Commitment To Care For One Another

Mark 10:2-16 KJV; 20th Sunday after Pentecost; Marriage and raising children include a commitment to care, respect, and love each other.

He Healed Them

Mark 5:21-43 KJV; 6th Sunday after Pentecost; He healed the woman who had been sick for so long and raised the little girl from the dead.

The Gift of The Sabbath For God's People

Mark 2:23-28 KJV; 2nd Sunday after Pentecost; The Sabbath was made for you.

Servants Not Lords

5th Sunday of Lent; 2nd portion of the gospel from the lectionary for today:  Mark 10:35-45 KJV; We are called to serve others.

The Ego Must Die

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10 NRSV)

Let that ego die! Let it die, now!

Jesus did not exalt himself on earth. He humbled himself. He was willing to even suffer death on the cross for our sake. Why should we think that we ought to be more exalted than the one who was willing to give his life that we might live?

St. James wrote:

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:8-10)

It is folly to attempt to exalt ourselves. "He (Jesus) sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.'" (Mark 9:35)

In the end, all of our vain attempts to gain recognition for ourselves will fail us. It is only God who can lift us up. We will be lifted up by His own hand. Remember, too, that when Jesus was lifted up, he was lifted up on the cross. He was exalted through death.

Let that ego die so that you might live more fully in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J