MARK 10:1-31

MARK 10:1-31

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.
    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, honor your father and mother.'"
    " Teacher," he declared, " all those 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 a great wealth. Jesus looked around 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 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."

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With Respect

With Respect

The citizens of Israel were having some trouble with the government. It was the late 500s BC, and the Jewish people were eager to complete their temple that had been destroyed in 586 BC by Babylon. However, the governor of their region was not sure they should be doing that, so he sent a note to King Darius (EZRA 5:6-17).
    In the letter, the governor says he found the Jews working on the temple and asks the king if they had permission to do so. The letter also records the Jews' respectful response that they had indeed been given permission by an earlier king ( Cyrus) to rebuild. When the king checked out their story, he found it to be true: King Cyrus had said they could build the temple. So Darius not only gave them permission to rebuild, but he also paid for it!. After the Jews finished building the temple, they " celebrated with joy" because they knew God had "[ changed] the attitude of the king."
    When we see a situation that needs to be addressed, we honor God when we plead our case in a respectful way, trust that He is in control of every situation, and express gratitude for the outcome.
    Lord, help us to respond respectfully to situations around us. We need Your wisdom for this. May we always honor, trust, and praise you.
     Respect for authority brings glory to God

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ERZA 5:6-17

ERZA 5:6-17

This is the copy of the letter Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to king Darius. The report they sent him reads as follows:
To King Darius: Cordial greetings, The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction. We questioned the elders and asked them, " Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it? We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information. This is the answer they gave us: " We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. " However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, " Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.' " So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished." Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

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MARK 10:32-52

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 baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
     " we can," they answered.
     Jesus said to them, " You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with baptism I am baptized 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.

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Abundant Supply

Abundant Supply

We have a hummingbird feeder in the garden, and we love to see the little birds come and drink from its sugary water. Recently, however, we went on a short trip and forgot to replenish its contents. When we came back, it was completely empty dry. Poor birds! I thought. Because of my forgetfulness, they haven't had any nourishment. Then I was reminded that I am not the one who feeds them: God is.
    Sometimes we may feel that all of the demands of our life have depleted our strength and there is no one to replenish it. But others don't feed our souls: God does.
    In Psalm 36 we read about God's lovingkindness. It describes those who put their trust in Him and are abundantly satisfied. God gives them water from His " river of delights". He is the fountain of life!
    We can go to God every day for the supply of our needs. As Charles Spurgeon wrote, " The springs of my faith and all my graces; the springs of my life and all my pleasures; the springs of my activity and all its right doings; the springs of my hope, and all its heavenly anticipations, all lie in thee, my Lord."
    Let us be filled with His abundant supply. His fountain will never dry.
    Lord, I come to You with the confidence that You will fill me with what I need.
    God's love is abundant.

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PSALM 36:5-12

PSALM 36:5-12

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life, in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in my heart. May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. See how the evildoes lie fallen-thrown down, not able to rise!

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MARK 11:1-18

MARK 11:1-18

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpahage 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.

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