READING: MARK 11:1-19

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you doing this?” say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.”’

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, ‘What are you doing, untying that colt?’ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

‘Hosanna!’

‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’

‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!’

‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig-tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it.

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it “a den of robbers”.’

The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

REFLECTION

Hello, we’re coming to the end of another week of our Foundations daily podcasts. We’re going to round off this week with Mark 11:1-19. This is a great passage to finish our week on. Hopefully it will send us into the weekend with an encouraging message and allow us to pull together some of the strands we have been exploring this week.  I’ll read verses 8-10 now. This is the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem. He’s riding in on a donkey, as Kings used to enter cities when they came in peace, and He’s greeted by a huge crowd. Let see what happens:

Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Jesus has been travelling all around Galilee and Judea declaring that a new Kingdom has arrived. There have been countless miracles along the way and now He arrives into Jerusalem, the Holy city. As we’ve just read He is met by crowds of people lining the streets. As Jesus passed through the city gates and wound His way up the hills of Jerusalem on a young donkey the tight streets would have felt packed. There would have been people lining the roofs of houses above as well. The atmosphere must have been electric. People were desperate to catch a glimpse of the Messiah, the one who had come to save His people. Coats were tossed into the road, whole branches torn off to wave and line the ground as well. This must have been quite a spectacle. Jesus was right at the centre of it. He was the main act. It was for Him that people shouted out praise as He rode past. If there was ever an ego boosting moment then this was it. I don’t know about you, but if people lined the streets and shouted hosanna at me then I’d have a pretty large ego by the end of the day.

The problem here though, is that Jesus knows this will not last. He knows the crowds will turn against Him. He knows that the shouts of Hosanna will turn to screams of crucify Him. If Jesus is at all swayed by a desire to be loved by the crowds then He could quickly be turned away from His mission. Away from the lonely walk that He must make to the cross. Think back to yesterday. This applies to us as well. We talked about our desire for approval. The way that our desire to be liked by those we meet can change the way we act, the way we talk.

However, Jesus has faced this battle before, and won. This week we have talked about several traps that we can fall into. Namely, our appetite, ambition and approval. These are the three ways that the devil tempted Jesus when He was fasting in the desert after His baptism. Three different lines of attack, right when Jesus is most vulnerable, striking to the heart of what it means to be human. Physical needs, our desire to make an impression, to leave our mark, and the desire to be loved. Jesus was after all, fully human as well as being fully God, which is definitely another talk for another time!

The great news for us is that Jesus defeated these temptations in the desert by doing one simple thing. He reminded Himself that His identity came from the Father, from God. He did this by quoting scripture over Himself. We, you and I, were made by the Father. He loved us when He designed us and He loves us still. In fact He promised to always love us and God doesn’t break His promises. He calls us His sons and daughters. Sons and daughters of the King. He promises to provide for us, He gives us a purpose, His Kingdom. Our identity as children of the Father is crucial not just to understanding who we are, but to allowing us to live to the full and not succumb to the pulls of unhealthy appetites, ambition and approval. Be encouraged by this today!

PRAYER

Father thank you that you love us. Thank you that it is in you that we find our identity. Thank you that you provide for us. As we go about our normal life today we pray that you would remind us that we are your children. Help us to see others in that way as well today. Amen.

Want to get this podcast regularly? See http://stthomascrookes.org/podcast/

READING: MARK 10:32-52

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. ‘We are going up to Jerusalem,’ he said, ‘and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.’

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask.’

‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked.

They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.’

‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said. ‘Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with?’

‘We can,’ they answered.

Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink and be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.’

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means ‘son of Timaeus’), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’

Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’

So they called to the blind man, ‘Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.’ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, ‘Rabbi, I want to see.’

‘Go,’ said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

REFLECTION

Hi there. Today in our foundations daily podcast we’re going to be reading from Mark 10:32-52. I’m going to zoom in and read verses 35-37, but as usual, do take time to read the whole passage so that you get to see the big picture of the passage. Verses 35-37:

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

Here we have another one of those moments when you cringe at something the disciples have done. Hindsight really is a valuable thing! This time it’s James and John. The very same James and John that left their family, their home, and their father’s fishing business at the drop of a hat to follow Jesus. At times they demonstrate incredible faith. Amazing faith and real understanding of Jesus’ message. However, this is not one of those times. This is one of those times where we secretly breathe a sigh of relief as we realise that the disciples really were not perfect. It’s always harder to take the advice and follow the example of people that appear perfect right? Jesus is different, because, well, He’s God, but with everyone else we take appearing perfect as a chance to ask, so what are they hiding?

