Category Archives: Mark

When acknowledging Jesus' wisdom and power is not enough (Mark 6:1-6)

My minister friend has been teaching the men’s Sunday School class in our church this month. He is to preach this Sunday morning and asked me to substitute for him. (No, not the preaching — the SS teaching.)

I haven’t made much headway yet in preparing for the class, but here are some of the preliminary notes I have so far. (Maybe taking the time to post them in this format will help cement them in my own mind in preparation to teach…and live.)

“And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him” (Mark 6:1).

Am I enough of a disciple to do what disciples do — follow the Master? For some reason, that reminds me of a little saying I saw recently:

“Rather than putting Christ back in Christmas, I’d settle for putting Christ back in Christians.”

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Am I such better company for the glorious, sinless One?

First Jesus calls four hard-working fellows who gainfully pursued an honorable occupation. But then He up and calls one of those tax collector “things”!

Suppose you had been one of the fishermen. Would you have been aghast and insulted that Jesus would have called Matthew just as readily as He called you? I wonder how many of us would have resisted the preposterous notion that we follow Jesus in the company of a publican.

Aren’t we so strange, vain, and arrogant? I mean, just how good do we think we are, anyway?! Think about it… Continue reading →