the old ways and the new Lord

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (31)Mark 2:23-28

23 Then he happened to be passing by the grain fields on one of the Sabbaths, and his disciples began to make their way along while plucking the heads of grain. 24 So the Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not proper[1] on the Sabbaths?” 25 And He says to them, “Have you never read what David did when he had a need and he was hungry, also the ones with him?” 26 how he entered into the house of God at the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not proper to eat except for the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 So he said to them “The Sabbath came about because of man, and not man because of the Sabbath.” 28 “Accordingly, the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.”

the old ways and the new Lord

 

The disciples had temporarily set aside the tradition of regular fasting, and Jesus defended them for doing so. They still kept the Sabbath, but with a transformed understanding. Sabbath keeping was no longer a test of devotion or a badge of spiritual seriousness. If loyalty to Jesus required them to set aside certain Sabbath traditions, they were willing to do so. Their devotion was not measured by how they worshiped, but by whom they worshiped.

Jesus was teaching them — and us — something essential:
Traditions can be good servants, but terrible masters.

Some practices help us draw near to God.
Some practices become ruts we walk simply because we always have.
Some practices even become obstacles to obedience when we cling to them more tightly than we cling to Christ.

Each of us must examine how we express our devotion to God. Some of our old ways may need to be strengthened. Others may need to be released. The question is not whether a practice is familiar or comfortable, but whether it actually nurtures a living relationship with Jesus.

Sheep carve deep ruts into the hills simply by following each other day after day. It’s instinct. It’s habit. It’s what sheep do. Humans are no different. We form spiritual ruts — patterns we walk without thinking — and then assume those ruts are the path to God.

Jesus gently warns us:
Don’t confuse the rut with the road.
The kingdom is not reached by habit alone.
It is reached by following the King.

Prayer

LORD, show us how to worship You without worshiping our worship.
Teach us to follow Your voice above our habits,
and shape our devotion so it reflects a true relationship with You.
Amen.

[1] εξεστιν (2:24, 26; 3:4; 6:18; 10:2; 12:14).

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the old ways and the new wine

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (30)Mark 2:18-22

18 And the disciples of John and the Pharisees are fasting; and they are coming and saying to him, “Why are the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fasting, but your disciples are not fasting?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, the sons of the wedding hall are not able to fast, are they? As long as they are having the bridegroom with them, they are not able to fast. 20 “But days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 “No one sews a patch of un-shrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear happens. 22 ” And No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into unused wineskins.”

 

the old ways and the new wine

Jesus had been announcing a new kingdom — a kingdom arriving from God, a kingdom breaking into the present. His disciples were leaning into that future. But the followers of the old ways couldn’t understand why Jesus refused to fold their traditions into His movement. Why not fast like John’s disciples? Why not follow the established patterns? Why not honor the old ruts?

Jesus answered with three metaphors — the bridegroom, the cloth, and the new wine — each one making the same point: the kingdom He was bringing was new, and the old traditions could not contain it.

While the Bridegroom was present, it was not a time for mourning.
While the kingdom was breaking in, it was not a time for patching old garments.
While the Spirit was being poured out, it was not a time for old wineskins.

The old ways were not evil.
They were simply incompatible with the new reality Jesus was ushering in.

While living in New Zealand, I noticed something. On those green hills, sheep carve deep ruts into the land simply by following each other day after day. It’s not rebellion. It’s instinct. It’s habit. It’s what sheep do.

Humans are no different.
We form ruts — traditions, habits, assumptions — and we walk them without thinking. Jesus never condemned people for having traditions. Everyone has them. But He did warn that His kingdom cannot be reached by walking the old ruts. The path into the new world God is creating requires new steps, new obedience, new patterns shaped by His teaching.

The kingdom is not an upgrade to the old life.
It is a new life altogether.

Prayer

LORD, disciple us through Your word, so that we do what You have taught us, not merely the old ways we are used to.
Lead us out of our ruts and into the newness of Your kingdom.
Amen.

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choosing patients

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (29)Mark 2:13-17

13 And He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd was coming for themselves to him, and he was teaching them. 14 While passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He says to him, “Follow Me!” And after getting up, he followed Him. 15 So he happens to be reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners are reclining at the table with Jesus and His disciples; because there were many, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he is eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they were saying to his disciples, “Why is he eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 So after hearing this, Jesus says to them, “It is not the ones who have strength who need a doctor, but the ones who are having something wrong with them; I did not come to call upright ones, but sinful ones.”

choosing patients

Levi’s occupation was not respectable. Tax collectors were seen as collaborators, cheats, and traitors. No self‑respecting rabbi would choose a man like Levi as a disciple — not because of Levi himself, but because of the kind of people who would follow him. His social circle was the wrong crowd. His reputation was the wrong kind. His house was the wrong place for a religious teacher to be seen.

