God's commandments or Man's traditions!

Mark 7:1-13
The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:
This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.
You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’ And he said to them, ‘How ingeniously you get round the commandment of God in order to preserve your own tradition! For Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and, Anyone who curses father or mother must be put to death. But you say, “If a man says to his father or mother: Anything I have that I might have used to help you is Corban (that is, dedicated to God), then he is forbidden from that moment to do anything for his father or mother.” In this way you make God’s word null and void for the sake of your tradition which you have handed down. And you do many other things like this.’
Food for thought!
You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.
This is a strong statement, especially when made by Jesus against the people of his time. Is it any different Today? Is it possibly true that we do put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions? This is what Jesus is saying that we do. In order to understand Jesus' point, let us remember that the commandments of God are 10 (ten), which I assume you still remember. All the rest are human traditions. Yes, anything beyond and beside the ten commandments is human tradition. These include the traditions, the rules and laws of the church. Yes, these are not commandments of God. This does not mean that they are, therefore bad; they are good in as far as they reinforce the commandments of God. For instance, not eating meat on a Friday is a tradition of the church, not a commandment of God. When you break it you don't go to hell because of it.
In the time of Jesus, the religious scholars (scribes and Pharisees) had transformed the religious rules and traditions into the essence of religion. To observe them was to please God; to break them was to sin. This was their idea of goodness and of the service of God. In the religious sense Jesus and these people spoke different languages. It was precisely because Jesus had no use for all these regulations that they considered him a bad man, just as we consider bad those who don't keep the laws, rules and discipline of our Catholic church.

There is no greater religious peril than that of identifying religion with human traditions and customs. There is no commoner religious mistake than to identify goodness with certain so-called religious traditions. Church-going, bible-reading, careful financial giving, even time-tabled prayers do not make a man a good man just by observing them. The fundamental question is, how is our heart towards God and towards our brother or sister? And if in our heart there is enmity, bitterness, grudges, pride, not all the outward religious observances in the world will make us anything other than a hypocrite.

And all those who touched him were cured!

Mark 6:53-56

Mark 6:53-56
Having made the crossing, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up. No sooner had they stepped out of the boat than people recognised him, and started hurrying all through the countryside and brought the sick on
stretchers to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, to village, or
town, or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let
them touch even the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched him were
cured.

Food for thought!

All who touched him were cured!
This is more than a summary statement; it is a statement of fact: all who touch
Jesus are cured. Do you notice that this time it is not Jesus touching the
people, but the people touching Jesus? In other words, when Jesus touches us he heals us; but also when we touch him we get healed. What is the difference?

Normally we see Jesus touching the sick in order to heal them. This is what we
usually see. But the contrary is also true: we can and should touch Jesus. And
this is what the people did: "wherever he went, to village, or town, or farm,
they (the people) laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak." It is interesting to note that the people were not begging Jesus to touch their sick, but to let the sick touch him!

And all those who touched him were cured. This statement means that those, and only those, who went to Jesus and literary touched him, were cured. What was in this touch? Well, all of us do need either to be touched or to touch someone. Touch is a language that speaks more eloquently than words; when we touch we say much more than we would with words. Those sick people said much more to Jesus by their touch than they would with their mouths.

Did you ever realize that the first thing a new baby gets from its mother is a hug, an embrace, a touch? The nurses make sure that the mother embraces the baby; that she touches the baby. The Book of Genesis says that God formed us by touch: "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being." (Gen. 2:7).

Whom do you touch regularly? Who touches you regularly? When do you want or like to be touched? Do you ever get and give a healing touch? Because positive touch has a healing power, all those who touched Jesus were healed.

From word of God to God of the word; from work of God to God of the work!

Mark 1:29-39

Then, leaving the synagogue, he and his disciples went over to Simon and Andrew’s home, where they found Simon’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. He went to her bedside, and as he took her by the hand and helped her to sit up, the fever suddenly left, and she got up and prepared dinner for them!

