus told them what was about to happen in Jerusalem, they didn’t quite get it. Frankly, they should probably have been more afraid like the general followers as opposed to being in awe.

I’m in the middle of a two-week vacation right now, and I have to confess that the last few months seem to have brought me relentlessly good news. In a lot of areas of my life, things have been going well. Now, the thought keeps crossing my mind that I wonder if this vacation is preparing me for something hard that is coming around the corner. I guess I can liken it to the fear that the followers were feeling. What is next?

But you don’t call me to live in fear. You don’t call me to seek or even hope for comfort. You call me to engage with you in this moment. Then I am supposed to keep doing that until at some point I look back and can see what you did and how you did it.

Father, I’ve said to people before that, when it comes to the future, you keep me on a need-to-know basis, and I very rarely need to know. C.S. Lewis, through the voice of the demon Screwtape, said that the present is the one point in time that interfaces with you. Help me to stay in this moment and get everything from you that you have for me in this moment. Keep my head out of yesterday’s successes and tomorrow’s fears. Help me to stay in this moment, walking with Jesus down the road. If Jerusalem in in the future, it will come soon enough. I don’t want to miss what you have for me here and now.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 9, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 10:17-31

08 Oct
As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”
Mark 10:17-31
Dear God, there is something in our nature that wants to “inherit eternal life.” There are some revealing things in this passage about the disciples’ thinking about things. Perhaps they reveal something about our own thinking.
  • It seems like we are always worried about what is next as opposed to worrying about what’s now. Wouldn’t a better question for this young man to ask have been, “Good teacher, what must I do to be in complete relationship with God now?” Ironically, Jesus’ answer would probably have been the same. I saw a billboard yesterday on the Interstate that said, “When you die you WILL meet God.” Yes, that’s true, and that’s an interesting threat to give someone while they are driving at 75 mph. And maybe that works on some people. I would prefer to think about being at peace with the God of the universe now and then think about meeting you later.
  • The disciples were still in the mindset that everything is easier when you have plenty of money. Now for some things that is definitely true. I am the director of a nonprofit and I always joke that the board meetings are a lot easier when there is plenty of money. But the money only goes so far. My wife and I were talking the other day about a friend who has made plenty of money, but he just uses it to continue to buy toys, vacations, and comfort. The phrase we used (which I learned from a Sesame Street/Cookie Monster sketch when I was little) is that he is looking for “everlasting joy and happiness.” He won’t find it doing what he’s doing. The other thing I’ve learned about giving is that if we don’t do it when we have a little, it is likely that we won’t do it when we have more. It’s an attitude of sacrifice that is learned, and it can be hard for a person who has never done it to give at a significant level when they have more.
    Peter exhibits that insecure five-year-old that is inside all of us. Can’t you just hear a parent being critical of a child for not making their bed or cleaning up after themselves and their little brother comes in and says, “I made my bed this morning! I’m good, right?” That’s Peter here, and that insecure child is in all of us.
Father, help me to simply rest in you. I’m in the middle of an extended vacation and I don’t have much practice at this. I don’t feel like I do it very well. But I know that I want to get out of this time what you have for me. So please make me very present in this moment. Help me to rest. Help me to love my wife. Help me to receive love from her. And help me to not miss the opportunities that you put in front of me.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
 
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Posted by on October 8, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 10:13-16

07 Oct
One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16
Dear God, thinking about this story from the perspectives of the disciples (and presumably both Peter and John), I wonder how hard it was for them to do crowd control for Jesus. Were they used to scolding everyone who tried to encroach on Jesus’ space and time, or did they specifically see the children as insignificant? And what motivated the parents to bring their children? What was the result for which they were hoping?
What we often forget about children is that they are tomorrow’s adults. The seeds we plant into them now are what we will reap as a society for the next 50-70 years. The problem that you showed me 15 years ago is that there is a large chunk of our society’s children growing up traumatized and impacted by multigenerational poverty.
Our own town has a children crisis on a couple of levels. The most obvious one is that there is almost no childcare for young children birth to four. Parents trying to support themselves can’t find a safe place for their children. And then there are so many who are growing up in hellacious environments, carrying what they are learning into adulthood.
Father, help me to know what you would have me to do about this problem. You have given me specific experiences and sets of knowledge in this area. Show me what you want me to do with it and bless whatever the work is.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
 
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Posted by on October 7, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 9:38-50

