Mark 12:43

Verse of the Day Devotion: Mark 12:43

“Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury;” – Mark 12:43 

This scripture is about giving to God.  Here are the contextual verses.  “And He sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.  A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.”  Mark 12:41-42.  It is important to note these were voluntary contributions by the worshippers which were used to buy wood for the alter, as well as other necessities not provided for in any other way.

Jesus sat and was observing the giving that was taking place in the treasury.  As He watched, he called the disciples to Him and gave them a lesson in giving.  He saw many rich people giving large amounts of money.   By the fact Jesus saw them from a distance, this was probably being done in a way that was intended for others to see.  They were making it clear how much they were offering and was proud of the amount they dropped in the containers.  Then He watches as a poor widow came and dropped in two small copper coins, the smallest denomination of coins back then, worth less than a cent in todays value.

Many would say the rich gave much more than this woman.  They would only see the amount that is given.  However, that is not how Jesus saw it.  “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”  Mark 12:43b-44.  Jesus is not as interested in how much we give, but in how much we sacrifice.  Notice the words describing the offerings.  The rich gave of their surplus, the widow gave out of her need.  The rich gave what they had left over, the widow gave all she had to live on.  Charity should not be judged by its appearance; what we see with our eyes, but by the spirit in which it is given.

God sees everything we do, both our deeds and our intentions and motives.  He sees what we do in public and what we do in private.  There is nothing hidden from Him.  He sees the circumstances and our heart, whether we act with care or negligence.  With a heart of compassion and love, or of arrogance and greed.   The poor widow gave more because she gave her all.  She gave out of her love for God, giving because she wanted to honor Him.  She also gave out of trust because I think she knew she would be taken care of.  “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

We must check our motives and ensure our giving is to honor Him and not ourselves.  Our motives and compassion decide the value of our gift.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 7:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Mark 7:8

“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” – Mark 7:8 

Some Pharisees and scribes gathered around Jesus when He and the disciples left Jerusalem.  Both groups were very legalistic and demanded that the Law be followed completely.  As they were watching, they noticed the disciples did not wash their hands prior to eating, thus not following the traditions of the elders.  “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.”  Mark 7:3-4.  They required a lot of work to remain pure when eating.

So, the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Jesus regarding these rules, because they were not walking according to tradition.  However, Jesus does not apologize to them on behalf of the disciples.  Instead, He rebukes the Pharisees and scribes.  We read later in the chapter, “And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.  But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”  Mark 6-7.  Jesus was speaking of Isaiah 29:13 where it says. “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,”

Jesus then continues by telling them, in our focus verse, that they are neglecting the commands of God and replacing them with the traditions of men.  He then gives the example of how the commandment ‘honor your father and mother, and He who speaks evil of them is to be put to death.  And how, due to their traditions, “but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),‘ you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.’”  Mark 7:11-13.

We need to look at the things we see and hear from Christian and church leadership, test them by comparing them with what the scriptures say, and ignore them if they counter what the Word of God says.  Note, it is important to make sure it is a reliable translation.  Many times, these weird and heretical teachings are the “traditions’ within churches or denominations that need to be called out, renounced and ignored.  One very recent example was a Pastor in north Atlanta, I will leave the name off, who taught his church to ignore the Old Testament and focus solely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  While this sounds reasonable, it is not right.  The Old Testament lays the foundation of why we need salvation, and that Jesus’ coming was ordained from the beginning.  Both testaments together are a complete story of God’s love toward us.  Plus, if Jesus and the apostles quoted it many times, were they wrong, and did they not totally understand?  I doubt it seriously.

We need to be careful that we do not accept traditions that contradict the scriptures. Too many times, and I will say once is too many, church leaders try to make Christianity easier by teaching things that are accepted in the culture today but are radically different from the commands of God.  We need ensure that what we teach is real and does not counter His Word, for we will be held accountable.  “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”  James 3:1.  The Pharisees and the scribes were not given leniency, and neither will we. William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 16:11.

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 16:11.