By sunset the courtyard was filled with the sick and demon-possessed, brought to him for healing; and a huge crowd of people from all over the city of Capernaum gathered outside the door to watch. So Jesus healed great numbers of sick folk that evening and ordered many demons to come out of their victims. (But he refused to allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was.) The next morning he was up long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray. Later, Simon and the others went out to find him, and told him, “Everyone is asking for you.” But he replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and give my message to them too, for that is why I came.” So he traveled throughout the province of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and releasing many from the power of demons.

Food for thought!
Do you notice Jesus' day and life? And do you see any similarity with yours? Jesus began his day in the synagogue. Synagogues were places of listening to the Word of God; sacrifices were done only at Jerusalem. So Jesus started his day at the Lord's feet, listening to the Word of God.
From listening to the word of God, Jesus went to work. In other words, the word of God prepared him for work; it should prepare us too for our work. FROM WORD OF GOD TO WORK OF GOD. God's word prepares us to go to God's work. Each one of us has or should have some work to do. And all our work, all that we do, our job, is ultimately God's work. We're all serving the Lord. There's no work that is too small to qualify as work of God. That's why we must always do well whatever we do; we're serving God when we serve God's people.
Work, work, and work is no good work! The gospel says "The next morning he was up long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray."Jesus began the day with the word of God, then went to the work of God, now he finishes the day with God. I hope you understand the difference between the work of God and the God of work. We cannot let the work of God make us forget the God of our work; we cannot work 24/7. It is not good for our bodies and souls.
As Jesus was praying, people were meanwhile looking for him; they still needed his services; they wanted more of him. "Everybody's looking for you." They said. To everyone's surprise, including ourselves, Jesus didn't heed to the people's plea. He instead said, "We must go on to other towns as well, and give my message to them too, for that is why I came."

Sometimes it is ok to leave the people of God and attend to the God of the our people!

It is a must that we find some rest after work!

Mark 6:30-34

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
Food for thought!
The day before yesterday, Jesus sent his disciples for a mission, for the first time; he sent them out. And they went, for the first time, ALONE, without him. Every day, every week, every time, the Lord sends us to go to some mission, at our place of work. It is good to know that, whatever our job, we are all serving the Lord. The Lord sends us as he sent the twelve disciples. And he sends us alone!
Jesus does not only send us off to work for him, he also receives us from work. Like the disciples, we do well to rejoin the Lord and to tell him all we did during the day, during the week, and one day we shall tell him all we did in life. Yes, Jesus expects us to tell him about our job, our work, our endeavours; Jesus tells us what to do and he listens to what we do.
Something very enthusing: Jesus said to his disciples when they had come back from work: You MUST come away to some lonely place all by yourself and rest for a while. Notice the way Jesus puts it: MUST. Resting is not facultative, not optional but compulsory, mandatory, obligatory and required; it is must to rest.
Some times it is absolutely necessary to get away all by ourselves, and leave or abandon the people. This is what the disciples did, at the command of Jesus; they were being overwhelmed by so many people who were coming and going to the point of not having any time to even eat. How many times are we like these disciples? How many times are we so overwhelmed by the demands of other people that we forget to eat and rest and take care of our life?

May you and I learn to go away to some lonely place all by ourselves and rest for while; it is a must.

The death of the conscience!

Mark 6:14-29

King Herod soon heard about Jesus, for his miracles were talked about everywhere. The king thought Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life again. So the people were saying, “No wonder he can do such miracles.” Others thought Jesus was Elijah the ancient prophet, now returned to life again; still others claimed he was a new prophet like the great ones of the past. “No,” Herod said, “it is John, the man I beheaded. He has come back from the dead.”

For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John because he kept saying it was wrong for the king to marry Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Herodias wanted John killed in revenge, but without Herod’s approval she was powerless. And Herod respected John, knowing that he was a good and holy man, and so he kept him under his protection. Herod was disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so he liked to listen to him.
Herodias’s chance finally came. It was Herod’s birthday and he gave a stag party for his palace aides, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee.Then Herodias’s daughter came in and danced before them and greatly pleased them all. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king vowed, “even half of my kingdom, and I will give it to you!” She went out and consulted her mother, who told her, “Ask for John the Baptist’s head!” So she hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist—right now—on a tray!”
Then the king was sorry, but he was embarrassed to break his oath in front of his guests. So he sent one of his bodyguards to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier killed John in the prison, and brought back his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl and she took it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came for his body and buried it in a tomb.

