Author Archive for: meiling

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 10:32-45.  Let’s go!

Mark 10:32 (NIV)
32  They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid…

On verse 32:  Why were the disciples astonished and those who followed afraid?
Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.  It’s because of what Jesus was telling them on their way to Jerusalem, which Mark describes in verses 33-34.

Mark 10:33-34 (NIV)
33  “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,
34  who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

On verses 33-34:  Don’t take for granted the courage that Jesus demonstrated with every step he took toward Jerusalem, knowing what kind of fate awaited him there.  Jesus was not led by fear, but by God’s purpose, and thus he could lead the way (v32).  Great leaders are not driven by fear but by purpose.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 10:17-31.  Let’s go!

Mark 10:17 (NIV)
17  As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  
 
On verse 17:  On the outside this man seemed to approach Jesus the right way: he ran up to Jesus (proactive!), he fell on his knees before Jesus (humility!), and addressed him respectfully as “Good Teacher” (honouring!).   But when you hear the man’s question to Jesus, you get a hint that this man’s approach to God and heaven was flawed.  There’s a good chance that what this man was really asking was, “What can I do to earn heaven?”  Jesus will use this man’s question to show that there is nothing a human being can do to earn their way to heaven (“With man this is impossible” – v27).  

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:42-50.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:42-48 (NIV)
42  “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.
43  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.
45  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
47  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
48  where “‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
 
On verses 42-48:  Jesus’ words here show us a number of things:
 
1. Here Jesus shows us how holy God is, how nothing with sin can stand in His presence.  If it weren’t for Jesus Christ dying on the cross to pay for our sinfulness, none of us would stand a chance of going to heaven.  As Psalm 130:3-4 says, “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”  May we never take God’s incredible holiness or His equally incredible mercy for granted.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:33-41.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:33-34 (NIV)
33  They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
34  But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

On verses 33-34:  How silly it was for the disciples to be arguing about who among them was the greatest, when in fact the greatest one by far was with them but not part of the conversation.  It’s like if Wayne Gretzky were to play with a bunch of grade school children and find them arguing about who is the greatest player among them, all the while forgetting that the greatest of all time was in their midst.