EmmDev 2025-06-24 [Moments with Mark] Down to Brass Tacks

Down to Brass Tacks

Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the Gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." And He said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." (Mark8:34-9:1)

The saying "Getting down to brass tacks" most likely comes from the upholstery trade, where upholsterers finish their work by securing fabric with strong, durable brass tacks that won't rust and maintain their strength.

Jesus "gets down to brass tacks" after Peter's "awake and asleep" moment where he sees Jesus clearly for one moment and the next, he's trying to tell the Messiah how to run His ministry. And so Jesus calls the crowd and the disciples to follow Him.

The Greek phrase for "would come after Me" is interesting: There are three words:
-thelei - which means "choose, make a decision, or will (as in act of will)
-opisō - which means "after", "in pursuit", or "behind"
-akoloutheō - which means "follow" (in proximity) or "follow" (as disciple).

So Jesus is calling us to a serious choice.
We choose to make the conscious choice to follow behind Him as a disciple..."

Here's what this serious call comes down to:

• I must deny ourself - my agenda comes second.
• I must take up my cross - people knew that if you carried a cross you were going to die.
• I must follow Him - go where He would go, love what He would love, speak like He would speak
• I can't hang on to my life, I must lose it and hold it loosely.
  (But if I do make Christ and Gospel my priority I will find real and full life.)
• I have to realise that worldly gain is to lose my soul
  and that my soul has great value - it is far more valuable than the tinsel of this world.
• I can't be ashamed of Him, even though many others are.
  I don't want Him to be be ashamed of me.
• The Kingdom of God isn't only about heaven - "pie in the sky one day when you die"
  It's a reality that is at work in our here and now.

Peter, when He tried to impose his agenda on Jesus, showed that he hadn't grasped these concepts.

So these are the "brass-tacks" - they are just like the sharp, hard and durable nails pin down the upholstery project, only these are the sharp, hard and durable principles that make up discipleship:
Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Him in word and action, give up the unimportant stuff, don't be ashamed of Him and recognise that we're not just trying to escape this world - we're bringing His Kingdom.
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EmmDevs will be taking a break until 22 July because of our General Assembly and the Gov School holidays.

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EmmDev 2025-06-20 [Moments with Mark] Awake and Asleep at the Same Time.

Awake and Asleep at the Same Time.

Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way He asked them, "Who do people say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" He asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ. " Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But when Jesus turned and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Mark8:27-33)

This pivotal passage comes pretty much in the middle of Mark as Jesus is moving toward Jerusalem. Jesus asks a key identity question, and He is not looking for opinion but ownership. He moves from "Who do people say I am?" to "Who do you say I am?" The disciples need to commit.

We are not properly sensitised to the meaning of "Christ." We tend to use it as if it is kind of like a "surname" for Jesus. Christ, or "Christos" in Greek, means "Messiah", "Anointed One",simply "The One." It is a massive title and one could be stoned for using it inappropriately. All of Israel's longing and hope was fixed on the appearance of the Messiah whom they believed was God's representative who would defeat evil and restore hope. While it seems that Peter just casually drops this in conversation, it is a breathtaking moment. Matthew gives us more detail with Jesus exclaiming that Peter did not just recognise this by himself, but that the Father Himself had revealed it. Mark, in his typical punchy journalist style, is content to let Peter do the mic drop - "You are the Christ"

I have a good colleague friend and mentor, Malan Nel, who always talks about Jesus the Christ.
This is helpful - it reminds me that He's not just a carpenter with the name Jesus (which was a very common variant of Joshua which means "God saves") but that He has a title - a very big one.

Sadly, as awake as Peter is to who Jesus is, he falls spiritually asleep in the very next paragraph. Death and sacrifice weren't concepts that fitted with the Jewish expectation of a victorious Messiah and so when Jesus talks about these realities, Peter, backed by the disciples, scolds Jesus for being so negative.

Interestingly, as Jesus rebuked Peter, He was also looking at the disciples.
It is a stinging rebuke.
By trying to make Jesus conform to their triumphalistic expectations, Peter and the disciples were actually doing the work of Satan.

We cannot separate the Messiah from the price He will pay for all of us.

Christians are often criticised for speaking of the blood of Christ and the sacrifice on the cross.

It's not comfortable, but it is vital.

So, in a nutshell, we have four key theological take-home points:
1. The importance of personally owning the identity of Jesus.
2. The true meaning and weight of calling Jesus "Christ."
3. The discomfort we have with the idea of a suffering Messiah.
4. The relevance of sacrifice and cross-centered theology in discipleship.

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EmmDev 2025-06-18 [Moments with Mark] Sometimes it's a process...

Sometimes it's a process...

