EmmDev 2025-10-03 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] Grace: Salvation as God's Gift

Grace: Salvation as God's Gift

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians2:8-9)

To be Partners in Mission we need to recognize that we can only do it with God's Grace!

Grace is defined as the wholly undeserved favour of God the Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. You and I are saved by the grace of God, we did not earn it because we fulfilled the law of God, or that we did all kinds of righteous deeds. We are saved because God, in the Person of Jesus Christ (God incarnate), paid the price of sin!

It is when we realise that we are wretched sinners, saved by the amazing grace of God that we in gratitude will seek to be partners in mission with God the Father, Son and Holy. We serve with God for the reason that we understand that His grace - is the gift of God.

John Newton was a wretched sinner who captained slave ships. He partook in the most evil enterprise crafted by the heart of humanity. But after a shipwreck he decided to follow Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. For the remainder of his earthly life, he dedicated each day to the Master of his soul. He became a partner in mission and penned one of the most well-known and used hymns in the world: Amazing Grace.

I conclude with the first verse of the hymn and encourage you through grace - the gift of God - to become a partner in mission:

    Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
    That saved a wretch; like me!
    I once was lost, but now am found,
    Was blind, but now I see.
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Wayne van Heerden, husband to Frances, father to David and Angela. Enjoys cycling. Serving at Gateway Presbyterian Church, Kempton Park.

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EmmDev 2025-10-02 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] Justice: God Gives Christ in Our Place

Justice: God Gives Christ in Our Place

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood, to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness... so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans3:23-26)

Have you ever looked at a coin? A coin always has two sides, and you cannot have one without the other. In the same way, God has two sides that always belong together: His justice and His love. If God only showed love and forgave sin without punishment, He would not be just. But if He only judged sin, no one could be saved. So how can God be both just and loving? Romans 3:25-26 gives the answer: God gave Jesus to take our place. On the cross, God punished sin (justice) and forgave sinners (love).

The Bible says God "presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood." In the Old Testament, once a year the high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat to show that sin needed a payment. But those sacrifices were only pictures pointing forward.

When Jesus came, He became the true and final sacrifice. His blood was the real payment for sin. Why? Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God is holy and cannot ignore sin. Yet God also loves us and wants to save us. So, He gave His Son to take our punishment. On the cross, Jesus carried the judgment we deserved. In this way, God's justice was satisfied and His love revealed. That is why Paul says God is both "just and the justifier."

This truth changes how we live every day:

• Rest in Jesus. When you feel guilty, remember He already paid for your sin.
• Be thankful. Salvation is by grace, not works. That should fill us with humility and joy.
• Share the message. As partners in God's mission, we tell others that forgiveness is found at the cross.
• Trust God's justice. Even when life feels unfair, God will deal with all wrongs - either through the cross or on the final day.

The cross is like the two sides of a coin: justice and love held together. God was fair because sin was punished. God was loving because sinners were forgiven. This is the glory of God shown most clearly in Jesus Christ. As partners in His mission, let us rest in this truth, share it with boldness, and bring hope to the world.
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Richard Mkandawire, married to Aretha, father to Khumbo, Mbawemi and Chimwemwe. A passionate supporter of soccer, serving at St. Columba's Presbyterian Church, Kabwe. Richard is the Convener of the Mission and Discipleship Committee.

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EmmDev 2025-10-01 [Partners in Mission (Month of Mission 2025)] The Prodigal Father

Welcome to our annual Month of Mission Devotions!

During this month, the devotions are written by members of the church across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the DRC.
(For those who usually receive Theo's "EmmDevs", these will resume in Nov.)

The theme for our Month of Mission is "Partners in Mission" which is the Moderatorial theme of the Right Rev Amon Kasambala who is our Moderator for 2025-2027.

You can read his opening devotion below...
GodBless!
The Mission and Discipleship Team

The Prodigal Father

"So he got and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him" (Luke15:20)

The Month of October 2025 has been set aside in the entire UPCSA as a Missions Month. This means that in our worship services as a body Christ, in our family and personal devotions, and in our daily work schedules; we should think about our commitment to missions.

What is interesting about mission(s) is that it was first and foremost initiated by God himself, who since the fall of humanity has been reaching out to us in his grace and mercy. Humans by nature are fugitives of themselves -- we try to run away from that which is meant to safeguard our lives just like we see in the prodigal son story. We want to be secure in ourselves without God just like the prodigal son did to his father. We do the same with God, we want to try and avoid him and "kick him out" of our priorities and programmes. However, just like the prodigal son's father, God is patient enough to wait until we reach to the end of ourselves and realize we can only fill that vacuum in our lives by getting back to him the creator.