But that is precisely why Jesus chose him.

The very next scene shows Levi hosting a dinner full of tax collectors and other social outcasts — and Jesus is right in the middle of it. The Pharisees couldn’t understand this. They chose their associates based on what those associates could do for them — status, purity, reputation, influence. Jesus chose His associates based on what He could do for them.

He saw Himself as a doctor.
Doctors don’t choose healthy friends.
Doctors choose patients.

Jesus surrounded Himself with people who had something wrong with them — not because they were useful, but because they were loved. And that includes every one of us. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. The tragedy is not that some are sick. The tragedy is that some go to their graves unconvinced that anything is wrong.

The Pharisees saw sinners as threats.
Jesus saw sinners as patients.
And Levi’s house became a clinic of grace.

Prayer

LORD, we acknowledge our sin, and we admit our need for You.
Help us to seek other patients for You as well,
and make our lives places where Your healing grace is always welcome.
Amen.

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beyond healing

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (28)Mark 2:9-12

9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are being forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your stretcher and walk ‘? 10 “But in order that you[1] may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins “– He says to the paralytic, 11 “I am saying to you, get up, pick up your stretcher and go into your house.” 12 And he was raised up and immediately picked up the stretcher and went out in front of everyone, with the result that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We never saw this.”

beyond healing

I believe in God’s power to heal. Scripture affirms it. Experience confirms it. Prayer invites it. And God, in His mercy, often restores the sick and injured in ways that defy explanation. But even the most dramatic healing is not enough by itself, because every person who is healed — including this paralytic — eventually dies.

Healing is wonderful.
Healing is temporary.
Faith must reach for something more.

For faith to make a lasting difference, it must look beyond the repair of the body to the redemption of the soul. It must look beyond temporary relief to permanent restoration. And when we start seeking that “something more,” we begin to understand who Jesus really is.

His right to change things on this planet does not come from His compassion alone.
It comes from His identity — the eternal, beloved Son of God.

Because of who He is, His authority extends not only to repairing the effects of evil but to forgiving sin itself. The healing of the paralytic was not the main event. It was the signpost. The miracle pointed to the Man. The restoration of the body pointed to the Redeemer of souls.

Jesus’ healing ministry was never meant to be an end in itself.
It was designed to reveal His identity.
It was meant to draw people toward the gospel — the permanent cure.

So if you want healing from Jesus, seek it.
He is compassionate. He is powerful. He is willing.

But if you want something permanent — something death cannot undo — believe the gospel. Healing touches the body. Forgiveness transforms the future. Only the gospel reaches into eternity.

Prayer

LORD, make us ministers of Your healing, and of Your complete deliverance as well.
Teach us to care for bodies with compassion and to point souls toward the hope that never fades.
Amen.

[1] plural

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the scandal of forgiveness

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (27)Mark 2:5-8

5 So Jesus, after seeing their faith,[1] says to the paralytic “Child, your sins are being forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and questioning[2] in their hearts, 7 “Why is he speaking like this? He is blaspheming; Who is able to be forgiving sins, except One: God!” 8 So, Immediately Jesus, because he was aware in his spirit that they were questioning this way within themselves, says to them, “Why are you questioning about these things in your hearts?

the scandal of forgiveness

 

The scribes didn’t object to Jesus healing the paralytic. Healing was fine. Compassion was fine. Miracles were fine. What scandalized them was the word “forgiven.” That was a theological term — their term — and they believed theology belonged to them. Forgiveness, in their minds, was the domain of trained specialists, the realm of those who handled Scripture professionally.

So when Jesus spoke forgiveness freely, without consulting them, without fitting into their categories, without submitting to their authority, they were offended. Their real issue wasn’t that “only God can forgive sins.” Their issue was that someone besides the Bible experts dared to act as God’s representative.

But the excellent message Jesus preached shattered that assumption.

Jesus taught that every believer — not just the trained, not just the credentialed, not just the religious elite — can act as God’s representative. He urged His followers to forgive freely, generously, repeatedly, and without hesitation. Forgiveness was not meant to be guarded by experts. It was meant to be practiced by disciples.

