The Book of Mark is the last book of the New Testament in our Challenge to read the Bible on a daily basis. While we read this book, we need to keep in mind that one of the words that characterizes Jesus' interraction with the people is compassion. Jesus has compassion for all who cry out to him.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day23 – Mark 1 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter. (Mark 1:40-45)
Most Christians believe that Jesus can heal them of any kind of sickness or disease. They believe that he is the Alpha and the Omega, and that nothing is impossible for the Lord. But what they don’t know is whether or not Jesus is willing to heal them. Some even think that the time of healing has passed and that Jesus would not heal anyone today. However, the Bible is clear about the unchanging nature of Jesus. He is the same yesterday today and forever. He has not changed, and he will not change.
In the story of the healing of the leper, we see that the primary motivation factor for the miracle was the compassion of Jesus. “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean (v. 41).” Jesus healed the leper not because he was a good Christian, not because he has done some great thing, but simply because Jesus was moved with compassion for the man. He has the same kind of compassion for whoever comes to him in prayer.
May the Lord richly bless you
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day23 – Mark 2 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:13-17
What attracted sinners to Jesus? What push away sinners from us Christians? Is Jesus still accessible to sinners? Is he still compassionate toward sinners? Even on the cross, he was still thinking about them, forgiving them even before they asked for his forgiveness: “Father, forgive them because they know not what they are doing,” was Jesus' prayer for those who were beating and mocking him.
Would you rather stand in the presence of God on the basis of your good works or on the basis of his grace and mercy? I would select grace every time instead of work. Grace, unmerited favor is freely available to us because of God’s love. Jesus hung out with sinners because he has compassionate on them and wanted to heal them spiritually, physically and emotionally.
Do you afraid to get near to Jesus because of your sins? What don’t you tell him about them day after day and ask him to help you? You would be happy to see how he responds. Jesus loves sinners.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day25 – Mark 3 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.
34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:31-35)
How does it feel to lose even temporarily the love or the presence of a loved one? We turn to God with great hope knowing that he will never leave us nor forsake us.
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15)
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day26 – Mark 4 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)
A few months ago, we started our first Challenge, the Book of John Challenge. Unknowing to all of us, the first Challenge was the beginning of a journey that was to take us through the reading of all the books of the New Testament. We are almost there, the Book of Mark is the last of our New Testament books Challenges. In a couple of weeks, we will be done.
You may feel that you have wasted your time since you have not seen great improvement in your spiritual life. But we should not be deceived by our feelings, we have accomplished a lot. We have learned to be patient and persistent just as the man in this parable was. He went out and scattered seed on the ground (v. 26). And then he waited.
“Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how (v. 27). The word of God that we have been planting in our minds is producing a crop. We are being transformed into the image of Christ through his word. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 4:6).”
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 27 – Mark 5 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him. (Mark 5:21-24)
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:40-43)
We should be careful in our prayers to avoid giving complete outline of how we want our prayers to be answered. Our outline can be so contingent on external factors outside of our control that we could lose our blessings. The crowd can be too big for us to pass through. The best advice is to pray and leave the solution up to God. He knows best how to solve our problems.
In the end, only the grace and compassion of the Lord will get us out of all our troubles. Jesus had to sustain the faith of Jarius, the father of the sick and dying girl. Jesus has to sustain our faith in order for us to succeed in prayer, because most often our faith is not strong enough. The Lord is continuously telling us as he said to the girl’s father, “Don’t be afraid; just believe (v. 36).”
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 28 – Mark 6 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. (Mark 6:45-56)
Human beings love the illusion of being in control. However, the realization that God is in control make many people very upset and angry. But they cannot do anything about it. God is sovereign. He gave us free will, and still he is in control. So, the best course of action for us is to cooperate with the will of God. The disciples followed Jesus command to get into the boat, yet the wind was against them. This is to show us that one can be in the will of God and at the same time going through difficulties.
Our problems are nothing but opportunities for God to show his glory. The problem allowed the disciples to witness a great display of Jesus’ power, of his love and of his compassion for mankind.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 29 – Mark 7 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] [f]
17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” (Mark 7:14-23)
Jesus told a fundamental truth to his followers regarding the impact of our thoughts on our spiritual health. The crowd did understand the parable, and even his disciples did not get it. Spiritual life is a question of our heart, a question of our thought process. “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come (v. 20-21).”
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 30 – Mark 8 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied. (Mark 7:14-23)
The word compassion is repeated many times in the Gospel to depict the inner motivation of Jesus while performing a miracle to help those in needs. The miracles indeed demonstrated the power Jesus, however most of his miracles were done just for the sake of the well-being of the people. Jesus cared about them. He would often ask the person healed or delivered not to say any word about the miracle.
