Mark 6:1-6
Jesus Christ Superstar. I know practically nothing of this controversial play and movie because I have yet to see it. The title is intriguing though, because I personally feel the The Christ had more to do with the lowly and the unattractive, rather than the superstars. Look at Him on the cross and look no further. Surely He must be “a man of sorrows”. As the prophet Isaiah wrote long ago, He had “no form or majesty” that we should even set eyes on Him. He never once wore an earthly crown. Yes, though painfully striking, we have to admit that a crown of prickly thorns counts not. Is it silly to wonder why God would “set it up” this way? No – it is silly not to ask. An understanding of this issue is an integral part of the redemption story. What could God be trying to tell us?
Consider these remarks: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” You see, these phrases alone are not the problem; in fact they are quite true – Jesus is a carpenter and those are his relations. Sin and depravity are revealed only in this next expression: “… they took offense at him.” Isn’t it remarkable how people have always judged another by one’s occupation and community? We see it in our world even today. Yet the way of the world is not the way of the kingdom. Understand this: “…God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

Mark 6:7-13
“How” must be the most daily repeated word in the United States. Perhaps maybe the world. It took me more than a while to get used to the indigenous form of greeting when I first came here from the other side of the world. In fact, I can’t say that I now feel completely comfortable using it. I must admit; “how are you-s”, “how are you doing-s”, “how’s it going-s” and the like still bug me. Tremendously. Don’t get me wrong though. Those phrases are very much appreciated at times. During this scenario for example: asking me “how are you doing?” when you really want to know – not when you don’t mind knowing. Many a times the people I appreciate are the people I have spent substantial amounts of time with; relationships on which both sides have toiled on.
Why did Jesus command his disciples to stay only in one home until they departed?(v. 10) It does not make sense – especially in this world of door-to-door salesmen, bullhorn activists, street corner ‘preachers’ and zealous picketers. Wouldn’t the disciples have more of a geographical and societal impact if they came in contact with more homes? Bible scholars have understood the wisdom of His advice. In that day, enthusiastic welcomes are common for religious nomads. As polite as it may be, these “celebrations” are a hindrance to the expansion of the Kingdom. The Gospel deals with Truth, and too often Truth means gritty and personal. Here’s the kicker: it takes Time to get real. Jesus doubtlessly foresaw that one. It is my prayer that we learn patience, humility and perseverance with our relationships. May we then come away with worthy friendships, and finally be able to reply with honesty: “I am doing good. How are you?”

Hey if you guys have any comments or ideas to improve on these devotionals or unclear parts of the writing... pls let me know. or encouraging things let me know too. I'm supposed to send these to a magazine soon.

king

I'm working in the library and I get to be the first to see all the new books and process them before they get out to circulation. Since I've been here I have noticed an influx of gay literature and the like. And when I say "gay" I mean gay - bisexual, transexual, lesbian, gay, etc.... along with books about polygamy, "sexual freedom", gender-changing, you know what I mean.

It's troubling, honestly.

And the answer to all this is not to censor "gay literature"... it won't be democracy if that happens. The answer is the wrestling of truth and lies in the "marketplace of ideas." Truth will always win.

But the problem is, I hardly hear a whimper from the "other side" of the debate. I am willing to bet this is happening in most of the universities in the nation as well.

So I hope you who are reading who can make a difference: to bring equality and fairness to the debate.

Fear
In King Herod we see the essence of a weak man. Though he is dressed outwardly in the royal color, his inner deficiency of character and integrity is obvious. Herod is a puppet ruler – a ship made of paper floating on the mighty Pacific. These are the waves that bob him and will eventually crush him: his brother’s wife, his military noblemen, the populace and even his own daughter. I find nothing formidable in the pathetic Herod. In those days, even his supporters (the herodians) were known to be like dry twigs subdued by Roman feet.
Surprisingly, it is accounted to us that Herod “feared John” (verse 20) and “kept him safe.” The fear of God’s wrath prevented him from killing John. But the [greater] fear of the adulterous Herodias prevented him from giving the forerunner his freedom. In due course, we read that the fear of losing pride spurred him to take a man’s life. John was murdered.
G.A. Chadwick warns us that “…good inclinations, veneration for holiness in others, and ineffectual struggles against our own vices, do not guarantee salvation.” Paul wrote in Galatians: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. May we have courage. May we live lives not governed by fear, instead ruled by the desire to please the Holy One.

Follow
The magnificent display of physical exertion put forth by the throng of people chasing the boat Jesus was in proves this: people are desperately searching for guidance. The key word here would be ‘desperately.’ Whether we admit it or not, everyone has an innate need to follow someone or something. People will die to satisfy that need. Die. It is not meant to be figurative – without a shepherd, sheep will die.
Picture the scene unfolding in Mark 6: 30 onwards: “And they (Jesus and His disciples) went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.” Thousands from everywhere overtook the boat on foot and waited on the shore! If that isn’t desperation, tell me what is! Men, women and children alike craved and hoped for something more than what they already know.
Through His life, Jesus has been trying to tell us this: He is the Good Shepherd. It is written, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

Feel
A few months ago, I began compiling a list. A list of reasons why I adore this person I’m now dating. Number eight in that list is this: “She feels.” I tell you this because I’m so very glad (and relieved) that I’m not in love with a comatose mannequin.
Mark 6:30 onwards tells us how Jesus came to feed five thousand grown men with five loaves of bread and two fish. Certainly this is a staggering phenomenon, but I must say that there is something more important here than this miracle itself. It is found in this short phrase: “He had compassion on them…” In the original language, the word portrayed an image of the bowels actually yearning and being provoked with compassion. Imagine – Almighty God’s core was moved. Jesus felt.
He feels more intensely and more genuinely than any of us can ever feel. Isn’t He the creator of all feelings? His Love towards us is pure and holy. May we forever be thankful that it wasn’t the nails that kept Him on the tree, but his violent passion for His creation.

