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Mark 16 - Chewed out.

Today I see something that relates to my posting about Matthew 28. Look at the theme in the verses below.

Mark 16:11 Yet, when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.

Mark 16:13 And they went and reported it to the rest, who did not believe them either.

Mark 16:14 Later, He appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. And He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw Him after He had been resurrected.

Ouch! Jesus rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart. Let's look at the Greek meaning of the word "rebuked" to get a better picture of what Jesus did to them.

Oneidizo - to reproach, upbraid, revile.

1. of deserved reproach
2. of undeserved reproach, to revile
3. to upbraid, cast (favors received) in one's teeth

Um, Ok. That is clear as mud. What does the dictionary say about the words "reproach, upbraid, and revile".

• Reproach - 1. To express disapproval of, criticism of, or disappointment in (someone). 2. To bring shame upon; disgrace.

• Upbraid - To reprove sharply; reproach.

  • Reprove - 1. To voice or convey disapproval of; rebuke. 2. To find fault with.

• Revile - To assail with abusive language.

  • Assail - To attack verbally, as with ridicule or censure.

    • Censure - To criticize severely; blame.

Further, Oneidizo comes from the Greek word Oneidos (1. reproach 2. shame).

I think that I've defined the idea enough. Basically, Jesus let them have it. He chewed them out in no uncertain terms for their lack of faith and hard hearts. If that was me He was speaking to, I think I would have felt so low that I would have been able to walk under the belly of a snake while using crutches.

Father, please help us in our unbelief. May we take You at Your word and not let our limited human brains get in the way of Your truths.

In Christ, Jan
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Mark 15 - Which "son of the father"?

It was Pilate's custom to release one prisoner to the people that they desired. So, Pilate made them the offer, thinking that surely the people would want Jesus, whom he found no fault in.

Mark 15:9-11 So Pilate answered them, "Do you want me to release the King of the Jews for you?" For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed Him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead.

Two years ago I was involved in a bible study about this section of scripture and ran across a piece of information that I had never noticed before.

Barabbas is Aramaic for "son of the father or son of the master".

So what were the people asking for? They were asking for the earthly son of the father instead of the heavenly Son of the Father. They wanted someone just like them!

Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to see the true heavenly Son of God and not a counterfeit of my own making.

In Christ, Jan
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Mark 14 - Faith, Trust and Song.

I find an amazing incident of God speaking into the heart of two individuals buried in this chapter.

Mark 14:13-16 Then Jesus sent two of them with these instructions: "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house he enters, and say to the owner of the house: "The Teacher says, Where is the room where my disciples and I will eat the Passover meal?' Then he will show you a large upstairs room, fixed up and furnished, where you will get everything ready for us." The disciples left, went to the city, and found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

Jesus tells his disciples to follow someone that they don't know, but who will meet them. This person will take them to yet another person that will have a place already prepared for their use. Think about that for a moment.

These men that the disciples were met by must have received their instructions directly from God, and they were obviously willing to follow them. What would God have to do for us so that we would actually believe that He wanted us to go meet people that we don't know, and to prepare a room for a feast for people that we don't know? Would it be handwriting on a wall, email from Iam@heaven.god, or possibly a still small voice? Scripture is silent on this, but I'm guessing that these men were truly walking with God and eagerly awaiting the coming Messiah. Obviously they were yielded enough to receive and understand the instructions given to them. From the inference of these verses, I would say that these were men of amazing faith and trust.

The second thing that I find interesting is this verse.

Mark 14:26 After singing psalms, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

They - this would imply to me that Jesus also sang. It certainly is not without biblical precedent, for we know that God sings. Look at this verse.

Zephaniah 3:17 For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song."

Think about how cool it would be to hear the voice of Jesus and or God singing!

Blessings to you! Jan
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Mark 12 - Teachable Moments.

I see a wonderful example of Jesus capitalizing on a teachable moment. Look at this section of scripture.

Mark 12:41-43a Sitting across from the temple treasury, He watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. And a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning His disciples, He said to them...

This is such a wonderful example for us to follow. Jesus sits down and just watches - watches life pass by. He sees something that catches His attention. He calls His disciples to Him. And He teaches them by way of life-lesson.

