Monthly Archives: October 2015

Gospel Meditation #178

Posted on by
Reply

GOSPEL MEDITATION #178

Mark 2:18-22 – A Question About Fasting

  1. Find a quiet place without distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. The Day of Atonement – Leviticus 23:26-32 – was a day of fasting. For how long and both food and drink or food only – we do not know the actual nature of the practice.
  8. Fasting took on a life of its own and became so strange that Jesus commented on in Matthew 6:16-18 and pointed out that it had became a religious show.
  9. The Prophet Isaiah, 58:1-14, had done much the same nearly 8 centuries earlier.
  10. The Pharisees and John the Baptist’s followers fasted. Jesus’ followers did not so came the “WHY? Question.
  11. It was intended to fix blame, but Jesus gave three quick answers.
  12. He, the bridegroom was with the guests and a celebration was underway – no fasting.
  13. Unshrunk cloth is not to be put on old clothes as a patch when washed, a tear will be the result– Jesus’ words and deeds are unshrunk or new cloth.
  14. Old wineskins, already stretched by fermenting juice, must be used only one time. New wine requires new wineskins.
  15. Fasting was something that developed over the centuries and is not among the commandments. But religious people like rules and rituals so fasting took on a life of its own.
  16. Jesus points to a time, verse 20, when His followers will fast. That fast is described in Mark 8:34.

 

Gospel Meditation # 177 Mark 2:13-17, Jesus Calls Levi

Posted on by
Reply

GOSPEL MEDITATION #177

Mark 2:13-17 Jesus Calls Levi

  1. Find a quiet place without distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. Crowds are hearing Jesus teaching, here by the Sea of Galilee, likely near to Capernaum.
  8. Levi, otherwise known as Matthew which is likely a nickname and means “gift of Yahweh”.
  9. “Son of Alphaeus” – his father’s name is Alphaeus –James, another disciple, also had a father named Alphaeus. (see Matthew 10:3) Matthew and James not brothers though, or so it is thought by most scholars.
  10. Tax booth, at Capernaum, which was one of 3 main tax collecting stations set up by the Romans to tax traders heading to and from Egypt. The others being at Jericho and Caesarea. Levi would be a sub-contractor and would have employees present to act as security.
  11. “Follow me” – a command and Levi obeyed, instantly.
  12. Levi threw a big party and his friends and associates

showed up – a bunch of sinners despised by Pharisees.

  1. The blaming question, “why” is on the lips of the legalists.

After the healing of the paralytic, the religious authorities

would be looking for ammunition to show that Jesus is not

reputable.

  1. Note that Jesus had no problem with being in, and eating

with, the very lowest of the low.

  1. Jesus’ response was that He was in fact doing what He

came to do – to call sinners to Himself.

  1. Jesus only calls sinners to Himself. They alone will seek

forgiveness. Those, clothed in their own righteousness, will

never seek Jesus.

  1. A sinner – the first spiritual truth we learn.

Gospel Meditation # 176 Jesus Heals a Paralytic Mark 2:1-12

Posted on by
Reply

GOSPEL MEDITATION #176

The Gospel of Mark

Jesus heals a Paralytic — Mark 2:1-12

  1. Find a quiet place without distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. Jesus at home, question is, His or Peter’s.
  8. Whenever healing is reported, crowds gather.
  9. Jesus was preaching, not healing however.
  10. Four guys had a dear friend they wanted to bring to Jesus.
  11. With great boldness they did something unusual, they took apart a roof and lowered their friend down to Jesus.
  12. Jesus’ response: “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Let it be noted that the Greek simply has teknon meaning child.
  13. Scribes, doctors of the Law, saw Jesus’ statement as blasphemy as they knew only God can forgive sin, this only by means of a proper sacrifice.
  14. Jesus knew what was in their hearts, possibly by means of the charismatic gift of knowledge. (see 1 Cor. 12:8)
  15. Jesus wanted the scribes to know that what He said was true by healing the paralytic completely.
  16. To bring the point home, He asked which was easier – to forgive or heal. Of course, the idea is, well it is fine to forgive sins but that was an empty gesture at minimum.
  17. The man who could not walk did and also lugged his mattress home with him — no other proof needed.
  18. For sure, no one had ever seen anything like it. The point, the lesson, Jesus had in mind was that He was far more than a healer, He had authority, there and then, to forgive sin.