Mark 14

What did I learn about Jesus?

Jesus prayed to his Father to remove this burden from him but then prayed: ‘Yet not what I will, but what you will.’
We are allowed to ask God for things that we want in prayer, but we must remember that whatever God’s response we are called to do His will and not follow our own will.

What did I learn about disciple-making?

He took Peter, James and John away from the others when it was time to pray; he wanted his closest three there in his moment of agony.
We need close friends in our moments of agony to be with us.

Extended thoughts and observations from Pastor Mark:

A long but familiar chapter. Still, I saw things I hadn’t seen before. A few brief thoughts.

Leprosy was the Ebola of the time. Yet Jesus eats in the home of Simon, the Leper, presumably a man he had healed. Amazing. This woman, identified elsewhere as Mary, sister of Lazarus, is different from the “sinner”in Luke who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil. This nard was worth nearly a year’s wages. Makes me think about my own generosity. I am a faithful tither…but am I extravagant in my giving to Jesus? No.

Never noticed that Judas’departure to arrange his betrayal followed this story. I wonder…did his outrage over the “wastefulness” of Mary’s gift drive him over the top? People for whom money is most important can become very indignant about the topic. Those who have released their grip on money, are more indifferent to its charms.

Contrast between two “failures”; Judas, whose betrayal is irredeemable and irreversible…and Peter who failed Jesus almost as spectacularly and embarrassingly, yet is restored. Again, it’s the matter of the heart. Judas’ heart was dark, twisted and torn for some reason. Peter’s was good. It is an encouragement to me that I can fail spectacularly and, because I really do love Jesus, rest in his kindness and grace to me.

v. 40…. “they did not know what to say to him.” And v. 50 “then everyone deserted him and fled”are such sad verses to me. How alone Jesus must have felt.

v. 51-only place this story occurs in the gospels. Some believe that this is an autobiographical account of something that happened to Mark, but he is too modest to name himself.