The Gospel of Mark: Scripture: Mark 2:23-28

"The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath"


Scripture: Mark 2:23-28

23 One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" 25 And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, when Abi'athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" 27 And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; 28 so the Son of man is lord even of the Sabbath."


Meditation:  What does the commandment "keep holy the Sabbath" require of us?  Or better yet, what is the primary intention behind this command?  The religious leaders confronted Jesus on this issue. The "Sabbath rest" was meant to be a time to remember and celebrate God's goodness and the goodness of his work, both in creation and redemption.  It was a day set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on our behalf.  It was intended to bring everyday work to a halt and to provide needed rest and refreshment. Jesus' disciples are scolded by the scribes and Pharisees, not for plucking and eating corn from the fields, but for doing so on the Sabbath.

In defending his disciples, Jesus argues from the scriptures that human need has precedence over ritual custom. When David and his men were fleeing for their lives, they sought food from Ahim'elech the priest  (1 Samuel 21:1-6). The only bread he had was the holy bread offered in the Temple. None but the priests were allowed to eat it. In their hunger, David and his men ate of this bread. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the Sabbath was given for our benefit, to refresh and renew us in living for God. It was intended for good and not for evil. Withholding mercy and kindness in response to human need was not part of God’s intention that we rest from unnecessary labor. Do you honor the Lord in the way you treat your neighbor and celebrate the Lord’s
Day?

"Lord, may I give you fitting honor in the way I live my life and in the way I treat my neighbor.  May I honor the Lord's Day as a day holy to you.  And may I  always treat others with the same mercy and kindness which you have shown to me. Free me from a critical and intolerant spirit that I may always seek the good of my neighbor."

Jesus Heals a Cripple and a Man With a Withered Hand

Jesus Heals a Cripple and a Man With a Withered Hand Matt. 12:1-15; Mark 2:23 to 3:6; Luke 6:1-12; John 5:1-18

Jesus asks the crippled man gently, "Would you like to be made well?" NOT FAR FROM the temple in Jerusalem was a pool called Bethesda. At certain times the water in this pool was made to bubble on the surface. Many sick people, and cripples, and blind folk came to the pool and waited long for the water to move. And five porches were built beside the pool, where these afflicted people might rest in the shade and wait for a chance to be cured of their affliction by bathing in the troubled waters. One Sabbath-day while Jesus was in Jerusalem he walked through the porches beside the pool. And there he saw the afflicted people who had come for healing. How many there were we do not know, but lying on a mat near the edge of a porch was one man who had not walked for nearly forty years. What a pitiful sight he was! Jesus knew how long the poor man had been crippled although no one told him. He stopped by the man and asked gently, "Would you like to be made well?" Perhaps the cripple thought this a strange question. He answered "Sir, I have no one to help me when the water moves, and before I can crawl down some one else steps in. Then Jesus said, "Rise up, take your bed and walk!" The surprised man felt strength pouring into his weakened body and he sprang to his feet. Then he rolled up the mat and taking it in his arms started toward his home. How happy he felt!. But he could not thank the stranger who had spoken to him, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd. Presently some religious Jews saw him carrying his bed. Because they believed it was sinful to carry burdens on the Sabbath-day they stopped him and asked why he was carrying his bed. He answered, "I was lying a cripple by the pool when a stranger came to me and told me to rise up and take my bed and walk away with it." "Who is this stranger?" they demanded, for they were angry to think that any one should break one of the laws they kept on the Sabbath. But the poor man did not know who Jesus was, so he could not tell. Not long afterwards Jesus found the man in the temple, worshiping God. And Jesus told him to sin no more, lest something worse than his long affliction should come upon him. Then the man knew who Jesus was, and he ran out to tell the people that it was Jesus who had made him well. The Jews were angry because Jesus had healed the poor man on the Sabbath-day. They did not care for the poor sufferer as much as they cared for their own pretenses to be righteous. They believed it was wrong to do even such a good work as healing the sick on the Sabbath. But Jesus told them that his Father worked on the Sabbath, and so did he. Then they were more angry than ever because he said that God was his Father. They wished to kill him. After this time the Pharisees became enemies of Jesus. They often followed him just to find fault. One Sabbath-day while he was walking with his disciples through a field of corn, the disciples picked off some of the kernels to eat, because they were hungry. The Pharisees were near by, and seeing what the disciples had done they came to Jesus to find fault. They said, "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath laws, for they are gathering food to eat." But Jesus told the Pharisees that God was not pleased with their regard of the Sabbath law that would not allow a person to do even what is right. He reminded them of the time when David ate from the temple the bread that belonged only to the priests, and God knew David and his men were hungry so he did not punish David for this act. He told the Pharisees that the priests and the Levites work every Sabbath, when they offer the morning and the evening sacrifices. And he said, "The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day." When Jesus returned to Galilee, there were Pharisees in the city where he went to teach in the synagog. And again it was on the Sabbath. Jesus knew the Pharisees were watching him. And, too, he saw a man sitting by who had a withered hand. He called the man to stand up where every one might see him, then he turned to the fault-finders and asked, "Is it lawful to do evil, or good on the Sabbath? to kill, or to make alive? If any one of you have a sheep and it fall into a pit on the Sabbath, do you not lift it out? And a man is more valuable than a sheep." Then he turned to the man standing before him and commanded him to stretch out his withered hand. The man obeyed, and immediately the hand was healed. The Pharisees went out of the synagog in an angry mood, wishing to kill Jesus; but the man who had been healed went to his home feeling very happy. Tomorrow: The Twelve Men Called Apostles

