Tag: Gospel of Mark

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“All Things Are Possible For God”

Jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With Love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Mark 10:17-30. MK 10:17-30 

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? 
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.” 
He replied and said to him,
“Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!” 
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
“Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
“Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. 
All things are possible for God.” 
Peter began to say to him,
“We have given up everything and followed you.” 
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Achieving Salvation is beyond human competence, wealth and power, and depends solely on the Goodness Of God, who offers it as a gift. Entry into New Life is not  a matter of merit. What eventually is a matter of Divine Grace, entrance into God’s reign, is impossible for anyone who banks on their own resources. 

Those who give up everything will be rewarded, both in the present life and in the age to come. [see reference] 

Ask God for assistance in any matter of the heart, or situation. All things are possible for God, including eternal salvation. 

Reference: Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word 2018.

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“Let the Children Come To Me”

Jesus 2

The angels asked me awhile back to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Mark 10:2-16  MK 10:2-16 

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” 
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” 
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment. 
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh. 
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.” 
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. 
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these. 
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A very powerful reminder of the Divine Purpose of Marriage, and that the monogamous marriage is the ideal union. Divorce is like a “ripping of flesh”  as the two “become one flesh,” as well as being instituted as a concession of weakness. However, God’s Mercy extends to those who come to come and those who come to His Son , Jesus Christ with any weakness. God reminds us that the Sacrament of Marriage is a Grace and Divinely orchestrated. [see reference] 

Marriage also extends to the church, which is all of us, and that the church is the Bride of Christ. In union with Jesus, we can all enjoy Spiritual Communion and oneness in the Lord. Whereas separation causes “tearing”in the heart of the Lord- a “ripping of flesh”. Continuing to come to Jesus and to God, will not only increase communion in the Lord, but strengthens the church of God, and embraces us in the Heart of Christ Jesus, which is life for us all as the “body of Christ”. 

Children are so very loved in Heaven, by Jesus and God and his angels. God Loves everyone, and is welcoming us all to Him more often; asking us to not exclude anyone from coming to His Son, who loves all of us as one body. Children are also part of our domestic church, which is  the family home, where we first learn of God and His Son.  The angels say, “Love those around you.” 

Assisted with the angels 

Reference: Workbook for Lectors and Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word 2018
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“For Whoever is Not Against Us is For Us…”

Jesus 2

The angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With Love and gratitude, here is Gospel of Mark 9:38-43,54,47-48  MK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

At that time, John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ, 
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus welcomes everyone to him, and asks us to ask for him always; and to come before the Heavenly Father in his name for anything. This goes for anyone and any belief, race, walk, or religion- in this Jesus shows no partiality for those who call upon or ask in his name. He only asks us to trust in him, as we trust in the Heavenly Father; to love the Father as he does and to love each other as he loves us. His Peace and Love is available for everyone who asks of him. 

Additionally included, in the physical, there are times when a foot or a leg must be cut off from the body to ensure the health of a physical body. Jesus adds that it would better to cut off a member of the body that causes sin, than to go into the unquenchable fire. It would be far easier to cut any sin from our midst or lifestyle – than it would be to dismember a body part. Yet Jesus is stressing the absolute Truth that sin must be cut off. It is through Jesus that we are reconciled to the Heavenly Father, who suffered greatly so that we can be reconciled upon immediate and holy repentance to the Heavenly Father, who loves us;  and wants us to come to Him for immediate reconciliation. We can trust in His Perfect and Divine Mercy. 

Guided with the angels 

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“He Began To Teach Them Many Things”

Compassion of Jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospel Readings. WIth love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Mark 6:30-34. MK 6:30-34

The apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught. 
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat. 
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. 
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus guides us all in his teachings, as a shepherd would his sheep. When sheep hear their shepherd’s voice, they know him- and he knows them. In the same way, Jesus calls us to Him and asks us to listen to his Word, which contains life, and nourishes, strengthens, and guides our hearts. Like a good shepherd, he does not wish for any of his sheep to be lost. Jesus knows and loves every one of us (His Kingdom), and staying close to him will always bring us to greener pastures. 

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“To What Shall We Compare the Kingdom of God”

lord-jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. WIth Love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Mark 4:26-34. MK 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”

He said,
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Jesus is speaking of the bounty of God and God’s works, which are alive and within us, around us and among us now.  Think of an apple tree, which in the physical, bears many apples, and within each apple are many seeds. Each of those seeds will plant another tree, which will grow many more fruits, creating more bounty. In the spiritual, a seed to be sown is the Word of God, or sowing Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge or Love. The seed of Love can harvest a full hundred-fold bounty of Love. If even one seed of love is sown, this Love will continue to grow and reap many harvests. When God speaks His Word over something, God’s Word goes before Him abundantly and reaps a harvest no man can count. God’s Works are bountiful and abundant in God’s Divine Nature and when we sow God’s seed, or witness His Works before others, this glorifies Him. The Kingdom of God, is unlike any other, and is what God continues to embrace us in. 

 

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“Whoever Does the Will of God is My Brother, Sister and Mother”

Jesus 2

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Mark 3: 31-35.

His mother and his brothers arrived.
Standing outside they sent word to him and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus loves us all very much and includes all who do the WIll of God as His family and joint heirs. Jesus oversees the Earth, the Kingdom of God, the Universe and stands at the Right Hand of God in Heaven; overseeing all whom he loves. 

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The Ascension of the Lord

Jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. WIth love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Mark 16:15-20.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

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