Reading About Jesus (as Recorded by Mark)

Right now I am reading the gospel account of Mark, one chapter a day. I have only read the first half of the book so far, but I've noticed a couple trends.

I noticed that Jesus faced opposition often. It wasn't just something that all of a sudden happened right before His crucifixion. I picture Jesus's opponents sort of like schoolyard bullies bent on harassing, making fun of, and criticizing Jesus who is just going about His work. It seems that they were always hanging around, publicly questioning and doubting Him, His authority, or His motives.

The other thing I noticed, because honestly it's hard not to, is how much Jesus did in such a short time here on earth. Mark mostly limits his account to Jesus's ministry years, death, and resurrection. And yet, even though Mark's scope is limited compared to that of Matthew's and Luke's, he doesn't pause long on any one event. The book of Mark, divided into only 16 chapters, reads at a fast clip and is packed with accounts of Jesus healing various diseases and handicaps.

Two miraculous healings popped out to me in the first few books of Mark.

Mark 2:1–12 tells of the paralyzed man whose four friends carried his bed to the house where Jesus was teaching. Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “[R]ise, pick up your bed, and go home.” The paralyzed man did as Jesus said: “he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all” (vs. 11–12).

Mark 3:3–5 tells of a man with a withered hand in the synagogue. Jesus arrived at the synagogue, spotted this man, and said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” The man did as Jesus said and “his hand was restored” (vs. 5).

What if these men, the paralyzed man and the man with the withered hand, had the same attitude toward Jesus as His opponents? What if they doubted His power and authority? What if they labeled Him presumptuous?

What if the paralyzed man hadn't tried to stand up when Jesus told him to? What if he said, either out loud or in his heart, “Jesus, I can't do it. I have never been able to sit up, let alone stand! Why are you asking me to do something I obviously can't do? Who do you think you are?”

What if the man with the withered hand hadn't attempted to stretch out his arm when Jesus told him to? What if he admitted, “Jesus, I just don't believe that I can. My hand is what it is and that is how it will stay. Please don't taunt me; it offends me.”

I have said “I can't” plenty of times recently. In fact, just the other day, I texted a friend this message: “I don't think I can get better.” What if Jesus said to me, “Believe in Me, and I will heal your hurt”? And what if I believed?

Scripture quotations are from the ESV* Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version*), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In the acknowledgment above, fair use constitutes permission. See https://www.crossway.org/support/esv-bible-permissions/ for information on copyright and permissions.

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Help! I am fallen down where
Emotions press me sore.
Loosen these chains. “Oh,
Please!” I cry out softly.

Mend my brokenness, and
End my hopeless thoughts.

Overcome this vile and sinful
Heart, for it hurts itself and others.

Lord, help me be yours,
Only and faithfully yours.
Remove from me fears and
Doubts that pull me from you.

To the extent possible under law, J has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work. This work is published from: United States.

Psalm 56:3

Sometimes I get stuck…. OK, a lot of times I get stuck. Especially when it comes to emotions. I get stuck feeling anxious, sad, scared, or numb. Right now I'm picturing myself in a large(ish) automobile, traveling down a dusty road somewhere in the Outback. Not sure why I'm in Australia, but I am. My tires are whipping up dust clouds and kicking up clods of dry mud and chunks of gravel. It's not a smooth ride, but I'm moving along fine enough. Then, in the amount of time it takes for me to blink, KERTHUNK! My tires have gotten themselves stuck in a giant rut. About 2 minutes later, it's dark outside and I am all alone with my stuck little self in this stuck large(ish) car, and I have no idea how to get out of this predicament.

This current rut is a fear rut. A few weeks ago, I had a casual conversation with a friend that triggered a whole lot of fear. I panicked. I made some poor and frantic decisions. And I ratted myself out to my therapist. She suggested we use the experience as a target for EMDR. (Feel free to Google “EMDR.” It is actually pretty cool.) Even though I have made some pretty substantial progress with EMDR before, I am scared. I am scared because the target is a scary thing for me, and I am scared because I have experienced overwhelming emotions during EMDR in the past.

About 6 months ago, my therapist responded to a rambling email from me. The subject line of that email was “Stuck.” She said,

Just keep moving. The scary won't hurt you, as much as it seems it can. You are OK even when you don't feel that way.

Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will trust you.”

Keep your mind focused on our God who is faithful, good, and ever present in times of trouble.

Half a year later, I find myself in a similar emotional state. Stuck in scared mode, anticipating tomorrow when we begin another course of EMDR. This time, I am making the words of Psalm 56:3 my own: On my scared days, I will trust God. He is able to help me through.