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had spit on the man's eyes and put His hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." Once more Jesus put His hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village." (Mark8:22-26)

Mark mentions two healings that take place using saliva - the deaf man in the Decapolis and now the blind man of Bethsaida. As I mentioned with the healing of the deaf man, saliva was a means of healing used by loving parents and traditional healers. For a parent it spoke of spontaneous intimacy and in traditional healing it was an accepted and understood ritual.

In both cases Jesus takes them to one side. This is a very considerate gesture as receiving hearing and sight could be very overwhelming in the face of the crowd. Furthermore, the intimate nature of the healing deserves privacy.

The healing of deafness and blindness were powerful signs of Jesus' identity and power and this sets the scene for the coming conversation Jesus will have with His disciples regarding His identity. Scholars also note that this miracle marks the next phase of Jesus' ministry. Up until now He has been ministering in Galilee but now He will start moving towards Jerusalem. This section continues until the end of chapter 10 where Jesus heals "blind Bartimaeus." This repeated healing of the blind is very striking when we consider that Jesus talked about spiritual blindness a lot in the last two chapters...

There is one more unusual feature and that is that this healing happened in stages. There is no other healing account like this. The deaf-mute man instantly heard and spoke. The lame man walked immediately, even though his muscles must have been severely atrophied. But the blind man is healed in phases.

It's important to note that Jesus is not caught by surprise - it isn't a case of "Oops, that didn't work, let Me try again." Instead, Jesus deliberately heals the man progressively.

Once again, we see Jesus' compassion. It is likely He knew the man would struggle to cope with the sudden transition from complete blindness to full sight, so He heals him in steps - allowing him to adjust and not be overwhelmed.

So too, when we move from spiritual blindness to spiritual sightedness, many of us take the journey in phases. In fact, even in yesterday's account of the disciples' lack of faith, we see evidence of a gradual awakening - "a conversion in phases." And this is how many of us have come to faith...

Here are three comforting thoughts to consider:
1. Jesus deals with each of us personally and intimately.
2. Jesus brings light into darkness and opens blind eyes (physically and spiritually).
3. Jesus doesn't overwhelm us - His journey with us is step by step.

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EmmDev 2025-06-17 [Moments with Mark] None so blind... #2

None so blind... #2

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" (Mark8:14-21)

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread.
Jesus was thinking about the Pharisees and their cynical doubt which spread like wildfire... or like yeast... (Yeast is the fastest multiplying organism that we know of.)

But the disciples make it about themselves.
They think He's scolding them about forgetting bread.
They're missing the point entirely!
Jesus is talking about spiritual yeast.

And part of that is because they haven't yet processed what they have seen.
They've experienced Jesus feeding the 5000 and 4000.
They've seen the baskets full of leftovers.
If Jesus can simply multiply bread, then why should He be upset about the fact that they only have one loaf of bread?

Sadly, we are often guilty of a spiritual blindness.
We've read John 3:16 hundreds of times.
We've heard the gospel many many times.
We know about the thief on the cross and Simon Peter who both were forgiven.
We've heard so many sermons about God's grace.
We've heard so many testimonies about how He can change a life.

But then when we're asked about eternity we answer something like: "Well I hope I've done enough for St Peter to open the gate."

We keep making it about ourselves.
We talk about grace and live by law.
We can find ourselves going through the motions.
We hear the truths.

But we haven't processed them...

Maybe it's time we take a long hard look at:
- all that we know about Jesus
- all that Jesus has done for us
- and all we have experienced of His love and power.

Are there areas in our lives where we still live as though grace isn't enough?
May we take our eyes off ourselves and look more at Him.

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EmmDev 2025-06-13 [Moments with Mark] None so blind...

None so blind...

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test Him, they asked Him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." Then He left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." (Mark8:11-15)

Mark shows us how the opposition to Jesus mounted steadily...

Here in chapter 8 the Pharisees travel all the way from Jerusalem to the region of the Decapolis, east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. It was a predominantly Gentile area and the Pharisees would consider it "unclean."

They travelled a long way, into an area that was not comfortable for them and risked damaging their religious credibility."

Their intention was not friendly either - they were adversarial and their goal was to "test" Him. The Greek word is peirazō is often translated as trial, hardship, test, or even entrapment They demand a "sign from heaven" from Him. Even the feeding of the 4,000 was not enough to satisfy them - they wanted something dramatic - something like a voice or fire from heaven.

Jesus sighs deeply and does not give in to their manipulations.
Whatever He did would not have satisfied them.
Because...
... there are none so blind
... as those who will not see.

Jesus leaves them behind, but their negativity stays with Him.
When the disciples are short of bread it makes Jesus think of yeast.
Just a little yeast spreads through the dough and influences it, the cynicism, negativity and self-righteousness of the Pharisees can spread into other hearts too.

