BRF - Mark 5-8

I can't believe it is Friday already and time for another BRF review. Does everyone find the week flying by or is it just me?

A few thoughts from this week's reading of Mark 5 to 8. I found that Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the crowds of people as sheep having no shepherd, how He healed the sick, how He fed the hungry. I cannot remember reading at anytime that Christ refused anyone that came to Him for healing and He refused. What a great Saviour we have!!!!

Chapter 6 was true for Jesus as it is many times for us as we witness to our family and friends, His family would not hear Him either, even though they had witnessed the many miracles that He did and knew that He was different. Jesus said in v.4, "But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house". I have often thought and said that it is easier for a stranger to win our families to Christ than it is for us.

In 6: 23 Herod made a foolish promise to his step daughter and no doubt because of his pride and the fact that he was expected to keep his word that when the daughter asked for the head of John the Baptist he complied even though he would have to bear the consequences. The Bible says,"And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her". This situation reminds me to think carefully before I open my mouth and make a promise. (Anyone who knows me, knows how often I open my mouth and speak before I think things through. I too often overbook myself).

In Chapter 7 Jesus teaches about traditions. There are many good traditions that we have as families, but we do need to keep these in perspective. If our traditions are more important than doing the things of God, I would say we need to let them go. Jesus taught in this chapter that the Pharisees were diligent to keep their traditions, but left doing the things of God. He taught us that the things we put in our mouth are not the things that are poison to us, but it is the things that we keep in our heart. In v. 18-23 He says,"And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man".

Chapter 8 the Lord was teaching his disciples to beware of the false teaching of the Pharisees, but the disciples didn't get it even though they had just witnessed the miracles that Jesus had done in feeding the hungry, they thought Jesus was annoyed that they had forgotten to bring food. They didn't understand the deeper things that Christ was teaching. I think that it is easy to criticize the disciples for not understanding, but would I have been any different. I find things hard to be understood and I have all of God's Word to guide me!

I like what Peter said in v 29 "And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ". Christ told them not to tell this to anyone as He had also told many of those that He healed earlier. I have heard said that this was because it was not yet time for Him to be revealed as the One who would go to the cross and pay the price for our sins, He had much more to accomplish before that day.

There is more to be said but this has become a book and not a review, so I am going to stop now wand go and glean truths from all of you.

I am looking forward to continuing on in Mark next week. Until next time!!