And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

 Mark 12:41-44

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:41-44.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv43-44) as I continue a focus on what scripture says on money, extending my study on this topic for another day of my reading and study:

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "Jesus Knows Why We Give." 
• The second and third truths from the commentary that shares scripture on money: Grace Giving Is to Be Guided by Proper Principles, and Grace Giving Is to Be Guided by Proper Practice. 
• Expanding these core truths: Giving is to be viewed as investing with God (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 6:38); if you cannot handle money, you will not be able to handle spiritual riches either (Luke 16:11); [g]iving is to be sacrificial (Mark 12:42-44; 2 Corinthians 8:1-3); [g]iving is not just a matter of what we have (Luke 16:10); [e]ach individual determines the amount to give (Luke 19:8); [g]iving can be in response to a need (spontaneous and special; Acts 2:42-47; 11:27-30; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Philippians 4:14-20); [g]iving should demonstrate love, not law (2 Corinthians 8:8); [g]iving should demonstrate love, not law (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:6-7); [g]iving is to be generous (2 Corinthians 8:2-3; Phil 4:14-20);[g] iving is to be joyful (2 Cor 9:7); [g]iving is to be complete (2 Corinthians 8:5); [g]iving biblically always results in God’s blessings (Acts 20:35; 2 Cor 9:6-11; Phil 4:19).      
• "In light of God’s indescribable gift of His Son Jesus (2 Corinthians 9:15), it is hard to imagine doing anything less. God gave His all. He gave His best. So should we." 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who provides for all my needs - You also save!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love, provide, and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

 Mark 12:41-44

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:41-44.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv43-44):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "Jesus Knows Why We Give." 
• The commentary for this second division, including a conclusion for this chapter of the commentary covering the entirety of the text vv41-44, extended into another day of my reading and study - hence another post on this text.  Additionally, because money is a very important topic for believers, I did not want to shortcut my study on it. 
• "Giving is an act of worship. In the Word of God, numerous truths are set forth to help us in our understanding of grace giving (what also can be called Christian stewardship)[.]"  These truths posited by the commentary include: "Grace Giving Is Guided by a Proper Perspective (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 3:21-23, 4:1-2, 9:17, Psalms 24:1, 51:10-12, Haggai 2:8, Philippians 4:13, 19, 1 Timothy 5:8, Colossians 3:23-24, Hebrews 11:4)."  This truth and the supporting text is further expanded by sharing that "all that I am belongs to God, all that is belongs to God, God has entrusted His possessions to me, God's possessions entrusted to me have a purpose, and God's assets build and glorify God's kingdom through me."

Core to all of this is how, in light of God's love for us, how He saves us despite our sin, is that we are utterly dependent on God for all things and He is total control.  We must remain humble and allow Him to work through us. More tomorrow on this as the commentary shares two additional truths on money as it wraps this chapter. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible God who loves, provides, and saves.  Thank You Jesus as You do this and more....I am not deserving as my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Mark 12:41-44

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:41-44.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv43-44):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "Jesus Knows Why We Give." 
• "With piercing divine insight Jesus saw both the gift and the heart, both the act and the motive behind the act. He knew those who gave only because others were watching, and He knew those who would have given if no one was watching. And then He once again turns the value system of the world on its head."  
• We are exhorted to give sacrificially as we pointed to William Kelly's commentary that shares: 'The test of liberality is not what is given, but what is left.' 
• The commentary then encourages us to study more deeply on what scripture says about God's purpose for money, sharing six purposes: "God wants to grow us spiritually by growing our faith (Luke 6:38; Philippians 4:19). God wants to finance His earthly ministry through us for His glory and our good (Malachi 3:10). God wants to unite Christians who have needs with those who have surplus (2 Corinthians 8:14-15). God wants to reveal clearly His infinite power (Deuteronomy 8:18). God wants to help give direction in our lives (Proverbs 3:5-6). God wants to fulfill His promise to supply our needs (Matt 6:31-33; Philippians 4:19)."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible God who provides for all of my needs - most importantly my spiritual needs.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.