Ok, so we have these real people who are doing amazing things. Travelling with Jesus, seeing Him work miracles, slowly being given responsibility, seeing great things happen through their own prayers as well. But there is a niggling doubt. A question that keeps coming into the back of their minds. Soon they start discussing it, verbalising it. They find they feel the same way and they egg each other on until they decide to do it. They’re going to ask Jesus. They’re going to ask Him if he will do whatever they ask. Now Jesus doesn’t fall for this. He’s heard this before. I learnt a long time ago that the answer to ‘can you do me a favour’ isn’t yes. Blank cheques help no one. A simple ‘it depends what it is’ said with a smile works a charm. That’s essentially what Jesus does here. Sensing what is coming, He asks what they would like Him to do. The answer? Here comes the big ask, let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in glory.

You almost have to admire the courage of them to ask such a question. Why do they ask it though? It would be fair to assume there is some ambition in there, I mean, as far as life goals go, getting to sit next to Jesus in Heaven probably scores pretty highly. However I think there is more to it than sheer ambition. Jesus called them to follow Him, but He also called many others. Many who didn’t even say yes. I think there is a large desire for approval happening here as well. They’re essentially coming to Jesus and asking Him to name them as His favourites. You can imagine what’s going through their heads. Come on Jesus, say we’re you’re favourites, please! There is a desire not just for Jesus to tell them they’re His favourites, but for Him to let everyone know that that is the case as well. I doubt the seats to the right and left of Jesus in Heaven will be particularly low key.

We all have a desire for approval. What we have that James and John didn’t at this point is the full story of the Gospel. We know that not only does Jesus call us all by name, but that He came and died on a cross for each and every one of us. That God made us, He redeemed us, and He welcomes us all into His house for eternity purely because He loves us. He loves us as His children.  It’s so tempting to look for approval elsewhere. It’s so tempting to want to seek people’s approval by acting in ways that we think will get it. But ultimately God is the only place we will find full, unlimited and abundant approval.

PRAYER

Father God, thank you that you are all we need. Thank you that we find our identity in You. Please help us to focus on you today. Where we see ourselves looking for approval elsewhere remind us Lord that we have all we seek already in You. Amen.

Want to get this podcast regularly? See http://stthomascrookes.org/podcast/

READING: MARK 10:17-31

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.”’

‘Teacher,’ he declared, ‘all these I have kept since I was a boy.’

Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, ‘Who then can be saved?’

Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’

Then Peter spoke up, ‘We have left everything to follow you!’

‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – along with persecutions – and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’

REFLECTION

Hello, welcome to the first foundations podcast of February! Thank you for joining me as we continue our journey through Mark. Today our passage is Mark 10:17-31. Do read it all to get a full picture of the passage, but for now I will read verses 20-23 to us. In this passage we see Jesus answering the questions of a rich young man. The man has asked the question ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus lists the commandments given in the Old Testament and this is the point we pick up the conversation:

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

Jesus’ answer is simple. Following the commandments of the Old Testament is a good start. Living a moral life in line with scripture is certainly a good, tangible thing to be doing. However if we want to really know God, if we want to walk in His new Kingdom then there’s only one way to do that. When Jesus says come and follow me we must respond. Maybe just won’t cut it. I’ll finish what I’m doing now Jesus and then I’ll follow you later doesn’t cut it. Jesus doesn’t take the offer away, He still stands at the door and knocks, but we can’t have a relationship where He just comes in for a cup of tea every now and again. If we say yes to following Jesus then we are choosing to put Him above all else in our life. We are saying come in and stay Jesus, make your home here, stay through the good times and the bad times. Be my priority, be my guide, as the song goes, be my everything.

This is where the whole money thing comes in. First things first, is money bad- no. Is having a lot of money in and of itself a bad thing- no. I believe that God blesses us abundantly, so why should that exclude money? Jesus didn’t have an aversion to using money when necessary- one of His miracles was producing a coin from the mouth of a fish so He could pay the temple tax! He didn’t say give your money to the poor to get rid of the evil money, to let someone else deal with it.

