April 9

Mark 3:1-19 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:

Journal Entry

Scripture

5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. 9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. 11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

Observation

Today’s passage points out contrasting behaviors and attitudes of two very different groups of people toward Jesus. The first group was the Pharisees who were well educated in God’s laws and commandments who should have recognized Jesus as God’s son and their savior but refused to do so because of their pride, greed, and hardness of the hearts. The second group was ordinary people whose sicknesses were healed because they desperately sought Jesus and truly believed that He would heal them.

Application

Living in comfortable southern California with good church, family, friends and job, it’s difficult to feel desperate for God in many ways. In fact, like the Pharisees, it’s easy to trust in my own abilities and even being prideful in my Bible knowledge to think that I can make it through the day without being dependent on God. I can also become so self centered and content with my own life that I neglect to pay attention to God’s bigger plans and purposes for me. God is convicting me to seek Him more desperately in my prayer life and serving others.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your abundant power that is available to us when we earnestly seek you. May You keep me humble and completely depend on you for everything and not trusting my own abilities and strength. May you cultivate a desperate heart in me to have greater compassion for the lost and genuine love for others. In Jesus name, Amen.

--JL