Day 59: Mark 9:30-49, 10:1-12

“But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” - Mark 10:6-9 ESV

We would be hard-pressed to find anyone today who hasn't in some way been negatively affected by divorce. The hurt, pain, bitterness, and regret run deep through our culture. For many young people, it makes them hesitant to want to make a lifelong commitment. Isn't it better to simply live together first to see if this thing will work? No, that is not better. It is a fraudulent copy of the original.

Moses gave men and women permission to divorce, not because it was a valid option if things didn't work out, but because their hearts had become hard. Hard-hearted people default toward selfishness.

So, how do we lower the divorce rate? It is 40% for first-time marriages and only climbs from there: 60% for second-time and 80% for third-time. Rates actually hit an all-time low in 2020, but this was largely due to (again) fewer people getting married (those seeking a long-term commitment). A Gallup poll in 1997 revealed the divorce rate among couples who prayed together daily: 1 in 1,153. This would give you a .008673% chance of divorce.

Marriage was the invention of God, so it should not surprise us that things go really well when we place Him first in it. I didn't say it would be easy, but it will be worth it.

Male. Female.

Leave your parents and hold fast.

Two become one

God does the joining.

Let's not do the separating.

This is a lifelong commitment worth fighting for.

Day 58: Mark 9:1-29

“And Jesus said to him, ‘If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” - Mark 9:23-24 ESV

One of the things that happened in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve fell, was an embedded resistance to asking for help (especially with men, right?).

In our reading today, we see Jesus having a necessary time with Moses and Elijah (accompanied by his top three) to prepare him for his death. They come down the mountain to see the other nine disciples in a hot debate with the scribes and a concerned father.

Being a parent with a sick child will drive us to do anything to see that they receive help, even seeking an outside source. The nine disciples couldn't help, but this man knew that Jesus could. In a vulnerable way, the father asks Jesus to close the gap on his unbelief. We would do well to pray a similar prayer.

I love the following quote concerning this passage: "The father cries for help, honestly confessing the poverty of his faith; and Jesus answers, not according to the poverty of the man’s faith, but according to the riches of his grace." - R.A. Cole

And what does Jesus tell the nine that they were missing, not being able to heal this child? They should have been asking God for help: "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."

Have you tried everything to no avail? Make daily, honest prayer part of your routine (both personally and with others). God has always been in the business of responding generously to his children's cries for help.

Mary A. Kidder's lyrics (1876) from her well-known hymn, Did You Think to Pray, are great to close with today:

Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor,
As a shield today?
When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was bowed in sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day?
Oh, how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day;
So in sorrow and in gladness,
Don’t forget to pray.

Day 57: Mark 8:11-38

“And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, ‘Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?”' - Mark 8:17 ESV

What Jesus has done (past tense) in our lives is always an indicator of what he can do right now (and in the future). But we are so quick to forget. A lack of memory when it comes to God's faithfulness causes us to panic. Just like the disciples (who were wondering about the next meal), we often wonder if God cares enough to sustain us for today.

Recently, I was preaching at a church nearby. You always notice those who are really affirming as you speak. One older lady in the 8:30 am service was especially tracking what I was saying. I made a point to thank her after the service for being so encouraging as she sat in the audience. She said something that I'll never forget: "I still remember what God saved me from." What God had done in her life decades ago was still playing on a loop in her heart and mind.

What was her secret? It was clear: daily interaction with God through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other Christians.

May we never let the worries of today keep us from remembering the supernatural provisions of yesterday.

Cole's comments on this verse are especially helpful as we close:

"It is not their discussion which is being condemned, but the lack both of faith and of spiritual perceptiveness which had given rise to the discussion in the first place. They are still as blind and spiritually obtuse as ever: this is what grieves Jesus. Even the experience of God’s provision of their physical needs during their preaching trip of chapter 6 (note especially v. 8 no bread), had left no mark on them."
- Cole, R. A. (1989). Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 2, p. 202)

Day 56: Mark 7:24-8:10

“And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’” - Mark 7:37 ESV

In our reading two days ago from Psalm 40, we read the following verse: "In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear." (Verse 6)

The Hebrew for "given me an open ear" can be literally translated as “ears you have dug for me.” I like that imagery when we're looking at what Jesus did for this man who was deaf and mute. He dug ears for someone who could not hear.