What we should realize is that as long as we as human are prodigals, God becomes a prodigal with us. He does not run away from us, but he becomes the prodigal father who patiently awaits our return. And when we return, he shows us his compassion and mercy and welcomes us back to where we belong -- the family of believers (the Church)

As UPCSA, we should always bear in mind that the God we serve is the God of missions and when we get involved in missions, we in fact partner with him in the missions of God (Missio Dei). If God, as a Prodigal God, has reached out to us, it is time to think about others outside our Church buildings and our comfort zones who also need to hear the good news. God counts on us to reach out with grace, compassion and acts of mercy to a world that is calling for our help. May you make this month a special month of Missions.
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Rt Rev Dr Amon Kasambala, Moderator of the General Assembly (UPCSA), hubby to Tiba and father to Eddie and Victor, and serving as a Minister at Glenwood Presbyterian Church, Durban

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 Blog Overview and Links

Welcome to EmmDevs. This is a blog run by Theo Groeneveld, a Presbyterian Minister, serving at Emmanuel Presbyterian in Pretoria, South Africa.

Back in Jan 2002 Theo felt the need to put daily devotions into the inboxes of congregants for the week (weak) days. He did this Tue-Fri during government school terms, taking a break on Mondays and school hols. Years later these devotions are still running and people find them helpful.

They're called "EmmDevs" for "Emmanuel Devotions" and are meant to be a reminder that Jesus is "God-with-us" (Emmanuel) even on our weak days. 

When the broader denomination, the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, chose October to be the "Month of Mission", the Mission and Discipleship committee started publishing devotions for that month and so EmmDev readers get to hear a variety of other voices during that month. 

Subscription to EmmDevs and/or Month of Mission

You can read EmmDevs/Month of Mission here on the blog, or you can subscribe to email or whatsapp groups. The whatsapp invite links need to be tapped on your phone...

EmmDevs	Month of Mission (Oct)
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About Theo

Theo is married to Brenda and their son Caleb was born in 2000. He loves God, his family and being pastor. He enjoys cycling, camping, road-tripping, working with his hands, and programming and tech.

EmmDev 2025-09-26 [Moments with Mark] Origins...

Origins...

They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to Him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?" Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism -- was it from heaven, or from men? Tell Me!" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men'..." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." (Mark11:27-33)

Back at the temple, the Pharisees are angry and offended.
"How dare He cause a ruckus?
How dare He preach to them about prayer?
How dare He expose them?"

"By what authority are you doing this?"
It's a trick question and a pride question.
- Who do You think You are to oppose us? Do You know who we are?
- If Jesus claimed to act by God's authority, they could accuse Him of blasphemy or madness.

Jesus neatly exposes them by reflecting the question back at them.
"John's baptism - was it from God or human origin?"
Now bear in mind John claimed to be the forerunner of the Messiah and that Jesus was the Messiah.
- If they say "from God" then they would be compelled to honour his Messiah
- If they said "from humans" the crowd would be upset because John had baptised thousands.
So they stubbornly sit on the fence.

But this question implies a deeper question...
And it is THE ALL IMPORTANT QUESTION.
Who do you believe Jesus is?
- Is He from God - the Son of God?
- Or is He just some guru - maybe even a self-deluded one?

What authority does He have in our lives?
Figuring out who He is is crucial to this...
Or do we sit on the fence...?

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EmmDev 2025-09-25 [Moments with Mark] Choice and Prayer

Choice and Prayer

When evening came, they went out of the city. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark11:19-25)

Faith requires a response. It requires a choice. It requires action.
There are consequences when we fail to respond, to choose, and to act.
This is one of the things that makes Christianity unpopular.

Bear in mind that it's Holy Week. It began with the Triumphal Entry, will end with the Crucifixion, and something new will begin with the Resurrection. On Holy Week Monday Jesus cursed the fig tree and cleansed the temple. Now it's Tuesday morning and Jesus and the disciples are walking to the temple from Bethany as they did on Monday.
But this time, they reach the fig tree, it is completely withered.

Peter is amazed.
Why? He'd seen plenty of miracles. Even storms stilled and Lazarus raised.
Maybe he's amazed because this time the miracle is a warning. The fig tree withered in about 33AD. In 70AD the temple, which had banned the Christians and persecuted them, was destroyed...

But now Jesus turns the conversation to faith and prayer. The idea of prayer is appropriate here because Jesus had wanted the temple to be a "house of prayer" and it was not.
It's important to recognise that all the second person pronouns are in plural...
"Truly I tell youse, if anyone says to this mountain... Therefore I tell you, whatever youse ask for in prayer..."
So He isn't just answering Peter, but the disciples and us...