Mark 12:41-44

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. Mark 12:41-42

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:41-44.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of two) division (vv41-42):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "The Poor Woman Who Gave All She Had" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv41-44) is "[b]iblical giving is a voluntary act flowing from a thankful heart, which involves giving of one’s self and all that one has." 
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "Jesus Sees What We Give." 
• "The preceding paragraph mentioned widows as the object of religious exploitation (v. 40). The simple piety of this “poor widow” stands in stark contrast to the self-centered ambition of the scribes. She also must be contrasted with the rich young ruler (10:17-31) who loved his money more than he loved God. In this lady we find a marvelous example of one who “love[s] the Lord [her] God with all [her] heart, with all [her] soul, with all [her] mind, and with all [her] strength” (12:30)."  
• Hurtado's commentary on Mark highlights how the poor widow exemplified Mark 10:31 where the text shares how the last will be first. 
• "Our Lord always has an eye for the individual. He hears the cry of the blind beggar Bartimaeus when no one else does (10:46-52). Now He sees the generous and sacrificial gift of a poor widow when no one else sees a thing. No doubt she came alone, quietly hoping no one would notice her. Being poor and a widow and a woman, she was the least of the least in the cultural context of the day."  
• We are reminded of Samuel's search for a king that found David and that God focuses where man often does not - on the heart - see also 1 Samuel 16:7.

Believers should be grateful that God softens our hearts to be saved (Ezekiel 36:26), and our focus should then turn to how through spiritual disciplines such as daily study of God's Word and prayer transforms our heart and mind to be more like Him.  This is how we can love and give as the poor widow did. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an amazing God who loves and saves.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and mercy...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

“Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Mark 12:41-44

“Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:41-44, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God knows both our actions and our intent - our heart, motives.  He is all knowing.  See these examples from scripture about how God knows everything.  He cares most about our heart and our intent.  Many people put large sums of money into the treasury (v41).   The poor widow put in a very small amount but her motive and intent was to give as a true sacrifice, depending on God for her provision.  That is what God seeks from us - motives, intent and a heart to obey His command to love Him and then others. See also vv28-34.   
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Many act as means to bring glory to themselves.  See v41 as an example where rich people put in large sums of money into the temple treasury - the text contrast this from the widow who gave out of sacrifice.  The actions of the rich people are prideful and not what God seeks.  We must glorify God (not ourselves) in all that we do - this is why we exist.  See 1 Corinthians 10:31.   
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid pride.  Follow the example of the widow to give sacrificially.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  You know everything about me, including my sin yet You loved me first, and while still an enemy and hostile to You, saved me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love!  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Mark 12:35-40

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:35-40.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv38-40):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Coming of Jesus Results in a Greater Accountability."
• "“Revelation brings responsibility. The more you know, the greater is your accountability.” Where does this come from? It comes from Jesus (12:40; Matthew 11:20-24). One of the most dangerous vocations in life is being a theologian. One of the most dangerous places you can go is to a Bible-believing church that faithfully proclaims the gospel. Each time you hear God’s Word taught, your accountability before Him increases."  
• For those who go to such churches, myself included, we are warned to not become hardened by such faithful teaching of the Word. We are warned about hypocrisy and sin and for lack of fruit. 
• Using the scribes as examples of what not to do, per the commentary, Jesus warns us of seeking our own recognition and status vs that of God, of taking advantage of others (such as the poor, orphans, and widows) - see also condemnation from OT prophets (Isaiah 10:2, Amos 2, Micah 3 and Leviticus 19:18), and of practicing empty rituals for "show".  Ultimately we will all be judged.
• The commentary emphasizes that "[t]he greater our revelation, the greater our accountability (see Luke 12:48). To know what is right and not do it invites “the harsher punishment” in judgment. No wonder James would write in James 3:1, '"Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment.'"
• "Indeed God will judge with special severity hypocritical religious leaders who strut like peacocks, abuse the less fortunate, and traffic in false worship that is all show with no substance. Such wickedness in motive and action makes plain they never embraced the greatest servant of all, the greater Son of David, Jesus the Christ."   
•  Instead we should be humble (see Matthew 23:11-12). 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who reveals Himself through Your Word - thank You Jesus for these blessings and for my salvation!  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

Mark 12:35-40

And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’  David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly. Mark 12:35-37