Yes, Jesus is affirming His identity as the Son of God here.
Yes, the healing proves His divine authority.
But the moment also carries a message for all of us who pride ourselves on knowing Scripture.

Expertise in the Bible does not make us the gatekeepers of forgiveness.
If anything, it makes us more responsible to practice it.

Jesus wants His people to be experts — not in gatekeeping, not in theological nitpicking, not in protecting our turf — but in forgiving. He wants us to be as quick to release others as He was. He wants us to speak forgiveness with the same confidence He did, because we are acting in His name.

The scribes guarded forgiveness.
Jesus gave it away.
And He calls us to do the same.

Prayer

LORD, make us expert forgivers.
Teach us to give away what You have so freely given to us,
and make our hearts reflect the generosity of Your grace.
Amen.

[1] πιστις (2:5; 4:40; 5:34; 10:52; 11:22).

[2] διαλογιζομαι (2:6, 8; 8:16f; 9:33; 11:31).

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faith and inner dialog

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (26)Mark 2:5-8

5 So Jesus, after seeing their faith,[1] says to the paralytic “Child, your sins are being forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and questioning[2] in their hearts, 7 “Why is he speaking like this? He is blaspheming; Who is able to be forgiving sins, except One: God!” 8 So, Immediately Jesus, because he was aware in his spirit that they were questioning this way within themselves, says to them, “Why are you questioning about these things in your hearts?

faith and inner dialog

Four men climbed onto a roof with their paralyzed friend, tore through the tiles, and lowered him into the presence of Jesus. It was messy. It was disruptive. It was bold. And Jesus looked at their actions and recognized faith — not in their words, not in their theology, but in their determination to get their friend to Him.

Meanwhile, the scribes sat quietly in the room, engaging in their inner theological dialogue. They had been trained to process new ideas by running them through the courtroom of their minds. Their system was closed: if a statement didn’t fit their established categories, it was automatically suspect. They weren’t malicious — they were simply doing what they had been taught. But their inner dialogue kept them from seeing what was right in front of them.

Both groups thought they were doing the right thing.
Only one group found forgiveness and freedom.

And here’s where your reflection hits home.

Many of us have been trained — by experience, by disappointment, by exposure to religious corruption — to be skeptical. We’ve heard too many stories of spiritual manipulation. We’ve seen too many examples of hypocrisy. So when we encounter faith language online or in conversation, our inner scribe wakes up. We question motives. We doubt sincerity. We wonder if we’re being naïve.

Inner dialogue is normal.
But inner dialogue is not the final authority.

At some point, genuine faith must speak louder than our doubts.
At some point, we must tell the inner cynic to sit down and let Jesus do what only He can do — forgive, heal, restore, and set free.

The difference between the scribes and the roof‑wreckers wasn’t intelligence. It wasn’t training. It wasn’t personality.

The difference was this:
Faith had the last word.

And that is what Jesus honors.

Prayer

LORD, give us faith so strong that it always has the last word over our doubts.
Quiet the inner skeptic when it rises, and teach us to trust You more than our fears.
Amen.

[1] πιστις (2:5; 4:40; 5:34; 10:52; 11:22).

[2] διαλογιζομαι (2:6, 8; 8:16f; 9:33; 11:31).

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when friends let you down

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (25)Mark 2:1-4

1 And days after coming again into Capernaum, it was heard that he was at home. 2 So many were gathered, resulting in no more room, not even at the door, and he was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Not being able to get to Him because of the crowd,[1] they unroofed the roof above Him; and after opening it, they let down the stretcher on which the paralytic was lying.

 

when friends let you down

They had let him down the last time, and they knew it. Jesus and His disciples had been living in Capernaum, using it as their ministry headquarters. Healing, teaching, deliverance — all of it was happening right there. And yet, for reasons we’re not told, this man’s friends never managed to bring him to Jesus. Maybe they were busy. Maybe they were unsure. Maybe they assumed there would be more time.

Then Jesus left on a preaching tour.
And their hearts sank.
They thought they had missed their moment.

But then word spread through the streets: Jesus is back.
And this time, nothing — absolutely nothing — was going to stop them.

The crowd was massive. The house was packed. The doorway was jammed. But these friends were done making excuses. Someone looked up at the tiled roof and got an idea. The others didn’t hesitate. They climbed. They dug. They dismantled. They lowered their friend right into the presence of Jesus.

