The Greatest Commandment

28One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question. (Mark 12:28-34, NRSV)

Love God and love neighbor. There is nothing above this. We can do all of the good deeds and sacrifice as many animals as we want but none of that matters. All that matters is you love God and neighbor.

Do you love God and neighbor?

Debate on Resurrection

18Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, 19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ‘if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ 20There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; 21and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; 22none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. 23In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.” 24Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? 25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.” (Mark 12:18-27, NRSV)

Sometimes we get so hung up on the rules we miss the real thing. God is the God of the living not the dead, so even when we die we go on living.

We are so hung up on getting things right we miss the people for the person doing something we don’t like.

Let us love as God loved us, picked us up when God couldn’t stand to look at us or be with us and loved us.

Love.

Taxes to the Emporer

13Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” 16And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” 17Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him. (Mark 12:13-17, NRSV)

Why do we put God to the test?

We hear what God wants us to do and we balk and question. We don’t want to do what God asked us or is sending us to do.

We try to get out of it or figure a way to make it different.

But everything we have is God’s and we should give it back as it was given. And follow where we are led and know that God is always with us.

The Chief Cornerstone

21I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
(Psalm 118:21-26, NRSV)

Today is a gift from God and we should rejoice and be glad God has given it to us.

Let us be glad for another rotation of the earth we get to participate in and let us share God’s love in everything we do.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Then he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 2When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. 3But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. 5Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. 6He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10Have you not read this scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?” 12When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away. 13Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” 16And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” 17Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him. (Mark 12:1-17, NRSV)

Give to the emperor what is the emperor’s and give to God what is God’s. Interesting line when we get confused with what is ours and what is God’s.

But the story of the vineyard makes no sense with the tenants beating and killing the servants of the land owner because he is wanting his portion but then it really goes off the deep end with them killing the son so the inheritance of the vineyard would be theirs. Really? Is that how an inheritance works? If I kill the one who would inherit then I get the inheritance? Doesn’t make sense. But isn’t that really how we all work?

We think everything we have is ours and we shouldn’t pay taxes or give anything to God. But God gifted us and gave us the skills to get what we have so technically everything we have is God’s.

So we need to give to the emperor what is the emperor’s and what to God is God’s.

A Question of Authority

27Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him 28and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” 29Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.” 31They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?” —they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. 33So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” (Mark 11:27-33, NRSV)

When you worry about the answer and how the person will react or what answer they want that is when problems come. We need to speak the truth, in love, and know that is the correct answer regardless of the reaction. We can only control ourselves.

Jesus knew they wanted to catch Him so He asked a question which made them wonder the right answer.

So where did the Baptism of Johnncome from?

And what did you do about it?

The Power of Prayer

20In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. 24So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:20-25, NRSV)

If you say to this mountain be taken up and thrown in the sea and you believe it it will happen. Is this a statement of our lack of faith?

Because then Jesus goes on to say whatever you ask in prayer believe that you have received it and it will be yours. Again is this a statement of our lack of faith?

I have asked for things in prayer and never got them. I never asked a mountain to move but I know it wouldn’t. Does that mean I don’t believe? I believe Jesus died for me and for all of us.

So where does that leave us?

It leaves us with the last sentence, forgive if you have anything against another so God can forgive you. God forgave you when you are didn’t deserve it, we have to forgive for our sanity and for God.

We need to spread love. And don’t worry about not believing. Have faith and trust that God always loves you.

A Fig Tree and the Temple

12On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. 15Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; 16and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?
But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 19And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. (Mark 11:12-19, NRSV)

We should not be doing business with others to make more than we should. Jesus says the house of God is a house of prayer and it has become a den of thieves because those in the temple doing business so others can have what they need to worship were taking advantage of people and charging more than was necessary.

As Christians and followers of Jesus we should charge what is needed and not take advantage of others. We need to help all in need and work for the betterment of the kingdom.

Live in the love Jesus gave you.

Blind Beggar at Roadside

46They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:46-52, NRSV)

What would you say if Jesus asked you, “What do you want me to do for you?”

For Bartimaeus it was easy, he wanted to see again. But what would you ask Jesus for?

We are all beggars on the roadside and we all need help, but are you willing to admit the help you need?

What would you aks Jesus for?

Disciples don’t get it…

35James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 37And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:35-45, NRSV)

Being a follower of Jesus is not about what we get for it.

We do not completely know what we ask, like when Jesus asked James and John if they can drink from the cup He is going to drink, which means His death, and they say yes, because they don’t get it. And neither do we. If we knew everything that was going to happen in our lives most of us would give up long before we get any where near the end. God promises to always walk with us and guide us along our journey. And our job is to believe and follow. And know that while we may not understand everything, there is a plan and it will be ok.

Follow after God and Jesus not for what you will get, but for the life you can have now and for the joy you can give to others by giving them what God has given you.

Love always and accept people where they are, because that is what God has done and is doing for you!