by Roseanna White | Feb 12, 2016 | Bible Study
And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
Wow, it didn’t take long for those in charge to get up in arms about Jesus, did it? In the first chapter we see everyone in the synagogues marveling . . . but word preceded him, and now people are starting to feel like he’s dangerous.
And he was. Because he was challenging their carefully constructed religion and asking them to have faith. Two things that can go hand in hand but too often don’t. I love this section–because strict adherents to the Law (and the traditions that had sprung from it) considered healing to be illegal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew that it was never, ever wrong to do good. And to not do good when you’re able and willing is in fact wrong. And is it lawful to do evil on the Sabbath?
7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea 8 and
Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and
Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing,
came to Him. 9 So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 10 For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. 11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.
This is in many ways like chapter 1, where Jesus silenced the demons. Because thought he was starting to stir things up, the religious leaders would have done more than plot had he come right out and declared himself the Messiah. They would have seized him then and there, before he’d had the chance to do the work he knew he needed to do.
But the people’s hearts were yearning and eager. They felt that tug toward him, even if they didn’t fully understand why. (Smiling at Joanne)
13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.
20 Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No
one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he
first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
I had always taken this “casting out demons by the ruler of the demons” bit at face-value. But as I was talking it through with my husband the other day, he pointed out something that made total sense. That they were saying, basically, “It’s a trick.”
Like when Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh and performed the signs . . . and his magicians replicated them. How? Well, we tend to say, “They did tricks. Or even if it was some black kind of magic, it wasn’t as REAL as the miraculous. That’s how Moses’s staff/snake ate theirs.”
This could well be what the scribes are saying. Not that He really is calling on the power of Satan to cast out a demon, but that it’s just a trick that he did it at all–that he’s as bad as they, and their demons are just playing along.
Jesus, of course, cuts to the real issue.
28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Here we have it–the Unpardonable Sin. So much discussion has risen about this. Can you accidentally commit this sin? What if you want to repent of it??
But this is something unique. This is when you’re looking right into the face of Spirit and calling it Satan. That’s not something you do by mistake. That’s not something you do if you have a heart with any softness in it. That’s not something you do if you’d ever even want to be forgiven. Because this is when you stand there and declare, knowing who you face, that you are His enemy.
31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”
Question 3 ~ Mark 3
How do you interpret the sin can’t be forgiven? Do you think one can do it accidentally?
by Roseanna White | Feb 11, 2016 | Bible Study
And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And
when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered
the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down
the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately
he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so
that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
What a start to the chapter! First off, I’m struck by Jesus perceiving their thoughts. No big thing for God, I know, but still. Every time he does this, it just amazes me.
But then the actual conversation. So. Which is more difficult–to forgive sins or to heal a paralytic? Jesus has already performed the most amazing thing–he has given this man hope for his soul. But that isn’t visible to the doubting crowds, is it? And so he heals him too. But Jesus knew that the better miracle was salvation–and though I have no evidence from the text above, I like to the think that the man who was healed knew it too.
13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s
house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with
Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Here we have another beautiful example of Jesus saying, “Follow me,” and someone dropping everything to do so. So simple. Two little words. And Levi reacts with immediate action.
Do we?
18 The
disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and
said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast,
but Your disciples do not fast?”
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can
the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 No
one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new
piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And
no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts
the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But
new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
I read this to my kids today, and they looked a bit confused at this part. And honestly, I was with them. I get the don’t-mix-old-with-new thing . . . and I get the fasting thing. But how do the two meet? My only thought harkens back to chapter 1, where the people are wondering, “What new doctrine is this?” Jesus was something new. He was approaching the law and the traditions in new ways. So I guess this is him saying, “Don’t expect my ministry to be like any you’ve seen before. I don’t fit with those old ways, and the old ways don’t fit with me.” He was there to work something new. Kinda like…
23 Now
it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as
they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
25 But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days
of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful
to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were
with him?”
27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
As someone who attends a Sabbath-keeping church, that last verse is important to me. Because sometimes Sabbath-keepers can get on a high horse about keeping the Sabbath (and Sunday worshipers can get on a high horse about worshiping on Sunday. Everyone seems to like their horses to be high…), but this puts it in perspective. The Sabbath was something SO MANY rules had sprung up around. But God had meant it to be a blessing to man. It was created for us. We weren’t created to obey it. I love having my day of rest, and keeping it a day of rest as a reminder to me that it’s God’s day, and I’m setting it aside.
But Jesus teaches, here and many times later, that He is Lord of that too–and when He says to go or eat or heal or do good, we’d better do it on the Sabbath like on any other day.
Today’s question is an echo of those two words I wrote about, as much a challenge as a question.
