Reflective Bible Study

One thing that amazes me as we move through Mark’s gospel is how Mark races through Jesus’ story, and how many of the events that we think of as being later on in Jesus’ life come early in Mark’s record of Jesus’ life. While this might be simply because Mark has fewer chapters than the other three gospels, it is also possible this just seems to be the case since Mark doesn’t devote several chapters at the beginning to Jesus’ birth story.

However, regardless of the reason, we come to an event Mark includes that completely shifts the disciples’ perspective at that point. This event comes after Jesus has finished preaching to the crowds all day.

Our passage for this episode is found in the gospel of Mark, chapter 4, and we will read from the God’s Word translation. Starting in verse 35, Mark tells us:

³⁵ That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side.”

³⁶ Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus along in a boat just as he was. Other boats were with him.

³⁷ A violent windstorm came up. The waves were breaking into the boat so that it was quickly filling up. ³⁸ But he was sleeping on a cushion in the back of the boat.

So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to die?”

³⁹ Then he got up, ordered the wind to stop, and said to the sea, “Be still, absolutely still!” The wind stopped blowing, and the sea became very calm.

⁴⁰ He asked them, “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith yet?”

⁴¹ They were overcome with fear and asked each other, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

This event challenged the disciples on an entirely new level. If prior to this point, the disciples simply believed Jesus to be a significant teacher and healer, this event amplified their impression of who Jesus was and what Jesus was capable of.

When I say this, it is interesting in my mind because up to this point, the disciples likely had a similar impression of Jesus as the religious leaders. Both of these opposite groups believed Jesus to be a gifted speaker and a skilled healer. However, while the religious leaders disliked Jesus because of what He taught and what He did, the disciples had allied themselves with Jesus.

It is interesting too that this mirrors what many people believe today. Of those willing to admit that there was a historical figure known as Jesus Christ, many believe Him to be only a significant teacher or perhaps a skilled healer. Another group willing to admit that Jesus Christ was a historical figure say they believe He was God’s Messiah, but they stop there, not willing to accept what this actually means. In contrast to both these groups, only a small number actually accept Jesus as God’s Messiah, including what this actually means.

The event we just finished reading polarizes these groups of people. Some people will simply reject this event as fiction. Others, while admitting that Jesus lived and storms like what we just read about in this passage happened on the sea like this regularly, will say that this event was simply a fluke or a convenient coincidence. The reason this event polarizes people is that if we decide, like a minority of people, to accept that Jesus can command the weather, this makes Jesus God, and it is difficult to accept the idea that God is actually interested in us to the point that He would become one of us.

Understanding how God the Creator can choose to become a part of His creation is impossible for me to comprehend, but this is what the Bible describes in Jesus. With this event, we are forced to accept Jesus for being more than simply a teacher or healer, or to reject Jesus’ significance entirely.

When reading this event, it is interesting in my mind because the disciples do not ask Jesus for a miracle. Instead, the disciples wake Jesus up with the belief that this is their last night alive. The disciples had concluded that there was no way they were making it through this storm alive. When waking Jesus up, these disciples ask Him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to die?”

In this question, there isn’t any indication or faith that Jesus can do anything for them except help them pitch water from the boat. I don’t know if Jesus had a hint of irritation in His voice regarding the disciples or regarding being woken up, but when Jesus commanded the wind and waves to stop, according to this passage, the effect was instantaneous.

Jesus then turns and challenges the disciples, calling them cowards and calling out their lack of faith. The disciples lack of faith is evidenced in how they ask themselves who Jesus really is. By questioning how a man could command the wind and the sea, these disciples are at a crossroads in their belief. These disciples must make a choice between believing Jesus is more than simply a religious teacher and healer, and whether He truly is the Messiah, the Son of God.

Also in this passage is another amazing truth that I want to focus our attention on. The only reason this storm was so bad was because Satan wanted to end Jesus’ life before He reached the other side of the lake, and especially before Jesus was able to face the cross. The truth we can discover in this passage related to this idea is that Satan caused storms are no match for Jesus’ command.

When Satan brings a storm into our life, or when he tries to amplify challenges or temptations in our minds, we should lean on Jesus’ promises and Jesus’ commands because the best Satan can come up with to challenge us is no match for Jesus. The best, scariest storm Satan could muster ended the instant Jesus spoke. When deciding who we should align our lives with, the clear choice is Jesus. He has the power to help us face anything Satan wants to throw our way!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to place your faith, hope, trust, and belief in Jesus as God’s Son and as our Messiah. Remember that anything Satan tries to throw at us is no match for Jesus, and in every case where Jesus steps in to face Satan head on, Jesus wins clearly and easily. Choose to align your life with Jesus.

