Mark

Kids Korner: Following Jesus (September 15th)

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Read Mark 8:27-38 with your family.

Jesus had very good friends, but those friends did not always understand what Jesus was doing or why he had to challenge the religious authorities in the Temple in Jerusalem. They wanted Jesus to stay with them so they could continue enjoying his company as they travelled around meeting, teaching, and healing people.

However, Jesus had a job to do. A hard job. And Jesus wanted us to share a part of that hard job.

His disciples didn’t understand. Peter tried to tell him not to risk his life, but Jesus got upset and told Peter to get behind him and don’t be a temptation to an easier way of life (this was not about the character of Satan that we have in today’s movies and scary shows, all ‘satan’ meant was temptation to follow a different path than the one God wanted us to follow).

Then Jesus said “take up your cross”, but that didn’t mean real cross like the one on which Jesus would die, instead it meant take up your responsibility to make the world a better place, even when people get angry at you and say or do mean things.

Following Jesus is not easy, but if we do behave as Jesus asked us to behave, and treat everyone with love and kindness, we get to help change the world into what it was supposed to be. That’s what Jesus meant by asking us to make some harder choices. We might not get what we want right away, but we can experience the beauty of God’s world if we all work together to make things better.

Sunday Reflection – September 8, 2024

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Healing and helping

Mark 7 24 Jesus left and went to the region near the town of Tyre, where he stayed in someone’s home. He did not want people to know he was there, but they found out anyway. 25 A woman whose daughter had an evil spirit in her heard where Jesus was. And at once she came and knelt down at his feet. 26 The woman was Greek and had been born in the part of Syria known as Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to force the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said, “The children must first be fed! It isn’t right to take away their food and feed it to dogs.”

28 The woman replied, “Lord, even puppies eat the crumbs that children drop from the table.”

29 Jesus answered, “That’s true! You may go now. The demon has left your daughter.” 30 When the woman got back home, she found her child lying on the bed. The demon had gone.

31 Jesus left the region around Tyre and went by way of Sidon toward Lake Galilee. He went through the land near the ten cities known as Decapolis. 32 Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk. They begged Jesus just to touch him.

33 After Jesus had taken him aside from the crowd, he stuck his fingers in the man’s ears. Then he spit and put it on the man’s tongue. 34 Jesus looked up toward heaven, and with a groan he said, “Effatha!” which means “Open up!” 35 At once the man could hear, and he had no more trouble talking clearly.

36 Jesus told the people not to say anything about what he had done. But the more he told them, the more they talked about it. 37 They were completely amazed and said, “Everything he does is good! He even heals people who cannot hear or talk.”

Kids Korner: Healing people (September 8th)

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Read Mark 7:24-37 with your family.

Have you ever had someone say they were too tired to spend time with you? Jesus felt that way too. He was tired and just wanted to rest for a bit. But the people wanted Jesus, they wanted to learn from him and have his help. And they also reminded Jesus that they mattered.

It’s easy to think that going to church is the best place to feel God in our lives, but this story reminds us that most of the time we feel God outside of church. We see God in people who need our help. We learn about God from people who challenge us.

And we find God even when we are tired and just want to be alone.

Sunday Reflection – September 1, 2024

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Tradition vs. God’s expectations

Mark 7 Some Pharisees and several teachers of the Law of Moses from Jerusalem came and gathered around Jesus. 2 They noticed that some of his disciples ate without first washing their hands.

3 The Pharisees and many others obey the teachings of their ancestors. They always wash their hands in the proper way before eating. 4 None of them will eat anything they buy in the market until it is washed. They also follow a lot of other teachings, such as washing cups, pitchers, and bowls.

5 The Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? Why do they eat without washing their hands?”

6  Jesus replied:

You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said,

“All of you praise me
    with your words,
but you never really
    think about me.
7 It is useless for you
    to worship me,
when you teach rules
    made up by humans.”

8 You disobey God’s commands in order to obey what humans have taught.

14 Jesus called the crowd together again and said, “Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. 15 The food that you put into your mouth doesn’t make you unclean and unfit to worship God.”

21 Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, 22 unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. 23 All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God.

Kids Korner: Who makes the rules? (September 1st)

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Read Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 with your family.

People have a lot of ideas about how we are supposed to behave as religious people. Dress nice. Be kind even when people are hurting us. Never say bad words. Do what the adults say even when it doesn’t make sense.

But Jesus never told us to do any of that.

In this story we are reminded that all of those rules were created by other people, not by God. God only asked us to love each other and take care of each other.

There are two kinds of rules: those that make the world better for others, and those meant to control other people. The church and many adults usually put too much attention on the rules of control and forget the rules of God.

God wants us to take care of each other, so some of God’s rules are: don’t hurt people, feed people when they are hungry, make people feel better when they are sad, and make sure people have safe places to live.

God’s rules are not about control. God’s rules are about loving our neighbours.

