An awkward interaction Mark 7:24-30 This woman isn’t Jewish – Tyre was a gentile area. She hears that Jesus is there and makes a desperate plea for this miracle man to help her daughter. Approaching a rabbi like Jesus as a gentile woman means she must be pretty desperate. If you know parents with a child in distress you will understand why she does it. Jesus seems harsh. We know him for being compassionate so Read more…
Are you so dull? Mark 7:1-23 We all know about clean hands right? It was a Government instruction in the pandemic. It’s important. It was important in the context of the passage we’re looking at and this is why the Pharisees pick up on it. Jesus was going around towns and cities teaching about the kingdom of God and I’m sure Jesus was keen on hand washing as much as the Pharisees but these guys Read more…
Take Courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid Mark 6:47-56 In this passage we may notice a number of reminders of earlier encounters. Mark is very intentional in what he includes so it is helpful for us to pay attention to these reminders and not to skip over them. The first word is ‘immediately’, It is a word Mark uses frequently to link texts and to instil a sense of urgency in the story. It Read more…
Come with me and get some rest Mark 6:31 and Mark 6:45-46 Throughout Mark we see that Jesus, amidst the busy life he leads, takes time out to be by himself. Jesus likes to take space to refresh, retreat, recharge and pray. He demonstrates the importance of a quiet place and rest. In our world today busyness can often be worn as a badge. A competition of who can be busiest. But why? We are Read more…
You give them something to eat Mark 6:30-44 Jesus feeds five thousand. It’s a classic Bible story and one of the first stories you may have heard about from the bible. People refer to it all the time, but when you stop and think this really is a miracle. How can this have been true? It is only recently that I have realised this was five thousand men, so it does not even account for Read more…
Jesus sends out the twelve Mark 6:6b-13 While on a short course exploring what it means to follow Jesus, my friend and I joked with each other – not only were we now reading the Bible, we had become aware of different versions of it. The Bible is the best-selling book of all time and the best-selling book every year. Apparently, it is never listed on the top number of books sold each year as Read more…
Jesus heals a sick woman Mark 5:24-34 So, what can we learn from the story of Jesus healing a sick woman? Why is it important? Firstly, we learn about faith in our weakness. This woman had suffered with her condition for twelve years. She had been to see anyone who she thought could help and yet they just took her money and she was left with her incurable condition. This woman would also have been Read more…
Don’t be afraid, just believe Mark 5:21-24 and Mark 5:35-43 In this fast-paced Gospel, we quickly move onto two stories entwined, Jesus raises a dead girl and heals a sick woman. In this case, we get two miracles for the price of one. I am moved by this story very much. As a parent myself to a child of similar age I would never want to be in this situation but sadly death can come Read more…
Why are you so afraid? Mark 4:35-41 The miraculous story of Jesus calming the storm is significant for two reasons. First of all, it is the first time that we see Jesus performing a miracle where power over nature is displayed. The people of the time did not understand weather in the way we do today and believed that it was controlled by God. So, in performing this miracle, Jesus is doing something only God Read more…
Do you light a lamp to put it under a bed? Mark 4:21-25 Have you ever been in the circumstance where you have found yourself pretending to be something you are not? Or hiding something about yourself because you were embarrassed or ashamed? In verses 21-23 of this chapter Jesus challenges his followers not to hide the truth of who they are, especially their faith, from the other people and the world around them. We Read more…