Rebuke Oct. 29
Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
The other Gospels give a different perspective on the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. They place emphasis where the author feels more detail is necessary, and they add or delete specific scenes as their own particular telling dictates.
The brief statement in Mark 16:14 comes across as a very harsh criticism of the disciples’ unbelief. Luke 24:36-43 speaks similar words regarding the unbelief in their hearts. This rebuke is not a naked verse but one clothed in context.
But this is not the first time for Jesus to rebuke the disciples for their lack of understanding.
Again, we must remember Jesus’ counsel to watch for counterfeits, but this warning must be balanced by the wisdom to discern the truth as well as the imitation.
Here, Jesus appears to the eleven as they recline at a meal. Reclining was the preferred way of eating rather than sitting at a table, so we may understand this to be the meeting in Galilee sometime later.
To the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and to all eleven assembled together (Luke 24:44-45) Jesus gives an understanding of the Scriptures for them to see that all had been fulfilled during His lifetime.
We, also, have been given all we need to test His truth and find it proven.
The Great Commission Oct. 30
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Jesus directs His followers to go throughout the world preaching the Good News to all Creation.
The Good News is God’s love. Jesus lived among us, taught us truth, died, and was resurrected. We are saved, not lost. God is always in union with us, even when we are out of union with Him. We are free to choose Him and eternal life…or not. And there are many other ways in which the Good News can be expressed.
The resurrection of Jesus is confirmation of the Good News. Without the resurrection, the teachings of Jesus are but the teachings of a wise man.
When mankind fell from the heaven of Eden to the physical world of earth, all nature fell, as well. The Good News is the restoration of all Creation to heaven, the kingdom of God.
Jesus’ life was a demonstration of living in harmony with Creation. There is even peace in the presence of the evil that has sprung up like weeds in a garden. He tells us to leave the weeds alone, even though they may stunt or kill the good seed, for they will be dealt with appropriately at the harvest. We are simply to be what good seeds are, and we shall bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.
Until the Second Coming, when the earth is made new again, being aligned with the Spirit creates an island of heaven on earth.
The Gospel Oct. 31
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
What is the Gospel, the Good News?
Is the Good News of Isaiah 61:1 any different from how Jesus would have defined the Good News when He quoted Isaiah in Luke 4:18?
Perhaps words like love, freedom, joy, and even Gospel have as many meanings as there are people who use the words.
When we believe the kingdom of heaven/God is at hand, is here and now, then we are not far from true understanding.
All the world is subject to the rule of God, for He is the Creator. But not all the world submits to Him as the divine Monarch. As long as we are in rebellion, we may or may not have the physical benefits created by Him. We depend on the thoughts of our mind and the works of our hands rather than on the divine intention and creation.
Only when we bend the knee and proclaim loyalty to God do we attain the rights of citizenship in His kingdom. We may or may not have the physical benefits created by Him. We depend on His love and live in the peace of His reign.
Love and peace are the desire of all. We may seek those things and never find them. Only when we understand that we must first give the gifts of love and peace to all Creation - to all people, creatures, and things created by God – will we have our open hearts filled with them.
There is much that can be said about eternal life, about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, about good overcoming evil, and many other things. The summation is that we are to love God and other people. This is the law and the prophets.
The Good News is that when we love God and other people, we are in the kingdom of heaven, here and now. We do not have to wait.
Freedom Nov. 1
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
This statement comes across as very harsh as we read the words. Perhaps another reading is less abrasive and more affirming:
He who believes and is born again will be freed, but he who does not believe will remain in bondage.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1)
Jesus, the Redeemer in human form, has come to show us the way. Zion (H6726) was a guiding post, a landmark upon the Way. But the Redeemer has bought back all who were spiritually bankrupt and guided them farther along the Way to God’s kingdom.
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
And He who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who makes all things…. (Is. 44:24)
We always have the choice of living within the expansive walls of God’s kingdom, or of living in the confined wasteland beyond those walls. The lights and baubles, the bread and circuses, beyond heaven’s walls are enticing to those who have not the eyes to see light, the ears to hear truth, the mouth to speak praise, the body to feel empathy, and the heart to love.
The captives are bound outside the walls in darkness. The Good News is of the joyful freedom within those gossamer walls of light.
We all serve someone or something. The only freedom is the service of love for God and for all He has created.
Gifts Nov. 2
Mark 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
These verses have given rise to various misinterpretations because they are taken out of context, or more plainly, out of the Spirit.
These are not requirements for believers of the Gospel, tests that must be passed to qualify them as citizens of the kingdom of God.
Paul helps us to understand the diversity of gifts and their common source in 1 Cor. 12:4-11:
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works [e]all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
We are not all to have the gifts of casting out demons, speaking in tongues, handling serpents, or drinking poison without harm, just as each of us is not to have all the gifts of the Spirit listed in the text from Paul.
