Mark Study 14

Dear Student of the Word,

I apologize that it's been two weeks since my last update. Life on the road can be busy. Without further ado, however, I present the 14th study in our Mark series. I learned a lot from this week's edition and have used what I learned on almost a daily basis. That is our goal--to find some way to apply every verse of these studies to our daily lives and walk with the Lord.

This week I wrote:

10:16 -- Jesus sought to touch the children and bless them. He imparted a blessing through physical touch. I have heard that babies need touching. If they don't get it, they don't develop emotionally, even physically. If we are to be like children in the Kingdom, then we need touch as well. Do you touch (appropriately of course) your brothers and sisters in the Kingdom? Do you allow Jesus to touch you and impart a blessing? Why or why not?

I have to work on this, for my tendency is to stay within my private space, not venturing out or inviting anyone else in. What can you do to touch and impart a blessing to more people? What can you do to receive your blessing by the same means?

Feel free to add your insight or comments to this study on the site where it is posted at www.stankobiblestudy.com.

Download this week's study: Mark Study 14.doc

Comments

[Paul]

wanted to share with you (and everyone if you put this on the comment side of your blog) a different perspective on the scripture concerning "if your hand offends, cut it off. If you eye offends, pluck it out. etc, etc.

I totally agree that Jesus was not talking self-mutilation here. This would be total inconsistent with the rest of the Word and his basic character. Could it be, however, that he was talking aobut relationships?

I base this analysis on 1st Corinthians 12 where we are specifically referred to as "The Body Of Christ". The scripture plainly speaks "the hand cannot say to the foot..." and so on. We know the physical parts of our body have no power to make us sin. They are instruments that will carry out the will of the heart, which does make the decision to sin or not to sin. Relationships cannot make us sin, but they most assuredly influence us to sin or not, even the family of God.

For an example, if we align ourselves with someone that is dividing the Body of Christ, we have become a partaker of their sin and of their judgment as well. If this relationship continues and is not broken, it could have eternal consequences. Sometimes relationships, even in the Body of Christ, bring out the worst in us. In light of this scripture, it would be better to totally break this relationship and (KJV - "cut it off") rather than both of us risking hell over it.

This is consistent with further teachings of Paul concerning "marking those who cause divisons among you and avoid them." In effect, he is instructing the local Body of Christ to cut that person off from among them. His instructions were the same to the Corinthian church concerning the man who was caught in a sexual sin with his step-mother. Paul instructed them, in so many words, to cut him off from among them.

This is how I view the interpretation of this scripture.