Mark – Page 7 – Be Still…

Mark 8:27-30 – Peter Gets It Right

Read Mark 8:27-30

If you had to respond to Jesus that day on the road outside Galilee, how would you describe Jesus? Now think about how you would introduce Jesus to your friends.

I’ve always perplexed over the disciples’ response that some say Jesus was John the Baptist. Followers of John would have heard the message that someone else was coming, far greater than John himself. In fact, it was John’s job to prepare the way for Jesus, not himself.

Mark 8:14-21 – Misunderstandings

Read Mark 8:14-21

You recall in our last reading–Jesus had walked away rather than be bullied by the Pharisees. Our scene continues in this reading as Jesus and the disciples make their getaway in a boat without any food.

Did the disciples miss the lesson Jesus was trying to teach them about the Pharisees and even King Herod? We might have a harder time understanding the reference to yeast. It gives us something to ponder, wondering what Jesus meant. This text doesn’t speak to “what” the yeast was that the disciples should be aware of. What do you think it is?

Mark 8:11-13 – Prove It!

Read Mark 8:11-13

The Pharisees continue to surprise us. I get the sense that they have a bit of an attitude. They clearly feel pressure because of what Jesus is doing and all the attention he is getting. What were they trying to prove by picking a fight with Jesus and demanding he prove himself worthy of their respect?

How do you think Jesus or his disciples felt? Did they feel sorry for the Pharisees who had stooped so low to demeaning Jesus in an attempt to exalt themselves? These were the religious leaders who they had respected.

Mark 6:7-13 – Sent!

Read Mark 6:7-13

I’m glad they were able to wear sandals! I’ve always tried to picture how it would feel to walk around barefoot in the hills of the Judean wilderness. Shoes were a luxury, considering there would be no change of clothes. But it was Jesus who called them. Jesus would not put them in harm’s way.

The disciples should be honored. Jesus thought they were ready. They might have questioned that themselves, but Jesus’ matter-of-fact declaration was sending them out to continue the work they’d all been doing together under Jesus’ leadership. Now they would have to fend for themselves and seek guidance directly from the Father. Jesus would be elsewhere, cheering them on from afar.

Mark 6:1-6 – Not Welcome

Read Mark 6:1-6

Have you ever felt unwelcome because of your faith? Have you ever kept your faith a “secret” for fear of being excluded from a group? I’m not suggesting this is what this passage is talking about all at, but it helps get into the right frame of mind to feel the rejection.

For Jesus, that rejection was from people who knew him, had watched him grow up, and who he had learned from. Jesus returned to his hometown, Nazareth. Some might expect Jesus would have been welcomed as the “hometown hero.” We see that kind of attitude today for athletes, entertainers, and other people who have become “famous.” Their birthplaces are often recognized as “places of interest.”