5- In Chapter 5 Jesus gets into contact with a possessed man “ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WAS ABLE TO BIND HIM SECURELY, EVEN WITH A CHAIN” and “NOBODY HAD THE STRENGTH TO SUBDUE HIM.” In fact, he is possessed by many demons who ask Jesus for the permission to go into a swine and about 2,000 throw themselves into the sea. Everything with Jesus is oversized! And for him it is nothing!
Mark 1
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6- Can I use the word FIREWORKS as everything around Jesus seems to explode: he resurrects Jairus’ daughter who is “sleeping” for Jesus when some ridiculous rats laugh at him scornfully (Why are human beings so stupid?) and he cures a woman because she only touches his outer garments and he can feel it and men want to look like Jesus, that’s impossible! LET’S TRY TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE AND LISTEN TO HIM, THAT’S QUITE A BIG JOB FOR WHAT WE ARE!
7- Chapter 6: “WHERE DID THIS MAN GET THESE THINGS? AND WHY SHOULD THIS WISDOM HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO HIM, AND SUCH POWERFUL WORKS BE PERFORMED THROUGH HIS HANDS? THIS IS THE CARPENTER, THE SON OF MARY AND THE BROTHER OF JAMES, JOSEPH, JUDAS, AND SIMON, IS IT NOT…”
We live in a world where people can only judge according to the appearance and it’s not going to change that’s what this world is collapsing!
We live in a world where people can only judge according to the appearance and it’s not going to change that’s what this world is collapsing!
8- And many people are coming and going and Jesus and his disciples have no time even to eat a meal. So they try to find an isolated place but many people get to know it so they run together on foot and get ahead of them. And Jesus starts to teach them many things. When it is late Jesus decides to feed the crowd by multiplying bread and fish (5,000 men and women and children). Then he tells his disciples to cross the sea and go to Bethsaida. Then he walks on the sea to meet them but there is a strong wind against them. But it doesn’t affect Jesus and he gets into the boat and the wind stops. When they reach the coast, people recognize Jesus and they bring their sick people to be cured and touch Jesus’ outer garment to be made well.
9- Chapter 7: Jesus goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon and he tries to enter into a house but he can’t escape notice and a Greek woman asks Jesus for curing her possessed daughter. He is not supposed to do that because she is Greek but because of her faith he does it. So when people deserve Jesus’ attention, he pays attention to them!
10- Now he goes through Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the region of Decapolis and a deaf man with a speech impediment is brought to him. He stays alone with the man and he put his fingers into the man’s ears and after spitting, he touches his tongue then the man can hear and speak properly. The man has two medical problems and Jesus does two actions to cure him. So every time it’s different. But when he does something, every time he knows what he does and failure is not a word belonging to Jesus’ vocabulary when he has to cure people.
11- Chapter 8: Another time Jesus feeds the crowd by multiplying bread and fish (4,000 men and women and young children) because they have stayed three days with him and they are hungry. And most of the time Jesus and his disciples must take the boat so the crowds can’t follow him all the time. Then a blind man is brought to him. First he pits on his eyes and lays his hands on him and asks him if he sees anything and as it is not perfect he lays his hands a second time on the man’s eyes and then he sees clearly. Here we get more details as Jesus needs two stages to cure the blind man.
12- Chapter 9: Here Jesus has to cure a possessed child because his disciples can’t do it. Let’s say it’s a kind of apprenticeship at the difference of Jesus. When the father’s child says to Jesus:
“...But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.”
Jesus answers back straight away:
“THAT EXPRESSION, “IF YOU CAN”! WHY, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE ONE WHO HAS FAITH.”
Jesus goes straight away to the point! It is the same to understand the Bible and God and Jesus: WE need to study, we need to be active, WE need to read again and again as if we were over there at the time things happened! WE mustn’t let others tell us what we have to think! Think again about the apostles, they used to live 24 hours a day with Jesus and it was hard for them to understand and it was after his death that they started to understand his whole teaching!
