Jesus was often reaching out to people that have been left behind by the prevalent culture of the day. He begins the chapter with a targeted teaching on marriage, divorce and treating women equally; a particularly subversive teaching in a time and place where women resembled property in a marriage instead of a help-mate. He then talks about some of the most vulnerable people in a community through the lens of children. The Kingdom of God is for such as these. "The Gospel of Mark: Like a Child" is now available!

In Mark 10, Jesus is asked about his belief about divorce in the backyard of Herod. If he agreed with John the Baptist, he could meet the same fate. If he didn't agree, he would be validating an oppressive view of marriage relationships between men and women. This passage is certainly about divorce, but its really more about love, marriage and a faithful and compassionate God. "The Gospel of Mark: Love and Marriage (and Divorce) is now available!

We often read the Bible and think that it was written to most simply and clearly explain what it means to know God and experience heaven. However, that’s not how the Bible is written. Jesus himself said that his teachings, especially in the parables, were meant to be mysteries to everyone except those who had ears to hear and eyes to see. In part 31 of The Gospel of Mark, we have an interesting conversation with Jesus and his disciples where he addresses sin and says that it is better to cut off a hand, a foot or pluck out an eye than allow them to cause us to sin. Pretty simple, right? Or maybe not. What is Jesus really getting at here? It’s a struggle we all have and it has more to do with how we see the world rather than removing body parts.

In the second half of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus begins describing the kind of King he will be and the kind of Kingdom he is bringing. The disciples continued to struggle to understand the self-giving and others-focused nature of the Kingdom of God. They even argued who would be the greatest among them. Jesus shows them that putting the needs of others above their own is where this is all going. The first will be last and the last will be first.

After the Transfiguration of Jesus, Jesus would return to the rest of his disciples with Peter, James and John to a discouraging scene…his disciples arguing with some Scribes. They couldn’t heal a boy. Jesus asked the father if he believed and in an honest and transparent and desperate moment, he said “Help my unbelief”. If we are honest, this is one of our struggles as well. Are you in a moment where belief is just hard? You are in good company.

The transfiguration of Jesus is a turning point for Peter, James and John to understand the divinity of Jesus more fully. However, Jesus wasn’t exactly the kind of Messiah they were hoping for. After an extraordinary experience with Moses and Elijah, Jesus would describe what was going to happen next. Accepting Jesus means we will likely struggle to wrap our heads and lives around his mission and how to follow him. This was a turning point and the disciples will have to choose whether to keep following or not. We must make the same decision, today.

The fist half of the Gospel of Mark is somewhat of a defense of the divinity of Jesus as the promised Messiah. It reaches a climax before starting part 2 by asking Peter, “Who do you say I am”. It’s a question that every person must answer for themselves. We don’t always get everything right, but we have to get this right. Who do you say Jesus is?

Jesus's second mass feeding was a group of 4000 gentiles in the Decapolis. It demonstrated his significant outreach to non-Jews with teachings about the Kingdom. After, the disciples struggled to believe they could be fed even after witnessing such a great miracle. The lesson, Jesus said, was to be careful we aren't distracted by the leaven of the Pharisees, or the distractions of a non-faithful world. What types of leaven are distracting us from experience the Kingdom ourselves?

Many Christians believe that Jesus only shared the gospel with Israel and Paul would take the gospel to the Gentiles. Instead we see Jesus going to the Gentiles time and again to minister, perform miracles, and share the Kingdom of God. He truly does all things well. "The Gospel of Mark: All Things Well" is now available!

Sabbath is meant to be a time each week that we stop, we rest, we delight in the world, in God and each other. It's also a time each week to draw close to God, bend towards him, recognize he is good and that he wants good for you. "Sabbath: Worship" is now available!