We should be careful too...
The blindness of those who will not see can poison us as well...

Where am I missing the signs of God's work because of pride or cynicism?

When we see people going out of their way to harass, question or test those who are doing good work, then let us beware: their brand of cynical superiority and self-righteousness is both dangerous and infectious.

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EmmDev 2025-06-12 [Moments with Mark] Another Feeding

Another Feeding

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?" "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When He had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, He broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; He gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand men were present. (Mark8:1-9)

This is the second time Jesus feeds a large number of people with very little food. Let's pick up the similarities and differences...

We'll start with the SIMILARITIES:

• A large crowd has gathered again. Even among the Gentiles, people are attracted to Jesus. They travelled far and long in the hot sun to listen to Him.
• Jesus has compassion on them again. In the first feeding, He sees the crowd as shepherdless sheep, and even now He is deeply moved with compassion. (The Greek word for compassion implies deep feeling.)
• The disciples are stretched as Jesus shares the problem. It seems that, in both feeding events Jesus very deliberately pushes the disciples to think about the problem and not just shrug their shoulders.
• Jesus instructs the crowd to sit down in an orderly fashion, and He gives thanks. This is very important in that it encourages dignity, respect and gratitude.
• The miracle happens. Many people are fed with very little food.

Now we look at the DIFFERENCES:

• There are few small fish but seven loaves instead of five. This is not a significant material difference, but it does emphasise that these are two separate events and not just a repetition.
• Jesus is on the other side of the Sea of Galilee - among the ten cities ("Decapolis"). The last time He was here, he cast the legion of demons out of the Gerasene Grave Guy (GGG) (See EmmDevs of 6-9 May) and people asked Him to leave. Mark tells us that the GGG went all through the Decapolis telling about what God had done. So now, when Jesus returns, the Gentile crowds are hungry for His compassion and love. And although it's a different context and different circumstances, Jesus treats them with the same love and the same grace.

There's much to consider...

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EmmDev 2025-06-11 [Moments with Mark] He does everything well

He does everything well

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Him to place His hand on the man. After He took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put His fingers into the man's ears. Then He spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!"). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more He did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." (Mark7:31-36)

There are a few important things to see here:

Jesus went through Tyre and Sidon. In the OT Tyre and Sidon represented the heartland of Gentile idolatry and foreign influence. Jezebel the foreign wife who corrupted Ahab was from Sidon. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos and Joel all predict the destruction of Tyre and Sidon because of their evil. Jesus goes even to these places to proclaim the Good News.

Ironically, Jesus finds more faith in Tyre and Sidon than He does in Israel. Note His words in Mt.11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago..." Sadly, we sometimes find more real faith in the world than in the church.

It's amazing how quickly people create formulas. They crowd brought the man to Jesus for Him to "place His hand" upon the deaf and mute man. We quickly develop fixed ideas about how God works and what He does and doesn't do. I once heard a very dogmatic person say "My Jesus would never do X,Y or Z..." to which I answered "And there's your problem - He's not your Jesus."

Jesus heals the man personally and uniquely. He takes Him away and uses very intimate measures. He touches the ears and tongue. He spits, He sighs, He speaks a breathy word ("Ephphatha" just sounds like breath doesn't it? The man couldn't hear it but he probably felt it.) We don't like the spit idea, but spit was often used in healing rituals. Modern science tells us that saliva has some disinfecting qualities and parents have licked their fingers to wipe smears off kiddies faces for centuries. Imagine being deaf and mute and being given the gift of privacy and being attended to so intimately.

The healing is profound. Not only does the man here, but speech arrives/returns. Vocal chords and lips that could hardly talk are now able to articulate and speak plainly. A brain that hasn't heard at all or formed words well can now do all of that. It's a hugely significant healing.

The crowd are deeply impacted. He does everything well. He cares for the whole person. In His teaching, healing and handling of people, Jesus does everything well.

Which of these thoughts stood out to you?
Take a moment to thank God for what you saw/learned today.

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EmmDev 2025-06-10 [Moments with Mark] Tongue-In-Cheek Subversiveness.

Tongue-In-Cheek Subversiveness.

Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet He could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about Him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at His feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. "First let the children eat all they want," He told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then He told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. (Mark7:24-30)

This passage addresses the pride and prejudice prevalent in Jesus' time:
Jews considered themselves "the chosen people of God". Samaritans and Jews hated each other, the Romans persecuted everyone and surrounding nations cheered when Jerusalem was destroyed.

Some people interpret this passage as a moment where Jesus' mind was changed. They suggest that Jesus was a product of the racism and classism of the time, and that the woman's persistence and clever answer changed His mind.

