S – And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹ And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

Mark 13:10–11 ESV

O – Commentary:

Such trials (13:9, 11) would be a means through which the Good News would be preached to all nations (or all peoples). This would all take place first—i.e., before the destruction of Jerusalem…

13:11 A word of encouragement follows the warning of 13:9. Jesus’ followers need not fear what they should say in these circumstances. The early followers of Jesus were generally uneducated and without political influence (see Acts 4:10–17; 1 Cor 1:26), so this assurance would have comforted them. Believers are not prohibited from thinking about what they will say, but they need not worry about it

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Mk 13:10–11.

A – In sharing out faith with others today, we recognize that we are like the disciples.  We are instruments of the Holy Spirit for others to hear about the gospel.  We do not need to fear it but feel free to share what we are thinking with confidence.

R – Heavenly Father, you are all powerful.  Help us today to walk with the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We want our words to be directed by you.  Give us a boldness to share our faith with confidence and humility.

S – And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him. 

Mark 12:16–17 ESV

O – Commentary:

The picture and title on the coin was almost certainly that of Tiberius Caesar, who reigned from ad 14–37. The inscription read, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of [the] Divine Augustus” on one side and “High Priest” on the other.

12:17 give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar: Jesus’ words cannot be taken as those of an anti-Roman zealot opposing Jewish taxation by Caesar. Jesus clearly indicates elsewhere that he was opposed to the zealot cause (see Matt 5:9, 39, 41; 26:52). However, Jesus’ statement cannot be understood as pro-Roman, either, because service to God is fundamental, and God is ultimately over Caesar. Like the evil farmers in the previous parable, the religious leaders had not given God what belonged to him.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Mk 12:16–17.

A –  This is an amazing story!  Jesus comes up with such a perfect answer that satisfies both questions and leaves no room for offense by the the religious leaders and the Jewish people.  When we ask God to give us wisdom, this is what we want.  The ability to navigate the natural world with supernatural insight, discernment and application. We are able to do this by inviting the Holy Spirit into our days to give us the spirit of wisdom and understanding as depicted in Isaiah 11:2.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Truth.  We invite your Holy Spirit to lead and mature us as we grow in our relationship with you.  We ask for the Spirit of wisdom and understanding to give us the ability to lead in the physical and spiritual realm.  We want to display your wisdom in both so others are not offended but drawn to you.

S – Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” 

Mark 11:24–25 ESV

O – There are two concepts connected with prayer – Faith and Forgiveness. Faith is believing in God that he is able to do what is asked.  Forgiveness is letting go of your ownership of a situation with a person and giving it to God.

A – It is interesting that Jesus linked these two principles together.  We need to continue to grow in our faith.  Like a muscle, the more we exercise it, the easier it activates and believes that God is working in situations.  God is working and we can put our trust in his will.  We must forgive others.  When we see the amount of love demonstrated in forgiving us, we must act accordingly.  It frees us from the bondage of staying stuck in actions and attitudes that are not aligned with God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are merciful and gracious.  Thank you for your forgiveness of our sins.  We didn’t earn it – you paid a price we could not pay.  Help us to grow in our mercy towards others.  Help our faith to grow and trust you more.  We invite your Holy Spirt to work in us today to grow.

S – And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³ And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief

 Mark 9:22–24 ESV

O – Commentary:

Jesus took up the father’s words of doubt, If You can, to show that the point was not His ability to heal the boy but the father’s ability to trust in God who can do what is humanly impossible (cf. 10:27). Jesus then challenged the father not to doubt: Everything is possible for him who believes (cf. 9:29). Faith sets no limits on God’s power and submits itself to His will (cf. 14:35–36; 1 John 5:14–15).

The father’s response was immediate (euthys). He declared his faith (I do believe), but also acknowledged its weakness: Help me overcome my unbelief! This brings out an essential element of Christian faith—it is possible only with the help of the One who is its Object

 John D. Grassmick, “Mark,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 144–145.

A – This is a foundational principle in our walk with God.  Our faith has to be in God and not the people he is using.  It is easy to transfer that faith to the person because we can see and touch them.  We are the messengers and God is the power.  When that is in alignment, God can work freely.

R – Heavenly Father, we worship and surrender to you.  You are the one, true God and there is no other that we should believe or put our faith in today.  We invite you to move in our lives as we are conduits of your Holy Spirit ministering to us and others.

S – The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. ¹² And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” ¹³ And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. 

Mark 8:11–13 ESV

O – Commentary:

The religious authorities (cf. 3:22–30; 7:1–5) came and began to question (syzētein, “to dispute, debate”) Him. They wished to test (from peirazō; cf. 1:13; 10:2; 12:15) Him, to get Him to prove the source of His authority (cf. 3:22–30; 11:30; Deut. 13:2–5; 18:18–22). They were seeking (from zēteō; cf. Mark 11:18; 12:12; 14:1, 11, 55) from Him a sign from heaven, one with divine authorization. In the Old Testament a “sign” was not so much a demonstration of power as an evidence that an utterance or action was authentic and trustworthy (cf. tdnt, s.v. “sēmeion,” 7:210–6, 234–6). The Pharisees did not demand a spectacular miracle, but that Jesus give unmistakable proof that He and His mission were authorized by God. They believed quite the opposite

 John D. Grassmick, “Mark,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 137.