The point Jesus is making here isn’t even limited to coins and credit cards. Jesus is talking about appetite. When we say yes to Jesus we choose to submit to Him. We choose to say I trust you Jesus to know what is best for me. I choose you Jesus to be my priority. To be my hope. To be my provider. In this story the man has allowed money to take the place of Jesus. It has become something that is more important to him than Jesus. It stops Him from saying Yes I will follow you. He has put his trust and hope in money. He has possibly allowed money to become the thing that drives him, that satisfies him. When we do this we give in to our own appetite. Like with ambition on Monday there is nothing wrong with having an appetite. I have an appetite for biscuits 90% of the time. However the problems come when we allow this appetite to rule us. When we start making major decisions around it. Thinking we can compromise a little here or there to fulfil our appetites. Our desire to put money, food, sex, whatever it is above Jesus.

Jesus says this can be fatal for our walk with Him so let’s take it seriously, but remember the Bible also tells us that there is no condemnation for those who genuinely try and follow the Lord. So today, are there any places where we are allowing our appetite to creep up on us. How can we address that?

PRAYER

Thank you Lord that you stand at the door and knock. That you call us to follow You. Thank you for the new life that you call us to. Please help us today to be aware of anything holding us back from following you. Help us to address that Lord, give us people to process with, to hold us accountable. Bless us today as we look to walk ever closer with you, our Lord and friend. Amen.

Want to get this podcast regularly? See http://stthomascrookes.org/podcast/

READING: MARK 10:1-16

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.

Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’

‘What did Moses command you?’ he replied.

They said, ‘Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.’

‘It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,’ Jesus replied. ‘But at the beginning of creation God “made them male and female”. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’

When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.’

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

REFLECTION

Good morning, or afternoon, or evening in fact, depending on when you’re listening to this. Today is the last day in January and we’re starting chapter 10 of Mark’s Gospel. The passage is from the start of the chapter through to verse 16. I’m going to focus on verses 14 and 15. These verses come just after the disciples have tried to stop people from bringing forward little children to be blessed by Jesus:

When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

I love these verses. There are similar passages in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospel. This means that whatever Jesus is saying here, it’s important. I led the Kids Church here at STC for four years and over that time I thought a lot about what this passage means. I’m going to try and share some of those thoughts this morning.

This month America inaugurated a new president. Donald Trump succeeded Barack Obama in a job that arguably makes him the most powerful man in the world. Let’s not get distracted by politics here, but I do want us to think briefly on the people that have met with President Trump since he won the election and became destined for this power. His team has had to work out who is worth his time. Who is famous enough, clever enough, rich enough, powerful enough to earn a few minutes with the new president. Which foreign leader is going to be first? What can they offer him in return for his time? Can they be persuaded to give their investment, their support? This is simply what the disciples were doing with Jesus. They were trying to control who got close to Him. The questions may have been slightly different, who needed Him the most, who would make a good addition to the team? But they were still seeking to control access to the people they thought were best or were most worthy of Him meeting their needs.

To be fair to them, the disciples make logical choices, but Jesus stops them. Let the little children come to me He says. The little children who have no right to be ahead of others in the queue. They’ve not earned their way there. They have no rights or significance in this particular culture. They cannot offer Jesus anything in return. And yet Jesus says let the little children come to me. You see with Jesus, it’s not about what we can bring. It’s not about how much or little we think of ourselves. It’s not about whether we feel we fit in at Church or whether or not we have incredible skills we can use to serve with. Jesus opens His arms and says come to me.

We often get caught up in what verse 15 means, you must receive the Kingdom of God like a little child. I’ve heard people wonder if that means we must be naive, or accept Jesus blindly. I disagree. In a nutshell I think we need to look to the reaction of the children. From the few words we have in this passage I’ve inferred one simple thing. The children just accept the blessing Jesus gives them. I worked with children long enough to know that some would have been at the front of the queue, some a little bit shy at the back. Some hanging off Jesus’ every word, some getting distracted. Some would have listened while others asked questions. No doubt some silly questions mixed in with some incredibly profound and deep questions. But at the end of the day, after all the questions, I’m willing to bet that they all accepted the blessing Jesus gave them. And then the next day trusted Him entirely. For me childlike faith doesn’t exclude questions and doubts, but once we’ve made it decision, we stick to it, we believe it, and we act on it in everything we do.

