Reflective Bible Study

While reading the gospels and especially the portion of an event we are looking at in this episode, I wonder if Jesus was ever actually busy or in a hurry. Perhaps this is something that is different in today’s culture than it was at the time Jesus walked the earth, but I imagine that with Jesus’ popularity as a miracle worker, a healer, and a counter-cultural teacher, He would have just as many demands on His time as someone living today. Jesus might have had even more demands on His calendar than the busiest of us. Even though Jesus didn’t travel very far over the course of His life, by the later stages of His ministry, I doubt there was anyone living in Israel who didn’t know something about Him.

However, while my life gets busy pretty regularly, and it is easy to let the busyness sidetrack me from slowing down, when I read the gospels, I don’t even see a hint of Jesus acting busy or stressed out. Throughout the gospels, I instead see Jesus modeling a presence in every moment that is very unusual when compared with our highly distracted societies today, and it might have even been unusual in the first century as well.

One great example of Jesus living in each moment comes in our passage for this episode. We will be reading from the gospel of Mark, chapter 5, using the New Century Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 21, we learn that:

²¹ When Jesus went in the boat back to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him there. ²² A leader of the synagogue, named Jairus, came there, saw Jesus, and fell at his feet. ²³ He begged Jesus, saying again and again, “My daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so she will be healed and will live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed Jesus and pushed very close around him. ²⁵ Among them was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶ She had suffered very much from many doctors and had spent all the money she had, but instead of improving, she was getting worse. ²⁷ When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his coat. ²⁸ She thought, “If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” ²⁹ Instantly her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her disease.

³⁰ At once Jesus felt power go out from him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹ His followers said, “Look at how many people are pushing against you! And you ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

³² But Jesus continued looking around to see who had touched him. ³³ The woman, knowing that she was healed, came and fell at Jesus’ feet. Shaking with fear, she told him the whole truth. ³⁴ Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace; be healed of your disease.”

We’ll stop reading here because I want to draw out several things that stood out to me while reading this passage.

The first thing that stood out in my mind is that while Jairus urgently wanted Jesus to come quickly because the situation with his daughter looked very bleak, Jesus was more interested in identifying and drawing out the secret miracle. If we think a little deeper about what happens, it’s likely the woman who was healed, Jairus, and most everyone else present would have preferred this woman’s miracle and story to remain hidden.

But Jesus knows that this story needed to be vocalized, and He wanted to highlight this woman’s faith. We learn that the woman who was healed had a powerful testimony, but an even stronger faith that said she would be healed. While we’ll focus on the woman’s faith later in this episode, Jesus was willing to put the urgent situation of a dying child on hold to focus on the faith of a shy, would-rather-not-be-acknowledged woman.

Whether Jesus wanted to validate the woman, her faith, and the healing that just happened, or whether He wanted to stall long enough that Jairus’ daughter would actually die (which sets up the next part of the story), we see Jesus intentionally being present in each moment, even if the situation would pressure Him to hurry forward.

The next thing that stood out in my mind is that we learn that Jairus is a synagogue leader. This is significant to me because while I get the impression from the gospels that virtually all the religious leaders were opposed to Jesus, I highly doubt that this majority included Jairus – especially after this event.

Looking from the opposite perspective is also fascinating. From Jesus’ perspective, even though the majority of the religious leaders opposed Jesus, Jesus didn’t let the stereotype distract Him from choosing to help someone who needed help. Jesus didn’t let the stereotype that all religious leaders opposed Him stop Him from answering the call for help from one religious leader, and Jesus didn’t let the societal view of women stop Him from focusing attention onto this woman’s story, her faith, and her healing.

The third thing that stood out to me in our passage is the simple equation that Faith + Jesus = a Miracle. We learn from the woman’s story that she had tried everything else without success. She had spent all her money with no improvement. These details are important because the woman had faith in the medical practice of her day – even if the medical standards and understanding was lacking compared to what we know today. This woman had faith, but faith alone didn’t result in healing when she focused her faith onto the medical community.