And when they heard that He was alive, and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. – Mark 16:11 

When the Sabbath was over, they were then able to prepare the body of Christ for burial. “And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.” Mark 16:1. This was not done to prevent bodily decay, as was the custom in Egypt, but to perfume the decaying corpse as an act of devotion. This was brought on Sunday, the first day of the week, after the Sabbath, and after the sun arose. And while they were traveling, they were asking one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.” Mark 16:3-4. They had seen the stone put in place, with a seal placed on the stone and soldiers placed there to ensure no one took the body out and declare a resurrection.

However, when they arrived, they saw the stone was already rolled away, “And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He said to you.” Mark 16:4-7. When they got there, the stone was already rolled away. So they enter and see a young man sitting there on the right side, with a white robe on. Joseph, whose tomb this was, and who closed the tomb was not there. He would not have been able to do this alone but would have had servants and slaves to aid in this. Therefore, because of the size of the stone, a young man alone could not have opened the tomb.

Then the young man says to them. “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He said to you.” Mark 16:6-7. This young man confirms he is not Jesus. Then He tells them that Jesus has risen from the dead as promised, and they are to go to the disciples and Peter, that He is on His way to Galilee.

It is remarkable that Peter is singled out for special notice, and it was proof of the kindness and mercy of the Lord Jesus. Peter, just before the death of Jesus, had denied him: not once or twice, but three times. Peter would have understood if Jesus had from that moment cast him off and noticed him no more. But he still loved him. And having loved him once, he loved him unto the end. And as proof that he forgave him and still loved him, he sent him this ‘special’ message, the assurance that though he had denied him, and had done much to aggravate his sufferings.  And because He had risen He was still his Lord and Redeemer. We are not to infer because the angel said, “Tell his disciples and Peter,” that Peter was no longer a disciple.

The meaning was they were to tell his disciples, and especially Peter, sending him a particular message. Before his fall, Jesus had prayed for him that his faith should not fail. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. And he said to Him, Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death! And He said, I say to you, Peter, the cock will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” Luke 22:31-34.

Now, after hearing what the young man said, those who were there left and told the disciples what they saw and what the young man said. “She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. And when they heard that He was alive, and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.” Mark 16:10-11. When they were told all these things, they did not believe. They had been mourning His death and were unable to accept what they heard.

Then Jesus appears to the eleven. “And afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.” Mark 16:14. And then He shows His grace and forgiveness by giving them a calling to serve Him. “And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15. Even though they lacked belief in His declaration He would rise from the dead, He knew their hearts. They had not given up on Him, they simply had a short time of struggling to believe He was alive again.

Jesus did not give up on them, for He knew their hearts. Judas turned Him in because of true unbelief, but the other eleven had a period of unbelief, but realized their doubt was wrong when Jesus met with them. And we may fall into a period of doubt now and then, but when this happens, we must go to Christ and ask for assistance in overcoming our period of doubt. And just as He helped the eleven through their period of doubt, He will help us. If we believe that Christianity is 100% true, then we must hold this truth, sometimes with His help. Do not give up but let Him guide you. He is willing and able to bring you through any difficulties you may find yourself in.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 9:42.

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 9:42 

“And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.” – Mark 9:42   

In our focus verse, we read what Jesus thinks of those who cause one of His people to sin. This does not necessarily refer to little children regarding age, but of those who belong to Him, His disciples, and followers, essentially Christians. If a small act of kindness towards others done in Jesus’ name will be eternally remembered, so will any cause for stumbling. And the punishment is severe: it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. In other words, it would be better if he drowned. Mill stones in ancient times were either turned by hand or by beasts, chiefly by mules. These last were of the larger kind, and the original words denote that it was this kind that was intended. We see this is Matthew’s gospel. “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6. This was one mode of capital punishment practiced by the Greeks, Syrians, Romans, and some other nations. The meaning of Jesus’ word is, it would be better for him to have died before he had committed the sin. To injure, or to cause to sin, the feeblest Christian, will be regarded by Christ as a most serious offence, and will be punished accordingly.