I could talk about this verse for a long time but I’m sure we all have things to do so I’ll finish with this. Do we come to Jesus freely like He invited the children freely? Are we holding anything back from Jesus today?

PRAYER

Father God, thank you that You sent Your Son Jesus to show us how much you love us. Help us to remember that You always welcome us to come to you. Please help us to trust you with our whole lives today. Amen.

Want to get this podcast regularly? See http://stthomascrookes.org/podcast/

READING: MARK 9:33-50

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.’

He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’

‘Teacher,’ said John, ‘we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.’

‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus said. ‘For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

‘If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung round their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.”

Everyone will be salted with fire.

‘Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.’

REFLECTION

Hello, welcome to a new week of Foundations Podcasts. My name is Dave, I’m part of the team here at STC. I work with young adults, both in our church community and our discipleship year, STC College. Whether you’re listening to this over breakfast, on the bus or on the beach, my hope for us this week is that together we will be inspired by the word of God. Each day I’m going to read a few verses and share what strikes me from the passage. I’ll leave us with a prayer and maybe a question or a challenge for the day. But my hope is that each day this resource will encourage you to pick up a Bible and read the whole passage, maybe more. To ask the question, ‘what are you saying to me, Lord?’

We start the week towards the end of chapter 9 of Mark’s Gospel. The full passage is Mark 9:33-50. Here are verses 33-35: They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Here we get another glimpse of this new Kingdom that Jesus is proclaiming.  In Jesus’ Kingdom He declares the first shall be last and the last shall be first. It seems upside down, topsy turvy, strange. There’s a scene in the movie 'Inception', which is a great movie by the way, that helps me picture how the disciples might have felt. In the scene, the dream world that is being created lifts up in the distance and slowly bends over on itself.  The characters are left standing in the street looking up at an upside down street above them, complete with people casually going about their normal business as if they’re not suspended upside down 200 feet above the ground.

As strange as it must have felt, being told to be first we must become last, the disciples knew that what they’d been doing wasn’t good. There was that awkward moment when Jesus asked what they’d been talking about. You can just about hear them stumbling to say, ‘er, nothing Jesus, er, nice weather today isn’t it?’ They knew that it wasn’t right to be arguing about who was the greatest. They knew it didn’t match with the message Jesus was preaching. You see, it didn’t just cause an argument - debates like that are never going to enhance group cohesion - but it also revealed the state of their hearts. One of the main ways we can trip up in life is to get distracted by ambition. The desire, the need to be the best. To be the greatest. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious in itself, in fact I think it can very much be a good thing that helps encourage us to do amazing things. However if it becomes all about us, if we become driven for success purely for the sake of success then ambition becomes a very dangerous thing. It strangles our walk with God and keeps us from experiencing His new Kingdom.

The way Jesus deals with this is vital. The opposite of wanting yourself to increase, to be the best, is not wanting to decrease, to be the worst. That’s low self esteem and isn’t what Jesus calls us to. The opposite, and remedy, isn’t thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. Thinking of others first. Wanting good for others. Speaking well of others. It’s not about putting ourselves down but building others up.

A question for us to ponder and act on today, how can we build others up and prefer our friends and colleagues? How can we spread God’s kingdom in simple ways today?

PRAYER

Thank you God for this passage. Thank you that you fill our lives with good things. We say sorry Lord for the times our ambition has caused hurt to others. Please help us to think of others more today. Amen.

Want to get this podcast regularly? See http://stthomascrookes.org/podcast/

READING: MARK 9:14-32

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked.

A man in the crowd answered, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.’

‘You unbelieving generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.’

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’

‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’

‘“If you can”?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit,’ he said, ‘I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’

The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He’s dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’

He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer.’

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.’ But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

REFLECTION

Sixteen years ago I moved to Sheffield to take part in something called Tribal Training. It’s now called Form and it's part of the STC College. A much more palatable name – and one that raises less eyebrows.

I’ll be honest: it had its tough moments.

