Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - He's continually working to finish what He's started. He's not going to leave us stuck beside the road halfway home.
Help:
- Verses 12-14 - It's not that Paul is glad to be imprisoned, but he can see where God is moving in that.
- Verses 15-18 - Some have good motives for their preaching; some don't. Paul focuses on the fact that Christ is being preached and rejoices in that.
- Verse 21 - Living meant more opportunities to make a difference for Christ; dying meant going to be with Jesus, where things would be even better than here on earth.
- Verse 29 - Suffering is part of the deal in becoming a Christian.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Your Comments:
- Mark 8:
Verse 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat
This is encouraging to see Jesus recognized perseverance and dedication. I believe it also draws a parallel to the act of fasting, and how God views those who fast.
Verse 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why does this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
I think the writers description of Jesus sighing “deeply in his spirit” is telling us something that we should be careful not to overlook. Jesus was God and man, and as a man he felt tired and frustrated. I believe the hypocritical Pharisees’ constant tempting and challenging of Jesus affected him “deeply”. We are certainly no less susceptible of being deeply affected by similar challenges.
Jesus’ denial of a sign to a generation that sought one is something to consider as well. I believe folks today ignore the bible, and the blessings of God, yet look for some sort of a sign. It could be that God intentionally withholds one.
Verse 21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
Interesting that the disciples were having trouble with unbelief concerning the second miracle of the feeding of a multitude. While it is easy to cast stones at them, I believe this is a warning to me today that it is easy to act this way and a challenge not to do so.
Verses 31-33
And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Peter had his own earthly agenda. He wanted Christ to be a Messiah who rose up against the Jewish captors in Rome and overthrew the empire. He had seen enough of Jesus to know his power and to know he was the Christ (Verse 29). Jesus forecast of his death was contrary to Peter’s plan and Peter rebuked Jesus openly. So Jesus rebuked Peter openly and called him Satan.
To me this is a challenge to pray that everything in my life be in God’s will. I have done a lot of that in the last year with the death in my family, and with our desire to move, and with career choices at work. I pray each day that God’s will be done. I also pray that I mean it.
- Mark 7:
- Mark 7:
The most interesting things in this chapter for me are:
1. The rebuke Jesus gave the Pharisees (1-23)
2. The initial answer Jesus gave the Gentile lady (24-30)
The rebuke of the Pharisees in verses 6-9 contain some direct assessments by Jesus. Paraphrasing he said:
Isaiah was right when he prophesied of you hypocrites. He said your talk would sound Godly, but inside your hearts would be far from God.
You worship God in vain.
You teach the commandments of men as your doctrine.
You lay aside the commandments of God and replace it with the tradition of men.
“Full well ye reject the commandment of God that ye may keep your own doctrine.”
These comments by Jesus remind me of two other scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:5 and Titus 1:16
Referring to people in “the last days” 2 Timothy 3:5 - Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
In Titus Chapter 1 beginning at verse 10, Paul starts addressing these same “vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision”. A lot of Christians in the early church were being harassed and worse for not upholding traditional rules of Judaism, many of which were man made. In verse 14 Paul cautions them to not “give heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth”. He ends in verse 16 by saying “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”
The Pharisees were standing in the presence of Jesus, God in the flesh. They clung to their religious system and denied the true teachings and power of God. Control of the people was their first priority and must have meant a lot to them.
I agree with you about the initial answer Jesus gave the Greek lady.
What this chapter says to me is that God has a set of rules and a plan and doesn’t need me to add to or take away from them.
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