But there are problems with this interpretation:

• Did Jesus truly view her as less important?
  However, this contradicts His other actions:
  - He healed Centurion's servant and a Samaritan leper
  - He opened heaven to the thief on the cross who technically speaking was cursed by God.
• Did Jesus actually classify her as a dog?
  - But He told the story of the Good Samaritan
  - and happily let Andrew introduce Him to Greek seekers. (Joh12:21)
  - This is also not consistent with the mandate given to the Jews to be a light to the nations
• Was His heart really that cold in the face of a child's need when we see Him going all the way to Jairus' house to raise a child from the dead and made pronouncements like "let the little children come to me?"

So what's happening here?

It's likely that the Jews had a similar saying, akin to our own "Charity starts at home."
It's possible that the Jews said: "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."
But Jesus' answer to her is enigmatic and mischievous because He uses a diminutive form for the word "dog". The word can be translated as "housedogs", "lapdogs" or "doggies."

By using the dimuntive term, Jesus might very well be emphasizing that even dogs, often seen as inferior or unclean, are brought into homes and become "doggies" and "lapdogs" valued and cared for by their masters. This could be a subtle way of highlighting the inherent worth and dignity of all creatures, including the Gentiles. In this way, Jesus' statement breaks down the hierarchical, class and race barriers people create.

And the woman seems to get it... because her answer is clever and subversive, giving Jesus a way to help her "legitimately".

There is a distinct playfulness about this encounter that subverts the classism and racism of the day.

Jesus gives her much more than crumbs and He commends her subversive faith because she sees God more clearly than Judaism does.

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EmmDev 2025-06-06 [Moments with Mark] From the Inside Out

From the Inside Out

Again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, "Listen to Me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' " After He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples asked Him about this parable. "Are you so dull?" He asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " (Mark7:14-23)

The Pharisees were obsessed with externals - ritual hand-washing, kosher diets, visible donations in the temple.

And let's be honest, rituals may be tedious, but they're measurable and safe.
Washed hands?
Check!
Avoided pork?
Check!
Donated to the temple (even though my parents suffer)?
Check!

These externals can be managed and appearances can be maintained.

But Jesus turns it all on its head - It's about the fruit.
- What fruit does the tree bear?
- What kind of water comes from the well?
- What comes out of you when you are squeezed?

This is what is significant.
It's a truth so obvious that the disciples miss it.
They think it's more complicated.
They think there has to be a recipe to follow or a rulebook to adhere to.

Mark recognises the huge significance - Jesus has hereby declared all foods "clean."

It's not about the stomach but about the HEART.
(And remember - in Hebrew culture the heart is not the seat of emotion but the control room or wellspring of life)

There's nothing wrong with healthy eating and exercise.
But let's realise that true and meaningful change comes from the INSIDE working OUT.

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EmmDev 2025-06-05 [Moments with Mark] A Religious Cover-Up

A Religious Cover-Up

And He said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that." (Mark7:9-13)

When Samuel rebuked Saul for sparing an enemy that he should have destroyed, he said "To obey is better than sacrifice..."

A thousand years later, the religious leaders were still getting this wrong. Corban was a practice they instituted that allowed children to disregard the Fifth Commandment and the long-standing cultural traditions of caring for their parents by simply claiming that their financial and material care was an offering devoted to God. The problem was that there was no accountability for this vow. No one would ensure that the money, goods or time were actually used for God's glory.

It was a neat way to look good and use God as a cover-up.
"I'd really love to do more for my parents, but I'm giving so much to the church now..."

There are two issues here: Priorities and not using God as a cover-up.
When it comes to priorities I learned a long time ago that our priorities need to be:

1. God (not church but our personal relationship with Him)
2. Our family (nuclear first and then extended and sometimes extended need to move down the queue)
   This doesn't mean that we play fast and loose with our jobs because without our jobs we can't provide for our families.
   But wherever I can I put family before job.
3. Our jobs
4. Our church
5. Our friends, hobbies etc.

Adriaan Plass, a well-known Christian author and humourist, tells the story of a man who is appointed as an elder in his church. He makes himself available to help his district. He offers lifts, lends out his car and does handyman work for people in need. As people begin to take advantage of his generosity (and his egocentric need to please people) he neglects his own family by not being there for his son's soccer games and his wife is washing clothes in the bath because he hasn't fixed the washing machine. When they gently complain, he accuses them of being unspiritual and not supporting the work of the church.

One day he gets home to find a note on the table from his wife indicating that there is a church family in great need waiting at a table in the local takeaway café. He drops everything to rush across and he finds his wife and son at the table and the scales fall from his eyes and he realises that he'd fallen into a trap of wrong priorities.

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