Posts that reference the Gospel of Mark

Ladybug Fear

My youngest used to be terrified of ladybugs. The running-away-screaming kind of terrified. Of ladybugs. No matter what reassurances we offered, she remained committed to that phobia. She wouldn’t go down the slide if there’s a ladybug. Once, she refused to leave the house because a ladybug was crawling across the threshold. Not bees. Not spiders. Ladybugs.

In Mark 4, he gives his account of Jesus calming a storm on the sea of Galilee. He speaks to the storm with authority, with ownership, the way you might tell your dog to hush. In the calm that followed, Jesus asked His disciples two pointed questions:

Why are you afraid? Not, what are you afraid of, but why? This is a whole different issue.
Do you still have no faith? After all that you’ve seen Him do …?

In some ways, the disciples’ fear made as much sense as Rachel’s fear of ladybugs. Jesus knew the storm had no power to harm them, and wouldn’t interfere with their mission. It was just something they had to go through. In His grace and compassion, though, He calmed the storm.

Really, all our fears are ladybug fears. The things in this life have no power to do us eternal harm. They can’t interfere with our mission unless we let them. They’re just something we have to go through.

Verse 41 says the disciples “feared exceedingly” after the miracle. That fear of the storm had been replaced with a new kind of fear, a reverent, God-honoring recognition of His deity and authority.

I want that kind of fear. Not the ladybug kind.

Study Tip: Parables

By Paula Wiseman

My Wednesday morning group is looking at a number of parables Jesus told in Mark 4, so I wanted to share some tips that may help in considering the parables.

Jesus told 3 kinds of parables- similes, metaphors, allegories.

Similes – Just the way you learned them in English class, these are simple comparisons using the words "like" or "as". We use them all the time- my son eats like a wild animal, and so on. many times, Jesus introduces these with the words, "The kingdom of heaven is like …" The thing to remember with similes, is that they highlight one idea. In the simile with my son, I drew attention to his table manners- or lack thereof. When Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, what aspect is He highlighting? Maybe… It starts small and insignificant but grows.

Metaphors– A metaphor is a comparison without any "road markers" to identify them. In Mark 4 Jesus says, "Do you light a lamp and then stick it under the bed? No! You put it on a lampstand." (That's a paraphrase.) Like similes, metaphors are one-idea comparisons, so don't torture them into saying too much. What was Jesus getting at with this metaphor? He never mentions the word gospel at all, but He's explaining to His disciples that the gospel message wasn't meant to be hidden in a dark corner somewhere, but preached so that it can bring the most benefit to the most people.

Allegory– An allegory is a story in which the characters and situations stand for somethings else in order to relate a moral truth. The parable of the sower is a tremendous allegory and Jesus explains it for the disciples after He's finished teaching the crowds that day. I won't detail the parable or the explanation here, but it's well worth a deep study. Unlike the similes and metaphors, a number of ideas are bundled up in an allegory– The sower just sows. If you're a sower, don't worry about tilling, watering or weeding. The seed, the message, is the same. Some will receive the message. Most won't.

The key to interpreting and understanding the parables is sticking with the type and not making them say more than they do.

Study Tip: Soak in the Drama and Passion

By Paula Wiseman

Recently, for several Wednesday evenings, our church family watched a dramatization of the gospel of Matthew. What a tremendous difference it made to hear the words of Scripture spoken with dramatic emphasis. For some reason, when we read the Bible, we get this weird, church-y robot voice. Mostly I think it's because we don't want to mess up. (And then there are those names…)

Let me encourage you – Read with inflection and dramatic pacing.

Don't overdo it, but the next time you study, especially if you're studying a passage with dialogue, relax and read it as if you were reading a bedtime story.

Slow down and consider the inflection of the speaker. What facial expressions or body language might he or she have used? Were there pauses? Did the speaker fumble for words?

Let me give you an example I'm studying this week. In Mark 3, Jesus enters the synagogue and is met by a man with a withered hand. The scribes and Pharisees were watching His every move, looking for a reason to bring Mosaic law charges against Him as a Sabbath-breaker. Verses 4-6 read:

Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent.

