Hard Hearts (Mark 10:1-16)
Instead of promoting Himself, Jesus constantly served others and put their interests ahead of His own. Not only His teaching, but His very life was a threat to the religious leaders of the time. His humility, service and righteousness exposed their pride and hypocrisy. The religious leaders tried their best to discredit Jesus. The problem […]
Who Is Greatest? (Mark 9:33-50)
There is something in most people which craves status and recognition. We want to be first. We want others to acknowledge our importance. We often think we are better than other people. Jesus’ disciples were no different. They, too, wanted to put themselves first. However, Jesus taught that true greatness is measured by service and […]
If You Can (Mark 9:14-32)
Why doesn’t God grant our requests even when we ask for what is good? One of the reasons is that in our heart of hearts we sometimes doubt that God is able to do what we ask of Him. Similarly, why do our attempts to serve God sometimes seem so ineffective? Could it be that […]
Jesus’ Glory (Mark 9:2-13)
It is often difficult for us to see reality. Sometimes our preconceived notions of how things ought to be causes us to have a distorted view of the actual facts. Sometimes we don’t know crucial information which would change how we look at things. But, most importantly, we often forget that the physical and material […]
Seeing Clearly (Mark 8:22-9:1)
Glasses enable those whose eyesight is not clear to see plainly. Without them, objects appear distorted and it is difficult to see things as they really are. It is the same in regard to spiritual things. Without a true understanding of who Jesus is, it is impossible to clearly see spiritual reality. Unless we recognize […]
The Yeast of the Pharisees (Mark 8:1-21)
As anyone who has studied in school knows, sometimes it is necessary to hear a lesson more than once before a person can understand it. Our minds are not always capable of grasping the material the first time. However, there is another reason why people sometimes do not understand – it is because their hearts […]
You Have A Reputation
Everybody has a reputation. When someone mentions your name, an image automatically springs into the minds of those who know you. Perhaps people cringe and shudder when they hear your name because they think of you as cruel or deceitful. Perhaps they grin or chuckle because you are known for your easy-going nature and your […]
A Horn of Salvation
How shall we describe God? With what words should we extol His mighty works? At the birth of John the Baptist, his father Zechariah said, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the […]
Foreign Miracles (Mark 7:24-37)
Many people feel uncomfortable around others who come from different backgrounds than they, especially foreigners. One reason for this attitude is lack of knowledge. We fear what we don’t know or understand and the other person’s habits and ways of thinking are unknown to us. Even worse, however, is the feeling of contempt we have […]
Clean And Unclean (Mark 7:1-23)
Many religions and systems of belief contradict each other. However, one thing about which most religions agree is the need for cleansing. God is pure and we who are impure cannot worship Him or come into His presence unless we have been cleansed. The question is what makes a person “clean” or “unclean”? An even […]