We need to be looking for moments in life where we can show our children, and those others important to us, a life-lesson. Every day there are events that transpire that allow us to show the mystery, love, joy, commands, and character of Christ to those in our sphere of influence. Are we taking advantage of those God-given moments? Or are we letting them pass us by, perhaps missing that particular life-lesson opportunity forever?

Pray that your eyes and ears may be open and available to teach.

2 Timothy 4:2 Be ready to spread the word whether or not the time is right. Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach.

In Christ, Jan
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Mark 11 - What to Pray for?

I like the way The Message worded this.

Mark 11:24-25 That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive - only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."

Too often I resort to treating God like the cosmic wishing-well. I pray when I have a need, say a few perfunctory thank yous, but am I really attempting communication? Am I really expressing the thoughts, intents and desires of my heart? Am I truly interceding for others? God knows what is going on in my life - better than I do. But just like those of us that are parents, we often know what is going on in our kid's lives, but we want to hear it from them. We desire true communication. God does too. Look at these verses.

John 4:23-24 But the time is coming -- indeed, it's here now -- when the true worshippers will worship the Father spiritually and truly, for these are the kind of people the Father wants worshipping him. God is spirit; and worshippers must worship him spiritually and truly."

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Ephesians 6:18 Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people.

Do you see a pattern? I do! Pray, do it all the time, don't give up, tell God about everything and everyone, and be truthful in your communication - He knows anyway.

Father, may my prayer life continue to transform to one of true intimate communication with You.

By the power and authority given to me by my big brother Jesus, Amen. - Jan
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Mark 10 - Hardhearted?

This chapter starts out with the Pharisees testing Jesus about divorce and remarriage. For a discussion on the real question being asked, see my dBrag from Matthew 19. The Message version of the bible puts an interesting spin on this particular discussion here in Mark that I think defines the heart attitude that was being addressed.

Mark 10:2-12 Pharisees came up, intending to give him a hard time. They asked, "Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife?" Jesus said, "What did Moses command?" They answered, "Moses gave permission to fill out a certificate of dismissal and divorce her." Jesus said, "Moses wrote this command only as a concession to your hardhearted ways. In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he becomes one flesh with a woman - no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart." When they were back home, the disciples brought it up again. Jesus gave it to them straight: "A man who divorces his wife so he can marry someone else commits adultery against her. And a woman who divorces her husband so she can marry someone else commits adultery."

The key words in the above translation being, so he can marry someone else and so she can marry someone else. The reason behind the divorce would appear to be the issue. I see that being confirmed by verse 5 where Jesus says that divorce exists because of hard hearts. How do we keep this from happening? I think the group Petra gave the answer in this song.

Don't Let Your Heart Be Hardened

Psalm 95:7-8, Hebrews 3:13
Words and Music by Bob Hartman
[Chorus]
Don't let your heart be hardened - don't let your love grow cold
May it always stay so childlike - may it never grow too old
Don't let your heart be hardened - may you always know the cure
Keep it broken before Jesus, keep it thankful, meek, and pure

May it always feel compassion - may it beat as one with God's
May it never be contrary - may it never be at odds
May it always be forgiving - may it never know conceit
May it always be encouraged - may it never know defeat

May your heart be always open - never satisfied with right
May your heat be filled with courage and strengthened with all might.

I resolve that with God's help, I will keep a soft heart before my Lord and before my bride. May you do likewise.

In Christ, Jan
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Mark 9 - Go down with the ship.

As I was reading this chapter, my mind keyed in on verses 33-35.

Mark 9:33-35 After they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples settled in the house where they would be staying. Jesus asked them, "What were you discussing out on the road?" But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, "Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else."

It tickled something in the back of my mind, reminding me of how similar this is to a ship's captain. A ship's captain is a person of enormous responsibility, he leads and directs all of the activity. He is the greatest onboard.

There is a custom for captains that has existed since captains have existed. It is that "The captain goes down with his ship." Historically, the captain was usually also the ship's owner, and there was no such thing as insurance. Thus if his ship was going down, the financial ruin that would result meant that his life was pretty much over, not to mention the grief over loss of life since most people couldn't swim and lifeboats were nearly non-existent. So the captain would often in desperation choose to die with his ship.