Then in the next verses, Jesus speaks of being  ensnared by sin ourselves. “And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,” Mark 9:43. And also “And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hell,” Mark 9:47. Tragically, some have taken these words literally. He did not intend anyone to cut off their hands or pluck an eye out. Bodily mutilation doesn’t do anything in controlling sin. Sin is more a matter of the heart than of any particular limb or organ. If I cut off my right hand, my left hand is still there to sin. If I pluck out my left eye, my right eye is still there to sin. Or if I completely dismember my body, I can still sin in my mind and in my heart. Jesus was not talking about mutilating ourselves, He was speaking about sacrificing what is necessary not to sin.

Now, in both instances above, He says it is better to have only one eye, or one hand, to enter the Kingdom of God then to have both and be cast into hell. The idea here is what we see in the following verses. “And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, if anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it.” Mark 8:34-35. As said above, this was not a demand for physical self-mutilation, but of the costliest sacrifices.

We must do whatever is necessary to avoid temptation to sin. If reading certain books tempt us to sin, we must get rid of those books. If listening to certain songs tempts us, then we must stop listening to that song. And as I learned the hard way, if certain people tempt us to sin, then we must avoid those people unless we are able to witness to them without being tempted. We must be willing to sacrifice those things that causes us to sin, whether by actions or thoughts. It is better to give these things up and enter eternal life, then to hold onto them and enter eternal torment in hell.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 9:40.

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 9:40

“For he who is not against us is for us.” Mark 9:40 

In verses Mark 9:33-37, Jesus spoke to the disciples regarding their discussion on who was greatest. And this somewhat continues regarding non-disciples. John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he was not following us.” Mark 9:38. Because of the special and intimate relationship between Jesus and the twelve, John felt it important to notify Him of someone who was using Jesus’ name and power without the authority or approval to do so. Now it is apparent that this man knew of Jesus, or even knew Him from some time back, for He understood the power His name had. And John also told Jesus that he attempted to hinder what the man was doing because he was not a follower of Jesus as he and the others were.

However, Jesus did not approve of this. “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who shall perform a miracle in My name and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.” Mark 9:39. What He was telling them was if they see this person again, do not hinder him. Jesus opposed the narrow exclusivism of the twelve in telling them only Jesus or themselves had the right to do these things. In fact, the actions of the disciples were an abuse of their authority because Jesus, who actually had the authority, told them they were wrong. Then He adds this thought. “for there is no one who shall perform a miracle in My name and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.” What He was saying was if anyone perform miracles, something man himself could never do, and does it in my name they will never deny or speak evil of Him. This is in contrast to those who do not do it in Christ’s name, but in another’s name or through their own name which will ultimately result in no miracle at all.

And then we come to our focus verse. “For he who is not against us is for us.” Mark 9:40. Few if any of us are perfect in regard to our understanding of scripture. There are many that may be wrong in some aspect of their presentation or teaching, yet they still set forth Jesus in some manner. We must let God deal with them in a way He chooses. Paul saw many men preaching Jesus from many motives, yet he could rejoice that Christ was preached. “Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice.” Philippians 1:15-18. There are some who teach/preach Christ in ways that are not the best, “even from envy and strife.” I have sadly seen this in several places.

Two principles of immense importance are here laid down: First, no one will readily speak evil of Jesus who has the faith to do a miracle in His name; and second, if such a person cannot be supposed to be against Him, we are to consider him for Him. Let it be carefully observed that our Lord does not say this man should not have followed them, nor yet that He was indifferent whether he did or not; but simply teaches how such a person was to be regarded as one who honors His name and a promoter of His cause.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 9:37

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 9:37 

“Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.” Mark 9:37

As Jesus and His disciples were traveling through Galilee, Jesus was teaching them that which was coming, And He did not want them to tell anyone for what He was telling them was for their ears only at this point. “And from there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He was unwilling for anyone to know about it.” Mark 9:30. This was no doubt because Jesus did not want the Galilean multitude to cling to Him, thus hindering this important trip to Jerusalem. He needed His disciples to know and understand what essential event was close to becoming a reality. “For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, ‘The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.’ But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.” Mark 9:31-32. Jesus clearly told His disciples of this destiny back in the previous chapter. “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Mark 8:31. They did not understand it here either, which is shown by their rebuke of Jesus.

