What True Greatness is Really About Jesus and his disciples are on the move again this time heading towards Capernaum the little village along the Sea of Galilee that is home of Peter and Andrew.  Along the way many conversations …

Small Faith, Big God Jesus and his small group of disciples return from their mountaintop excursion to find the remaining disciples engaged in an argument with the Jewish religious leadership over the disciples’ inability to cast out a demon.  But …

The Mountaintop Experience We have now moved into the second half of the Gospel of Mark.  Through the first eight chapters Mark was slowly leading us to discover the true identity of Jesus.  We learn who Jesus is from the …

On the heels of Peter’s remarkable confession that Jesus is the Christ, comes a surprising teaching from Jesus on what it means for him to be the Christ.  Peter may have used the correct term but as we shall see …

After a frustrating encounter with his disciples, Jesus moves on to the Jewish village of Bethsaida where a blind man is brought to him.  Bethsaida, which means “house of the fisher,” is located on the northern shore of the Sea …

The Demands of the Pharisees and the Dullness of the Disciples We have in the course of our study considered some of the objections that critics have raised about the events recorded in Mark.  Skeptical scholars have doubted whether Jesus …

HE HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL Mark moves from Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman to an encounter with a deaf and mute man.  As with the woman, this account takes place in a mostly Gentile region.   However, unlike …

The Crumbs Under the Table Mark moves immediately from a tense encounter with the Pharisees and scribes to Jesus’ “retreat” into the Gentile territory of Tyre and Sidon.  This contrast should not be missed.   Jesus has just rebuked the …

WHAT REALLY DEFILES A PERSON Jesus again is confronted by the Pharisees.  You’ll remember these religious leaders previously took issue with what his disciples were doing on the Sabbath.  Now they raise the issue his disciples’ hand-washing habits.  We’ll consider …