Day 88 Bible Reading

Numbers 26 and 27, Luke 7: 36-50, Psalm 47

Numbers 27: 18-21 (ESV)

“So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.””

Verses 18 through 21 from Numbers 27 remind us of the value of waiting. Joshua waited patiently as second in command to Moses. He did everything that was asked of him, and he was eventually rewarded by God to lead after Moses. The promotion of Joshua shows us that God does see everything that we do, and if we are patient and trusting in God, then eventually God will promote us to where we need to be. I think the hardest part is the waiting. The waiting plays with your mind and makes you distrust God and lose your faith. But if we can wait long enough, God always has a plan for us. He knows our strengths and weaknesses and will put us in a position that benefits us and his plan for humanity. But the waiting is hard, so very hard.

Day 87 Bible Reading – Happy Good Friday!

Numbers 24 and 25, Luke 7: 15-35, Psalm 46

Luke 7: 34 (ESV)

“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”

I heard an interesting interpretation of verse 34 from Luke 7 by David Guzik, a pastor at the Calvary Chapel of Santa Barbara – see his commentary (https://enduringword.com/media/luke-7-witness-forgiven-woman/). Religious leaders at the time didn’t want to associate with sinful people because it was a badge of honor to do that. That’s why they made this comment about Jesus. But Guzik said that Jesus was a friend of tax collectors and sinners because he loved them and wanted to meet them where they were at. He did not despise them. His heart and compassion went out to them because he wanted to help and rescue them from their sin, to transform their lives so they are no longer under the bondage of sin. Jesus loved sinners just the way they are, but he loved them too much to leave them where they were at and wanted to transform their lies. I love this interpretation. Jesus loves me enough just the way I am, but he loved me too much to leave me where I am. He wants to transform my life and free me from the bondage of sin. People get it so wrong. Yes, Jesus loves us as sinners and accepts us, but that acceptance doesn’t come without wanting us to transform our lives from sin. That’s the power of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins on the cross. He died for our sins on the cross, otherwise it would be us instead of him on the cross.

Day 86 Bible Reading

Numbers 22: 21-41, Numbers 23, Luke 6: 37-49, Luke 7: 1-10, Psalm 45: 10-17

Luke 6: 37-38 (ESV)

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Verses 37-38 from Luke 6 is how I try to lead my life, although I do admit sometimes it’s hard to do that especially in the last five years. I’m still working on the “love your enemies” part. I try to take a pause on how my actions will affect someone, and sometimes when I am too emotionally involved it’s hard to take that pause. It’s so easy to let your emotions take over your actions, and you have to discipline yourself to not react. Someone wise person at one of my jobs said before you send an email response to someone, take a pause and if you can let it sit for a day so you can read it over in case you might have overreacted to something in the email. Letting the email sit for a day also lets you edit it out and keep yourself brief, concise, and professional. I’m trying to follow this advice when I want to complain about something. I’m trying to let any issues sit for two weeks if possible. After two weeks if the issue is still something I need to complain about, then I do it with the hope that all the emotion is gone and I can make a cogent definition. Does it make a difference with how people treat me? I don’t know and I don’t care if it does because that’s not my issue or my business. All I can control and care about controlling is how I react, and if I can react or treat someone the way Christ would me want to then all is right in my world.

Day 85 Bible Reading

Numbers 21, Numbers 22: 1-20, Luke 6: 12-36, Psalm 45: 1-9

Luke 6: 20 (ESV)

“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

I have read and listened to verse 20 from Luke 6 many times, but I did not know that it might mean that it would be a requirement of God’s kingdom to be poor in spirit or have a poverty in spirit. When a person has a poverty or is bankrupt in spirit, they know that they do not have the means within themselves for salvation and they can do nothing without God. This feeling also applies to wealth as well. If I take the meaning of this verse to be true, I can now understand why Jesus has always said wealth is an obstacle to the kingdom of God. When a person has wealth in money or spirit, they know that they can still care for themselves without God and will at times no need God. Only when one is utterly poor in money or spirit to the point where they need to beg, will I think one realize nothing can done in their life without God because they are so lacking in spirit or resources. I know that when I have felt an utter lack in spirit in myself, I will cry out for God. But I don’t have this feeling 24/7. I only feel this feeling when something devastating such as death has happened in my life. When I do cry out to God, he is always there. I wish I could feel this lack of spirit in myself all the time, but I know I still have too much ego for that. I still think most of the time I can do everything myself, and don’t need God 24/7. Now I know that this ego-driven confidence is wrong, and I do want to know what it is like to need God every second of my life.

