Sunday, March 31, 2024

Mercy, not Sacrifice

When Jesus pronounced the paralytic’s sins “forgiven,” he offended the Scribes and Pharisees, the allies of the Temple authorities. He alienated them even further by reaching out to “sinners” considered especially unacceptable by more scrupulously religious Jews. Seeing Jesus eating with “tax collectors” and other “sinners,” they insinuated that he also must be a notorious sinner.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

The Mission

Jesus commanded his followers to announce the same message he preached: He summarized it as the “Good News of the Kingdom of God.” His Church would establish this Kingdom in unexpected and paradoxical ways. By his return, his sovereignty over all nations will be established and his “enemies” will be subdued, including the last one, “death.” Until then, his disciples must proclaim his message to the “uttermost parts of the Earth.”

Түүний нэрийг Есүс гэдэг

Матай Сайн мэдээний эхний бүлэгт, тэнгэр элч Мариа тээсэн хүүхэд “Ариун Сүнсний төрсөн” гэж Иосефт мэдэгдсэн, тэр хүүхэд “Есүс” нэрийг нь түүнд даалгасан - “чи Түүнийг Есүс гэж нэрлэ. Учир нь Тэр Өөрийн ард түмнийг нүглээс нь аварна гэж хэлэв” Нэр нь илчлэгдэх гэж байсан ард түмнийхээ төлөө Бурханы аврах үйлдлийг зааж өгсөн.

Lord of Sabbath

Religious leaders from Jerusalem objected to the looseness of Jesus to their Sabbath traditions, but he used the opportunity to demonstrate that the “Son of Man” is “Lord” even over that day. God ceased His creative activities on the seventh day, but its formal establishment as a regulated day on which no work could be done did not occur until the Torah was given at Mount Sinai (“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”).

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Forgiving Sin

The literary unit in chapters 1 and 2 of the Gospel of Mark includes five stories highlighting the authority of Jesus as the “Son of Man.” It also shows the growing conflicts between him and the religious authorities based in the Jerusalem Temple, especially over issues of ritual purity and Sabbath regulations. There are parallels between the present story and the preceding one about the cleansing of the leper.

Authority over Purity Codes

The touch of the Nazarene cleansed a leper from ritual impurity, restoring him physically AND religiously, and Jesus touched the leper BEFORE he was cleansed of his ritual defilement. Any concern over contracting “uncleanness” did not prevent the Messiah from healing a Son of Israel - His touch drove out the disease and cleansed the man’s ritual defilement - (Mark 1:40-45).

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Цөлд дуу хоолой

Маркийн Сайн мэдээ нь еврей Библи дэх ишлэлүүд дээр үндэслэсэн тунхаглалаар нээгдэж, Баптист Иоханы үйлчлэлийн судрын үндэс суурийг тавьсан юм. Энэ нь Есүсийн Мессиагийн номлол болон Бурханы хаант улсыг тунхаглах үе шатыг тогтоодог. Тиймээс маркийн данс нь биелэлтийн тэмдэглэл дээр эхэлдэг. Назараас ирсэн хүн бол Израилийн Бурханы сударт амласан Мессиа ба Аврагч юм.