Month: February 2013

RE Verse reading–Mark 15:40-47, Mark 16: 1-8 (day one)
“But go tell His disciples and Peter that He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.”  (16:7)  It was a loud, clear statement on the subject of equality.  The first people to carry the good news of Christ’s resurrection were women.  Unheard of in His day and not the first indication of Jesus’ view.  The Samaritan woman experienced respect from Jesus rather than condemnation (John 4).  Mary was encouraged to study the scripture along with the men (Luke 10).  Now, the Lord tasks these faithful women with a duty.  To these loyal souls, to these willing-to-brave-the-scorn-of-association-with-Christ people He says, “Go tell!” and then trusts them to act with the same sort of bravery that led them to the tomb in the first place.  Without an ounce of prejudice, the Lord gave an assignment to them and a lesson to us.  The first preachers of the Easter message were women.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:10-11, 17-21, 41-50 (day seven)
“It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”  (vs 21)  I believe that Judas is in hell.  It is not something I say with any joy.  I believe Jesus was telling us.  What could be worse than not ever living?  What could ever make life itself a mistake–something to regret?  Answer–to experience eternal death.  Sober words, I know.  Not, however, unusal in Scripture.  “Whoever wishes to save his life will LOSE it.”  (Luke 9:24)  “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME.’ ” (Matthew 7:22-23)  I believe that the universe is much harsher than most of us imagine–much cleaner, more ruggedly just.  I believe that Jesus was warning Judas, I believe He was warning us.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:10-11, 17-21, 41-50 (day six)
“Then Judas Iscariot. . .went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.  When they heard it, they were greatly pleased and promised to give him money.”  (vs 10-11)  Matthew adds a sad detail to the Judas story.  He ASKED for money.  It was HIS IDEA–not something the Sanhedrin offered.  “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?”  (Matthew 26:15)  Makes it worse for me, somehow.  Colder.  More heartless.  What do  I take in trade for Christ?  What do I ask/seek from an unbelieving world, knowing that the purchase price will be the “first love” that legitimately belongs only to Jesus?  “Everyone has his price” says the old cynicism.  “Still as of old, man by himself is priced; for thirty pieces, Judas sold himself, not Christ.”  “Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of the wicked.” (Psalm 37:16)  Keep us pure, Lord.  Only yours.  Not for sale.

RE Verse reading: Mark 14:10-11, 17-21, 41-50 (day five)
Learned a new word this week. Bokeh (pronounced Bō kuh) is the ability to keep one part of a picture in focus while the other remains blurry. Ever seen a picture where the foreground is blurry and the background is in focus? The trick is to focus on a particular object in the background. Jesus had an amazing capacity to do this between present circumstances and the eternal perspective. His focus was on the eternal perspective from the beginning of His ministry (Mark 1:38- “Let us go somewhere else… so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”) to the end (Mark 14:49- “But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”) Even the Hebrews writer references this ability (Hebrews 12:2- For the joy set before him he endured the cross). I will pray, asking God to help me have this kind of vision. I will read the scriptures believing they will shape my ability to clearly see the eternal.

RE Verse reading:  Mark 14:10-11, 17-21, 41-50 (day four)
What a disappointing experience!  One of Jesus’ closest followers is the one who will betray Him.  And worst yet, He knew it ahead of time.  Jesus knew Judas’ heart even better than Judas.  Judas had walked with Jesus, heard Him teach daily, seen miracles of healing…of quieting storms…of raising from the dead (Judas was even the treasurer of the group, a position of trust!).  How would you respond to such betrayal?  I know how I would have and I’m sure it wouldn’t have been pretty.  Jesus saw a much bigger picture, though.  He saw past any personal rights that were violated and saw God’s greater picture of redemption.  We could look around ourselves in today’s world and feel that our personal rights are being violated, but God’s Word paints a much bigger picture than our rights.  By staying in God’s Word daily, we can gain His perspective on current events, and like verse 49 say, “but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.”

