Fri 31st July - #92. Snack attack?
I don’t know if you have opened a cupboard or the fridge for a snack and discovered there’s nothing there to eat? Its very disappointing! As we read today’s passage this seems to be happening to Jesus, but there is more to this than a fruitless tree. Lets read the passage -
Mark 11
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig-tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When He reached it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then He said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And His disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as He taught them, He said, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it “a den of robbers”.’
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill Him, for they feared Him, because the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and His disciples went out of the city.
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 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.’
It seems surprising that Jesus is annoyed at there being no fig on the tree because it was not the season for figs.
Fig trees around Jerusalem normally begin to leaf in March or April, producing fruit only in June, when all their leaves are out. This tree is exceptional in that it has already fully leafed at Passover (in April), which aroused the expectation of early figs. The issue is not the tree but what Jesus’ act symbolizes. In spite of God’s gift of his law and the land, and especially His presence now in Jesus, Israel and its leaders have failed to produce the justice and mercy God desires *1
Jesus’ judgment on the fig tree was heard by the disciples and the judgment on the temple was heard by the priests and Bible teachers.
Notice how they all react, and also how their reaction confirms how Jesus’ judgment is right.
This morning thank God that Jesus is the true and better temple.
Have a good weekend! See you in a couple of weeks.
Bendith Duw
Tim
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*1 Zondervan Study Bible - D A Carson
Thurs 30th July - #91. The Prowler
It’s so easy to forget that we are in a constant and continual spiritual battle. We get caught up in how to survive lockdown, how to work from home, how to maintain social distancing, how to wear a face mask, when to wear a facemask, how to have a drink in a facemask, how to look good in a facemask, our health, our finances, our loss of the nice holiday booked in January. And we only see things on a physical, material, everyday level with no thought for our spirit.
But Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5v8). The devil is always seeking to devour us, to take us down. And we forget this. And we think all our difficulties and struggles are physical, mental, material. But we are spiritual people, and the devil wants to devour us spiritually.
He is always on the prowl. In 1548, on 18th January, Bishop Hugh Latimer preached a famous sermon at St Paul’s Cathedral and said this: “And now I would ask a strange question: who is the most diligentest bishop in all England, that passeth all the rest in doing his office? I can tell, for I know him who it is; I know him well. But now I think I see you listening and hearkening that I should name him. There is one that passeth all the other, and is the most diligent preacher in all England. And will ye know who it is? I will tell you: it is the devil. He is the most diligent preacher of all other; he is never out of his diocese; he is never from his cure; ye shall never find him unoccupied; he is ever in his parish; he keepeth residence at all times; ye shall never find him out of the way, call for him when you will he is ever at home; the diligentest preacher in all the realm; he is ever at his plough: no lording nor loitering can hinder him; he is ever applying his business, ye shall never find him idle…”
And what does the devil want to do to us? Forget the Horror films and their fantasy of evil. He wants to do something far more subtle. He tries to rob us of our love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5v22) If he can rob us of this fruit of the Spirit then he has devoured us.
So remember today (and always) that in the midst of the frustrations, disappointments and trials of life it is a spiritual battle we are in. Guard your spirit against the devil’s attacks, and commit yourself to the Spirit of God to flourish in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Love from Paul
Wed 29th July - #90. A Royal Visit
When I was a teenager the local newspaper announced that the Queen would be visiting our small market town. It was amazing to see how people responded to this news. The council, for instance, immediately cleaned the town in such a careful way. All windows were polished, all roads were washed and hanging baskets appeared from nowhere to make the town look much more colourful. When the Queen arrived she stepped off the train and headed in one of her fancy cars and the chauffeur drove her through the town so fast I don’t think she would have noticed the petunias hanging in the baskets.
This morning we have a picture of Jesus entering Jerusalem and the people respond by treating him like royalty.
Let's read the beginning of Chapter 11 -
Mark 11
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, “Why are you doing this?” say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.”’
4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, ‘What are you doing, untying that colt?’ 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
‘Hosanna!’
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
10 ‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!’
‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
These words form the backdrop to our Christian festival called ‘Palm Sunday’. Whilst reading a commentary on this passage I was struck by these words -
This is not to be the sort of royalty that either Israel or the rest of the world were used to. But the passage already raises questions for us in our following of Jesus and loyalty to him. Are we ready to put our property at his disposal, to obey his orders even when they puzzle us? Are we ready to go out of our way to honour him, finding in our lives the equivalents of cloaks to spread on the road before Him, and branches to wave to make His coming into a real festival? Or have we so domesticated and trivialised our Christian commitment, our devotion to Jesus himself, that we look on Him simply as someone to help us through the various things we want to do anyway, someone to provide us with comforting religious experiences? In our world where most countries don’t have kings and queens, and where those monarchies that remain are mostly constitutional offices with the real power lying elsewhere, have we forgotten what, in biblical terms, a true king might be like? *1
This morning let’s remember that Jesus is the King of Kings and worthy of all praise and so let's do more than hang our petunias out for him to see.
Much love
Tim
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*1 Wright, T. (2004). Mark for Everyone
Tues 28th July - #89. The value of a raindrop
Today I can do no better than simply send you Henry Ward Beecher’s thoughts from this morning’s reading in “Streams in the Desert”.
The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and storm (Nahum 1:3).
I recollect, when a lad, and while attending a classical institute in the vicinity of Mount Pleasant, sitting on an elevation of that mountain, and watching a storm as it came up the valley. The heavens were filled with blackness, and the earth was shaken by the voice of thunder. It seemed as though that fair landscape was utterly changed, and its beauty gone never to return.
But the storm swept on, and passed out of the valley; and if I had sat in the same place on the following day, and said, "Where is that terrible storm, with all its terrible blackness?" the grass would have said, "Part of it is in me," and the daisy would have said, "Part of it is in me," and the fruits and flowers and everything that grows out of the ground would have said, "Part of the storm is incandescent in me."
Have you asked to be made like your Lord? Have you longed for the fruit of the Spirit and have you prayed for sweetness and gentleness and love? Then fear not the stormy tempest that is at this moment sweeping through your life. A blessing is in the storm, and there will be the rich fruitage in the "afterward."
The flowers live by the tears that fall
From the sad face of the skies;
And life would have no joys at all,
Were there no watery eyes.
Love thou thy sorrow: grief shall bring
Its own excuse in after years;
The rainbow!--see how fair a thing
God hath built up from tears.
Love from Paul
Monday 27th July - #88. Do the Bart man!
One of the biggest hits on the TV over the last 30 years has been the Simpsons. The characters include - Homer, Marge, Mr Burns, Ned Flanders and of course the main star - Bart. Bart is 10 and he always gets up to mischief, he has been described as an updated version of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn..
This morning we will be reading about another Bart or Bartimaeus. Lets read his story now -
Mark 10
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.
This passage is more about Bartimaeus’ conversion than his healing. In Mark 10 v 51, Jesus asks him the same question that he asked James and John in verse 36, but Bartimaeus’ answer is in stark contrast to theirs. He is Mark’s model disciple, the one whose “blind faith” epitomises everything that Jesus has been teaching about discipleship in the last two chapters.
This is the language that Mark normally uses to describe becoming and being a Christian:
• seeing that Jesus is the Messiah (1 v 1; 8 v 29)
• receiving Jesus’ mercy (5 v 19)
• persisting despite being shamed (2 v 16; 8 v 38; 10 v 13)
• being called by Jesus (1 v 20; 2 v 17; 9 v 35)
• leaving possessions and livelihood behind (1 v 18; 10 v 21)
• coming to Jesus (5 v 27; 7 v 25; 10 v 14)
• having faith in Jesus (1 v 15; 2 v 5; 5 v 34)
• following Jesus (1 v 18; 2 v 14; 8 v 34; 10 v 21; 10 v 28)
How is Bartimaeus a model of each of these? *1
Next time you hear about Bart think about Bartimaeus and not Bart Simpson! :-)
Much love
Tim
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*1 Explore Notes - Dave Griffith-Jones