The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. – Mark 1:1

CONSIDER
We hope you take the time to check out this week’s devotional video. As Centerway begins a new season studying the Gospel of Mark, we are reminded that it’s all about Jesus! May we be a church who fixes our gaze on him, even when the distractions of life seem to be too numerous and seductive. Click the video to go behind the scenes!

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What is one act of selflessness God is asking me to carry out?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. – Mark 1:4

GREEK
ἐρήμῳ/erémos: lonesome, solitary, desolate

CONSIDER
In his book The Land Between, Jeff Manion has this to say about the barren moments of our lives: “The wilderness where faith can thrive is the very desert where it can dry up and die if we are not watchful.” This quote has the power to challenge your view of the spiritual deserts this life is often full of. How can anything of substance thrive in wilderness conditions? The answer in part relies on our understanding of the word wilderness as found in today’s verse. Mark uses the Greek word erémos to describe where John was baptizing people. But instead of this word being a place, it’s actually an adjective and is defined as solitary or desolate. What this tells us about the wilderness is John was baptizing anyone who was willing to risk desolation to turn away from their sin and turn toward God. The reason faith thrives in these conditions is there are no other voices to drown out God’s call to repentance and obedience. Thankfully, even when we feel lonely we have access to a voice that assures us we’re not alone.

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What is one act of selflessness God is asking me to carry out?

And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. – Mark 1:7

GREEK
κύψας/kypsas: stoop down, bow the head

CONSIDER
In Jesus’ day the role of a slave included tying the straps of their master’s sandals. The dignified master wasn’t expected to kypsas (stoop or bow down) for any reason, not even to put on footwear! Rather than expressing his absolute insignificance, John’s pronouncement that he was unworthy to kypsasto untie the sandals of the Messiah pointed to the reality of this soon coming king’s absolute excellence. But in declaring the might and magnificence of Jesus, John would also be setting the stage for one of the greatest role reversals our world has ever experienced. The Savior of all mankind left the glory that demanded he be served. However instead of forcing humanity to kypsas to his will, Jesus would willingly kypsas to his Father’s will and stoop down to serve those that should have served him.
Is there any area of your life where you feel too superior to kypsas and serve? Maybe it’s a role at work that seems beneath you, or someone in your world that needs help but grinds on your last nerve. As we pursue a call to follow Jesus we must keep in mind that if stooping down to serve wasn’t below the Creator of the Heavens, we will be hard pressed to find an excuse for our self-righteousness.

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What is one act of selflessness God is asking me to carry out?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And immediately they left their nets and followed him. – Mark 1:18

CONSIDER
Sometimes, grace looks a lot like vomit. Confused? Offended? Today’s devotional video is for you! If we’re honest with ourselves, we expect the grace of God to feel a certain way or have specific tranquil qualities connected with it. But when experience doesn’t match our expectations, it’s good to remind ourselves that God often uses unique circumstances to dispense his grace. Click the video to go deeper into this week’s text!

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Where is God asking me to act immediately?

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The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. – Mark 1:12

GREEK
ἐκβάλλει/ekballei: To throw out or cast out with irresistible force.

CONSIDER
Besides having one of the most fantastic names ever, Galusha Pennypacker is known to history as the youngest person ever to attain the rank of brigadier general in the US Army. Listed as twenty years old at the time of his appointment, Pennypacker couldn’t even vote for the President who appointed him! So how did this happen? Two urgent events merged together to bring this about. He enlisted at age 16, rose through the ranks swiftly, and earned the title of colonel of his regiment shortly after his 20th birthday. Severely wounded in battle (the first urgent event) at the height of the Civil War (the second urgent event), General Alfred Terry promised him a brevet promotion for his courage and bravery, expecting him not to live. Feeling this sense of urgency, the promotion was quickly pushed through the proper channels so that it could be conferred on Pennypacker before his imminent death. Miraculously, however, he recovered after a ten month hospital stay and lived to serve nearly two more decades in this role.

