Sunday, 2/22/2015

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

NUMBERS 7

1When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. 2Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings.

The remainder of the chapter is a description of each offering presented by each tribal leader.  Then Moses enters the tent...

89When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him.

MARK 4:21-41

Jesus tells 3 parables...the lamp on the stand, the growing seed and the mustard seed.  He then asks them to go over to the other side of the lake.  While they are on the way a storm comes up and the waves are crashing over the boat. 

 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

JOURNAL

What is Jesus up to in this whole scene?  The 3 parables that he tells are similar in nature and to me seem to go together. Whatever is hidden(lamp on the stand), will eventually be revealed because it will take root (growing seed) and become something pretty dramatic (mustard seed) in your life.  

If it is hate, anger and fear, eventually that will all come out, however if it is God's love it will also come out but will be a blessing.  I think that Jesus put them to a test to show them that they still were so far from letting this message be fruitful in their lives.  He knew the tests they would eventually face...to know that all of them, but one (Judas), ultimately died horrible deaths without betraying their faith is a testament to all Jesus was preaching and all that eventually took root in their lives.  Even with Judas, who he was,  also eventually was revealed. 

16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (Matthew 7:16-17)