Be Still And Know

Mark 14:22-24 There are many different ways to convey a message. In the Old Testament, we often see the prophets acting out their message. One such moment was when Ahijah tore his robe into twelve pieces and gave ten of them to Jereboam to demonstrate that ten of the tribes would make him king (1 Kings 11:29-32). Jeremiah also used actions to emphasise his messages. In Jeremiah 27:2, we find him with a yoke fastened to his neck to show how the Babylonians would conquer the land. Nobody could have misunderstood his message. In our reading today, Jesus shared a special meal with his disciples. It was the time of the Passover and the meal which they shared was similar to a traditional Passover meal, but also very different. Using the powerful imagery of the broken bread and the wine, Jesus told his disciples that these symbols spoke of his own body and blood. Jesus had already clearly told them that he was going to die, but now he demonstrated it through sharing a simple meal with them. I wonder what the d

Mark 14:8-9 Jesus said this after a woman had anointed him in Bethany. It was clearly an amazing moment. It was quite usual for a house guest to be greeted by being given a few drops of perfume. What was extraordinary about this particular incident is that the woman deliberately broke open the whole perfume bottle. The onlookers immediately responded to the apparent waste of money. The perfume was made from nard, which came from far away and was, therefore, extremely expensive. It was suggested that it would have been the equivalent to one year’s wages. Jesus vigorously defended the woman’s actions. The people who suggested that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor weren’t wrong. That could have been done. But it would have missed the point. This woman was preparing Jesus’ body for burial, and nothing could be more important than that. Jesus’ death on the cross was going to bring salvation to the world, so her action was of the first importance. I am particularly struck by the

Mark 12:29-31 The Jewish teachers of the law were famous for two things. Firstly, they took hold of the 613 laws that were given to Moses and added layer upon layer of other regulations. But they also enjoyed being able to reduce the whole law to a short sentence. That’s what Jesus does here. He took the vast weight of the Jewish law and summed it up with the command to love God and one’s neighbour. He was the first person to bring together these two instructions into a single command. The words that Jesus used would have been well known to any Jew. They were known as the Shema and were the words that opened every act of Jewish worship, and still do. Jews are constantly reminded of them. On every doorpost in a Jewish home, there is a small cylindrical box called a Mezuzah. Inside the box there is a tiny copy of the Shema. It is also contained in the phylacteries, or little leather boxes, which devout Jews wear as they pray. You will still see them being worn by many Jews at the Western Wall (otherwise known a

Mark 11:16-17 The Temple in Jerusalem was an impressive building, occupying a vast 30-acre site in the heart of the city. It was divided into distinct parts, with the commercial activity all taking place in the extensive Court of the Gentiles. This area was bordered by a low wall, on which notices hung, indicating that the penalty for any non-Jew going beyond it was death. The trading area was extremely busy. It is said that on one occasion, a trader offered 3,000 sheep for sale on a single day. The priests were also involved in the trading and the High Priest was thought to have owned shops in the area. If you have ever been to what we now call ‘The Old City’ in Jerusalem, or any other middle eastern bazaar, you will have a good idea of what it was like. It was noisy and hectic as traders went about their business. Jesus was furious at this abuse of the Temple and energetically drove out the traders. The Temple was, of course, principally the focus of worship for Jews. But the Court of the Gentiles was the

Mark 11:9-10 Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem shows us his extraordinary courage. He could have slipped quietly into the city. But in deliberately entering on a donkey, everyone knew that he was making a powerful statement. He was declaring for all to see that he was indeed the Messiah, the one who had come to save his people. Their praises show that they were entirely clear what was happening. Some may even have recalled that this was exactly what Zechariah had prophesied: “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt” (Zechariah 9:9). There is no doubt that the people were delighted to welcome their Messiah but there were clearly very different ideas of what such a person would do. Jesus wasn’t offering himself as the one who would kick out the occupying Roman forces, and that was probably the kind of liberation most people were looking for. The though

