We have to remember that Mark wrote his gospel to quell the deep and understandable anxiety of the Christians being persecuted by Nero in the slums of Rome. This mostly Gentile audience had to know that following Jesus was worthwhile, even in the face of the atrocities with which they were dealing. They had to READ MORE
Disciples
A Lesson on a Lake
Here is a very hard word of truth: life is not about you. Or me. There are things going on that are far greater. Lest you wonder, check out the following account from Mark 6:45 and following: [quote]Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to READ MORE
2000 Pigs Under the Sea
When Jesus and his disciples made it to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, following the fierce storm that had erupted upon them, one should expect a brief reprieve for them. Surely they were exhausted and frightened. Indeed, Mark 4:41 says as much. Perhaps now that they have landed on the eastern shoreline READ MORE
Helping the Spiritually Hungry
I am spiritually hungry. That might be a strange statement coming from a man who has been a follower of Jesus for nearly forty years, pastoring one of the largest churches in a three-state region. But it is true. I am spiritually hungry, and I suspect you are too. Whether you are a seasoned saint READ MORE
The Twelve
Pay careful attention to the story of Jesus’ formal affirmation of the twelve disciples who would follow after him, as recorded by Mark in the historical account bearing his name: And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom READ MORE
Legitimizing the Lord
Tucked tightly between the passage about Jesus’ healing the man with the withered hand and the calling of the twelve apostles is a seemingly modest account of a great crowd coming to Jesus for physical healing. Read carefully what Mark has penned about this particular moment in Jesus’ remarkable life: Jesus withdrew with his disciples READ MORE