We all have experienced a sense of urgency at one time or another, and it’s this sense that’s important to keep in mind as we approach today’s verse. After he was baptized, Mark says the Holy Spirit immediately ekballei (cast out or toss with irresistible force) Jesus into the wilderness. It might appear as if the Spirit was acting in anger or irritation when he ekballei the Son. Instead, the Spirit was acting urgently, wasting no time in sending Jesus along on his mission. While this coincides with how Matthew and Luke describe Jesus “being led” into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, the word Mark uses gives a subtle yet powerful emphasis. It highlights how the Spirit sent Jesus on mission and, in doing so, shows us how we may expect the Spirit to lead us. If obeying the Spirit’s voice means getting used to being ekballei into situations, we can act immediately, confident in God’s redemptive work.

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Where is God asking me to act immediately?

And immediately they left their nets and followed him. – Mark 1:18

GREEK
ἠκολούθησαν/ēkolouthēsan: To walk along the same road with

CONSIDER
The metaphor of life as a journey has permeated literature since language was first written down. However, the idea of carving your own path and blazing a new trail is a relatively modern one. At the time the Gospels were written, a person’s journey was limited to one of a few well-worn paths. This journey wasn’t made in a vacuum either; family, community elders and religious leaders all had a voice in what direction a person headed. So when Simon and Andrew were called to leave the family fishing business and follow Jesus, this was a much tougher decision to make than our modern minds might conceive of. It’s rather common today to think of following Jesus as something you take with you along whatever journey you choose to walk in life. But today’s verse dispels that idea when our author says they immediately left their nets and ēkolouthēsan him. The tense of this verb is used only here in Mark, and it means to walk along the same road with someone. So Jesus was already journeying toward a destination when Simon and Andrew left their path and agreed to walk in step with him. Imagine what would have happened if these brothers told Jesus, “We’re already on a path here, Jesus, but there’s room on our boat if you want to follow us on our path”! Becoming a disciple of Jesus means trusting him wherever he leads.

Another unique aspect of this Greek word is that it’s inherently relational. Notice that these disciples don’t leave their nets to stand back and be “yes men” to an unapproachable Messiah. Rather, they drop everything to walk with Jesus! Of course, he is still leading along the path, but he’s walking with those he calls instead of walking so far out in front that he can’t be known. Yes, we must be willing to drop everything and walk the path he leads, but heeding the discipleship call of God will mean we never walk alone!

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Where is God asking me to act immediately?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. – Mark 1:34

CONSIDER
It’s important to know what season you’re in so you know how best to be prepared for what that season brings! The portrait of Jesus that Mark paints for us is full of wisdom in navigating the changing times we find ourselves in. Check out the video above to go deeper!

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What will I do to know Jesus better this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. – Mark 1:22

GREEK
ἐξεπλήσσοντο/exeplēssonto: to be stricken with amazement or panic

CONSIDER
John Newton penned some of the most moving lyrics in hymnody when he wrote the poem Amazing Grace. He originally gave it the less emotive title “1 Chronicles 17:16–17, Faith’s Review and Expectation.” Its acclaim is due in part to its simplicity: only 21 of the nearly 150 words in Amazing Grace have more than one syllable. Countless people have been impacted in the 248 years the hymn has been in circulation.
In many ways, this week’s passage shows Jesus giving a clinic in the simplicity of amazing grace. Not only does he cast out demons and heal the sick, these miracles come right on the heels of calling a rogue band of laborers to join him in ministry. Upon hearing Jesus teach in the synagogue, the crowds along with the disciples were exeplēssonto – struck with amazement. Quite literally this Greek verb means to be moved with astonishment. The crowds weren’t merely in intellectual agreement with Jesus; rather his teaching stirred them, causing them to feel something deeply. We don’t know what it was specifically in his teaching that left the people exeplēssonto, but we do see that they recognized Jesus as one having authority. What’s interesting is that once Jesus had stirred the crowds and they recognized his authority, the natural next step might have been to leverage that authority for his own comfort, fame or glory. Instead, Jesus immediately used his position to show grace toward the hurting. The Messiah’s agenda is revealed in the kindness extended toward the physically broken and spiritually aching. No elaborate set of rules to follow, no lengthy list of tasks to perform to be worthy enough. Uncomplicated grace is what flows out of astonishing authority and the people are changed. Time and time again, we see it’s the simple things that impact us the deepest.