Mark 11:1 Jesus lived most of his life in the Galilee region, which was about a four-day journey north of Jerusalem. Nevertheless, he paid many visits to Jerusalem and had some good friends in the area. His particular friends were Mary, Martha and Lazarus who lived in Bethany, just outside the city. Clearly, in one of his visits there, he had prepared the ground for his final triumphal entry into Jerusalem. So he was able to send two of his disciples on ahead to get a donkey with the instruction that, if the owner asked why they were taking it, they were to say that the master needed it and would return it soon. Jesus had prepared the way for this decisive journey to Jerusalem, and that was an important principle for the disciples to remember in the years to come. When they went on their missionary journeys around the world, they needed to know that the Lord had gone ahead of them. His Spirit had prepared the way. As they headed out in search of the donkey, the disciples had simply to trust their master a

Mark 10:51-53 On the face of it, Jesus’ question would seem entirely unnecessary. Surely it was obvious what a blind man would want Jesus, the famous healer, to do. So why did he ask it? I believe he asked it because, in doing so, he gave the man dignity. Jesus didn’t barge into his life and do what he considered would be best for him; he listened to Bartimaeus. The blind man declared his desire to be able to see again and Jesus, recognising the man’s faith, healed him. Jesus never barges into our lives. He asks us what we want him to do for us. Yes, we all need forgiveness, but he will only give it to us when we are serious about our request. The fact is that many people want to hang on to their sins. Sin has become such a part of life that they can’t imagine being separated from their bitterness, selfishness, anger, sexual sin or whatever it happens to be. The offer of forgiveness from Jesus is real and definite but he won’t give it as a sticking plaster to place over our ongoing sin. He forgives us only wh

Mark 10:43-45 I find this one of the most embarrassing passages in the whole of the Bible. James and John were in what is often referred to as the inner circle of disciples. They had even been with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. However, it was James and John who came to make this foolish request. They had worked out that Jesus had huge authority and so they asked him to provide them with the very best seats in his coming kingdom (Mark 10:37). They thought they would get in there first and bag the seats on his right and his left. Jesus gently responded that they didn’t know what they were asking and then slowly and carefully explained that the kingdom of God was not about power, influence and the best seats but about powerlessness, service and taking the worst seats. Indeed, Jesus himself came as the ultimate servant and had no authority to hand out special seats in heaven (Mark 10:40). We can all easily understand where the disciples were coming from. Everybody likes to be served. But Jesus wants

As Jesus moved towards Jerusalem and his death on the cross, he spoke increasingly about the costliness of discipleship. He did nothing at all to make following him sound glamourous and attractive. However, he also wanted to make it clear that the costly path of following him would be generously rewarded. Our generous God is no one’s debtor. Jesus’ words became literally true for those early disciples. Many of them would be rejected by their families but, as they entered the family of God, they suddenly discovered brothers and sisters wherever they went and homes were flung open to greet them. This was the apostle Paul’s experience who, in his final greetings in the letter to the Romans, spoke of the mother of Rufus as being like a mother to him (see Romans 16:13). In another place he referred to Onesimus as his son (see Philemon 10). The certainty of reward was also matched by the guarantee of persecution. Jesus saw this as inevitable. This was the experience of his own life, and he was sure that it would ch

Mark 10:24-25 There is a widespread disease in our society which is known as affluenza. It is the belief that peace and contentment can only be found in life by becoming increasingly wealthy. It is in fact not a new disease at all. The disciples were shocked by Jesus’ teaching that riches were a massive obstacle in the way of anyone becoming one of his followers. Jesus had just met a rich, young ruler. He seemed to have everything. On the surface, he had every advantage in life. But when Jesus told him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor, he went away sad. It wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. In our verse today Jesus addressed his disciples as children. He didn’t often use that expression - it suggests that he was reaching out to them with great gentleness and compassion. He could see how much they were struggling with his teaching about wealth. They had been brought up with the belief that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing, so the thought that it was a huge obstacle to following Jesus was

