1. What stood out to you from this chapter?
I was taken aback in Mark's gospel that it only took until the 3rd chapter before the Pharisees and teachers of the law began to plot together how they might kill Jesus. That didn't take long. I know Jesus didn't do things the way they did, but this seems a little extreme. Even at the end of the chapter they accuse him of being possessed by the prince of demons. The funny thing is that Jesus didn't set out to do any harm to these leaders. Rather he came to show everyone the heart of the Father. Yet when their hearts were not only hardened but persistently unreceptive, Jesus uses strong words to try and wake them up and bring them back.
2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?
In the last verse of the chapter, Jesus says that whoever does God's will is his brother and sister and mother. In the book of Hebrews, the author describes God as a Father who is redeeming his sons and daughters. It says in verse 11, "Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." So besides being Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Messiah, Son of God, the Light of World, and other things, we can also think of Jesus as our big brother. What a powerful relationship that creates.
3. What does this mean for my life?
When Jesus was talking to the religious leaders about the Sabbath, he said, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or do do evil, to save life or to kill?" Neither the leaders nor Jesus gave a verbal answer, but the unspoken answer was to do good. In Galatians 6:9-10 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." As I look at Jesus I am reminded that there is NEVER a wrong time to do the right thing.
4. What questions do I have about this chapter?
It appears that talk about demons and dealing with demons is very common in the early church. It was even the stuffy religious leaders that brought up the issue of demons. My question is, are there still demons today? I know that even in Acts the apostles were driving out evil spirits, and from a historical standpoint we are still in the same "chapter of God's history" as the disciples in the book of Acts. If not, where did they go? Are they just not as prevalent in the U.S.? That seems silly. If they are still around, how do we know what they are and who they might be affecting?
Those are my thoughts from the day. I hope you'll share yours. God's blessings to you and keep digging in!
In Christ,
Dan
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