When the woman shifted her faith onto Jesus, she discovered that was all that was needed. She focused all her faith on simply touching part of Jesus’ clothing, and that would be enough. She probably believed her condition wasn’t as serious as other conditions Jesus had healed, and because of this, Jesus’ direct intervention wouldn’t even have been necessary. She might have also believed that since her condition was less visible than most, that she could get away with a healing that was less visible than most.

The woman’s faith, when focused on Jesus resulted in a miracle and a healing in her life. We can learn from this as well because while there are countless things we could place our faith in, the only One truly worthy of our faith is Jesus – and Jesus is the only place where our faith can result in miracles occurring.

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

Be sure to place your faith onto Jesus. Focus on Him and on growing closer to Him each and every day.

Also, be sure to intentionally pray and study the Bible for yourself because only through Bible study can you learn what Jesus is really like. While a pastor or podcaster can point you in the right direction, only through personal study can you grow a personal relationship with God!

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 fall away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Of all the events in the gospels, one event rises to the top when we look for miraculous events where Jesus displays an amazing level of trust. If you have ever wondered if Jesus lived out His faith, the passage we are focusing in on in this episode is a perfect example – and one that left a deep impression on all of Jesus’ disciples for the rest of their lives.

In the event we are focusing on in this episode, Jesus has just finished preaching, and He and the disciples decide to cross over the lake. This lake crossing is included in three of the four gospels, because something significant happens during it. Let’s read about this event from the gospel of Mark, chapter four, using 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!”

Every time I read this event, I am amazed at Jesus. The boat they were in was not big, nor was it all that stable, and Jesus is able to sleep through a storm that the expert-fishermen-disciples believe they will die in. During the worst storm these disciples had ever experienced, Jesus is at the back of the boat, sleeping – even though the fierce wind was blowing on Him, and wave after wave of water was splashing over the side of the boat onto Him.

Not only does this tell you Jesus could at times be a deep, deep sleeper, it tells us something else that is amazing about Jesus’ faith in God.

Jesus had complete trust in God and His protection for His life. Jesus knew the prophecies, and He knew the path that God had placed in front of Him to walk down. This path led to death on the cross. Jesus knew that until facing the arrest in Jerusalem on that future Passover weekend, His life was protected – which means that regardless of what happened, His life was secure.

This complete faith in God allowed Him to sleep while everyone who was with Him was in a panic.

The storm got so bad, and the disciples began to realize that Jesus wasn’t waking up to help, so they make their way to the back of the boat to wake Him up saying, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to die?” (v. 38b)

The disciples probably expected Jesus to help them pitch water out of the boat or give them some reassurance that they would survive this storm, but instead, Jesus does something they did not expect: He addresses the storm itself.

What at first was a desperate cry for help from Jesus because they were scared of the storm became a fear of Jesus after they realized that even the weather obeyed Him. Without even breaking a syllable, following commanding the storm to cease, Jesus turned to His disciples with the questions, “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith yet?”

Some translations choose not to call the disciples cowards but translate Jesus’ first question as simply “Why are you afraid?” Perhaps His question was aimed at their new fear in what Jesus just did, or perhaps it was aimed the disciples fear of the storm.

In either case, we learn something amazing about God. In the storms that life brings our way, they have had to pass through God’s filter of protection. This means that any- and every-thing that happens has been passed through a God-filter. God doesn’t filter all bad things from happening, because it is when we face challenges that our faith, trust, and character grow, but He does filter the senseless and meaningless bad from occurring.

In other words, if something happens to us in this life, God has an idea for how we can turn the pain into a stepping stone. Perhaps it is something that opens up a connection with someone God wants to reach, or maybe it gives us a shared experience that we can use when talking with someone God loves who has drifted away, or even maybe it is something that is intended to knock us out of our rut of complacency. If we become too comfortable and cease fulfilling our mission, God seems to send us things in order to wake us up.

