Chip Shots

To See or Not to See Read Mark 10:46-52 One of the joys of reading the Bible is that the more you do it, the more you get out of it. It happened to me today. While studying today’s text, I saw some things I’d never seen before. I suppose it is fitting, considering the subject of our text is a man whose sight was restored. His name was Bartimaeus. The fact that he, unlike most of Jesus’ healings, is mentioned by name strongly suggests that he was a well known figure in the early church. Unlike the disciples, Bartimaeus is an excellent model for us to imitate. I believe Mark wants us to see him that way. Bartimaeus is a model of faith. While the disciples struggle to figure Jesus out, Bartimaeus immediately and boldly recognizes him as the “Son of David,” a clear messianic title. He is the first person outside of the twelve to affirm Jesus’ identity. Bartimaeus is a model of persistence. When others rebuked him for calling out to Jesus, “he cried out all the more.” No matter what others ...

The Power of Self-Giving Love Read Mark 10:32-45 The disciples knew something was bothering Jesus. Usually he was carefree, walking beside them, chatting casually. But today was different. As they made their way toward Jerusalem, he walked ahead of them as if they weren’t even there. Something was definitely on his mind, but he wasn’t talking about it. The disciples didn’t like it. The scripture says they were “amazed, and … afraid.” Jesus must have sensed this, so he gathered them together in order to open his heart and remind them “what was to happen to him.” It was the same as he’d told them before: when they get to Jerusalem, he will be arrested, tried, condemned to death, and rise after three days. It seems clear enough to us. After all, this is the third time they've had this conversation. In each case, however, they completely missed the point. In the first telling, Peter rebuked Jesus for the very idea that he would suffer and die. His was a false view of the Messiah and hi...

Go, Sell; Come, Follow Read Mark 10:17-31 Today we consider the second of three events Mark records just before Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. The first was the question of marriage and divorce, which we looked at yesterday. The third will be the question of leadership and power. We’ll look at that tomorrow. Today we consider the second of these events, the question of how Jesus’ followers are to relate to money and wealth. It involves a poignant exchange between Jesus and a wealthy man. Jesus gave him the opportunity of a lifetime: “Follow me,” he said. But sadly, the man refused. Why didn’t he follow Jesus? His wealth got in the way. Jesus told him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor…; and come, follow me.” He was unwilling to do it, so despite his earnest desire to inherit the kingdom, “he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Perhaps we are surprised by Jesus’ difficult demand. But he’s been saying things like this all along....

Loopholes Read Mark 10, especially verses 1-12 Loopholes. That’s what we’re looking for. We want to obey God, but we don’t want it to be too costly, or too inconvenient, or too complicated. That’s why we need loopholes. Sure, we’ll keep our marital vows, but not if it gets too hard. We need an escape clause if necessary. Yes, we’ll honor God with our wealth, but not if it gets too costly. We’d like to keep our standard of living if possible. Of course we’ll follow Jesus, so long as we get something out of it…. These are not just contemporary questions: they confront every generation. In fact, they are evident throughout this week’s reading as we make our way through Mark. Chapter 10 begins with a thorny question about marriage: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (verse 2). It continues with the heartfelt question of a wealthy man: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (verse 17). It concludes with Jesus asking a searching question for his power-hungry disciples: “What do...

All Jesus wanted was a quiet place to rest. He’d just been rejected by his hometown. He’d just received the news that his cousin John was beheaded. Both of these were painful reminders of the burden of his vocation: to be rejected by the very people he came to save, and to suffer on their behalf. He needed some time for solitude and prayer. Besides this, here were his faithful disciples, returning from their first ministry trip of teaching and healing. They too would need time to rest and relax. But this place was too crowded. Everyone wanted their attention. They didn’t even have a chance to eat. “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while,” he said to them. So they got into a boat and found a quiet place to relax. But when they arrived, a huge crowd was waiting for them. This was the setting for one of Jesus’ most famous miracles: the feeding of the 5000. Among the many things which could be said about it, there are two which I find especially striking. I am impres...

The sordid story of Salome’s sensual dance and John’s ignominious end sounds like an episode from a Netflix series or, sadly, a news headline. Why does Mark include it in the middle of his narrative about Jesus? Was it just for its shock effect? No. John’s execution serves to accentuate both the danger Jesus faced and the nature of his messianic mission as it moves toward its ultimate climax. The tenor of Jesus’ ministry changed following news of John’s death. The death of his cousin would have been deeply troubling to Jesus, for he already knew what was ahead for himself. Soon he will head toward his own showdown with political power as he makes his way toward Jerusalem. Perhaps this is one reason why he wanted some time alone with his disciples after hearing the news. In addition, Mark wants us to see the stark contrast between the kingdoms of this world — as represented by Herod, who craved to be called King of the Jews — and the kingdom of God, as represented by Jesus, who was in f...