Jesus' First Disciples - Five Men Meet Jesus

Jesus' First Disciples - Five Men Meet Jesus John 1:35-51

Jesus calls His first five disciples. MANY PEOPLE WHO heard John preach by the riverside believed his words, and they began to look for the coming of the King from heaven. From day to day they waited, eager to hear the glad news that the King had arrived. They believed that he would set up a kingdom of Judea, like the kingdom of David had been. And they believed that the Jews would be the favored people in this great kingdom. One day after Jesus had returned from the lonely wilderness, John the Baptist saw him walking along the road near the river. And John cried out, "Behold the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world!" Two young men from Galilee were with John that day and heard him speak. These young men had been disciples, or learners, of John, for they were interested in the teachings of God. When they heard John's words concerning Jesus, the Lamb of God, they turned at once to follow this wonderful person. Perhaps they wondered why John had called him the "Lamb of God." And perhaps they wondered how he could bear the sin of the world. Jesus knew these young men were following him, so he stopped and called to them. He asked what they wanted of him, and they answered, "Master, where do you dwell?" Then Jesus took them with him and talked with them all the day. We do not know what Jesus told those men, but we do know that his words proved to their minds that he was the King, or Messiah, for whom the Jews were looking. How glad they were because they had found him! One of those young men was Andrew, who afterwards became a disciple of Jesus. Just as soon as he believed that Jesus was the promised King he remembered how eagerly his brother, Simon, was waiting to see this great person, too. So he hurried at once to find Simon and bring him to Jesus. Both Simon and Andrew lived by the seaside in Galilee, but at this time they were numbered among the many people who daily sat listening to the words of the strange preacher in the wilderness. Never had they heard such wonderful teaching before, and they were sure that John was a prophet. But Jesus' words had convinced Andrew that he had found a new teacher who was even greater than John. So he called Simon aside from the multitude and said,"Come with me, for we have found the Messiah!" When Jesus saw the two brothers coming to his lodging-place he looked at Simon and said, "You are Simon, the son of Jona; but you shall be called Peter." Simon wondered how Jesus knew so much about him, but after he listened to Jesus' words he, too, believed that the long-looked-for King of the Jews had come. And he followed Jesus with his brother Andrew. On the next day Jesus began his journey back to his home country in Galilee, and these men went with him. As they went they met a man named Philip, who lived in the same town as Simon and Andrew lived in. Jesus called Philip to follow him, too; and Philip obeyed. As he walked along the road with Jesus and the other followers Philip listened in wonder to the wise sayings of his new-found friend. He had longed for the coming of the Messiah, and now he, too, believed that Jesus was the promised Savior and King. Philip had a neighbor named Nathaniel who had often talked with him about the glorious time soon coming when the King of the Jews would appear. And now he ran to tell Nathaniel about Jesus. He knew how greatly Nathaniel longed to see the coming King, and he called to him, saying, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth." Nathaniel knew the Scriptures, and he did not believe that the King of the Jews would come from Nazareth, for the prophets had said he would be born in Bethlehem. So he said to Philip, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" But Philip answered, "Come and see." Because Philip was so eager, Nathaniel rose and followed him. When they came near, Jesus saw Nathaniel, and he said, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" "How do you know me?" asked the astonished Jew. Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig-tree, I saw you." What Nathaniel had been doing under the fig-tree we can only guess, but he may have been kneeling there and praying that God would hasten the coming of the promised King. When he heard Jesus; answer, he was filled with wonder and surprise that Jesus could know what he had been doing and where he had been staying before Philip called him. At once he believed that only God can see all things, and can reveal them to men, so he exclaimed joyfully, "Master, you are the Son of God! you are the King of Israel!" Jesus replied, "Do you believe just because I said I saw you under the fig-tree? You shall see greater things than these. Some day you shall see the heavens open, and the angel of God all about the Son of man." Tomorrow: The Wedding In Cana - Jesus' First Miracle

