tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333361046630429843.post4867673693552891113..comments2023-05-14T13:19:11.021+01:00Comments on NearlyMarthaAgain: Men as treesNearly Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594432566473391552noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333361046630429843.post-34604116729984465432013-03-25T22:27:43.373+00:002013-03-25T22:27:43.373+00:00No don't apologise. I think I am getting it. I...No don't apologise. I think I am getting it. I love the thought that the accounts support and run into each other to build the picture that God wanted us to see. Thank you.Nearly Marthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01594432566473391552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333361046630429843.post-78808724379582119872013-03-25T17:39:35.537+00:002013-03-25T17:39:35.537+00:00Child at the back of the class has her hand up. I...Child at the back of the class has her hand up. I can tell you why (Jesus had two goes at healing him).<br /><br />It's to do with the teaching structure of Mark's Gospel. If you want the full version it's on pages 158-164 of my book The Road of Blessing. The short version is that chapters 8-10 of Mark form a central section of teaching radically altering the perception of what it meant to be Messiah, from a concept of unassailable power to a concept of change effected by suffering servanthood.<br /><br />This is a conceptual sea change.<br /><br />This central, essential block of teaching has at its apex, and the apex of the gospel of Mark as a whole, the Transfiguration ("This is my beloved Son - listen to him."), and is bookended by two healing stories.<br /><br />The sequence of events goes like this. Jesus heals the blind man, but has to take two goes at it. Next, Peter declares faith in Jesus as Messiah, but then impetuously declares Jesus must never suffer and die - which shows he has seen but not seen (like the blind man), understood but not understood. Then comes the block of teaching expounding the central importance of suffering and service, ending with Jesus saying in Ch 10 "For the Son of man came to to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the many".<br /><br />On the heals of that comes the healing of Blind Bartimaeus, who is healed instantly and (curious phrase) "follows Jesus in the Way". Mark uses the Way as a term for faith, so we are here to equate seeing - healed sight - with attaining insight, and thus faith. After that the passion narrative begins.<br /><br />The two stories are about the healing of how we see Jesus, opening our blind eyes to recognise him in the way the transfiguration reveals him - as glorious, yet also with the cross as central to his mission.<br /><br />I hope this is not too garbled and I apologise for length.<br /><br />Pen Wilcockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13818227904371811230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333361046630429843.post-55129068653484188362013-03-24T20:51:42.231+00:002013-03-24T20:51:42.231+00:00Just what I needed to hear ~ thank you!
Sometimes ...Just what I needed to hear ~ thank you!<br />Sometimes we forget that a God who can do ANYTHING sometimes chooses to do nothing, or do it little by little, for reasons we don't understand ~ but yet HE knows the reason & it is part of His bigger picture. Gillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333361046630429843.post-78357995729069800722013-03-24T16:15:25.657+00:002013-03-24T16:15:25.657+00:00Absolutely
Can I humbly exhort you to continue pos...Absolutely<br />Can I humbly exhort you to continue posting great bits like this! You brighten my Sunday afternoons<br /><br />re Mr Cash. I was so upset when our local shop changed its name to "Sainsburys Local". we still call it "Jackson" just so we can sing the song<br /><br />and when he sings 'are all the children in?' I weepAngelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.com