March 7th: Mark 8:14-21: The Disciples are Worried About Food

This is almost comical. The disciples have seen Jesus on at least two different occasions make food practically from thin air and feed thousands of people. Yet here they are worried about not having enough bread. Jesus is actually trying to teach them something by using a loaf of bread as an example but they are too caught up in the fact that they only have a small enough piece of bread that they miss his whole point.
Jesus was trying to tell them that the actions of the Pharisees and the actions of Herod are causing the people of Israel to do bad things. But rather than listening to what Jesus is saying they are fixated on this idea that they do not have enough to eat.
Often we are so worried about what is going on in our life to listen to God in his word. We know God will take care of us so let us trust in him so that we can focus on what he has to say to us.

March 6th: Mark 8:1-13: Apparently the Pharisees are Blind

As w have seen in this book Jesus has been doing some incredible things. He has healed so many people of many different illnesses. He has stopped the storms and the waves. He keeps doing miracles. These miracles are important because it shows that he has power and authority. They in essence act as signs pointing to the special position Jesus holds as the messiah and as a God in the flesh.
Apparently the Pharisees missed all of that. They missed all of these things that Jesus had done. Including the feeding of a ton of people with a small amount of food. Imagine that sight as Jesus is break bead and passing it around it just does not run out. The Pharisees have the gall to ask Jesus for a sign proving that he is the messiah. The truth is he has given them plenty of signs, they just need to open their eyes.
How often do we miss the obvious from God?

March 5th: Mark 7:31-37: Jesus Heals a Man's Hearing

Jesus had done some incredible things so far in this book. This one seems as if it is not that incredible. But it truly is. This man had been unable to hear, and he also was unable to speak, at least much. This was rather typical at the time. If you cannot hear it is very hard to communicate. Currently people learn sign language so that they can communicate to other people, but if you do not know that then you must learn to read lips or find some other method of communication.
Jesus healed this man in both ways. After Jesus healed him he could hear and he could speak just fine. This of course radically changed this man's life. His quality of life would of sky rocketed, and he would of been able to find more productive work to do and would of been able to communicate with others.

March 4: Mark 7:24-30: Jesus Casts out a Demon....From Far Way

Jesus is just walking in between two places and a non-Jewish woman comes up to him asking that he would heal her daughter. Jesus says that he has come for the children, referring to the Jews and that they need to get his help first. The woman pleads with Jesus and Jesus heals her daughter from a distance.
The important thing here is that it shows that Jesus was here for all people, not just Jews. Jesus came to this earth to save all of mankind. He came to earth and died that all men, speaking all languages, people of races, might come to know God through the work of Jesus Christ. This is why we do missions in far away places, and this is why we should spread the gospel in our area to all different types of people. Jesus came for all, and we should spread his message to all.

March 3rd: Mark 7:14-23: What Defiles?

Jesus says something that is going to get him in trouble here. Their was the good law of God that God had given to Moses in the wilderness, but this law had been ignored and exchanged for a the law of the Pharisees. The law of God given to Moses was intended to set apart Israel, and make them different, and then point them to their need for a saviour and their inability to keep all of the law perfectly.
Jesus right here says that you are not defiled by what you eat. What you eat just goes into your stomach. Your sin issues are what defile you and they come from your heart.
The outward appearance is not what matters to Jesus. What matters to Jesus is that you are acting right, and that your attitude is correct. Sin is always a heart attitude problem that then manifests itself in an outward action. Let us check our hearts to make sure they are in line with the heart of God.

March 2nd: Mark 7:1-13: Jesus Calls Out the Pharisees

We are going to the Pharisees, Sadducee, Scribes and Priests try to call Jesus us out on certain things throughout the rest of this book. These were the religious leaders of the day and they did not like all of the attention that Jesus was getting, because they wanted that a attention for themselves.
The had added to God's word and made specific rules up that they made other people follow. This is called legalism. Jesus called out the Pharisees on keeping their own tradition but not keeping the law of God.
The Bible says that we are supposed to honour our parents and part of this means to take care of them when they die. The Pharisees had a tradition that you did not have to help your parents and take care of them if the money you would of used to help them had been set apart for God. This is of course something that is not right. How often do we replace the law of God with our own rules?

March 1st: Mark 6:53-56: Jesus Causes a Stir

You know how famous people get mobbed by fan sometimes? It can get really annoying for them and their family because how many people gather around them and annoying them asking for autographs or pictures with them? Well in some ways Jesus was a celebrity he had caused quite a stir because of all the healing that he had done. He was healing people all over the place. He also was known as a teacher and preacher and people came to hear what he said from the surrounding country side.
Jesus was different and people knew it, which is why they gathered around him, and came to hear him speak. Do we recognise Jesus as different? Do we listen to him when he speaks?