Mark 6:1-6

Mark 6:1-6 

English Standard Version 

  The medium is the message, right?  It's fascinating to me that no one seems to debate the wisdom with which Jesus teaches -- they simply can't fathom that such wisdom would come from Jesus.  They're offended that someone like him could teach someone like them.  They have a certainty about where they stand and where others stand, and they're unwilling to consider things outside of their expectations.

  It's easy to see the flaws when Mark presents them so clearly in the Gospel.  It's much harder to see them in our own lives -- we fall into routines and patterns and develop blinders to things outside of our expectations.  It takes work to look outside of our expectations, to listen for the voice of God coming from all corners, and to consider the merits of things while ignoring the medium through which it comes.  May we truly listen for what God has to say to us, and may the Holy Spirit open the eyes of our hearts to follow God's leading.

Mark 5:35-43

Mark 5:35-43 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus responds differently in so many situations.  When Lazarus dies, Jesus rages and weeps at the reality of death.  Here, when this girl has died, he tells them that she is merely asleep.  Both cases look the same to me, but he speaks differently.  It's so hard to make blanket rules out of the ways Jesus reacts -- all we can do is come, humbly, ready to receive, ready to be led.  He has crafted a path forward for each of us, called us uniquely, and loves us dearly.  May that be enough for us to look him in the eyes and believe when he tells us, in the darkest valleys with the deepest shadows of our lives, to not fear, only believe.

Mark 5:25-34

Mark 5:25-34 

English Standard Version 

  Physical pain is so debilitating.  This woman had dealt with it for 12 years, spending all she had, and yet she continued to grow worse.  What does it take to hold onto hope in such a situation?  At some point in all of our lives, we reach the realization that only Jesus can truly heal us.  Even at her moment of healing, she was invisible to the disciples and to others around her -- only she and Jesus knew what had truly happened.  

  May we each seek Jesus, with all of our hearts, and an awareness of how empty the healing the world offers truly is.  May we find his healing, and hear his words of comfort in the depths of our souls, that we may be well, be healed, and go in peace.

Mark 5:21-24

Mark 5:21-24 

English Standard Version 

  It feels like our culture is fairly stratified now -- we mostly see people from the same realm with the same tastes.  When I think about going from work to soccer practice to church, it's mostly with people who aren't that different than I am.  I was thinking about this the other day at the zoo -- which is a true melting pot, one of the few in our city.  

  Jesus' ministry cut across all the dividers in the world.  He went from healing demon-possessed people to going to attend to the child of one of the rulers of the synagogue.  It didn't matter what your background or lifestyle was, be it a fisherman or a tax collector -- Jesus came to you, and he focused on your needs.  

  I hope the Christian church can be a place where all are welcome, and where all are heard, and all are loved.  And I hope that we seek out places where we can mix with people not like us, that the Holy Spirit may teach us to love and honor one another, to listen to one another, and to care for one another.