I don’t claim to have all the answers for why bad things happen to us, except to say that we live in a world full of free choice and evil actions. What we see happening around us doesn’t always make sense, because we are only seeing it from half a perspective.

The event we just read teaches us about how God works through the storms of life. God didn’t keep the storm from happening to Jesus and the disciples, but He protected them all through it. Perhaps the disciples waited longer than they should have to ask Jesus for help, but they ultimately realized they needed Him. When the disciples finally asked for help, Jesus helps in a way that they were not expecting.

However, the big truths I see displayed in Jesus actions are a complete trust in God’s protection, and an extraordinary example of the power of faith.

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

As I always open these challenges by saying, intentionally seek God first in your life. When storms happen in our lives, keep your faith and trust in God’s protection, and turn to Him first for help leading you through it. Sometimes God will silence the storm, whereas other times He will walk with you through it.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do in one way or another, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn how God always protects His people through the trials and challenges they face. In the events of the Bible, sometimes God protects us from the bad that could happen, sometimes God walks with us through it, and sometimes God uses it to wake us up from our spiritual sleep. From the events of the Bible, discover that everything happening today, regardless of its level of good or evil, has a purpose and plan from God’s perspective, even if we cannot see it from our perspective. Trust that God knows what He is doing and that He wants to use whatever happens for His glory in order to save as many people as He can for eternity!

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!

Part way through Jesus’ ministry, He shares a broad series of parables about God’s kingdom, and with these simple illustrations, we can discover some amazing truths about God’s kingdom. These illustrations have a way of actually showing us, regardless of the place we are in history, what God’s kingdom is like.

Both the gospels of Matthew and Luke include two short parables that are often grouped together. While many people will often default to Matthew’s gospel when reading them, let’s look at Luke’s version of these parables, and discover what we can learn about God’s kingdom through these two simple, but also profound illustrations.

We will be reading from the gospel of Luke, chapter 13, using the New Century Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 18:

¹⁸ Then Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it with? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree, and the wild birds build nests in its branches.”

²⁰ Jesus said again, “What can I compare God’s kingdom with? ²¹ It is like yeast that a woman took and hid in a large tub of flour until it made all the dough rise.”

We’ll stop reading here because in these two parables are several profound thoughts.

The first idea that jumps out at me when I read this is a similar theme that is present in both parables. This theme says that God’s kingdom is growing or expanding. When we look at the first parable, the mustard seed, which happens to be among the smallest seeds around, grows into a well-sized tree. In the same way, God’s kingdom started very small, and it has been growing and expanding ever since.

In a similar way, the yeast parable describes a woman hiding yeast in a tub of flower. Chances are the yeast, when it was mixed into the flower was completely hidden, but when water was added to make dough, there was no denying that the yeast was present, because the yeast made the dough rise. Just like in the first parable, the tiny amount of yeast needed might seem insignificant when compared with the whole tub of flour, but it had a disproportionate affect on the dough. This is similar to the tiny mustard seed being insignificant, and similar to God’s kingdom appearing insignificant at first, but growing and affecting the world around it.

While the theme of growth is present in both parables, and because of this, we can conclude the theme of growth is a strong theme present in God’s kingdom as well, we can uncover more themes than just this shared one tucked within each parable when looking a little closer.

In the first parable, found in verse 19, Jesus says God’s kingdom “is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree, and the wild birds build nests in its branches.”

Tucked in the mustard tree’s growth is a benefit we can discover. Jesus describes how wild birds will build nests in this tree’s branches. This seems like unnecessary information if Jesus simply wanted to tell those present about the growth nature of God’s kingdom, unless Jesus shares this as a way of describing one purpose for this growth.