Also, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God and Jesus each day. Choose to spend time praying and studying to grow personally closer to God and to fall in love with Him like He has fallen in love with you. Discover in the pages of the Bible, a God who gives up everything for you and me!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we continue moving forward in the gospels focusing on the miracles Jesus did, we come to a miracle where Jesus asks the person he has healed to be quiet. In this miracle, we discover what Jesus likely wanted, but we also discover that just because Jesus asked this man to do something, doesn’t mean this man obeyed. When someone is excited about something that has happened, it is almost impossible for them to remain quiet about it.

Let’s read what happened, and what we can learn from this miracle that we can apply into our lives.

Our passage is found in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 8, and we will be reading from the New Century Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 1, Matthew tells us that:

¹ When Jesus came down from the hill, great crowds followed him. ² Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus. The man bowed down before him and said, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.”

Let’s pause reading here because I want to draw our attention onto something significant. In this passage, the man with a skin disease acknowledges that Jesus is capable of healing him, but he questions Jesus on His willingness to heal him. This is important for us to pay attention to because it has a parallel in our own lives even if we don’t have a skin disease.

In our own lives, we could just as easily say to Jesus, “Lord, you can forgive me if you will”. Through Jesus, we are capable of being forgiven, however do we ever struggle with feeling doubt about whether God would want to forgive us?

While it is easy to say that God is a God who forgives, it is much harder to think that He is willing to apply this forgiveness in serious or extreme situations. This is one reason I am happy to not be the judge or even anywhere close to the judge’s seat in this matter.

It’s possible that this man believes his disease is the result of something bad he had done and this disease is a punishment for that sin, and that God would not want to remove this punishment for the sin this man committed. With this angle on how the man phrases his statement and request, the man actually makes this healing subtly also relate to forgiveness from his past sin.

With this in mind, let’s look at how Jesus responded. Continuing in verse 3, Matthew tells us that:

³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!” And immediately the man was healed from his disease. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show the people what I have done.”

In Matthew’s gospel, we discover that Jesus is more than willing to heal people, and that Jesus doesn’t see illness, disease, or tragedy as divine punishment. Sometimes bad things happen simply because we live in a sinful world; sometimes bad things happen because God chooses to withdraw His protection. When we are living apart from God, it makes logical sense that God is not obligated to protect us from the sin in this world. God’s protection is a gift, and when we realize this, we should be grateful when we are protected, not angry when bad enters our lives.

After healing this man, Jesus tells him to stay quiet about this but go and show himself to the priest. I wonder if the priests who had pronounced this man as unclean made the claim that God was punishing him for his past sins. If so, then Jesus wants this man to show up healed, and with this healing, along with the gift that those who were healed were to bring, the priests would have to admit that their previous conclusion that this man would be punished for the rest of his life was false.

Matthew’s gospel ends this event here, and we might assume that this man did as Jesus had requested. However, Mark’s gospel records this event with an extra verse at the end. Mark, chapter 1, verse 45 tells us that: “The man left there, but he began to tell everyone that Jesus had healed him, and so he spread the news about Jesus. As a result, Jesus could not enter a town if people saw him. He stayed in places where nobody lived, but people came to him from everywhere.”

I think that part of the reason Jesus wanted the man to stay quiet was that Jesus wanted to slow His advance into the spotlight. I think Jesus wanted anonymity for a little longer so He could help more people.

However, with this healed-man’s excitement, there was no way Jesus could remain secret. Because of this man’s excitement, Jesus became so well known that He couldn’t enter a town if people recognized Him.

Part of me believes that this man’s excitement wasn’t just because Jesus had healed him. When reading this passage, I get the impression that this man was just as excited that Jesus wanted to heal him, and that he felt this healing was connected with the understanding that God had forgiven him as well.

When we make mistakes in life, and when we sin, it is easy to think that God no longer loves us. However, God is more than willing to forgive you and me than we are willing to admit. God loves you and I so much that nothing could stop Jesus from coming down to take the punishment for our sins. Jesus forgives us because He wants to forgive us, and because He knows that His forgiveness is a big part of the way we receive eternal life.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Always seek God first and place Him first in your life. Know, understand, and admit that God loves you even when you have sinned, and that God is more than willing to forgive us when we acknowledge that He is willing to forgive. God loves you and I, and He won’t stop loving us even if we have completely walked away and rejected Him.

Also, always pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn what God is like. The Bible is God’s story and it is a record of what He has done in the world. The Bible points us to Jesus, and we must always remember that without Jesus, there wouldn’t be a point to the Bible, and without the Bible, we wouldn’t be able to recognize God or Jesus. Intentionally study the Bible with the goal of growing closer to God each day and know that when we look at the world through the lens of the Bible, we are better able to see the world as God sees it.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As Mark continues to tell us about Jesus, he decides to include more parables and illustrations Jesus shared. In the set of parables that we will focus on for this episode, we will discover how Jesus both explains and challenges those present with His teaching.

