Jesus calms the storm – Mark 4:35-41

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Jesus and his disciples in the tempest from the JThe disciples were terrified! The waves crashed all around, water was getting into the boat, and Jesus was sleeping through it all.

I’m sure I would have been terrified too, until Jesus commanded the waves and the sea to be still… and the winds and the waves obeyed him!

The disciples thought they knew Jesus, but they didn’t expect this. “Who is this man?” they wanted to know. The answer to this question is the most important thing we will ever learn in this lifetime.

Is Jesus a great magician or Houdini from the past? Is he a flesh and blood person from a bygone era? Or is he the Master of the Universe, the One who holds everything together?

The disciples learned first hand that Jesus was/is much more than they had first imagined when he calmed their storm.

What storms are you experiencing in your life? Are you looking to the One who can calm the storm to get you through?

Read about it here:

Mark 4:35-41 Jesus Calms the Storm

35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

–Mark 4:35-41 (NLT)

Is Bible reading cool? Mark 4:21-34

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P1MGW_KVR9DS Listening to Jesus

Mark 4:24-25

New Living Translation (NLT)

24 Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given[a]—and you will receive even more. 25 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

The scripture reference for today is longer, Mark 4:21-34, with three short parables. You may read it for yourself by clicking on the link. I have chosen to focus on a few verses between two parables because I feel they build on yesterday’s parable.

How cool is it to pay close attention to Bible verses? Probably not cool with some of your classmates. If you walk up to several teens at random and ask them if reading Bible verses was cool, you would get answers ranging from “Are you kidding?” to “h— no,” while a few might say “Well, yes, but I don’t know very many,” or “I hear some on Sunday at church.”

Is it cool to read them every day? The true answer to this question won’t be found by asking the crowd. When we think “cool” we probably need to think “cool to who?” (technically I should say to whom, but that’s probably not cool either – I digress…).

During the teen years our peers are very important to us, but these teen years are extremely temporary compared to a lifetime, and a mere breath compared to eternity. But it didn’t feel like that to me when I was a teen. Time crept on as I worried from one thing to another.

Back to “cool” and the question “Is paying close attention to Bible verses cool?” Read the verses again and know that it is Jesus talking: “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

Do you remember the seeds that were sown on the path from yesterday – the birds came and ate them? (Mark 4:4 and 4:15) Does this sound a little familiar?

Does Jesus think it is important to listen closely? A good relationship with anyone doesn’t just happen. If you ignored your date, would you expect a good relationship to develop?

Relationships require effort to grow. If you value your relationship with Jesus, you will spend time talking to him and reading his word on a regular basis. You might just start with reading the full passage for today which contains three short parables. Here it is again Mark 4:21-34.

The Parable of the Seeds – Mark 4:1-20

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The parable of the Sower - painting by Harold CopWhat kind of soil are you? Today’s Gospel lesson is Jesus’ parable about the seeds. It comes from Mark 4:1-20. You may click on this link to read it in its entirety. I am printing Jesus explanation of the parable below followed by my comments:

Mark 4:13-20

New Living Translation (NLT)

13 Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

As Jesus said, the seeds are God’s Word, and the soil the people who hear the Word. Which situation sounds like your life?

Are you willing to hear God’s Word, or do you respond with all the doubts Satan pours into your thoughts whenever the subject comes up?

Did you rejoice to think about all of God’s blessings without ever considering what you should give, then abandoned the teachings?

Did you joyfully accept his teachings then forget them when you saw other things you wanted instead?

Or did you treasure God’s Word, letting it reach every part of your heart and soul so that your roots would grow deep? This is the soil that will produce an abundant crop as well as give you abundant life.

Father God, help us to take care of our soil – our very relationship with you – that we may hold fast to your teachings and remain firm in our faith so we may be productive for you. Make us truly thankful for your Word and for all of your blessings.

 

“Who is my mother?” – Mark 3:20-22, 31-32

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Mark 3:35 (NLT)The recommended gospel reading for today is Mark 3:19b-35 which you can read at this link. I am going to focus on verses 20-22 and 31-32 which you can read below:

Mark 3:20-22, 31-32

20 One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

22 But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan,[a] the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”

….

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers[b] are outside asking for you.”

33 Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”34 Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 35 ”

–Mark 3:20-22, 31-32

This passage has confused me in the past, especially verses 33 & 34. It appears that Jesus is dishonoring his mother, but when you read beginning with verse 20 you will gain more understanding.

It is obvious that Jesus mother and brothers did not understand Jesus’ mission. They had concluded that Jesus was out of his mind, and were ready to take him away from the crowd. At the same time, the religious leaders were challenging him and accusing him of using demonic power to cast out demons.

Jesus knew how to answer the religious leaders (in the omitted verses) and to put them in their place. Then he was told his mother and brothers were at the door.

Jesus’ response was a statement that explained the difference between his spiritual family and his biological family – who at that point in time were rejecting his message and his mission. Those who did God’s will were his spiritual brothers and sisters.

Crowds cause Jesus to teach from boat – Mark 3:7-12

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7VGMW_KVR9DS Jesus teaches from boatJesus became so popular that the people crowded in to see and hear him wherever he went. At one point there were so many people crowding around him that he asked the Disciples to get a boat ready so he could get in it and push a little way from the shore so he could speak to the crowd.

You might have to overlook my picture today. I tried an experiment using Bitstrips. Let me know what you think. Yeah, I know I need more people to call it a crowd, but you can use your imagination, right?

 

Mark 3:7-12

New Living Translation (NLT)

Crowds Follow Jesus

7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea,8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.

9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil[a]spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.

Image credit: designpics / 123RF Stock Photo