Jesus tells his disciples he’s going to die and rise — for the third time.✝️

Why don’t the disciples really get it? 🤔Can their brains just not fathom what he’s saying? Has God not opened their eyes just yet?

They don’t yet fully grasp 🙈what it means to be the Messiah — that he has to die.

Do we really get it? 🧠💭 We might understand that it happened objectively, but, subjectively, we sometimes forget the cross and what it truly means.

But the comfort is that even when we doubt, it’s still true. 🤲 

❓ Are the disciples saved at this point? Yes — because Christ called them.

📖 Compare and contrast the three passion predictions in Mark:
1️⃣ First, in the land of the Gentiles, he focuses on the Jewish authorities and what they’re going to do.
2️⃣ Second, in Judea, he focuses on the Gentile authorities and what they’re going to do.
3️⃣ Third, on the way to Jerusalem, it’s the most detailed of the predictions.

📜 Mark 10:35-45
This section contrasts the theology of the cross ⚔️ and the theology of glory.🏆

James and John 👥are asking for a theology of glory right after Jesus talks about the cross.

In a theology of glory, you’re close to God if something really amazing is happening.🌟 But Jesus was glorified in his death on the cross.

If you expect to find God only in things people would call glorious, you risk calling good evil and evil good. ❌

But can they drink the cup 🍷and handle the baptism Jesus is about to endure? Jesus hints that they will be martyred, but he doesn’t say it in words they can understand because they can’t bear to hear.

📜 Mark 10:46-52
The blind man calls out to Jesus for mercy.🙏 

Blind Bartimaeus 👀 looks to Jesus to be the Messiah and show him mercy as a poor, blind beggar.

❓ Why does Jesus make the blind man tell him what he wants?

Jesus has a way of prompting us to speak 🗣️ about things we’d rather not discuss.

We’re asked to pray for specific things, but sometimes all we have is, “Lord, have mercy.” 🤲

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus 

A rich young man asks Jesus what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. ✨

⛔The problem: he is attempting to justify himself by asking, “what must I do?” 🤔

But before Jesus answers his question, he calls the man out for calling him good. 🛑  

Jesus wants to stop him from just throwing around the word “good” without acknowledging what it means. Good means perfect, holy, and divine — and only God can be called good. 🌟🙌

Jesus answers his question by giving him the second table of the law. 📜 (The commandments about how we treat others.)

But when the man says he’s kept those, Jesus then shows him that he failed to keep the first table of the law. 📜💔 (The commandments about how we treat God.

Jesus “loved him” ❤️ — Jesus isn’t trying to win an argument. He wants him to be saved. 🙏  

Jesus shows him who his god really is when he tells him to sell everything he has. 💰➡️❌  

We’re quick to think that we don’t have gods, but we do. We’re unwilling and unable to live without our god.🙎The question is — do we have the right one? ❓🔍

Then Jesus said: “Come, follow me.” 👣 (This is a gospel invitation.)  

But then he walked away sorrowful. 😔💔

Then Jesus drops some truth bombs for his disciples: 💣💥  

In verse 25 he says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 🐫➡️🪡

Incredulous, the disciples ask: “Then who can be saved?” 😲

The disciples viewed the rich as blessed by God, so it was shocking for them to hear that it was hard for them to be saved. 💸💭❗

Jesus: “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 🙌✨ (v. 27)

Peter then acknowledges that they (the disciples) left everything to follow him. 👣

Jesus comforts them with “the mutual consolation of the brethren” by saying that they will receive more than they could ever imagine. 💞💫  

When you feel alone because of your beliefs, the brethren are there to console you and point you to the cross. ✝️🕊️

We may lose a lot when we follow Christ, but we also gain so much, including a Father in heaven. 👑☁️❤️