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:35-40.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of two) division (vv35-37):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "Turning Theologians on Their Heads" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv35-40) is "Jesus’ identity as the true God-Man demands genuine devotion and obedience rather than hypocritical piety." 
• "Jesus has just answered the question on the greatest command (12:28-34). Prior to that He had addressed His authority (11:27–12:12), paying taxes (12:13-17), and the reality of the resurrection (12:18-27). Jesus answered these questions so well that “no one dared to question Him any longer” (12:34). It is now Jesus’ turn to ask a question, and in doing so He turns the theologians upside down. And He did not ask just any question; He asked the most important question. He asked the question concerning the identity of the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior of the world."  
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "The Coming of Jesus Reveals a Greater David." 
• "Jesus begins simply enough by establishing that the Christ will be the son of David. No problem here."  See also 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:3-4; Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; 11:1-4, 8-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:9, 33:15-17, 22; Ezekiel 34:23-24; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11; and Micah 5:2-5. 
• Jesus shares text from Psalm 110. "Psalm 110 is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament. The first verse reads, “This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” So Jesus asks, “David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how then can the Messiah be his Son?” Here is a problem no one had seen until Jesus raised it. The Messiah is both David’s Son and David’s Lord at the same time. Think about it. What father would ever call his son or great-grandson his Lord? The Messiah is not simply David’s Son; He is David’s Sovereign. He is God’s Son who reigns as King seated at His heavenly Father’s right hand. David’s words will not work if Messiah is just a human being. He must be more. This is where Jesus is trying to take them. This is what they had failed to see. Tragically, many still don’t see it." 

Indeed, once we hear of Jesus (and there are still many who have either not been reached or have very limited access to the Gospel - see the Joshua Project), we must all come to terms with who Jesus is and either accept Him or not.  If we don't we are eternally condemned - that is why the commentary refers to this as the most important question.  We are commanded to save people from all nations - see also Matthew 28:19-20 and Jude 22-23. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who saves!  Thank You Jesus for my salvation and for the mercies You pour out daily for me and that never cease!  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Mark 12:35-40

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:35-40, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy - vv35-37 - He is both the Son of God and the promised messiah from David's line.  See also 2 Samuel 7:9-17.   
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People are sinful and broken and without God they seek glory for themselves - vv38-40.  They also fail to obey God's Word (see yesterday's post as an example) to love others and as a result the poor and widows suffer (see v40).  The scribes' hearts are hardened towards God and ultimately will be eternally condemned. 
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We should not seek glory for ourselves but instead for God - we exist to bring Him glory. See 1 Corinthians 10:31.  This means we are assume a posture of humility, to pick up our cross daily, and to deny ourselves - loving God first then others. Of course Christ is our example.  

The text emphasizes humility.  Yes we are encouraged to understand God's Word.  But the scribes and Jewish elders used God's word to "puff" themselves up as described in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3.  Our understanding and knowledge of God's word should be used to renew our minds as described in Romans 12:2 such that His desires and will become our desires and will. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for loving me first and saving me.  I am not deserving of my salvation. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in in Your faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Mark 12:28-34

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:31

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:28-34.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv31-34):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "We Are Commanded to Love Others Genuinely." 
• "How you respond to the first [command] (loving God) will determine how you respond to the second (loving your neighbor). When you obey the second, it shows that you have embraced the first."  
• "Jesus adds Leviticus 19:18 to complement Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Growing out of my love for God, I love those who have been created by God in His image. “Neighbor” is not used here in a restrictive sense. All of humanity, even my enemies, are in view (see Luke 10:25-29)."  
• We are referred to a Don Carson sermon where he looks at the Parable of the Good Samaritan and Leviticus 19 and how the text instructs us to love our neighbors as ourselves, including commands from Leviticus 19: "care for the poor (19:10),  not steal (19:11),  not lie (19:11),  be fair in business dealings (19:14),  care for the deaf (19:14),  care for the blind (19:14),  deal justly with all (19:15),  avoid slander (19:16),  not “jeopardize” the life of your neighbor (19:16),  not “harbor hatred against your brother” (19:17),  rebuke your neighbor when necessary for his and your good (19:17), and not take revenge or bear a grudge against others (19:18)." 
• The commentary highlights v33 from the text for today and how Old Testament rituals "have no real meaning unless they are expressions of our love for Jesus and others."  We are referred to 1 Samuel 15:22, Proverbs 21:3, and Hosea 6:6.
• "Obeying rules and regulations will never get me into the kingdom because I can never measure up to God’s perfect standard. No, I need a new me. I need a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). I need the grace and mercy of my God who can make me a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). I need to draw near to Jesus, who has brought the kingdom of God near (Mark 1:15). One draws near and enters the kingdom not by religion but by a relationship with Jesus, a relationship that results in loving God supremely and others genuinely."  
• The commentary for today's text wraps by sharing 1 John 4:7-12. 