“...But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.”
Jesus answers back straight away:
“THAT EXPRESSION, “IF YOU CAN”! WHY, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE ONE WHO HAS FAITH.”
Jesus goes straight away to the point! It is the same to understand the Bible and God and Jesus: WE need to study, we need to be active, WE need to read again and again as if we were over there at the time things happened! WE mustn’t let others tell us what we have to think! Think again about the apostles, they used to live 24 hours a day with Jesus and it was hard for them to understand and it was after his death that they started to understand his whole teaching!
The selection of the 12 apostles:
1- Mark Chapter 1: John has been arrested and Jesus goes into Galilee. He is walking alongside the Sea of Galilee and he sees Simon and Simon’s brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea, for they are fishermen. And he tells them to come after him and “I will make you fishers of men.” after going a little farther, he sees James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, while they are in their boat mending their nets, and without delay he calls them. So they leave their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and go off after him. And they go into Capernaum.
1- Mark Chapter 1: John has been arrested and Jesus goes into Galilee. He is walking alongside the Sea of Galilee and he sees Simon and Simon’s brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea, for they are fishermen. And he tells them to come after him and “I will make you fishers of men.” after going a little farther, he sees James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, while they are in their boat mending their nets, and without delay he calls them. So they leave their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and go off after him. And they go into Capernaum.
1- Mark Chapter 1: John has been arrested and Jesus goes into Galilee. He is walking alongside the Sea of Galilee and he sees Simon (1) and Simon’s brother Andrew (2) casting their nets into the sea, for they are fishermen. And he tells them to come after him and “I will make you fishers of men.” after going a little farther, he sees James (3) the son of Zebedee and his brother John (4), while they are in their boat mending their nets, and without delay he calls them. So they leave their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and go off after him. And they go into Capernaum.
2- Mark Chapter 2: Jesus goes out alongside the sea and all the crowd keeps coming to him and he begins to teach them. And as he is passing by, he catches sight of Levi (5) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he says to him: “Be my follower.” At that he rises up and follows him. Later he is dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners are dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there are many of them who are following him.
2- Mark Chapter 2: Jesus goes out alongside the sea and all the crowd keeps coming to him and he begins to teach them. And as he is passing by, he catches sight of Levi (5) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he says to him: “Be my follower.” At that he rises up and follows him. Later he is dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners are dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there are many of them who are following him.
1- Mark Chapter 1: John has been arrested and Jesus goes into Galilee. He is walking alongside the Sea of Galilee and he sees Simon (1) and Simon’s brother Andrew (2) casting their nets into the sea, for they are fishermen. And he tells them to come after him and “I will make you fishers of men.” after going a little farther, he sees James (3) the son of Zebedee and his brother John (4), while they are in their boat mending their nets, and without delay he calls them. So they leave their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and go off after him. And they go into Capernaum.
2- Mark Chapter 2: Jesus goes out alongside the sea and all the crowd keeps coming to him and he begins to teach them. And as he is passing by, he catches sight of Levi (5) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he says to him: “Be my follower.” At that he rises up and follows him. Later he is dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners are dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there are many of them who are following him.
3- Mark Chapter 3: he forms a group of 12, whom he also names apostles, those who are to accompany him and whom he will send out to preach and to have authority to expel demons. And the group of 12 that he forms are
- Simon, to whom he also gives the name Peter,
- James the son of Zebedee
- John the brother of James (he also gives these the name Boanerges, which means “Sons of Thunder”),
- Andrew,
- Philip,
- Bartholomew,
- Matthew,
- Thomas,
- James the son of Alphaeus,
- Thaddaeus,
- Simon the Cananaean,
- and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed him.
So Mark tells about the first five and then he enumerates all of them.
2- Mark Chapter 2: Jesus goes out alongside the sea and all the crowd keeps coming to him and he begins to teach them. And as he is passing by, he catches sight of Levi (5) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he says to him: “Be my follower.” At that he rises up and follows him. Later he is dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners are dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there are many of them who are following him.
