I decided to study the book of Mark in the bible, I will blog my thoughts in a chapter by chapter day by day blogpost on the gospel. If anyone reading wants to study thru the book with me please feel free to do so and submit your thoughts! Jake
Ch. 5 has one of the most descriptive and quite horrifying explanations of a demon, in all of the bible. I think the content of the first 13 verses is very important, as horrifying as it may be, it shows us that these demons are absolutely terrified of the power that Jesus has over them. (keep in mind that in Jesus' death you now hold the power that these demons ran from) The man that was freed from the demons was sitting calm and silent when the crowds began to show, there's always a crowd. The people of the town were frightened by Jesus and begged Jesus to go and leave them be. I love that Jesus told the man that he healed to stay in the town and tell of the good things the Lord has done. This is so important because then the only idea they had of Jesus was one that they were afraid of. He needed this man not only to go out share the good news, he needed him to stay in his town and me a testament to the Lord's strength and grace.
We also read of a beautiful examples of how when you touch Jesus your life is forever changed, and how Jesus can restore a dead life!
Ch 6. I also took some time to meditate on this chapter, I felt like there were many lessons to be learned in this chapter. Jesus was rejected in his hometown. Why is this? You can never escape a small town can you. They had no faith and knew nothing of His power because they had seen everything Jesus had ever done sense he was a kid, keep in mind Jesus only taught for about 3 1/2 years. He was baptized shortly after he was 30 and was executed when he was 33. So for thirty years they saw Jesus as a regular working man. the Word tells us that in his hometown he only healed a few people. "5And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief." ~ Wherever you are right now; home, office, library I want you to stop and join in prayer with me. Pray for an unshakable faith and not only an unshakable faith but for a faith that sees miracles, a faith that gets people healed, a faith that moves mountains, a faith that rebukes demons in Jesus name.~ You want to see biblical miracles, miracles we were promised? believe.
Pride is a dangerous thing, king Herod's pride cost John the baptist his head. We read verses later that Jesus and his disciples decided to take a break and reflect on everything that had been taught. While on the way to their break place "33 But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. 34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." In his own down time, he saw these sheep and taught them many things! He put himself aside, no matter how tired he was, and taught them! The lost were more important than what he was doing so he abandoned plans and shared the Good News. There are many wandering sheep in our world. How many plans do we need to abandon in our everyday lives?
the demon in chapter 5 made real the spirit world that is here on earth. we don't see it. we have too much to distract us. but that story in the first verses of the chapter is reality. i think we need to live everyday aware that demons like that "are many" and are around us. Jesus' response to it is our security. if he is our center we have nothing to fear. in verse 36, "do not fear, only believe."
ReplyDeletei think women have a tendency to cling to any verse that has God directly speaking to a woman or directly calling them daughters. its a strength thing. we find strength in the fact that even in a time when women meant very little to society, they mean something to God. verse 34, "daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed." encouraging.
in chapter 6, the lesson in the first 6 verses means a ton to me. my burden for my family has always been a wall to climb over on my journey. i think God has a place for me in the salvation of my family, but HE is that salvation. the temptation is to believe that i can't move on in my journey until my family is saved. but these verses explain so much how we are to handle ourselves when the people that know the old us the best reject us. "and He marveled because of their unbelief. and he went out among the other villages teaching." it didn't hold Jesus back.