Posts with the tag “mark”

“Then He chose twelve of them to be His  apostles, so that they could be with Him.” Mark 3:14One of Jesus’ most common opening lines is,  “Follow me.” Not, “Act like me. Change your  behavior. Start by being perfect,” but, “Follow  me.” Listen to this invitation in basic terms.  He’s asking that we spend time with Him,  rearrange our lives so He fits, help Him create  a community. Jesus throws thi...  Read More

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27Jesus was a deconstructionist. He reorganized culture, reinterpreted scripture, and broke the rules. Nowhere is this more evident than in the stories of His behavior on the Sabbath. The Hebrews of Jesus' day had built their identity around rule-following. Under the direction of the Rabbis, the ten commandments slowly grew to 613, mo...  Read More

On Tuesday morning, Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. They passed the withered fig tree on their way, and Jesus spoke to his companions about the importance of faith.Back at the Temple, religious leaders were upset at Jesus for establishing himself as a spiritual authority. They organized an ambush with the intent to place him under arrest. But Jesus evaded their traps and pronounced ...  Read More

Mark 12:4040 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”Well, this has taken a darker turn! I included this text in the week because I want to make sure we understand the importance of never allowing ourselves to forget what our job as a faith community and as a people ...  Read More

Mark 10:2121 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.End Statement #2“Crosswalk will be a community where people learn and grow in an authentic relationship with God.”Jesus made disciples. I don’t think h...  Read More