READ: Mark 9

BACKGROUND: This is an incredible and intense chapter that includes the miraculous Transfiguration, Jesus foretelling his death, the casting out of demons, and lessons on Heaven & Hell.
By Verse:
2 – Transfigured = physically transformed
4 – The Jews expected the return of Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6)
5 – Tabernacles = booths/tents of intertwined branches.  This is interesting because it indicates that in this moment Peter viewed Jesus, Elijah, & Moses as equals.
8 – After God spoke and took away Elijah & Moses it was clear that Jesus was not their equal but their God.
24 – This is an incredibly honest and heartfelt prayer.
31 – Jesus foretold his death, but his disciples were confused by it.
42-50 – Jesus is talking about the seriousness of sin here. Sometimes we take sin lightly. Clearly Jesus does not. Also, his words are interesting because in a culture that did not value children highly, Jesus very clearly values children and wants to protect them. In the gospels he even encourages all of us to have childlike faith.

THINK: In 1873 a baby girl would be born to devout Catholic parents in the province of Normandy, France.  Little Therese Martin was faced with challenges almost immediately.  She suffered a crippling stomach disorder which eventually claimed the lives of four of her siblings.  According to her mother, Therese was like many kids – a little “high-strung” and prone to fits of tantrum.  “She rolls on the floor in despair believing all is lost.  Sometimes she is so overcomes she almost chokes.” Years later Therese would reflect on her own life, “I was far from being a perfect little girl.”

At age four she lost her mother to breast cancer, a tragedy that rocked Therese to the core.  When she was only fifteen Therese wanted nothing more than to give her life to Jesus and was admitted as a nun into a secluded Carmelite community at Lisieux.  There she lived in relative obscurity, in keeping with her desire to be “unknown,” charting a spiritual path that would inspire millions around the world despite her untimely death in 1897.  She was only 24.

Today many Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, consider Therese of Lisieux to be one of the greatest saints of modern times.  Heroes of the faith like Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton and Jean Vanier were ardent devotees of St. Theresa who was to be affectionately named “The Little Flower of Jesus.”  Not because she wrote important books or held lofty positions, Therese was known for her “little way,” a childlike way of simplicity, humility and complete abandonment to God.

She once wrote a prayer and kept it in a small container that she pinned over her heart.  The prayer simply read, “Make me resemble you, Jesus!”  Reflecting on the words of her Savior she wrote:

Leaving to great souls, to great minds, the beautiful books I cannot understand, I rejoice to be little because ‘only children, and those who are like them, will be admitted to the heavenly banquet.’

Therese’ life was touched dramatically on Christmas Eve in 1886, an event she would later call her “complete conversion.” “On that blessed night,” she wrote, “Jesus, who saw fit to make Himself a child out of love for me, saw fit to have me come forth from the swaddling clothes and imperfections of childhood.” She may have entered into adulthood that night, but she never left her child-like simplicity and all-consuming trust in Jesus.

For me, prayer is a movement of the heart; it is a simple glance toward Heaven. . . which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus. . . . I have not the courage to look through books for beautiful prayers…. I do like a child who does not know how to read; I say very simply to God what I want to say, and He always understands me.

“Lord, give us the teenagers,” Jim Rayburn prayed, “each one at least long enough for a meaningful confrontation with Thee.” Though they may be simple, unpolished, rebellious and raw – bring us the teenagers who, like Teresa the “Little Flower of Jesus,” have a God who listens and understands.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” -Mt 19:14

Borrowed from an old friend, Michael Havercamp, and his blog: http://ylcatholic.blogspot.com

PRAY: Today, pray the childlike prayer of Saint Theresa, “Make me resemble you, Jesus!”

READ: Mark 8

BACKGROUND: By Verse –
8 – These were big baskets. Big enough to fit a person in. The word for basket here is the same word for the basket that was used to lower Paul down from the wall of Damascus in Acts 9:25.
11 – The Pharisees wanted a shocking miracle as proof, but they only asked because they didn’t believe in him. Not because they did.
27 – Caesarea Philippi was an area known for its wickedness and pagan worship rituals.
31 – Jesus foreshadows his death.
33 – Jesus isn’t saying Peter is Satan, but that Peter is being used by Satan to try to convince him not to complete his earthly mission by going to the cross.
34 – Take up his cross! Imagine hearing those words as a disciple. They didn’t even know Jesus would die on a cross yet. As evidenced in this passage, they didn’t fully understand his mission. And he’s telling them that following him means taking up their cross. Wow! It means death to self. It means sacrifice.