3- Mark Chapter 3: he forms a group of 12, whom he also names apostles, those who are to accompany him and whom he will send out to preach and to have authority to expel demons. And the group of 12 that he forms are
- Simon, to whom he also gives the name Peter,
- James the son of Zebedee
- John the brother of James (he also gives these the name Boanerges, which means “Sons of Thunder”),
- Andrew,
- Philip,
- Bartholomew,
- Matthew,
- Thomas,
- James the son of Alphaeus,
- Thaddaeus,
- Simon the Cananaean,
- and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed him.
So Mark tells about the first five and then he enumerates all of them.
JOHN THE BAPTIST VS THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Mark Chapter 1:
- John the Baptizer is in the wilderness, preaching baptism in symbol of repentance for forgiveness of sins.
- And all the territory of Judea and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem are going out to him, and they are baptized by him in the Jordan River, openly confessing their sins.
- Now John wears clothing of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and he eats locusts and wild honey.
- And he is preaching: “Someone stronger than I is coming after me, the lace of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
- I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with holy spirit.”
- In the course of those days, Jesus comes from nazareth of Galilee and is baptized in the Jordan by John.
- and immediately on coming up out of the water, he sees the heavens being parted and, like a dove, the spirit coming down upon him. And a voice comes out of the heavens: “You are my Son, the beloved; I have approved you.”
- John is completely the opposite of the religious leaders, there is no word!
Mark Chapter 1:
- John the Baptizer is in the wilderness, preaching baptism in symbol of repentance for forgiveness of sins.
- And all the territory of Judea and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem are going out to him, and they are baptized by him in the Jordan River, openly confessing their sins.
- Now John wears clothing of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and he eats locusts and wild honey.
- And he is preaching: “Someone stronger than I is coming after me, the lace of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
- I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with holy spirit.”
- In the course of those days, Jesus comes from nazareth of Galilee and is baptized in the Jordan by John.
- and immediately on coming up out of the water, he sees the heavens being parted and, like a dove, the spirit coming down upon him. And a voice comes out of the heavens: “You are my Son, the beloved; I have approved you.”
- John is completely the opposite of the religious leaders, there is no word!
Jesus vs the religious leaders
Mark 2: When Jesus sees their faith, he says to the paralytic: “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes are there, sitting and reasoning in their hearts: “Why is this man talking this way? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins except one, God?” But immediately Jesus discerned by his spirit that they are reasoning that way among themselves, so he says to them: “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic:
“I say to you, Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go to your home.” At that he gets up and immediately picks up his stretcher and walks out in front of them all. So they are all astonished, and they glorify God, saying: “We have never seen anything like this.”
- Thanks to Jesus’ miracles, the religious leaders get all the evidence necessary about Jesus but they don’t care, they only try to oppose him!
- Jesus knows who they are and what they think!
- And he takes care about people and he cures them whereas the religious leaders don’t care about the people, they are just selfish, they only think about their own interests!
Mark 2: When Jesus sees their faith, he says to the paralytic: “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes are there, sitting and reasoning in their hearts: “Why is this man talking this way? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins except one, God?” But immediately Jesus discerned by his spirit that they are reasoning that way among themselves, so he says to them: “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic:
“I say to you, Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go to your home.” At that he gets up and immediately picks up his stretcher and walks out in front of them all. So they are all astonished, and they glorify God, saying: “We have never seen anything like this.”
- Thanks to Jesus’ miracles, the religious leaders get all the evidence necessary about Jesus but they don’t care, they only try to oppose him!
- Jesus knows who they are and what they think!
- And he takes care about people and he cures them whereas the religious leaders don’t care about the people, they are just selfish, they only think about their own interests!
Jesus vs the religious leaders
Mark 2: Later he is dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners are dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there are many of them who are following him. But when the scribes of the Pharisees see that he is eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they begin saying to his disciples: “Does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus says to them: “Those who are strong do not need a physician, but those who are ill do. I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.”
