Monday, 3/2/2015

I am absolutely convinced that no wealth in the world can help humanity forward, even in the hands of the most devoted worker in this cause...Money only appeals to selfishness and always irresistibly tempts its owner to abuse it. Can anyone imagine Moses, Jesus or Gandhi with the moneybags of Carnegie?  ~ Albert Einstein

NUMBERS 28, 29

God gives Moses instructions on 

• Daily offerings
• Sabbath offerings
• Monthly offerings
• The Passover
• Festival of weeks
• Festival of Trumpets
• Day of Atonement
• Festival of Tabernacles

MARK 9:1-29

Jesus takes 3 disciples Peter, James and John with him up on a high mountain.  

There he was transfigured before them. 3His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

They come back down that mountain and there is a boy who has seizures and the disciples are unable to heal him.  

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.^a ”

JOURNAL

The quote by Einstein is extremely sobering...I often think that if I just had more resources I could do...fill in the blank. However, reading the Bible and taking everything in context it is easier to see that faith, trust and love is all that God is after and none of that is directly fixed or answered by more resources. 

It is easy to get distracted by the miracles and some of Jesus' words and begin to apply those to situations in my own life.  It is easy to think that every situation can be resolved and fixed in the way I want.  It is easy to start going to God and thinking that if I just follow a certain script and pray a certain way then God will fix my problems, heal my hurts and give me my heaven on earth.  That is the marketing genius of our world, promise us an easier way to get what we really want.  

Here is the danger of taking things out of context in scripture.  While Jesus healed lots of people, he did not heal everyone.  While Jesus gave the Israelites hope, he did not elevate them out of their suffering.  While Jesus eased people's hunger, he did not make them rich.  So what is the point in following and trusting Jesus, if it is not guaranteed to fix our immediate problems?  If God really loves me, why does he not alleviate all my suffering?  Why do children suffer?  Why are some people allowed to be selfish their entire lives and seem to get everything they want?......Because as much as I want my heaven to be experienced here in this world, I have to realize that Jesus never promises such, and is operating from an entirely different perspective. 

36Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36)