We are to focus on the gift(s) given to us specifically as part of a community of the faithful.
Ascension Nov. 3
Mark 16:19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
The Gospel of Mark offers only a few brief snippets of information following Mark 16:8. The Gospel seems to suddenly transition from a fast flowing current to a few small wells from which we must draw out our understating.
The Resurrection is a simple and unadorned statement of fact. We do not know how much time occurred between His last speaking to the disciples or from where He ascended. Mark simply states the fact.
Since the days of John the Baptist, the statement that “the kingdom of heaven/God is at hand” has been presented as an accomplished fact. Jesus’ life then became a demonstration of that truth as He demonstrated living in the kingdom of heaven/God here on earth.
We now have Jesus being received up into heaven. Note that the sky is above us, and then “the heavens” – space. Ascending into higher dimensions might well be represented by rising upward in the view of His followers, but this need only be a literal representation of a figurative journey into the higher dimensions encompassing the reality of our lower dimensions.
Jesus’ destination in the heavens is at the right hand of God.
God needed no rest from the weariness of His labor on the seventh day. His work was perfect, and communion on the seventh day with His creation was an act of love.
Jesus does not need to rest following His work. They both observe and lend their loving support to the new creation, the new paradigm that follows Jesus’ resurrection.
The Father and Son celebrate the moment of now, resting in what has been done, is done, and will be done.
Amen Nov. 4
Mark 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
Mark’s conclusion is that Jesus’ followers went out and began the work of fulfilling the Great Commission, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through accompanying signs. The disciples (and the long string of disciples to follow) have not been left alone.
A movement has been set in motion. The new perspective offered on God, the new vision of a heavenly father in love with His sons and daughters and the rest of His creation, is the original perspective from the Garden of Eden.
A new world that had grown old and weary is infused with new life. A rebirth is in the process, and the labor pangs are but one aspect of bringing a new world into being.
Rebirth is a person by person process. The first birth brings forth the physical body in a physical world, and a soul that longs for something more. The second birth gives a glimpse of a new way of living, a new way of thinking, and a new way of being.
The born again soul knits together the disparate pieces as seen from the outside looking inward. As part of the family of God, the new vision is outward and sees a unified whole.
Blessed are the pure of heart (whose focus is not on self), for they shall see God.
Amen - So be it.
Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
The other Gospels give a different perspective on the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. They place emphasis where the author feels more detail is necessary, and they add or delete specific scenes as their own particular telling dictates.
The brief statement in Mark 16:14 comes across as a very harsh criticism of the disciples’ unbelief. Luke 24:36-43 speaks similar words regarding the unbelief in their hearts. This rebuke is not a naked verse but one clothed in context.
But this is not the first time for Jesus to rebuke the disciples for their lack of understanding.
Again, we must remember Jesus’ counsel to watch for counterfeits, but this warning must be balanced by the wisdom to discern the truth as well as the imitation.
Here, Jesus appears to the eleven as they recline at a meal. Reclining was the preferred way of eating rather than sitting at a table, so we may understand this to be the meeting in Galilee sometime later.
To the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and to all eleven assembled together (Luke 24:44-45) Jesus gives an understanding of the Scriptures for them to see that all had been fulfilled during His lifetime.
We, also, have been given all we need to test His truth and find it proven.
The Great Commission Oct. 30
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Jesus directs His followers to go throughout the world preaching the Good News to all Creation.
The Good News is God’s love. Jesus lived among us, taught us truth, died, and was resurrected. We are saved, not lost. God is always in union with us, even when we are out of union with Him. We are free to choose Him and eternal life…or not. And there are many other ways in which the Good News can be expressed.
The resurrection of Jesus is confirmation of the Good News. Without the resurrection, the teachings of Jesus are but the teachings of a wise man.
When mankind fell from the heaven of Eden to the physical world of earth, all nature fell, as well. The Good News is the restoration of all Creation to heaven, the kingdom of God.
Jesus’ life was a demonstration of living in harmony with Creation. There is even peace in the presence of the evil that has sprung up like weeds in a garden. He tells us to leave the weeds alone, even though they may stunt or kill the good seed, for they will be dealt with appropriately at the harvest. We are simply to be what good seeds are, and we shall bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.
Until the Second Coming, when the earth is made new again, being aligned with the Spirit creates an island of heaven on earth.
The Gospel Oct. 31
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
What is the Gospel, the Good News?
Is the Good News of Isaiah 61:1 any different from how Jesus would have defined the Good News when He quoted Isaiah in Luke 4:18?
Perhaps words like love, freedom, joy, and even Gospel have as many meanings as there are people who use the words.