The crowd who saw what Jesus had done reacted in a way that many of us would do well to imitate. What they were experiencing as they watched Jesus heal this man was something for which their minds didn't have a category. We often want God to do something in our lives that we can control and explain, but this is rarely how God prefers to move.

There is nothing that Jesus does not do well. He is a healer. He is a people person. He is infinitely strong. He is everything we need for this life and the one to come.

Bottom line: There is nothing in our lives with which Jesus cannot be trusted.

“The last part of v. 37 alludes to Isa 35:5–6 (“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.”)." - Black, A. (1995). Mark (Mk 7:36–37)

Day 55: Mark 7:1-23

"For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” - Mark 7:21-23 ESV

Behavior modification; we've all tried it. We ask this question over and over: "How can I control myself so that I can become who I want to be?" Oh, we have tried many things to tame our desires. We engage in extreme diets to try and curb our carb consumption. We put blockers on our computers to prevent us from looking at inappropriate content. We delete our social media in hopes that we'll stop comparing ourselves with others. We seemed to have tried everything.

If Jesus were here in the flesh (like he was), how would he respond to this question of reining in our sin life?

He would probably tell us we are focusing on the wrong thing. I mean, the Jewish Religious Leaders took behavior modification to a new level, and yet Jesus called them "sons of hell." (see Matthew 23:15).

Jesus would say that the problem isn't our behavior (though it gets us into trouble). He would say that the issue is the thing that is driving our actions: Our heart. If we deal with our hearts, we will, in turn, deal with what we do.

What does that look like? Well, it is similar to surgery. One that only God can perform.

Ezekiel said it well when he wrote, "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 11:19-21)

Go ahead and be so bold as to ask God to give you a new heart today.

Day 54: Mark 6:30-56

"When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things." - Mark 6:34 ESV

E.J. Schnabel, commenting on our passage for today, wrote: “Sheep without shepherds cannot survive for very long: they need shepherds to find pastures and water."

Jesus is offering a direct quote from the Torah (see Numbers 27:17). The context there was the succession of Moses. How would the Israelites recover after losing Moses' leadership after 40 years? His understudy, Joshua, was up for the task of leading them into the Promised Land!

We live among people who are desperately in need of a Shepherd. How do we know this?

Because people are quick to deify anyone who has status. Celebrities. Political leaders. Family members. Sports stars. Scientists. Musicians. Everyone is looking for someone worthy enough to follow. It is funny to me that this is the word (follow) we use for social media.

But only one Shepherd will lead us the way we need to be led: Jesus. If we follow anyone else the way we are supposed to follow Jesus, it will end in disappointment.

Decide to follow our Savior? Well, it ends with our souls "feasting on the riches of his grace," just like the 5,000 who ate bread and fish.

Day 53: Mark 6:1-29

“And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.” - Mark 6:5-6

The Greek word for marveled here is thaumazō, and it can also be translated as to be astonished or to be amazed. Mark used this same word in 5:20 to describe everyone's reaction to the demoniac Jesus had healed. It seems like it takes a lot to amaze our Savior, and here it is not in a positive way.

Aren't you amazed when you see someone outright reject Jesus? When I worked in the local church, it blew me away to see how people would react to each week's services. It seemed that the same people were engaging and responsive to the worship and the study of God's word. At the same time, many were obviously there with the mission of staying unmoved. The same Good News was delivered to both, but a much different reaction.

Do you find yourself numb to the work of God today? Has your love for Jesus grown cold? Have you turned the Christian experience into a mere mental exercise to try and pacify your conscience? That won't work.

Jesus desires that you and I trust him with everything we are. Not because He's on a power trip. It is because he knows what the best life possible needs to look like. He lived it. He invites us into this way of life as well.

Ben Witherington makes a great point when he writes: "The focus, then, is not so much on Jesus’ inability as on the amazing lack of faith, but clearly Mark sees a connection between faith and healing, as the previous stories in the second half of Mark 5 show. We may perhaps put it this way—lack of faith limits the reception of help readily available from Jesus." - Witherington, B., III. (2001). The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (p. 195)

Day 52: Mark 5:21-43

“And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’” - Mark 5:34, 36 ESV

It hit me for the first time this morning that this little girl was born around the same time that this woman fell ill. So, when Jairus' family was flooded with joy and hope for the future, the woman with the issue of blood was overwhelmed with shame and despair. Yet, at this moment, both the girl and the woman were in desperate need.

