Tuesday, 2/24/2014

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

NUMBERS 11-10

The people grow tired of eating manna and begin to gripe and complain, so God floods the camp with quail.  Then Aaron and Miriam begin to question why Moses is the only one who can speak with God. God silences them as he affirms that he has chosen Moses and they are not to question. God then directs Moses to send several men from each tribe into the promised land to scout.  They come back with a great report on the land but with a dire report on the challenge that faces them.

30Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”31But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

MARK 5:21-43

One of the leaders of the synagogue comes to Jesus because his daughter is sick, Jesus agrees to come with him to his home.  On the way a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years fought through the crowd and touched Jesus.  Immediately she was healed and Jesus knew that power had left him so he searched through the crowd to find the woman...the terrified woman came to him and fell at his feet.

34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”35While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36Overhearing^c what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

 38When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

JOURNAL

There are certain things about humans that have never changed. First we grow bored and always long for something better than we have. Second, we tend to look for the easy way out and get very discouraged when we know the road is going to be hard. Third, when desperate we will forsake social rules and taboos in order to get what we want and need. 

I know this shows up in my own heart and life every day.  The desire to find a better, easier way and the fact that when it comes to the things that are truly important to me...societies opinion really doesn't matter.  What is fascinating is that these core desires are what lead us to truth and to God.  God is the answer to all of these, it's just that I often don't understand how...and then I fail to really trust the answer.

1Do not fret because of those who are evil

or be envious of those who do wrong;

2for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die away.

3Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37;1-4)

Monday, 2/23/2015

“The measure of a man is what he does with power.” ~ Plato

NUMBERS 8-10

God gives further instructions regarding setting up the lamps, setting apart the Levites, the passover, the cloud above the tabernacle and the silver trumpets.  After two years God commands Moses to move out...they traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the desert of Paran.

35Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

“Rise up, Lord!

May your enemies be scattered;

may your foes flee before you.”

36Whenever it came to rest, he said,

“Return, Lord,

to the countless thousands of Israel.” (10:35-36)

MARK 5:1-20

Jesus goes across the lake to the area of the Gerasanes.  There he encounters a man possessed with legions of demons.  He lives among the tombs and cannot be restrained, howling and screaming and cutting himself with rocks.  Upon seeing Jesus he runs to him falls down and the spirits beg to not be sent out of the Region.  Jesus allows them to leave the man and go into a herd of pigs.  The pigs then run down the embankment and drown themselves in the sea.

18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis^b how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

JOURNAL

It must have been quite a scene, and I can only imagine the Disciples reaction to the crazy man running toward Jesus.  Day by day Jesus power and authority is being revealed.  This to me would have been the ultimate confirmation.  Not only is he able to heal and demonstrate his goodness, but to see demonic forces surrender to his presence, would be overwhelming.

Again, it is through action that Jesus is living out his ministry.  He is going to people, not requiring people to come to him.  Yet Jesus' power is used only to do good and in obedience. The awesome things that he could have done, yet didn't, remind me that power must be surrendered in love and obedience to God. 

6Who, being in very nature^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature^b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)

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)

Saturday, 2/21/2015

“Walk the walk...talk ain't necessary” ~ George Akomas Jr.

NUMBERS 5, 6

God gives Moses further instructions: Purity, Restitution of wrongs, Test for an unfaithful wife and the Nazarite.  Chapter 6 ends with the priestly blessing.

22The Lord said to Moses, 23“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

24“ ‘ “The Lord bless you

and keep you;

25the Lord make his face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

26the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.” ’

MARK 4:1-20

Jesus begins to teach but the crowds are so large that he has to get into a boat to keep from being overwhelmed.  He then tells them the parable of the Farmer and the seed.  After, the 12 Disciples fail to understand the meaning. 

13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

JOURNAL

Jesus is trying to tell the disciples that people will fail and most often, no matter how great the understanding mentally, people will fail to apply truth to their life.  They will fail because  they do not accept it and allow it to change them and begin to produce a crop by taking action and doing.  

 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:17)

Friday, 2/20/2015

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you   

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 

    But make allowance for their doubting too;   

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, 

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, 

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, 

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: 

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster 

    And treat those two impostors just the same;   

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken 

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, 

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, 

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, 

And lose, and start again at your beginnings 

    And never breathe a word about your loss; 

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   

And so hold on when there is nothing in you 

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ 

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, 

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, 

    If all men count with you, but none too much; 

If you can fill the unforgiving minute 

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

 ~ Rudyard Kipling

NUMBERS 3, 4

Chapter 3 finds Aaron giving account of the numbers in each of the clans of the levites. Chapter 4 gives specific instructions regarding the tent of meeting. Different clans are given different, very specific responsibilities.

MARK 3:22-34

Jesus family hears all that is occurring with the crowds and his rising fame.  They assume he has lost his mind so they go to "take charge of him".  At the same time the pharisees are saying that he is possessed by Satan.

23So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

Once his family arrives they let Jesus know that they are waiting outside for him...however he calmly replies..

34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

JOURNAL

Here again is Jesus, the son of God, performing miracles and challenging the oppressive religious authority and his family can't handle it.  So they do as any concerned family does...go to try and bring him under control.  Yet Jesus refuses to appease them. He first squashes the argument that he is possessed and then dismisses his own family in a way that lets everyone know that he will not be controlled or bound by typical Jewish tradition.  

It is important for me to remember that Jesus never tried to please anyone.  He loved in extravagant ways and was firm in speaking truth, but he never attempted to fit in.  He was completely unconcerned about his reputation.  He continually was being friends with the "wrong" people, offending all the "right" people all while loving and healing those that needed to be loved and healed. 

So if I am to take a snapshot in time...Jesus is a social outcast that is the hero of all the dregs of society.  He is an embarrassment to his family and an enemy of those who are the authority on Moses and the law.  He definitely is not someone to be associated with if your goal is social credibility.  Yet he is the most perfect man to walk the earth and is the "King of Kings" and "Lord of Lords".  What then does that say about the world's priorities and values?  

18“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ( John 15:18-19)