Food for thought!

THE DEATH OF A CONSCIENCE
As sad as John's death, as sad as the death of a holy man is the death of anyone's conscience. Our conscience is a kind of John implanted into our hearts to speak in the name of God, praising us when we do well and rebuking us when we sin. This is exactly what John was doing: “he kept saying it was wrong for the king to marry Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.” Our conscience does the same: it denounces the sin we do. No wonder we try, and sometimes we succeed, to kill and eliminate it, like Herod did.
And talking of Herod. The gospel says that “Herod was disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so he liked to listen to him.” Herod hated John for exposing his sin. However, he still wanted John around; he both hated and loved John; he liked the preacher but hated the preaching; he loved the messenger but hated the message. As a result, when Herod heard John, he was perplexed and confused. In other words, his conscience and guilt bothered him. The guilt over what he did was eating him alive. He knows he killed an innocent, decent and good man. His conscience is bothering him and he is sure that John the Baptist has come back to haunt him.

That is the power of guilt! It will eat you alive. You can’t run from it. You can’t hide from it. You can’t escape its words. It shows up when you are alone. Guilt comes calling in the dead of night. It gnaws at the soul and eats away at the mind. The only solution for guilt over past sins is to bring those sins to Jesus. When they are brought to Him, Jesus forgives the sin and removes the guilt. He can set us free from the monster of guilt! Jesus is the lamb of God that takes away our sins, John the Baptist told us.

And if any place does not welcome you...!

Mark 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.

Food for thought!

This is the first time that Jesus sends out his disciples. It is like sending them for an internship after training them. Jesus is here acting many things: he is acting like a teacher, a manager, a leader, a trainer or coach. Everything Jesus does in this reading is worth noting: he sends the Twelve in pairs, he
gives them authority, he instructs them on dos and don'ts, and finally he prepares them for both success and failure. Let us look at each one of these.

Sends them in pairs. The lesson is clear. We never realize great things alone; we may dream alone, but we cannot realize our dreams alone; we need others. We need a friend, a good friend, who walks not in front of us (for us to follow), who walks not behind us (for us to lead), but who walks beside us, as a friend. Do you have someone like this?

Gives them authority. Jesus never sends us to do anything without equipping us for it. He always equips us for whatever he sends us to do; he gives authority. What is authority? The word authority comes from Latin "augere" to augment, to increase, to multiply. The first time we were given authority was in Old Testament: "God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply (increase), and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Gen. 1:28). Jesus came to recreate us; to make us increase; to make us do more and be more.

Instructed them: take nothing but the staff. What does this mean? Well, remember Moses' staff in the OT. He carried a stick (staff) by his side throughout the desert and used it in all the important milestones in the desert, like to divide and close the Red Sea, to produce water from a rock, to invoke plagues on the Egyptians, and on several occasion was transformed into a snake and back. The staff stands therefore for the power of God. Jesus empowers his own. That is why he told them never to trust in anything, except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. What we all need is the power of God, the staff; the rest is rest.

Success & Failure. Jesus warns us to expect both success and failure in our endeavours. Whatever comes, and whenever it comes take it. If success comes your way, take it; if it is failure take it and move on; don't hold on your past successes or failures; keep going forward. Jesus is teaching us that problems and failures are inevitable in the life of anyone who seeks to make a difference in life. Even with all instructions from Jesus, even with all academic degrees, even with all experience, we are bound to fail sometimes. And Jesus knows it. That's why he teaches his disciples not only how to win but also how to loose.

Jesus is saying to us, when we loose, not to dwell too long on the loss and allow it to rob our lives of enthusiasm and joy. So we must learn to shake off the dust of yesterday’s failure from our feet, otherwise it will cling to us and accumulate and weigh us down. The result is depression and despair. We give up. We quit instead of going on to a new village, to a new project, to new opportunities. But Jesus does not want us to be quitters. He wants us to be women and men who move on, despite losses and disappointments. Move on!

