Today’s Reading: Luke 10:25-37

If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. Freedom from whom the world wants us to be, freedom from whom others define us to be, and freedom from our past mistakes and sins. And when we offer this same forgiveness that we have received from the Son to those who have sinned against us, we once again experience freedom.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” – Matthew 5:7

What does our life look like if we consistently let forgiveness flow and let mercy show? Mercy is, by definition, forgiveness. Merriam-Webster defines mercy as compassion, especially towards someone who has offended you, or compassionate treatment of someone in distress. If we want to experience mercy in our lives, we need a heart that is merciful toward others.

FORGIVENESS. FREEDOM. MERCY.

Not one of us is perfect. We have all sinned and we are all in need of a Savior – of mercy extended beyond what we deserve. It is this mercy that allows us entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven and the opportunity to begin experiencing eternal life right here on earth – mercy extended to us because we have a heart that extends mercy toward others.

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

The man answered, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” – Luke 10:25-29

The man understood that he was to love God and he knew who God was. That part was easy. But the man wanted clarification on who Jesus defined as his neighbor — the people who live next door, coworkers, family members, other Christians, nonbelievers? The man was essentially saying to Jesus – define for me who my neighbor is so that I can, by process of elimination, understand who is not my neighbor.

Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.” – Luke 10:31-32

If either of these men who worked in the temple came in contact with a dead body, they would be considered “unclean” and temporarily unable to serve in the Temple and offer sacrifices to God. Helping this man who was so close to death was risking ritual impurity.

Do I help the one if it means I cannot help the masses? How often do we use this as an excuse for not reaching out to someone in need? God, I’m so busy reaching out to those to whom you have called me. You must plan for someone else to help this person in desperate trouble because you have already given me this other call. We excuse ourselves from responding to one person by reminding ourselves of how much good we are doing in the lives of other people. We give ourselves permission to turn our back on one person’s needs in order to focus on the ministry we prefer. Lord, forgive me. I am so guilty of this.

“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, “Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

The man replied, “The one who showed mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” – Luke 10:33-37

To truly be a follower of Jesus, we must be willing to go where He leads and do as He tells us to do. It is in those moments when we choose restoration and LET FORGIVENESS FLOW that Jesus draws us closer to Him. It is in those moments when we choose compassion and LET MERCY SHOW that we learn what it means to truly love our neighbor. It is in those moments when we stop seeing the reflection of past mistakes and sins, that we truly will LET FREEDOM RING.

Today’s Reading: John 8

Let’s keep in mind that the Pharisees and Jewish leaders knew who Jesus’ mother was when we consider what they did next. They probably knew she was found to be with child before she was married to Joseph. John tells us that these teachers of the law were trying to trap Jesus when they brought to him a woman who had been caught in adultery. They were waiting to see if Jesus would be faithful to the law of Moses, which demanded she be stoned.

…but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” – John 8:6-12

YOU DON’T HAVE TO WALK IN DARKNESS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE LIGHT THAT LEADS TO LIFE.

We continue today to judge one another by where we came from, who our parents are and by the sins of our past. The enemy wants to define us by these things so that he can convince us that we belong to the sinful world and not to our Heavenly Father. If he can convince us of this, it is easier for him to convince us that sinning is simply a part of who we are and where we came from.

But Jesus says – I know who you are and what you have done. Go and sin no more. You don’t have to continue to walk in darkness if you follow me, for I am the light of the world. If you will walk in my light, you will truly experience life; if you follow my teachings, you will experience true freedom.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” – John 8:31-32,34-36

YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.

Freedom from whom the world wants us to be, freedom from whom others define us to be, and freedom from our past mistakes and sins.

In anger, the people asked Jesus, “Who do you think you are?” They also asked him where his father was and then made the statement, “We are not illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father” (8:53,19,41). Oh yes, they knew what they were doing when they brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery. What they didn’t know is who Jesus truly was and to whom he truly belonged.

When others try to define you by where you came from, or try to condemn you with what is in your past, remember who you truly are. You are a child of God, forgiven and set free from sin. When the enemy tries to pull you back into a life of sin, remember who you truly are. You are no longer a slave to sin but a part of God’s family forever. You have been set free from the past, free from sin and you are a faithful follower of Jesus.