Now when they arrived in Capernaum and entered the house they were staying in, Jesus asked the disciples a somewhat embarrassing question. “What were you discussing on the way?” Mark 9:33b. This was no doubt embarrassing because of what we read in the next verse. “But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.” Mark 9:34. This was an embarrassed silence. It showed that they were ashamed of their obsession with greatness. It was a healthy sense of shame and proved that some of the message of Jesus was sinking into their hearts, that being the message of humility, but it obviously did not fully sink in, for it seems that this was the primary debating topic among the disciples. They all counted on Jesus to take over the world as King Messiah, and the debate was about who was most worthy to be Jesus’ chief associate.

But Jesus knew what they were discussing, so He called the disciples to Him. “And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” Mark 9:35. This was important because by sitting down, Jesus showed that he was going to teach. According to Willian Barclay, “When a Rabbi was teaching as a Rabbi, as a master teaches his scholars and disciples, when he was really making a pronouncement, he sat to teach. Jesus deliberately took up the position of a Rabbi teaching his pupils before he spoke.”  The question being argued was, “Who would be the greatest.” And what Jesus said probably surprised them. He told them that if they wanted to be first, they must be a servant in love to all. This was totally opposite of how most people see greatness. He was saying, those who desire to be first, must be last and ultimately a servant of all.

And to reinforce this idea, “And taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.” Mark 9:36-37. The idea is that he shall be the most Christian like who is the most humble, and who is willing to be esteemed least and last of all. To esteem ourselves as God esteems us is humility, and it cannot be degrading to think of ourselves as we are; but pride, or an attempt to be thought of more importance than we are, is far from wise. Matthew, in his gospel put it like this. “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4.

And finally, Jesus says in the next chapter that in order to be the greatest, they must be the least. “And calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.” Mark 10:42-44. Leaders and others in the church are not called to lord over the people, but to serve them. We are to be like Christ who did not come to be served but to serve. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 10:45.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 8:15.

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 8:15 

“And He was giving orders to them, saying, watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” – Mark 8:15 

Jesus, along with His disciples, gets into the boat after His quarrel with the Pharisees and goes to the other side of the lake. “And they had forgotten to take bread; and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them.” Mark 8:14. When they got into the boat they realized they had forgot to bring bread with them. And while in the boat, Jesus gives a warning to His disciples. “And He was giving orders to them, saying, Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8:15. Now it appears that what Jesus said caused them to argue regarding their lack of bread. “And they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.” Mark 8:16. What Jesus had intended to be taken as a metaphor the disciples took literally.

Now when Jesus heard this, He asked them a series of questions, “And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?” Mark 8:17-18. Jesus asks them why they are worried about not having bread. Had they not been paying attention. “Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?” Jesus was accusing them of being somewhat like the Jews in their lack of understanding regarding who He was. We see a similar statement in Isaiah warning the prophet how things would go with Him regarding the leadership. “And He said, go, and tell this people: Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand. Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10. There is much here to discuss, however in context with this verse of the day, they were sounding like the current Jews. They had seen so much regarding Jesus, His miracles, and His care for them. But when things did not go as they expected, they began to doubt. He says, “Do you not remember?”

Then He brings up two examples that they personally experienced and should have remembered. “When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, twelve. And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up? And they said to Him, seven.” Mark 8:19-20. He had already shown them that shortage of food would never be an issue. But they argued about who forgot to bring the bread and thus leaving them hungry. Ultimately, He was asking them was, “Do you not yet understand?” Mark 8:21. And what He was speaking about was the phrase “And He was giving orders to them, saying, Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