The last time they let him down, it was by failing him.
This time when they let him down, it was to lift him up.

We need friends like that — friends who refuse to be deterred by crowds, obstacles, or inconvenience. Friends who believe Jesus is worth the effort. Friends who will carry us when we cannot carry ourselves.

And we need to be friends like that — people who overcome barriers, push through resistance, and do whatever it takes to bring others to Christ.

The kingdom advances through people who love enough to act.

Prayer

LORD, make us friends who overcome obstacles to bring people to Christ.
Give us persistence, creativity, and compassion as we carry others into Your presence.
Amen.

[1] οχλος (2:4, 13; 3:9, 20, 32; 4:1, 36; 5:21, 24, 27, 30f; 6:34, 45; 7:14, 17, 33; 8:1f, 6, 34; 9:14f, 17, 25; 10:1, 46; 11:18, 32; 12:12, 37, 41; 14:43; 15:8, 11, 15).

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worst kept secret

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (24)Mark 1:40-45

40 Then a leper came to him, appealing to[1] him [and kneeling], and saying that “if you are willing,[2] you are able to clean me for yourself.” 41 And after being moved with compassion, by extending his hand he took hold of him for himself, and says to him “I am willing!” “Be made clean!” 42 And just then the leprosy went away from him and he was made clean. 43 Then after speaking sternly of himself to him, he quickly sent him away. 44 But He said to him, “Make sure that you say nothing to anyone; just go,[3] show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing that which Moses prescribed, for a testimony to them.” 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it frequently, and to spread the news around, with the result that Jesus was no longer able to publicly enter into a city, but stayed out in unpopulated places; and they were coming to Him for themselves from all directions.

worst kept secret

One explanation often given for why Jesus told the former leper to keep silent is the so‑called messianic secret. According to its earliest proponent, Jesus’ ministry was supposedly non‑messianic, and Mark (or his source) invented this “secret” motif to cover that embarrassment for the early church. But that theory collapses under the weight of the Gospels themselves. If Jesus intended to keep His identity or His power hidden, He failed spectacularly. Crowds swarmed Him. His fame spread everywhere. People came from every direction seeking healing.

The issue was never secrecy for secrecy’s sake.

Jesus did not want His power to become His purpose.

He refused to let a nonstop healing ministry swallow up the mission His Father had given Him. He came to proclaim the excellent message — the arrival of God’s kingdom, the call to repentance, the invitation to follow Him — and ultimately to go to the cross. If the crowds reduced Him to a miracle‑worker, they would miss the deeper truth. And if He allowed Himself to be consumed by popularity, He would be hindered from moving freely to accomplish His greater work.

Jesus kept His eyes on the message and on the mission.
He would not allow applause, demand, or even legitimate compassion to derail the path that led to Calvary.

And here is the lesson for us:

Not every good thing is a God thing.
Not every opportunity is obedience.
Not every open door is your assignment.

Sometimes lesser things — even beautiful, compassionate, meaningful things — can distract us from the higher purposes God has called us to pursue. Jesus shows us how to hold power loosely, how to resist the pull of popularity, and how to stay focused on the Father’s will.

Prayer

LORD, give us the wisdom to seek Your purposes for our lives, and to avoid getting sidetracked with lesser things.
Fix our eyes on the mission You’ve given us, and keep our hearts aligned with Your will.
Amen.

[1] παρακαλεω (1:40; 5:10, 12, 17f, 23; 6:56; 7:32; 8:22).

[2] θελω (1:40f; 3:13; 6:19, 22, 25f, 48; 7:24; 8:34f; 9:13, 30, 35; 10:35f, 43f, 51; 12:38; 14:7, 12, 36; 15:9, 12).

[3] υπαγω (1:44; 2:11; 5:19, 34; 6:31, 33, 38; 7:29; 8:33; 10:21, 52; 11:2; 14:13, 21; 16:7).

[4] Ben Witherington, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. (Grand Rapids: Wm B. Eerdman’s Publishing, 2001), 40.

