His Name

When you hear the name Jesus, what comes to mind? The people in  Mark 6:14-29 were trying to figure Him out. Some were thinking He had to be a risen John the Baptist because of all those miracles. Others thought maybe He was like one of the prophets of old - maybe even Elijah. Herod just knew He was John  risen again. Evidently his guilt ridden conscience spawned by beheading John was tormenting him. All these people seemed to have been trying to fit Jesus into their experience.

I'm thinking we tend to do that also. And Jesus is so much bigger and wiser and better and surprising. I've begun to notice if something is "too good to be true" it is probably from God. This just tickles me. We serve a great God!

Only Believe

How long had Jairus been waiting? He had fallen at Jesus' feet and "implored him earnestly" to heal His deadly sick little girl. But that bleeding woman had interrupted the trip and taken valuable time. Now in Mark 5:35-6:13  the dreadful message had come: "Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher anymore?"

Oh, the flood of grief, disappointment - hope lost. But Jesus had overheard them and said, "Do not be afraid any longer, only believe."   What?  Only believe?  Aren't we past the point of......    But, he follows Jesus to the house and has the privilege of witnessing love and power unforgettably demonstrated. What could be more joyous than that resurrection and reunion!

Those words stick with me: "Do not be afraid any longer, only believe." What joy and grace await us as we take them to heart. 

Lord, clean out the fear and other stuff in my heart. I want to only believe.

Hopeless to Healed

It is amazing how quickly we get to know this poor woman in Mark 5:21-34. In the first sentence we find out that she has had a period that has lasted twelve years, the treatments had caused much suffering, and nothing had helped or would help because she had spent all her money.

So there was no hope - except Jesus. And she was so desperate that she would risk breaking the rule of isolation for her condition to touch God Himself. She is immediately healed and knows it. 

Even though she hoped to keep this under cover, Jesus calls out to have the grace-filled lady give an account. She tells all and He says, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

What good news! And Jesus has the same for us as we reach out in faith and touch Him. Thank you, Lord. 

What Great Things!

What a drama in Mark 5:1-20!  As Jesus is getting out of the boat, the fearsome, naked, cutter comes running out, bows down, and begs our Lord to not torment him. A mob of evil is soon cast out of this man into 2,000 pigs. The pigs rush into the sea and drown. The man is left free, sane, clothed. And sits at Jesus feet.

But our Lord gets rejected by his neighbors as they are afraid He will disrupt their economy (they lost a lot of pigs). As Jesus is getting into the boat to leave, He tells the free man to go back home and tell the people "what great things Jesus had done for him". 

As daughters of God who are free in Christ, we get the same opportunity. "The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad." (Psalm 126:2-4) 

Lord, give us opportunity to share these great things. 

Who is This, Anyway?

How easily we forget what the disciples badly needed to learn in today's Mark 4:21-41. When the storm rose and waves tried to swamp their boat, they said, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Hm......  Sounds like a strange way to talk to Jesus.

The Teacher didn't even answer but got up and hushed the wind and sea. It became perfectly calm. What a "hands on lesson"! The disciples were then not afraid, but "very much afraid". Their response was, "Who is this, anyway? Wind and sea at his beck and call!" (The Message)

Lord, help us to remember who You are!

Strangling Stress

Gardeners know the value of fertile soil. So does Jesus in Mark 3:31-4:20. But you can have the darkest richest soil ever and still fail to harvest. It's that some soils are infected with weed seed and thorns. And before you know it they grow and start choking the crop.
Jesus' careful explanation for us is that the "worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things" choke out the Good News so it comes to nothing. This list of stranglers makes me uncomfortable.
Lord, free us from this stress that strangles. We want to be those that have a "harvest beyond their wildest dreams." (The Message)

He Knows

Whoa.... It looks like a riot in our reading today (Mark 3:7-29). The crowd is by the sea, and Jesus tells His friends to get a boat ready so He wouldn't get trampled. ("Everyone who had something wrong was pushing and shoving to get near and touch Him" - The Message).  And those with evil spirits were falling down and screaming, "You are the Son of God".  Jesus ended up going up on a mountain to get away and choose His 12 closest workers.