Today’s Reading: John 7

Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” For even his brothers didn’t believe in him. — John 7:3-5

In some ways it is surprising that the brothers of Jesus did not accept that he was the Messiah, but it also makes sense that it would be harder for them to believe. They had grown up around him, played games with him and worked alongside him in the family business. To them he was just Jesus.

Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” — John 7:6-8

Jesus knew what others were saying about him. He knew that his brothers were mocking him in unbelief and he knew there were many others who hated him; he knew there were some who were even plotting to kill him.

The Jewish leaders were so caught up on where Jesus had come from and from whom he was born that they were missing who Jesus was and from whom he had been sent. They tried to use this information to prove that he was not the Messiah. They knew where Joseph and Mary were from and they knew that Jesus had grown up in Galilee so they assumed he was also born in Galilee. They actually used the argument that Jesus would have been born in Bethlehem, as the prophets foretold, if he was truly the Messiah. They were making accusations without having all the information, something I am afraid I have been guilty of at times.

While Jesus was in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know Him. But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” – John 7:28-29

Later Jesus left for the festival but stayed out of public view. Many were talking about Jesus: some were asking where he was, some were saying he was a good man and others were calling him a fraud. Halfway through the festival he began teaching in the temple and many were amazed at how much he knew. Others accused him of being possessed by a demon when he made the comment that there were some trying to kill him. Many believed in him saying, “Would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?” (John 7:31b)

Jesus was there because he had mercy on sinners. He was willing to give his life so that we can be forgiven of our unbelief — so that we can experience freedom from our sins. So on the last day of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowd: “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart’” (John 7:37b-38).

JESUS OFFERED LIFE TO THOSE WHO WERE CURIOUS AND TO THOSE WHO WERE COMBATIVE.

In spite of all the grumbling about him, despite the hateful plots against him, Jesus still extended the gift of life to all those who were willing to come to him. He said, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!” This was not only an invitation to those who believed he was the Messiah, but also to those who were convinced he was not. This is what forgiveness looks like; this is what freedom feels like. Let us consider the freedom we experience when we choose forgiveness and mercy over bitterness and hatred. What would our lives look like if we consistently let forgiveness flow and mercy show? What would our lives sound like if we lived from a place of freedom from our hurt and pain?

Jesus said to the people who believed him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32

Father God, open my heart to areas in which I need to allow forgiveness to heal my hurts. Spirit, reveal in me any unforgiveness or hatred toward others. Work in my life in such a way that I experience freedom from my opinions, my attitudes and my agendas. Fill me with your mercy so that forgiveness flows from me. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Mark 9:2-32; Luke 9:28-45

About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. – Luke 9:28-32

When the disciples woke up, they experienced something amazing — too wonderful to speak about. When they opened their eyes and focused on Jesus, they saw something remarkable — something they never expected to see.

As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.

Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen. – Luke 9:33-36

When we don’t know what to say, perhaps it’s time to listen. Have you been there? Has there ever been a time when you were so uncomfortable with the silence that you filled it with your own voice? Perhaps your time with Jesus is also more about your voice than His. Let’s allow God’s words from the cloud to wash over us in a new way today.

“THIS IS MY SON, MY CHOSEN ONE. LISTEN TO HIM.”

The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”

As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power. – Luke 9:37-43

Jesus spoke the word and the evil spirit had to flee. The power of God was unleashed at Jesus’ command. Even the demons listen and respond to the voice of the Messiah as he frees souls from the grip of Satan, restoring them into the fold of God.

While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.” But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. – Luke 9:43b-45

“LISTEN TO ME AND REMEMBER WHAT I SAY.”

Pay attention. Listen. You have been chosen for this moment; you have a calling on your life. Open your eyes and see that Jesus is Lord; open your ears and listen to what he is saying. You may not understand everything that is happening in your life, but trust the God who knows it all and has a plan in place. When he leads you to the mountain, follow him. When he invites you to spend time alone with him, pursue his invitation and you will experience God in a new way. When he asks you to wait for understanding, trust him. When you need strongholds to be broken so that you can experience freedom, listen to the voice of Jesus as he breaks your chains.