Day 84 Bible Reading

Numbers 19 and 20, Luke 5: 33-39, Luke 5: 1-11, Psalm 55: 13-26

Numbers 20: 10-12 (ESV)

“Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.””

Verses 10 to 12 from Numbers 20 are sad verses for me. Moses was grieving the death of his sister Miriam and now had to deal with the people complaining about water. He was at the end of his rope and he was angry. He did not glorify God and said “we” instead of God will bring water, and he struck the rock twice in it seems like anger. So God punished him and told him he would not be going into the Promised Land. He made this one mistake and was denied entrance. I think it’s sad because Moses had been so faithful to God the whole time from the journey out of Egypt until the almost 40 years of wandering in the desert. But God still loved Moses and we him later in Matthew in the transfiguration of Jesus. So I have hope that even though I will undoubtedly make mistakes in life, God will forgive me in the end.

Day 83 Bible Reading

Numbers 17 & 18, Luke 5: 17-32, Psalm 44: 1-12

Luke 5: 30-32 (ESV)

“And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Verses 30-32 from Luke 5 reminds me that I’m glad I joined a church, because it seems like I only thought of God when my life was messed up or I was hurting. I needed God to save me, and I needed God’s love to comfort me, and he was always there. But when my life was going okay, I never thought about God. But being in a church, I am reminded constantly of the need for God in my life whether my circumstances are good or bad. When I’m having a good day, I always thank God. I thank God every day for the little miracles I see in my life, and not just for the miracles I prayed for when I needed help. And I am reminded every day of the need for repentance for sins I commit every day in my life, and God’s mercy that was bestowed on me through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Day 82 Bible Reading

Numbers 16, Luke 38-44, Luke 5: 1-16, Psalm 43

Numbers 16: 22-24 (ESV)

“And they fell on their faces and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?” And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.””

Verses 23-24 from Numbers 16 show how much Moses and Aaron cared about their people. They had been challenged for their leadership and people were openly rebelling against them. There were 250 leaders against Moses and Aaron, and Moses said he would leave if it up God to judge if they were right. When God made his judgement to kill everyone Moses and Aaron protested and pleaded with God not to punish everyone because one man Korah had caused the rebellion. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen in the churches I’ve a part of throughout my life. It only takes one person to cause a group to fall apart. We see this warning in the New Testament in verses 17-18 from Romans 16 where Paul writes:

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”

It’s easy to criticize the leadership of a church because we don’t see everything that goes into making a decision, but we need to remember that God appointed these leaders and God needs to be the final authority in all areas of our life.

Day 81 Bible Reading

Numbers 14 and 15, Luke 4: 14-37, Psalm 42: 7-11

Numbers 14: 36-38 (ESV)

“And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land—the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the Lord.  Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.”

Verses 36-38 from Numbers 14 shows what happened to the men who didn’t have the faith in God to help them. They died by plague. And earlier in Numbers 14, God told Moses that only Caleb and Joshua would live to see the Promised Land. This is what happens when you have faith, you see and will dwell in the Promised Land. And when you don’t have faith, you die and you don’t see or find the promised land. A plague seems harsh, but when we don’t have faith doesn’t doubt enter in our life like a poison and eventually kills our faith in God. When you lose faith in God, it is like a death of sorts. We all need to pray to have the faith of Caleb and Joshua so we can see and find our own “promised land” that God promised us.

Day 80 Bible Reading

Numbers 12 and 13, Luke 3: 23-38, Luke 4: 1-13, Psalm 42: 1-6

Numbers 14: 30-31 (ESV)

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”

Verses 30-31 from Numbers 14 shows the difference between people who have faith in God and people who don’t. Caleb saw the same things that the other men saw, but his faith in God was so strong that he thought to himself that God will provide a way for them to overcome it. I wonder how many of us look at a dream in the same way that the ten men did. Do we see all the danger and risk involved? Do we fear that our dream is too big and we aren’t strong enough to overcome the forces standing in the way of our dream? We need to have the same strength of faith as Caleb. God told Moses that the land was theirs, and yes it would be difficult but if we just have enough faith in God’s promises to us we will know that God will help us overcome any obstacles to our dreams. We need to pray every day to have the faith of Caleb and Joshua and believe as they did, that no matter what dangers and obstacles we see, God will fulfill his promises to us.

