Tag Archives: the book of Mark

February 25
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“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” (Mark 6:31, NIV)

Most of us have been where the disciples were in today’s reading. Some of us will be there today: In the place where the demands of others are too many, and the available time is too short; and our personal resources are too meager, to even begin to satisfy the need.

Most of us would choose to press-on — doing more and more with less and less until we get to the point where the upward curve of frustration meets the downward curve of exhaustion. It is never God’s will for us to be in such a state.

When we approach that state, Jesus invites us to go away with Him to a quiet place and get some rest. Will we go; or will we decline His invitation because we know our situation better than He?  

Will we go; or will we stay at the wheel because we derive personal satisfaction from being “in control” and we see no benefit to spending time away with Jesus — resting?

We have a standing invitation from Jesus to come away with Him to rest, not in “permanent retirement from the requirement”; but that we might be refreshed spiritually and physically before the next round.  – Luther

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February 20
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“’Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Mark 3:33-35, NIV)

Some people are brothers and sisters by birth.  Some people are brothers and sisters by law. Jesus says that it is obedience to the will of God that makes us His brothers and sisters. 

The beauty of the family of God is that it is at once inclusive — as in everyone can be a member — but it is only by our choice to be obedient to the will of God that we may become its members.

Whether in the evaluation of success, failure, or the estimation of people; resist the temptation to measure the things of God and the gifts of heaven with the same “yardstick” we use to measure common things.  – Luther

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February 19
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“Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'” (Mark 2:27, NIV)

We need to challenge the thought that God’s laws and commandments are designed to spoil the joy of living, in the same manner that Jesus challenged the thought that God created humanity to obey a predetermined set of rules that are independent of our benefit.  

All of God’s laws and commandments have two distinct purposes: To provide for us; and to protect us. 

From the day that Adam and Eve were in the garden, humanity has resented limits or boundaries without seeking to appreciate the benefits of said boundaries. It is akin to resenting traffic laws without considering the benefit to order and safety that such laws provide to both motorists and pedestrians. 

As our heavenly Father, God wants only to protect us from unnecessary trouble and grief so that we might have life, and have it in all of its abundance. 

We were not created to keep “the rules.”  The “rules” were created to keep us. Therefore, obey the Lord with faithfulness, joy, and thanksgiving!   – Luther 

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