Religious fashion (Mark 7)

 

You get rid of God's command so you won't be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions.

 

People follow religious fads in any times that make them pleased like fantasy.

They want god to make them comfortable.

Sometimes they want god to deliver what they desire.

They always want to take pleasure in playing freely without feeling guilty.

They just use God as a cover for attaining whatever suits their fancy.

 

People arbitrarily remove the commands of God in order to follow those religious fashions.

In the absence of the great command (love), only meaningless norms and religious regulations remain, which produced by people.

The cumbersome things bind people within the framework of religion.

Where the Commandments of God purifying us are removed, only filthy things remain. 

 

 Jesus hates the big show of the religion that ignores the truth.

God's perspective (Mark 6)

 

They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.

 

It is very important to have an unbiased viewpoint toward the world with humbleness and mercy. Wrong values governed by little experiences and closed mind, prevent us from recognizing the truth as it is. 

 

The people of Jesus' hometown did not admit Jesus as a messiah due to prejudice. To them, Jesus was just a carpenter and the son of Mary. They have known Jesus since he was a kid. They stumbled upon the arrogance they knew well. Jesus Christ was right next to them, but they never knew it. 

 

                           "Jesus is the reality of God being with us"

 

We too often stumble over what we think we know well. Prejudice, hasty judgment, distorted point, and inner greed, lead our judgments to the wrong way. Jesus is the reality of God being with us (Immanuel). The creatures of earth and heaven have proven that, and the Holy Spirit in my mind has proven that. Human history has proven that, and countless people of faith have proven that. 

 

Eternal life on earth is a practice to look at the world with God's perspective.

Distorted freedom (Mark 5)

 

Jesus asked him, "Tell me your name."

 

A man having an evil spirit came to Jesus in the territory of Gerasa. Nobody could control him. Day and night, he kept wandering and hurting himself. He recognized Jesus, refused to change and begged Jesus not to punish himself. It was the beginning of salvation that Jesus asked him his name. He confessed his identity to Jesus and, through the sacrifice of a large herd of pigs, attained a normal state of spirit and prayed to be with Jesus. Jesus ordered him to go home and tell his story how Jesus had mercy on him. 

 

We long for distorted freedom. We want to roam freely day and night without being restrained. Satans tempt us to be free like the God. They make us believe that there are no Satans in the world (CS Lewis).  But the distorted freedom only hurts our body and soul.  

 

                       "We need courage of confession"

 

Salvation begins with confessing our weakness before Jesus.  If we have the courage of confession, Jesus saves us at any sacrifice. Then, we should go and tell our story of salvation.

Focus into GOD (Mark 4)

 

You've been given insight into God's kingdom - you know how it works (Mark 4:11).

 

We receive the Word of Truth through eyes and ears. Sometimes we keep on seeing but not perceive, and we keep on hearing but not understand. Although the Word is given to you, it is of no use if you do not accept and understand it. Having prejudice or arrogance in mind make us distort the truth. 

 

 If you are full of egocentric thinking, you will accept only what is good for you. The Satan tempts me to be the center of the world. It teaches me that I must take higher position and get stronger than others for the many things to accomplish and enjoy. However, that is my false self. 

 

            "only by relying on the God's omnipotence"

 

In order for our heart to become the fertile soil where the Word can take root well, we must change the focus into the God. You need to calm down your distracted mind running for the achievement and success of the world. The completion of my true self can begin only by relying on the God's omnipotence.

Heartless religion (Mark 3)

 

He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. (Mark 3:5)

 

Religious person shares positive mindset and peace with neighbor. High moral standard and unity of community are achieved through it. For us who believe in GOD, these achievements should be given priority above all. However, these valuable things are easily ignored due to meaningless formalities and many norms of the Law. Lots of regulations concerning the Sabbath made its original meaning obscured.  

 

Jesus' healing on the Sabbath was a direct challenge against the perverted Jewish society. Religious leaders denounced Jesus' healing. Jesus criticized the distorted Commandments and called it heartless or hard-nosed religion as a result of doing evil on the Sabbath although they were given to keep the Sabbath day holy. 

 

These heartless religions have been the causes of countless conflicts in human history. When the gods they believe in were abnormally overvalued, they violently criticized and oppressed the others. 

 

           "Act justly, Walk Humbly and Love Mercy" (Micah 6:8)

 

 GOD's worth ​​must be upheld by those who know that, but at the same time, when acting justly, walking humbly and loving mercy are accompanied, the true worth ​​is clearly revealed to the world.

Reasons Jesus came (Mark 2)

 

I'm here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit (Mark 2:17).

 

Prejudice prevents us from approaching the truth. Prejudice prevents us from accepting Jesus Christ. Pretending to be holy and to be righteous are the results of image distortions made by religious people.  

 

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has the power to forgive sins and the power to heal diseases. He came to save sinners. Walking with him is a feast. However, religious prejudice leads people to perceive all of these in the wrong way. It makes them reject Jesus' forgiveness of sins and makes them think that joining to Jesus' life is unlawful. The legalism of Jewish society condemned Jesus to be deserving of death with blasphemy.  

 

            "The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath"

 

Jesus has come to fulfill the Commandment and the Kingdom of God. The Sabbath and the Commandment were but shadows. Religious prejudice locks people in a narrow frame of time and space. The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath, and people must enjoy the freedom under God's reign. However, most of them have a hard time keeping the strict regulation of the Sabbath. They become swayed by habitual religious events. 

 

All mankind are immersed in the very things of which Jesus caution to beware.

Change in life (Mark 1)

 

I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism will change you from the inside out (Mark1:8).

 

 

A complete change in life begins with encountering Jesus Christ, which means understanding his life and learning his point of view.  

 

Jesus loved people. His confident speech deeply moved people. Even the demons recognized Jesus' heavenly authority. People oppressed by the power of sin are spending their energy on vain things due to the fear of death. They think they can free from the fear by taking high-ranked positions and by owning a lot of properties, but all in vains. 

 

           "The knowledge of God is the foundation of wisdom"

 

People want to take other's things and live comfortably by fulfilling their wishes, but the more they have, the more they want. Breaking out of this wrong way is a turning point of life change and the beginning of meeting Jesus.The knowledge of God is the foundation of wisdom and the most valuable work.