Mark 10:1-12

Since the beginning, God intended for marriage to be monogamous (with one person), heterosexual (of the opposite gender), for life. The way that He made this clear is the way that He designed the first marriage in Eden. Adam met his wife Eve. There was no other woman. God did not place a couple of “back-up plan” women in the garden. He was the designer. He knew the perfect design. He knew what would bring Adam the most joy and satisfaction, and He joined Adam and Eve together.
This argument was the response of Jesus when He was confronted by some truth-twisting, subversion-motivated Pharisees. They had found a topic of division - divorce, and they wanted to cause Jesus to either go against popular opinion or against the Scripture. Jesus didn’t have any problem going against the popular opinion of the divorce-driven culture around Him. Very swiftly, He referenced a few points from scripture to counter the jaded perspective of the Pharisees. The first, we mentioned above, namely, God created man and woman as one couple, for life, no back-up plan. That is God’s view of marriage - permanent.
Jesus went on to give more answers about the divorce question: “Men and women leave their families and cleave to their spouses. God joins them together, no one should try to unjoin that union.” He argues that to dissolve a marriage is to dissolve something that God put together. His point was as follows: it doesn’t matter what culture tells you, Scripture has something very serious to tell you. We should never be in the business of undoing what God has done. It would be foolishness to see God using a Divine adhesive, and for us to respond by trying to remove that glue. Marriage is something that is done by God, not just by two people making promises. When those two seek to get a divorce, they are not just seeking to undo their own work, they are seeking to undo the very work of God.
In a divorce laden culture, Jesus was willing to push back against the common perspective, and hold to the perspective that God has in Malachi 2:15-16: “…Let no man deal treacherously with his wife, for I hate the putting away (divorce)…” In essence, God said, “I hate divorce.”
God has a completely different design for marriage than divorce. Often, even in our modern day culture, divorce comes at the expense of God’s perfect design. In 1 Peter 3:7, He tells husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way. In Ephesians 5:25, He tells husbands to love their wives in the self-sacrificing way that Christ loves the church. In Proverbs 18:22, He says that every man that finds a wife finds a “good thing, and favor of the Lord.” God is pleased when marriages are intentional, self-sacrificial, loving, and permanent.

Food For Thought: What are some root problems in marriages that lead to people feeling like divorce is their only option?

Mark 9:30-50

He strides down the sidewalk in his black, tailor-fit, pin-striped suit. With each confident stride, his sparkling, freshly-shined, black leather shoes click on the pavement. His narrow tie is pinned to his shirt, and in his hand is a document that he is reading over. It is a folder that is “confidential” and only for his reading. As he arrives at the awning in front of his building, the doorman stands at attention holding the intricately carved brass handle and with it the monstrous glass door.
As he walks through the lobby, everyone turns to greet him with a cadence of one “Good morning, sir!” after another. After closing the briefing that he is holding, he reaches out and pushes the smooth, golden elevator button, and pauses for a moment to straighten his tie in the reflection made by the black marble that encases the elevator entrance.
He is the epitome of greatness in this culture. He is in his building. He is headed up to his office. He has arrived. He has not just physically arrived to his building, but rather socially, financially, and mentally. He has reached a new plateau of “great.” He is “great.” He is a different breed than the low-lifes. He has made himself into something worth being impressed with. He has become something worth worshipping. He is big stuff, and he isn’t afraid to acknowledge that. It took hard work. It took late nights. It took exhaustion and risk. But now, he is on top of the world, and everyone else can grovel at his feet.
But this is just culture’s perception of great. It is how the world defines great. Mark 9 tells us that Jesus had a different definition of what made someone great. While culture says “It’s all about you,” Jesus says, “It’s not about you.” While culture says “Everybody is there to serve you,” Jesus says “you are there to serve others.” While culture says, “You are as important as what you own,” Jesus says in Luke 12, “A man’s life is not valued by the abundance of things which he possesses.” Greatness to the world is you making much of you. True, Christ-like, biblical greatness, however, is you making much of others and serving them. Jesus doesn’t tell His disciples to not pursue greatness; He just helps them to see that the type of greatness that they are pursuing is completely wrong. Furthermore, He lovingly leads them in this newly understood greatness, and fully demonstrates what a life of greatness looks like by being the greatest servant of all.