Day 79 Bible Reading

Numbers 10 and 11, Luke 3: 1-22, Psalm 41: 7-13

Luke 3: 21-22 (ESV)

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

I like verses 21-22 from Luke 3. I would have loved to have been in the crowd when this happened. Were all the people freaked out? Did everyone hear the voice? Or was it only the people around Christ and John at the time? Did a report go to the Sanhedrin about it? The baptism of Jesus by John shows up in all of the four gospels, so it definitely happened. We just don’t have the little details about the event. I would like to think that if I had been there and heard the voice and saw the dove, I would have remembered and been awed by the event and told people about it. I’m sure there were some people present who experienced the miracle and dismissed it as a hallucination. Others would have convinced themselves that they weren’t sure what they saw. Others would have been so freaked out, they would have blocked the event from their memories and said they saw and heard nothing. It’s easy I think to speculate on what you might do, but unless you were actually there you have no idea how you would have reacted to this event. Miracles are such a strange thing in our world.

Day 78 Bible Reading

Numbers 8 and 9, Luke 2: 41-52, Psalm 41: 1-6

Numbers 9: 23 (ESV)

“At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.”

Verse 9 from Numbers 9 reminds that we need to be led by God in everything we do. I would love it if I had a cloud to lead me around in the desert of my life. That must have been an amazing sight to see and feel. The cloud would cover the Israelites by day, let them how long to camp in one place, and when to leave their camp. I love the imagery of the cloud leading God’s people in the desert. They had just come out of slavery and were not used to fending for themselves, and the God of Moses provided for them a cloud to take care of them. But I don’t have a cloud. I have to rely on trying to listen to God’s words in my life, to read my bible every day, and watch how my life enfolds so I can discern God’s will for my life. But I know if I follow the will of God in my life that he will guide me through the desert of my life and everything will be alright.

Day 77 Bible Reading

Numbers 7, Luke 2: 21-40, Psalm 40: 9-17

Luke 2: 27-32 (ESV)

“And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

I love these verses from Luke 2, where Simeon recognized the divinity of Christ when he was presented at the temple. This scene is such a contrast to what happened to Jesus in the Temple during his ministry and during Passion week. Christ was recognized as the messiah from his birth in the manger and now in the Temple. It always make me wonder if a report was made to Sanhedrin about what Simeon said about Jesus, and if a file was set up from that moment for Jesus as a potential troublemaker. It’s so sad that when Jesus was first brought to the Temple he was recognized for who he was, but when he came during Passion week years later he was arrested for blasphemy.

Day 76 Bible Reading

Numbers 5-6, Luke 2: 1-20, Psalm 40: 1-6

Luke 2: 9-12

“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

I’ve also loved these verses from Luke 2. It makes me wonder how the shepherds felt and what they thought when the Angel started speaking to them.  Were they scared and freaked out? They have been praying like all of Israel for a messiah for years, and now the angel told them that the messiah was born. And this messiah was born in the most humblest of circumstances because he was lying in a manger. I’m sure that is not how they were expecting the messiah to be born. I’m trying to imagine myself as a shepherd, who were in their day considered the poorest of people. They were nobodies. Would I have believed what the angel was saying? I give the shepherds so much credit. They didn’t doubt what the angel was said and they made their way over to see the new messiah. These poor shepherds had so much faith.

Day 75 Bible Reading

Numbers 4, Luke 1: 57-80, Psalm 39

Psalm 39: 4 (ESV)

“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”

Verse 4 from Psalm 39 is an interesting way to pray to God. David is asking God for wisdom to know how fleeting and short his life is in this world. If we had the wisdom to know how frail and short our life really is, we might pray for different things. It will force us to put a value on the things in our life because of the frailty of our lives. I think David is saying to us that if we only knew how short our life is, we would pray to have a better relationship with God. If our life is that short, the only thing in our life that is real and lasting is God and our relationship to him.

Getting caught up in Bible Reading posts. It's been another intense weekend for me, so I needed to take a break. 