An issue for me was around the subject of faith. People around me were talking of faith for this and faith for that. Faith, it seemed, was like the magic dust. The more you had, the more you could do for God. The thing I couldn’t really work out was this: was faith my responsibility – did I need to muster up faith – this way of seeing the world through God’s eyes; of believing the impossible? I really wrestled with it – I just didn’t seem to have it. I seemed to have too many doubts. Some said I was too cynical. Someone prayed ‘bypass his mind, Lord’…

As others around me were seeing remarkable things, I got more fed up.

I went to see someone about it. She heard me talk through my concerns and issues. I don’t remember all of what she said but she encouraged me to do something. Write down the bits from the Bible that say who you are – you’re a child of God; God has forgiven you; God has adopted you – write them down and put them on your wall. Fill your mind with the good things of God – what the Bible says about Him and what it says about you.

I’ll be honest – I didn’t do it. My church background was that Bible study was in groups on a Tuesday night. It wasn’t for post-it notes to be put on walls.

Besides, I’d heard stories of people falling over in prayer times and when they got up – all this stuff was sorted in an instant. That seemed like a much better deal to me!

Faith, and whether we have enough of it, can be a real source of tension for Christians. We need more faith – to move mountains in fact – for finance, for healing – and if you don’t have it you can feel like a second class Christian.

Jesus says we only need a bit. The size of a tiny mustard seed.

Today’s passage is about a boy who is seriously ill. The scriptures say he has been influenced by a demon and things have got so bad he’s doing all kinds of bizarre things. His father is worried sick.

Jesus has a conversation with the father, that tells us something about the nature of faith: ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’

The father’s earlier question is telling: ‘but if you can do anything…’

Jesus calls him on it: ‘If you can’...

Here’s the thing – Jesus can do something because he’s has the power to do it. The miracle doesn’t depend on the amount of faith the father has but on who Jesus is. That’s an important distinction and can get lost in discussions on faith. Often the focus is too much on how much faith I might have, which can come back to me.  The issue is, however much faith you have, your focus and attention is always pointing to Jesus – the author of faith.

Hence why when Jesus says these demons can only come out by prayer is a way of reminding the disciples – it’s Him and His authority which they now share – not their skill.

As I look back on the advice given to me all those years ago – putting scriptures on post it notes was good advice.

If you’re facing a challenge today, what does Jesus say about you today? What are his promises for your life? Perhaps today is the day to pop to WH Smith at lunch time and pick up some post-it notes, and remind yourself who you are, and who Jesus is.

PRAYER

Lord, this day may we be reminded of your love for us, and our identity as your children.

Amen

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READING: MARK 9:2-13

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what ‘rising from the dead’ meant.

And they asked him, ‘Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?’

Jesus replied, ‘To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.’

REFLECTION

I got into a conversation last week with a builder. It started about dogs, moving on to American Politics and then about the meaning of life and death. This guy had read in the news about the tragic death of a four year old girl who had been given drugs by her parents. He shared this with a mixture of anger and sadness. I had to confess I hadn’t seen the story and so he told me with a tear in his eye he said ‘the thing I don’t understand is that there’s no justice for that little girl. It’s like she didn’t matter’.

As I walked around Sheffield city Centre that morning I thought a lot about that builder and our conversation. How would I explain today’s passage – the transfiguration - to him? Would this be just another bible reflection that doesn’t tap into the real world? Would it make any difference to his life? ?

To put simply the Transfiguration refers to a moment in the gospels where Jesus’ full divinity – his power, his glory and his majesty are revealed and is witnessed by a few people. It’s a tiny moment when heaven opens and we wear the audible voice of the father speak his love for His son. It demonstrates Jesus’ power and his authority.

So what then? How would I explain this to Andy?

It means this that Jesus is on a mission – and we as his church are continuing that mission. To bring hope to the hopeless and make a difference around us. It means that when Jesus returns - while we may not see justice in our courts on earth – there will be a day of Justice. Jesus will wipe away every tear. There will be not more sickness; brokenness; awful stuff. The transfiguration reminds us that is making things new. It says to people like my new friend the builder – this tabloid story is not the end. Jesus is making all things new and he will bring justice to bear on the earth.

PRAYER

Lord, we are surrounded by lots of people who look at the world and ask why! Help us to seek out those around us and bless them, listen to them and share you!