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elsewhere

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (23)Mark 1:35-39

35 Then, early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, got out, and went away to a deserted place. He was praying[1] there also. 36 Simon and the ones with him searched diligently for him. 37 And they found him, and are saying to him that “all of us are searching for you.” 38 And he said to them, “We should go elsewhere, into the next towns, so that I can preach there also; because I came for this purpose. 39 So he went preaching into their synagogues, into the whole Galilean region, and driving out the demons.

elsewhere

Simon Peter just does not understand his Master. The ministry in Capernaum is exploding. The crowds are huge. The miracles are flowing. Everyone is looking for Jesus. From Peter’s perspective, this is the moment you stay put and build momentum. This is how movements grow. This is how influence spreads.

But Jesus has slipped away before dawn to pray — alone, unreachable, unhurried. Peter and the others spend the morning searching for Him, confused and slightly frustrated. When they finally find Him, breathless with urgency, Jesus calmly announces that the Father has given Him new orders.

They are leaving.

They are going on a preaching tour of the whole Galilean region.

To Peter, this makes no sense at all.
Why leave a thriving ministry?
Why walk away from a solid support base?
Why abandon success?

But Jesus is not driven by popularity.
He is driven by purpose.

He tells them plainly: “This is why I came.”
Not to build a fan base in one city, but to proclaim the excellent message everywhere.

Mark has already summarized that message: the gospel — the announcement of a coming King and a coming sky‑kingdom. John the Baptist preached it first, calling everyone everywhere to repent and prepare. Jesus now expands the mission. Capernaum has heard the message, but the next towns have not. And Jesus refuses to let geography limit the reach of the kingdom.

He wants to reach everyone everywhere.
And so should we.

The temptation is always to settle where things feel successful, comfortable, or familiar. But the heart of Jesus is always pressing outward — to the next town, the next people, the next opportunity for the gospel to be heard.

Kingdom vision is never content with one city.

Prayer

LORD, give us Your heart to reach the people elsewhere.
Keep us from settling where it is comfortable, and send us where Your message is needed most.
Amen.

 

 

[1] προσευχομαι (1:35; 6:46; 11:24f; 12:40; 13:18; 14:32, 35, 38f).

Posted in evangelism, gospel, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, missions | Tagged | 2 Comments

reaching the whole city

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

August 2015 (22)Mark 1:32-34

32 So, Later, after the sun had set, they were bringing to him all the ones who are sick[1] and the ones who are demon possessed. 33 And the whole city was there, because they have been gathered to the door. 34 And he healed[2] many who were sick, having various kinds of diseases, and he cast out many demons; but he was not allowing the demons to speak, because they had recognized him.

reaching the whole city

The Capernaum campaign was designed to spread the gospel message about Jesus as widely as possible. And from a purely numerical standpoint, it worked. Jesus taught in the synagogue, rested briefly at Peter’s home, and then — as the sun set — the entire city crowded around the door. People brought every kind of sickness, every kind of bondage, every kind of desperation. And Jesus healed many. He delivered many. The whole town felt the shockwave of His compassion and authority.

It would be easy to conclude that healing and deliverance were the key to the movement’s success. After all, everyone knows someone who is hurting. A sick child, a tormented relative, a friend in crisis — of course people would flock to Jesus for the chance at relief.

But Mark wants us to see something deeper.

Yes, demons were being driven out.
Yes, miracles were happening.
But Jesus silenced the demons. He refused to let them speak.

Why?
Because their testimony — even though accurate — would have hijacked the moment. The demon in the synagogue had already blurted out the truth: “You are the Holy One from God.” That spirit panicked because it feared judgment day had arrived. If demons were allowed to dominate the narrative, the people would be distracted by spectacle instead of anchored in the kingdom message Jesus had been teaching.

Miracles can gather a crowd.
But miracles alone cannot produce repentance.

And that is why, in the long run, the Capernaum campaign was not a success. Jesus later condemned the city for rejecting His message despite the overwhelming display of power (Matthew 11:23–24). They loved the miracles. They ignored the message.

Healing and deliverance absolutely have their place in the ministry of Christ and His church. We should care for the broken. We should pray for the sick. We should confront darkness. These are real expressions of the kingdom.

But they are not the only means of reaching a city.
And they are not the foundation of the gospel.

The excellent message must be proclaimed — in word, in deed, in compassion, in truth, through every channel God gives us. Miracles may open a door, but only the message transforms a heart.

Prayer

LORD, give us wisdom to spread Your gospel using many means, so that we may reach as many people as possible.
Keep us faithful to the message, compassionate in ministry, and strategic in every opportunity You provide.
Amen.

[1] lit. “the ones having something wrong with them”

[2] θεραπευω (1:34; 3:2, 10; 6:5, 13).

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