A – We fault the Pharisees for demanding a sign when Jesus is fulfilling prophecies all through his life and crucifixion.  Yet, in challenging times, we as ask God to “show himself.”  We can be just as guilty as them of looking for a sign to help us.  Like the religious leaders, we need faith that God is who he says he is in all situations.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the one, true God.  Help us to grow in our faith where we don’t look for signs but seek you.  We desire know your heart and character beyond your power and abilities.  

S – ¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 

Mark 7:18–19 ESV

O – Commentary:

Jesus amplified the negative truth that nothing … from the outside of a person can defile him morally (cf. v. 15a). The reason is that food (or any other item) does not enter his heart, the control center of the human personality, and thereby affect his moral nature. Rather, it enters his stomach (a nonmoral agent).

The concluding sentence of verse 19 is an editorial comment by Mark (cf. 2:10, 28; 3:30; 13:14), to emphasize the significance of Jesus’ statement for his Christian readers in Rome, some of whom may have been confused over Jewish food laws (cf. Rom. 14:14; Gal. 2:11–17; Col. 2:20–22). He simply pointed out that Jesus declared all foods “clean” for Christians. The early church was slow to grasp this truth

 John D. Grassmick, “Mark,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 134.

A- Unclean foods were a big topic of dissension among the disciples and early believers.  Jesus is sharing the foundational understanding of how God works in our hearts.  People got stuck on foods.  What do we get stuck on that is not foundational to our walk with God.  There are some topics that divide people about God that are not as important as keeping our hearts in a healthy posture with God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are compassionate and gracious.  Help us to focus on the main thing – our relationship with you.  Don’t let us be distracted by things that are not relevant to growing closer to you today.

S – ⁴⁸ And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, ⁴⁹ but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, ⁵⁰ for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” ⁵¹ And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. 

Mark 6:48–51 ESV

O – Commentary:

Jesus came toward them, walking on the water: It appears that Jesus’ purpose was to rescue the disciples from the storm. However, Mark then states that Jesus intended to go past them. Numerous attempts have been made to explain this, but the best explanation is that “to go past them” speaks of a divine manifestation (cp. Exod 33:18–34:6; 1 Kgs 19:11–13): Jesus apparently sought to show his divine glory to the disciples. This understanding is supported by the disciples’ fear, a response often associated with theophany. • Many have tried to rationalize the miracle of Jesus’ walking on the sea, but Mark, Matthew, and John clearly understood this as a miracle, beyond natural explanation. If Jesus is in fact the Son of God, there is no need to find another explanation.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Mk 6:48.

A – In our storms, God wants to reveal his glory where as we want him to hand the challenge we face.  This is a clash of the spiritual world and the physical world.  Jesus did both.  He showed his divine nature by walking on water and then got into the boat and calmed the storm.  As we grow in our relationship with God, we want to seek both his divine nature and his power to work in our situations.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Holy and Powerful.  We invite you to work in the spiritual and physical realm on our behalf today.  We welcome your Holy Spirit to continue to mature us in our desire to know you more in both realms.

S – And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”… ” ³² And he looked around to see who had done it. ³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ³⁴ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” 

 Mark 5:30, 32 -34 ESV

O – Commentary:

Yet Jesus immediately (euthys) realized in Himself (from epiginōskō, “know fully”; cf. v. 29) that power had gone out from Him or, more literally, “power from Him (on account of who He is) had gone out.”

This unusual expression has been understood in two ways. One view maintains that God the Father healed the woman and Jesus was not aware of it till afterward. The other view is that Jesus Himself, wishing to honor the woman’s faith, willingly extended His healing power to her. The latter view is more consistent with Jesus’ healing ministry. Power did not leave Him without His knowledge and will. However, He exercised it only at the Father’s bidding (cf. 13:32). The touch of the garment had no magical effect.

Aware of how the miracle took place, Jesus turned around … and asked, Who touched My clothes? He wanted to establish a personal relationship with the healed person, untainted with quasi-magical notions.

 John D. Grassmick, “Mark,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 125.

A – One of my favorite stories in the Bible – so many applications.  Here is one that stands out today.  He called her, “Daughter.”  Because of her issue of blood, she would be considered “unclean” and resulted in her spiritual and social isolation.  Calling her daughter ushers her back into the family and in relationship with God and others.  That in itself is a life changing miracle for a person who was alone for a long time.  We experience the same results when we establish a relationship with God through Jesus.

R – Heavenly Father, you are our Healer.  Thank you for your presence that “touches” us right where we are.  Heal our hurts, injuries and wounds physically and spiritually.  Allow that healing to draw us back into relationship with you.

S – And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷ And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

Mark 4:16–17 ESV

O – Commentary:

Judaism valued its heroes of the past who had refused to compromise God’s word, even in the face of death. Jesus’ description of apostasy when persecuted for the message of the kingdom thus might evoke the disciples’ discomfort and self-examination

 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 138.

A – The phrase “They have no root in themselves” jumps out at me.  They received the word gladly but couldn’t find the inner strength or “mechanism” to make it stick to their lives.  What disciplines do we need to today to keep us aligned with the Word of God and his purposes for our own lives?  We need to examine ourselves and be honest with God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the Word.  Thank you for sowing good seed into our lives.  Empower us to overcome our own lack of discipline and desires that keep us from following you.  We want to seed you give us daily to flourish and grow.