Their Happiness Spilled Into Praises to the God of Israel

By Mary Vee
Mark 7, Matthew 15

Peter

Photo Courtesy: Google Maps plus added notations

I am a disciple of Jesus.

The eleven other disciples and I went with Jesus to Tyre where he met a woman who had a sick child. You can read what happened in the last post. Scroll down.

The next day we walked up through Sidon then turned east and south into the area of the Ten Cities: Damascus and eight major cities to the east of the Jordan River, and one on the western bank of the Jordan River.

In one city, some men brought their dear friend to Jesus. The friend was deaf and could hardly speak. The men begged Jesus to place his hand on their friend. 

Jesus took the friend and the men who brought him a distance from the crowd. Once they were alone, He put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. Jesus looked up to heaven. He heaved a deep sigh then said to the man, "Ephphatha," which is translated: be opened. 

Instantly, the man's eyes went wide. He touched his ears and turned his head at every sound. Even faint ones. Then--he spoke as plainly as I would. "I can hear! I can talk," he shouted. His friends hugged him. They laughed. They patted him on the back and rejoiced.

Jesus then said, "Don't tell anyone what has happened." But the more Jesus asked, the more the men and their friend told people. It wasn't out of cruelty. They were just so happy they couldn't keep the good news a secret. 

The crowds that heard their news were overwhelmed and amazed. They said, "Jesus has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

It didn't take long before masses of people came to the area bringing loved ones who were lame, blind, crippled, mute and with many other issues. They laid them at Jesus' feet.

Compassion poured out of Jesus for these people. He healed the ones brought to Him. 

Men and women stood amazed when they saw the mute speak, the crippled made well, the lame walking, and the blind clearly seeing. As they watched. Their happiness spilled into praises to the God of Israel. It was a great time of rejoicing.

And--it was a time I will never ever forget. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

What Great Faith Can Do

By Mary Vee
Mark 7, Matthew 15

Peter

Photo Courtesy: Google Maps plus added notations

I am a disciple of Jesus.

Jesus said it was time to leave the Capernaum area after the issue with the Pharisees. You can read about it in the last post.

We, Jesus' disciples, followed Him northwest to the Mediterranean Shore to the area of Tyre and Sidon.

We went into a house. Jesus had chosen not to tell the people who lived there who He was at that time. But, He must have been noticed. The word spread that he was there, drawing men and women to come see Him.

A woman who lived in the area, a Canaanite, came to visit Jesus. Once she saw him she cried out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

Jesus didn't say anything.

She continued to cry out, calling attention to herself. The other disciples and I were unsure what to do, but it seemed we needed to get this woman to leave. We went to Jesus and asked him, "Should we send her away? She keeps crying out and creating such a scene."

Jesus said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

The woman pressed closer to Jesus. She knelt before him and cried out, "Lord, help me!"

Jesus said, "It's not right to take the bread that belongs to one's own children and toss it to their dogs."

The woman said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Jesus smiled, "Woman, you have great faith. Your request is granted." 

The woman left and when she went home, she found her daughter had been healed and that it had happened at the same hour Jesus had spoken to her.

As Jesus disciple, I have learned that everything He says and does has importance. This woman was not an Israelite, yet her faith in Jesus as the one who could heal had given her what she asked.

Jesus once said, "Ask and you will receive." But he didn't mean it in a way that we could have whatever we wanted. We need faith like this woman, and our purpose must be to bring praise to God. That is why Jesus healed the woman's daughter.

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

The Heart is the Key

By Mary Vee
Mark 7, Matthew 15

Peter

Photo by Mary Vee
The ruins of the synagogue in Capernaum

Jesus called to the people milling about. 

When they gathered close he said, "Please listen. Everyone. Listen closely and I will teach you. 

The people quieted.

Jesus said, "Nothing outside of a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Food and drink going into you does not make you unclean. What makes a person unclean is what comes out of that person."

I and the other disciples had heard the Pharisees in the crowd grumbling. We went to Jesus privately and said, "The Pharisees were offended when they heard what you said."

The people have always gone to the Pharisees to understand the law. The Pharisees have taught what should be eaten, what shouldn't be eaten, when to rest, when to work, and so much more. They have worked to make the law clear to the people. They have also made so many rules no one can remember all of them.

Jesus said, "If a plant grows that has not been planted by my heavenly Father, it will be pulled up by its roots. Leave the Pharisees, they are like guides who are blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

I wasn't exactly sure what Jesus meant by 'unclean,' so I asked, "Explain the parable to us."

