WEEK 14: MONDAY DECEMBER 14
SILENCE, STILLNESS, AND CENTERING BEFORE GOD:
As you begin to spend time with God, settle yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable. Take a few deep breaths. Spend a few minutes in silence, becoming aware of God’s presence with you and in you.
READ:
Let your mind settle. Silently read the Scripture for this week: Mark 16.
Read the Scripture again, this time aloud. Listen for a word, phrase, or section that grabs your attention. When you finish, close your eyes. Recall the word or phrase, taking it in and mulling it over. Write down what comes to mind.
REFLECT:
In Mark 16:7, the angel at the tomb tells the women to deliver the news of Jesus’ resurrection to His disciples, and to have them meet Him in Galilee. The only disciple specifically named is Peter. Many commentators believe that God was showing great care towards Peter in this moment, because Peter had denied Jesus three times and was in a deep state of grief and shame as a result. One commentator puts it this way: “To the others, it was of little importance that his name should have been named then; to [Peter], it was life from the dead, that he should have been singled out to receive a word of forgiveness and a summons to meet his Lord; as if [Jesus] had said through His angel messengers, ‘I would see them all; but whoever may stay behind, let not [Peter] be absent from our glad meeting again’.” (MacLaren) What does it mean to you that in the midst of the greatest triumph of history, God took the time to meet and bring healing to an individual in his grief and shame?
Mark 16:9-20 is in often either omitted from the book, or left in with an editorial note, because these verses do not appear in some of the earliest manuscripts of Mark. The most likely explanation for their absence is that the author of this book (thought to be John Mark writing down the gospel of the Apostle Peter) ended the book somewhat abruptly at verse 8. As this manuscript was circulated, someone added an additional ending that included details that were expanded upon in other gospels (such as the Great Commission and the Ascension). Therefore, while these verses have a long history of inclusion in this book, they are not necessarily canonical (i.e., the inspired Word of God confirmed by the Holy Spirit and the church). The editors of the ESV Bible put it this way: “Most of its contents are found elsewhere, and no point of doctrine is affected by the absence or presence of v. 9-20. With particular reference to v. 18, there is no command to pick up serpents or to drink deadly poison; there is merely a promise of protection as found in other parts of the New Testament”. It is important to understand these nuances in order to defend the reliability of the Bible. What are some thoughts/questions/revelations you have as you learn about this particular passage and its inclusion in the Bible?
As you reflect on the book of Mark as a whole, remember that two of the main themes are Jesus’ authority and His willingness to suffer to save the lost. What is the picture of Jesus that has emerged from the book of Mark as you have read through it this semester? What have you learned about Him?
PRAY:
Read the Scripture one last time, then stop and listen for who Jesus is inviting you to become or what He is inviting you to do this week. Write down what comes to mind.
Talk with Jesus about it.
PRACTICE:
In this week's practice, we are going to ask God to open our eyes to see him. We want to see parts of our hearts healed. Friends, Jesus is faithful to show us. Let’s walk through this guided prayer time:
Take a second to acknowledge God’s presence with you
Imagine Jesus before you, and pray to him just like the blind beggar “I want to see”.
Continue to pray, asking the Holy Spirit to soften your heart and reveal to you what things in your heart or in your life that you have been blind to.
Once God has placed something on your heart, feel free to write this down in a journal, and to continue to pray through this daily.
Lastly, ask Jesus to align your heart and your thoughts with His, for He is Lord of your life, and thank him for his faithfulness to hear you in your prayer.