Thought for July 15, 2024

  •  1799: Rosetta Stone discovered
  • 1869: Margarine patented
  • 1912: Jim Thorpe wins decathlon Gold Medal after finishing in the top 4 in each event. 
  • 1933: Wiley Post begins the first solo around the world flight--less than 8 days. He later died in a plane crash in Alaska with Will Rogers
  • 1937: Buchenwald opens. "Medical Experiments" were conducted on prisoners--infected with typhoid, cholera, diphtheria. Liberated April 11, 1945, feeing 21,000 emaciated prisoners.
  • 1948: Alcoholics Anonymous founded
  • 2009: "Harry Potter" movie premiers
  • Born: Rembrandt, Arianna Huffington, Linda Ronstadt, Forest Whitaker, Diane Kruger
  • Died: Ponce de Leon, Anton Chekov, John Pershing, Gianni Versace
Thought:
Pondering Mark 1:21-28 today. I love Mark's account because it is said to be based upon Peter's preaching. Once Peter is called by Christ, the next thing he reports through Mark is that Jesus took them to church. When people tell me they are spiritual but not religious or say they don't need organized religion, I think about this passage. Jesus took His disciples to church. Sounds like a good idea.

A couple of things strike me in this passage. First, the people were amazed by Jesus. In verse 22, they were amazed by his teaching and in verse 27, they were amazed by His power. This makes me ask myself, am I amazed, constantly amazed by Jesus. Or does He become so familiar that I lose my awe of Him. Reminds me of that old hymn, "I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned unclean." Lord, help me live a life of constant amazement at Your love, grace, patience, goodness, mercy. 

People were amazed at His teaching. Certainly we can see this in the Sermon on the Mount--everything Jesus taught was contrary to how people were living--love those that hate you, do good to those that mistreat you. Adultery is more than the sex act, murder is more than killing the body. This leads my mind to First John--if I love the world and the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in me. If I walk by the ways of the world, I am not walking in the teaching of Jesus. 

The second thing that strikes me is that people were amazed at His authority [1:22, 27]. Am I amazed at His authority? He speaks with authority, He acts with authority because He is the authority. The Centurion recognized that Jesus had authority--just say the word and it is so. I am reminded that the word "authority" comes from "author." He is the Author and finisher of our faith--the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end. He is the author of the universe and He is the author who is writing out His love story to the world in the lives of those who follow Christ. 

Now notice the last thing--when the people saw that He was amazing in His words and amazing in His power, what did they do--the news about Him went everywhere [1:28]. So if I am amazed by His teaching and His power, what do I do? 

Blessings
Larry

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