Israel has lived in a fantasy land where they imagine God is on their side but they have actually broken covenant with him. Eli’s family have lived in a fantasy land where they think they are successful but they are
Empty pockets, dusty feet
Now homeless, Jesus sees that it’s time to increase the reach of his mission. He sends out his 12 disciples two-by-two to battle with unclean spirits. It’s a sign that as king he will win the greatest victory of all:
Homeward bound
Going home is not always easy. Jesus certainly finds this to be true, though he’s still willing to make the trip. His previous reaction to his family in chapter 3 appears to have a set a stage in which the
Time to get up
Two stories twist into each other here. One is of the terminally ill young daughter of an important local official. The other of a woman in great need, hidden within the crowd. Jesus pauses from the former to heal the
Mark’s gospel
Mark wrote his gospel in the 1st century AD, probably based on his work assisting the apostle Peter. It reliably announces Jesus as God’s king to whom all must respond. It can be trusted to tell us the core of
Witnessing and evangelising
There are events which shape history; Stephen’s appearance and death fit into that category. He triggers a personal turmoil for Saul, a young (Ac 7:58), law-keeping, studious (Ph 3:4-6) and rich (Ph 4:12) council member (Ac 26:10) who is left