The Vineyard Church

Mark, the second of the four Gospels, covers a broad range of topics…shorter snippets of situations that the other Gospels elaborate on in greater detail. Mark covers everything from John the Baptist announcing Jesus as the one who “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” to the crucifixion and resurrection.

In our reading from day 9 (Matthew chapter 17) Jesus likened John the Baptist to Elijah. Peter, James and John were asking Jesus, "'Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?' Jesus replied, 'To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.' Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.”

This stresses to me the importance of reading the entire Bible…for the 9 Challenge, the entire New Testament. Often times, the Gospels each give details and lend support to the others. It’s important to have the whole picture to fully understand what God is saying to each of us through His word.

The disciples were always asking questions of Jesus. They really wanted to understand the point Jesus was trying to make. Jesus often led the disciples to the right conclusion. Other times he had to spell it out for them as he did in Matthew 16’s recounting of when Jesus cautioned the disciples about “the yeast of the Pharisees.” The point wasn’t about bread it was about their teaching. In so many words Jesus said, “You still don’t get it?”

Do you ever feel like you still don’t get it? I do…

Mark was originally written to residents of the Roman Empire. He explains Jewish traditions, apparently for the benefit of all the non-Jewish readers. Take note of these various traditions as you make your way through this Gospel and how Mark describes events compared to how Matthew does.

Mark was also known as John Mark. He was the cousin of Barnabas (a.k.a. the Son of Encouragement!) who took Paul under his wing and validated his change of heart with the other Apostles. (Small world! Did you also know Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins?)

In today’s readings, as we start another Gospel, we will also nearly finish the book of Romans. Romans chapter 14 is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible! It gives insight as to how people live out their faith in different ways. In verse 13 it talks about not passing judgment on one another and not putting “stumbling blocks” in each other’s life; it says that what we do, say, and the decisions we make affect each other.

There are a couple of very powerful statements in Romans 14, “Whatever is not of faith is sin” and, “What you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” This chapter has helped me establish guidelines for my life, to think through how others perceive life’s issues and how what I choose to do could cause another person to stumble. Verse 19 states, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

Words to live by, don’t you think?

Scott Sliver