Internal Goodness
February 13, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"it enters not the heart but the stomach" -Mark 7:19
Reading: Mark 7:17-23
Jesus is more concerned about what comes out of the heart than what comes in or out of the stomach. He seems to also be more concerned with compassion for people rather than ritual purity. The actions he refers to all have to do with the way we treat one another: theft, murder, adultery, wickedness, envy…. In what ways do we substitute ritual for love?
Immoral Laws
February 12, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"There is nothing outside of person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile." -Mark 7:15
Reading: Mark 7:9-16
Jesus is challenging centuries old tradition here. A kosher diet was at the center of Jewish religious practice for many. Jesus says that what is more important are the things that come out of your heart, the things you say and do; rather than adhering to traditions. What traditions do we know that limit human compassion?
Hand Washing
February 11, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." -Mark 7:8
Reading: Mark 7:1-8
Religious officials from Jerusalem have been sent up to Galilee to investigate Jesus. They find an infraction - his disciples don’t wash their hands properly. Jesus responds, “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re gonna make a big deal of that? You enforce your own rules and ignore the law of God.” It’s not easy for working-class folks to keep their hands clean all the time. Jesus says there are more important things in life.
Where do you see officials enforcing rules that benefit the upper classes and ignoring basic compassion and justice?
The Healing Touch
February 10, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"all who touched it were healed" -Mark 6:56
Reading: Mark 6:53-56
People respond overwhelmingly to the healing ministry of Jesus and the disciples. The first disciples continued to heal, although not in the numbers that Jesus healed (see Acts 3:1-10) What is your experience of the connection between faith and healing?
Calming the Sea
February 9, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’" -Mark 6:50
Reading: Mark 6:47-52
Many Bible scholars believe this is a resurrection story. Their research tells them that the original version of Mark ends at 16:8. The resurrection stories in verses 9 to 20 are a later addition to Mark’s original text. They believe, that Mark’s original work has instead scattered resurrection appearances throughout the story.
The gospel is written 40 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Up until that time, the stories of Jesus have been circulated by word of mouth. As the first generation of disciples are dying, this is the first major work to preserve the story of Jesus for generations to come. Mark writes down the stories of Jesus, but is also very conscious of the struggles the disciples are going through in his day.
This is a good example, mixing a story from the earthly ministry of Jesus with a resurrection appearance. The disciples and Jesus have been working together. Jesus was teaching, and then they said the crowd with just a few loaves of bread and fish. The disciples went ahead in the boat while Jesus went up on the mountain to pray.
The story tells of actual experience, but also uses it symbolically to demonstrate the struggles of the disciples to carry on the work without Jesus. As they “were straining at the oars” they realized that Jesus was among them. At first “they thought it was a ghost.” But when he spoke to them, saying “take heart, it is I; do not be afraid;” they and the circumstances around them became calm.
What do you think of that interpretation? What does the story say to you?
Prayer on a Mountain
February 8, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"After saying farewell to them, he went up on a mountain to pray." -Mark 6:46
Reading: Mark 6:45-46
Where do you usually pray? What is it like for you to pray the prayer that Jesus taught us? Our Father/Mother/Parent in heaven, hallowed be your name….
Abundance
February 7, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42And all ate and were filled;" -Mark 6:41-42
Reading: Mark 6:32-43
I’m interested in the link between this story and communion. Taking and blessing and giving the bread brings all the people together in a feast of abundance. How do you see the act of communion bringing more abundance to the world?
Communion
February 6, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’ " -Mark 14:22
Reading: Mark 14:22-25
In what ways did our experience of sharing from one loaf (in the growth groups this week or in worship last Sunday) make us one body?
Betrayal
February 5, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"one of you will betray me." -Mark 14:18
Reading: Mark 14:17-21
The authorities had already decided that Jesus was dangerous and must be executed. They didn’t want to arrest him in the crowd for fear of a riot for he was popular among the people. They needed to find him alone. He was carefully hiding out among fellow Galileans in Bethany just outside of Jerusalem. Judas became their inside informant. Why did he betray Jesus? Was it for money? Was there some confusion? The whole idea of betrayal creates a lot of distress in the group. How does betrayal happen in our lives, how do we deal with it?
Compassion Over Law
February 3, 2010 | Posted by Doug
"Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?" -Mark 3:4
Reading: Mark 3:1-6
Jesus argues with the authorities. Technically it violates the Sabbath to heal the man’s hand. But Jesus says compassion is more important. When and where do we let following the rules get in the way of doing good for someone?