The leaven of the Pharisees and Herod is essentially hypocrisy. We see this clarification in Luke’s gospel. “Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Luke 12:1. Jesus was pointing out that the teachings of the Pharisees were pervasive and produced hypocrisy and unbelief. The leaven of the Pharisees was simply a subtle and pervasive influence the Pharisees had over people. Those who followed the Pharisees might demand signs, but they would gradually increase in unbelief until they had hardened hearts, just like the Pharisees. And this same idea was seen in the rule of Herod, also a Jew. The teachings of the Pharisees were as pervasive as yeast in a loaf of bread. Their corruption was hardly perceptible but extensive. Jesus denounced them on several occasions and their hypocrisy was a common theme. The Pharisees displayed an outward conformity to the law, but their hearts were full of unbelief and sinfulness. We see this earlier in Mark as an example. “And He said to them, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN. Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:6-8.

By warning the disciples against the hypocrisy/leaven of the Pharisees, Jesus sought to keep His followers from an insidious influence that would undermine faith and corrupt their walk with God. Believers today should heed the same warning from the Lord and guard against pharisaic attitudes and the temptation to take pride in man-made teachings and traditions. Once a bit of leaven is introduced into the church, it can quickly spread.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 8:11.

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Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 8:11 

“And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him.” – Mark 8:11  

Now this is an interesting scripture, for here the Pharisees were testing Jesus again regarding proof of what He declared regarding Himself.  We see this in our focus verse, “And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him.” Mark 8:11. Considering the number of miracles Jesus had already performed as well as the types of miracles, it is surprising at first that the Pharisees would ask for another. Readers today need to realize that miracles were quite common in ancient times, whether they were real or in people’s imagination, and the fact that a person performed miracles did not by itself make him an exceptional person. What the Pharisees wanted was not another healing or exorcism but a sign from heaven, an incredible manifestation, a dramatic sign from the sky, something similar to Elijah’s fire from heaven. “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that Thou, O LORD, art God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench.” 1 Kings 18:37-38.

Jesus was frustrated by this request and replies as such. “And sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” Mark 8:12. In Matthew’s version He gives the type of sign they will be shown. “But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:39-40.  They sought some direct miracle from heaven. Jesus replied that no such miracle would be done for them. He did not mean He would work no more miracles or give no more evidence that he was the Christ, but he would give no such miracle as they required. He would give one that ought to be satisfactory evidence to them that he was from God, as the miraculous preservation of Jonah was to the Ninevites. As Jonah was preserved three days by a miracle and then restored alive, so he would be raised from the dead after three days. On this miracle, the Ninevites believed Jonah and repented, so, on the ground of his resurrection, the people of an adulterous and wicked generation ought to repent and believe that he was from God.

The only sign Jesus would give them was His resurrection from the dead.  This should be sufficient, but as we know it was not. Few scribes and Pharisees would be saved, not because they could not accept it, but would not accept it. They did not want to give up the authority they had over the Jewish people. We need to be careful that we understand all that Jesus did for us and place Him over everything else in our lives. He gave everything, including His life for us. We must be willing to give our everything to Jesus, including our lives.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 7:25.

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 7:25

“But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, immediately came, and fell at His feet.” Mark 7:25.  

Jesus now goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon. These were ancient cities of Phoenicia which are mentioned several times in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus mentions Tyre and Sidon in Luke 10 in the context of judgments He was pronouncing against the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida. We read in Luke the following, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you.” Luke 10:13-14. They were considered some of the most sinful cities, however, it was said of both Bethsaida and Chorazin that it would be better for Tyre and Sidon, both cities known for their idolatrous ways, in the last days then for Bethsaida and Chorazin.

We read in Mark the following, “And from there He arose and went away to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice.” Mark 7:24. There is no indication as to why Jesus did not want others to know He was there, but I believe He was so well known they could not keep this hidden. However, see what comes up next. “But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.” Mark 7:25-26. She heard that He was there, and undoubtedly knew about the great works He had done. Therefore she went to Him with the purpose of Jesus helping her daughter be freed from the demon. Now she was a Syrophoenician. She was not a Jew but was someone from the borders near Tyre and Sidon. According to Matthew, she was a Canaanite. And when she arrived, she fell at His feet, prostrate before Him, asking for help for her daughter. Prostration was an indication of both grief and reverence. And she did not stop asking Him, for she so wanted her daughter to be delivered.