Question ~ Mark 2
If you’re working, and you hear Jesus say, “Follow me,” do you drop it all and follow?
by Roseanna White | Feb 10, 2016 | Bible Study
Welcome to the first day of the 40 Days of Jesus challenge! I’ll be experimenting a bit with how to run this here on my blog; and don’t forget that the conversation is also being held on the
Facebook group.
For now, this post will be arranged like this–the heading for the chapter is a link to Bible Gateway. But I will also paste part of the chapter (in the NKJV, simply because it’s what I use most often) into the post. It will be indented. Below the quoted section, in regular margins, will be my thoughts/questions. Then more of the chapter, more thoughts, etc. If you like this format, let me know–if you’d prefer just a link to the chapter and then my thoughts, let me know. 😉
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then
all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and
were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And
he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Last spring, we studied baptism and what it means. I think for most Christians, we have the pat answer of “it’s an outward symbol of the inward change of accepting salvation.” But that answer doesn’t fit with this passage, does it? Because John’s baptism was not one of salvation–it was one of repentance.
Do you see the difference there? It took me a while. But repentance is saying, “I’m sorry.” It doesn’t involve being forgiven. It’s a crucial step, but not the whole story.
9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
This right here is super-important. This is showing us quite clearly that Jesus, from this point on, was not operating under his power–he’s operating with the Holy Spirit. Which means that we, who now are filled with that SAME Spirit, can do what Jesus does from here on out.
12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
I had never noticed before that it’s the Spirit that drove Him into the wilderness. Does the Spirit ever draw you away? Or more, drive you away from your ordinary life? That seems like something we might resist. And if we obey it . . . well, it wasn’t a cup of tea for Jesus. Mark doesn’t go into detail, but forty days in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan . . . that might make most of go, “God, did you really want me out here? Seriously? Did I hear you wrong??”
But this was important. For Jesus, absolutely. And for us. This is where angels ministered to him. I’m going to take note of where else in the Gospels we see that.
14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
16 And
as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother
casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
So Jesus’s message begins like John’s: REPENT.
As for calling his disciples to him . . . I heard recently that it’s a safe bet that these fellows knew Jesus. He grew up near them, they would have known each other as boys. So they weren’t being asked to follow a stranger.
Which kinda makes it even more of a leap of faith in some ways, doesn’t it? Would you follow Jack from down the street if he asked you to leave everything and go with him to preach? A prophet is definitely without honor in his hometown . . . but the nature of Jesus had always been apparent, and these men didn’t hesitate.
21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
I love this section. =) He taught with authority, and not as the scribes. As someone who teaches a variety of subjects to her kids, I know well the difference between teaching from words on a page and teaching from knowledge. The scribes could recite the words–verbatim, probably forward and backwards and with their eyes closed. But they were just that–words.
They weren’t just words to the Word. He knew the spirit behind every letter, and so he wouldn’t have just been reciting. He would have been teaching. The reasons, not just the facts.
And casting out an unclean spirit! I’ve never paused to wonder before what Jewish practice would have been with unclean spirits, but it’s clear no one in this particular gathering had ever even heard of someone having the authority to cast one out.
29 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 Then
He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many
demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
I’ve often wondered why some things are healed and others not. This doesn’t provide a definitive answer, but when he healed Simon’s mother-in-law . . . we’re not told she was deathly ill or anything. It just says a fever. It could have been a serious fever. Or it have just been a regular, passes-in-a-day-or-two fever. Right now, in my mind, it doesn’t matter which. What matters is why.
Because she wanted to serve Him.
Because the people needed to know they weren’t bound by their infirmities.
Jesus wasn’t ready for everyone to hear him proclaimed the Christ, though–or rather, they weren’t ready–so he wouldn’t let the demons he cast out speak. So interesting. And it’s also worth noting that though he cast out the demon earlier and healed Simon’s mother right away, the majority of these healings occurred after the Sabbath was over, officially the first day of the week. I think Jesus was using this time as a building-up, not a challenging. He’s not rocking the boat . . . he’s demonstrating the power to calm the waves.
35 Now in
the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and
departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”
38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”
39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.
Quiet time of prayer . . . Jesus was always so faithful in taking that time!
40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See
that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the
priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded,
as a testimony to them.”
45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it
freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly
enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him
from every direction.
Okay, quite a few things jump out at me here. First of all, the faith of this leper! Had he heard some of the stories that were going before Jesus? Is that what sent him seeking the Lord? Something must have stirred within him–something more than just a passing, “Well, it’s worth a try.” This man was begging. Imploring. Kneeling down in the dirt. Such perfect humility. If You are willing…
And Jesus–moved with compassion. Overwhelmed with love for this man. I love seeing that–and more, seeing His humility. He didn’t want fame. Didn’t want fortune. He just wanted to do the work of God.
