-
Master of Every Moment! - Mark 2:28
Key Passage"So the Son of Man is Lord (master) of every day, even the Sabbath." — Mark 2:28 ERV (Read Full Text) Key ThoughtJesus is Lord! He has authority over everything! He is the Master and Commander of all things. His word, his teaching, his will about the Sabbath form the basis of our truth. So what Jesus does on the Sabbath, says about the Sabbath, and teaches regarding the Sabbath are our examples, instructions, and truths regarding the Sabbath. We seek Jesus, not the Sabbath! He is the one who provides genuine rest and renewal. PrayerHoly God, my heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the principle of the Sabbath. I know I need to rest more and I need to remember that every good thing comes from you. However, dear Father, I realize now more than ever that I need Jesus. I need his comfort, power, rest, and grace. Come Lord Jesus! Amen. Related ScripturesThen Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I praise you because you have hidden these things from the wise and smart people. But you have shown these things to people that are like little children. Yes, Father, you did this because this is what you really wanted to do. "My Father has given me all things. No person knows the Son--only the Father knows the Son. And no person knows the Father--only the Son knows the Father. And the only people that will know about the Father are those people the Son chooses to tell. "Come to me all you people that are tired and have heavy burdens. I will give you rest. Accept my work and learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will find rest for your souls. Yes, the work that I ask you to accept is easy. The burden I give you to carry is not heavy."
— Matthew 11:25-30 Jesus and his followers were in a very busy place. There were many, many people. Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. Jesus said to his followers, "Come with me. We will go to a quiet place to be alone. There we will get some rest."
— Mark 6:31 So God planned another special day. It is called "today." God spoke about that day through David a long time later. It is the same Scripture we used before: "If you hear God's voice today, don't be stubborn like in the past." We know that Joshua did not lead the people into the rest {God promised}. We know this because God spoke later about another day {for rest} ("today"). This shows that the seventh-day rest for God's people is still coming. God rested after he finished his work. So the person who enters and has God's rest is the person who has finished his work like God did.
— Hebrews 4:7-10 
-
For the Benefit of People - Mark 2:25-27
Key PassageJesus answered, "You have read what David did when he and the people with him were hungry and needed food. It was during the time of Abiathar the high priest. David went into God's house and ate the bread that was offered to God. And the law {of Moses} says that only priests can eat that bread. David also gave some of the bread to those people with him." Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "The Sabbath day was made to help people. People were not made to be ruled by the Sabbath day." — Mark 2:25-27 ERV (Read Full Text) Key ThoughtDid God need a day to be honored or did his human creations need a day to rest? Well, God doesn't "need" anything. It seems clear that the Sabbath was a day to remember and recognize the blessings and providence God has placed into the Israelites' lives. At the same time, we human creatures need to rest. Without rest, we make ourselves vulnerable to temptation due to fatigue and exhaustion. Without rest, we can cause damage to our own physical health. Most of all, without rest, we are tempted to forget the one from whom we've received all of our many blessings. Then we feel that everything depends upon just us and this feeling puts more pressure on us to perform. God gave the Sabbath as a gift to his human creations. So God didn't make the Sabbath for himself, but for people to have a day to rest from labor, to remember that God provides them every good and perfect gift, and to renew their bodies and their spirits. While many don't keep the literal Sabbath (the seventh day, or Saturday) as a religious observance, we would do well to remember this Sabbath principal as the rhythm of God's universe and take time to rest, remember, and refresh. PrayerForgive me, dear Father, for trying to cram too much into my short days. I confess that I am sometimes overly anxious to do too many things. I am honestly seeking your help so that I can live a more balanced and holy life. Help me as I seek to find time of rest that you have created for me and my spiritual, physical, and emotional needs. In Jesus' name. Amen. Related ScripturesSo don't let any person make rules for you about eating and drinking or about Jewish customs (festivals, New Moon celebrations, or Sabbath days ). In the past, these things were like a shadow that showed what was coming. But the new things that were coming are found in Christ.
— Colossians 2:16-17 Jesus was doing these things (healing) on the Sabbath day. So the Jews began to do bad things to Jesus. But Jesus said to the Jews, "My Father never stops working. And so I work too." This made these Jews try harder to kill him. {The Jews said}, "First this man (Jesus) was breaking the law about the Sabbath day. Then he said that God is his Father! He is making himself equal with God!" But Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. The Son can do nothing alone. The Son does only what he sees his Father doing. The Son does the same things that the Father does. The Father loves the Son, and the Father shows the Son all the things he does. {This man was healed.} But the Father will show the Son greater things than this to do. Then you will all be amazed. The Father raises dead people and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to the people he wants to. Also, the Father judges no one. But the Father has given the Son power to do all the judging. God did this so that all people will respect the Son the same as they respect the Father. If a person does not respect the Son, then that person does not respect the Father. The Father is the One who sent the Son.
— John 5:16-23 There are six other days in the week for working. But the seventh day is a very special day of rest. That is the special day to honor the Lord. Any person who works during the Sabbath must be killed. The people of Israel must remember the Sabbath and make it a special day. They must continue to do this forever. It is an agreement between them and me that will continue forever. The Sabbath will be a sign between me and the people of Israel forever. The Lord worked six days and made heaven and earth. And on the seventh day he rested and relaxed.'"