Food For Thought: According to His definition of greatness, how was Jesus the “greatest” of any man that ever lived? Read Philippians 2:5-11 for help.

Mark 9:14-29

The crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle. Jesus, James, John and Peter had come back to the town where the other disciples were staying. The scribes were engaged in a heated conversation with the disciples as Jesus approached the crowd.
“What do you want with my disciples?” Jesus asked.
The One who could hear the thoughts of men’s hearts was not asking for His own benefit, but for to lead them into the truth. The first step to getting help from Jesus is to admit the problem.
“Jesus, this boy has a devastating spirit in him. And your disciples couldn’t cast it out.” The response was one part explanation, and another part under-handed accusation.
Looking to the boy’s father, Jesus asked, “How long has this been happening?”
“Since he was a small child, the spirit has tried to kill my son. Often he leaps into fires to die, or into any water he can find so that he will drown. Jesus, please have compassion on us.” The father’s plea was not just for the boy, but for himself.
Jesus’ answer was simple, “Believe.”
In a moment that would have ripped your heart out, the beleaguered and overwhelmed father cried out, “LORD, I believe!!! Help thou mine unbelief!!” In essence, he was saying,” Jesus I have a faith in you, please give me more faith, that I can trust more fully in you.”
Jesus rebuked the spirit. As it left the young man’s body, Mark said it “rent him sore,” which basically means that it contorted and convulsed him to such a degree that everyone thought it had killed him. Jesus lovingly reached down and helped the young man up off the ground.
What had happened? In order for the saving work to be accomplished, the man had to believe. Beyond that, we see that there was a level of faith that even admitted it didn’t feel like it believed enough, pointing to the idea that Jesus could help him believe even more.
Looking to Jesus as our Savior from our sin, we must believe what He has done, and then place our faith in His accomplishment for us. Where our faith falls short, we, like this father, must cry out to Jesus, “Jesus, I believe! Help my unbelief!” He doesn’t shame those who come in faith. He accepts and loves them. He saves them from the wrath of God.

Food For Thought: Read Ephesians 2:8-9. According to these verses, what is “the gift of God” that brings men to salvation?

Mark 9:1-13

Mesmerized by the indescribable sights that they were beholding, James, John, and Peter looked on in wonder. The night had turned to the unbelievable and unexpected. These three close friends and disciples of Jesus had followed Him up the mountain that evening. At the top, something unfathomable had happened. They were joined by two more men: Elijah and Moses.
In Jewish culture, if there were two figures that were idolized and adored, it was these two men. It was Moses whom God had chosen to lead the Jewish nation out of its Egyptian bondage. God had later revealed Himself to Moses through the giving of the Torah, the five law books. Moses had become the equivalent embodiment, historically and religiously speaking, of God’s communicated Word to His people. It would have been overwhelming enough to be on the crisp, night mountain with Jesus and Moses, but they were also joined by Elijah. Elijah (‘Elias’ as he is called here in Mark) had been the father of the prophets. It was Elijah who had prayed that rain would stop, and God had closed the skies for three years, devastating the unrepentant, idolatrous nation. It was Elijah who, after three years of famine, prayed to God and saw a nation showered with the raindrops of blessing.
These two were iconic. They were the voices of God. The Law and the Prophets were the revealed word of God to all of His people. Now, Peter, James, and John looked on in wonder as these two giants of the faith spoke to their teacher, Jesus. As they watched, a cloud descended and covered the group. Perhaps the disciples were contemplating the effectiveness of what Jesus’ ministry would be like now that Jesus could have Elijah and Moses as His wingmen. The mouths of the Pharisees could be stopped. The jaws of the scribes would drop when Jesus, Moses, and Elijah would show up in the temple.
But this was not the point of this meeting. Jesus was not recruiting new wingmen. According to John 5, Moses and Elijah were already agreeing with Him. Like Matthew 5 says, Jesus would fulfill all the things that Elijah and Moses had said. Suddenly, the voice of God spoke out of the cloud to the disciples, “This is my beloved Son: hear Him.” The ancient voices of Moses and Elijah had stood in that place, but now God was telling the disciples that the voice that they needed to listen to was that of Jesus, His son. This was a monumental day. There was an importance to the message of Jesus. God had given His divine confirmation of important things that night: 1) Jesus was truly God’s Son as God had already articulated in Mark 1:11, 2) The words of Jesus were vitally important.
It would ultimately be those words that would offer salvation to the world. Through His life, death, resurrection, and then through the power of His word He brought hope to the fallen world. He was here to banish sin, and to heal the broken. It would become very important that all of mankind hear His voice.