Comment and discuss this post.

 My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You loved me first and while I was still an enemy and hostile to You, I was snatched from the fire and saved.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Mark 12:28-34

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Mark 12:29-30

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:28-34.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of three) division (vv28-30):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "Two Great Commands/Two Great Loves" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv18-27) is "[c]itizens of Christ’s kingdom are called to love God supremely and to love their neighbor unselfishly." 
• "Our response to [the] two [greatest] commandments exposes our hearts, lays bare our souls, and reveals what matters most to us." We are challenged with understanding and confronting what is that we cherish and value the most in our lives? Is it Jesus?  
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "We Are Commanded to Love God Supremely." 
• "So, without malice, [one of the scribes] asked Jesus a question that was often batted around in religious circles: “Which command is the most important of all?” This is not as easy as it sounds. The rabbinic tradition had identified 613 commands in the first five books of the Bible. Of these, 365 were negative, and 248 were positive. Some were “light,” making less demand, while others were viewed as “heavy,” with severe repercussions for disobedience. So this scribe asked Jesus to “declare Himself.” Our Lord gladly obliges, and His answer takes us to the core of what really matters in life."   
• "Jesus quotes what Israel called the “Shema,” found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” This confession was recited by every devout Jew morning and evening. Edwards explains, “It was and is as important to Judaism as is the Lord’s Prayer or the Apostles’ Creed to Christianity” (Edwards, Mark, 371)."  
• "Our God is God alone, and our worship, love, devotion, and allegiance must be exclusively to God or He will not accept it. Teachers and theologians could debate all they want, but Jesus begins by bringing them back to the fundamentals, the nonnegotiables of the faith. We should love this God because of who He is: He is our God."   
• "What kind of God is He? Exodus 34:6-7 describes Him as perfect in His gracious love and His pure justice."  
• "Furthermore, the context of the Shema is instructive. To love God is to obey His commandments and statutes “all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 6:2). To love God means you will teach these commandments to your children and grandchildren (Deuteronomy 6:2), when you sit, walk, lie down, and rise up throughout the day (Deuteronomy 6:7), remembering He is the God “who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12). To love God supremely means you must “not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you, for the Lord your God [Yahweh your Elohim], who is among you, [because Yahweh] is a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 6:14-15)."  
• "The repetition of the word “all” (four times in Mark 12:30) emphasizes the comprehensive nature of how we are to love Yahweh our Elohim, the Lord our God. It calls for a total response of love and devotion to God."  
• "The heart speaks to our emotions, the real me on the inside (see Exodus 20:3). The soul speaks to the spirit, the self-conscious life (see Psalm 42:1-2). The mind speaks to our intelligence and thought life (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Strength speaks to our bodily powers, perhaps even the will (see Romans 12:1). 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves....thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of my salvation, nor any of the blessings You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-34

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:28-34:, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: We see Jesus understanding scripture - and following both keys aspects of the greatest commandments to love God with all of your mind (v30) and understanding (v30) God gives You, and to love others (vv31, 33).  Jesus understands that all of the ten commands (Exodus 20) "depend on" on these two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:40).  Jesus is also obedient - perfectly.  He not only ultimately follows God's will to die on the cross, but He also fulfilled all prophecy to build a church (through His ministry described here in Mark and elsewhere) to share the gospel to all corners of the earth throughout all redemptive history.     
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: We see at least one of the scribes understanding God's will - given this understanding from God - that God does not want "whole burnt offerings and sacrifices" as empty rituals.  The ceremonial law (vs moral law) goes away with Jesus.  Jesus seeks for us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).  Building on this command, Jesus seeks for us - as an overflowing expression of His love for us and ours for Him - to bring glory to God in all that we do (1 Corinthians 10:31).  In v34, the one scribe questioning Jesus "not far from the kingdom of God" - meaning perhaps moving closer to being an ally of Jesus or believing in Him.  Yet going forward Jesus' crucifixion is not far off because they cannot trap Jesus into blasphemy (no more questions to be asked), but the Jewish leaders still want to destroy Jesus so they proceed with condemnation and murder of an innocent man.  Broken sinful people (the scribes, Jewish elders, etc.) are used by God to be part of His plan.  This includes us and others both unwillingly and unwittingly.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Love God - with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength - and love others.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are good, true, and perfect. Thank You for the blessing of Your Word and for my salvation.  I am not deserving of either.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as Your Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