In today's world, the captain often is not the owner, we have insurance to protect against great monetary loss, and there are usually more than enough lifeboats to save all of the passengers and crew. Thus the implementation of the "going down" adage in modern times is that "The captain is the last man off his ship." In fact this is a US Navy regulation - he is the be the last man off. It is the captain's job to ensure the safety of his crew.

Here is how Captain Craig Nelson of the 278 foot NOAA ship Malcolm Baldridge described his role.

As Captain, I am responsible for the safety of the ship and all of the officers, crew, and scientists who sail on her. The old rule of the sea that says, "The Captain goes down with his ship" is not just a saying. I take it very seriously. I must look after the safety and well being of my crew before I think about myself. Of course, I have many people on the ship who advise me and perform very essential functions to make sure that we can accomplish our job. But when critical decisions have to be made, particularly when the vessel's safety may be affected, or when the ship can't continue to operate as it is supposed to, then I'm the one who has to make those decisions.

Look at the section that I italicized in his comments. Does this sound like verse 35? It does to me! This man is in the position of leader, yet he must look after the crew's well being before he thinks about himself. He must serve their needs first.

Heavenly Father, please grant that we men that are in a position of leadership in our homes, work, or church take a similar stand. Let us be a true servant leader.

Blessings, Jan
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Mark 8 - Ashamed of Christ.

Every time I read these words in the bible, it causes me a bit of personal pain.

Mark 8:38 If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels."

When I was about 19 years old, my parents had friends of the family come visit us on a Sunday. These family friends had a good-looking daughter that was the same age as me, and on this occasion, she came with them. I was active in my church and had a good friendship with my Pastor's grandson. It was coming time for the Sunday evening service, which I wanted to go to, and the family friends were giving no indication of leaving! So what did I do? I announced that I was sorry, that "I had a meeting to go to", and I left.

Upon my return my mother, a devout Christian, confronted me with Mark 8:38 or Matthew 10:32-33 or Luke 9:26. I don't recall which, but the message was the same. It was, that I was ashamed to admit that I was going to church. It hurt, she was right. To this day I wonder if I didn't miss an opportunity to reveal Christ to them.

Heavenly Father, please help me to be willing and wanting to be counted as one of Your followers - even if it means I might be uncomfortable. Please help my relationship with You be one where I am proud to be counted as Your friend and child.

Amen, Jan
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Mark 7 - Katharizo - Being cleaned.

Here I see another example of Jesus changing the law. This time it is the dietary law. There were certain foods that the Jews were not permitted to eat. In Jesus' explanation to His disciples He changes that.

Mark 7:18-23 (NLT) "Don't you understand either?" he asked. "Can't you see that what you eat won't defile you? Food doesn't come in contact with your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then comes out again." (By saying this, he showed that every kind of food is acceptable.) And then he added, "It is the thought-life that defiles you. For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God."

The section in the parenthesis comes from the (KJV) expression "purging all meats", or in the original Greek "katharizo pas broma".

Katharizo -
   1.  to make clean, cleanse
         1. from physical stains and dirt
               1. utensils, food
               2. a leper, to cleanse by curing
               3. to remove by cleansing
         2. in a moral sense
               1. to free from defilement of sin and from faults
               2. to purify from wickedness
               3. to free from guilt of sin, to purify
               4. to consecrate by cleansing or purifying
               5. to consecrate, dedicate
   2. to pronounce clean in a levitical sense

Pas -
   1.  individually
         1. each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything
   2. collectively
         1. some of all types

Broma -
   1. that which is eaten, food

So another way of phrasing this so that it makes sense in modern English would be, "Making all food ritually clean."

This is further expounded upon by Jesus in his vision to the Apostle Paul in Acts 11:5-10.

Acts 11:5-10 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.

It is clear that Jesus said that whatever has been blessed is cleansed and may be eaten.

Thank you Father, because I really do like pork chops!

In Christ, Jan
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Mark 4 - Put a cork in it!

I'm drawn to the story of Jesus sleeping in the boat while a storm rages around them, threatening to sink to the boat. The disciples, thinking they're about to die, wake Jesus.