Day 74 Bible Reading

Numbers 2-3, Luke 1: 39-56, Psalm 38: 12-22

Luke 1: 46-48 (ESV)

“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.”

I like verses 46-48 from Luke 1, which is Mary’s song of praise to God. I like the metaphor of a person’s soul becoming a magnifying glass, and making God appear to be clear and in focus. I also think of a magnifying glass as a tool to help build a fire, so Mary’s soul will help awaken the fire in people when they read her words. I want my soul to be a magnifying glass to help people see God in a clear way, to help others pierce the veil so they can see the wonders of God.

Day 73 Bible Reading

Numbers 1, Luke 1: 27-38, Psalm 38: 1-11

Luke 1: 38 (ESV)

“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”

I love Mary’s total obedience to what the angel told her in verse 38 of Luke 1. She did not hesitate and had no doubts. She just said “Yes” because she was a servant of the Lord. I wish I had that kind of faith where I am an “automatic yes” to God, but I don’t. There’s always that seed of doubt in my mind. Sometimes it’s just a tiny whisper and other times it’s a loud roar when Holy Spirit tells me to do something, but it’s rarely a “Yes”. I wish I had Mary’s kind of faith in God’s promises and words. I think it will take a lifetime of living for me to get to a “Yes”. But it’s worth trying because it makes me wonder what kind of life I would have if I was an “automatic Yes” to God. 

Day 72 Bible Reading

Leviticus 26: 14-26, Leviticus 27, Luke 1: 1-25, Psalm 37: 32-40

Luke 1: 19-20 (ESV)

“And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

I like verses 19 and 20 from Luke 1. The angel Gabriel punished Zechariah for not believing his words. We don’t have angels punishing us for our non-beliefs, but I know sometimes I felt that I was being punished God for lack of beliefs. When I pray for something and Holy Spirit tells me it will come, I sometimes have doubts. When I have doubts, I don’t get the thing I want until the very last minute. At other times when I don’t have doubts, the thing I prayed for comes immediately. So is it a form of punishment from God when I have doubts and the thing I want doesn’t come until I have given up all hope?  I never thought of it in that way, but it might be a form of punishment from God for lack of belief in his promise. What do you think?

Day 71 Bible Reading

Leviticus 25 & 26: 1-13, Mark 16, Psalm 37: 21-31

Leviticus 26: 1 (ESV)

“You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.”

Verse 1 from Leviticus 26 has been part of prayers to God these last few weeks. It feels like the Holy Spirit is convicting me of making idols of people I follow on social media. I love great thinkers and people who predict future trends. I daily read their Substack articles, listen to their podcasts, and read everything they post on X. They have become my new “idols”. But there is no greater thinker than God and no one can predict future trends because God has the final say on what will eventually trend in our lives. I still read their posts on X and read whatever they post on Substack, but I’ve decided to not listen to their podcasts since they take up more time. Do I miss the podcasts? Yes, because I would listen to them while doing other things. Will I go back to listening to them? Eventually, but not until I can listen to what my “idols” say while still remembering that God is ultimate authority in the world.

Day 70 Bible Reading

Leviticus 23 & 24, Mark 15: 33-47, Psalm 37: 10-20

Mark 15: 39 (ESV)

“And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

I’ve always liked verse 39 from Mark 15 because it makes me wonder what the centurion saw while Jesus was dying on the cross to make him utter that statement. I love The Chosen TV series, and there is so much speculation on whether the centurion who is quoted in Mark 15 will be Atticus or Quintus. Was the centurion referring to change in weather that was happening when Christ was being crucified? Was there something specific in Jesus’ face that the centurion witnessed? My imagination runs wild when I think about what the centurion saw at Jesus’ crucifixion. I like that the centurion was another gentile who has recognized the divinity of Christ. I wonder what I would have said had I been there at the crucifixion as a gentile.

Day 69 Bible Reading

Leviticus 21 & 22, Mark 15: 1-32, Psalm 37: 1-9

Mark 15: 31-32 (ESV)

“So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.  Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.”

