FEBRUARY 14 READING…Mark 3
On the Sabbath you would find Jesus in a Synagogue, the primary one He would have gone to was in Capernaum. This was a time for the reading of the Scripture, and for the men to listen to different teachers explain what they thought the Scriptures meant. Wouldn’t it have been incredible to be there when Jesus showed up, when He read the Scriptures, and when He taught with perfect authority about the meaning of Scripture? Jesus was entering the Synagogue on a Sabbath and there was a man there with a withered hand. Jesus knew He was being watched to see what He would do…so He preempted their accusations by asking them a question. He asked if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath…but they would not answer, which made Jesus angry that their hearts were so hard. Then He healed the man. These Pharisees began to plot with the followers of King Herod on how they could destroy Jesus. Jesus went up to a mountain, and there He appointed His twelve Apostles. After this, sadly, those with whom Jesus grew up with rejected Him, and called Him crazy.
The scribes (those who copied and supposedly knew the Scriptures), came from Jerusalem and accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebub (a heathen deity who the Jewish people ascribed supremacy among evil spirits). Jesus told them this would be impossible…for a kingdom divided against itself, could not stand. Jesus clearly stood against Satan…He taught truth…He performed miracles that were of God. Jesus calls them blasphemers (attributing to Satan that which is from God…or attributing to God that which is from Satan). The ultimate form of blasphemy according to Jesus is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit…this sin cannot be forgiven. Of course, these scribes did not understand what Jesus was saying…for the neither knew, nor did they have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reveals that Jesus is the Son of God, who is the only way to salvation…to reject this revelation of the Holy Spirit is to deny that it comes from God, and it is this unbelief in Jesus that cannot be forgiven. Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him, and Jesus took this opportunity to teach that all who do the will of God are brothers and sisters…many times closer than the biological family.
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
TOMORROW'S READING…Mark 4
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