Today’s Reading: Mark 9:33-41; Luke 9:46-62

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23

IF YOU WANT TO SERVE GOD, YOU MUST STOP BEING SELFISH.

What great advice for the disciples and what great advice for us today. The disciples did not get this lesson the first time they heard it, just as we struggle to overcome our own selfish tendencies day after day.

Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.” – Luke 9:46-48

IF YOU WANT TO SERVE GOD, YOU MUST NOT THINK TOO HIGHLY OF YOURSELF.

Before you dismiss this thought too quickly, take time to allow the Holy Spirit to remind you of the last time you assessed someone before really getting to know them. We often judge others by their appearance or their financial situation or their family heritage. This mindset of considering ourselves to be better than other people can and will get in the way of us truly following Jesus.

John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.” But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.” – Luke 9:49-50

We cannot pick and choose WHERE we go if we are sincerely following Jesus wherever He is at work.

We cannot pick and choose WHO we minister to if we are sincerely following Jesus to whomever He leads.

We cannot pick and choose WHAT we do if we are sincerely responding to what Jesus asks to do.

We cannot pick and choose WHEN we follow Jesus so that it only fits conveniently into our schedule.

IF YOU WANT TO SERVE GOD, IT MUST BE ON HIS TERMS.

As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

He said to another person, “Come follow me.”

The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say goodbye to my family.”

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:57-62

Are we willing to love, to serve, to go, to lose? Are we truly willing to follow? Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal in me today any selfishness or pride. I pray that I will recognize the moments when I think too highly of myself. I long for complete surrender to follow you wherever you may lead. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 16:21-28; Mark 8:22-26, 8:31-9:1; Luke 9:21-27; Psalm 147

When they arrived in Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”

The man looked around, “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.” – Mark 8:22-26

Jesus led the blind man out of the village in order to heal him, but mostly to set up a much needed conversation with his disciples. Things were intensifying all around them and he wanted them to be aware of what was ahead.

SPEAKING PLAINLY

Jesus knew that the disciples’ understanding was blurry, just like the man’s vision. He had taken them from complete darkness to a fuzzy understanding. Now it was time to speak plainly. Now it was time for Jesus to reveal to them what was ahead.

Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.

Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” – Mark 8:31-33

Peter’s intentions were good. He responded from a heart that loved Jesus and was willing to protect him from those who were plotting against him. But that kind of well-intended reaction was not going to help Jesus prepare for what was ahead, and it certainly was not going to help Peter. He needed to give up his own way and see the upcoming events from God’s point of view.

Perhaps this is where many of us struggle the most. Perhaps it is the submission of my own understanding that causes my faith to grow the most. I must trust the wisdom of a magnificent and caring God, even when the outcomes around me do not make sense.

GOD IS CALLING US TO GIVE UP OUR OWN WAY AND SUBMIT TO HIS.

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:23-27

My prayer for all of us is that God would reveal much to us today. I pray that God will help us to see beyond our limited, human point of view to His heavenly perspective. I pray for moments today when we are reminded of whom we serve and how powerful He is. No situation or circumstance is too big for Him.

How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
His understanding is beyond comprehension! – Psalm 147:5

Heavenly Father, give us eyes to see beyond our human point of view and increase our understanding of how things look from YOUR perspective. Give us the strength to daily take up our cross and follow you; give us the courage to live out our faith unashamedly. We love you and we trust you today. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Mark 8:14-21, 27-30; Luke 9:18-20

SPEAKING FIGURATIVELY

But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. – Mark 8:14-16

The disciples were struggling with distinguishing when Jesus was speaking to them in literal terms and when he was speaking figuratively. He often spoke to them in parables but they still had not figured out how to relate the words of Jesus to real life situations. They were missing the meaning of what Jesus was trying to teach them because they were thinking in human terms instead of spiritual concepts.

Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”

“Twelve,” they said.

“And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they said.

“Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them. – Mark 8:17-21

SPEAKING LITERALLY

Jesus must have been so frustrated with their lack of understanding and their simplistic thinking, but he took the time to meet them where they were at and help bring them to where he needed them to be. He understood their confusion and patiently went back to square one with them:

Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. – Mark 8:27-30

So often we need a reminder of who God is when we are going through a time of uncertainty or confusion. Our Heavenly Father will reveal Himself to us if we will simply look beyond our earthly understanding to see things from God’s perspective. Not only will He help us understand who He is, He will help us understand who He is calling us to be.

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” – Matthew 16:17-19

Peter knew who Jesus was because God had revealed it to him. He knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of God Himself, and no one needed to tell him that. God had opened Peter’s eyes and given him understanding because He had a plan for Peter’s life and for the life of all of Jesus’ disciples — to build the church by spreading the truth about who Jesus is.

Lord, give us eyes to see who you are and give us a heart to pursue your call on our lives. Give us understanding and reveal the meaning of your word to us so that we can help others find their way to you. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Mark 7:24-37, 8:1-13

After Jesus left Galilee, he headed north. A woman came to the house where he was staying and fell at his feet. She begged Jesus to cast the demon out of her little girl. Can you hear the desperation in her voice? Can you imagine the sorrow she was experiencing every time the evil spirit took over her daughter? She did not just ask Jesus to heal her daughter; she begged him for it. She persisted in her request and Jesus responded.

Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”

“Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. – Mark 7:26b-30

SHE BEGGED JESUS TO HEAL HER CHILD, AND HE DID.

Next Jesus went up to Sidon before heading back to the Sea of Galilee. A deaf man was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man so that he could be healed from his speech impediment and hearing disability. Can you hear the concern of those who loved this man? They did not just ask Jesus to heal their friend; they begged him for it.

Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” – Mark 7:33-37

THEY BEGGED JESUS TO HEAL THEIR FRIEND, AND HE DID.

About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.” – Mark 8:1-3

Jesus saw the needs of the crowd and responded in compassion. You would think his disciples would know by now how this works, but they still marveled over how they were supposed to feed the crowd with the amount of food they had. They had seen Jesus do wonderful things, yet they forgot that everything he does is wonderful!

His disciples replied, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?”

Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

“Seven loaves,” they replied.

So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.

They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten. – Mark 8:4-9

THEY DIDN’T ASK JESUS TO FEED THEM, BUT HE DID.

Three stories of Jesus doing something miraculous, and there is one common thread. Do you see it? The little girl needed Jesus to do something amazing for her, but she did not ask. She was not in a place where she could. But she had a parent who responded to her struggle and fell on her knees in front of Jesus on behalf of her daughter. Her daughter was not healed after she asked Jesus once, so she persisted by continuing to beg Jesus.

The man with a speech impediment and hearing loss did not ask Jesus to heal him, but there were people in his life who valued him enough to take him to Jesus. When he could not speak the words to ask Jesus to heal him, his friends brought his needs to Jesus for him. Although he wanted his life to be different, it was his friends that had faith it could be if only he could meet Jesus.

The crowd had been following Jesus for three days. They were in the wilderness without food, with a long journey ahead of them. They did not voice their need to Jesus, yet he cared enough to recognize what they lacked and he provided generously for their needs.

EVERYTHING HE DOES IS WONDERFUL!

This is the Jesus of the Bible and this is the Jesus we serve today. We should keep praying for Jesus to heal our loved ones, because everything he does is wonderful! We should keep bringing our friends to Jesus, because everything he does is wonderful! We should keep following Jesus and trust that he will provide for our needs, because everything he does is wonderful!

They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.” – Mark 7:37

Today’s Reading: Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 51

The religious leaders were curious about Jesus in one moment and then annoyed by him in the next. Their world had revolved around following rules and traditions, but Jesus’ focus was on the inward condition of the heart over the outward display of religious practices. They were busy displaying self-righteousness, instead of relying on God’s righteousness to be lived out in them. On this day, they asked Jesus why his disciples did not follow the tradition of performing the hand-washing ceremony before they ate.