In the case of a mustard tree, when it is grown, it exists as a place for wild birds to build their homes and rest. The wild birds are not opposed to the existence of the tree, but instead, they value its presence. In the same way, when God’s kingdom expands and affects the world around it, I believe God meant for this expansion to be beneficial for all those involved. When Christianity comes into an area or a region, it should enhance the lives of those present, it should love those who are present, and it should be something that is so beneficial that those in the area where it exists would hate to see it leave.

With this description, I see the church having failed in many ways. There are plenty of examples of unloving Christians. I am sure you may have met one or two in your life at some point. However, I want to point out that a Christian who is not loving, generous, and genuinely interested in helping those around him or her is not actually a Christian. When Jesus Christ walked this earth, He loved others, He was generous towards those who came to Him, and He was genuinely interested in helping those around Him, and this is who He called His followers to be.

If Jesus’ followers returned to this ideal, we could eventually shake off the hate-filled, and hostile stereotype that we as a whole have been branded with. The stereotype we should aim for is one where we forgive others too many times, love and care for others in over the top ways, and put others ahead of ourselves whenever we can. If we had a stereotype like this, we would be more accurately representing Jesus in the world around us.

But let’s shift over to the other parable. In verse 21, Jesus describes God’s kingdom “like yeast that a woman took and hid in a large tub of flour until it made all the dough rise.” In this description, we see the growth and expansion being internal and hidden. When the dough is first made, it is a small clump, but with the yeast present, the dough as a whole expands. Unlike the mustard tree that grows out of the ground, the yeast affects the entire area it was placed in, which in this case is the flour, water, and other ingredients placed in the dough.

In this second parable, we see God’s kingdom growing inside of each of us and growing in a more hidden way than in the first parable. While we can see the effects of this growth, and other people can see the effects perhaps even more clearly than we can, the growth itself is hidden within us. God’s kingdom in this second parable is hidden in our hearts and lives and it changes and affects our actions and our attitudes. These new actions and attitudes towards our circumstances are evidence that something is growing in our lives, and this something is the “yeast” of God’s kingdom.

Shifting our focus back onto looking at both parables, we can see two more themes and these two themes are connected. In both parables, we see a person intentionally placing the item representing God’s kingdom into the place where it is. In the first parable, a man plants the mustard seed in his garden, and in the second parable, a woman hides the yeast in the flour.

This shared theme says that God’s kingdom is placed intentionally in places where God wants it to grow, and chances are very high that one of the places God has planted a spiritual seed for His kingdom is within your heart. This also means that when we are a part of God’s kingdom, we can know and trust that He has placed us in exactly the place we need to be, and that where we are is where He wants us to be. While we might not know why we are where we are in life, He does and we can trust that He knows best.

The second half of this shared theme is the subtle truth that both seeds and yeast need water to grow. Water helps launch a seeds growth like water activates the yeast in a bowl of flour. Without water, both the yeast and the seed would stay dormant. This means that in our own lives, we must remain connected to the source of water, we might even call this water “the living water” in order to let God’s kingdom grow and expand in our lives. We stay connected to this source of life by intentionally focusing on God and intentionally moving towards God each and every day.

The best ways I know how to move towards God is through prayer and Bible study. With that said, as we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to prioritize Bible study and prayer in your daily routine.

Also, be sure to pray and study the Bible for yourself. While devotionals, pastors, or podcasts are good places to start, never settle for someone else’s knowledge and relationship when God wants a personal relationship with you. This is why I always recommend that you study the Bible for yourself, and if you need help getting started, I’m happy to help get you on the right track.

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!

Often, when I am reading parts of the gospels that include Jesus teaching people, I am amazed at the simplicity and profoundness of the illustrations He used. On one hand, the illustration is so simple that even a child understands it, but on the other hand, it speaks into a deeper truth that challenges even the most savvy adults.

The short section of teaching that we are focusing in on in this podcast episode is one such place that includes both simple illustrations and difficult challenges – all within a five-verse-long passage.