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What will I do to know Jesus better this week?

And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. – Mark 1:31

GREEK
προσελθὼν/proselthōn: to come near to someone or something

CONSIDER
In the great early church debate on whether Jesus was equal with God the Father in every way, two nearly identical words emerged to argue opposite opinions. The word homoousios was developed, meaning that Jesus has “the same substance” as the Father, while homoiousios was used in advocating that Jesus was only begotten with “similar substance” to the Father. Arguments, brawls, and even murder was committed in defending a person’s preferred position. It’s incredible how much meaning can change by simply adding a letter to the middle of a word! B.B. Warfield famously voiced this truth: “The whole doctrine of the Trinity in unity and of the proper deity of Christ resides in that iota.”
When it comes to meaning, every nuance of a word matters. That’s what makes today’s Greek term so impactful. By adding the letters ‘pros’ to the root word meaning to come by or show up, Mark is adding a tone of intimacy to Jesus’ arrival at Simon’s house. The original audience would see the word proselthōn and would immediately understand that Jesus was connecting with Simon’s mother-in-law in a way that shows care and protection for her. In fact, proselthōn is the same word that Matthew uses to describe how Judas drew close to Jesus in order to give him the kiss of betrayal. When Jesus proselthōnto Simon’s mother-in-law and took her by the hand, he was letting all those who are hurting know that they are more than an item to check off on Jesus’ cosmic to-do list. Our Savior loves us, knows the areas we feel broken, and desires to draw near as he does something about our pain.

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What will I do to know Jesus better this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” – Mark 1:35

CONSIDER
Knowing how to extend mercy this week begins with keeping your eyes on Jesus and pursuing the Father. The disciples confused extending mercy with popularity, and it led them to become surprised that Jesus still needed to pray. Spending time with God goes far beyond asking for your wishes to be granted. Click the video devo above to go deeper!

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Who does God want me to extend mercy to this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” – Mark 1:41

GREEK
ἥψατο/hēpsato: to lay hold of, touch; lit. to modify or change by touching

CONSIDER
The great General Napoleon Bonaparte once led the French army into Egypt, looking to secure National interests and cut off British access to India. The campaign lasted just over three years and resulted in defeat for this hubristic leader. Seeing the writing on the wall for his army, Bonaparte decided to secretly sneak away from Egypt under the pretense of scouting territory further down the Nile River. Instead, he set sail for France under cover of night and never set foot on Egyptian soil again. History has rightfully spurned this decision by Napoleon as an act of cowardice, but at the time, his countrymen found it so unlike his character that they assumed something else had happened. No one had anticipated an act so divergent from the norm.
The same can be said for the act Jesus performs in this week’s text. As startling as a General abandoning his army, is a Jewish Rabbi doing what Jesus does. When a leper begs him for healing, he does something that the original audience would find surprising and potentially even shocking. Jesus hēpsato (lays hold of or touches physically) the outcast as part of the healing process. Not only was this a violation of ceremonial Mosaic law, it is also the first time in Mark that Jesus is recorded having touched someone in order to heal them. He could have simply spoken a healing word over this man and cured him, but instead he included physical touch in his response to the need he saw. Specifically, this Greek word means to change by touching, so that the object is impacted by the touch. Jesus was willing to move past the parameters of social expectations in order to impact the leper so he felt known and cared for. Who knows how long it had been since he felt the warmth of human contact? The simple gesture of hēpsato was a unique and compassionate way that the Savior extended mercy.

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Who does God want me to extend mercy to this week?