- Knowledge vs Ignorance
- What are religious leaders good for? Nothing? Useless? Predators? Out of reality? They live in their own bubble? Lead people to destruction? Blind?
Mark 2: Later he is dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners are dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there are many of them who are following him. But when the scribes of the Pharisees see that he is eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they begin saying to his disciples: “Does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus says to them: “Those who are strong do not need a physician, but those who are ill do. I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.”
- Knowledge vs Ignorance
- What are religious leaders good for? Nothing? Useless? Predators? Out of reality? They live in their own bubble? Lead people to destruction? Blind?
Mark 2: Now as he is passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, his disciples start to pluck the heads of grain as they go. So the Pharisees say to him: “Look here! Why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” But he says to them: “Have you never read what David did when he is in need and he and the men with him were hungry? How, in the account about Abiathar the chief priest, he enters into the house of God and ate the loaves of presentation, which it is not lawful for anybody to eat except the priests, and he also gave some to the men who were with him?” Then he says to them: “ The Sabbath came into existence for the sake of man, and not man for the sake of the Sabbath. So the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
- God gave many laws to the Israelites to show them they were unable to respect them and it happened to such an extent that the promised land they received from God was taken away from them and they lost everything! They were completely and totally rejected as a people but not as individuals because individuals can be faithful to God! Moreover, since Israel became a nation again, it has always been at war!
- Jesus lives in the present, the religious leaders in the past!
- God gave many laws to the Israelites to show them they were unable to respect them and it happened to such an extent that the promised land they received from God was taken away from them and they lost everything! They were completely and totally rejected as a people but not as individuals because individuals can be faithful to God! Moreover, since Israel became a nation again, it has always been at war!
- Jesus lives in the present, the religious leaders in the past!
Jesus vs the religious leaders
Mark 3: Once again he enters into a synagogue, and a man with a withered hand is there. So they are watching him CLOSELY to see whether he would cure the man on the Sabbath, in order to accuse him.
- What a powerful verse! Then again we see the HUGE difference between Jesus and the religious leaders! He listens to his heart always being ready to help people by teaching them or curing them whereas religious leaders look for their own interests, they have no hearts, only thinking about what they can get, being selfish and calculating!
Mark 3: Once again he enters into a synagogue, and a man with a withered hand is there. So they are watching him CLOSELY to see whether he would cure the man on the Sabbath, in order to accuse him.
- What a powerful verse! Then again we see the HUGE difference between Jesus and the religious leaders! He listens to his heart always being ready to help people by teaching them or curing them whereas religious leaders look for their own interests, they have no hearts, only thinking about what they can get, being selfish and calculating!
Jesus vs the religious leaders
Mark 3: Next he says to them: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?” But they keep silent. After looking around at them with INDIGNATION, BEING THOROUGHLY GRIEVED AT THE INSENSIBILITY OF THEIR HEARTS, he says to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretches it out, and his hand is restored. At that the Pharisees go out and immediately begin holding council with the party followers of Herod against him, in order to kill him.
- Is that not clear, there is no excuse, they show who they are and their followers are also responsible, they can’t say as Adam said accusing Eve but he followed her so he is as guilty as her or even more! Well, Jerusalem was destroyed and the inhabitants had to pay a very high price! But history keeps on going and people never understand!
Mark 3: Next he says to them: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?” But they keep silent. After looking around at them with INDIGNATION, BEING THOROUGHLY GRIEVED AT THE INSENSIBILITY OF THEIR HEARTS, he says to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretches it out, and his hand is restored. At that the Pharisees go out and immediately begin holding council with the party followers of Herod against him, in order to kill him.
- Is that not clear, there is no excuse, they show who they are and their followers are also responsible, they can’t say as Adam said accusing Eve but he followed her so he is as guilty as her or even more! Well, Jerusalem was destroyed and the inhabitants had to pay a very high price! But history keeps on going and people never understand!