Simply Following Jesus

Week 15

2008-03-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

Mark 9: 2-32

Jesus allows a few of his disciples to share an intimate time on what has become known as the Mount of Transfiguration. Don’t we all want to build tents and plant permanently at those places where we have encountered God? Where would you plant yourself if you were able? Where have you felt closer to God than anywhere else?

Interestingly after this divine experience the same disciples seems hamstrung to actually translate the good news to the needy boy who was among those gathered at the foot of the mountain, awaiting Jesus return. They seemed powerless and Jesus accuses them of being an ‘unbelieving generation’ (vs 19). If being ‘unbelieving’ means not being able to appropriate the faith so as to affect change (i.e. the boys healing) then might not the contemporary church be accused of the same?

Sadly the testimony of many is the same as that of the boys father “I do believe; help my overcome my unbelief”. What would it take for you to be able to overcome your unbelief (read your lack of trust)? Do you think that the boy’s father’s trust changed as a result of the miracle? How long might the change have lasted? What would it take to effect a permanent change?

Week 14

2008-02-16T06:44:00.000-08:00

Mark 8: 22-9:1

The healing of the blind man from Bethsaida seems to indicate that Jesus sometimes needs a second try. Why didn’t he get it ‘right’ the first time? What if the man being healed had not said anything but had been content with half a healing? Are we prepared to stop when God seems only half done?

Peter’s answer to Jesus question, “Who do people say I am?” is an indication of his understanding of contemporary culture. How do people explain Jesus today? Is their understanding of Jesus any different that an accurate biblical understanding? Just who does the bible say Jesus is? Who you do say he is? This becomes the most central question in our life’s pilgrimage.

Verses 31 and following are very troubling verses. Peter, who moments earlier accurately confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, is now accused of attempting to thwart the actions of God by having his mind on the things of men (read this world). He is actually accused of being in league with Satan. Do you think he did this intentionally? How often, even though motivated by good intentions, do you think we might be hindering the work of God rather than enhancing it? Does this put us in league with the enemy as well?

Week 13

2008-02-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

Mark 8:1-21

We read now of the second time that Jesus feeds a large crowd from the meager offering of a few (4000 mouths fed from 7 loaves very much reminiscent of the 5000 fed from 5 loaves and two fishes in chapter 6).

Central to both stories are the initial offering albeit small; the blessing by Jesus; the distribution by the disciples and the gathering of the leftovers. Equally central is the fact that all of the people ate and were satisfied!

Might the miracle have been hindered if any of the first three components (the offering, the blessing or the distribution) were omitted? What if God wants your offering and you withhold it because you think it is too small? What if he wants you to raise the offering and bless it? What if you are one called to help with the distribution. How can the crowds be fed if any of these were missing? Do we stand in the way of miracles by our hesitancy in participating with Christ?

The ‘yeast of the Pharisees’ was the teaching that prevented the real miracles of God from breaking through. How might the church be equally guilty of preventing Christ from manifesting his real presence because it might un-nerve the comfortable system in place?

Week 12

2008-02-16T06:42:00.000-08:00

Mark 7:24-37

As you begin, note particularly the phrase “He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret” When God is at work word gets out. Equally, when he seems silent, or when religion trumps the dynamic relationship with God that we are invited to engage in, it is silent and we find ourselves needed to ‘make a noise’ or fuss about getting the word out.

In the healing of the woman’s daughter, it seems that it was her persistence that helped motivate Jesus to action. Do there seem like times when ‘prayer with fasting (much persistence’ seems to be more than less the case? Might it be that our persistence is actually evidence of our seriousness? If this is the case, what does that say about the times when we fail in our faithful prayer?

Verse 37 indicates that the crowds were ‘overwhelmed’ with amazement when Jesus healed the deaf mute but they were the very people who brought the man to Jesus in the first place. Why do you think that we seem to have enough faith to come to Jesus but are shocked when he actually manifests his power in our lives?

Week 11

2008-01-25T05:07:00.000-08:00

Mark 7:1-23

Jesus knows how to speak into our hypocrisy and he doesn’t hesitate to do it!

The Pharisees were being accused of letting ‘go of the commands of God and … holding on to the traditions of men’ (vs 8)

Think carefully about your own faith pilgrimage and try to distinguish the times (places or doctrines) that you might be clinging to as vital to the authentic belief and when in fact it may be simply a cultural interpretation or a generational understanding which has little resemblance to the actual instruction of God. Is the contemporary church ever guilty of ‘nullifying the word of God’ by its own traditions that have been handed down?

