Reflective Bible Study

While reading the gospels, occasionally I’ll run across an event where I could see myself responding in a similar way as one of the people present. As this event in Mark’s gospel opens, John brings an issue to Jesus that he thinks needs to be addressed. John describes to Jesus what he discovered by saying, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” (v. 38)

In this event, John believes the right thing to do was stopping this other individual. After all, this other person was not a disciple or even a follower. Perhaps, they were someone who saw one of the disciples casting out demons using Jesus’ name and they realized that God wasn’t exclusively sharing this power with only Jesus. In many ways, I understand John’s perspective: If anyone and everyone knew that all they needed to do was use Jesus’ name and they would be given power, then there could be chaos.

However, to John’s surprise, Jesus responds by saying, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.” (v. 39-41)

In this response, Jesus shares a very profound line: “For he who is not against us is for us.” (v. 40)

Many times, we believe and/or think that it is the opposite way. We may have the impression that Jesus really meant to say that “the person who is not for us is against us”, but that is not the wording Jesus’ uses.

This distinction matters because there is a broad middle ground. Are we to understand that those who are in the middle ground (neither for, nor against Jesus) included with those who are for Jesus, or are they excluded with those who are against Jesus? While the answer is not as simple as drawing a line through the middle ground, or simply saying that everyone who hasn’t given their allegiance to Satan is safe, it is statements like these that prompt me to believe God (through Jesus) is more inclusive rather than exclusive.

This means that instead of looking for ways to keep us out of heaven (which is what many people believe), God is actively looking for ways and reasons for bringing us into Heaven. If God wanted to keep someone out of heaven, there would be ample evidence to do so for every single person who has ever lived – except Jesus.

Instead, God sent Jesus to make a way available to bring us back to Him. Jesus’ human existence proves God wants us with Him in heaven. God then looks for reasons to include us, starting with belief in His Son, before then looking for examples of kindness and sharing the gospel message with others.

In one of His most famous parables, Jesus teaches the crowd about different types of hearts and different ways people can accept Jesus’ message by comparing it to various types of soil that a plant could grow in. In this parable, Jesus describes four types of soil, and in many ways, these four types of soil represent the different ways we can apply Jesus’ message, and these four types of soil can also represent the different ways other people can apply God’s message when it is shared with them.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include this parable, and there is very little difference in how each gospel describes Jesus’ words. Looking at Mark’s gospel, we learn about soil that is on a path, soil that is rocky, soil that is thorny, and soil that is good for growth. Left on our own, we might come up with all sorts of ideas for what these types of soil represent, but Jesus shares the meaning with the disciples, and these four gospel writers all include Jesus’ explanation: “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” (v. 15-20)

Mark describes Jesus’ explanation that there will be people who hear the gospel message, but who fall away. If these people immediately dismiss it, they are like the seed that landed on the path – Satan quickly causes them to dismiss it. The gospel message looks stupid to this group of people, so why should they even try it out.

If those who hear the gospel message receive it with joy, some might be pulled away because of pressure from the world. These people are like the seed that fell among the rocks, because the seed wasn’t able to grow with strong roots. Because following Jesus’ teachings can be difficult and counter cultural, this group of people determines that the cost of following is too high and they give up from external pressures to conform.

There are also people who hear the gospel message, and who let it take root and grow, but their own minds cause them to doubt, stumble, and struggle. These people are like the seed that fell among thorns, and the thorns choke the gospel out of them. Because Christians also face internal pressure as we grow our faith and trust in God, this group of people gives up because their minds, hearts, and desires are focused on other things and these other things do not line up with placing God first.

But there are those who successfully navigate the challenges of Satan, the culture of the world, and the pressure of the mind, and these people are like the seed that landed on good soil. Each seed that landed on good soil produced a great harvest, but each seed was still not equal.

This parable prompts me to be aware of the challenges and pressure that will come my way when hearing the gospel message and it helps me understand what others may experience when their faith is challenged. This parable pushes me to be more resolved in my commitment to God, because it shares that this is the only way to mature and be a spiritual success.