Verses 31 and 32 from Mark 15 remind me of that scene from the movie “The Last Temptation of Christ”, where Jesus steps down from the cross and leads a different life. It’s a fantasy of course, because at the end he gets back on cross and dies. If Jesus had saved himself as he could have, then we wouldn’t have the resurrection and we wouldn’t believe in him. If Christ had gotten down from the cross, there wouldn’t be a Christian religion. I wonder if those chief priests and scribes who saw Jesus die remembered their words when the Christian religion was being formed. They tried to snuff the early Christians out, but it didn’t work. The beliefs of Christ took over the world and we are better because of it.

Day 68 Bible Reading

Leviticus 19 & 20, Mark 14: 43-72, Psalm 36

Mark 14: 72 (ESV)

“And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”

Whenever I read verse 72 from Mark 14, I often wonder how Peter felt. Jesus had told him what would happen, and he didn’t believe him despite having seen all the miracles and healings that Jesus had performed. I’ve been listening to David Guzik’s bible commentaries, and he said that Peter made the mistake of not praying before answering Jesus. Would Peter’s actions have changed had he prayed? Did he even have time to pray in the moment? Peter comes across as a passionate guy and I’m not sure he’s the type of person who would have stopped and prayed before he spoke? But I think David Guzik has a point nonetheless. Before we speak or do anything, we need to pray. In prayer we may come to know our own mind better, and may make different decisions, different choices. Maybe not but I like to think it might make a difference.

I've had a rough weekend, so I fell behind in bible reading posts and am getting caught up.

Day 67 Bible Reading

Leviticus 17 & 18, Mark 14: 17-42, Psalm 35: 19-28

Mark 14: 27 (ESV)

“And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”

I was listening to a commentary from David Guzik on verse 27 from Mark 14, and he said when Jesus made this prediction to his disciples it was because he knew their minds and what they would do before they did. It made me wonder if Jesus knows the minds of all of his followers like he knew the minds of his disciples. Does he know what we’re going to do before we do it? Does he see all of our choices and waits to see what choices will we make? I like to think Jesus knows my mind, but I’m also of the opinion that he waits to see if I will make the right choice. He is so patient with me. More patient than I am with myself. And when I make a mistake, he leads me to ways of repentance with kindness and firmness. That’s my experience of Christ at least. What is yours?

Day 66 Bible Reading

Leviticus 15 and 16, Mark 13: 32-37, Mark 14: 1-16, Psalm 35: 11-18

Mark 13: 32 (ESV)

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

I was listening to a discussion today on the hypostatic union which is the idea that “Jesus Christ is true God and true man”. Or in other words, Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine that these two natures cannot be separated. Verse 32 from Mark 13 was cited as evidence for the idea of the hypostatic union, because even Christ said he himself does not know everything that God knows. Only God knows everything or is omniscient. I like the idea of Christ being fully human because that means he knows everything about being human because he has experienced it for himself.

Day 65 Bible Reading

Leviticus 14, Mark 13: 1-31, Psalm 35: 1-10

Mark 13: 31 (ESV)

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

I like verse 31 from Mark 13. Jesus’ prediction about his words have certainly come true. I find it so interesting that the Bible is still alive and well long after his death on the cross. There were many men who claimed to be the “Messiah” in the time when Jesus was alive. But only the true son of God prevailed out of all those who were claiming to be the Messiah. Even if you have no belief in God, you have to give credit to the Christian religion and how it was spread all over the globe. People only resonate with what they consider “truth and authenticity”. There must be something to the Christian religion to give its longevity, despite all the forces that have tried to stamp it out today and in the past. No one can convince anyone to believe in God, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It’s something you have to experience it for yourself. And when you have an experience of faith, it will change your life forever.

Day 64 Bible Reading

Leviticus 13, Mark 12: 28-44, Psalm 34: 11-22

Mark 12: 42-44 (ESV)

“And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.””

I love these verses from Mark 12 because Jesus puts into perspective how much money they contribute to the church. People of wealth can contribute much money to the church, but the sum of their contribution doesn’t make them better. Jesus is telling us if can contribute everything we can, and in the case of this widow everything she had to live on, God will be contributing as putting in more than a person with a large amount of contribution.

Day 63 Bible Reading

Leviticus 11 & 12, Mark 12: 1-27, Psalm 34: 1-10

Mark 12: 10-11 (ESV)

“Have you not read this Scripture: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?”

I’ve always liked verses 10-11 from Mark 12, and I found this bible commentary from David Guzik very intriguing.