Scripture quoted in the image above taken from the World English Bible. The World English Bible is in the Public Domain. That means that it is not copyrighted. See copyright information here: https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/World-English-Bible-WEB/#copy.

Reading About Jesus (as Recorded by Matthew)

My first post this year was about Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. And no one—NO ONE!—comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). I'm not sure when I decided this biblical truth did not apply to me, but I did. Of course, this is not a subject to be taken lightly, but I can't help but write this with a bit of humor because of how silly (in a foolish sort of way) I have been.

Recently, this happened [internal dialogue begins here]:

J1: If you desire a relationship with the Father, J, then you need a relationship with the Son. You can't just use His name at the end of your prayers and expect that to constitute having a relationship with Him.

J2: But, but… but. Yeah. *hangs head in defeat*

This year I have mapped out a Bible reading plan that consists entirely of the four gospel accounts because I need to get reacquainted with my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am currently reading Matthew's account and I truly enjoy it. A friend and I have been sending facebook messages back and forth about our daily Bible readings, and I thought I'd share some of mine here. I hope you gain some enjoyment from my enjoyment as well!

I am cutting these chapters in half so that I can focus more on what the words are really saying… .1 = first part of a chapter and .2 = last part of a chapter.

Matt 8.1: Jesus wrapped up his sermon and came down from the mountain. Now he is going to work healing many. What struck me this time was how much of a people person Christ must have been while here on earth (and still is in heaven?). If I had crowds following me around and constantly asking me to do this or that for them, I would lose my cool for sure. But it seems that Jesus welcomed and encouraged the masses to come to him and ask him to heal them or others they knew. Just blows me away.

Matt 9.2: Wow did Christ exhibit patience and kindness when he was on earth! The last half of Matt 9 records several accounts of Christ being approached by people who believed he could heal them or someone they knew. Everywhere he went it seems he was surrounded by a crowd of people! How annoying! But if he ever got tired of constantly being followed around by people who wanted him to do stuff for them, it seems that he didn't show it. This makes me think of a mom who has a bunch of kids who are following her around because they need her to do something for them because they are hungry or tired or thirsty or sick or need a diaper change, etc. The last few verses give us Christ's emotional response to the crowd that followed him: he had compassion! He was not annoyed or angry or disgusted. He saw them as helpless and in need of a caretaker, guide, and protector (ie, they were sheep w/o a shepherd). Wow! I would probably just be annoyed by the whole situation. Christ was and is amazing.

I got Matt 14.2 here for us: Jesus has just learned of John the Baptist's death, so he goes out to a desolate place for some alone time. But the crowds follow him. Instead of being irritated that they are encroaching on his desired solitude, he has compassion on them and heals the sick who came after him. At the end of the day, Christ performs yet another miracle and feeds this huge crowd of thousands of people. [C]an you imagine being followed by thousands of people when you just want to be alone? Christ is so patient, kind, and compassionate! After he feeds the thousands he sends the disciples away on a boat but he stays to dismiss the crowd. Finally, after a long day of healing the sick, feeding thousands of people, and whatever else he did that is not recorded, he was able to spend time alone… alone but with his father. He prayed alone there in the middle of the night. Next we see him taking a stroll across the stormy seas to catch up with his disciples. At the close of the chapter he once again heals many sick. Jam packed full of Christ's miracles!

See a theme running through all of these recaps? I do. Jesus is approachable.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I haven't done my reading yet for the day.

The Way, the Truth, the Life

John 14:6, according to the KJV translation, contains the following words of Jesus:

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Here are some interesting passages to consider in relation to Jesus's words:

The Holy [Spirit] this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing…. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…. (Heb 9:8, 10:19–22) [Note: Read Hebrews 9 and 10 highlighting Heb 9:1–3, 6–9, 11–14, 24, and 10:19–22.]

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart…. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Eph 4:18, 20–24)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1–3)

Those passages provide a fuller description of what it means for Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life. Christ paved the way to God when he died on the cross for our sins, so that we are able to approach God as only the high priest was able to under the old covenant. Christ corrects our vision, enabling us to see the truth, to recognize the corrupt condition of the old self that was driven by deceitful desires and to constantly renew our mind, keeping us focused on the new self we are meant to be. Christ embodied life and only through him and his life can we live in fellowship with God.

Scripture quoted from the King James Version of the Bible. The KJV is public domain in the United States. See version information here: https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/King-James-Version-KJV-Bible/#vinfo.