Mark 3:20-35

Then he went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” – for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3:20-35

We return to green this Sunday. And we continue our journey through Mark’s gospel. Mark has been speaking about Jesus’ nature and now he moves to discuss discipleship. It is a very rich text that gives plenty of room for meditation – and for preaching.

Lockdown 4.0

As of last Friday, I am again in lockdown. Actually not only me but the whole of the state of Victoria. We had online church yesterday. We have now done it so often it has a feeling of normality. Nothing stops the people of God from worshipping – even from watching The Chosen.

During lockdown, I have been watching more TV than normal. So I thought I would share some of the shows that I have been marathoning:

  • Sex in the City – brain on neutral stuff
  • Wild Wild Country – I absolutely love cults and this is really good – well produced.
  • Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults – I think Heaven’s Gate really illustrates that a cult is the opposite of the single individual. This is really good because it includes people who were part of the cult and continue to believe.
  • Westworld – season 3 as I have seen the first two
  • Versailles – only because I am amazed people dressed like that
  • Batman Begins – I have been listening to the soundtrack while working

There might be some I have forgotten. I might do another post for books which is much more interesting.

sleep …

I did not sleep well. I had nightmares all night. And they were extremely vivid. I was having an argument with someone – maybe a discussion I should have in real life. The people in my dream were people who have hurt me or supported me recently.

Sleep for me is a “hit and miss” endeavour. Sometimes I can sleep really well but often I have vivid nightmares that leave me emotionally exhausted when I wake. I have woken with tears on my pillow. The dreams often follow me into my day. And the dream becomes part of my reality.

So I will try to be me today even with the emotional weight of the nightmare. I will try to simply be!

I am grateful …

I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Paul writes about his journey to Jesus. How is was far away but Jesus’ love overflowed for him. And he summarises it all but saying, “I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord”.

I am anxious about the coming week. I am not sure what is going to happen. But, like Paul, I am grateful to Jesus.

sin – part 2

No, the test in which this woman is tried is: to love her Saviour more than her sin.

Kierkegaard, Søren. Discourses at the Communion on Fridays, 114

I like SK’s Communion Discourses. They are good spiritual reading. He mixes his various geners into these “talks”.

I have been thinking about the above quote from a discourse on Luke 7:47, “Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little”. I will leave the quote for you to meditate on.

Kierkegaard and Batman

Full comic: https://existentialcomics.com/comic/61

I have been thinking of rewatching Christopher Nolan‘s Batman series. I have enjoyed them in the past and, since we are back in lockdown, I have a little spare time. And Existentialist Comics has a great comic on the connection between Kierkegaard and Batman.

A movie is an experience. I think we sometimes over look the depth of some movies. I like the no-brainer movies too. But there are movies that make people think and, I think, the church should acknowledge that and work with it rather than against it. I think Jesus (and most certainly Kierkegaard) would use examples from modern movies to illustrate His points.

I have always thought that the three Nolan Batman movies had much philosophical depth. And I really like Batman as a superhero. So I did a quick Google and found this: The Dark Knight: Why So Existential? The post draws some very good connections with Fear and Trembling. It is well worth a read!

I might write more about Batman as I make my way through the movies.

sin?

… when [the Advocate] comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

John 16:8-11

The Holy Spirit will “prove the world wrong about sin, because they do not believe in me”. Kierkegaard would point out that sin here is the opposite of faith. I would dare to say that sin and faith are two sides of one coin we call “relationship”. One side is a relationship with Jesus we call faith, the other is a broken relationship with Jesus we call sin. Both express themselves in action but that is only a symptom: the relationship is the real issue. So sin is more about being outside of Jesus than having something missing within.

In the mission of the church, in the proclamation of Jesus, the way the individual sees “sin” is central – only thing more important is what the individual says about Jesus. I think we sometimes fall into an idea of sin that is too much like a law-court and too focused on actions. The reality is that the actions follow the relationship and everything done apart from Jesus is sin – even a great good.

I have to acknowledge that I live with both in my life. I try to have a relationship with Jesus but often my brokenness and distance from Jesus shows itself in my actions. And when I am honest about that tension in my life I am always driven back to Jesus as my Saviour.