THINK: I ate breakfast the other day with a man who 60 years ago sold newspapers and shined shoes on the streets of downtown Boise, Idaho. He told me about his life in those days and how much things have changed.

“What’s changed the most?” I asked him. “People,” he said. “They don’t care anymore.”

As a case in point, he told me about his mother, who often fed hungry men who came to her house. Every day she prepared food for her family and then made several more meals because she knew homeless travelers would start to show up around mealtime. She had deep compassion for those who were in need. Once she asked a man how he happened to find his way to her door. “Your address is written on all the boxcar walls,” he said.

I wish that type of compliment could be said of all of us. In the feeding of the multitude, Jesus gave us an example of what it means to care about the physical and spiritual needs of others (Mark 8:1-9).

It would be wonderful if our homes were known as places where hungry people could find bread. But more than that, we need to pray that our homes will be known as places where spiritually hungry men, women, and children will be loved, listened to, and given the Bread of life.

Evangelism is nothing more than one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.

By: David H. Roper in Our Daily Bread, July 30, 2002

PRAY: Ask God to give you eyes to see the broken and the needy all around you. Ask him for the heart and the strength and the love it requires to step into their brokenness and meet their need.

READ: Mark 7

BACKGROUND: By Verse –
3 – The traditions of the Elders was the oral history handed down from the respected rabbis of the past.
5 – Impure hands doesn’t mean dirty hands but, instead, hands that hadn’t been washed according to all the rules of the elders.
8 – Jesus is criticizing the all of the reinterpretation of the Law by the Pharisees and all of the extra laws that they added and then treated as more authoritative than the OT.
11 – Corban is a gift to God. If a son designated an amount as Corban then they said he didn’t have to take care of his parents anymore.
18 – Jesus is saying that it doesn’t matter what we eat or what little insignificant rules we follow. What matters is the things that come out of us – the things that reflect our hearts.
27 – Jesus isn’t being a jerk here. He is making a point. That his mission is first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

THINK:  I recently came across a tweet from Erwin McManus, one of my favorite pastors, which said, “Doing something right is more important than doing nothing wrong.” I think that sometimes it’s really easy for us, as Christians, to get really caught up in the belief that being a Christ-follower is about following a million little rules so that we never mess up or do anything wrong. And when we think this way it can lead to a lot of self-righteousness and pride. We begin to pat ourselves on the back because of how ridiculously good we are. “I haven’t said a swear word in like 5 days. I am so awesome.” “I only listened to Christian radio this week. Not like those other sinners.” “I didn’t say anything mean to that weird kid at lunch…I mean, I didn’t say anything to him but I’m better than everybody else because I didn’t say anything mean.”

We’ve all been there. But here’s the deal: when we do that we miss out on the big idea of faith! It isn’t about following a bunch of little rules – many of which we made up on our own so that we could feel super righteous even though they’re not in the Bible anywhere. It’s about having a relationship with God and actively living our lives for him. It’s about loving God and reflecting that love to those around us. Doing something right is more important than doing nothing wrong!

This doesn’t minimize sin – not by any means. And it doesn’t mean that doing wrong things is okay or no big deal. God makes it clear that sin is a huge deal. But the heart of faith isn’t trying to follow an impossible number of little rules to earn our way to heaven and feel better than everyone else. The idea is to have a relationship with God that is so passionate – and defines who you are so powerfully – that you actively live for him and change the world by doing so.

The Pharisees missed this. They were so focused on the little things that they missed the big thing. Don’t follow in their footsteps.

PRAY:  Thank God for forgiving you even though you’ve done nothing to deserve it. Ask him to help you commit your life to a passionate pursuit of him rather than an oppressive pursuit of self-righteousness.