Morning Grace

- Re-read Mark 12:13-37 from this week's devotions. - Read the passage again and identify a word or phrases that jump out at you. - Read the passage again, and if possible read from a different translation ( biblegateway.com  has many translations you can choose from). Identify where this passage might be touching your life today. How is this relevant to your life? - Read the passage a third time, again in a different translation if possible. Ask yourself what God is calling you to do or to be from this passage. What change might God be moving your toward? - Close with a silent prayer, listening to God rather than speaking to God. What actions will you take today based on this prayer? - Recite the Lord's Prayer.

While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David?  David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,      until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight. ~ Mark 12:35-37 As Jesus has entered Jerusalem, he finally engages in the conversation about the Messiah. Messiah = Chosen One. For the Hebrew people, the Messiah would come from the line of David (btw fun fact: the Greek for that is "Christus." We get the name/title Jesus Christ from the transliteration of the Hebrew into Greek and then into English. If you want to say Jesus name/title in Hebrew, it is "Yeshua Hamashiach"). The Jewish people have been waiting for a long time for their Messiah, and that Messiah will be David's son, or so their tradition goes. Jesus enters into a philosophical/theolog

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”  Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;  you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’;  and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”  When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question. ~ Mark 12:

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying,  “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the manshall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.  There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children;  and the second married the widow and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise;  none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died.  In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.” Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?  He is

Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said.  And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?  Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.”  And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.”  Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him. ~ Mark 12:13-17 It's easy to miss the subtleties of this conversation. In this famous discussion between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, we  can get caught up in wondering just what Jesus thinks about taxes, and can miss one of the

- Re-read the Mark 11:15-12:12 from this week's devotions. - Read the passage again and identify a word or phrases that jump out at you. - Read the passage again, and if possible read from a different translation ( biblegateway.com  has many translations you can choose from). Identify where this passage might be touching your life today. How is this relevant to your life? - Read the passage a third time, again in a different translation if possible. Ask yourself what God is calling you to do or to be from this passage. What change might God be moving your toward? - Close with a silent prayer, listening to God rather than speaking to God. What actions will you take today based on this prayer? - Recite the Lord's Prayer.

Then he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.  When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard.  But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted.  Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed.  He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’  So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.  What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to o

Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him  and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?”  Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.  Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.”  They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’  But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet.  So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” ~ Mark 11:27-33 Not even sure why the chief priests, elders, and scribes keep trying to trick Jesus. It never works. Jesus has a way of evading trick questions. He either answers with another question or he gives an answer

(On the following day, when they came from Bethany, (Jesus) was hungry.  Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. ~ Mark 11:12-14 ) In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.  Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”  Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.  Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.  So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heave

Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves;  and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.  He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?      But you have made it a den of robbers.” And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.  And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. ~ Mark 11:15:19 Over the weekend I asked you to mull about the cursing of the fig tree. But before we get to see it again tomorrow, we get this dramatic scene of Jesus overturning the tables in the Temple. Given that we will come back to the fig tree, it is safe to assume there is a connec

- Re-read Mark 10:35-11:14 from this week's devotions. - Read the passage again and identify a word or phrases that jump out at you. - Read the passage again, and if possible read from a different translation ( biblegateway.com  has many translations you can choose from). Identify where this passage might be touching your life today. How is this relevant to your life? - Read the passage a third time, again in a different translation if possible. Ask yourself what God is calling you to do or to be from this passage. What change might God be moving your toward? - Close with a silent prayer, listening to God rather than speaking to God. What actions will you take today based on this prayer? - Recite the Lord's Prayer.

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, (Jesus) was hungry.  Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. ~ Mark 11:12-14 There is a dilemma I face as a devotional writer who is writing devotionals from a whole book of scripture. Sometimes a passage will be inconvenient in where it pops up! This is one of them. It is not a passage meant to be read on its own. Yet, the part that ties directly to it comes after the next passage.  So what to do? I'll come back to it next week. In the meantime, allow yourself to be troubled and puzzled by this uncharacteristic scene of Jesus and an unassuming fig tree. Sit with the discomfort rather than try to figure it out or explain it. Simply sit with it. Holy God, thank you for the gospel - the good news - of

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples  and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it.  If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’”  They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it,  some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”  They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it.  Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it.  Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.  Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna!   Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!    Blesse

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”  So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.  Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.”  Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. ~ Mark 10:46-52 The second section of Mark begins and ends with the healing of blindness. In a lot of ways, you could say that Jesus' whole ministry is centered on the healing of

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?”  And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”  But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”  They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;  but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John.  So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.  But it is

- Re-read Mark 10:13-34 from this week's devotions. - Read the passage again and identify a word or phrases that jump out at you. - Read the passage again, and if possible read from a different translation ( biblegateway.com  has many translations you can choose from). Identify where this passage might be touching your life today. How is this relevant to your life? - Read the passage a third time, again in a different translation if possible. Ask yourself what God is calling you to do or to be from this passage. What change might God be moving your toward? - Close with a silent prayer, listening to God rather than speaking to God. What actions will you take today based on this prayer? - Recite the Lord's Prayer.

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him,  saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles;  they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.” ~ Mark 10:32-34 This is the most specific of Jesus' three predictions about his death and resurrection. It's a vivid image for me: Jesus walking ahead of the disciples, who are amazed and afraid at what's coming. The anticipation has been building, and while over time they have still faltered and messed up, they know that something big is on the horizon. Maybe they are wondering about their place in how this will all unfold. Maybe the still are holding

Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”  Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news,  who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” ~ Mark 10:28-31 As much as the disciples often don't get it, Peter has a point here. They have literally left everything behind. I'm not sure if Peter is exasperated here with Jesus or if he's simply stating a fact. Either way, it does feel as if Jesus is offering him both reassurance and a caution. Reassurance that this isn't all for nothing. That even though family has been left behind, a new family has come in its place. That there is still a home. There is still meaning. But then