And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, – Mark 1:43

GREEK
ἐμβριμησάμενος: moved by anger to act sternly

CONSIDER
To understand why in today’s verse Jesus would be embrimēsamenos (moved by anger to act sternly) toward someone he just healed, it helps to study another time when Jesus was moved in this way. In John 11 his friend Lazarus dies, and needless to say, many people are weeping and disheartened. But upon seeing Lazarus’ sister Mary weep over him, Jesus becomes so angry he literally feels like he could snort like a horse! The word gets translated “deeply moved in his spirit.” Even though he is about to speak a word and raise Lazarus from the dead, this emotion is the impetus for the shortest verse in the Bible (Jesus wept). When sin impacts the people Jesus cares about, our Savior gets fired up.
In our text this week, Jesus is also moved with compassion to act. However, the emotion that leads to embrimēsamenos comes after the healing. The reason? Scholars throughout the centuries have suggested that this anger is the result of Jesus knowing the leper wouldn’t obey the warning Jesus gave him. Although it’s a very justifiable reaction – the leper is changed and wants everyone to know about it – his disobedience leads Jesus to be unable to continue his preaching ministry in that region (v. 45).
If we’re honest with ourselves, this same tendency lives inside all of us. We are prone to take obedience to Christ and filter it through our own perspective, judging whether his request makes enough sense to act on. From the vantage point of the leper, he concluded that silence wasn’t an option for one reason or another, and justified his will over the will of his healer. But Jesus knew that disobedience would impact what he could accomplish in that region, and that potential caused him to embrimēsamenos. Are there places in your world in which you are justifying deliberate disobedience to God’s voice? As we keep an ear out for who God wants us to extend mercy to this week, keep in mind that his word comes with an eternal perspective regardless of how logical it seems.

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Who does God want me to extend mercy to this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” – Mark 2:5

CONSIDER
When people encounter Jesus, they are changed in profound ways. Often, those changes are vastly different than they, or anyone else expected. How we respond to those changes reveals much about our relationship with God and where we place our hope. Be sure to check out the video devo above to go deeper!

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How will I respond in worship throughout the week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” – Mark 2:8

GREEK
διαλογίζεσθε/dialogizesthe: to go back and forth in consideration, reason, debate

CONSIDER
Language can be confusing, can’t it? The 2nd edition of the Oxford English Dictionary has 218,632 unique English word entries. The Kurdish and Korean languages boast over 1 million words each. Around 1532, linguists in Britain developed a word for a conversation between three people. That word was trialogue, because they had mistakenly thought the word “dialogue” began with the Greek prefix di, meaning two. But the etymology of dialogue is much different than that, and has implications for today’s verse.
When Jesus perceived what the scribes were thinking, he asked them “Why do you dialogizesthe (go back and forth in debate) these things in your heart?” Dialogizesthe – the Greek word where dialogue comes from – begins with the prefix dia (not di), which means thoroughly. Contrary to what those english linguists believed, these scribes were obviously not have a two-person conversation internally! Coupled with the root logizomai (to add up), this word can be properly understood to mean “to go back and forth from one opinion to another.” So Jesus wasn’t asking why these scribes would ponder his words, or even why they were having an inner conversation about the truth of his claims. Rather, Jesus was insightfully asking these scholars why they were waffling over their opinions of him. Some people have taken this verse to suggest that Jesus will castigate a person who questions him, and Christianity by extension. But Jesus will never give up on a person who is honestly wrestling with doubt. The point of Jesus revealing the internal thoughts of the scribes was to prove to their skeptic hearts that his authority extended beyond what could be seen. If you’re in need of understanding that truth today, it might be time to have an honest conversation with Jesus about your dialogizesthe as well!