Because of their unbelief he couldn’t do any mighty miracles among them!

Mark 6:1-6

Soon afterwards he left that section of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. The next Sabbath he went to the synagogue to teach, and the people were astonished at his wisdom and his miracles because he was just a local man like themselves. “He’s no better than we are,” they said. “He’s just a carpenter, Mary’s boy, and a brother of James and Joseph, Judas and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” And they were offended! Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown and among his relatives and by his own family.” And because of their unbelief he couldn’t do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he could hardly accept the fact that they wouldn’t believe in him. Then he went out among the villages, teaching.

Food for Thought!

YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN
Thomas Wolfe wrote a novel entitled “You Can’t Go Home Again.” The book is about a man named George Webber. He is an author who has written a bestselling book about his hometown. When he returns home, he expects to receive a hero’s welcome. Instead, he is driven out of town by his own friends and family. They feel betrayed by what he has written about them in his book. Webber is shaken by their reaction to his work and decides to leave his hometown behind to go elsewhere. George Webber discovered, just as Jesus found out, that those who know you best tend to respect you the least.
Our text finds Jesus returning to Nazareth. He is going home again. Our Lord’s return to His hometown does not go the way one might expect it to. After all, Jesus is something of a celebrity by this time. He has been going around the countryside preaching, teaching, healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead and controlling the forces of nature. He has proven that there is something very special and very different about Him.
As the people of Nazareth heard the message Jesus was preaching, they rejected His message because they thought they knew everything there was to know about Him. He had grown up among them and was one of their own. Then, they started to ridicule Jesus: "He’s just a carpenter, Mary’s boy, and a brother of James and Joseph, Judas and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us." These people did what many people do when they dislike or disagree with someone. They resorted to ridicule! Ridicule is the final refuge of a small mind! When you don't like or disagree with someone, don't resort to ridicule or character assassination. No one likes it. Not even Jesus did, not even you would.

Because of their lack of faith, Jesus was unable to perform many miracles there. Only a few sick folks were healed. This fact shows us that without our faith Jesus can't do much; just a little; "because of their unbelief he couldn’t do any mighty miracles among them." Without our faith Jesus is can't help us. It means that faith is the starting point and the basis of all “miracles.” Faith is the only known antidote for failure! Faith is the element, the “chemical” which, when mixed with prayer, gives us direct communication with God. Faith is the only agency through which the divine force of God can be harnessed and used by you and me. We miss much by our lack of faith in Jesus.

She told Jesus her whole story!

Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had gone across by boat to the other side of the lake, a vast crowd gathered around him on the shore. The leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus,

​​

came and fell down before him, pleading with him to heal his little daughter. “She is at the point of death,” he said in desperation. “Please come and place your hands on her and make her live.” Jesus went with him, and the crowd thronged behind. In the crowd was a woman who had been sick for twelve years with a hemorrhage. She had suffered much from many doctors through the years and had become poor from paying them, and was no better but, in fact, was worse. She had heard all about the wonderful miracles Jesus did, and that is why she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his clothes. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed.” And sure enough, as soon as she had touched him, the bleeding stopped and she knew she was well!

Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “All this crowd pressing around you, and you ask who touched you?” But he kept on looking around to see who it was who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and knelt before him, and gave him the whole story. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, healed of your disease.”
While he was still talking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus’s home with the news that it was too late—his daughter was dead and there was no point in Jesus’ coming now. But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.” Then Jesus halted the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go on with him to Jairus’s home except Peter and James and John. When they arrived, Jesus saw that all was in great confusion, with unrestrained weeping and wailing. He went inside and spoke to the people. “Why all this weeping and commotion?” he asked. “The child isn’t dead; she is only asleep!” They laughed at him in bitter derision, but he told them all to leave, and taking the little girl’s father and mother and his three disciples, he went into the room where she was lying. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Get up, little girl!” (She was twelve years old.) And she jumped up and walked around! Her parents just couldn’t get over it. Jesus instructed them very earnestly not to tell what had happened and told them to give her something to eat.
Food for thought!
Double tragedy. Someone is dead. Another one is dying. Today, Jesus shows us that he is

​attentive to those who take him serious, like the man and the woman in today's gospel reading.

