The Well Church of the Nazarene

The story of the rich man in Mark 10 is not a story about money, but rather that of idolatry. Jesus put himself in direct competition with what the man loved most and made him choose--he could keep his "stuff" or he could follow Jesus. He couldn't do both. And the same is true for us today.

When it comes to serving God, we need not ask ourselves "what do I need to do?" but rather "what am I missing?" What might be getting in the way of following the one and only king? Because whoever loves anything more than God... is lacking.

The Gospel is unbelievable! And yet our stories, proclamations, and testimonies express our belief. May we not be guilty of being called unbelieving--a faithless generation.

The pharisees relied on oral regulations to pretct people and their relationship with God. But over time, external things became their focus, and these traditions had blinded them to who God was and what He wanted.

Corruption begins inside our hearts, not outside. The pharisees' hands were clean, but their heart had been defiled. Jesus wants holiness to be understood through mercy, grace, caring and compassion, deliverance and community. Let us not miss the invitation the way the pharisees did, and join Jesus in the mission of God. 

The disciples had just seen Jesus feed 5000 people, and yet they were still surprised to see Him walking on water. How many times do we react the same way today, when our expectations don't match what God is doing? Sometimes, while we're straining at the oars of life, He is trying to get us to understand who He really is. Doubt and wonder can't coexist... 

Faith matters. It is the lens through which we view wonder, drawing us closer to Christ and helping us not only see who Jesus is, but how much God loves us. 

Are the questions we ask in the midst of our spiritual storms the right ones? Like the disciples facing a storm in the boat, we might recognize the authority of Jesus, but fear and panic still lurk when we don't know who Jesus is.

In the Gospel of Mark, the author focuses on how Jesus was received and the reaction of the people. Jesus taught differently because He was different. He taught with authority because he was the authority! The world and the Law hadn't changed, but His heart, intent, and motive were different. When we drift from the truth, from His authority, the wonder fades.

After the Israelites passed through the waters, they were tempted and failed to live in obedience to God. But Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days and lived in obedience and fidelity to the Father. The very tempations that Satan presented to Jesus attacked his sonship and his obedience, but Jesus proved to be the true Son of God--a sort of redo for the destiny of Israel. But, practically speaking, what does it look like to live a life of obedience to the Father? "Let me who you how it's done."

The Magi traveled with eagerness to worship Jesus, the newborn King of the Jews, though they had limited knowledge of who He was or why His birth had been foretold. These men of satus, position, and means were among the first to worship the Messiah... but no one followed them to Bethlehem. Why not?

Culturally, Christmas has come and gone, but for those who understand the history of the Church, Christmas is just beginning! The twelve days between Christmas Day and the Epiphany of the Magi (on January 6) are for us to revel in the wonder of the incarnation of Jesus--Emmanuel, God with us.