Reflection on Mark 7

Mark 7: 1-13

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
And he continued,“You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! (vs. 6-9)

vs. 8- You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.

Jesus is the BETTER interpreter of scripture: He exposes how we intentionally misuse scripture so that we avoid obeying God completely. Jesus explains exactly how we do not take God's word seriously.

May we let God's word expose our sin and may we look to Jesus' life, death and sacrifice as the only salvation that makes life worth living.

Seeking redemption and satisfaction in romance, work, wealth, or fame will never satisfy us

Mark 7: 24-30

Jesus is confronted and persuaded by the Greek woman born in Syrian Phoenicia to heal her daughter.

The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. (vs.26-30).

May we fervently pray and seek Jesus help and healing for us. May we persuade people that no one is beyond God's plan of salvation. May we always ask, beg and plead boldly with hope when we pray!

Mark 7: 31-37

Jesus heals the man who was deaf and could hardly talk in the region of the Ten Cities.

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (vs. 33-37)

Jesus is the BETTER healer: Who heals our physical ailments AND also opens up our ears to hear and understand Him and opens our mouths to declare His truth and his love to a world looking for healing and restoration from brokenness.

May our ears always be open to LISTENING to God daily in prayer and from His word.

May our mouths always speak the truth of the good news of God rescuing us through Jesus.

Reflection on Mark 6

Mark 6:1-13

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. (vs. 4-6)

Jesus is the BETTER Prophet and healer: Who although he is not honoured in his hometown does not 'tone down', 'lay low' or give up dejectedly but empowers his disciples to go out into the whole world with His power.

Mark 6: 14-29

King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
Others said, “He is Elijah.”
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,like one of the prophets of long ago.”
But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!” (vs. 14-16)

Jesus is the BETTER Elijah- - who doesn't just face and defeat one evil king and queen but conquers ALL kings and all queens to submit to his authority and lay down the crowns at his feet.

Jesus is the BETTER John the baptizer- - who rises up again after being killed.

Jesus is the BETTER Prophet - - who ALL the prophets in history have been pointing to.

Mark 6: 30-44

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (vs. 34).

Jesus feeds the 5,000-plus with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish

Jesus is the BETTER teacher: Who cares for and provides for both the physical and spiritual feeding and nourishment of the people he is teaching...not just information/knowledge for its own sake.

Jesus is the BETTER shepherd:Who has pity on the crowd of people when he sees they have no shepherd.

May we follow him everywhere and trust him completely to feed us and protect us daily.

Jesus is the BETTER pray-er: Who thanks God BEFORE the miracle...BEFORE God answers.

Mark 6:45-52

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. (vs. 50-52).

Jesus is the BETTER Encourager: Who COMMANDS us to be courageous and at the same time drives out our fear and calms the storm that is threatening our lives.

May we boldly and bravely go out courageously trusting that Jesus has conquered the fears that were holding is in bondage.

May we see that the storms around us will not kill us, because in the presence of Jesus we will survive the winds of eternal destruction.

Mark 6:53-56

When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. (vs. 53-56).

Jesus is the BETTER healer:

Whose presence and touch heals us from all our ILL-ness and SICK-ness.

May we touch Jesus cloak, hold onto His power and have all our DIS-ease driven away!

Reflection on Mark 5

Mark 5: 1-20

Jesus heals the demon-possessed man who lives in the tombs in Gerasenes...who used to cry out every night and day and cut himself with stones. The man goes around the Ten cities (Decapolis) telling people how much Jesus had done for him.

Jesus shows BETTER mercy and BETTER compassion:

Jesus takes the craziness, insanity and depression out of our souls.

Jesus replaces our sin and death with sanity and spiritual health that leads us to declare how good God has been to us and how merciful God has been to us in forgiving us and cleansing our souls.

Mark 5: 21-43

Jesus heals the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and resurrects Jairus' daughter from death.

vs. 34: 'He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

vs. 41-43: 'He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha kuom!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”) Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.

Jesus shows BETTER healing and BETTER miraculous power that not only heals terminal illnesses but also gives us life AFTER terminal illnesses have killed us. He conquers BOTH sickness AND death!

May we rest in the fact that Jesus has rescued us from BOTH life-long sickness in sin and eternal death out-side God's presence. May we hold onto his garment and arise when he tells us to get up!