The Birth of Jesus

The Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-39

An angel appears to the shepherds and tells them that the Savior has been born. OUT ON THE streets of Nazareth the people were standing in groups, talking excitedly. News had just reached their city that the great emperor of Rome had commanded all of them to go to the town or city from which their families had come and have their names written on lists. The emperor wished to have a list of the names of all the people in this great kingdom, or empire. And no one dared to disobey his command. Soon travelers were seen going in every direction, for the emperor's command had been read in every city in the land. Out from Nazareth a company of people started toward the south, and in that company were Joseph and Mary, for they were both of the family of David, and they were going to Bethlehem, the city of David, to have their names written upon the list at that place. The road to the south led through the country of Samaria, then over the hills of Judah into Jerusalem. From Jerusalem Joseph and Mary went farther south, till they came to Bethlehem. Some of their company had left them in other cities along the way, while others had joined them. And when they reached Bethlehem they found that it was swarming with people who belonged, as they did, to the city where David was born. From every part of the land these people had come, and they had filled the lodging rooms till no more place could be found for the new arrivals. The long journey from Nazareth had been very tiresome, and Mary longed for a place to rest. But Joseph could find no place except in the stable of the inn. And here they stayed during their first days in Bethlehem. God had not forgotten his promise to Mary, and one night while she was in Bethlehem he gave her the child, Jesus. And Mary wrapped him in soft cloths called swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger where the cattle fed, because she could find no better place. The people of Bethlehem did not know that the angels were watching over the city that night. They did not hear the angels' glad song when Jesus was born. They did not see the joy of Mary and Joseph as they bent over the wonderful child in the manger. And so it was that God's greatest gift to men came right into that neighborhood and those people did not receive it as a gift from God because they did not expect a Savior to be born of such a humble person as Mary. But there were shepherds watching their flocks that night in a field near Bethlehem. Perhaps David, the shepherd king, had tended sheep in that same field many years before. These shepherds knew about David, and about God's promise to David that one of his descendants would be the Savior of men. And they may have been talking about God's promise when the angel of the Lord suddenly came near and a glorious light broke upon them through the darkness. Trembling with fear, they looked upon the angel and wondered why he had come to them. Then he spoke, and said: "Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the lord.. And you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling-clothes and lying in a manger." What a wonderful message! The shepherds listened eagerly to the angel's words, and when he finished speaking they saw a multitude of angels join him and begin to sing. Such music this world had never heard, for the angels were singing one of heaven's glad songs, giving glory to God in the highest. And they also sang, "Peace on earth, good will toward men." When the song had ended, the angels went back into heaven and the glorious light faded again into the darkness of the still night. But the shepherds never forgot the sweetness of that song nor the joy it brought to their hearts. They did not wait until daylight to hasten to Bethlehem in search of the wonderful child, but said to each other just as soon as the angels disappeared, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing which the Lord has made known to us." So they left their flocks and hurried to Bethlehem, and there they found Mary and Joseph in the stable, with the infant Savior lying in the manger as the angel had said. The shepherds told Mary and Joseph about their angel visitors and about the wonderful song that the angels sang. And no doubt they knelt before the manger and worshiped the little babe who lay quietly sleeping in the hay. Then they ran into the streets of Bethlehem and told every one whom they met about the angel's visit and about the wonderful child who had been born that night in a stable of the city. And the people wondered about the strange things that the shepherds told. When the baby was eight days old, Joseph and Mary gave him a name, and they called him by the name the angel had chosen. That name, Jesus, means "salvation," and it told to men the work that God had sent this child to do. There was a law among the Jews that an offering should be made to the Lord for the first boy child born into each family. Among the rich people this offering should be lamb, but among the poor people the offering of only two young pigeons would please God just as well. When Jesus was forty days old Joseph and Mary took him to the temple at Jerusalem to give their offering to the Lord. They brought two pigeons, for they were poor and could not bring a lamb. An old man named Simeon was in the temple when Joseph and Mary came to bring their offering. This old man had served God for many years, and he longed to see the Savior whom God had promised to send into the world. God knew about this longing in Simeon's heart, and one day he spoke to Simeon and said, "You shall not die until you have seen the Savior." When Mary brought the baby Jesus to the temple, God's Spirit caused Simeon to know this child was the promised Savior. He came eagerly to meet Mary and took her babe in his arms. Then he said, "Now may God let me depart in peace, for I have seen with my eyes the salvation which he has sent." Another faithful servant of the Lord was in the temple that day, an old lady named Anna, who spoke words of prophecy to the people. When she saw Jesus, she too gave thanks to God, and to the people who stood in the courts of the temple she spoke about this child of promise which had been sent from God to man. Mary never forgot the words of these dear old people concerning her wonderful child. She remembered, too, the story that the shepherds had told, about the angel's visit to them, and about their words and song. Always in the days that followed Mary thought about these strange things and wondered how her son Jesus would finally become the King and Savior of the world. Tomorrow: The Wise Men Who Followed a Star