That’s the end of chapter 1. I’ll try to leave you with a question each day; feel free to answer it, or to talk about any other part of the chapter that jumped out at you!
Question ~ Mark 1
In verse 15, Jesus says “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” We know “gospel” literally means “good news.” And we as Christians identify it as Jesus dying for our sins and rising again, defeating death. What did “gospel” mean to these people, before Jesus had died or been resurrected? What is the good news that walks with Him?
by Roseanna White | Feb 10, 2016 | Announcements, Book News, Remember When Wednesdays
I’ve been waiting and waiting to share the good news. And now, the ink is on the dotted line, and I can finally tell you all about the Society Thieves Series that I just sold to Bethany House! This series will launch in spring of 2017 with The Name Thief.
1914 –
Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of
former orphan-urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of
London. Grown now, they are no longer pickpockets—now they concentrate on stealing
high value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. But
when
Rosemary is given an assignment by a mysterious Mr. V to determine whether
a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany, she is in for
the challenge of a lifetime. How does one steal a family’s history, their very
name?
Peter Holstein is awkward at best in society. Stuttering and
stammering as he does, no one ever would have expected him to gain the ear of
the king…and given his family’s German blood, he knows there are plenty who are
unhappy that he has, which is why his popular series of adventure novels are
written under a pen name. With European politics boiling, Peter settles into his
country estate debating whether the time has come to distance himself from his
German roots and perhaps even change his name as the King is considering doing—and
when a historian shows up at his door offering to help him trace his family
history, he views the bookish Miss Gresham as a gift from God. Perhaps she can
help him find proof that the Holsteins have always been friends of England and
the Saxe-Coburg family that rules there. And perhaps they can manage it before
suspicion in the small village he calls home reaches a fever pitch and sees his
family home ruined.
The more Rosemary learns about the Holsteins, the more
she thinks Mr. V sorely mistaken in his suspicions…and the more she comes to
hate herself. These are a noble family and this a noble man—and though she
always thought she’d do anything for pounds sterling, she finds herself
fighting against the rabble trying to ruin him when war is declared rather than
lending them a hand. Especially when she discovers that he is the writer behind
the books that have inspired all of England. She doesn’t have it in her to
steal his good name…but what are the chances that she’ll manage to steal his
heart before he discovers who and what she really is?
I am so incredibly super-duper excited about this series! The next books in the series will follow other members of Rosemary‘s “family.” In each story, the thief will find redemption as Mr. V sends them out on missions to claim things that hands cannot really hold or steal–a good name, music, beauty, time. All will draw on how arts were used as propaganda during WWI, and pull on some of the most interesting advances and peculiarities of the war. Each will also stand completely on its own, with no reference to the previous books.
And for fun, each one will also have a ridiculous challenge issues by the other members of the family. In The Name Thief, Rosemary‘s older brother challenges her to steal a manor house. So naturally, she tries to figure out how to steal Peter’s home, along with his name. Subsequent books will up the ante each time, and give the thief/hero something to pursue along with the job Mr. V assigns.
If anyone is interested in knowing what Peter and Rosemary and his manor house, Kensey Manor, looks like, I just made my Pinterest board public! You can check it out here.
by Roseanna White | Feb 9, 2016 | Announcements, Books, Cover Designs
I have been so excited over the covers for my Ladies of the Manor series with Bethany House. The elegance. The simplicity. The colors.
We have oohed and ahhed over Brook in The Lost Heiress.
We have gone ga-ga over Rowena in The Reluctant Duchess. (Because seriously. That. Dress.)
And now, we get our first glimpse of Ella. She’s fun. She’s optimistic. She always, always finds something to smile about…even when no one else can figure out why. And when the world tells her she shouldn’t, well…Ella is still going to love. She is indeed A Lady Unrivaled.
And here she is!
Lady Ella Myerston can always find a reason to smile–even if it’s just
in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. All her life everyone
has tried to protect her from the realities of the world, but Ella knows
very well the danger that has haunted her brother and their friend, and
she won’t wait for it to strike again. She intends to take action . . .
and if that happens to involve an adventurous trip to the Cotswolds,
then so much the better.
Lord Cayton has already broken two
hearts, including that of his first wife, who died before he could
convince himself to love her. Now he’s determined to live a better life.
But that proves complicated when old friends arrive on the scene and
try to threaten him into a life of crime. He does his best to remove the
intriguing Lady Ella from danger, but the stubborn girl won’t budge.
How else can he redeem himself, though, but by saving her–and his
daughter–from those dangerous people who seem ready to destroy them
all?
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Having successfully launched two homeschool grads, she now spends her time writing fiction, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years, as well as a fantasy series and contemporary mysteries and romances. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.