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:10-11; 17-21; 41-50 (day three)
“It would be better for him if he had not been born.” The human will can devote itself to a certain path, and it can organize the mind, body, and social context of a person to help it stay on that path. The longer these things assist the will, the stronger the will becomes in its determination to stay the course–until it becomes difficult for the will to consider any other possibility. When this happens towards the things of God, we call it discipleship. When it happens towards the things of man, we call it destruction. The most Judas’s hardened will would register after his evil deed was a feeling of remorse. Repentance would have led to a new path and a forgiving Savior. But the remorse mustered by the hardened will of Judas found its only answer in suicide. The will is the heart of a human life. No wonder the scriptures tell us to guard it.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:10-11, 17-21, 41-50 (day two)
What’s worse: premeditated, cold-blooded betrayal or passive, save-your-own-skin betrayal? Judas “looked” intently for a chance to have Jesus murdered (14:11). The disciples abandoned him in an attempt to save their own lives (14:50). As the saying goes, “I don’t have to out run the bear. I just have to out run you!” Both betrayals reveal a morbidly self-centered person. Both destroy the trust that sustains relationship. Both end in death. But both share something else. Both are taken up by the sovereign God and become instruments of redeeming love. Jesus’ death at their hands makes Jesus able to offer forgiveness through his hands. As James Edwards puts it, “divine grace uses even human evil for its saving purpose.” It is broken trust in the Sovereign God that leads to betrayal. It is through that betrayal that God demonstrates His own unswerving trustworthiness. God doesn’t ask, “can I trust you?” God asks, “will you trust Me again?”

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:10-11, 17-21, 41-50  (day one)
“So when he (Judas) came, he went up to him (Jesus) at once and said, ‘Rabbi’ and kissed him.  Then they laid hands on him and arrested him.”  (vs 45-46)  Did Judas think Jesus was naive?  Did he actually believe that the Lord would be fooled by such a pretense of friendship?  That Jesus would conclude that Judas was innocent, that the guards had found Jesus and identified him without his help? Perhaps, Judas was trying to say (as we sometimes do)  “I still have great respect for you.”  “Nothing personal.”  Trying vainly to separate what he was doing from his heart.  It won’t work.  Not for Judas.  Not for us.  “There is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be made known”  (Matthew 10:26)  Try as we might to hide, who we are and what we do with Christ stands in the open for all to see.  No secrets.  Nothing is hidden.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:1-9 (day seven)
“She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head.”  (vs 3)  Wisdom is different than knowledge.  Wisdom is the ability to use right information (knowledge) to make right choices.  Mary was, by this definition, a wise woman.  Over three years, she learned to listen carefully to Jesus.  She didn’t have perfect choices.  No circumstance ever presents perfect choices.  She did see, however, that the best choice, given His coming death, was to love Christ.  To communicate her love to Christ.  To go public.  Even at great cost.  There were (and are) many who will second-guess such a public declaration.  One charactersitic of wisdom is the ability to remember whose approval ultimately matters.  Proverbs 31 says, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in WISDOM. . .Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.”  (31:25-26, 30)  True.  Still true.

RE Verse reading–Mark 14:1-9 (day six)
“She has done a beautiful thing to me.”  (vs 6)  It is a beautiful day in San Antonio.  Friday as I write this blog.  Clear skies, sunny, just a hint of cool in the air.  The work of God.  Are we made to do something similar?  Maybe not on the same scale, but yes!  Our lives and choices are intended by God to be morally and intellectually splendid, reflecting the Creator and His goodness.  In Mark 14, Jesus commends Mary because she has done something beautiful.  The greek word is kalos, “good because it is beautiful rather than good because it is practical”.  What will you do today that reflects the beauty of God’s love for others?  What will you do today that will reflect the beauty of God’s generosity?  “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good (kalos, “beautiful”) works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:11)