Mark 10:15 It isn’t at all surprising that there were parents who wanted Jesus to bless their children. But it was surprising that Jesus made time to do so. We need to remember that, at this time, he was on the way to Jerusalem. He knew that within a few days, he would be crucified. The disciples were concerned that Jesus shouldn’t be bothered by such matters and so told the parents off. They were acting in the way that any considerate person would have done, but they were absolutely and completely wrong. Even though they knew Jesus well and had spent much time with him, they completely misread the situation. Not only did Jesus welcome the children, but he went much, much further. He insisted that the only way to enter the kingdom of God was by becoming like a child. As was the case so often, Jesus turned the disciples’ thinking upside down. They saw children as being a noisy distraction for Jesus, but he saw them as the perfect illustration of what they all needed to be. I am sure that Jesus had many thi

Psalm 130:3-4 The story of John Wesley’s conversion is well known. One day in 1738, he reluctantly attended a Christian meeting in Aldersgate Street, London. He was feeling thoroughly depressed but, during the meeting, someone read from Martin Luther’s Preface to the Letter of St Paul to the Romans and during this time, Wesley felt that his heart was “strangely warmed”. He saw this as the moment when he truly trusted in Christ alone. What is less well known is that later that same day, Wesley went to St Paul’s Cathedral where he was deeply moved by this particular psalm. It perfectly expressed his experience of salvation through the forgiveness of his sins. The psalmist speaks of the completeness of God’s forgiveness; he doesn’t keep a record of our sins, they are wiped out. We hear the same truth in Isaiah 43:25: “I – yes, I alone, will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” When someone has done you wrong, the hardest thing in the world is to forget what has happened. Bu

Psalm 128:1-2 If we were sitting in a discussion group right now, I would love to ask you, and everyone else, what your definition of joy is. We will, I am sure, all agree that we want it, but I suspect we would come up with lots of different words to define it. Many would offer the word ‘happiness’; others might suggest contentment, peace, love, unity, freedom, wholeness, or many other words. I am sure that we would all agree that joy is something deep. It has lasting qualities. Joy is, of course, closely related to happiness. Some translations of these verses use that word. However, it is often the case that we use the word ‘happiness’ to describe our reaction to something that happens, and it can therefore be a fleeting experience. God’s joy is not like that because it depends upon a relationship - and so joy is as everlasting as God himself. As C.S. Lewis put it in Letters to Malcolm (Mariner Books): “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” The solid nature of joy is powerfully described by James at t

Mark 9:50 As we all know, salt is incredibly powerful, and that fact has been known for thousands of years. It does three main things and Jesus applied each of these to his followers. Firstly, it gives flavour. Food producers make massive use of it. Indeed, British Salt produces over 400,000 metric tonnes of salt every year from its site in Cheshire. But salt only has any influence when it is used. Sitting in a salt pot it will have no effect at all. The message is clear for us today. We are not called by God to sit in our churches pontificating about the evils of the world, but to get involved, adding flavour to our society. Since ancient times it has been well known that salt is a very effective preservative. In the days before fridges, salt could be relied upon to preserve fish and meat for long periods of time. Jesus was calling on his followers to have exactly that role in society. Our calling is to stand up for moral principles. Through living a life of love, grace and forgiveness we show the world

Mark 9:50 As we all know, salt is incredibly powerful, and that fact has been known for thousands of years. It does three main things and Jesus applied each of these to his followers. Firstly, it gives flavour. Food producers make massive use of it. Indeed, British Salt produces over 400,000 metric tonnes of salt every year from its site in Cheshire. But salt only has any influence when it is used. Sitting in a salt pot it will have no effect at all. The message is clear for us today. We are not called by God to sit in our churches pontificating about the evils of the world, but to get involved, adding flavour to our society. Since ancient times it has been well known that salt is a very effective preservative. In the days before fridges, salt could be relied upon to preserve fish and meat for long periods of time. Jesus was calling on his followers to have exactly that role in society. Our calling is to stand up for moral principles. Through living a life of love, grace and forgiveness we show the world what