i miss my green leaf
[img:783277]

Foolish Flan
[img:783320]

He has a smile permanently etched on his face. He talks about God all the time. He begins all his sentences with “God willing…” and ends them with “…it’s not me, it’s all God!” To all Simpsons fans out there, that chirrup must bring to mind the moustached face of Ned Flanders, Homer’s nutty Christian neighbor. Sadly, he is far more effective at making enemies than disciples. Cockily-doodily-doo. We laugh because there is an element of truth to it; haven’t we experienced first-hand the “joy” of having a Ned Flanders in our daily lives? Some of us (gasp!) were the Ned Flanders!
Do not fret. Even the disciples were no strangers to Flanderism. “And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."In this passage, we read that even in the most unexpected moments, Jesus was ready to impart a challenge to His friends. He answered them, "You give them something to eat." Why would He say such a thing?
He knows it is our tendency to avoid responsibility and depend on others. I’m not saying we shouldn’t rely on God at all. But perhaps God wants us to have freedom to take initiatives. Perhaps like Peter, we really can ‘feed the sheep.’ Furthermore, it is evident that in the Scriptures, God chooses to work through His people. Lazing around and whining about life shouldn’t be an option for Christians. It is time we stop fearing the impossible and embrace the reality that God calls us up to heights unforeseen.

People

A very good friend of mine was once worried about the legitimacy of his salvation. He’s a great guy and honest thinker. Therefore, lightheartedly I told him that he probably “thought too much.” But his words swam in my brain for a while. What if he had a point? In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were sure that they were in the will of God. They strictly followed the laws and were confident of their heavenly dwelling. Yet weren’t they the ones Jesus called “snakes” and “hypocrites”? Weren’t Jesus’ harshest words reserved for these? The olden-day scribes had their phylacteries and beautifully sown scriptures; today we have our cool Christian t-shirts, bumper stickers and other fishy-paraphernalia. Dreadfully, I realized we had a fairly good chance of making really good modern-day Pharisees.

I hope that you understand that I’m not trying to make you doubt your salvation. Please know that the issue here is righteousness: how we love others, instead of the things we own. In Mark 7, the scribes “worshiped in vain” because they treat people as a means to an end. Such an attitude is selfish and rendered Jesus sick to His core.

People matter. People should always come before tradition, events or laws because all men are immortal. Isn’t that a good enough reason to place people high on the priority list? If not, I could still argue that all human beings are made in the image of God… (Genesis 1:27)

Am I Making Sense
I gripped my notebook and pen tightly. Like an eagle, I have already spotted the “prey” – it took me only a second to decide that the time has come. An ounce of confidence waned away as I allowed myself to think of probable discouraging outcomes of the “hunt”. I forced my legs to advance.
“Hi. Mind if I ask you a question?”
“Sure. Go ahead,” he said.
“If you had to part with one of your five senses, which would it be and why?” I stammered. (In my mind, I decide that purposeful interrogation of a stranger doesn’t really get better with practice). Thankfully, my prey turned out to be Mike the Funny, owner of the day’s most humorous response.
“Hearing…” Mike said, “…because I’ve heard enough.”
Mark 7:31-37 shows us Christ’s interaction with a deaf man. “And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.” The physically flawed were not “opportunities” to display His power to the public. Christ saw people as valuable. Priceless. Human. Every physical healing bestowed revealed a greater higher purpose: spiritual healing (which is the heart of the matter anyway). How did He achieve this? Jesus implored the language of the deaf, using visually powerful signs such as spitting and symbolically “opening his ears” to stimulate the deaf man’s faith. As you can see, God is determined to make us interact with Him. That alone is quite amazing.

Signs

It is true. When Pharisees ask for a sign, they are asking out of a different sort of reason than when we ask for a sign. Their minds are made up; their perception of Jesus is not going to change even if Jesus did some sprout some wings. Didn’t they demand a sign from heaven even after the feeding of the four thousand? But for most of us today, we pray earnestly for a sign because we yearn for direction. Unlike ancient religious elitists, our motivation is not to prove Jesus wrong but to sincerely seek guidance.
However we need to be cautious not to overly rely on rare moments of spiritual enlightenment or excitement or even warm fuzzies from an uplifting oration. Collosians 2:9-10 says: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Followers of the Way do not have to “pray for more of Jesus…” because He has already been given to us. Plus, aren’t we told that “the whole earth is filled with His glory”? (Isaiah 6:3)
The problem isn’t God sending us too few messages. The problem is our paralyzing fear of a Flood. Once we stop pretending that He is being silent, we are faced with the fact that life is an exhilarating torrent of His language and His song. A downpour. A bombardment.

efficacy
Power or capacity to produce a desired effect; effectiveness

cardinal
Of foremost importance; paramount: a cardinal rule; cardinal sins.
Dark to deep or vivid red.

prudent
Wise in handling practical matters; exercising good judgment or common sense.
Careful in regard to one's own interests; provident.
Careful about one's conduct; circumspect.

avowal
A frank admission or acknowledgment.

It might just be the future

I got myself an Ipod Shuffle yesterday; now just waiting for it to ship. Subscribed to ITunes sermon podcasts from some awesome thinkers and speakers.

Ooops. Change of plan. Today I received the latest Ipod video in the mail. The good news is I didn't have to pay a cent for it.

cool stuff happening next semester: churches on campus check the link to see some basic ideas on it. And if you could add this item to your prayer list beginning right now even.