Mark 12:18-27

And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” Mark 12:26-27

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:18-27.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the third (of three) division (vv26-27):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Divine Power to Do What God Promises." 
• "Jesus defeats the Sadducees on their own turf, the books of Moses. The doctrine of resurrection finds Old Testament support in places like Job 19:25-27; Psalm 16:9-11; and Daniel 12:2. Jesus in grace meets the Sadducees where they are and takes them to the “burning bush” story found in Exodus 3:6. There God speaks to Moses in the present tense: “I am . . . the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Though they died physically, they are alive spiritually right now!" 
• "Further, being their God implies covenant, and it is inconceivable that the eternal God does not maintain an eternal covenant with His people, which is exactly what we find in the covenant God made first with Abraham (Genesis 12) and later with David (2 Samuel 7)."  
• The commentary then encourages us to dig deeper into the glory of Heaven which, while not possible for our earthly minds to fully comprehend, will truly be amazing!  The commentary then shares seventeen observations on Heaven, providing the below table: 

 

 

 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are amazing!  You created the Heavens and the Earth and You hold all of this in Your hands and reign with love and compassion and perfect justice!  You reached down into the pit to save me while still an enemy and hostile to You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings nor my salvation.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Mark 12:13-17

Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Mark 12:24-25

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:18-27.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the second (of three) division (vv24-27):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Perfect Plan for Heaven." 
•  "Jesus tells [the Sadducees] plainly that they are “deceived,” in error. Jesus accuses the theological elite of His day of error in their area of expertise! What they claim to know best, the Torah, they actually know least. And because they misunderstand the Bible, they also misunderstand God! Misinterpreting the Scriptures inevitably leads to a distorted view of God. It always leads to your god being too small and impotent to be the God of the Bible!"  
• "Jesus begins correcting them in verse 25. The world of resurrection is different from the world we live in. There is continuity, to be sure. I will be me, and you will be you, but we will live for all of eternity in an entirely new reality. In Revelation 21:1, it is called a “new heaven and a new earth.” Why? Because 'the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.'"  
• "Jesus addresses the Sadducees’ question. (1) There will be a resurrection. (2) There will be no marriage relationship as we know it in this life. (3) We will become “like angels,” probably in the sense that we will no longer procreate and we will never die. Therefore marriage will not be necessary, at least for that purpose."  
• "No one will be disappointed in any way when they get to heaven! No one will be deprived of one thing that is necessary for maximum joy, optimal happiness, and complete satisfaction. Our relationship with Jesus and with all of our brothers and sisters will be so intense and so filled with love and affection that all earthly marital bliss will seem shallow and small in comparison. Heaven is indeed God’s perfect plan for His children who have come to Him through His Son Jesus."

Scripture from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:1 and Philippians 3:20-21, Ephesians 2:19 comes to mind as further text to clarify an appropriate application after reading this text from Mark 12:24-25.  We should continue to persevere, endure and run the race has given us in this life with the ultimate goal of reaching Heaven where our true citizenship lies. See also 1 Corinthians 4:16-18.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My God, You are an awesome God that has already defeated death and sin so I have assurance the final victory is already won and can rest knowing this.  Thank You Jesus and thank You for the mercies You pour out for me daily that never cease, and of course for my salvation.  I am not deserving of such blessings and gifts.  My sin is great and it continues....daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection.