— Exodus 31:15-17 
-
Critical Eyes - Mark 2:23-24
Key PassageOn the Sabbath day, Jesus was walking through some grain fields. Jesus' followers were walking with him. The followers picked some grain {to eat}. The Pharisees saw this and said to Jesus, "Why are your followers doing that? It is against the {Jewish} law to do that on the Sabbath day." — Mark 2:23-24 ERV (Read Full Text) Key ThoughtThere are some who watch others who are committed to Christ only trying to find fault in them. Critical sniping at Jesus' followers -- "nit-picky-ness" as I call it -- is not a virtue. Jesus condemns judging others' hearts on the basis of traditions and from a harsh spirit, looking to catch them in minor points of law. The way we judge others is then the standard of judgment used on us by God. As Christians, we have been liberated from law-keeping; let's also liberate ourselves from a harsh, judgmental, and nit-picky spirit. May the spirit that made some of the Pharisees so harsh not be found among us! PrayerHoly God, forgive me and help me leave behind a critical, harsh spirit of judgment. Teach me to be gracious and never let my faith get lost in Pharisaism. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen. Related Scriptures"Don't judge other people, and God will not judge you. If you judge other people, you will be judged in the same way you judge them. And the way you give to other people will be the way God gives to you. "Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your brother's eye, but you don't notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? Why do you say to your brother, 'Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye'? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You are a hypocrite. First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your brother's eye.
— Matthew 7:1-5 You will be judged by the law that makes people free. You should remember this in everything you say and do. Yes, you must show mercy to other people. If you do not show mercy, then God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear when he is judged.
— James 2:12-13 We have freedom now. Christ made us free. So stand strong. Don't change and go back into the slavery {of law}.
— Galatians 5:1 
-
New Wineskins Needed - Mark 2:21-22
Key Passage"When a person sews a patch over a hole on an old coat, that person never uses a piece of cloth that is not yet shrunk. If he does, the patch will {shrink and} pull away from the coat. Then the hole will be worse. Also, people never pour new wine into old wine bags. Why? Because the new wine will break the bags, and the wine will be ruined with the wine bags. People always put new wine into new wine bags." — Mark 2:21-22 ERV (Read Full Text) Key ThoughtJesus wants us to know that being his follower is not just another religious take on the same old religious agenda. Jesus wants us to know that his words and his way of life are not just another new thing to tack onto the same religious teaching. Jesus brings something new, fresh, and comprehensive. To try to mix it into the other religious interests in our lives is to miss the point. What Jesus brings is bigger, bolder, and new! Let's realize that to call Jesus our Lord means we surrender every part of our lives to him ... and that ultimately means we surrender the "religious" parts, too. PrayerLORD God Almighty, I offer you myself -- all of myself: body, soul, Spirit, and mind -- to serve you. I want you to have complete rule in my life. Please tear down any idols that I have so that only you reign in my heart. Open my eyes to see your truth in fresh and new ways. In Jesus' name. Amen. Related ScripturesSo brothers and sisters, I beg you to do something. God has shown us great mercy. So offer your lives as a living sacrifice to God. Your offering must be only for God and will be pleasing to him. This offering of yourselves is the spiritual way for you to worship (serve) God. Don't change yourselves to be like the people of this world. But let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what things are good and pleasing to God and what things are perfect.
— Romans 12:1-2 From this time on we don't think of any person like the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ like the world thinks. But we don't think that way now. If any person is in Christ, then that person is made new. The old things have gone; everything is made new!
— 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ Jesus when we were baptized ? We shared his death in our baptism. So when we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared his death. We were buried with Christ so that we could {be raised up and} live a new life. This happened the same as Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father.
— Romans 6:3-4 
-
Someday He Will Be Taken Away - Mark 2:19-20
Key PassageJesus answered, "When there is a wedding, the friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. They cannot fast (be sad) while the bridegroom is still there. But the time will come when the bridegroom will leave them. The friends are sad when the bridegroom leaves. Then they will fast." — Mark 2:19-20 ERV (Read Full Text) Key ThoughtThe reason Jesus' disciples didn't fast (see the previous verses) was involved with the timing of his ministry, not their piety. They would fast when he was taken from them -- the first hint that Jesus will face a painful ending to his life. While he was present with them physically, however, they would not fast. Instead, they would enjoy his presence and celebrate his love. PrayerFather, help me know the proper time for each of my spiritual activities -- feasting and fasting, rejoicing and weeping, comforting and being comforted, celebrating and repenting contritely. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Related ScripturesThere is a right time for everything. And everything on earth will happen at the right time. There is a time to be born, and a time to die. There is a time to plant, and a time to pull up plants. There is a time to kill, and a time to heal. There is a time to destroy, and a time to build. There is a time to cry, and a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad, and a time to dance from joy. There is a time to throw weapons down, and a time to pick them up. There is a time to hug someone, and a time to stop holding so tightly. There is a time to look for something, and a time to consider it lost. There is a time to keep things, and a time to throw things away. There is a time to tear cloth, and there is a time to sew it. There is a time to be silent, and a time to speak. There is a time to love, and a time to hate. There is a time for war, and a time for peace. Does a person really gain anything from his hard work? {No!} I saw all the hard work God gave us to do. God gave us the ability to think about his world. But we can never completely understand everything God does. And yet, God does everything at just the right time.
— Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 So be very careful how you live. Don't live like people who are not wise. But live wisely. I mean that you should use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times. So don't be foolish with your lives. But learn what the Lord wants you to do.
— Ephesians 5:15-17 "When you fast, don't make yourselves look sad. The hypocrites do that. Don't be like the hypocrites. They make their faces look strange to show people that they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward. So when you fast, make yourself look nice. Wash your face. Then people will not know that you are fasting. But your Father that you cannot see will see you. Your Father sees the things that are done in secret. And he will reward you.
— Matthew 6:16-18 
|
The News 