Jairus was not necessarily a religious leader, being the frontman of the synagogue. Most rulers of these Jewish places of worship were the most wealthy and influential in their community.

Also, by touching the woman (bleeding) or the girl (dead), Jesus would have made himself ceremonially unclean according to the Law of Moses. He engaged despair with healing and hope for what was to come. Why? To show us what compassion looks like, and to reveal that he was and is the Son of God.

So, when Jesus invites us to not fear and only believe, may we take him up on his offer. Not only that, let's share that hope with everyone who crosses our path.

"The NIV says Jesus 'ignored' what they said. The Greek verb used here (παρακούω, parakouō) is difficult to translate, but the context points more toward the NRSV translation that Jesus 'overheard' what they said. Having overheard it, he exhorted Jairus, 'Don’t be afraid; just believe.' The woman with the hemorrhage had just demonstrated faith and how faith can conquer fear. Jairus needed to follow her example." - Black, A. (1995). Mark (Mk 5:35–36)

Day 51: Mark 4:26-41; 5:1-20

“And he did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.” - Mark 5:18-20 ESV

This was one wild man that Jesus encountered. He was chilling in graveyards, naked. He had people trying to bind him with chains, to no avail. Mark records that he wrenched the chains, which is the Greek word diaspao, meaning that he tore the chains apart like one rips a piece of paper.

It didn't take a psychologist to know something wasn't quite right with this man, psychologically or physiologically. Jesus knew the source was unseen: Demonic activity. Jesus frees this man of the demons at the expense of 2,000 head of swine (trying to picture that is blowing my mind).

This man was found sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. Not only that, but the man asks Jesus for permission to become one of his disciples ("that he might be with him" is the same language used for the 12 in Mark 3:14).

In a strange turn of events, Jesus tells this man to do something he rarely said to anyone: "go and tell everyone what the Lord has done for you." The man obeys, re-enters society, and paves the way for the Apostle Paul to do his work twentyish years later in this area.

An obvious question for us all is this: Are we telling everyone we come across what the Lord has done for us? Let's keep the legacy of this man's faith going. We are preparing the way for future generations to be changed by the Gospel!

"The healed man begged to stay in the company of Jesus, but his request was refused. There is another paradox: The healed leper (1:44) had been strictly forbidden to tell anybody about his healing, but this healed demoniac was ordered to return home and bear witness to what God had done for him (19). There are good reasons for what might at first seem arbitrary and inconsistent. For Jesus himself to continue preaching in the Gerasene country was clearly now impossible: therefore, in refusing the man’s request to leave with him, Jesus was ensuring a continuity of witness in a needy area." - Cole, R. A. (1989). Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 2, p. 162)

Day 50: Mark 3:31-35, 4:1-25

“And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.’” - Mark 4:2-3 ESV

"...the sower is not very important in the story, and not identified in the interpretation in verses 13–20. The focus in the story and in the interpretation is the four different soils and their different responses to the seed." - Schnabel, E. J. (2017). Mark. (Vol. 2, p. 100)

Growing up, as kids, we (at first) don't realize if we have it good or have it bad. However, whenever wonderful or messed up things surround us, we consider it normal. Yet, the environment in which we are raised dramatically affects us in every way. Why do we tend to scream when we're angry? Or why are we bent toward shutting down when we become angry?

Our environment conditions us, but it doesn't sentence us.

Jesus' parable of the sower shows the same kind of truth. The word of God is powerful, alive even. Still, our hearts' condition can make it where the most powerful force in the universe will not pierce our soil. This is where the Devil has a field day.

This is why we have to be very patient and consistent with someone who wasn't raised to know much about Christianity. They were conditioned to be a hard, flighty, or anxious soil. But we are convinced as believers in Jesus that any heart can turn with the right amount of the Holy Spirit's tilling (see John 16:8).

"Father, may we keep our hearts ready to receive your word. May you also provide us with opportunities to sow your word into other people's lives, and when we see them, help us to be obedient. In Jesus' name, Amen."