Food For Thought: Read John 5:39-47. What did Jesus say about the teachings of Moses in regards to Himself?

Mark 8:22-38

Having spent some time with His disciples, Jesus had the chance to teach them a theology they had never known nor heard. Whether it was through lecture, or illustration, He had explained that without a doubt, He had been sent by God. He had made it quite clear whether they had listened or not, that He was not a run of the mill rabbi. He was not just another teacher to add to the list of special teachers.
Not only through His spoken ministry, but especially through His physical ministry of working miracles, He demonstrated that His power was beyond that of anyone that they had ever heard or seen. No one could heal leprosy. No one could open deaf ears and loosen mute lips. No one could cast out demons. No one could raise people from the dead. No one could turn a few loaves and fishes into a catered meal for thousands. No one could stand on the boat during a midnight storm and speak to it like it was a mischievous child, and have it obey His voice. No one except this One.
He was different than anyone who had come before. Those that were closest to Him saw all of this. This is why when Jesus turns to His disciples and asks who they thought He was, Peter didn’t hesitate for a second, “You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Special One Who will set us free.” And Jesus was. There wasn’t a streak of doubt in Peter. Jesus was Christ. There was no one with more faith than Peter. As 1 John 1 says, “we held Him with our hands, we saw Him with our eyes, we heard His voice with our ears.” This Jesus was the One sent from God.
This truth makes what happens next even more difficult to believe. After confirming that Peter was correct and that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus went on to tell His disciples that He needed to go into Jerusalem and be murdered by the hateful Jewish leaders. At this Peter “rebuked” Him. Peter didn’t want a Messiah that was going to die. He wanted a Christ that would never die.
In an instant, Jesus squared off with Peter and rebuked him. “Peter you don’t like the things of God, you favor the things that men hold dear.” Peter truly thought that Jesus’ death would impede His “Christ-ness.” Peter would later find out that it was only through Jesus’ sacrificial atoning death that Jesus could truly be the saving Messiah of the world.

Food For Thought: Read Romans 3:23-26. What reason does Paul give for Jesus, the Christ, having to die?

2013 Missions Emphasis Week, Part 5

Geddie sought, too, to train converts to go forth as Christian teachers and evangelists. After years of patient seed-sowing and cultivation, the missionary began to reap some precious sheaves. From the first he taught the converts that they were saved to win others. Reinforcing his teaching with action, he took them with him on his weekly tours through the island and encouraged them to witness for their Lord to their countrymen.
He taught all his converts to read and love the Word of God. As they developed in the Christian life, he imparted to them his vision of evangelizing the teeming populations of other islands. Scores of them volunteered in the spirit of Isaiah, "Here am I, send me!" and went forth to hazard their lives for Christ on other dark islands. Many of them "loved not their lives even unto death" and perished as martyrs on a foreign shore. Only eternity will reveal the full story of the magnificent heroism of these humble men and women who, like their beloved missionary, impelled by the love of Christ, went forth to labor, suffer and die, sustained by the presence of their Lord and soothed by the assurance that some day the seeds they had sown would be blessed of God to produce a harvest of precious souls.
He journeyed often to other islands. In response to Geddie's ardent plea, friends in Canada and Scotland raised a large sum of money and provided him with a vessel. In this, and sometimes in other vessels, he made extensive journeys through the New Hebrides, New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands. He settled new workers on various islands and encouraged those already settled. His view of the importance of native workers is thus indicated: "Native agents, under the judicious direction of right-hearted missionaries, will yet accomplish a great work on this and neighboring isles of the sea." He never landed any teachers unless the chiefs solemnly promised to protect them and assist them. Despite these precautions, many of the workers suffered severe privations and died violent deaths. Many others were victims of the ravages of disease. As some fell, others were always ready to take their places and, after years of toil in the night, the dawn began to break on some dark islands.
Natives from other islands were encouraged to visit Aneiteum. Years of labor and prayer brought an amazing transformation on the island. Let Geddie's Journal speak: "For many months after our arrival almost every day brought some new act of theft to light, and altogether we lost property to a considerable amount; but now locks and keys are entirely useless. The natives who attended our Sabbath meetings used to come with their clubs and spears and painted visages; but now we seldom see a weapon on the Sabbath day, and the habit of painting is falling into disuse. I have seen the day when a man who wore a garment was the sport of others, but now every rag in the community is in requisition on the Sabbath day. All this were nothing, however, except as evidence of a change of heart wrought by the Spirit of God." It was a day of rejoicing and thanksgiving when the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was first observed. "This is the first time," says Geddie in a letter, "that the Redeemer's love has been celebrated in this dark land. Oh! that the time may soon arrive when many more of its dark and degraded inhabitants shall join us in this ordinance of love."
Not long after he settled on Aneiteum, Geddie wrote in his Journal, February 9, 1849: "In the darkness, degradation, pollution and misery that surrounds me, I will look forward in the vision of faith to the time when some of these poor islanders will unite in the triumphant song of ransomed souls, 'Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.'"
This was the text that captivated his heart.
This was the text that animated his labors.
This was the text that irradiated all his days.The life of John Geddie and his monumental accomplishments in Eastern Melanesia, especially on Aneiteum, constitute an everlasting memorial to the power of the love of Christ to transform savages into saints and the abodes of barbarism into a possession of the Lord.

