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Twist family Bible study: the Gospel of Mark
Wayne:
Hey Artiste! Hope you're feeling better soon !! :-\ :-X
So far I don't think I've seen anything specific to homosexuality ??? :o Isn't that what the Bible is supposed to be about ?!? :laugh: ;)
There have been some phrases about adultery and divorce. But if you can't get married, I reckon you can't get divorced...
I suspect even the divorce issue may not have been a primary concern of Jesus's. It was the Pharisees who brought it up, not Jesus, and they may have brought it up in hopes of trapping him. Remember that the reason John the Baptist was beheaded was for criticizing Herod's wife because she was divorced.
Wayne:
:D We're getting some rain here in the southeast. Very happy about that. :)
Wayne:
:D OK now, Mark chapter 10. Up to now, Jesus and his disciples have spent most of their time in Galilee, Jesus's home province in the north. They also went over to Lebanon even farther north on the Mediterranean coast.
Galilee was sort of the New Jersey of the time. Now Jesus is going south to Judea, with Jerusalem which was the center of life for the Jews. The Pharisees confront him there with questions about divorce. Mark says they are trying to trick Jesus into making some statement that will offend the authorities. Remember that John the Baptist was beheaded because he did not approve of Herod marrying a divorced woman (worse yet, his own brother's ex... ::) )
Jesus deftly avoids them noting that the law of Moses allowed for divorce, even though in a perfect world it would be nice if it could be avoided.
Wayne:
Next, people are bringing their children to Jesus for his blessing, but the disciples are turning them away.
Jesus gets annoyed with the disciples and says "whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
This could be taken as a paradigm shift from the model of the time that relied on observing a complex system of rules.
It sounds to me like he's saying lighten up, be yourself, walk through your imagination into the world we really want to live in.
Wayne:
A man who is interested in Jesus's message asks him what he must do to obtain eternal life.
Jesus tells him to sell everything he owns, give it to the poor, and follow him. The man goes away very sad.
Jesus tells his disciples that it is harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven. The disciples wonder who can get into heaven at all then. ???
Jesus says with God all things are possible.
This seems to be among the earliest scanty details about eternal life and heaven. Up to now Mark's descriptions seem to focus more on earthly physical and mental healing.
Is Jesus more focused on the here and now, while the culture around him is trying to define methods to obtain eternal life?
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