Are there times when this is actually an excuse for doing something new and different? Are the truths of God being compromised by new cultural interpretations or ‘scholarship’? How do we distinguish between the two?

Week 10

2008-01-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Mark 6:45-56

It seems that Jesus is still quite motivated by his followers need for rest. In spite of the urgent demands of ministry getting apart is vital to emotional, spiritual and physical well being. Are you balancing these three?

While in the boat seeking refreshment, the disciples encounter a storm that rises in the middle of the night. Their fear is exacerbated by the fact that they Jesus presence is understood as a ghost rather than an offer of assistance. How often does Jesus come to us but we ‘miss’ him thinking that he is actually something other than who he is? Might this be because he comes to us in ways that are in conflict with what we like to believe? (people just don’t walk on water do they?)

It is unreasonable to think that Jesus was actually going to pass them by (although he did need to be invited to participate in their situation).

The disciples were filled with fear. The opposite of fear is love. (“perfect love casts out all fear” wrote John (1Jn 4:18). In this case the divine lover presented himself directly in the midst of their fear. Does he still do this today? Identify at all with these disciples… in your own boat, headed toward your life’s goals and then… ghosts…interruptions. Might these actually be Jesus getting your attention?

Week 9 (sorry for the delay getting this up)

2007-12-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

Mark 6:30-44

How very often we get so caught up is ‘doing’ that we don’t seem to make the time to get away to those ‘solitary’ places to get rest. The problem with stopping to rest is that we then have to learn to actually live with ourselves. Our culture wraps identity with ‘doing’ rather than ‘being’. Jesus wants us to learn to be with Him and then do gospel ministry. Which is actually most rewarding for you… doing or being?

Verse 34 gives us one of the best glimpses of Jesus heart revealed anywhere in scripture. Have you considered for one moment that God’s ultimate goal for you includes making your heart one with his? Do you really want to begin to see folks the way he does? What will this mean to your lifestyle?

Jesus miracle of the giant picnic lunch seems dependent upon the active participation of the person who donated the loaves (5) and fishes (2) as well as the disciples who needed to begin the distribution. Does God still need active participants to do miracles? Do you think that we witness so few because there may be too few who are willing to cooperate with Him?

How might he be calling you to partner with him?

Week 8

2007-11-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

Mark 6: 6b-29

The call to discipleship is a call to risky obedience. Indeed some have been know to say that faith is actually spelled R_I_S_K!

When Jesus sends out the twelve disciples his instructions were pretty specific. Why do you think he was so directive about what they were to take and not take; where they were to stay and not stay? What kind of instructions might he give today?

Verses 12 & 13 indicate the nature of the mission and the results: preach; drive out demons and heal. Is this at all reflective of the nature of Christian ministry today? Why or why not?

The narrative about John the Baptists final days evidences the power of words, particularly idle promises made spontaneously in front of others. Herod’s pride would not let him back down. Ever been in this kind of a corner?

Week 7

2007-11-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

Mark 5:21-6:6a

How sad that some people live with their illnesses for decades and never seek divine intervention! We live in an environment which encourages physical treatment but often ignores the other options offered by God. Equally sad is that we are apprehensive to actually approach Jesus. Why is that?

In the case of the woman healed, Jesus said that it was her faith that made her well (see verse 34) but in the case of the sick (even dead) girl it seems that it was her father’s faith that was instrumental. What is the connection between faith and healing? What kind of faith is being called for from us to see the same intervention of God? Just what is your definition of faith? What does the bible say/ (see Hebrews 11)

There is a cliché that suggests that familiarity breeds contempt. This seems to be at the root of the first six verses of chapter 6. Are we prone to still hear distance unfamiliar voices as being more authoritative?

Week 6

2007-10-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Mark 4:1-34

Jesus challenges his listeners to “listen with ears to hear” (vs 9). How we have mastered the ability to listen while still planning our own answers rather than listening with ears to be challenged and changed. There is a great speaker/ listener technique that suggests we fight the urge to mind read and we focus on the speaker’s message without the intent of rebuttal. Wow how that would change our conversations?

With this method in mind, and with Jesus teaching about the kingdom of God, what do you think the implications of verse 8 must be? (maybe verse 20 will help). Realistically what are the implications of this parable in our lives when it comes to the call to evangelism?

Why do you think Jesus talks about the “secret” of the Kingdom of God when in other places the church has been empowered to shout about it from the mountain tops?

What are the implications of the last three parables in your life?

Week 5

2007-10-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

Week 4

2007-10-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

Mark 3:13-34

The first assignment the newly minted apostles were given was to preach the gospel and to drive out demons. What gospel were they given to preach? Jesus hadn’t died nor was raised yet?