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How will I respond in worship throughout the week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” – Mark 2:12

GREEK
ἐξίστασθαι/existasthai: to be astonished, amazed to the point of falling off one’s feet

CONSIDER
Psychology Today posted an article in which author Marty Nemko warned about the problem of hyperbole. The premise is that in our attempt to be heard in an increasingly noisy world, we use imagery and adjectives that are on either extreme of overstatement. We recognize God as being awesome, and then refer to our chicken salad the same way. Similarly, the words we use to describe social injustice and a bad call by the referee might be exactly the same. It’s natural for us to get into a rut with our vocabulary from time to time, but it’s also important to ask ourselves whether we truly mean what we’re saying.
Of the six times translators use the word amazed in Mark’s writing, today’s verse is the only time we find this particular Greek verb in his entire Gospel. He uses the word existasthai (falling off one’s feet in shock) and in other Greek literature has been translated “out of their minds.” In contrast to the hidden, internal skepticism of the scribes, the crowd saw Jesus and externally freaked out with excitement! And because Mark uses the word existasthai only once, we can trust that he’s not overusing it for hyperbolic effect. The crowd was so amazed at the work of Jesus that it spilled over into their visible celebration, and ultimately, their worship of God.

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How will I respond in worship throughout the week?

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And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. – Mark 2:14

CONSIDER
When we realize the scope of our sin, we recognize that we need more than good advice about how to be a better person. The depth of our sin means that we need a whole new identity. Thankfully this kind of life change is available to us this very moment. Be sure to check out the video devo above to go deeper!

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What prejudices do I need to ask forgiveness for?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. – Mark 2:15

GREEK
συνανέκειντο/synanekeinto: to relax and recline in the company of others

CONSIDER
One of our Because and Therefore Statements at Centerway reads like this: Because Jesus is continually building His church we value multiplication, therefore we raise up healthy leaders, plant churches where God leads us, and resource other leaders, churches and organizations in order for more people to hear the gospel. If we drill down on that phrase “we raise up healthy leaders,” it’s clear that there’s a difference between leaders and healthy leaders. Often, that difference lies in the amount of time another person of influence is willing to spend investing in that person. In our passage this week, we see Jesus choosing to synanekeinto (to relax and recline in the company of) with tax collectors and sinners as Levi, one of their own, accepts a call to follow him. From a social, political and spiritual standpoint this call seemed to be a bad idea. What kind of disciple of the Messiah would a person be who voluntarily betrays his nation to get rich via an oppressive Roman tax system? But rather than push Levi away for his past, Jesus chooses to pull him into his sphere of influence and thereby invest in his future.
In a world of instant access and same day delivery, our willingness to wait seems to get shorter by the second. If something is judged to take too long, be it a sandwich or the development of those we work with, we are conditioned to move on to something (or someone) else. But Jesus isn’t impatient, and not only did he believe Levi was worth synanekeinto with, he counted Levi worth sharing daily ministry and life with. Building healthy leaders implies that we don’t hand pick healthy people and invest in them; instead we invest our time and energy into broken but willing people, regardless of how much patience it takes.

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What prejudices do I need to ask forgiveness for?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Mark 2:17

GREEK
ἰσχύοντες/ischyontes: to be strong; in good health, prevail
κακῶς/kakōs: ill, physically ailing

CONSIDER
In the world of Strongman competition, Mike Jenkins was a rising star. He earned his professional status in 2010 at age 27 and two years later won the Arnold Classic Strongman event, besting several veterans he had looked up to in his younger years. In October 2013 Jenkins was filmed deadlifting 700 lbs for 8 reps. But tragically, this athlete who was in the conversation for the world’s strongest man died less than one month later. An autopsy revealed that Mike Jenkins died from “complications of cardiomyopathy” at the age of 31. His internal health had been slowly declining and eventually his heart, liver, spleen and kidneys were impacted beyond rescue. So in the context of our verse today, was Jenkins ischyontes (strong and prevailing) or kakōs (ill and ailing)? The answer is that he appeared and felt strong but was, in fact, ill. This Strongman was at the top of his sport and the height of his strength, while at the same time requiring significant medical attention. In the same way, we can feel on top of the world and be spiritually sick.
Jesus tells us that the reason he came wasn’t as a reward for those who emerge victorious from the battles of life, but as a healer for those who have been wounded in those battles. And because the Bible reminds us that none of us are exempt from the issues and pain that life causes, we all need the Good News that the Healer came to bring. Even in our moments of greatest strength there’s an underlying sin condition we all share, ensuring that a physician is crucial to the spiritual health and stability of our lives. No matter how hard we try to appear ischyontes to others, or even to convince ourselves of the same, Jesus is calling all of us to the life and vitality that is only found in him.