Amen

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READING: MARK 8:22 - 9:1

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spat on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’

He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, ‘Don’t even go into the village.’

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’

They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’

‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’

Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’

Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.’

And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’

REFLECTION

A friend of mine from University grew up on the Isle of Man.  He shared this story with me once.

He knew a Christian lady who liked to bless people with cakes.  If she heard they were having a hard time, they could well return home to find a cake on the doorstep. She was well known for leaving cakes on the doorsteps of people and had this uncanny knack of leaving them at the right time. She claimed she wasn’t a great preacher or good evangelist but she could bake – so that’s what she did.

Her daughter, a student at the time, was tragically killed in a car accident on the mainland. The cakes stopped.  The community mourned such loss to such loving caring family.

Months passed – and then a local family going through a tough patch returned one day to find a cake on the doorstep.

This time the impact of that cake was phenomenal.

A grieving mother was looking to bless other people.  It made the most incredible impact on peoples’ lives.

A simple cake, given with great love.

Today’s passage uncovers kingdom truth.  The true life of a disciple is to follow Jesus – take up your cross and follow him.

Often interpretation of this passage is extolled by people who have given up jobs – perhaps moving to other countries to be overseas missionaries or even church workers.  This can mean you can be left thinking all paid Christian work is done by those who have taken up their cross and if you have a normal regular job, you’re not a proper disciple.  Which of course isn’t true!

Taking up your cross means that you surrender your right to dictate the course and direction of your life.

The lady on the Isle of Man used what God had given her:  Baking.  In the midst of her own grief and loss – she laid aside her own life, following the example of Jesus served other people.  Her cakes became legendary across that small community – people came to know she was praying for them.  She was witnessing to God’s goodness in her life.

You can be a platform Christian conference speaker and be doing it for yourself.  Your job does not define the quality of your discipleship.

Let me leave you with this challenge today:

The Evangelist J John says imagine your life is a car.  So, let me ask you - where is Jesus in the car of your life?

Is Jesus Christ in your car?  He says I know many people who have him in the car.  But the question is – where is he in the car?  Is he in the boot?  Do we drive our car to church, unlock the boot and get Jesus out for religious happy hour?  And then get him back in quick?  Oh no, you say – he’s in the driving seat of the car of my life?  Really?  Are you sure? When Jesus takes a left down the road of generosity and you sit in the back seat and grumble?   Or when Jesus takes a right down the road of forgiveness.  You get sulky and I don’t want to go down Forgiveness Road.  The problem with most of us that Jesus is in the driving seat but we’re often back seat drivers.  The challenge is to sit back and let Jesus drive.  If we do that then we’ll find as he drives our life, our life will change - become have fruit:  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness and Self Control.  If we don’t have that in our lives, then perhaps we’re still back seat driving.

Today ask this question if my life is car – where is Jesus?  Then ask yourself – Is he in the driving seat?  Are you going to let him drive you where he likes?

PRAYER

Lord, help us this day not to be backseat drivers.  To release control to you!

Amen

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READING: MARK 8:1-21

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.’

His disciples answered, ‘But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?’

‘How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked.

‘Seven,’ they replied.

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.’ Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.’

They discussed this with one another and said, ‘It is because we have no bread.’

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?’

‘Twelve,’ they replied.

‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?’

They answered, ‘Seven.’

He said to them, ‘Do you still not understand?’

REFLECTION

I saw this joke recently on Twitter: Jesus walks into a bar and says to the barman: "Thirteen glasses of water, please!", Jesus then turns to the disciples and gives a sly wink.

You can’t read the Gospels and fail to see some of Jesus’ remarkable miracles. Each one points to the Kingdom of God and reveals more of the character of God.

The Disciples have been with Jesus as he has fed 4000 people. There was enough bread for everyone. Sailing across the Sea of Galilee in their boat it becomes clear they don’t have enough bread for the journey. This all happens in the presence of the one who has just produced a miraculous amount of bread – but they seem to default to 'fix it' mode.

Have you faced a similar situation – you don’t have enough money to do something? Your job is threatened? There’s an issue within your family?

There’s a temptation in all of us to try fix it by ourselves rather than submit the situation to the God of miracles?