But when Jesus got home, the crowd gathered again, so that "he and his disciples were not even able to eat". The kinfolks heard about all this craziness and came to seize Him saying, "He is out of His mind."

I think Jesus wants us to remember that He knows about trouble and to run to Him in prayer and trust.  We can surely stand firm as we sense His understanding presence.

Forget the Patches

What can we make of the mysterious mention of  patching up old clothes or putting wine in old bottles that we see in Mark 2:18-3:6?  It happens to be right in the middle of "why" questions from those who notice His nonconformity to the Pharisees' rules.
Jesus loves to paint word pictures. The mismatched patches (unshrunk cloth on old clothes) and bulging cracking old wineskins holding the new stuff  just don't work in the long run. Things start tearing up. Neither does adding on some new rules to our old independent prideful hearts.

Jesus came to make us new. He brought us Good News - not Good Updates. He wants a new foundation of love and trust in God, not a coat of paint and new shutters.
Let's cooperate with the thorough work that He is doing. Lord, make me new.

Compelling Faith

What a crowd has come in Mark 2:1-17! You can't even get near the door to see Jesus. But four guys have a crazy idea. They just know Jesus can heal their paralyzed friend. So they lug his stretcher up on the roof and proceed to dig through it until they have a hole big enough to lower him down. Can you imagine the distraction and amazement of the crowd as the noise and mess and lowered bed come down? What is the homeowner thinking or yelling?

But no comment comes from our Lord on interruptions. In fact He seems impressed with these four unnamed friends: "Jesus saw their faith". The result is that a paralytic is made whole ("he got up, took his mat and walked out"), and God is greatly glorified ("This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this!'").

Jesus loves crazy compelling faith that is teamed with love for others. It opens the door for Him to heal and free and bring His Father honor. 

Lord increase our faith!

He Makes us Whole.

I would have loved to have seen it. That mother-in-law we read about in Mark 1:21-45 was really sick. Jesus had just gotten to Peter's house after the meeting. They were telling Him how Mom was feverishly sick in bed. He goes, takes her hand and helps her up. Not only does the fever leave right off, but she has energy and feels good enough to serve them (maybe fix them lunch?).  Amazing!

But Jesus heals by His Spirit today. When we ask Him for healing, we should expect Him to do an amazing work. He loves to make us whole.

In You I Am Well-pleased

I love to hear God talking to His Son. Our new section in Mark 1:1-20 has this perfect beginning. Can you think of a better way to send off your son: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased"? I'm noticing that God is not just saying that Jesus is really looking good or even doing a good job. He seems to be describing how He feels when He thinks about Him or connects with Him. It sounds more like " The way you are just delights Me". 

That's how He is thinking about us. We get so used to thinking about the way we look or act or even our frustrating thought patterns. God sees our love and trust in Him - the child-likeness that is maturing - and He is pleased. The messy parts that are so obvious to us, He covers with the blood of His Son as we turn to HIm. "Who can bring an accusation against God's elect? God is the One who justifies." (Romans 8:33)

So can you hear Him saying, "You are My beloved daughter. In you I am well-pleased" ?

The Best Ending Ever

Don't you love getting to the end of a really good story - especially when it is really the beginning. That's what we have in Matthew 28. Those faithful Marys, after sticking it out through the cross and burial, are coming back. Dawn is just beginning to glow on the grave and what's this............!   The grave-sealing boulder has moved and a lightning-colored person is sitting on it!     He speaks.

He says they can quit shaking because there is mighty good news. Their Jesus has risen (go check the tomb) and then "Go quickly and tell his disciples". But it gets better! They start running on their mission with "fear and great joy" and "Jesus met them and greeted them." They fall at His feet in worship and He repeats, "Go and take the word to My brethren".

Can you take it in? These two faithful women (we don't even know one Mary's whole name) get to be the first bearers of the best news ever told - the first missionaries. And the chapter draws to a close as the disciples see and worship Jesus on the mountain in Galilee. But this is where we hear our beginning.