And so He teaches His disciples about prayer because the church became the place of prayer.
Think about the Book of Acts.
Every time the church gathered for prayer something happened:

• In Acts 4:31 the disciples prayed together and the place they prayed was shaken.
• In Acts 12:5 the church was praying for Peter in Prison and an angel set him free.
• In Acts 10 Cornelius and Peter were praying in separate places and they received the same calling - and the Gospel went to Gentiles.
• In Acts 13:2 the church was praying and Paul & Barnabas were set apart for the first missionary journey.
• In Acts 16:25-26 - Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns in prison when a great earthquake shook the prison.

And so Jesus emphasises the importance of prayer.
But He's also talking about faith.
He uses a dramatic image - A mountain will throw itself into the sea.
But He's talking about trusting in God, believing in God.
And the examples I mentioned earlier are incredible instances of the amazing things that happen when God's people pray.

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EmmDev 2025-09-23 [Moments with Mark] The Fury of His Love

The Fury of His Love

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve. The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to find out if it had any fruit. When He reached it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then He said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And His disciples heard Him say it. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as He taught them, He said, "Is it not written: " My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations ? But you have made it a den of robbers. " The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill Him, for they feared Him, because the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching. (Mark11:11-18)

There are four moments in our Scripture reading today:

Moment 1: Jesus, having been truly recognised by the crowds as He entered Jerusalem, arrives at the temple ... and it is a great disappointment... But it is late and so He leaves. I imagine He spent a difficult night pondering what He had seen. I would not be surprised if He was brought to tears again just as He had been when coming into Jerusalem.

Moment 2: The next morning, Jesus having "slept on it", heads for the temple, but spots a leafy fig tree. Although it was not the season for figs, it was spring. The tree should have been full of little "pre-fig-buds" (which were edible) and would be the promise of the harvest of figs to come. This tree, although very leafy, had no evidence of figs to come. Its leafiness was an empty promise, not unlike the temple: bustling with activity but devoid of fruit. Jesus curses the tree giving us some idea of what He feels about the temple.

Moment 3: Jesus, having considered what He had seen overnight and telegraphing His thoughts at the fig tree, arrives at the temple and shows His Holy Displeasure. This is not a "temper-tantrum" but a deliberate demonstration of righteousness and authority. There are two key issues at stake here: His primary concern is that there is now no place for Gentiles to pray, because the traders and money-changers had occupied their space. The secondary concern is the corruptness of the "temple trade". So Jesus preaches a sermon with actions. The question I have is: "Where were the temple bouncers?" With all the trading going on, there must have been significant security measures. I can only believe that Jesus' holiness and authority shone so brightly in this moment that no-one could confront the "holy fire" that blazed in Him.

Moment 4: The next day they found the tree withered to its roots. This is confirmation of Jesus' authority and also a picture of the future destruction of the temple in 70AD. What should have been a "light to the nations" and a place that the "nations would stream to" had become an exclusive club that blocked out the nations and generated a tainted income for a select manipulative religious mafia. There is a deep and profound sense of justice that pervades this parable-in-action.

These four moments reveal a great deal about Jesus:

• He isn't "losing His temper" - His actions are deliberate and considered.
• He is profoundly concerned about justice and about those who are excluded.
• His authority is significant.

There is a line in an Andrew Peterson song about the crucifixion that is appropriate here: "Was it the fury of His anger or the fury of His love?" I think these four moments beautifully display the "fury of His love."

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EmmDev 2025-09-19 [Moments with Mark] Desperate Hope

Desperate Hope

When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark11:7-10)

I've been thinking about the crowd's amazing response to Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem and the word "Hosanna!"

If one looks at how "Hosanna" is used in many hymns and worship songs, one is left with the impression that it is a word that one sings out in praise and adoration - like "Hallelujah!" or "Glory!"

But this word is used in a very different way in the Old Testament...

• It's a cry for help and deliverance of cities under attack from an enemy. (Joshua 10:6)
• It's the cry of a widow to the king when she's lost one son and is about to lose another. (2Sam 14:4)
• It's the cry of a widow to the king when a siege of Jerusalem forces them into cannibalism (2Ki 6:26)

Then we have a number of Psalms (here's just a few of them...):

• "Hosanna us, LORD! There is not a good person left;
  honest people can no longer be found." (Psa 12:1)
• "Hosanna your people and bless your inheritance;
  be their shepherd and carry them forever." (Psa 28:9)
• "Turn to me and have mercy on me;
  grant your strength to your servant
  and Hosanna the son of your maidservant." (Psa 86:16)
• "Hosanna us by your might; answer our prayer,
  so that the people you love may be rescued." (Psa 60:5)

The other clue we must notice is the crowd's identification of Jesus as the "Son of David." This reveals a Messianic expectation. The crowd is longing for God's deliverance and rescue through the Messiah. They hoped that Jesus was the Saviour-Messiah. In the case of the very first Palm Sunday, the crowds thought of a political Saviour-Messiah who would conquer the Romans and free Israel. But He came to do so much more! We know He conquered sin, death, and Satan. And so He can help us.