Our passage is found in Mark’s gospel, chapter 4, and we will read from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 21:

²¹ Then Jesus said to them, “Do you hide a lamp under a bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand. ²² Everything that is hidden will be made clear and every secret thing will be made known. ²³ Let those with ears use them and listen!

²⁴ “Think carefully about what you hear. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you even more. ²⁵ Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them.”

Let’s pause briefly here because something Jesus just said jumped out at me. In the challenge Jesus just shared, we see a warning cautioning us to pay attention to what we hear. While this warning makes sense in the context of having understanding, between these two ideas that sound connected is an idea that sounds different. The way the New Century Version translated this distinct idea is: “The way you give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you even more.”

If we switch translations and read this phrase from a different one, such as the New International Version, we see this idea translated: “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.”

This is one reason why I like having and using many different translations. While I don’t know the original languages of the Bible, having many different translations helps me see new angles on passages such as this one.

If we had simply chosen to use the New International Version, which is likely a little more accurate in this instance, we might have simply jumped to the idea that we are to hold off on judging, stereotyping, or condemning others because if we do this to others, even more of it will be done to us.

This is a huge truth.

However, if we had simply stayed with the New Century Version, we might be tempted to think this was a brief message that we should be generous and give money to the poor so that God will reward us in ways that only He can.

This too is a huge truth.

However, when we put both translations together we see an amazing truth that the way we show grace and forgiveness towards others is the same way we show grace and forgiveness to God, and when we show grace and forgiveness towards others, God shows significantly more grace and forgiveness towards us!

However, Jesus isn’t finished shared. Continuing reading our passage, using the New Century Version, and picking back up in verse 26:

²⁶ Then Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who plants seed in the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows, but the person does not know how it grows. ²⁸ By itself the earth produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. ²⁹ When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it, because this is the harvest time.”

³⁰ Then Jesus said, “How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it? ³¹ The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. ³² But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.”

³³ Jesus used many stories like these to teach the crowd God’s message—as much as they could understand. ³⁴ He always used stories to teach them. But when he and his followers were alone, Jesus explained everything to them.

From reading this passage, I get the impression that Jesus loved sharing stories and wrapping spiritual truths into stories that everyone could understand. However, we might be tempted to jump over Mark’s summary statement at the end of this verse, but this would be a mistake because in Mark’s summary, we discover two big ideas.

The first idea is within verse 33 and the first part of verse 34. Mark tells us that “Jesus used many stories like these to teach the crowd God’s message—as much as they could understand. He always used stories to teach them.” The big idea I see in this verse is that Jesus structured His stories specifically for His audience. Jesus wanted those in the crowds to understand God’s truth, and He shared God’s truth in ways that those in the crowds could understand it.

The second idea is in the last portion of verse 34, where Mark follows up by saying that “when he and his followers were alone, Jesus explained everything to them.” This tells me that Jesus really wants His followers and His disciples to understand what He taught and shared. While Jesus always used stories and illustrations in public, according to Mark, Jesus explained everything when He and the disciples were alone.

One big truth I see in this idea is that God might be waiting to explain something we are struggling to understand until we are alone with Him. While God sometimes will bring people into our lives to help us understand, other times, He wants to teach us directly as we study the Bible. While not everyone in the crowd would understand all the layers of truth in Jesus’ illustrations, Jesus wanted His disciples to know and understand everything He taught.

Another truth in this set of verses is that Jesus specifically made time to be alone with His followers. While we might get the impression that there was never times where Jesus was not without a crowd of people prior to the night of His arrest, Mark alludes to times of public ministry, as well as times where Jesus would leave the crowds and focus specifically on His group of disciples.

While it would have been amazing to sit at the feet of Jesus while He walked the earth in the first century, we can figuratively do this when we stop and intentionally read what the gospel writers share.

Some might be quick to point out that this isn’t the same, which is true, but this is the best we can do during this stage of history. Sitting and reading the gospels is actually better than you might realize because when we dedicate time to reading and studying the Bible, God’s Holy Spirit is ready and willing to come and help us understand what God wants to teach us. All the Holy Spirit is waiting for is an open mind and an invitation to come. With these two things in place, we are ready to study God’s Word and understand what He wants to teach us with the Holy Spirit’s help!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to dedicate time in your life to spend with Him. While it might be easy to jump in and focus on reading and studying, which we should be doing, perhaps the first thing we should do when deciding to spend time with God is to pause, pray, and extend grace to God, similar to what we discovered in the first part of our passage.

When we open our Bibles, we want God to teach us and help us understand, and we should extend God grace because sometimes God will do things that we don’t understand, or things that make us confused. Extending grace to God means that we seek to understand God’s will and actions while also being okay if something doesn’t make sense right now. God is worthy of our trust even if some things He does don’t make sense from our limited perspective.

