The Magnificat, or Mary’s Song, is one of four Psalm like songs in Luke 1-2 surrounding the birth narrative of Jesus. Magnificat = my soul magnifies the lord. This is a song of reversals and joy, praising God for His timely deliverance. Let us sing a song of joy remembering what God has done for us.

Peter warns us against following false teachers down a path that neglects the call to live in the fullness of the knowledge of God. Through God’s promises, we have been invited to participate in His divine nature! He consistently models for us patience and love for all mankind. As we “intentionally wait” for his return, we are called to set aside selfish desires and live a life that, like God, is marked by patience with and a deep love for others.

The Prophet writes that God “works for those who wait for him.” In a culture of increasingly low attention span and impatience for the “good things that come for those who wait,” intentional waiting (“Hope”) is difficult. We display fidelity and faith when we trust that in time God will shape us into who we really need to be.

jesus frees a man afflicted by a legion of demons, and in his freedom he shares his testimony throughout the Decapolis. Evil is real and hurts real people. What does "Legion" look like for us today, for our society, for the people around us? What are the shackles that bind us?

"In the Storm" by Tim Goddard || Mark 4:35-41 || 11.12.2023 by RC2 Lynnwood

Jesus tells a parable of a sower spreading seed on different ‘soils,’ and later explains the parable in more depth to the disciples. The soil represents the hearer’s receptivity to the Word of God. Good soil produces an abundance of fruit. What does this mean? What kind of soil do you have? Why does Jesus tell parables? What is the secret of the Kingdom? Openness and receptivity and a willingness to learn seems to be a part of it.

Jesus does not fit into the social expectations surrounding him, but he rather disrupts them and then redefines what it means to have identity and be family in the spirit-filled Kingdom life. The world is messed up and Satan’s behind it, but Jesus flips the script on it all offering everyone new identity and new possibility in his family structure.

From v13 to the end of the chapter Mark gives us 3 episodes which demonstrate that the Jesus way disrupts the religious status quo. Whether it’s 1. eating with sinners; 2. feasting, not fasting; or 3. breaking Sabbath Law, Jesus does things differently, but this is not simply to deconstruct the establishment but he acts in order to bring life into spaces and structures that are not life-giving and help human flourishing.

Jesus as the Word is the ultimate lossless coming together of ‘word’ and ‘action’

The leaders challenge his authority once again on the ‘forgiveness of sins’ but JEsus backs it up with action.

The first ministry Jesus and his newly appointed disciples encounter is a demon-possessed person. What’s with demons and healing in Mark? Jesus is Savior, and it is the nature of the Savior to go to places where evil has taken over, where the shadow of darkness is sucking life and spirit out of people. Jesus not only proclaims Good News, but He carries the Authority and power to bring life to places of death.