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus #mark10

The Uncultured Saints tackle two controversial sections of Mark 10:1-16. 📖
1️⃣ First, Jesus battles with the Pharisees (of course 😒), and then, he admonishes his disciples (sigh 😤).
The Pharisees put Jesus to the test about divorce by asking, “Is it lawful?” 🤔
We like to ask questions such as, “Is it a sin if I do this or if I do that?” 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️
BUT, that is the wrong question. ❌
Whenever we ask the wrong question, it's almost always a law question that needs a gospel answer. ✨
If you ask a law question, you're going to get a law answer. 📜
If you ask a gospel question, you're going to get a gospel answer. 🙏
We’re asking: How can I NOT get in trouble for this? 😬 Rather than: Where can I find some comfort and mercy for this?” 💞
In marriage, the two are one flesh, which means even if divorce is justified, it’s going to hurt if you rip it in half. 💔
Divorce teaches us that sin breaks stuff.⚡
In trying to downplay our sin, we try to appeal to the loopholes that won’t make it a sin. 🔄
We aren’t actually letting the law be as damning as the law really is. ⚖️
Divorce is especially egregious, and it arguably hurts like nothing else. 😢
The question is not whether you can be divorced, a Christian and forgiven on the other side of it — you are going to need mercy, forgiveness, and the gospel. 💫✝️
The question is: Is it a good thing or a bad thing? 🤷 This is the point Jesus is trying to make.
2️⃣ Next, the disciples try to discourage children from bothering Jesus. 🚸 This makes Jesus angry. 😡
Children are meant to receive Jesus 👧👦
Jesus thinks little kids are a good thing. So let's not despise them. 🌟
Yes, they can be a burden and a sacrifice, but that’s what love is — sacrificing yourself for someone else. ❤️
However, it’s important to not become legalistic about it — you’re not a better Christian if you have more kids. 🚫👶
In both situations, we learn that marriage and children are a good gift from God. 🎁 Let's do our best to protect them. 🤗

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #divorce #children #jesus

1️⃣ Jesus predicts his dying and rising. ⚰️🌅

 Did you know that Jesus told his disciples that he would die and rise? 😮 

One of those predictions happens right here.👇

The disciples don't get it. 🤔 

They've seen Jesus raise people from the dead, but they've never seen someone raise themself. 🧟‍♂️ 

Why is Jesus so secretive about their journey through Galilee? 🤫 

The Uncultured Saints have some ideas . . . 💡 

Jesus is moving away from the individual miracles  ✨ to the world changing miracle of the cross to solve our biggest problem and sickness — our sin. ✝️🌍

2️⃣ The disciples then get into a funny argument about which of them is the greatest. 🏆 

Jesus puts in front of them a person who is the most helpless, can accomplish the least, and is the most needy — a child. 👶 

And he says: "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me." 🤗 

This was at a time when children were seen as a tax on resources, they died young, and they were seen and not heard. 😔 

If we want to receive the kingdom of God, we must receive it as little children — as completely utterly helpless individuals who can't lift a finger to save ourselves. 🙏

3️⃣ John wants to stop others from casting out demons. 😈🚫 

Jesus tells John to simmer down. Why? 🤔 

They aren't doing it in their own name, but in the name of Jesus. ✨ 

This brings up questions about the church . . . ⛪ 

If anyone can do the work of Christ, then why do we need pastors? 🧑‍🍳 

Questions to ask:

✔️Is the person preaching the true word of God? 📖

✔️ Is he administering the sacraments according to God's institution? 🍷🍞

4️⃣ Jesus says to cut off your hand if it causes you to sin. ✋🔪

 Is Jesus being literal here? 🤨 

This is about excommunication.🚪 

If there is somebody in the church who is dragging the rest of the church to hell through unbelief, it would be better that the person be cut off. ⚔️

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #biblestudy

Were the disciples making idols of themselves? 

In this week’s episode of The Uncultured Saints, we dive deep into..

The gospel of Mark 18

The believer’s unbelief

And how prayer changes you

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #prayer #faith

Peter saw Jesus' glory on the mountain, but even in that moment, he was terrified and unsure of what to say. 😨✨ 

Sometimes, we feel like we need to have all the right answers, but even the closest disciples struggled to understand everything. 🙃💡 

The good news? 

Jesus doesn’t demand perfection—He shows us mercy, even when we’re confused or afraid. 

Here's the truth: faith isn't about always getting it right or feeling 100% confident. 