Mark 12:13-17

And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. Mark 12:18

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:18-27.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of three) division (v18-23):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "Will There Be Sex in Heaven?" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv18-27) is "[t]hose who are in Christ are promised a future resurrection and fullness of life in the presence of King Jesus." 
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "The Hypothetical Problem from Skeptics." 
• "The parade of opponents continues. The chief priests, scribes, and elders took their shot in 11:27–12:12 and went down in flames. The Pharisees and Herodians took Him on in 12:13-17, and He shut their mouths. Now the Sadducees come with a trick question they had probably used to frustrate the Pharisees. They will now try it out on Jesus."
• "[The Sadducees] did not believe in the immortality of the soul or in a future bodily resurrection. Josephus said, “The doctrine of the Sadducees is this: souls die with bodies” (Antiquities, 18:1, 4). Because of their truncated Scriptures, they were not looking for a Messiah King from David’s line."  
• "Their trick question was grounded in the issue of “levirate [Latin for ‘brother-in-law’] marriage” mentioned in Genesis 38:8-10 and in the book of Ruth. It is explained in Deuteronomy 25:5-6[.]"  
• "The Sadducees created what we call a reductio ad absurdum argument, reducing things to the absurd or the ridiculous."  
• "The Pharisees and most rabbis believe the world to come is basically an improved and better version of this world, which therefore would include things like marriage. Assuming monogamy (which they would have), to whom then will she be married in the world to come?  The Sadducees argue such a scenario is absurd, and it shows the foolishness of believing in a future resurrection. Look at all the problems it could potentially cause. No, God is too smart for that, and the books of Moses (which are the undisputed Word of God) do not mention a future resurrection. Therefore, it must not exist."

Yet believers know that Jesus Himself rose from the grave and for this we have assurance that the final victory over sin and death is assured.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer:  Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who is a full of incredible grace - amazing grace!  You saved me while still an enemy and hostile to You.  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

Mark 12:18-27

And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” Mark 12:26-27

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:18-27:, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God is Truth and there is no fallibility in Him or the Word.  The gospels include text about the resurrection of Lazarus, Jairus' daughter and others - so the Sadducees, while they did not believe in resurrection (or referred to in v27 as "the dead being raised"), we know this is not true.  Believers who came after Jesus have His resurrection also.  Jesus also refers to Himself as God of the living - and in the context of this text I see Jesus as describing Himself as eternal or always present.
• What do we learn from the passage about people?:  The Sadducees sought to trap Jesus with their questioning and they were doing so to undermine Jesus whom they saw as a threat.  Jealousy, fear and envy drive much wickedness so we should be on guard for those who demonstrate such sins.     
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We must avoid jealousy, fear and envy.  We should claim Christ's resurrection as a core component of our own salvation - Jesus paid the final price taking our place to redeem us and our sin.  His death on the cross - and subsequent resurrection - is the basis of John 3:16, where believers are promised eternal life. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who saves!  Thank You Jesus for dying the death I should have died, and for rising again to give me assurance of eternal life in Heaven where You are saving a place for me.  I am not deserving of such a blessing.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Mark 12:13-17

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17.  Excerpts from the commentary's fourth (of four) division (vv15-17):

• The title of the fourth division per the commentary is "The Answer: Give to Each What They Rightly Deserve." 
• In response to the Pharisees and Herodians' question of whether taxes should be paid to Rome, Jesus first shares how He should not be tested as this is a sin (see also Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:12). "There is demonic intent in their motivation to destroy Jesus, like the efforts of the Devil to get Him off track from His mission. And as Satan failed in the wilderness, the Pharisees and Herodians will fail in the temple."     
• On one side of the coin Jesus asked for - a denarius - "was a bust of Tiberius Caesar with the inscription, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus.” The other side had an image of Tiberius’s mother Livia with the words, “Pontifex Maximus,” meaning “High Priest.” The Jews found this to be idolatrous: a man claiming to be a god and a woman a priest—blasphemy!"  
• His next reply - v17 - "acknowledges the legitimacy of human government. He is no anarchist. God has ordained the family, the church, and human government. It has the right to levy taxes, and we have the responsibility to pay. It has the right to make laws, and we have the responsibility to obey."  
• "Other writers in the New Testament, especially Paul and Peter, reaffirm and expand on this statement of Jesus, even though they lived when the lunatic Nero (AD 54–68) was emperor." See also Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-17.   
• "Christians have legitimate responsibilities to the government, and as long as those obligations do not interfere with our ability to honor and worship God, we are to fulfill them. It is our Christian duty."  
• "[We] all bear the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). You must give to God what is rightfully His—your entire life. We have a duty to the government, but we have an even greater duty to God, who has created us and redeemed us. As 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.” In Acts 4:19-20 Peter and John say, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” And again in Acts 5:29, “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’" 
• On the question whether believers should disobey laws that conflict with God's Word or seek worship of anyone or anything other than God alone, the commentary shares: "(1) The law being resisted must be unjust and immoral, clearly contrary to the will of God, and not just inconvenient or burdensome. (2) Legal means of changing the unjust situation must have been exhausted. Civil disobedience is a method not of first resort, but of last resort. (3) The act of disobedience must be public rather than secretive or hidden. (4) There should be some hope of success, as my intent is to produce changes in laws and institutions. (5) As I consider civil disobedience, I must be willing to accept the penalty for breaking the law."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are the One True God who reigns and has providence over all matters in the universe including earthly authorities.  You also - and most importantly - save!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the blessing of my salvation and for the privilege of living in the USA where I can freely worship unlike many places elsewhere.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your messages for me today and every day.  