Sunday Reflection – July 21, 2024

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People flock to Jesus

Mark 6 30 After the apostles returned to Jesus, they told him everything they had done and taught. 31 But so many people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest.” 32 They left in a boat for a place where they could be alone. 33 But many people saw them leave and figured out where they were going. So people from every town ran on ahead and got there first.

34  When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He felt sorry for the people and started teaching them many things.

53 Jesus and his disciples crossed the lake and brought the boat to shore near the town of Gennesaret. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus. 55 So they ran all over that part of the country to bring their sick people to him on mats. They brought them each time they heard where he was. 56 In every village or farm or marketplace where Jesus went, the people brought their sick to him. They begged him to let them just touch his clothes, and everyone who did was healed.

This is the shore in Dalhousie, NB where I recorded the children’s story.

Kids Korner: Jesus is popular (July 21st)

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Read Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 with your family.

Usually when people in the church talk about Jesus it is with a serious voice. We talk about belief and heaven and how to behave.

But the people who knew Jesus, who met Jesus were not concerned about those things, and they didn’t always talk with a serious voice. Sometimes they spoke with a desperate voice because they wanted what Jesus was teaching and they wanted healing for their bodies and their hearts.

This story talks about how popular Jesus was and how people never left him alone. He was the person who told them they were worth a lot to God, because they weren’t getting that message from other places. He was the one who told them how to live out God’s love so others could feel it too.

The great thing about the message of Love that Jesus shared is that the same message attracts people today. We have to stop talking about belief when we tell people about God, and start talking to them like Jesus did, taking about love and acceptance.

The people of today need to hear that message just as much as the people did 2000 years ago.

This is the shoreline where the story this morning was recorded. Special thanks to my Brynn and Esther for helping with the dolls.

Sunday Reflection – July 14, 2024

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Jesus’ message accepted by strangers but not family friends

Mark 6 14  Jesus became so well-known that Herod the ruler heard about him. Some people thought he was John the Baptist, who had come back to life with the power to work miracles. 15 Others thought he was Elijah or some other prophet who had lived long ago. 16 But when Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “This must be John! I had his head cut off, and now he has come back to life.”

17-18  Herod had earlier married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. But John had told him, “It isn’t right for you to take your brother’s wife!” So, in order to please Herodias, Herod arrested John and put him in prison.

19 Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it 20 because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. He knew that John was a good and holy man. Even though Herod was confused by what John said, he was glad to listen to him. And he often did.

21 Finally, Herodias got her chance when Herod gave a great birthday celebration for himself and invited his officials, his army officers, and the leaders of Galilee. 22 The daughter of Herodias came in and danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased them so much that Herod said, “Ask for anything, and it’s yours! 23 I swear that I will give you as much as half of my kingdom, if you want it.”

24 The girl left and asked her mother, “What do you think I should ask for?”

Her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist!”

25 The girl hurried back and told Herod, “Here and now on a serving plate I want the head of John the Baptist!”

26 Herod was very sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. 27 At once he ordered a guard to cut off John’s head there in prison. 28 The guard put the head on a serving plate and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother.

29 When John’s followers learned that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.

Sunday Reflection – July 7, 2024

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Jesus’ message accepted by strangers but not family friends

Mark 6 Jesus left and returned to his hometown with his disciples. 2 The next Sabbath he taught in the synagogue. Many of the people who heard him were amazed and asked, “How can he do all this? Where did he get such wisdom and the power to work these miracles? 3 Isn’t he the carpenter, the son of Mary? Aren’t James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Don’t his sisters still live here in our town?” The people were upset because of what he was doing.

4  But Jesus said, “Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their relatives and their own family.” 5 Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them. 6 He was surprised that the people did not have any faith. Jesus taught in all the neighbouring villages. 7 Then he called together his twelve apostles and sent them out two by two with power over evil spirits. 8  He told them, “You may take along a walking stick. But don’t carry food or a traveling bag or any money. 9 It’s all right to wear sandals, but don’t take along a change of clothes. 10 When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town. 11  If any place won’t welcome you or listen to your message, leave and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them.”

12 The apostles left and started telling everyone to turn to God. 13  They forced out many demons and healed a lot of sick people by putting olive oil on them.

Kids Korner: Jesus comes home (July 7th)

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Read Mark 6:1-13 with your family.

It’s great when you have your friends and family and church support you, but not everyone has that experience. Jesus didn’t have that experience.

Jesus visited his mom and his brothers and sisters one time, but the people in the synagogue were not as happy to see him as his family. By then his reputation was known throughout Galilee, and the people who watched him grew up probably thought he was making himself too important.

You see, sometime when we have a very big message to share, like Jesus did, the people who knew us when we were younger forget that we grow up and learn new things. They always think of us as the kid we used to be.

The people around Jesus didn’t realize that no matter how he behaved when he was a child, he was now a grown up and had a special job to do. They didn’t understand Jesus or his job.

So Jesus didn’t waste time trying to convince them or anyone else. He even told his followers not to waste time if they weren’t accepted when they went out to share the message of God.

Some people are ready to hear it when you are ready to tell it. Others are not.