When we believe the kingdom of heaven/God is at hand, is here and now, then we are not far from true understanding.
All the world is subject to the rule of God, for He is the Creator. But not all the world submits to Him as the divine Monarch. As long as we are in rebellion, we may or may not have the physical benefits created by Him. We depend on the thoughts of our mind and the works of our hands rather than on the divine intention and creation.
Only when we bend the knee and proclaim loyalty to God do we attain the rights of citizenship in His kingdom. We may or may not have the physical benefits created by Him. We depend on His love and live in the peace of His reign.
Love and peace are the desire of all. We may seek those things and never find them. Only when we understand that we must first give the gifts of love and peace to all Creation - to all people, creatures, and things created by God – will we have our open hearts filled with them.
There is much that can be said about eternal life, about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, about good overcoming evil, and many other things. The summation is that we are to love God and other people. This is the law and the prophets.
The Good News is that when we love God and other people, we are in the kingdom of heaven, here and now. We do not have to wait.
Freedom Nov. 1
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
This statement comes across as very harsh as we read the words. Perhaps another reading is less abrasive and more affirming:
He who believes and is born again will be freed, but he who does not believe will remain in bondage.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1)
Jesus, the Redeemer in human form, has come to show us the way. Zion (H6726) was a guiding post, a landmark upon the Way. But the Redeemer has bought back all who were spiritually bankrupt and guided them farther along the Way to God’s kingdom.
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
And He who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who makes all things…. (Is. 44:24)
We always have the choice of living within the expansive walls of God’s kingdom, or of living in the confined wasteland beyond those walls. The lights and baubles, the bread and circuses, beyond heaven’s walls are enticing to those who have not the eyes to see light, the ears to hear truth, the mouth to speak praise, the body to feel empathy, and the heart to love.
The captives are bound outside the walls in darkness. The Good News is of the joyful freedom within those gossamer walls of light.
We all serve someone or something. The only freedom is the service of love for God and for all He has created.
Gifts Nov. 2
Mark 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
These verses have given rise to various misinterpretations because they are taken out of context, or more plainly, out of the Spirit.
These are not requirements for believers of the Gospel, tests that must be passed to qualify them as citizens of the kingdom of God.
Paul helps us to understand the diversity of gifts and their common source in 1 Cor. 12:4-11:
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works [e]all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
We are not all to have the gifts of casting out demons, speaking in tongues, handling serpents, or drinking poison without harm, just as each of us is not to have all the gifts of the Spirit listed in the text from Paul.
We are to focus on the gift(s) given to us specifically as part of a community of the faithful.
Ascension Nov. 3
Mark 16:19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
The Gospel of Mark offers only a few brief snippets of information following Mark 16:8. The Gospel seems to suddenly transition from a fast flowing current to a few small wells from which we must draw out our understating.
The Resurrection is a simple and unadorned statement of fact. We do not know how much time occurred between His last speaking to the disciples or from where He ascended. Mark simply states the fact.
Since the days of John the Baptist, the statement that “the kingdom of heaven/God is at hand” has been presented as an accomplished fact. Jesus’ life then became a demonstration of that truth as He demonstrated living in the kingdom of heaven/God here on earth.
We now have Jesus being received up into heaven. Note that the sky is above us, and then “the heavens” – space. Ascending into higher dimensions might well be represented by rising upward in the view of His followers, but this need only be a literal representation of a figurative journey into the higher dimensions encompassing the reality of our lower dimensions.
Jesus’ destination in the heavens is at the right hand of God.
God needed no rest from the weariness of His labor on the seventh day. His work was perfect, and communion on the seventh day with His creation was an act of love.
Jesus does not need to rest following His work. They both observe and lend their loving support to the new creation, the new paradigm that follows Jesus’ resurrection.
The Father and Son celebrate the moment of now, resting in what has been done, is done, and will be done.
Amen Nov. 4
Mark 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
Mark’s conclusion is that Jesus’ followers went out and began the work of fulfilling the Great Commission, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through accompanying signs. The disciples (and the long string of disciples to follow) have not been left alone.
A movement has been set in motion. The new perspective offered on God, the new vision of a heavenly father in love with His sons and daughters and the rest of His creation, is the original perspective from the Garden of Eden.
A new world that had grown old and weary is infused with new life. A rebirth is in the process, and the labor pangs are but one aspect of bringing a new world into being.
Rebirth is a person by person process. The first birth brings forth the physical body in a physical world, and a soul that longs for something more. The second birth gives a glimpse of a new way of living, a new way of thinking, and a new way of being.
The born again soul knits together the disparate pieces as seen from the outside looking inward. As part of the family of God, the new vision is outward and sees a unified whole.
Blessed are the pure of heart (whose focus is not on self), for they shall see God.
Amen - So be it.
