Jesus speaks in parables because he is veiling himself and giving us a chance to respond without coercion, but rather in voluntary love and surrender. But there is another reason why Jesus speaks in parables. Here is an excerpt from Mark 4 — 9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” […]
Mark
Mark 4: Why does Jesus speak in parables? (Part 1 of 3)
In the past couple of weeks, I hope you have noticed a trend that religious people totally missed Jesus. Those who were diligent in studying the scriptures missed Jesus because religion had become a major sin, a roadblock in recognizing Jesus for who he was. Now in this chapter, we see how even Jesus’ own […]
Mark 3 : “The Queen Bee and the Swarm vs. the Asteroid” (Part 3 of 3)
All this talk about teachers of the law and the Pharisees and you might be thinking, what does this have to do with me? I have been reflecting on this passage and I realize there is a lot more religion in my life than I care to admit. Earlier, I shared how religious people are […]
Mark 3 : “The Queen Bee and the Swarm vs. the Asteroid” (Part 2 of 3)
How do the teachers of the law and the Pharisees view Jesus? They view him as a threat. He threatens their entire religious system. He threatens what they had worked so hard to attain. The social standing. The financial security. They must have thought, I will distinguish myself from the other Pharisees, I will out-compete […]
Mark 3 : "The Queen Bee and the Swarm vs. the Asteroid" (Part 1 of 3)
1Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front […]
Mark 2: Are You Critical of Jesus? (Part 4 of 4)
Fourth, Jesus is criticized by Pharisees for doing work on the Sabbath and breaking Sabbath law — 23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” […]