"Don't you see that when food or drink goes into a man, it goes into his stomach then out of his body? The Pharisees require men not to eat certain foods as though the food itself had sinned. But these foods do not go to a man's heart, which is where sin resides. 

"It is the heart that makes a man unclean. Out of men's hearts come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All of these evils come from inside. They come from the heart and makes a man 'unclean.'

His explanation was so clear to me. The Pharisees had added requirements to the law. We are sinners from birth, and it has infected our heart. Eating or not eating certain foods and drinking or not drinking a beverage will not make us clean. 

There is nothing we can do to rid our hearts from sin. Only Jesus the Christ can make us clean. I have so much more to learn from Jesus. To do this, I have devoted my life to listening to His teachings and learning from Him.

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Those Who Chose To Stay By Jesus' Side

By Mary Vee
John 6, Mark 7, Matthew 15

Peter

Photo by Mary Vee
The ruins of the synagogue in Capernaum

Jesus spoke to a crowd of people a few minutes ago. When he finished teaching, many of His disciples turned their backs on him and chose not to follow his teachings any longer.

After they left, Jesus turned to the twelve of us. Andrew, James, John, Thomas, Matthew, Philip, Bartholomew, James, Thaddeus, Simeon, Judas, and myself. He asked, "You don't want to leave too, do you?"

The question sliced my heart in two. How could I ever leave Jesus? I spoke out first, it's just something I did. Sometimes my words blurted out what was in my soul. I said, "Lord, who are we to go to if we leave you? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Jesus said, "Even though I have chosen the twelve of you, one is a devil."

I didn't know which one of us He meant. Surely Jesus knew my heart and commitment to Him. What I knew was I would always follow Jesus.

The mealtime came. We disciples ate using our hands. Moving about the country as we did left us without tools to abide by the traditional hand washings. 

Some teachers and Pharisees came from Jerusalem to hear Jesus. They apparently saw us eating food with our hands. The Pharisees didn't eat unless they performed the ceremonial washing. They kept the tradition of the elders faithfully. When the Pharisees left the marketplace, they didn't eat unless they first washed. They also followed other traditions such as washing cups, pitchers, and kettles.

These Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus why He didn't require us to follow the traditions of the elders instead of allowing us to eat food with 'unclean' hands.

Jesus said, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you. He wrote: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain. Their teachings are but rules taught by men.' You have let go of God's commands and are holding tight to the traditions of men.

Jesus then said, "You have a fine way of setting aside God's commands in order to observe your own traditions. Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother.' He also said, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you tell the men they don't need to do anything for their father or mother. This is when you nullify the word of God with the traditions you have handed down. I have given you only one example of the many ways your traditions do not follow the commands of God."

With those words, Jesus finished speaking for the time.

His message was so clear to me. Follow God's commands not the traditions of the elders. His words confirmed why I would continue to follow Jesus, the Holy One of God, and his teachings.

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Living Each Day With The Son of God

By Mary Vee
John 6

A Disciple Who Walked With Jesus

Photo by Mary Vee
The ruins of the synagogue in Capernaum

We went into the synagogue on the Sabbath in Capernaum to worship. On this day, Jesus taught, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."

Many Jews who attended the worship grumbled among themselves. They said, "How can He come down from heaven. Isn't he Jesus, the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, I came down from heaven?"

Their grumblings were not so quiet. Jesus heard them and said, "Stop grumbling among yourselves. No one can follow me unless the Father who sent me draws him. Those the Father draws to me I will raise up on the last day. 

"It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' So, everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 

"No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God. Only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

"Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert. This did not give them everlasting life, because as you know, their bodies died. 

"I am the bread of life. The bread that comes down from heaven that gives everlasting life. This is bread for your soul and gives everlasting life."

After hearing Jesus speak, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

Jesus said, "Does this offend you? What would you say if you see the Son of Man rise up to heaven to where he was before? The Spirit gives life. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe."

Later I learned that Jesus had known from the beginning which of those men did not believe and who would betray him. 

Jesus said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

Sadly, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 

I was one who stayed. Although I didn't understand all that Jesus taught, I knew in my heart that this man was the promised Messiah foretold by the prophets. For this reason, I couldn't leave him. I had to stay and learn all I could. Imagine... sitting, walking, living each day with the Son of God. That is what I did.

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.