Jairus was desperate. His 12 year old daughter was deathly ill. As a synagogue ruler, he’d heard of Jesus, the controversial Rabbi who was said to have healing powers. So putting aside his pride, and whatever doubts he had, he fell at Jesus’ feet and “implored him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her….’” Imagine his relief when Jesus agreed to go to his home. He would heal his daughter! A crowd was following them when suddenly Jesus stopped. “Who touched me?” he asked. After some confusion, a woman cautiously crept forward and said, “It was me.” What must Jairus have been thinking at this moment? His daughter is at the point of death, and Jesus stops to talk to a woman with a chronic illness! Can’t it wait? By the time Jesus finished with the woman whom he had healed, bad news came from the ruler’s home. It was too late; his daughter was dead. Of course, you’ve read the story, so you know how it turns out. Jesus brought the lit...

Jesus’ ministry grew rapidly as he toured the towns of Galilee. But as the crowds multiplied, so too did the conflict. We see both the conflict and the crowds in today’s reading, as well as Jesus’ response. Conflict had already been present in Mark’s gospel, but it reached a new (low) level when he healed a man’s withered hand in a synagogue on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6). When Jesus saw the man, he asked, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or kill?” His opponents were silent. However, when Jesus healed the man’s withered hand, they immediately “held counsel … how to destroy him.” The scene drips with irony: It is wrong to heal a man on the Sabbath, but it permissible to plot murder on the same day? Despite the brewing conflict, Jesus’ popularity continued to grow. Three times, Mark mentions the “great crowd” which followed him. In order to avoid their crush, Jesus had to teach from a boat! (Mark 3:7-12). In light of these developments, how did Jesus res...

If it’s a Friday night, you know where to find me. I’ll be hanging out at the Buffalo Chip Saloon along with my friends. I’ve been doing it for more than ten years, and I have no intention of quitting. I figure if Jesus partied with tax collectors and sinners, I ought to be doing the same. After all, that’s exactly what we see him doing in today’s text. Jesus calls a “sinner” to be his disciple, and the next thing you know, he’s hosting a party for him and his friends. The religious folk didn’t like it one bit, but Jesus didn’t care. It’s a rather scandalous story, if you think about it. Jesus had already called four fishermen to follow him. Next thing you know, he invited a tax collector named Levi to join the team. Chances are, they knew — and did not like — one another. (His tax booth was by the sea, so it is likely he collected their fish tax.) Now they are expected to live together like family? I wonder how they felt about that. Next, Jesus hosted a party at his home. Levi (also ...

After Mark introduces us to Jesus as a popular preacher, he quickly turns the tables on us by showing that can be extremely controversial. We see it in five successive events, beginning with today’s text: the healing of a paralyzed man in Mark 2:1-12. The story is familiar to many church people. When Jesus returned to Capernaum, crowds crammed into every nook and cranny of his home. They wanted to see and hear the local miracle worker. While he was teaching them about the kingdom, to everyone’s surprise, patches of mud and branches began to fall from the roof. Before long, a cot dropped down on ropes bearing a paralyzed man. His friends, unable to press through the crowd, and desperate for Jesus to heal him, had torn a hole in the roof of Jesus’ home! Jesus’ response was as startling as the hole in his roof: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” We might not find these words shocking, but the folks in the room most certainly did. The scr...

Ash Wednesday — Follow Me! Read Mark 1:1-20 When Jesus burst on the scene in the first century, he encountered a climate no less politically charged than what we find today. The people of God were living under the tyrannical rule of Rome. Freedoms were fading, taxes were exorbitant, and oppression was everywhere. Revolution was in the air. The Jewish response to this was fraught with division. Sadducees sought political power, but Pharisees preferred moral reform. Zealots promoted armed revolution, while Essenes chose to circle the wagons. Everyone wanted change, but no one could agree about what to do. (Sound familiar?) It was into this volatile setting that Jesus began his ministry. He came “proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15). During the weeks leading up to Easter, I invite you to join us as our community reads the Gospel of Mark together. Along the way, we will learn ...