I love how Christ asks “which is easier?” and then does both. I also read recently where someone was talking about the man’s friends and how dedicated they were.
Mark 2
14 …And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
Reading this brought me back to my thoughts and feelings when I chose to accept my calling. How I was willing to forsake my extended family and my husband-need be-to follow God’s way. I am ever so grateful that my hubby was called and accepted his calling as well. This was back in 1973. So much has happened in our lives since then, and I can see God’s hand in it all. I pray that I will have the same determination to forsake all in the future-need be-when the days of Great Tribulation come. (A good review is FI Online Survey of the Gospels Classes 29-31)
Jesus is so often portrayed as a lone wanderer, I tend to forget He had a home base in Capernaum (verse 1).
Four important clashes with the Pharisees in this chapter—over the forgiveness of sins, eating with sinners, approaches to fasting, and understanding of how to keep the Sabbath holy. The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins, He came to call sinners to repentance, He came to bring something new instead of patching something old, and He is Lord of the Sabbath.
No matter what Christ did, He was met with criticism and resistance. He had not even been critical of the Pharisees at this point but they were very quick to try and invalidate His words, His actions, and His validity as a teacher. And yet His answers back to them were answers of instruction, if there were ears to hear, and not of trying to tear them down as they were doing to Him. I have considered how Christ was oppressed and afflicted when He was crucified, but not I not really thought about how He faced that in His life long before the end.
I love how Christ asks “which is easier?” and then does both. I also read recently where someone was talking about the man’s friends and how dedicated they were.
Yes! It’s such a powerful combination of words and actions.
Mark 2
14 …And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
Reading this brought me back to my thoughts and feelings when I chose to accept my calling. How I was willing to forsake my extended family and my husband-need be-to follow God’s way. I am ever so grateful that my hubby was called and accepted his calling as well. This was back in 1973. So much has happened in our lives since then, and I can see God’s hand in it all. I pray that I will have the same determination to forsake all in the future-need be-when the days of Great Tribulation come. (A good review is FI Online Survey of the Gospels Classes 29-31)
Jesus is so often portrayed as a lone wanderer, I tend to forget He had a home base in Capernaum (verse 1).
Four important clashes with the Pharisees in this chapter—over the forgiveness of sins, eating with sinners, approaches to fasting, and understanding of how to keep the Sabbath holy. The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins, He came to call sinners to repentance, He came to bring something new instead of patching something old, and He is Lord of the Sabbath.
No matter what Christ did, He was met with criticism and resistance. He had not even been critical of the Pharisees at this point but they were very quick to try and invalidate His words, His actions, and His validity as a teacher. And yet His answers back to them were answers of instruction, if there were ears to hear, and not of trying to tear them down as they were doing to Him. I have considered how Christ was oppressed and afflicted when He was crucified, but not I not really thought about how He faced that in His life long before the end.