We must follow the example of Jesus. He called us to do the same works that he did, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons. What is missing in our lives is the compassion of Jesus. The book of 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that without love we are nothing. In order for us to demonstrate power in the Kingdom of God we must first demonstrate God’s love and compassion toward those who are hurting.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 1 – Mark 9 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
The Transfiguration
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.
11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.” (Mark 9:2-13)
Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory. (Exodus 33:18)” Have you ever prayed that prayer? God was not upset with Moses for such a bold request, he will not be upset with you with a similar prayer, “Lord show me your glory.” Only Peter, James and John were found worthy to have a transfiguration before the death and the resurrection of the Son of Man (9). But now that secret is in the open, every Christian should desire to have a transfiguration experience with the Lord. “Now, show me your glory.”
It is wonderful when heaven and earth touch.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 1 – Mark 10 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
46 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. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:46-52)
The story of Bartimaeus can be our own story. We can let ourselves be discouraged by our problems, or we can call on the name of Jesus to have out solutio. Even the people closest to us, who have our best interest at heart will at times try to discourage us. “Many people rebuked Bartimaeus and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me! (v. 48)”” They did not want him to be embarrassed. We can miss out on God if we are too concerned about being disappointed by our unanswered prayers.
All our prayers are answered by God when we trust him completely.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 3 – Mark 11 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[f] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:20-25)
In this pasage the Lord Jesus gives us the key to success in prayer. Here we find everything we need to know about success in prayer. Prayer should be from the heart. We shoul pray with the simplicity of a child. Avoid at all cost to hold anything against anyone.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (v. 24)
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 4 – Mark 12 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[b] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him. (Mark 11:20-25)
We can avoid a lot of difficulties just by refusing to be flattered. “But Jesus knew their hypocrisy (v. 15).” The most difficult temptations to overcome are the ones that flattered the ego or vanity of our human hearts. Jesus had no such problems. He did not have an ego to feed, his sole focus was on pleasing the Father. Satan used flattery to cause Eve to sin in the Garden of Eden. “You will be just like God,” he said. And the human race has being falling for the same old lies ever since. The lies continue, if you have power over people you will be happy, if you have money you will be content, and a lot deceitful propaganda on the same line.
We should have known better, “No Jesus, no peace. No Jesus, no happiness. No Jesus, no contentment.” “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
May the Lord richly bless you
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 5 – Mark 13 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” (Mark 13:32-37)
The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 4:8 that there is crown called “Crown of Righteousness” that God will give to those who live in the expectancy of Christ coming. In our church we try to keep our expectancy alive by concluding each of our services with the shout “Maranatha! Christ Revient!” We remind ourselves that Jesus is coming back soon. Jesus said, "What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch! (v.37)." The Christian true response needs to be, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)”
There are two things that we can do to help the Lord Jesus’s return. Frist, we need to preach the Gospel, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:4).” Second, we need to live a life of holiness, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9).”
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 6 – Mark 14 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the[c] covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:22-25)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for[f] you. Do this in remembrance of me.”[g] 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. (Mark 14:62-65)
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
May the Lord richly bless you!
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Book of Mark Challenge – Day 7– Mark 15 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
33 And when the sixth hour[f] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.[g] 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son[i] of God!” (Mark 15:33-39)
Jesus gave his life for us on the cross so we can have eternal life. His death on the cross taught us how to live and to die for the Lord. “ 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (John 12:24-25)
The life that Jesus calls us to live is so radical that it is equated to death. We say goodbye to the desire for revenge, to hatred, to greed, envy, fear, and all negatives thoughts and attitudes. And we embrace the love of God manifested in Christ Jesus. The centurion testified that Jesus was the Son of God when he saw the way he died. The world will be compelled to testify of God’s love when they see the way we live. We die to self and live for God so we can bear much fruit.
May the Lord richly bless you!
Hello:
We have reached the end of the Book of Mark Challenge and of the New Testament Challenge. We have read the 260 chapters of the NT. It was a very long journey, but a very exciting and rewarding one. We are blessed by the reading of the Word of God.
Book of Mark Challenge – Day 8 – Mark 16 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. (Mark 16:15-20)
After his resurrection and just before his ascension to heaven Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission to “go into all the World and preach the gospel to all creation (v.15). This mandate was for the first disciples and to all disciples throughout the years. ”Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).”
Disciples are called to make disciples. The question posed by the writer of “33 Melodies Joyeuses” should be our own question. Should I leave this earth empty-handed without winning a soul for the Lord? “Dois-je partir les mains vides?”
The Great Commission is for all of us.
May the Lord richly bless you!