Congregational Bible Experience Day #14: Mark 10-13

Congregational Bible Experience Day #14
Bible Reading: Mark 10-13


Introduction:  A longer read today, but take your time and ask God to speak to you afresh as you consider already familiar material. The passage finishes the section on 'discipleship' and begins Mark's account of the final week of Jesus' ministry, leading to the events of the first Easter.


Today's reading is somewhat of a marathon-length.  Since we read Matthew's version of these episodes a few days ago, the temptation will be to swiftly breeze through the chapters without much prayerful consideration. That would be a mistake, and would rob of us an opportunity to deepen our relationship with the Lord by meditating on His Word.  Just read the chapters at a steady pace, asking God to speak with you as you read His Word to you today.

Chapter 10 concludes the central section of the Gospel (8:22 - 10:52) with its overarching theme of discipleship, defined as "denying oneself, taking up our cross, and following after Jesus" (Mark 8:34).  You may want to think through how this principle works out within marriage (10:1-12), in our relationships with children (and those marginalised within society with no voice, v13-16), with the self-righteous (v17-31) and the self-centred (v35-45). Those who follow Jesus will inevitably see and treat others differently, with Christlike love and understanding.

Having told the disciples for the third time that Jesus' path leads to crucifixion and resurrection (10:32-34), and that He "has come, not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many" (v45), the section finishes with another account of a blind man miraculously regaining his sight and "immediately following Jesus along the road" (v52).  In light of yesterday's comments, is it too much to suggest Mark is underlining the point that our own spiritual blindness is removed when we begin "to see" the centrality of Jesus' cross for our salvation and the necessity of following Him along the same path as the essence of discipleship?  To "see" this is to "get" who Jesus is and why Jesus has come.

From chapter 11 onwards, our attention is focussed on Mark's selection of the events in the final week leading up to Jesus' death, much of which parallels Matthew's account.  See Days 8 and 9 for further comments.

In Mark 13, the tone of the Gospel changes in such a way to prepare the reader not just to be aware of the climactic events that will happen in the distant future when Jesus will victoriously return, but also to focus readers' attention upon the 'darkest hour' which is almost upon Jesus and those with Him:  the Cross.

As you read chapter 13 try and keep the events of Calvary in view:  we read  of kingdoms in conflict (13:8, see also Psalm 2), hatred (v13) , betrayal (v12) , arrests (v9), trials (v10-11), scattered disciples (v14-16), false Christs with false gospels (v21-22), an act of unimaginable sacrilege (v14) , days of distress (v20), darkened skies (v24), nature falling apart (v25), the revelation of the power and glory of the Messiah (v26), the gathering of God's people from across the nations (v27).  Literally, or metaphorically - chapter 13 points not merely towards the (final) End; but, like a musical overture which tantalises listeners with snippets of the main musical themes to come, this chapter also introduces the impending 'end of the world' as it once was, with the events surrounding and associated with death of the Son of God (15:38), the most significant moment in all of history.