Reflection on Mark 4

Mark 4: 1-34

Parable of the sower + Parable of the growing seed + Parable of the mustard seed.

Jesus is the BETTER Teacher and 'Explainer': Who patiently and deeply shows us the depth of our sin, the greatness of God's promised redemption and the priceless treasure of eternally resting in Him.

Mark 4: 35-41

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,“Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (vs. 38-41)

Jesus is the BETTER sailor, BETTER ship captain and BETTER creator:

Who does not just control the ship but controls the sea the ship is sailing on.

Who calms the storm and tells it to be still.

May we rest in Jesus and in his power to calm all the storms we encounter in our lives. May we see that he went into the roughest and toughest storm of all and conquered death so that we can now rest in the fact that even the storms of suffering, pain, sickness, disease and death will never drown us eternally.

Reflection on Mark 3

Mark 3:13-19

Jesus is a BETTER rabbi/mentor: Who CALL his followers and disciples to him SPECIFICALLY,

"I have CHOSEN you to be with me

I will SEND YOU OUT to preach

You WILL HAVE authority to drive out demons"

Mark 3: 31-35

Jesus is the BETTER son and sibling: Who treats his adopted family and his blood-related family equally. 

May we rest in Jesus' adoption of us and the fact that He loves us as much as He loves his own family (“God, Joseph, Mary, brothers and sisters”) 

May we daily live remembering we will inherit all He has promised us.

Reflection on Mark 2

Mark 2:1-12

Jesus is a BETTER forgiver: Who can forgive all our sins completely and give us a new slate. 

May we rest in Jesus' forgiveness and not dwell on past sins, past misdeeds and past hurts. 

May we embrace how Jesus forgives us, in order to give us life and take us away from hang-ups and clouds of failure.

Reflection on Mark 1

 Mark 1:1-8

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 
2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”—3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’ ”

Jesus is the BETTER messenger. He announces that He is bringing the COMPLETE fullness of God's message of repentance, reconciliation and re-new-all for all who believe in Him AND follow Him.

 Mark 1:1-8

John the baptizer said, “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus is the BETTER baptizer who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit: THE SPIRIT OF GOD that powerfully created the world and sustains the ongoing redemption of the whole universe.

Mark 1:9-12

Jesus is the BETTER Son: who God declares boldly and loudly is LOVED and HAS PLEASED God.

May we always seek to rest in God's love and to please God above all other loves and above pleasing anyone else or seeking pleasure in anything and anyone else.

May we, who are enemies of God who displease him when we sin seek to rest in the work of the son who has pleased God completely

Mark 1:14-20

Jesus is the BETTER Fisherman: who rescues men and women from the sea of sin.

Jesus is the BETTER fisherman who teaches us to fish our families and friends and neighbours into following him instead of drowning in the waters of worldliness and the all encompassing storms of day-to-day existence.

Mark 1:29-34

Jesus is the BETTER Healer: who commands demons and they obey him.

May we rest our hope in Him to drive out the sin that makes us slaves and addicts.

May we learn to live in boldness by following Him and knowing that HIS word and HIS name will free all people from all bondage to self-ishness.

Mark 1:35-39

vs. 38: 'Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else- to the nearby villages- so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving our demons.'

Jesus is the BETTER preacher: Who never has a bad sermon, who never gets tired of sending forth His word, whose teaching and preaching is always true and always gives life. May we believe and live out all of Jesus' words by dying to self and letting Him live in us and control our mind, heart, soul and spirit.

Mark 1:29-34

Jesus is the BETTER Healer: who commands demons and they obey him.

May we rest our hope in Him to drive out the sin that makes us slaves and addicts.

May we learn to live in boldness by following Him and knowing that HIS word and HIS name will free all people from all bondage to self-ishness.

Mark 1:35-39

vs. 38: 'Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else- to the nearby villages- so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving our demons.'

Jesus is the BETTER preacher: Who never has a bad sermon, who never gets tired of sending forth His word, whose teaching and preaching is always true and always gives life. May we believe and live out all of Jesus' words by dying to self and letting Him live in us and control our mind, heart, soul and spirit.

Mark 1:40-45

vs. 45: “...Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.”

Jesus is the BETTER itinerant evangelist: Who uses his fame, glory and popularity to glorify God and not to accumulate crowds for the sake of pleasing masses.