05 Oct
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.” “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us. If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded. “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’ “For everyone will be tested with fire. Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”
Mark 9:38-43,45,47-50
Dear God, after going through Matthew and now a good part of Mark, this is one of the few quotes we get from John. I can’t tell what he was doing at the beginning of this story. Was he bragging that they had done this? Was he curious to know if they had done the right thing? Was this a passive/aggressive way of disagreeing with what had been done and hoping to get Jesus’ message out to the rest of the disciples?
Since this is a retelling of the story, I’m going to assume that, if the author had felt John was being disingenuous in any way that he would have given us John’s thoughts as well as his words. But Mark didn’t do that, so I’m going to assume that John was trying to please Jesus with this statement, but it backfired on him.
The big lesson, I think, for all of us here is that there are people out there who are our friends and we treat them like our enemies. The obvious example is bickering between Christian denominations. But then it goes deeper than that. People within churches willingly turn on each other for superficial reasons. Families will sometimes turn on each other. It’s almost as if we look for differences so that we can assuage our insecurity and promote our superiority to others. “I’m holier than you.” “I’m smarter than you.” “I’m a better person than you.” Yeah, that makes us feel better.
One last thing I want to mention is the logic Jesus used for not rebuking the person. He says that the person won’t be able to say bad things about Jesus if he is doing good and powerful things in Jesus’ name. He can’t cast out a demon in Jesus’ name on Tuesday and then on Wednesday say that Jesus is a fraud. And the subtle lesson to the disciples is also that there will come a day when they need to expand beyond the 12 of them, and they will need to embrace people like this man.
Father, help me to embrace all those who are co-servants of yours with me. Sometimes my Protestant friends question my ability to attend Catholic Church with my wife because some of their traditions and beliefs are so different. My response is always that, on the important things such as Jesus deity, death, and resurrection, they agree, and the things we disagree on are completely insignificant. Additionally, the people with whom I worship there really love you and love Jesus. I have no issues at all with their faith or devotion to you. So, yes, I will gladly join my wife and worship you there with them. Help me to readily extend that to others as well and to not feel I have to judge someone else in order to feel better about myself.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
 
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Posted by on October 5, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 9:30-37

04 Oct
Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. 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. He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”
Mark 9:30-37
Dear God, I wonder what that conversation on the road was like. I would love to have overheard it. It’s easiest for us to sit here 2,000 years later and judge them for their arrogance and hubris because we know what their path held. We know that all of them (including Judas) would die ugly deaths except for John. We know the hardships and persecutions. We know that there will be no earthly glory for them in their lifetimes. They were such fools!
At least, that’s what we think with our perfect hindsight vision. But are we any different? This series that I am doing is about Peter and John and how they compared and contrasted with each other, but in this case they were probably on the same page. I am certain that Christians today are on the same page, and I am no exception. I want to be important. I want to have influence. I’m not looking for people to judge and rule over, but I do want people to hold me in high regard. My arrogance pushes me towards wanting to be a person of influence.
At the end of the day, if I really stop and think about it, the reason I want this influence and respect is because I want to ensure my earthly comfort. In the disciples’ case I think they wanted to feel ruling power and know that they would have fewer earthly struggles (the opposite turned out to be true). In my case, I want to use my personality to provide for my wife and me so that we will have as few of struggles as possible. My altruism is even tinged and tainted by my selfishness. I think the same is true of many of us if we think about it. We want to be great in your kingdom, and we want that greatness to pay off in some way while we are here on earth.
Father, Jesus didn’t say in this passage the I have to become like a little child (he says that in other places). No, in this case, he says that I must welcome the little child. In welcoming a little child, I am giving myself for someone who has nothing to offer that will change my physical station in life. As I read this passage this morning, I don’t think this passage is as much about specifically welcoming children as much as it is about welcoming and loving those who have nothing to offer you in return in terms of prestige and power. Loving these types of people in such a completely selfless way is how we welcome you into our hearts.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
 
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Posted by on October 4, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 9:2-8

30 Sep

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.

Mark 9:2-8

Dear God, as I try to compare the differences between Peter and John, as I can discern them from the New Testament, I notice in this passage that “they were all terrified,” and yet Peter was the one to speak. In this case, we aren’t told if they were part of the conversation or were observing them from a distance, but in the moment Peter broke and just could sit with his fear.

I’m a subscriber to the Mark Twain saying, “Better to remain silent and appear foolish than to open your mouth and remove all doubt,” but I can still tend to talk too much in a group setting. I can also talk too much in a one-on-one conversation. My listening skills can be very poor. I really admire my wife’s listening skills. People feel comfortable with her and they are able to open up to her. She will allow for silent moments. She will ask a question and wait for the answer. She will draw people out and make them feel heard. Had she been there with Jesus that day, I am sure she would have been terrified, but also taking it all in, learning, and trying to figure out what it means.

