[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 295-Matthew 24-25; John 20 summary!]

Even though we list the reading from the Old Testament first each day, let’s turn first to Mark 4. This is our second time through Mark, and I want to point out something about the format of Mark and chapter 4 specifically. When we went through Mark the first time, I didn’t point out Mark’s gospel is more action-oriented, and focuses more on Jesus’ healing, exorcisms and other miracles than on His teaching. But in Mark 4 nearly the whole chapter is devoted to Jesus’ teaching.  That’s why I want to focus on it today.

First, we read the Parable of the Sower and Jesus’ explanation of it. This parable helps us understand each of us responds to Jesus’ message of salvation differently, and some never respond.  Even those who respond to the message and grow, don’t all produce the same amount of fruit. If you think that isn’t fair, you’re right. God loves each of us, but He gives us differing amounts of talent and ability. He is God, so He gets to do that. By human standards of fairness and equality, God’s ways don’t always make sense.  We need to get over that if we are going to let God rule in our lives and become all He created us to be. Comparison always leads to either pride or depression among us, so let’s be grateful for who God created us to be and live our lives to His glory.

Jesus comments next about putting a lamp on a stand. The obvious point is we aren’t to hide who we are in Him, but to let others know, so they can know Him, too. Jesus tells us the measure we use in life is the measure we receive. That’s so vital. I always say we can’t control everything in life, but we can always control our allegiance, our attitude, and our effort. If we align ourselves with Jesus, live with the attitude that we “get to” follow Him, rather than “have to” follow Him, and give 100%, our lives will be blessed even in the hardest times. I don’t mean we’ll always get what we want, but we will always know God’s favor and presence, even when we don’t feel them.

Next, Jesus tells the Parables of the Growing Seed and the Mustard Seed. Many of Jesus’ parables focus on the agrarian culture in which He lived. While we can still understand them, they must have made an even greater impact when virtually everyone who heard them was a farmer of some kind. Both of these parables remind us God’s work is beyond our understanding. We don’t know how a seed grows, but God does, and He provides the growth. Even a tiny seed, such as a mustard seed, can produce results far beyond our expectations. That’s the Kingdom of God, and we get to experience it here and now, because of Jesus’ presence through the Holy Spirit, and one day, we’ll experience it fully.

Mark closes out chapter 4 with an amazing sign Jesus performed: the calming of a storm.  I’ve always loved this account, because it reminds me the events in my life that seem catastrophic, that seem like they will drown me, are nothing more than opportunities for a nap for Jesus! I might think I need to shake Him awake, but as always, He has it, whatever “it” might be. I still find myself stressed out far more often than necessary, but the one who calmed the storm, can certainly handle our stressors.

In Exodus 18-20, we find two significant events: 1) Jethro’s visit; and 2) God’s visit! Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law visited Moses and during the visit helped Moses see he needed to set up a system of judges to mediate disputes among the Israelites. Jethro rightly saw Moses would wear out both himself and the Israelites, if he tried to decide every dispute. Jethro’s model didn’t help only the Israelites. It’s a helpful model for any group with more the twenty people to understand the importance of sharing leadership.

In chapters 19-20, God has Moses get the people ready for His visit to them, which took place on the top of Mt. Sinai. When Moses and God met on the mountain, God gave Moses what we call the Ten Commandments. These were the primary laws for the Israelites, although God would give them more than 600 more. The Ten Commandments are called “apodictic” law, which is a fancy way of saying they are absolutely true in every case. Such laws start with “You shall…” or “You shall not…” The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God, while the final six deal with our interactions with each other. We would expect apodictic laws relating to God, but it is important to remember God told us how we are always to act, and never to act toward each other as well. We will see through the remainder of Exodus and then in Leviticus and Deuteronomy as well, God adds many casuistic or “case” laws. They are commonly described as “if…then…” laws. As in, “If a man does ‘x’, then the punishment is ‘y.’” Some of the casuistic laws applied in the wilderness environment and in the establishment of the nation of Israel. Some of the laws were specifically reinterpreted by Jesus, and we’ll address that from time-to-time as we come to them.

Some have asked me, “Do the Ten Commandments still apply, because we are under grace, not under law?” The short answer to the question is: Jesus said they apply and made them even more stringent, so they do apply. Honoring God, our parents, and not killing are always mandated in our lives. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sins, so the eternal penalty of them is gone, but we live with the consequences of breaking these commands, because they break our relationship with God and others at least on a temporary basis, and often they hold legal consequences as well. While we are under grace, not under law, the Apostle Paul reminded us in Galatians 5 we ought never use our freedom as an opportunity for our sinful natures.

Day 295-Matthew 24-25; John 20

In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks of the coming destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. It would happen about forty years after His death and resurrection, yet the details are uncannily accurate. He also continued to talk about various signs of the end of the age, or of His return. While the details seem to apply in some manner to every era of history the key truth for us is Jesus tells us to be ready. Being ready is a vital call and challenge for each of us as Jesus’ followers.

In Matthew 25, we read two parables about Jesus’ coming, and one illustration of what will happen when He returns. The first parable is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Each of the virgins awaited the return of a “bridegroom,” who is an image for Jesus. Five were wise, and brought extra oil, in case the bridegroom came later than expected. The other five were foolish and brought no extra oil. When the foolish virgins’ lamps went out, they went to look for more oil. That would have been impossible in the middle of the night. The five wise virgins were permitted into the wedding banquet. This is another way of Jesus saying, “Be ready!” The second parable is often called the Parable of the Talents, because a master went on a trip and left his money in the trust of three of his servants. The measure of money was called “talents.” The master apportioned the money differently. One servant received five talents of gold, another two, and the third received one. We’re told the master did this to account for variations in their abilities. While the master was away, the first two servants worked diligently and doubled their master’s money. The third buried the money. When the master returned home, the first two servants were praised equally for their faithfulness and invited to share their master’s joy. The final one was condemned for being lazy and wicked and cast out into outer darkness. The point of the parable is not that we must work to be praised by God, but we must be faithful and ready when He returns. In the final illustration, Jesus tells us when He returns the people will be divided into two groups: the “sheep”, and the “goats”. The sheep are those who did Jesus’ will in small, everyday ways. The goats are those who did not. The illustration shows us that Jesus values our daily efforts to meet the needs of His children, and rewards those who carry them out faithfully.

As we return to John 20, we read the account of Jesus’ resurrection. The key points of John’s account are: 1) Jesus appeared alive first to Mary Magdalene; 2) Jesus appeared to ten of the remaining eleven disciples (Judas had hanged himself) at one time; and 3) Jesus appeared to Thomas, who was missing during Jesus’ first appearance to the disciples, and Thomas fell before Him in worship. John tells us at the end of the chapter why he wrote his gospel: so that we might believethat Jesus is the Messiah, and that by believing we might have life in His name!