Yes, Hosanna is a cry from a heart in desperate need, but it has also become an expression of praise because we know that God can save and that He did and does save...

In these turbulent times where politicians and opinion-mongers cause chaos and heartache, we long for political resolutions - but it starts with us. We (you and me) need rescuing and then we can begin to transform society.

Hosanna! And Glory Hallelujah!

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EmmDev 2025-09-18 [Moments with Mark] What's the Deal with the Donkey?

What's the Deal with the Donkey?

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' " They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. (Mark11:1-7)

While his gospel is known for its brevity and conciseness, and so his detailed account invites us to ask: "So what's the deal with the donkey?"

I think there are three key lessons:

1. The donkey symbolised peace. We have a fairly low view of donkeys but the Ancient Near East saw them more positively. The foal of the donkey was the mode of transport for the elderly or children. It would be the mount chosen by a prophet or a wise hermit. It was also the chosen mount of a victorious king. He would ride it into the city he had conquered. The message was clear: "The fight is over - I am victorious!" Riding a donkey was not the declaration of war. It was a statement of the certainty of peace. By riding in on a donkey on that Sunday, Jesus was showing what the outcome of Good Friday would be: Peace with God.

2. The donkey hadn't been ridden. It was like he'd been set apart for his first job, which was to carry the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Priestly items are often consecrated (set apart) and so the donkey reminds us that Jesus is our Great High Priest who offered the perfect sacrifice for our sins... He rides this unridden donkey into Jerusalem and into our lives. He is God with us!

3. Some scholars suggest that the interchange with the donkey was a prearranged meeting with codewords and passwords like we see in spy movies. Others (and I agree with them) suggest that God softened the hearts of the donkey's owners in the heat of the moment. Either way, the donkey's owners became participants in Jesus' mission. The donkey reminds me that we also need to be ready to allow God to use our talents, possessions, and time

Three great lessons from a donkey:
- Jesus came entered Jerusalem confidently promising peace
- Jesus is our High Priest coming into our lives to save us
- We can participate in God's work with our "donkeys".

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EmmDev 2025-09-17 [Moments with Mark] Beautiful Trusting Faith

Beautiful Trusting Faith

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and His disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark10:46-52)

The healing of blindness was considered something only the Messiah could do.

Bartimaeus had lived in a world of darkness, but his ears and his heart made up for what his eyes could not see. He'd been sitting by the roadside, he'd heard the stories of Jesus of Nazareth and he had come to his own conclusions.

What do I mean? Well, Nazareth was considered a backwater, a dead-end and a place of no real reputation. When Philip invites Nathanael to meet Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael says: "Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?" But Bartimaeus has come to a different conclusion. He believed that Jesus was the "Son of David."

"Son of David" is a Messianic title and a strong one at that - it indicates the hope of a political Messiah who would conquer enemies and restore Israel to the majesty it had in the time of David. And Bartimaeus calls out to Him. He's relentless, even when the crowd try to silence him, he shouts all the more!

The raw desperation and determined hope in his voice cuts through to Jesus and He stops. Remember He's been striding ahead of the disciples, focused on Jerusalem, but now He stops and calls Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus throws his cloak aside and leaps to his feet.

This is a significant action. In those times a good cloak was a mainstay of daily life, you could shelter under it from sun and rain and at night it kept you warm. You needed to look after your cloak. Blind people don't throw things aside because they need to be able to find them later, but Bartimaeus has beautiful, trusting faith. Deep in his soul he seems to know that something is about to change. He makes no excuses, he holds nothing back, he just rushes to Jesus. And when Jesus asks him what he wants Him to do, there is no beating around the bush and no buttering up. He tells it straight and true: "Rabbi, I want to see."

Rabbi is an interesting word too. It means "teacher/mentor" and Bartimaeus seems to mean it in a personal sense rather than a generic one. He means "my Rabbi" and, after he received his sight, he followed Jesus down the road.

Bartimaeus heard the stories of Jesus, he'd had time to think about it. He believed that Jesus was the Messiah and he knew he needed Him. He "shouts all the more" and "throws his cloak aside" because "he wants to see." Jesus sees this simple beautiful trusting faith, which I believe was stirred by the Holy Spirit, and He heals him.

