One of the most vivid stories in the histories of Jesus is when he and his disciples find their boat tossed to and fro upon the stormy waters Galilee’s sea. Consider their experience as recorded by Mark in the history that bears his name: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, READ MORE
It is rather simple, really, this defining mark of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus, of course, sums it up quite well with his pithy imperatives nestled within Mark 8:34. Here is what he says: And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let READ MORE
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
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
Though routine the soldiers’ work on top of the hill attracted onlookers. They labored away, planting stakes and laying out the timbers that would form the stands for some rough crosses. The sun was devouring the morning fog, and from that hill one could see the beginning of a very busy Friday in Jerusalem. Across READ MORE
It is not just a mere man who has come to bring light into the darkness, to meet us in the wilderness, to rescue us from bonds of evil, and erase our shame. Consider the following passage from Mark 1:21-28 for proof: And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the READ MORE