And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

How did Jesus say these words? Where were the pauses for emphasis? Can you picture Jesus looking at them individually as He speaks, or sweeping a hand toward the man in need of healing? I can picture Jesus' lips pressed together tightly with a subtle shake of His head before He turned and said, "Stretch out your hand." If He hadn't been the holy, righteous, sinless Son of God, He might have been thinking, 'bunch of self-righteous jerks'. Or maybe that was just me 🙂

Take your time as your read and study. Soak in the drama and the passion.

Carried or Carrying

By Paula Wiseman

There is a beautiful story in Mark 2 about four guys and their persistence in getting their paralyzed friend to Jesus. They knew Jesus could heal him. They just had to get him there. However, the crowds were huge and nobody would budge to let them through. Undeterred, they got some rope, climbed up on the roof (with their friend), pulled the roof back and lowered the man right down in front of Jesus. Verse 5 says, "When Jesus saw their faith…" Not just the paralyzed man's faith, but the friends' faith too. And in verse 12, the man was healed.

I've had times in my life when I needed my friends to carry me into the presence of Jesus. I've also had other times, when I've been privileged to do the carrying. I'd say that in the body of Christ, that's the way it should work. If we aren't on the mat, in need of Jesus' touch, we need to be lifting someone who is.

Where are you right now? Who are you carrying? Who's carrying you?

Following and Becoming

By Paula Wiseman

Our Wednesday morning Bible study group is working through Mark's gospel in our typical meandering pace- two weeks and we almost finished the first chapter. This morning we discussed what I believe is one of the most awesome statements Jesus makes in His ministry. Walking by the seaside in Galilee, He sees Peter and Andrew and He calls out, "Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men." (Mark 1:17)

It's not, "you guys already have it together."

It's not even, "Follow me and you will become…"

He said, "I will make you become…"

Jesus was asking for surrender, then HE would do the work.

So many times we… I… see the task Jesus has for me and I shy away. "Fisher of men? I don't even know what that means, exactly. How do I start? Has anybody else done this? Am I the only one? I'm not sure 'fishing' is my spiritual gift."

I will make you become… "He who began a good work in you, will complete it…" (Phil 1:6)

He stands ready to see that we accomplish the great things He has in mind. He's waiting for us (for me) to surrender and follow Him.

Writing Update: Closer

By Paula Wiseman

For those of you who have been with me on this writing journey, we took a very significant step forward. I got the critique back on Contingency and the comments were extremely encouraging. (Thanks to J.J. Hebert of Mindstir Media for his help. He gave me page-by-page comments and a summary report, plus he was extremely easy to work with.) The issues raised are straightforward and most of them will be relatively easy to fix. That said, I’m targeting a formal submission in about a month.

If you haven’t read the first chapter of Contingency, you can here.

In geeky news, I tweaked my Zemanta plug-in so it will cross-reference the blogs I read. That way, anytime my blogging friends have a post that connects with what I’ve written, a link will pop up at the end of the post. I encourage you to check them out.

I started reading Doubting by Alister McGrath. It’s gonna be a great book. He views doubt as an invitation to grow. Unbelief and skepticism, however, are willful decisions NOT to believe.

This verse caught my eye this week- “She has done what she could…” Mark 14:8. Jesus said these words about Mary after she anointed Him with her precious oil. Whatever my limitations, situations or opportunities, I want to do what I can to honor Jesus Christ. Amen.

If you haven’t read the first chapter of Contingency, you can here.

I started reading Doubting by Alister McGrath. It’s gonna be a great book. He views doubt as an invitation to grow. Unbelief and skepticism, however, are willful decisions NOT to believe.

This verse caught my eye this week- “She has done what she could…” Mark 14:8. Jesus said these words about Mary after she anointed Him with her precious oil. Whatever my limitations, situations or opportunities, I want to do what I can to honor Jesus Christ. Amen.