Saturday

9-Feb

Leviticus 1-3; Ps 18; Mark 3-4

Mark 3: Why did Jesus appoint the twelve disciples? What was Jesus’ family’s reaction when they heard about all of the healing Jesus had done and the crowds who were gathering around Him? What miracles did He perform?

Mark 4: According to Jesus, why did He teach using parables?

Journal Prompt: Which of the parables in today’s reading speaks to you? Which one do you find hard to understand?

Answers:

Mark 3: Jesus healed a man with a withered hand, he healed countless others who merely pressed in to Him,  Unclean spirits fell down before Him He appointed them so that they might be with Him and they might share in His work. His family felt He was ‘out of His mind’ – they tried to interfere.

Mark 4: The parables are given to reveal the secret of the Kingdom of God, but some may not understand because they do not believe – and their hearts are hardened.

Here is a good explanation I read in a commentary from enduring word: A parable isn’t exactly an illustration. A good teacher can illustrate by stating a truth and then illustrating the truth through a story or an analogy. But when Jesus used parables, He didn’t start by stating a truth. Instead, the parable was like a doorway. Jesus’ listeners stood at the doorway and heard Him. If they were not interested, they stayed on the outside. But if they were interested, they could walk through the doorway and think about the truth behind the parable and what it meant to their lives.