It’s about trusting Jesus even when we don’t fully understand. The same Jesus who showed His glory also went down that mountain to the cross—for YOU.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #transfiguration #jesus

✨ **The Saliva Miracle: When Jesus Heals in Unexpected Ways** ✨

Imagine this: you're blind, and Jesus comes up to you. 

Instead of a grand gesture, He spits on the ground, makes mud, and places it on your eyes. 

Kinda weird, right? 

Yet through this humble, messy act, sight is restored. 💡

Sometimes God works through things that seem weak or even strange to you and me. 

We might not always get the ‘why’ or the ‘how’ of God's plans, but through the cross, we see God’s unfailing love and work in our lives, even in the messiest moments. 💫

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #miracles #jesus

If there is Christ, the right amount of miracles will be there, whether or not you see them.

"We've got Jesus here in the land of the Gentiles... The disciples aren't dumb, right? We think they are, but it's not that they don’t think Jesus can feed people. It's that they don’t think He should feed these people. They're confused because this isn’t what they expected. They’ve seen Jesus feed 5,000 before—so why are they worried now? It's like they’re thinking, ‘Sure, He did it for the Jews, but these are Gentiles. Are they worthy of the same miracle?’ And that’s where we often find ourselves too—doubting, questioning when things don't fit our expectations, forgetting what Jesus has already done."

Ever had that moment where you totally miss the point?

When you’re so caught up in your doubts that you miss the miracle right in front of you. 🌊🍞 In Mark 8, the disciples had witnessed Jesus feed thousands with a few loaves of bread, but when faced with feeding 4,000 Gentiles, they couldn’t see beyond their own doubts and prejudices. They were too distracted by their own unbelief to remember that Jesus had already shown them the way.
How often do we let fear and doubt cloud our vision of God’s work in our lives? Instead of trusting in His power, we question, we forget, we demand more signs. But faith isn’t about seeing, it’s about believing—even when we can’t see. Don’t be a fool caught up in distractions; remember what He’s done and trust what He’s promised. 🙏✨ #FaithOverFear #Mark8 #TrustInHim #GenZFaith #Miracles

🤔 *Pharisee feuds and defilement*—what even is that about?! 📖

In this week’s episode of ‘The Uncultured Saints’ Pastors Goodman and Lietzau explore…

💥 Why Jesus clashed with the Pharisees
🙅🏽‍♂️ What it means to be "defiled"
 How Jesus redefines clean vs. unclean

## Jesus and the Syrophoenician Woman

In Mark 7:24-30, Jesus encounters a Syrophoenician woman. 

This interaction, on the surface, might come across as perplexing and confrontational. 

When the woman pleads for help for her demon-possessed daughter, Jesus initially responds with what seems like a rebuff:

“Let the little children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.”

The woman, undeterred, responds:

“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.”

Her faith and humility are evident in this reply. 

Jesus acknowledges her faith and heals her daughter. 

But, this interaction isn’t just about the woman and her daughter.

It also serves as a vital lesson for Jesus’ disciples and all onlookers (and you and me!).

During Jesus’ time, strict societal and religious boundaries defined who was considered clean and worthy. 

The Syrophoenician woman defies these norms, illustrating that faith knows no bounds. 

Jesus emphasizes that true defilement isn’t about external factors but what comes from within a person. 

By healing her daughter, Jesus shows that God's grace and mercy extend beyond the Jewish community to all who have faith.

Are traditions, especially in the church, a bad thing? 🤔

Traditions aren’t inherently bad. 

They can actually be a very good thing!

In fact, they shape our society and provide structure. 

But what happens when we start elevating these traditions above the Gospel and God's commandments?

In Mark 7, Jesus challenges the Pharisees who turned traditions into weapons, placing them above God's commandments. 

They were so focused on man-made rituals that they missed the point. 

Their traditions became weapons—used to control, exclude, and overshadow what was truly important. 

When we begin relying too much on the rituals of men, we risk setting them above not just the rituals of God, but the promises of God, too.

Listen to the entire discussion on our YT channel!

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

#lutheran #lcms #higherthings #unculturedsaints #traditions