Father, I give you my thanks for giving me such a great friend in my wife. I worship you in this silent moment. Help me to hear you today. Help me to be a great listener for those we will see today. Make me better than I am for the sake of your kingdom and others.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 30, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 8:27-32

29 Sep

27 Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”

29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

30 But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

31 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.

33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

 

Dear God, the telling of this story is almost verbatim from Matthew’s telling (Matthew 16:13-28). We often get similar stories told similarly, but this one really hit the radar because it is strikingly similar.

It’s always a good lesson to learn: “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” I journaled about this a couple of weeks ago, but it’s still a good message for me today. Everything I see is usually from my point of view. I rarely try to stop and look at things from your point of view. I can see you move is certain situations. I can look back on the last three months as some of the most blessed with good things (from my “human point of view”) as I’ve ever experienced. But what if these last three months weren’t the most blessed from your point of view? What if the hellacious year of 2013 was the year when you were really working?

My wife and I are about to have some time off together. We need this. We need to get in the boat and go to the other side of the lake—to another village. To a secluded place. I think this is one of the concepts upon which my heart needs to meditate. How can I get myself to start seeing the world—even tragedies and hardships—from your point of view? 

Father, I’m here to offer myself to you. Be glorified through me. Thank you for everything. Really. Thank you. Thank you for what you’ve been doing lately and what you continue to do. And I don’t want to be insensitive to those around me. I know some who have been through big life transitions over the last few months. Some have been hard transitions for them. I’m so sorry for them. Please strongly support and help them. Love them. Encourage them. Provide for them. Give them rest. Help them to see all of this from your point of view. Be on the move in their lives. 

In Jesus’ name I pray, 

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 29, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 6:45-52

27 Sep

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.

Mark 6:45-52

Dear God, it’s this last sentence that stopped me here today. It gives us some insight not into Jesus, but into what it was like to be with him through this experience. From the story right before this about the feeding miracle, we learned they were tired. Now, even though they went out in pairs and did all of these miraculous things, their fatigue was hardening them.

This is a fascinating time for me because I’m as tired at work as I’ve ever been. I have two more days to go before my vacation starts, but I can see how my responses to people are a little different over the last couple of days than they normally are. Examples:

  • I snapped at a volunteer Tuesday afternoon in a manner that I never would have otherwise.
  • I had an office manager from a medical specialist to who our clinic sends referrals call to complain about the behavior of a patient. This patient had offended me earlier in the week, so I called the patient and tersely laid down the law in a way I normally don’t.
  • I have a colleague who can sometimes be abrasive who came at me with some unwelcome suggestions, and I didn’t handle them or her nearly as well as I should have.
  • I had to be blunt with a dear, honorable, well-intentioned man who is doing something that needed to be stopped. I think I handled that as well as I could, but I still know I wasn’t at my best in my interactions with him.

And these are just the examples I’m aware of. I’m sure my heart has hardened in many way I cannot see. In fact, I had an employee come and ask if I was mad at them because of something I had said and the way I said it. So yeah, my heart is hard.

Father, I have two more days ahead of me that require the best out of me, and the only way for me to deliver it is to let go. I’ve got to stop trying to get all of the work ahead of me done in my power, but trust that you, working through me, will accomplish your will. I’m sorry for my fussiness. Please forgive my failure to rest in you and for trying to hit the finish line with my own strength. Help me to do better today.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 27, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 6:7-13

25 Sep

And He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. 11 Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” They went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

Mark 6:7-13

Dear God, I must confess that I’ve always thought I would have hated this assignment given to the disciples by Jesus. At least he sent them out in pairs.

It leaves me wondering about how Jesus buddies them up. Did he keep Peter and Andrew and James and John together as brothers or did he mix it up. Maybe Peter and John went together. And who was Judas’ partner. And did everyone exhibit the power to heal and cast out demons, or just one in the pair?

Finally, I wonder what their conversations were like as they walked along. “Can you believe what’s going on?” Can you believe we just healed that lady,” or, “cast out that demon?” To quote the musical “Hamilton,” “Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.”

I’m trying to put myself in their shoes. I suppose that as a believer in you now, I am on a journey—and you have given me fellow sojourners. First, there is my wife. You have linked us together until death do us part. And then I have the people in my church and the things that we do together. There are my coworkers and the board of directors. In fact, I have a couple of committee meetings of the board this morning. I don’t think I’ve ever thought of us in this context before, but I guess we are.

Father, give me the courage I need to have to do the job you have given me to do. Love through me. Draw others to yourself through me. Help me to lean into you for the strength I need to do what you have called me to do.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 25, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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