A desperate father, named Jairus came to Jesus and fell down before him, pleading with him to heal his little daughter. “She is at the point of death,” he said in desperation. “Please come and place your hands on her and make her live.” This man was helpless and he came to Jesus for help. And got it. Jesus agreed to go with him. But even as he was going with Jesus, tragedy struck;

​the​

 daughter died. 

Lesson

​ for us​

: tragedy hits everybody including those walking and working with Jesus. So don't ever think that because you pray every day, because you go to Mass every Sunday or even everyday, that tragedies will not come your way. Even followers of Jesus get tragedies.

​ In other words, Jesus

 never promised our lives would be easy.

​ 

He never promised

​we woul

d be happy.

​ 

He never promised that

​we would

 find success at work or school.

​ 

He never promised

​we would

 find a college or job after graduation.

​ 

He never promised

​we would

 make the sale if

​we​

 worked really hard.

​ 

He never promised

​that

our family would stick together.​

​Jesus rather 

promised

​ that w

e 

will face discipline: "Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?" (Hebrews 12:7)

​; that we w

ill face difficulties: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) 

Jesus told this man what he tells all those people in hopeless situations: DO NOT BE AFRAID. ONLY HAVE FAITH! This is the only thing Jesus asks of us, only one, just this one: only have faith. The rest is his.
Another hopeless situation was of a woman who came to Jesus, as Jesus was on his way to a hopeless situation. She came to Jesus in a helpless situation; everything else had failed. Please note that when she came to Jesus she told him everything about herself, not just something. The gospel says, "she knelt before him, and gave him the whole story."
Have you ever told Jesus your WHOLE story? Does Jesus know all about you? What don't you tell Jesus​ in​
your real story?

​ 

​Unlike people, Jesus does not

​ ​

judge

​ 

​us;

​ 

he

​ ​

​does not

​ 

condemn

​ 

​us;

​ ​

he

​ ​

​does not

​ ​

disappoint

​ ​

us.

​ To him be praise and honour and glory. Amen.​

Presentation of the Lord!

Luke 2:22-40

When the time came for Mary’s purification offering at the Temple, as required by the laws of Moses after the birth of a child, his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord; for in these laws God had said, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” At that time Jesus’ parents also offered their sacrifice for purification—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” was the legal requirement. That day a man named Simeon, a Jerusalem resident, was in the Temple. He was a good man, very devout, filled with the Holy Spirit and constantly expecting the Messiah to come soon. For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen him—God’s anointed King. The Holy Spirit had impelled him to go to the Temple that day; and so, when Mary and Joseph arrived to present the baby Jesus to the Lord in obedience to the law, Simeon was there and took the child in his arms, praising God. “Lord,” he said, “now I can die content! For I have seen him as you promised me I would. I have seen the Savior you have given to the world. He is the Light that will shine upon the nations, and he will be the glory of your people Israel!” Joseph and Mary just stood there, marveling at what was being said about Jesus. Simeon blessed them but then said to Mary, “A sword shall pierce your soul, for this child shall be rejected by many in Israel, and this to their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy of many others. And the deepest thoughts of many hearts shall be revealed.” Anna, a prophetess, was also there in the Temple that day. She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the Jewish tribe of Asher, and was very old, for she had been a widow for eighty-four years following seven years of marriage. She never left the Temple but stayed there night and day, worshiping God by praying and often fasting. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she also began thanking God and telling everyone in Jerusalem who had been awaiting the coming of the Savior that the Messiah had finally arrived. When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the Law of God, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. There the child became a strong, robust lad, and was known for wisdom beyond his years; and God poured out his blessings on him.

Food for thought!

Joseph and Mary, offered the sacrifice of the poor: “either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” was the legal requirement. – Lev. 12:1-8. Lessons are in view here! Absence of money is no hindrance to spiritual service. They had nothing, but they were still faithful. It means that the ability of God to meet our physical needs is not hindered by our lack. You do not have to possess a bunch for the Lord to bless you. You just have to be willing to use what you do have. Availability is far more important that ability. God will use anything or anyone He can to accomplish His will. Never allow your lack to keep you out of church!