“Jesus is often likened unto a stone or a rock in the Bible. He is the rock of provision that followed Israel in the desert (1 Corinthians 10: 4). He is the stone of stumbling (1 Peter 2: 8). He is the stone cut without hands that crushes the kingdoms of this world (Daniel 2: 45).”

I like thinking of Jesus as the stone of stumbling for those caught in their old ways. Christ will make you stumble to see the light.

Getting caught up on Bible Readings. I saw The Chosen Season 4 episodes 7 and 8 on Monday March 4, and I was very moved and needed to take a break to digest what I watched. It was powerful season 4 finale. Don’t miss it in the theaters or when it comes out for free.

Day 62 Bible Reading

Leviticus 9 & 10, Mark 11: 27-33, Psalm 33: 12-22

Mark 11: 11 (ESV)

“So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.””

I like verse 11 from Mark 11 when Jesus spoke to the scribes who asked him by what authority was Jesus doing all these things. Jesus told them he will answer their question if they can tell him if the baptism of John was heaven or man. Jesus knew that a follower of John or anyone who had seen John the Baptist would have thought about or pondered for themselves. I find it interesting that the scribes hadn’t even thought of this question and couldn’t give Jesus a good answer. These were supposedly learned men in the Torah who couldn’t give Jesus an answer based on their understanding of Torah. And that’s how Jesus caught them and didn’t answer their question. I like this verse because I have saying I always ask myself before I ask any serious question – “don’t ask questions you don’t know want to know or aren’t prepared for the answer you are going to get.”

Day 61 Bible Reading

Leviticus 7 & 8, Mark 11: 1-26, Psalm 33: 1-11

Mark 11: 13-14 (ESV)

“And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.”

I’ve been reading commentaries on verses 13-14 from Mark 11, and this is the most interesting interpretation of Jesus cursing the fig tree that I came across. Christ cursed the fig tree because it had leaves, but no fruit. A fig tree only has leaves when it has fruit, so the fig tree had false advertising. A commentator wrote that “God doesn’t approve when there is a profession without reality, talk without walk. God has displeasure when we have the appearance of fruit but not the fruit itself.” Any follower of Christ will need to look deep into their own hearts and analyze their behavior and ask themselves, “Am I a true follower of Christ or do I just have the appearance of being a follower of Christ?”

Day 60 Bible Reading (I read these passages from the Bible yesterday, but I couldn’t figure out what to write about and reflect on, so I had to sleep on it. Below is what I came up with today.)

Leviticus 5 & 6, Mark 10: 32-52, Psalm 32

Mark 10: 43-44 (ESV)

“But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”

Verses 43-44 from Mark 10 stood out for me today. John and James are asking Jesus if they could have close and leadership positions in his kingdom. Many commentaries have noted that Jesus is telling John and James that in his version of the kingdom, the only requirement for leadership is humble service. That to have a leadership position in Jesus’ kingdom, you have to be like Jesus and emulate how humble he was in his life. Ministry is for the benefit of those you are serving, and not for the benefit of the one who is serving. The kingdom of Christ can be so hard to understand for people, because in our normal everyday world we receive something for leadership. We either receive something materially or financially. But in Jesus’ world, leadership comes up what you can give to people. Christ paid the ultimate price for his leadership. We will need to ask ourselves would we be willing to make such a sacrifice for leadership? Maybe not our life, but definitely our pride and ego will need to be let go to serve God’s people.

Day 59 Bible Reading

Leviticus 3 & 4, Mark 10: 1-31, Psalm 31: 19-24

Mark 10: 15 (ESV)

” Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

When I first heard and read verse 15 from Mark 10, I used to think it meant that we needed child-like faith in God. Having faith in God the way a child trusts his father. I believe I have a child-like trust in God. But after reading several commentaries, many biblical scholars believe this verse also emphasizes that children don’t feel that they have to earn everything they get. Children will never refuse gifts out of self-sufficient pride. A child will receive a gift because at their age, that’s all they can do. I like this new way of looking at this verse because as an adult, I do often find it hard to receive gifts. The first thoughts that inevitably run through my head upon receiving a gift are 1) what does this person want? 2) I’m going to have to give them something now just to even out the scales, 3) I don’t deserve a gift ever, and 4) what did I do to earn this gift?” I’m going to have to add the child-like attitude of being able to just receive to my definition of faith.