Then in the next verse, we see His response to her. “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Mark 7:27. In the Greek the word for dog can refer to a ‘puppy’ or ‘dog’. Jews often used the word dogs to refer to Gentiles. Even though it seems out of character for him to have done so, Jesus almost certainly used it in the same way. The obvious meaning is that Jews took precedence over Gentiles during the ministry of Jesus. Even Paul later adhered to a similar principle. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16. But now notice her response, which shows the faith she had in Jesus. “But she answered and said to Him, Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” Mark 7:28. The woman did not deny the precedence of Israel over the gentiles but commented that this did not exclude the Gentiles, for the leftovers were theirs. And she referred to Jesus as Lord. This would not have been as significant if a Jew had called Him Lord, but this was a gentile who used this eminent title for Him.

Jesus was astounded by her answer to His comment. “And He said to her, because of this answer go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter. And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having departed.” Mark 7:29-30. Jesus commended the woman for her humility and, I believe, her faith. Although her faith is not explicitly mentioned, I am certain she trusted in Jesus that He could and would deliver her daughter. We need to see the power of coming in faith and humility to God as we are and letting Him make true His promises to those weak and unclean. If the woman had responded, who are you calling a dog, she would not have been humble toward Him and may not have received healing for her daughter. Her humble, faith-filled submission to Jesus brought the victory. This should be our attitude when coming to God. We must not order Him or come across as someone who deserves all we ask for. We must come to Him as someone who trusts God that He knows what is best and will bring what is best, according to His will, to fruition. God loves us. The question is do we love and trust Him enough to let Him decide what is best?

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Mark 7:19.

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 7:19 

“Because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus. He declared all foods clean.) – Mark 7:19

This verse addresses the traditions and commandments of the Jewish people of that time. Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus to probably observe His ways. “And the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered together around Him when they had come from Jerusalem and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.” Mark 7:1-2. Now the scribes and Pharisees were not as interested in hygiene as with ritual purity. Mark explains  this in the next two verses. “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.” Mark 7:3-4.

Then they ask Jesus a question. “And the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” Mark 7:5. His answer to them is quite powerful. “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:6-8. He was telling them that instead of obeying the commandments of God, they follow the traditions of men, essentially their forefathers.

And He calls them hypocrites; honoring Him with their mouths while their hearts are far away. And He shows this by using an example in the Ten Commandments. “He was also saying to them, “You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER’; and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH’; but you say, If a man says to his father or his mother, anything of mine you might have been helped by is Corban (that is to say, given to God), you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.” Mark 7:9-13. Here He showed their hypocrisy regarding the keeping of the Mosaic Law.

Now the Pharisees claimed that Jesus and His followers where being defiled by not keeping the Law as they saw it regarding not washing the hands prior to eating. And Jesus calls the multitude together to explain His words to the Pharisees. “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand there is nothing outside the man which going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.” Mark 7:14b-15. Then after leaving the multitude, the disciples asked Him about this. And Jesus responds in the next verse. “Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him; because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” Mark 7:18-19. God is far more concerned with what comes out of us than what goes into us. This is especially true when it comes to foods and traditions and rituals. In saying this, He declared all foods clean. He is more interested in what comes out. And He is also saying that physical food, with its clear trajectory through and out of the body, cannot cause a heart/spiritual condition to become defiled. 

He then tells them what comes out defiles. “And He was saying that which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Mark 7:20-23. These are the things that defiles us, not what we take in, but what we put out. What we take in, this referring to food, will not in any way defile us, for it goes in and eventually leaves. The things that are listed above come from the heart and definitely defiles Him, for the desires that these denote are acts of sin. Jesus’ main point is that uncleanness is moral rather than ritual. Uncleanness should no longer be considered a property of objects but rather a description of inner attitudes, a condition of the heart. The goodness of a deed depends not solely on its doing, but primarily on its intent. Why do we do it? Because we want it and desire it, or because this is what God desires?

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.