Speaking of opening our Bibles, always continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself. While it is very easy to simply move through life coasting on the thoughts and ideas of others, you shortchange your spiritual lives by staying dependant on others. Not only do you risk being deceived, you also risk your actual spiritual growth because when you filter your growth through other people, you cannot grow past where that person has grown. God wants more for you than you might realize, and mixed in with all the blessings He wants to give to you, a personal relationship with you is among the most important of these blessings.   

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

In our last episode, we looked at how some of Jesus’ closest followers drop everything and follow Jesus when He asks them to follow Him. To some people, this story sounds crazy to believe, and I believe this is one reason why Luke includes a little more details around the call of these early disciples. While it is miraculous in itself to think that God would invite humans to walk with Him, and it is miraculous to realize that these men were willing to drop a respectable life to follow someone who would ultimately be hated, condemned, and killed, Luke describes another miracle that likely prompted these early followers to pay attention.

In Luke’s mind, some people might not buy the idea that fishermen would drop everything to follow a religious teacher, especially One who lived the life of an outcast. So Luke gives us a little more detail surrounding the call of these men, and in Luke’s additional details, we learn what Jesus may have seen in these men leading up to their call.

Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 5, and we will read it from the New Century Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 1, Luke tells us that:

¹ One day while Jesus was standing beside Lake Galilee, many people were pressing all around him to hear the word of God. ² Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. ³ Jesus got into one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, and asked him to push off a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down and continued to teach the people from the boat.

⁴ When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Take the boat into deep water, and put your nets in the water to catch some fish.”

⁵ Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish, and we caught nothing. But you say to put the nets in the water, so I will.” ⁶ When the fishermen did as Jesus told them, they caught so many fish that the nets began to break. ⁷ They called to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full that they were almost sinking.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he bowed down before Jesus and said, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!” ⁹ He and the other fishermen were amazed at the many fish they caught, as were ¹⁰ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹ When the men brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

After reading about this miracle in our passage for this episode, it is no wonder that these fishermen decided to follow Jesus. After all, Jesus apparently knew more about fishing then any of them did.

However, Jesus described His role of teacher as turning them into fishers of people rather than fishers of fish.

But with this frame in mind, what prompted Jesus to invite these men to follow Him, and if Jesus were with us today, would He see the same character traits in us?

The first character trait that we learn about these men is that they were diligent workers. While Jesus was preaching, they were cleaning their nets. Verse 2 tells us that “Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.” Whether they were interested in Jesus or not at this point, they were focused on the task, and while cleaning nets wasn’t likely very fun, it was necessary to being a productive fisherman.

The next character trait we discover is that when Jesus gets into Simon’s boat and asks Simon to push off from the shore so He could keep preaching, Simon agrees. With this little request, Jesus tests the waters with how willing, flexible, and helpful Simon was. We have no idea what Jesus talked about while sitting in the boat, but I am guessing that Simon kept the boat from drifting too far in any direction while also continuing to clean his nets.

The third character trait we discover in Simon and the other disciples is when Jesus has finished speaking. Whether Simon was interested in Jesus’ talk or not, when Jesus asks Simon to take the boat further out and cast the nets out to catch fish, Simon’s response is fascinating. Simon tells Jesus in verse 5, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish, and we caught nothing. But you say to put the nets in the water, so I will.”

Simon’s response to Jesus is along the lines of, “Well, I know how to fish, and last night didn’t go well. But if you claim to know better, then I’m happy to at least try it your way.” Simon is willing to try something new, something untested, and something that could either fail, or succeed. Simon is willing to find out which it is. This character trait would be a powerful asset moving forward with Jesus.

The last character trait we see in Simon is after they have finished catching all the fish. Simon tells Jesus in verse 8, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!” Simon realizes that He is unworthy to be near Jesus, especially when Jesus had just demonstrated that He knew more about fishing than Simon did, and Simon acknowledges in a humble way that Jesus is holy – even if Simon didn’t realize how true this idea actually was.

All four of these character traits are important things for all followers of Jesus to work towards in our own lives. We should be diligent workers, we should be willing to obey Jesus with the little tasks, we should be willing to obey Jesus’ crazy, illogical, and challenging big requests, and we should be humble before Jesus and acknowledge our sinfulness and need of a Savior. With these four characteristics, we will be the people God created and called us to be, and we will be able to model Jesus to a world in need of a Savior.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Be sure to seek God first and work towards incorporating all four of these character traits into your life. With a spirit of humility, an obedient attitude, and perseverance to press forward through challenges, we are able to grow into the people God wants us to be.

Also, be sure to always pray and study the Bible for yourself, because through prayer and personal study, we are able to grow personally towards God, and the closer we are to God, the more we will ultimately be like Him and the better we will be able to reflect His love to the world around us.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!