Share Real Life Together

Celebrate!

Read  Mark 16:1-8

Reflect
In C.S. Lewis’ famous story “The Lion, the Witch, and Wardrobe” the land of Narnia is described as the place where “it is always winter but never Christmas.”  Because of the malevolent evil that gripped Narnia it was a land with little hope and nothing to celebrate.

During this time of Lent we have been reminded again of the brokenness of this world and the sin ever present within us and around us.   But as Christians this forty-day period concludes not in despair of the death of the crucified Messiah but in the triumphant cry “He is not here.  He is risen, just as He said!”  His resurrection is the reason to celebrate for it is also our resurrection, our new hope and our future free from sin and death.  The Lenten period is over.  The time to celebrate has arrived.

Carl R. Anderson

Rest and Draw Near

Read  Hebrews 4:1-16

Reflect
Read through this passage several times, praying and considering what you read in the text.  Write a devotional reflecting your understanding of the text or one particular idea in the text, and how it impacts you personally.  How does this passage help you grasp your own sin and God’s great mercy and grace?  And how could our body be impacted as well?

Respond
Pray…with gratitude for one transforming truth experienced this season.

Reality Check

Read  John 13:36-38

Reflect
As we have journeyed this Lenten pilgrimage together, we have been through hills and valleys with our Lord.  We have seen him raise the dead, heal the sick, forgive sin, and restore the shamed to new hope.  We know that this God-Man we are following can do anything.  We may have even become so convinced in our zeal to “do great things for God” that we are willing to overlook a terrifying truth and deny an enemy deep within us.

I am intimately acquainted with this unseen enemy.  It propelled me through seminary, support raising, and led my family to a wintry wonderland around the world.  It is the enemy of “zeal without knowledge.”  Read the rest of this entry »

Do We Get It?

Read  Mark 14:12-25

Reflect
There’d been such oddness these past few days and weeks.  The Teacher had begun making statements predicting his death.  And he was resolutely headed toward Jerusalem, the place of his foretold demise.  How odd was that, predicting your own death and then setting out for the place you said it would happen?  The disciples had apparently not given it much attention.  Did they get that he really meant it?

Jesus had apparently made some advance preparations for this day, so that when they asked about the Passover meal he was ready with instructions.  “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.”  An unmistakable sign, as men didn’t carry jars of water in that culture.  Did they understand that something out of the ordinary was about to happen?

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Parable of the Evil Farmers

Read  Mark 12:1-11

Reflect
The Parables told by Jesus were stories used to illustrate a new idea that would be easy to understand and pass on to others.  I must admit I had not read this parable before, and found myself missing the point even after two or three readings.  I am embarrassed to say I could not see the forest for all the trees.  I encourage you to read it for yourselves, as I am sure you will do better than I did, but here is a very brief overview:

A man planted a vineyard and leased it to some farmers and then moved away.  When it came time for harvest, the owner sent servants to collect his share.  But with every servant he sent, the farmers either beat or killed them.  In the end the owner even sent his son to the vineyard, and the farmers killed him as well.

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By Whose Authority

Read  Mark 11: 27-33

Reflect
Predictably, Jesus was the center of a lot of uproar.  When he rode into town on a donkey, people rushed him as he approached.  Crowds thronged his path, waving palm branches and crying Hosanna! as the Pharisees looked on despairingly and disapprovingly, muttering to themselves, “Look, the whole world has gone after him.”

Over the next few days, the chief priests, elders and scribes became increasingly agitated, to the point of murderous intent.  When Jesus returned to the city and the temple, the rulers accosted him, demanding, “By what authority are you doing these things?  Who gave you this authority to do them?”

The smart aleck in me sitting in the peanut gallery wants me to shout out with the wisecrack, “Who do you think, you numbskulls?”  Read the rest of this entry »

Leaves But No Fruit

Read  Mark 11:12-25

Reflect
What has been described as Christ’s only “miracle of judgment” (as opposed to his many “miracles of mercy”) pertains to his encounter with a fig tree.  He was hungry, and had a full day ahead of him as he strode toward the city.  A fig tree in the distance looked promising because it was in leaf, so that, even though it was not yet the season for figs, perhaps the edible buds (or taksh) which precede the mature fruit would surely be found to help curb the hunger.  To his disappointment, no doubt, he found leaves but no fruit.  In the hearing of his disciples he pronounced, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”  The next morning, after a busy day at the temple, the disciples saw to their astonishment that “the fig tree had withered away to its roots.”

This story has been for me always, one of the most chilling passages from the Gospels.  And it hasn’t gotten any easier for me through the years; in some ways, it is more difficult.  Read the rest of this entry »

Recognizing the Time of Your Visitation

Read  Luke 19:41-48

Reflect
Upon seeing the city of Jerusalem in the distance, the Son of God began to weep. But why weep? Jesus was, after all, coming into His city. This was the city of King David, the place where he reigned for 33 years and received a promise of an everlasting kingdom. This was the home of the Temple, the house of worship, honor, and prayer for the God of the Universe. Yes, Jerusalem, whose very name means “Foundation of Peace,” had seen much throughout its history. The city had seen its walls breached by the Babylonians; the city had seen its Temple be desecrated by the worship of foreign gods; and the city had seen the miraculous provision of the Lord as He allowed the city to be rebuilt and the Temple to be rededicated.  In spite of all that the city had seen, though, she failed to recognize the most important One of all, the Prince of Peace Himself. Because of her spiritual blindness, once again the city would be plundered, once again her temple would be destroyed, and once again the Lord would offer restoration—if only she would see and believe.

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Seeing With His Eyes

Read  Mark 10:46-52

Reflect
Blind Bartimaeus lifted his voice and cried out for attention when he heard Jesus was passing by on the road to Jerusalem.  He got attention all right, but from the crowd who ordered this blind nobody to be quiet.  And Bartimaeus was a nobody, shoved to the side of the road as a beggar and unable to enter into religious life or earn his bread by work.  But Jesus heard his plea and answered his one desire:  “I want to see.”

What did Bartimaeus see in that instant of healing?  Perhaps he saw the face of Jesus, compassionate and caring, looking intently into his face to catch the first joyful realization of wholeness.   His heart captured by mercy, Bartimaeus did not turn himself to the pleasure of celebrating, but left his beggar place and followed Jesus down the road.

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Mercy Streams

Read Mark 10:32-35

Reflect
As I read and reread these verses, my mind and heart can’t seem to focus. I see the words “Jesus leading the way, astonished, followed, afraid, AGAIN, took aside, told, happen, Son of Man, betrayed, chief priests, teachers of the law, condemn, hand him over, Gentiles, mock, spit, flog, kill, three days, rise, Teacher, we want, whatever we ask….”

I know this story. I have heard it all of my life so it takes many readings to feel the impact again. This reading strikes me with how simple Jesus made it sound. We hear it from the other side of the cross and it makes sense to us. But Jesus is so simple, so cryptic—he’s vague. Rise in three days…what does that mean? It’s no wonder they were astonished. Oh, to feel astonished!

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