Morning Musing: Mark 4:21-23

“He also said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus famously describes His followers as the light of the world. In that context, He says that we are not to live such that our light is obscured, but rather to shine for all the world to see. That is, indeed, the purpose of light: to be seen. When we come to these couple of verses in Mark and see Him talking about not putting light under a basket as He did in Matthew, we’re tempted to think He’s talking about the same thing and move on. I’ve thought that before. Taking a closer look, though, reveals something else is in view. Let’s talk this morning about what that is.

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Morning Musing: Mark 4:2-3

“He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, ‘Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Every teacher has a style. And most teachers have a set of stories they tell over and over and over again. They’re stories they use to make the points they think are the most important to make because they convey the most critical truths they want to communicate. For Jesus, the style was parables, and Mark 4 contains some of the parables that He no doubt told in every little town, village, and hillside He visited. This is a parable we’ve looked at before together, but if Jesus told it a lot, it’s probably worth our time to look at it again.

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Morning Musing: Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
— ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭(CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Have you ever been tired? Of course you have. What a silly question, right? I’m not talking about being just physically tired, though. I’m talking about being exhausted. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually wiped out. You know that when the sun rises you’ll be able to get up and drift through the day, but it’s going to be by sheer force of autopilot, not because you have anything in you to give to it. Have you ever been so weary, though, that you weren’t even sure you were going to be able to do that much? Jesus has a message for you.

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Morning Musing: Mark 3:33-35

“He replied to them, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Jesus’ family thought He was nuts. They wanted nothing more than to take Him home, lock Him in a closet, and leave Him there until He finally decided to stop being crazy. So, what did Jesus say when He was told they had come for Him? He claimed an even bigger family and redefined His kingdom message in entirely more personal terms than anyone had ever considered. Let’s talk about it.

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Morning Musing: Mark 3:20-21

“Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, ‘He’s out of his mind.’”‬ ‭(CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Doing something new and different can be tough. It’s hard to find support. No one is really sure if it will succeed, and they don’t want to throw much of an investment of time, talent, or treasure behind a bet that just isn’t very sure. When we go to enter this kind of territory, it is good to know that we at least have a home base of support somewhere. This can often come by way of loving parents. I’ve always had this. Perhaps you have too. You know who didn’t? Jesus.

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