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?

Mark 12:13-17

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not? Mark 12:14

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17.  Excerpts from the commentary's third (of four) division (also based on v14):

• The title of the third division per the commentary is "The Question: Watch Out for Either/or Scenarios." 
• "The Jews despised [the imperial Roman tax] because it was a constant reminder of their subjection to pagan Rome. So, if Jesus said to pay it, the people would turn on Him as a traitor, and He would be finished. On the other hand, if He said not to pay it, He could be arrested and tried by the Romans for sedition and insurrection. Silence was not an option. His enemies have trapped Him on the “horns of a dilemma,” or so they thought."

Yesterday's post encouraged us to be on guard for how flattery can trap us. Today we are warned about how others can trap believers via "either/or scenarios" that seek to expose us as sinful regardless of our choice.  For example, believers might be "trapped" by those who suggest that being anti-abortion is anti-women's rights or how disagreeing with gay marriage is not loving.  Stand on Truth!  God please protect me from those who seek to manipulate and condemn me for my faith.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, saves and protects.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?

Mark 12:13-17

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not? Mark 12:14

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of four) division (v14):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Setup: Beware of Flattering Words." 
• We are warned about those who try and trap us by flattery - see also Psalms 5:9, Proverbs 26:28, 29:5. 
• From the text, "[e]ven though [the] flattery [of the Pharisees and Herodians] is insincere, what they say is actually true! And since it is true, He will not be snared by their words. His ego will not inflate; pride will not cause Him to lower His guard. No, Jesus, the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:30), will not be tripped up by the foolishness of men." 

Flattery can be used in good ways and in bad and here in the text the Pharisees and Herodians sought to us it for evil and we should be on guard for how this can occur for us.  Flattery does make us feel good and we may be tempted to be influenced into sin by those who flatter us.  As a general rule, as I posted yesterday, we must be alert to how Satan is real and "on the prowl."  We must be steadfast in our faith not be influenced into sin by flattery.  For example, we can rest on our identity in Christ - see also John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17 and we should not be conformed to the world - Romans 12:2. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that sent Your Son who was tempted in all ways but never succumbed to sin but even after living a perfect sinless live died on the cross so that I could have life now to the full and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.

Mark 12:13-17

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. Mark 12:13

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of four) division (v13):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "Should Christians Obey the Government?" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv13-17) is "[f]ollowers of Jesus should obey the government and the Lord according to what each is due." 
• "This text appears in the midst of a series of controversies between Jesus and the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Mark 11:20–12:37 is one long day. There are five confrontations altogether: (1) The question of His authority by the Sanhedrin (11:27-33); (2) The question of paying taxes by the Pharisees and Herodians (12:13-17); (3) The question of the resurrection by the Sadducees (12:18-27); (4) The question of the greatest command by the scribes (12:28-34); (5) The question of whose Son is the Christ by Jesus Himself (12:35-37)."
• "Within the context of this dispute with those who will be the authors of His death, Jesus provides the answer. He also provides some practical and basic wisdom when we are confronted by those devoted to our destruction."  
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "The Trap: Be Careful When Approached 
   by Strange Bedfellows." 
• "The Pharisees were the conservatives, the right-wingers of that day. The Herodians were the liberals, the left-wingers, advocates of big government. The Pharisees hated Jesus because He was messing with their religious agenda. The Herodians opposed Him because He was threatening their political advantage. Amazingly, Jesus brought them together! They both wanted to destroy Him." 