Jesus gives His followers their mission, "Go therefore and make disciples" and then the most satisfying new beginning promise ever: "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  

We praise you Lord for such good news and giving us this new start in You.

Let Him Come Down

What held Our Lord to the cross in Matthew 27:27-44? It surely was not those piercing crushing spikes that had been pounded into arms and legs. The mocking passers-by thought He was done in by those nails. They cried for Him to come down from the cross if He was really the Son of God. Even the people's appointed-by-God leaders presumptuously shouted, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him come down from the cross and we will believe in Him." 

But no. All the taunts and jeers that the enemy could throw at Him would not deter our Lord from His purpose. It was uncompromising, unimaginable perfect love that fastened Him to that cross. His staying to the finish rent the veil and opened the door to our forever love, joy, and life with Him. 

Thank you Jesus.

The Choice

Can you believe the crowd in Matthew 27:11-26?  They chose the criminal. They could have picked either this condemned thieving murderer named Jesus Barabbas to be released to them or their only real hope and friend named Jesus Christ. I'm wondering who would I choose.

The idea of choosing the condemned reminds me of Romans 8:1. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  Maybe it is because I have been trying to hammer this part of Romans in my head for the last few months. But I am so conscious of how easy it is to accept the enemy's offered accusations about me. It may be how I act or look or on any topic under the sun. It's time to stop.

Lord, help us to remember who we are in You. Help us to reject the enemies lies. Thank you we can choose the truth that in You we are cared for and not condemned. 

The Big Man Falls

Don't you love Peter? His full of life courage, impetuosity, and avowed commitment to Jesus just wins us over. But in Matthew 26:69-27:10 he blows it - big time. And so there is hope for me.

You remember that Peter had declared a few hours earlier, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You." And here he is hovering in the courtyard shivering out a meager-fire wait to see what happens to Jesus. On the inside he is running scared. As not one, not two, but three bystanders come up and accuse him of "being one of them", he repeatedly denies, with cursing and swearing, that he even knows the Man.

Immediately he hears the predicted signal - a rooster crow. Memory awakens. Guilt and grief descend.  "And he went out and wept bitterly".

Peter's fall is a death blow to his own independent blustery self. There is no record of him at the cross. But the angel in Jesus' empty tomb signals a new future for Peter. 

As the man in white explains to the women that Jesus has risen, he instructs them to "go, tell His (Jesus') disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'"  After the reconciliation with his Lord, Peter goes on to be filled with the Spirit and give the first good news sermon that opens the door for the church. 

Peter's fall, restoration, and renewal changed the course of history and the course of my life. His story paves the way for hope that God can restore and renew even when I mess up big time. Thank you, Lord.

No Greater Love

Well, I didn't really feel like writing about this part of Matthew 26:47-68. It sure doesn't sound much like good news. That traitor, Judas, actually comes up and points out Jesus to the soldiers by giving Him a kiss and saying, "Greetings, Rabbi". Then as they take Jesus away,  "all the disciples deserted him and fled." Finally, at the "trial" with the Chief Priest and religious leaders, they " spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, 'Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?'" Makes you feel sick.

But then it came to mind - "no greater love": "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13)  Surely we are beginning the most walked through, lived out, unbearably endured demonstration of this verse by our Lord.

And Jesus could have skipped it all -  but didn't. In fact when Peter tried to defend Jesus from arrest, our Lord warned him to put his sword away. He reminded Peter, "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"  You can calculate that out to something like 72,000 angels or more. It would have been quite a show.

But Jesus chose to lay down His life and demonstrate "no greater love" for you and me.

Again we thank you Lord.

Grief Gift

It is time! In Matthew 26:26-46 we see Jesus giving final instructions and predictions and then heading to the cross. But on the way is the garden stop as He begins to be grieved and distressed. He says to His best friends, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me." (The Message)

But oh, the predictions of "falling to pieces disciples" start coming about as they fall asleep. Had there ever been another time when Jesus asked for something for Himself? At this crucial time He was deserted and left alone.

Jesus tried again and appealed to their own preservation: "Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger." However, this also did not work as sleep won out again. 

So Jesus prayed and grieved alone. And He did it as a gift to you and to me.