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What prejudices do I need to ask forgiveness for?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” – Mark 2:18

CONSIDER
The hope that we have in Jesus’ presence gives us a reason to celebrate. This kind of celebration can be a very spiritual exercise, stretching our faith and guiding our worship. Discover more about Jesus and our response to his presence by checking out the video above!

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Where do I need to take a God-risk?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. – Mark 2:20

GREEK
ἀπαρθῇ/aparthē: to be taken away or removed

CONSIDER
In Isaiah 53 we get a glimpse of a suffering servant who heals his people by his stripes he bears. Verse 8 of this Messianic chapter prophesies that this servant will be taken away by oppression, ultimately stricken for the transgression of these people. The prophet isn’t specific about the circumstances surrounding this oppressed one being taken away, but Isaiah does tell us that it will be for the benefit of the people when it happens.

The conversation Jesus has in our verse today is the only time the word aparthē – to be taken away or removed – is used in the entire New Testament (the word is also used by Jesus in the parallel passages of this story in Matthew and Luke). However, a form of aparthē is found in Isaiah 53:8, thus linking the suffering servant with Jesus! At this point in Mark’s Gospel, we don’t yet know what this aparthē is going to look like for Jesus, but what’s implied is that whatever happens that leads to the bridegroom being taken away will surely benefit his people. Mark doesn’t tell us the ending outright; rather he leaves us clues that there is a purpose for the pain.

In the experience of Christians throughout history, God has worked this way. He might not always give us a plain picture to explain the whys and whats of our life, but when he doesn’t we seem to find clues linking his care for us with the unexpected and unpredictable things of this life. We can rest knowing that when we can’t see clearly, he always can! And any act of worship that feels like a God-risk to us doesn’t have to be accompanied by the fear that risk so often brings.

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Where do I need to take a God-risk?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. – Mark 2:27

GREEK
ἐγένετο/egeneto: came into being, was made

CONSIDER
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a study of nearly 13,000 Americans born between 1957 and 1964. The resulting study found that 18.7% of people who inherited $100,000 or more saw no change or even a decline in their wealth after receiving this gift. How is this possible? The gift they were given was either spent or lost in its entirety, and occasionally was used for things that demanded more personal income to be depleted from their estate. While this spending might have been enjoyable at the time, the guilt and remorse from squandering the gift of a loved one could be too much to bear. The gift quickly morphed into a burden.

The Bible paints the picture of a God who gives good gifts. Included in this list are the law and the Sabbath. This truth provides important perspective since, much like an inheritance, these gifts are given in love. Jesus reminds us of this truth in Mark 2:27. The Pharisees challenged Jesus as to why these men would break the law and harvest on the Sabbath, to which Jesus insisted that the Sabbath egeneto (came into being) for man, not man for the Sabbath. It’s important to recognize that Jesus didn’t claim that the Sabbath law wasn’t broken on a technicality. However, the point he was making is that the Sabbath is a gift, meant to allow people to rest in the finished work of Jesus and point to the blessings that God provides. Think about how unique that is among the religions of the world! Rather than expecting his creation to egeneto on his behalf alone, our God creates gifts that egeneto for our benefit as well. Much like any healthy relationship, the gifts aren’t expected to be given in one direction. The Pharisees started out well intentioned and sincere in developing a system of adhering to the Sabbath, but that system required people to exert significant effort in order to avoid, well… effort! In codifying the legal boundaries of the Sabbath they turned the gift into a burden. The freedom that we have as a result of Jesus working on our behalf reminds us that God’s good gifts egenetofor us, and now we get to respond by giving our lives with thanksgiving in response to this goodness.