During a late night secret meeting, a Pharisee, named Nicodemus, found Jesus because he wanted to have a conversation with Him. Perhaps Nicodemus had some questions of his own, or maybe he had been chosen by a group of Pharisees to go and find out what Jesus was all about. We don’t know which, but what we do know is that because this meeting happened at night, Nicodemus wanted this meeting to be kept confidential.

In their short discussion, Jesus makes an incredibly simple but profound comparison that emphasizes an important spiritual truth. Early on in the conversation, Jesus tells Nicodemus: “Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from the Spirit.” (v. 6)

When stated out loud or in writing, it sounds so simple, but think about it for a minute or two and it will become profound. Our parents gave us human life, but only God can give us spiritual life.

In the holistic and dualistic world we live in, we are tempted to think that we have complete control over our spiritual lives. If we go to certain places, say certain phrases, rest in certain ways, or do certain things, we are tempted to believe this will automatically make us more spiritual.

But according to Jesus, that idea is flawed because only the Spirit (i.e. The Holy Spirit) can give/grow a person’s spiritual life. This means that any control we have is minimal when compared with the Holy Spirit’s role. If we do have any control, it is in seeking out ways to meet and work with the Holy Spirit. The rest is entirely up to Him.

The rituals, habits, and actions that we often associate with spirituality are not necessarily all bad – but if any of it directs a person anywhere but towards Jesus, then it is a distraction and not truly a way of growing your spirituality. The Holy Spirit grows one’s spiritual life, and the Holy Spirit’s role is to point people towards Jesus.

On the night of Jesus’ arrest, while Jesus was in the garden, what happens before Judas arrived is amazing in my mind. Looking at the timing of this event, it seems as though only Jesus really knew what was coming. The remaining eleven disciples don’t appear to act in a way that made this night significant like Jesus did.

If it were not for the upcoming arrest, we might not even have this night recorded. John’s gospel even hints at this being a regular place for Jesus and the disciples to go when they were in the area. (John 18:1-2)

But this night was different, and Jesus knew it. This night marked the next step towards the ultimate goal of the cross. But during the night before His death, Jesus faced what may have been His greatest challenge: Should Jesus choose to go through with the cross?

Jesus could take the group of disciples anywhere else, and Judas would not have been able to find them. The remaining disciples may not have even realized they had narrowly escaped death. But running away was not part of Jesus’ character.

That night Jesus prayed, “My Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.” (v. 36)

In this prayer, I see two clear things stated. First, Jesus shares His preference. Secondly Jesus shares His true desire. I wonder if this could be a model for us as well.

It is in this garden prayer where we can see a glimpse into how to pray – and how God answers prayer. While the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught the disciples earlier in His ministry gets lots of fame, it is in this garden prayer that we can really see the essence of prayer. What if we prayed our preferences to God, then submitted ourselves to His will and His timing. If we really think about our perspective when compared to God’s, He can see things a lot clearer than we can.

When Jesus prayed (and when we pray), God already knows what we need and what we want. God already knew Jesus was in anguish and that He was suffering. God knew that Jesus would make this request. But God also knew what was in Jesus’ heart – because it was in His heart as well. The whole Godhead designed this event to be an example of the love they had for you, me, and the rest of humanity. It is in this short, four sentence prayer where Jesus re-volunteers for the role of Savior-Messiah for humanity.

God does not appear to answer Jesus’ request to take the cup of suffering away. God does not appear to always answer our prayers favorably as well. However, when looking at this prayer from an eternity perspective, everything was on the line. God didn’t answer Jesus’ request because of His love for you and I. He wants us with Him for eternity. God answers prayers with an eternity perspective, and sometimes that even means saying “No” to His own Son!

Jesus deferred to God’s will and perspective in that moment, and because of that, we now have the opportunity to accept salvation as a gift. When we pray, perhaps we should be more intentional about submitting our will into God’s will – because He knows the path that will lead us, and as many people as possible, into eternal life with Him.