We’ll be reading from the gospel of Mark, chapter 4, using the New American Standard Bible. Starting in verse 21, Mark tells us that:

²¹ And He [Jesus] was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? ²² For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” ²⁴ And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. ²⁵ For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

This passage opens with probably the most simple of illustrations. Jesus contrasts the role of a lamp and the illogical locations for it to be used. Not only does a lamp under a basket or under a bed pose a fire hazard, since lamps during that of time-period were lit with fire, but it defeats the purpose of lighting the lamp in the first place. In this introduction to Jesus’ key point, He asks the question why anyone would turn on a light, only to then hide that light from shining.

It is both simple and profound, because if we then take this thought and apply it to ourselves, Jesus is essentially saying that we must not hide ourselves. If God has made us a light, then hiding us away is very illogical. As lights pointing people to Jesus and God, He is more likely to place us on a lamp-stand, and give us a platform to shine from.

But this is where we often stop reading – but as we read further, the passage continues with a pretty significant challenge in the next verse. Verse 22 says, “For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.”

One of the things my wife, and probably a number of other people close to me, will tell you is that I like giving surprises. A surprise is something that is hidden for a short period of time, and then suddenly revealed. The purpose of a surprise is to prompt some suspense and tension in anticipation of the big reveal. The purpose of a surprise is not to hide something indefinitely – but instead to draw our attention to the point in time when it is revealed.

Trying to hide something indefinitely is called a secret. A secret, whether it is one kept by a single individual, or one held by a small group of people, is different. The purpose of a secret is to remain hidden – and depending on how important it is to those wanting to keep the secret hidden, they will lie and mislead anyone and everyone from finding out.

But Jesus’ challenge is that secrets are destined to come to light. No matter how hard or how well we try to bury them, they are destined to be revealed at some point in the future.

It is as this point in our conversation where my brain asks an interesting question: Why does Jesus talk about not hiding a lamp or light in the same breath as revealing secrets?

Part of me wonders if this teaching is connected with sharing testimonies. Often times, our testimony about how our relationship with God grew comes from experiencing some form of hurt – not from God, but from something or someone that hurt us. We might have even been the person who hurt ourselves.

When something happens that causes us pain, our natural instinct is to either focus on it and on the pain while pushing others away, or it is to bury the pain and pretend that it doesn’t exist. Both of these options push the pain into hiding.

But what if the pain had a purpose? What if the pain was meant in some way to be a light to others? What if that mistake we made, and the consequences that followed, could be shared as a way of helping others avoid failing in the same way?

Perhaps Jesus is talking in these first two verses of our passage about how we are better suited to be witnesses from our failures in life rather than from the triumphs we accomplish. If so, our secrets may become our greatest testimony following the resolution and consequences that come from revealing the truth.

Moving to the last two verses in our passage, we read, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” (v. 24-25)

Jesus promises that God will return to us the actions and attitude we give others. That means if we keep secrets from others, the world will feel like it is keeping secrets from us. That also means if we are genuine, generous, and grateful, then the world will be genuine, generous, and grateful back to us.

Jesus cautions us to take care of what we pay attention to. The things we focus on will shape who we become, and once we have begun developing habits leading us in one direction, it is more difficult to change course.

Jesus wants each of us to pay attention and be intentional about who we follow – because who we follow has the power to shape who we are and who we become in the future. It is critical for us to be extra selective of the things we let into our lives because our future life depends on it.

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

As I always open these challenges by saying, intentionally seek God first in your life and intentionally focus on Jesus and what He has done for you. Jesus is the only place you can find light that leads to eternal life, and Jesus is the only One worthy of our faith, hope, trust, and belief!

Also, as I regularly challenge you by saying in one way or another, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself – and specifically focus in on the four gospels to learn more of what Jesus is like. Jesus came to show us what God the Father is like and if you have a picture of God the Father that is not the same as your picture of Jesus, then Jesus came to help fix your picture of God. Jesus wants you to know that God the Father loves you and God the Father is a big reason why Jesus faced the cross as a sacrifice for your sins!

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 turn away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!