The Sad Ending of the Kingdom of Israel

The Sad Ending of the Kingdom of Israel 2 Kings 17

God allowed the Assyrians to carry the Israelites away to a strange land THE PEOPLE OF Nineveh believed God's prophet and were ready to ask God to forgive their sins. They repented, and they were not destroyed. But the people of Israel did not believe the faithful prophets whom God sent to them, one after another. Some of them, of course, believed; but many of them did not. Their kings refused to worship God in the right way, and kept the golden calves, which the first king of Israel had made. Many years passed by, and God saw that the Israelites would never return to worship him as they had done in the days of David and Solomon. Nineteen kings had ruled in the land of Israel, and many times God had helped those kings out of trouble. Still they would not lead their people back to the true worship. At last God allowed an enemy to carry them all away to a strange land. Hoshea was king in Israel when the great Assyrian army came down into the land and took possession of it. For a while Hoshea and his people paid a large sum of money each year to the Assyrian nation, and they were allowed to live in their own land. But when Hoshea refused to pay the money and sent to the king of Egypt for help, the king of Assyria sent his army again, and the army took Hoshea and all his people away from their homes and led them into heathen cities to keep them for slaves. This was the terrible punishment that their sins of idol-worship had brought upon them. And they were never again allowed to return to live in their homeland. The Assyrian king now ruled over all of the country where the ten tribes of Israel used to live. He wanted to have some people in that land, so he took some heathen people from cities in the east country and brought them to live in the cities of Samaria. He told them to work the fields and keep the vineyards, and pay him money from the crops they raised in Israel. The new people in Israel were idol-worshipers. They did not know about the true God at all. After they had been in the land for some time they became afraid of the God of that land, for lions would come out of the woods and kill some of them when they went out to their fields to work. They believed that the God of Israel was sending the lions among them because they did not know how to worship him. So they sent messengers back to Nineveh to tell the king about their troubles. They asked him to send a priest of the Israelite slaves back to Israel, that he might teach them to worship the Israelites' God. The king sent a priests of the Israelites, and he went to live in Bethel. He told the strange people about the true God, and they, too, tried to worship him. But they continued to worship their own gods, and their religion became a mixture of right and wrong. Even today some of the descendants of those people are living in Samaria, and their worship is a mixture of idolatry and the religion of the Jews. Tomorrow: The Good King Hezekiah