NOT ABOUT CLEAN HANDS BUT CLEAN HEARTS

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’
For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.” – Mark 7:6-13

Jesus was not opposed to the practice of washing your hands before you eat. In fact, it’s a really good idea to come to the dinner table with clean hands. What Jesus was emphasizing is that it is more important to come with clean hearts than clean hands; the focus is not on an outward display of religion, but inward evidence of relationship. We should not get caught up on our favorite best practices of religion yet willfully disregard the needs of those around us. We should not get so caught up in our service to the Church that we forget to serve our Christ.

NOT AN OUTWARD DISPLAY OF RELIGION, BUT INWARD EVIDENCE OF RELATIONSHIP

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”

Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)

And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” – Mark 7:14-23

CLEAN HANDS ARE EASIER THAN CLEAN HEARTS.

I think one of the reasons we try to clean up our outward performance is because we know the fickleness of our hearts. But if God looks at my heart, I’m doomed. To try to purify my own heart and thoughts is impossible. My hands may look clean on the outside, but I look down and see the guilt of all my hands have done. How can a holy God accept me? I am overwhelmed with shame, for it is impossible to get the stains off my hands and I have failed to tame the desires of my heart.

Oh but we serve a generous God — a God of mercy and compassion. He does not require us to come to him as perfect, sinless servants. No, God’s love for us is so amazing that He is the One who performs the transformation within us. When we surrender our hearts and hands to Him, His Spirit moves in and begins to work in us. Day by day, we begin to see a difference in what we desire because the Spirit is aligning our hearts with God’s. He is removing the stain of our sins and cleansing us with His righteousness. Together let’s pray this prayer from Psalm 51:

Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. – Psalm 51:1-11

Today’s Reading: John 6:22-59

“Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” – John 6:30

What a ridiculous comment for the crowd to make just after Jesus had fed the 5000 with only five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus had provided for their physical needs by healing their sick, and by feeding them in a similar way to how God had provided manna from heaven for their ancestors. But apparently healing the sick and feeding 5000 people with a child’s sack lunch was not enough.

THEY WANTED MORE.

They wanted more and so do we. How often does God provide over and over again for us, yet we sit back and say we have never experienced a miracle or seen God move in a mighty way. God provides for our needs yet we desire more. We look at what others have around us and see what we do not have, rather than focusing on what God has so generously given us.

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35

Jesus warned them not to get caught up in the perishable things this world has to offer (the things that do not last), but spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you (John 6:27). But witnessing miraculous signs was not enough for this crowd, they wanted the ability to perform these miracles themselves; they wanted power and glory (John 6:28-29).

At times our focus is on the desire for God to do something great and mighty through us; we want to do something tangible for others to see. But God’s response to us may be the same as it was to the crowd – to first seek Him, consume Him, believe in Him and fully experience life through Him.

COME AND EXPERIENCE MORE.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” – John 6:47-51

“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” – John 6:53-58

GOD WANTS TO GIVE US MORE.

God is saying – I can answer your prayers and provide for your needs here on earth, I am capable of that. I can once again show you my generosity and you can experience the miracle of my provision, but I want to provide you with so much more than what you are asking for. I can heal you of your disease, but you will still die eventually. I am offering you something so much greater; I am offering you eternal life!

Perhaps the miracle is not in the provision but in the satisfaction. We know that God is able to provide – the moment of surprise is when we rest in His care, trusting and believing in Him whether or not He provides as we have asked. The miracle is in our satisfaction with what God has done and will do according to His will. Consume the Bread of Life and you will experience the miracle of satisfaction.

At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” – John 6:68-69

ARE WE SATISFIED WITH WHO JESUS IS?

Some would not allow themselves to be satisfied with who Jesus was and what Jesus asked of them. For the disciples, Jesus was enough. They believed that he truly was the bread of life and they were determined to follow Him in pursuit of the answers instead of walking away when they didn’t fully understand. Jesus was enough.

So what about us? Will we be satisfied with all Jesus has to offer us or will we turn away and desert Jesus? Will we be satisfied with who Jesus is and who He is calling the church to be? What miracle will God perform in our hearts today? Let’s choose to rest in God’s provision and find satisfaction with who He is and what He wants to do in our lives.