Let me give you an example:

Over the New Year some friends told us how much money they had saved up. It was rather more than us. I’ll be honest I went to bed that night with a slight anxiety – if I’m honest a slight fear. My mind was whirring away about what we could to fix the situation.

The next morning I was reminded of all the times God has provided for us financially. It is truly remarkable. And then I think of the prophetic words God has spoken over our family. Peace returned as I turned back to God and thanked him for his promises.

The disciples have fallen into the same trap. They’ve encountered need and their response is to process how to fix it. Jesus warns them about the ‘yeast’ of Herod and of the Pharisees.

The ‘yeast’ refers to their hard hearts. They are totally self reliant – religion concerns the outward appearance – looking the part but inside their hearts are unable to see Jesus and who he really is.

Jesus is inviting his disciples on the adventure of a lifetime. Forget self sufficiency. Forget self protection.  Dive into the depths of faith – trusting in him.

Just think about your day. Perhaps you’re listening to this in the morning heading to work or you’re going to be revising today. Are there aspects of your day you’ve been rehearsing over and over? That tricky conversation with your boss or anxiety about your studies? Have you shared it with a friend and asked for prayer or offered it to God in prayer?

If you’re in Sheffield today and you have some free time – why not join us at 9am or 3pm prayers or sign up to the Foundations emails and join with hundreds of others to pray?

PRAYER

We thank you Lord we can trust you with everything. This day, we offer our lives – all the details. Help us Lord to remember that you are our provider.  Amen.

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READING: MARK 7:24-37

Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’

‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’

Then he told her, ‘For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.’

She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means ‘Be opened!’). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosed and he began to speak plainly.

Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’

REFLECTION

A wise man once challenged me: ‘Every Sunday’ at the end of the church gathering ‘come to the front and get prayer.’

Sounds simple enough.

The problem was I didn’t really want to do that.

At the time I would have told you that I wanted the breakthrough; to see that particular situation change; to invite the transforming presence of Jesus into the situation.

My reluctance be seen doing so in public revealed something deeper: I was still holding something back.

Now, for the record, I don’t think there’s anything magical or more spiritual about going to the front of church. I don’t think there’s more of Jesus’ presence concentrated there than at the back.

However, I do think there’s something about saying – I need God. I can’t change this. I can’t control it. I just need God. I need to surrender to Him. Let me deal with it.

I have come to the understanding that if you genuinely give something over to God – it’s much easier to ask other people to help you; support you and pray for you. Giving something to God also means allowing His people to help us.

Let me ask you this question: Are you good at giving stuff over to God? Open to asking other people to help? Is there part of you that likes to hold on? To try and fix it yourself?

Racial or sectarian tensions in societies sadly aren’t anything new. Think of the race riots in the USA; Israel / Palestine; apartheid in South Africa – sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

In Jesus’ time it was the Jews and the Gentiles among others. They didn’t talk – there was hostility.

Jewish men would have crossed the road rather than help a Gentile woman in distress.

Yet, in today’s passage a Gentile woman bursts into the house uninvited and talks directly with Jesus – it would have been awkward to say the least. Horrifying!

But there’s something we can learn from this lady.

She chooses life. In her total desperation; in her disgrace (the daughter’s condition meant the whole family was on the receiving end of community gossip and accusation) she chooses to not be defined by the immediate negative voices and choose to surrender all to the one she knows can heal her daughter.

And there she is eyeball-to-eyeball with Jesus. Disciples looking on in disbelief. This outsider; this gutsy, broken woman has looked into the king of the universe and he looks back and sees faith in her.

The woman’s tenacity is more powerful than any creed or doctrinal statement. It’s simple faith. Pure belief.

Her daughter is healed.

Do you hold back? Are there things you’re going through that you could share with others; you could pray about but don’t? If you’re in a Cell or Cluster this week – you have a choice. When the question comes, 'what shall we pray for?' remember the Gentile woman – say what’s on your heart and then pray. As you walk to work – the thing that’s on your mind – just pray – ‘Lord, I can’t fix this – please help me’.

PRAYER

Jesus thank you for the example of this wonderful Gentile woman. Let us not hold anything back from you but bring before you all the things that weigh on our hearts and minds. Amen.

Want to get this podcast regularly? See http://stthomascrookes.org/podcast/