Love, we have no words to thank you.

Extravagant Love!

Great day to you,

What a love story in Matthew 26:6-25!  It's the woman that had the delicately beautiful alabaster jar of perfumed oil. The flask was pearly translucent  and artfully sealed so that no amount of the delicious smell could evaporate.  It was a kind of heirloom treasure - reverently passed on to succeeding generations. 

But here she was coming to Jesus, carefully opening the vase, and pouring the costly fragrance on His head. It might sound a bit messy to us, but you have to remember that this was the token of honor for royalty back then. And Jesus was decidedly pleased: " She has done a beautiful thing to me."

Surely He could see her love in the extravagant generosity she was pouring on Him. As the wonderful aroma filled the room, and Jesus' friends were complaining about the waste of money, He proclaimed that she would be remembered forever for this act of love. 

Also in a very personal way Jesus seemed to find this anointing encouraging. Evidently His coming death and burial was on his mind for He said, "when she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial." What a tender token of the Father's love as he inspired this lady to honor the body of His Son ahead of the travesty. The women who came to the tomb with perfume would be too late. By then God's extravagant love through Jesus' resurrection had triumphed!

Love you,

Ouida

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The Least of These

What if you came across Jesus today and He was thirsty. Would you give Him a drink? That Idea is the subject of Matthew 25:31-26:5. And what are we to do? So much of the day it seems we are needing to please people that have enough food, drink, housing, clothes, and are not in prison.  Hmm..........

I sure don't have all the answers to the question: "Who are the 'least of these' that You want me to serve, Lord?" I guess my "Momma heart" does think of the children around that we can consider it an honor to serve (we are giving to Jesus). Then there are the causes around that we can speak up for and contribute to. (Did you know that all over England, George Louis, the future king, was referred to as being a baby - never a fetus or product of conception - not even in his first trimester?) Hm....... Maybe a baby is a baby. 

If you read the our passage in Matthew, you will see that the question. "Who are the 'least of these that You want me to serve, Lord?" is pretty important. Maybe a starting place is to begin asking God for eyes to see others as He does, and a heart to feel about others as He does. 

Yes, Lord. Give us Your eyes and heart for others. We desire to serve You in "the least of these".

This week's readings:

Matthew 25:31-26:5

Matthew 26:6-25

Matthew 26:26-46

Matthew 26:47-68

Matthew 26:69-27:10

Out on a Limb

How different our lives would be if we were free from fear! The lazy servant in Matthew 25:14-30 is a good example. You remember how the master went on a long trip and left different responsibilities with the workers. The ones that got the most worked hard and doubled their boss' investment. But the least talented was afraid and carefully hid his gift. When the master finally came back he was so pleased with the profitable help that he welcomed them into the rewards: "Come and share your master's happiness!"

But the lazy servant had all kinds of excuses for his fear induced caution. And the boss was upset: "That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! It you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest." (The Message)

So the master had his responsibility given to the most profitable man who had risked the most. And he had servants "get rid of this 'play-it-safe' who won't go out on a limb". 

I find it interesting how fear and laziness goes together. (Proverbs 22:13 and 26:13) 

Lord, help us to reject fear in our lives and be willing to go out on a limb for You.

Life A' Plenty

Good Day to all,

Are you a Prepper? In the reading in Matthew 24:36-25:13 Jesus tells a story that reminds us of the value of plenty and being prepared, especially spiritually. It is about the ten ladies who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were smart and took extra oil and five were silly and just went with what was in the lamp. As they were waiting for the groom, the foolish ones ran out of oil and had to go buy more. They missed the bridegroom's arrival and even the wedding feast. 

This story reminds me that so often we try to make do with the bare minimum of Sunday morning faith and life in Christ. But God's delight is to give us an abundance of faithfulness, joy and all the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) Jesus came to give us abundant life. (John 10:10) Through the fullness of God's Spirit we can be prepared for life's unexpectedness. We can have plenty of God's grace - even share with others.

Lord, help us to be open to all You have to give us. We thank you for Your abundant grace no matter what our circumstances. You make us ready. Come, Lord Jesus.

Love,

Ouida

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