Mark 4: 38b-39 "Teacher! Don't you care we're going to die?" He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

There were some interesting words spoken that the Greek definitions bring out well.

The Greek word used here for silence is - Siopao - is an involuntary stillness, or inability to speak, and thus differing from the Greek work Sige, which is a voluntary refusal or indisposition to speak.

Thus we see that silence is a command to "stop it now!" Not a "calm down please".

The second word used is still. This Greek word is - Phimoo - to close the mouth with a muzzle. Or in our vernacular, to gag someone.

Basically, if Jesus said this in modern English, the phrase would be "Shut up! Put a cork in it!" Rather strong words, wouldn't you say?

And look at the result. The wind ceased AND there was great calm. Normally after the wind dies down it takes a while for the waves to stop. But the moment Jesus spoke, everything obeyed, even the waves. No wonder the disciples were so freaked out!

There is a wonderful lesson for our lives here. When Jesus speaks calm into a situation, everything will become calm, even the aftereffects.

You are highly favored, Jan
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Mark 3 - Unforgivable sin.

In this chapter I read about the unforgivable sin. I have often wondered exactly what is this? I think I have a good handle on it, but in reading this passage again the question has once again popped up in my mind. What exactly is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. What in the world does blasphemy even really mean?

Mark 3:28-30 I assure you: People will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they may blaspheme. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" -- because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

According to the dictionary, the word blaspheme means: "any utterance that insults God or Christ and gives deeply felt offense to His followers." The Greek word is: "Blasphemeo, 1. to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile, calumniate, blaspheme 2. to be evil spoken of, reviled, railed at".

Calumniate? I had to look this one up. "To make maliciously or knowingly false statements about; charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone."

OK, now I know what the word blaspheme means, but how does it apply? Does this mean that if I say anything against the Holy Spirit, at any time, that I can't ever be saved and am going to hell? I reference The Message version of the bible a lot for questions like this, and again I think it gives a much clearer picture of what was being said.

Mark 3:28-30 "Listen to this carefully. I'm warning you. There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. But if you persist in your slanders against God's Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives." He gave this warning because they were accusing him of being in league with Evil.

What is being said is that if we persist in rejecting the message of Christ, then we can't be saved because the Holy Spirit is the one that draws us to Christ. (Acts 7:51, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:3, Titus 3:5)

Thank you Lord that you don't give up on us even if we say or do stupid things. There is always time to repent as long was we have the breath of life in us.

Blessings to you, Jan
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Mark 2 - Breaking the law.

Lately I have been contemplating an interesting premise. It is that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament and that it is now dead - that we are under the New Covenant or Testament. I'm going to spend part of my time in Mark looking for examples that would support or contradict this premise. I see my first example in Mark 2 in verse 23-28.

Mark 2:23-28 On the Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and His disciples began to make their way picking some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" And He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and his companions: how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the sacred bread--which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests--and also gave some to his companions?" Then He told them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

In Exodus it says to put anyone to death that violates the Sabbath.

Exodus 35:2 For six days work is to be done, but on the seventh day you are to have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord. Anyone who does work on it must be executed.

However, Jesus contradicts that and says something different. The Message version says it like this:

Mark 2:27 Then Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren't made to serve the Sabbath.

It looks to me like Jesus is reinterpreting what the letter of the law says. What do you think?

In Christ, Jan
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Mark 1 - While it was still dark.

I find it interesting to see that Jesus, God in the flesh, found it necessary to take time alone to commune with God the Father.

Mark 1:35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there.

If Jesus found this important, shouldn't I?

Heavenly Father, please help me to be intentional about the alone time that I spend with You.

In Christ, Jan
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Who am I?

I am a Christian man in his mid 40's. Like many men, I struggle with daily life issues. I know that my wife and children deserve to have a man of integrity, a man of courage, a man of passion, in short - a warrior for God, as head of our home.

Therefore, one of the things I have resolved to do is to chronicle my bible readings as the Lord Jesus gives me strength and ability. I am doing so with several other men that God has placed in my life. It is a concept that you can find on www.dbrag.org. I encourage you to follow suit.

Remember, if you are in Christ, you are blessed!

Jan Broucinek

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