Solomon Crowned King

WHEN ABSALOM WAS dead, the people were eager to fetch the king home again; so eager, that they quarreled among themselves because the men of Judah, David's own tribe, were the first to bring him on his way to Jerusalem.
And the quarrel ended in all the men of Israel again revolting from the king. Joab, however, who was a skillful soldier, though he was a very bad man, succeeded in putting down the insurrection.
But David's troubles were not yet at an end. First famine, and then pestilence, in which seventy thousand of the people died, afflicted his kingdom.
And then, when he was old and feeble, apparently near death, his son Adonijah set himself up to be king, after his father, instead of Solomon, whom God had appointed to succeed David.
By way of making his claim sure, Adonijah had taken upon himself royal state. Joab and other officers of the kingdom were with him, and the people acknowledged him as king.
News of this was brought to David, who at once determined to prevent disputes about the succession after his death by having Solomon crowned during his own lifetime.
So he called Nathan the priest, Zadok the prophet, and Benaiah the captain of his guard, and bade them, with a number of his officers, take Solomon, and, placing him upon the king's own mule (which it was death for any subject to ride), bring him down to Gihon, a fountain near Jerusalem, and there, with sound of trumpet, anoint, and proclaim him king over Israel.
So they took him thither, and proclaimed him king; multitudes following and shouting, "God save King Solomon!" till the city rang again.
Adonijah and his friends were at this time rejoicing together; and while they were feasting, in came one of their party to tell them that David had actually made Solomon king of Israel.
When they heard this, they were so frightened that each one stole away as quietly as he could. And Adonijah, fearing that his life might be forfeited for attempting to seize the kingdom, fled to the altar for protection; for he who laid hold of the horns of the altar was considered under God's protection, and therefore safe from his enemies.
But Solomon sent for him, promising him safety if he submitted to him. So Adonijah came, and did homage to his brother, who let him go home peaceably.
Soon after this David died, and was buried at Jerusalem.
Tomorrow: The Judgment of Solomon

David and Jonathan

David and Jonathan 1st Samuel 20 to 1st Samuel 26

David creeps silently into where Saul is sleeping. SAUL SENT MESSENGERS hither and thither to take David, but they failed to find him. Jonathan meanwhile kept trying to save his friend; but when at last Saul threw his spear at him, in his anger at his continuing to plead for David, he perceived that all his efforts were useless. So he and David took leave of each other lovingly; the latter retiring to the wilderness, where he soon gathered together a band of followers. While Saul continued his fierce pursuit of David, his life was twice in David's power, who refused to hurt Saul, though his followers urged him to kill the king. On one of these occasions, David, to proved how easily he might had killed Saul if he would, cut off a piece of his robe when he was asleep. And then, when the king awoke, showing it to him, he besought him not to believe those who had told him that David desired to take his life. Saul's hard heart was softened by his appeal, and he said to David, "Thou are more righteous than I;" for David had returned him good for evil. Saul added that he knew David should be king after him; and he entreated that his sons might not be put to death when David came to the throne. David solemnly promised this, and then Saul returned from pursuing him. But David, not daring to trust himself with him, went back to his stronghold in En-gedi. Saul's reconciliation with David did not last long. He was soon hunting him again with a force of three thousand men. He had pitched his camp in the wilderness; and David, with Abishai, one of his followers, came down to it at night. The people were all asleep, and Saul's tent was set up in the midst of the encampment. The two stole in among them, and came silently to the place where Saul lay sleeping, with his spear stuck into the ground by his pillow, surrounded by his guard, with Abner their captain, all fast asleep. Abishai wished to kill Saul, But David would not suffer him. Only to show Saul once more how completely he had been in his power, he carried the spear, and water-bottle, that stood by it, away with him to his own camp. When he got there he called out tauntingly to Abner, and the king's guard, asking whether they were not pretty defenders of their master, and bidding them send some one to fetch back the king's spear. Saul knew the voice; and when David complained to him of his merciless pursuit of one who had so often spared his life, he relented, and said he would do David no more harm. Tomorrow: David is King