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What prejudices do I need to ask forgiveness for?

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And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. – Mark 3:2

CONSIDER
When a person says yes to following Jesus, they are acknowledging that there is a kingdom that is bigger than their own to give their life to. When Jesus healed the man with a withered hand, he was reflecting the wholeness and vitality of the Kingdom of God. To hear more about the reality of this Kingdom, check out this week’s video!

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What will I repent of this week?

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And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. – Mark 3:4

GREEK
ἀγαθοποιῆσαι/agathopoiesai: to act in a virtuous way
κακοποιῆσαι/kakopoiesai: to act in an evil way

CONSIDER
In the early 4th Century, Roman Emperor Diocletian led a persecution of Christians that lasted about ten years. A major component of this persecution was identifying men and women who owned a copy of the Bible and demanded they hand it over to be burned. If they did, they were labeled a “tratidor” (traitor) and allowed to live. If they refused, they were maimed, tortured or killed on the spot. After the persecutions ended around 314AD, there were a number of Christians who refused to allow repentant tratidors back into the church. They formed their own “pure” church and, led by a man named Donatus, this group set out to persecute their orthodox brothers and sisters. A sect from the Donatists even dedicated themselves to murdering impure Christians for their sin using clubs instead of swords, since Jesus warned against their use. Imagine a group of people justifying the sin of murder to prove they were more pure than other Christians! We can all agree the Donatists just didn’t get it.
When Jesus asks us whether it is lawful on the Sabbath to agathopoiesai (act in a virtuous way) or to kakopoiēsai, he is essentially asking a rhetorical question. Of course it’s lawful to agathopoiesai when compared to kakopoiēsai! Even though these Greek words sound similar they obviously represent two opposite ideas. The question then becomes, who gets to define which acts are virtuous and which are harmful? To our modern ears it might be tempting to think each person gets to choose their own view of virtue and evil. However this can’t be a personal, individualized decision, or else no one could accuse the Donatists of kakopoiēsai. Thankfully, the answer to our questions is found in Jesus. If we submit to his leading we’ll take seriously his claim to be the truth (John 14:6). We must adhere to a gospel view of right and wrong, even when (especially when!) the gospel clashed with our personal views. Those things Jesus says lead to healing and virtue should be the agathopoiesai we pursue.

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What will I repent of this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. – Mark 3:5

GREEK
ὀργῆς/orgēs: settled anger, wrath
συλλυπούμενος/syllypoumenos: to be moved to grief by sympathy

CONSIDER
Most people would agree that you want to keep on Jesus’ good side. The omnipotent creator of the universe would make for a pretty terrifying enemy. So when we see Jesus described as looking around at people in anger, it’s natural to take notice and want to see what he does next. But it may come as a surprise to some, that in the same verse in which anger is connected to Jesus, his immediate act is to perform a healing! The reason for his response is in part explained by the verb tenses Mark uses in our passage today.
The word Mark uses for anger (orgēs) is used specifically to describe that feeling you get when you have prolonged exposure to something you dislike. Jesus sees the effects of sin – the silence of the crowd after he asks them a probing question – and feels orgēs. Sin has taken its toll on the very people Jesus came to save, and he looks at the guilty crowd with settled anger. However, the verb connected to Jesus’ orgēs is in the aorist tense, meaning that it was a short moment in time. This emotion gave way to another emotion: syllypoumenos. Used only here in the entire New Testament, this Greek verb means to be moved to grief by sympathy for someone, and is written in the continuous, present tense. Jesus felt syllypoumenos for the crowd in a continuous, ongoing way, which caused him to act mercifully toward the lame man and put the grace of God on display for the crowd to see. It’s clear from these verb tenses that Jesus felt angry toward sin for its impact on people’s lives, which caused him to feel continued, compassionate grief toward the crowd. Let this verse remind you that as much as Jesus hates sin, his anger isn’t directed at you, a sinner! He feels sympathetic grief because of its effects in your life, and died in your place to destroy sin’s eternal impact.

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What will I repent of this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!