Crumbs 111

 

Crumbs 111

Sight

ScriptureMark 8:22-230 NIV 22 They came to Bethsaida,  and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into[a] the village.” 27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Crumbs

Today is Good Friday. Christ’s mission was the cross. We should view His life in the light of the cross. These two incidents bear profitable comparison.

1.Both men needed to see things differently

Blindness reduces a person to dependence on others. Peter was blinded o years of tradition, a wide spread way of thinking about life. Messiah was expected to come in a certain way and be certain type of man. He came as quite a shock. He was certainly not expected to die the way He did.

2.Both were recipients of the application of divine power. Jesus healing is thorough, The physical problem and the mental problem, both are dealt with. In Matthew 16:13-20 Jesus explains that God the Father is involved in Peter’s enlightenment. God alone can open our eyes to who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

3.Jesus cares for both pastorally. Jesus .deals with individuals in a caring pastoral way. Hand in hand He takes the man outside the village. The restoration of sight in the crowd would have been difficult for the blind man. If Peter had thought his recognition was due to the power of his intellect He would have been tempted to arrogance and place in a position of unwarranted prominence

4.The Lord warned both not to speak of their experiences. This was the outcome of our Lord’s humility and his desire for the crowd to make Him king. Christ was on His way to the cross. He would not anything get in the way of this

Questions

1. What has Christ done about folk bound by the human condition?

2. What does Christ show us about dealing with folk in need?.

3. What do we learn about Jesus from this passage?

Crumbs 110

 

Crumbs 110

Misunderstanding

ScriptureMark 8:11-21 nw International Version  The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. 14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” 16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” 17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied.20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” 21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” Crumbs This passage contains at least four warnings.

The first is a warning against asking for a spectacular sign.(12) True faith is not formed from sensations, A life transformed by Christ requires something deeper

The second is a warning against Pharisaism (15). The Pharisees reduced faith to regulation and then added traditions. When that became inconvenient they sought loopholes within the regulation. It produced a nitpicking religion, but where was the love?

The third is against the seductions of sensuality and power. (15) What drives so many folk? Status, sex and cash! Does social position mean anything at the feet of the Saviour? Do dubious images trigger undesirable desire? Or overall, is cash king? Sadly none of us is immune and perpetual prayerful watchfulness is needed or the love is stained and witness ruined.

The fourth is against a failure to recognise who Jesus really is. (21) It took years for the disciples to learn who Jesus really is. Set ways of thinking, lines laid down by our current culture, can prevent us from hearing the voice of God. The bottom line is our knowledge of and our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Questions

1. What improper demands do Christians make of their faith?

2. In what ways do Christians fall into the snares of the Pharisees and the Herodians?.

3. Who is Jesus ?

Crumbs 109

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Crumbs 109

Fed Again

ScriptureMark 8:1-10 New International Version8 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” 4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” 5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. 6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

1. Crumbs I found comparing and contrasting this miracle with the feeding of the five thousand instructive.

The place and time were different. The place was probably Decapolis, a group of ten cities maybe founded by soldiers from Alexander’s armies. The numbers were different. In the feeding of the five thousand the numbers had significance for the Jews., The blessings of the food were different. Here each component is separately blessed. Finally the baskets used to collect the scraps were different. With the feeding of the five thousand they were narrow necked Jewish ones. Here they are square wide necked Gentile ones. All this is making me think that our Lord was venturing into Gentile territory

2. Both situations evoked the compassion of the Lord. Both crowds were told to sit down and both were satisfied. To receive a blessing the crowd had simply to sit down. In this miracle I see that Jesus was not only King of the Jews but Saviour of the world who brings more than happiness but contentment. He is the Lord of creation, master of every situation.

Questions

1. What do we learn about the nature of discipleship?

2. What must we do to receive a blessing from the Lord?.

3. What prevents our satisfaction with Christ and His salvation ?

Crumbs 108

 

Crumbs 108

Crumbs

Scripture Mark 7:31-37 NIV Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.[a] 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

1. Crumbs Deafness isolates. Information is missed and nuance is unperceived. In extreme cases it can lead to difficulties with speech. I was told as a boy if I grazed myself to put spit on it. It is tempting to think that the Lord is using traditional remedies. The observers of this miracle did not see it that way. They recognised the healing as miraculous. They confessed that Jesus not only did good things but did them well.

Look at the way Jesus did this miracle. He looked to heaven. Christ’s miracles were a link with Heaven and the earthly, the physical and the spiritual. At earth’s creation and on other occasions it was the Word of God that delivered. Here the Lord speaks the word and wrong is put right and wholeness replaces brokenness. There is also the sigh. Our Lord seems to have a heightened empathy for human suffering. There was no charity fatigue with Him. He grasped the enormity of the least damage to the ideal divine order on earth.

Throughout His ministry Jesus tried to avoid attention arising from the astonishing and joyful nature of his restorative acts. He was a deeply humble man. He tried to prevent folk shouting about His achievements but did not use His divine authority to suppress them. Such is our Saviour.

Questions

1. What kind of a man emerges from this passage ?

2. In this passage what kind of a man is our Lord shown to be?.

3. What patterns for Christian service are exemplified in this text ?

Crumbs 107

Crumbs 107

Crumbs

Scripture Mark 7:31-37 NIV Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.[a] 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

1. Crumbs Deafness isolates. Information is missed and nuance is unperceived. In extreme cases it can lead to difficulties with speech. I was told as a boy if I grazed myself to put spit on it. It is tempting to think that the Lord is using traditional remedies. The observers of this miracle did not see it that way. They recognised the healing as miraculous. They confessed that Jesus not only did good things but did them well.

Look at the way Jesus did this miracle. He looked to heaven. Christ’s miracles were a link with Heaven and the earthly, the physical and the spiritual. At earth’s creation and on other occasions it was the Word of God that delivered. Here the Lord speaks the word and wrong is put right and wholeness replaces brokenness. There is also the sigh. Our Lord seems to have a heightened empathy for human suffering. There was no charity fatigue with Him. He grasped the enormity of the least damage to the ideal divine order on earth.

Throughout His ministry Jesus tried to avoid attention arising from the astonishing and joyful nature of his restorative acts. He was a deeply humble man. He tried to prevent folk shouting about His achievements but did not use His divine authority to suppress them. Such is our Saviour.

Questions

1. What kind of a man emerges from this passage ?

2. In this passage what kind of a man is our Lord shown to be?.

3. What patterns for Christian service are exemplified in this text ?