Tabernacle

Generally, we tend to wonder why the disciples seem so slow to catch on.  Jesus is always having to pull them aside and explain the things that should be obvious to them.  But before we roll our eyes like we know better, let’s listen in on a strange encounter between Jesus and Gentile woman.

"Why is there a picture of an outhouse on the bulletin?”  Good question.  People may have wondered something similar when Jesus began speaking of what goes into us passing through us and then out of us, into the latrine.  “Why is Jesus

talking about an outhouse?”  Good question.  His answer is one the whole world needs to hear!

“Cleanliness is next to godliness.”  Can you imagine a dirty God?  Of course not, which is why people have always thought of holiness in terms of being washed and clean from sin and moral dirt.  The trouble comes when we think we can wash ourselves, and we end up rejecting God’s cleansing grace in order to establish our own false sense of purity.

Jesus came to preach and to heal, to teach and to serve.  He came to minister to our bodies and souls.  He didn’t choose one over the other, but showed us that the Kingdom of God is both spiritual and physical.  God made all things—the spiritual and material—and Jesus came to redeem both.

What brings you joy?  Joy can be found in lots of things  A job well done.  A good book.  Time spent with dear friends or family.  These are all good things, but the joy they offer is limited.  True and lasting joy is found only in the presence of God.  Jesus is the source of joy.  In Him, we can have joy in all circumstances, including times of want and suffering.  Beloved, rejoice greatly because you are greatly loved.

Mark is reaching a climax in his narrative about Jesus.  So far, people have wondered if Jesus is another sort of John the Baptist or Elijah or David or Moses.  But now, as Jesus tramples the waves of the Sea of Galilee, the veil is completely pulled back so we can see who He truly is.  May God give each of us eyes to see.

It’s hard to imagine what the disciples felt as they accompanied Jesus in His ministry around Galilee.  There must have been ecstatic highs and stomach churning lows.  And it must have been exhausting to have so many people always around, always needy, always hungry.  As Jesus fed the 5,000 from a little boy’s lunch box, He calls us to lean into Him and to view ourselves not, primarily, as those doing ministry for Him, but rather as those receiving ministry from Him.  Only then will we have power to love.

You can learn a lot about a person by what sacrifices they are willing to make. A good man will make personal sacrifices for the beneifit of others. A bad man will make others sacrifice for his own benfiti. It all depends on what you are living for.

People have a lot of different ideas regarding the heart of the Gospel message.  Most people think that the world is divided between the good and the bad.  While the Gospel does produce goodness in us, the main message of Jesus was not “Be good,” but “Repent and believe.”  According to Jesus, the world is divided between the repentant and the unrepentant.

People are often offended by Christians (sometimes with good reason), but how often are they offended by Christ?  That seems hard to believe, right?  Jesus is still held in high esteem by even the most secular societies.  But not in Nazareth; not in His hometown.  They couldn’t see how a carpenter could claim to be the Christ, and that offended them.  At least they were paying attention.  Those who aren’t offended by Jesus are either His followers…or they aren’t listening.