When we go to church, our services are not usually that eventful. Yet, when we gather, the same Jesus of the Scriptures meets with his people, Matt. 18:20, and blesses us with His presence. We need to understand that church attendance and the things we do in the House of God are not just ritual and routine. They are life –changing, life-strengthening, and good for our families. Jesus had the right kind of family life, let’s do the same for our families and ourselves. Be prepared when you come to church, you never know what God has in store for you.

Another thing we must know, God’s incredible love for us does not eliminate the pain, suffering, and heartache that we might go through; but, His Promises assure us that He is with us, and He is using it all for good (Romans 8:28). In the gospel reading Simeon told Mary, "A sword shall pierce your soul." Through it all, we learn to trust that no matter how devastating the suffering might be…God is with us. And if we trust and obey Him, He will strengthen us and fill us with hope in the midst of the suffering. If the Father didn't spare Jesus and Mary, He will not spare us as well.

What sort of new religion is this?

Mark 1: 21-28

Jesus and his companions now arrived at the town of Capernaum and on Saturday morning went into the Jewish place of worship—the synagogue—where he preached. The congregation was surprised at his sermon because he spoke as an authority and didn’t try to prove his points by quoting others—quite unlike what they were used to hearing! A man possessed by a demon was present and began shouting, “Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth—have you come to destroy us demons? I know who you are—the holy Son of God!” Jesus curtly commanded the demon to say no more and to come out of the man. At that the evil spirit screamed and convulsed the man violently and left him. Amazement gripped the audience and they began discussing what had happened. “What sort of new religion is this?” they asked excitedly. “Why, even evil spirits obey his orders!” The news of what he had done spread quickly through that entire area of Galilee.

Food for thought!

Jesus and His men went to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. The synagogue was much like the local church in those days. We are told that Jesus spoke as an “authority”. This means that Jesus spoke as a man who knew what he was talking about. The scribes could only quote one another, but Jesus spoke with power and understanding.

A quick glance at how the scribes taught against how Jesus taught reveals why the people were so amazed by what they heard.
The scribes, as many preachers today do, majored on trivial things. They elevated the traditions of men above the Word of God. They were worried about things like tithing mint leaves and how far a man could walk on the Sabbath, Matt. 23:23. Jesus, on the other hand, spoke of weighty matters such as life and death, Heaven and Hell, life, death and eternity. When they heard Jesus preach, they knew they were hearing words of eternal value.
The scribes rambled on and on, quoting one another and never saying anything about the Word of God. Jesus taught differently, in that he read or quoted the Word of God and explained it, applying it to people's life in simple understandable language. The scribes' sermons were dry. They spoke of things that no one cared about in terms that no one understood. 
The scribes did not care about the people to whom they were preaching. They used the people for their own advantage and profit, (Mark 12:40). Jesus spoke as a lover of people. He cared about every person he spoke to and he pointed them to the love of the Father.
When the scribes taught, nothing of eternal value took place. Their teaching was dry and shallow and it did not bring about life change in the people who heard them. When Jesus preached, he used the Word of God as a sharp sword. When he spoke, hearts were pierced, souls were saved and lives were eternally altered, including of devils. The gospel says that when Jesus preached a man possessed by a demon was present and began shouting, “Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth—have you come to destroy us demons? I know who you are—the holy Son of God!”

That is how preaching should be in our churches. Too much of today's preaching centers not on the Word of God but on trivial matters, like laws and rules of the church. Preaching about men wearing tie chains, women wearing open toed shoes, or people wearing wire rimmed glasses is not biblical preaching! Biblical preaching takes its text from the Word of God and declares the massage of the Word clearly and boldly. The preacher’s mandate is to “preach the word”, 2 Tim. 4:2, and nothing but the word! If any preaching goes beyond the Word, it goes beyond the will of God!

Jesus was an amazing preacher and he preached an amazing message. Although his message was preached 2,000 years ago, it is a message you and I need today. Jesus is still offering his message of hope to all those who will believe it and receive it. The message Jesus preached then is the message we preach today(?).