Broadly, we are encouraged to be alert and to guard against those who seek to destroy us.  1 Peter 5:8 is instructive here as we must understand that Satan is real and until he is ultimately destroyed at the end of the age (Revelation), we will continue this daily battle.  In the context of the text today, we must be on guard against those who seek to persecute us based on who we are and what we proclaim as believers.  While in the USA it is less likely we will be persecuted than in other places (see Voice of the Martyrs) where believers often face life-threatening circumstances for their faith, here in the USA we will face scorn and perhaps less threatening persecution.  We should abide in Him and remain steadfast in our faith and pray that we can be bold in the face of such persecution - reacting as Peter did as he and John faced down a dangerous confrontation with the Jewish elders.  Peter shared in Acts 4:20 "we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."

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My Prayer: Father God You are an amazing God that has already defeated sin and death and You saved me, saving a place in Heaven for me, and You continue to do a work in me.  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of my salvation, nor any of the blessings You pour out daily for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Mark 12:13-17 

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:13-17:, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God is the ultimate authority of the universe.  At the same time, He places people of authority over us in our churches, workplaces, and in the government.  There is no conflict - God created these roles for the orderly function of our lives as He holds all things together (Colossians 1:15-20).  We are to follow these earthly authorities and God at the same time - but not when there is conflict and we are asked to follow an earthly command that conflicts with what God calls us to - there are many examples of believers who stood on scripture to follow God instead of man.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Once again, we have more of the Jewish elders (and Herodians who presumably benefited from their alliance with the Pharisees and Caesar) who seek to trap Jesus into sharing His allegiance to either His Father (even though they questioned whether He was truly the Son of God) or Caesar - which is not a zero sum game as it is more nuanced as yes we serve God first and foremost (above all else) but we also serve earthly authorities.  This is another example of twisting our faith and God for our own benefit - which is what the Pharisees were doing, serving (and preserving) their own status and position.  We also see how people recognize Truth.  They sought to trap Him but failed and instead were amazed by Him (v17)...of course we know they ultimately reject Him despite being amazed by Him.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We are called not to question or put "God to the test" - see also Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7.  See this post for a good explanation of the sin we are to avoid here. We are to render to God what is God's (v17)....for example, we are to pay taxes to our government while at the same time we are to tithe to our church.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, provides, and saves...thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such mercy and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.

Mark 12:1-12

He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Mark 12:9b

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:1-12.  Excerpts from the commentary's third (of three) division (vv9-12):

• The title of the third division per the commentary is "God’s Judgment Will Certainly Come."
• "Jesus provides the answer to His parable, one the religious leaders would be forced to concede. In the process they condemned themselves, and they condemn us as well. The owner will destroy those who refuse his son! Historically, God judged Israel for their rejection of His Son. In AD 70 Jerusalem was destroyed, and the nation was brought to ruins." 
• "Today that same judgment falls on all who have “trampled on the Son of God, regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace” (Hebrews 10:29). It is indeed “a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31)." 
• In vv10-11, "Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23, changing the metaphor to a building. It is the same psalm shouted by the people at His triumphal entry. It is clearly messianic. He knows who He is and why He has come!" 
• "The stone rejected would become a symbol for the Messiah and an explanation for how the Jewish people rejected Jesus (Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6-8). 
• "Mark 12:12 is a disappointing summation of their response: “Because they knew He had said this parable against them, they were looking for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left Him and went away.” As Paul would later explain, all of this is foolishness and a stumbling block to them; for us, however, it is the power of God unto salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)."

Many non-believers can't see how a loving God can judge and condemn people to Hell.  Yet within this judgement lies amazing grace of which not a single person in all of redemptive history is deserving.  We all sin and the wages of sin is death (Romans 3:23, 6:23; 1 John 1:8).  All of humanity is deserving of death on the cross yet Jesus took our place and He will return a 2nd time to judge.  He offers a free gift to all - believe and be saved!  Indeed the greatest gift of all time!  

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My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves and who is full of amazing grace for those who believe - thank You Jesus for the greatest gift of all time.  I am not deserving of such a gift.  My sin is great and it continue...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.