Mark 9:42 In saying this, Jesus may be talking about children, but it’s quite likely that he is talking about new Christians. His concern is to protect the vulnerable, and he has some very challenging things to say. He is fiercely angry at the thought of anyone deliberately tripping someone up in their faith. Whether they are young, disabled, poor, illiterate or simply new to the faith, it is totally unacceptable for anyone to take advantage of them. I am delighted that we live in days when safeguarding is given such a high priority. A vast amount of energy is expended in churches and charities in order to ensure that good practice is followed. It is hugely expensive in terms of money and time but it is all worth it, because everyone matters and we need to have a special care for those who are most vulnerable. That’s Jesus’ way. He is the one who offers good news to everyone, not just the strong and confident. Jesus then went even further, telling his disciples that if their hand or foot caused them to sin,

Mark 9:37 I often think that the most crucial ministry in any church is in the hands of the welcomers, those wonderful people who stand at the door of the church and welcome people as they arrive. This verse helps us to understand the importance of welcoming. When we welcome people what we are actually doing is welcoming the Lord himself, and if we are welcoming him then God the Father is also being welcomed. Jesus used the illustration of a little child for a very clear reason. At the time, children were seen as being of no significance. They had no power and lacked any legal status. The attention that Jesus gave to children was completely out of line with the thinking of his day. When the disciples famously tried to push away the children, it was their way of showing respect to their rabbi. They assumed that Jesus wouldn’t want to be bothered by noisy children. How wrong they were. Jesus turned their thinking upside down and said that when they welcomed the people who were considered the lowest and least in

Mark 9:28-29 The transfiguration of Jesus was an incredible experience, but it didn’t last long. Jesus and his disciples needed to go back down the mountain and, sure enough, they were pitch-forked into the middle of a dispute. A man had come to the disciples with his son, who suffered from epilepsy. He had asked them to heal the boy, but they had failed miserably. Jesus was in despair and said: “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me” (Mark 9:19). He then healed the boy. All of this stirred up questions in the disciples and, later in the day when they were alone with Jesus, they asked him why they had failed. He responded that this kind of evil spirit could only be cast out by prayer. The disciples had spent some time with Jesus and were clearly convinced that they now had the power to heal people. What they had to learn was that they still needed to lean on God through prayer. That’s an important lesson for anyone who gets involved in Christ

Mark 9:5-6 Peter, James and John had just had the most incredible experience. They had been with Jesus as he was transfigured in front of them. We are told that this happened on a high mountain. This is often thought to be Mount Tabor in southern Galilee, although it may well have taken place on the constantly snowy Mount Hermon, which was not far from Caesarea Philippi, where they had just spent time together. Mount Hermon is the highest peak in the area and rises to nearly 3,000 metres. The disciples saw Jesus’ clothes transformed into dazzling white and he was accompanied by Moses and Elijah. Moses was the great lawgiver and Elijah the first and greatest of the prophets. What an incredible experience it must have been. It’s hardly surprising that Mark notes the disciples were all terrified! Peter’s response was so typical of him. Terrified, he didn’t know what to say - but that didn’t stop him from blurting out a response! He said that it was great to be there and suggested they should build three shelters

Mark 8:36-37 Our cynical, materialistic society was well summed up by Oscar Wilde as knowing “the price of everything and the value of nothing”. Like many one liners, it’s a bit harsh but he was making an important point. It’s very easy for our money mad society to overlook the most important things because of its obsession with the temporary things that have a price tag. Jesus pours scorn on this way of thinking. Forget owning a really large house or becoming the exclusive owner of every property in your town. Jesus encourages you to imagine what it would be like to be the owner of the whole world. Yes, just you. That, he suggests, would be completely pointless if you lost your soul, your very reason for living. Jesus is encouraging us to think about our priorities. What matters most to us? Whether we are conscious of it or not, the answer to that question will shape every day of our lives. It’s an issue to which Jesus returned on many occasions. In his Sermon on the Mount, he observed the way in which peopl