This biography has been used by permission of http://wholesomewords.org/. It is an excerpt from Blazing the Missionary Trail by Eugene Myers Harrison. Chicago, Ill.: Scripture Press Book Division, ©1949.

2013 Missions Emphasis Week, Part 4

John Geddie conceived of himself as being on a campaign of conquest for his Lord. Aneiteum was his base of operations, while his parish extended across the vast reaches of Eastern Melanesia with its multitudinous isles. He evolved a five-fold strategy of conquest commensurate with his objective.
Prominent in his thinking was the recruitment of new missionaries. He sent fervent pleas for missionary reinforcements to the Presbyterians of Canada and Scotland and to the London Missionary Society. For years he labored on alone, but eventually other missionaries came to help possess the land. The most eminent of these was John G. Paton.
Geddie worked diligently for the evangelization of the home base. By means of schools, personal conversations and itinerating tours through the island, he was unremitting in his endeavors to win the Aneiteumese. There were many obstacles, many trials, many perils.
Very few attended school at first and these irregularly. Having no comprehension of the value of learning to read and write, many said to him, "How much will you pay me to come and study?" The severest heartaches came when his children, one after another, had to be sent to the homeland for their education and when little Alexander, three years old, sickened and died. As Geddie went through the forests and over the mountains on his evangelistic tours, numerous attempts were made to kill him. Stones, clubs and spears were hurled at him, and several times he was injured. But he kept on telling of the Redeemer's love and exemplifying it in his actions.
From time immemorial war had been the rule in that barbarous realm and peace the exception. This was a great impediment to missionary operations. But Geddie observed one mitigating peculiarity. In the year 1850 he wrote: "During a war on this island they never interfere with the women and children. This is almost more than we could have looked for among savages." Is this not an indictment against the so-called civilized Twentieth Century with its indiscriminate bombing and its threat of future atomic warfare?
One day Geddie came upon a group of women wailing piteously and rubbing a man's corpse with broken leaves. Some were pulling their hair and shrieking violently. The man's widow, an attractive young girl, sat near by expecting to be strangled. Geddie said, "This woman must not be killed," and started leading her from the scene. Immediately some men assaulted him, knocked him to the ground and seized the young widow. While some of the women held down the girl's arms and legs the men proceeded to strangle her. When Geddie again tried to intervene, men with clubs drove him away. The murderous deed was by this time completed. Knowing that the savages were infuriated and that he was further risking his life, he warmly told the people of the foul darkness of their deed. "According to our custom and belief, this is right. Be gone before we kill you!" they shouted. Then he began to tell them of that wondrous love which led the Son of God to give up the praise of the angels for the mockery of men, to exchange the diadem of the ages for a crown of thorns, and to die on the cross that the dark-hearted sinners of earth might be changed and received at last into the heavenly home. As he spoke, clubs were lowered and the people became wistfully attentive, for there is something even in a savage breast that responds to the story of the Saviour's suffering love.

This biography has been used by permission of http://wholesomewords.org/. It is an excerpt from Blazing the Missionary Trail by Eugene Myers Harrison. Chicago, Ill.: Scripture Press Book Division, ©1949.