It doesn’t seem like they had been given much training yet either. How much damage could that cause! At least this seems to be the excuse for not releasing people too soon these days.

Jesus ministry of ushering in the Kingdom of God was riddled with opposition. He understood that as much of this opportunity was spiritual and he spoke directly to the situation. Do we acknowledge the reality of spiritual opposition to the gospel today? What does it look like?

Jesus chastises his critics and lets them know in no uncertain terms that identifying the things of God, as having been from the enemy is the only unforgivable sin. Oops! How close can we come to this in our quest for spiritual correctness or purity?

How to you feel about Jesus redefining relationships in the last of this chapter? Can you freely call Jesus your brother or is this a tad too familiar?

Week 3 Mark 2:23- 3:12

2007-10-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Remembering the original questions...

“The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath” (vs. 27) becomes a hallmark mantra (in different words) throughout the Gospel narratives. Learning to live life to the fullness, as Jesus suggested the Kingdom of God was all about (see John 10:10) demands understanding the primary demand of the Kingdom was to be learning to love God and our neighbors (as we love ourselves). The problem seems to be that we don’t know how to love ourselves, as we ought.

What do you understand it to mean to “love yourself”? Does it demand that we become a narcissist? What is it that our culture tries to make us believe it means to “love ourselves”?

It seems that folks followed Jesus for any number of reasons. This is true at the beginning of Jesus ministry as well as today. Can you remember what drew you to become a legitimate follower of Jesus in the first place?

Continuining our pilgrimage: Mark 2:1-22

2007-09-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Rembering the foundational questions we are to use when we approach scripture (read last week's post), please read Mark 2: 1-22

The healing of the paralytic who was lowered down through the roof to the feet of Jesus is also the first time Mark records any opposition to Jesus ministry. The theological Nazis were so caught up in ‘correctness’ that they absented themselves from realizing the person standing in their midst. Sound familiar? How so?

What if it was your house that this happened to…does the miracle help deal with the resentment of a home destroyed? Has the gospel destroyed homes in your experience?

The calling of Levi goes against everything that the institution stands for… order and decency. How do we deal with the Levi’s in our culture? How would Jesus?

When Jesus was questioned about his disciple’s failure to maintain the traditions of the historic faith (the very faith which Jesus practiced) He explained that a more important principle was being introduced. Does this mean that the traditions of the church need to be challenged by those witnessing the unfolding of God’s kingdom today? If yes, how so?

let's begin the journey together....

2007-09-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

As we mutually explore scripture in small communities of faith, where an environment of mutual trust and encouragement is developing we will be more apt to find the keys to meaningfully follow Jesus in our culture. Many of the first century disciples were themselves colleagues before they became companions in their journey with Jesus.

You will be asked to read a passage from scripture and the following questions should be help form how you engage the text.

1. What do we learn about the nature of God in this passage?

a. What does it tell us about his relationship with the world?
b. What does it tell us about his relationship with his peculiar people (the church)?

2. What does this passage tell me about me? How do I see a reflection of my behavior and attitudes here? What unnerves me most in this passage?

3. How does this passage instruct me as I attempt to follow Jesus in my daily
life?

a. Is there a command I need to learn to obey?
b. Is there an example I need to learn to follow?
c. Is there an error in thinking or action I need to correct?
d. Is there a promise or gift from God I need to learn to appropriate?

Please read Mark 1:9-45
As well as considering the above questions, let some of these thoughts guide you on the journey.

Please remember that Jesus was still only a relatively unknown wandering rabbi who didn’t have the ecclesiastical authority to demand individuals follow him. Why on earth might you imagine that they left their livelihood and did? What would it take for you to do the same?

Jesus early ministry was marked by many evidences of power (often known to many as power-encounters). Do we expect the same of our God today? What has changed?

Interestingly in the middle of this chapter Mark records Jesus need to get away to a solitary place to reconnect with his Father. What is the nature of your intentional discipline of ‘getting away’ from the chaos of the world?

A model for discovering the way of Jesus in our daily lives.

2007-09-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

As members of our community join together in this journey of discovery, there will be those who, for whatever reason, are unable to gather regularly. This blog is for them particularly but for everyone who wants to be increasingly engaged in being formed for the Kingdom.

Beginning next week there will be weekly readings posted on this site as well as some suggestions as to how we might engage the text . We invite you to join us from your own home, on this journey toward a fuller understanding of just how great the Father's love for us actually is.

Fr Jerry+