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EmmDev 2025-09-16 [Moments with Mark] The most significant Mission Statement

Hi Everyone

I hope this finds you well. Two quick updates:

1. Apologies for the Gaps in EmmDevs I've been dealing with a health issue causing significant fatigue and mental fog, which has impacted the consistency of EmmDevs. I'm truly sorry for this. The good news is that we've identified the issue, and I'm on a four-week treatment plan that should resolve it. Please keep me in your prayers for a full recovery.
   
   
2. Improving Email Delivery Getting emails delivered reliably has become challenging and costly. To address this, I'm taking technical steps to improve delivery (for those interested, I'm registering emmdevs.org with a provider that supports bulk email forwarding via Sender.net). A key part of this is building a strong reputation for the new emmdevs.org domain. This starts with a small group of subscribers who regularly open and occasionally respond to emails. If you're willing to help by being an active subscriber during this "warming-up" phase, please let me know. (If you're reading this on the website or WhatsApp, you can ignore this request.)

Thank you so much for reading EmmDevs and for your continued support.

Blessings and Love, Theo

The most significant Mission Statement

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:41-45)

Back in Mark 9 the disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest and Jesus addressed it with them. Now it crops up again in the form of James and John's desire to get preferred seats at Jesus' glory.

I don't know how the other disciples heard of it but I don't believe Jesus revealed it. I suspect James and John just went back to the other disciples so astonished by what Jesus had said to them that they just spilled the beans. Another possibility is that their mother, Salome, had been involved too (this is how Matthew portrays it) and she probably left in a huff after being rebuffed by Jesus and the other disciples would have wanted to know why.

The disciples are angry, but for the wrong reasons. They're mad because James and John tried to outmaneuver them. What they should be angry about is that they'd got it wrong.

So Jesus intervenes by explaining some differences...
The world has a certain way of doing things.
The world works with power, authority, position, and status.

God's Kingdom has a different way.
God's Children influence the world through service and humility.

Then Jesus shares His personal mission statement...

Now, over the last 30-40 years Mission Statements have been both trendy and helpful in helping individuals and organisations figure out priorities and the direction they should take. Unfortunately, many mission statements become posters on a wall rather than a lived-out reality."

Jesus' Mission Statement was: "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

I guess we could say that Jesus lived out and died out His mission statement.

May this
1) fill us with gratitude.
2) inspire us to live and love lives of service!

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EmmDev 2025-09-10 [Moments with Mark] Still ambitious

Still ambitious

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him. "Teacher," they said, "we want You to do for us whatever we ask." "What do you want me to do for you?" He asked. They replied, "Let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left in Your glory." "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at My right or left is not for Me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared." (Mark10:35-40)

In the light of Jesus' declaration of His destiny, the approach of James and John comes across as crass, self-serving, and insensitive.

I find myself incredulous every time I read this section: "Jesus has just predicted His impending and violent death and the disciples are jockeying for positions of power?" It just doesn't make sense!

There are a couple of things to take away from this:

1. The disciples aren't perfect. Leaders aren't perfect. The allure of power is great and I think the Evil One is very busy in moments like these, distracting us from the main mission with petty plays for power. Before we point too many fingers at James and John, let's be very honest about how often we become more interested in who is doing something than what needs to be done. The mission is often sabotaged by power politics.

2. Jesus makes a sobering point. Those who align themselves with Him will end up drinking from His cup. This isn't only the cup of blessing, it can also be the cup of wrath and the Old Testament prophets often talk about drinking the cup of suffering and judgement "to the dregs." Then He talks about His baptism (in this context He means His total immersion) into the journey of the cross.

3. The Kingdom of God isn't a meritocracy. The places at Jesus' right and left won't be given to those who have campaigned the most or suffered the most. They will be given to those God chooses.

4. Ironically, in spite of their crass insensitivity and ambition, James and John do believe that Jesus will emerge victorious. Jesus had just told them that He was going to be executed. Normally, this would lead to one's followers abandoning the cause, but James and John believe that this will not be the end. And so, although their jockeying for position is ugly to watch, it does portray their faith that Jesus would overcome.

Tomorrow we'll look at how the other disciples reacted. For now, let's recognise the allure of ambition and power and recognise that the road of the disciple isn't always easy and we should try to remain humble.

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EmmDev 2025-09-09 [Moments with Mark] Focus and Clarity

Focus and Clarity

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again He took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to Him. "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles, who will mock Him and spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. Three days later He will rise." (Mark10:32-34)

Reading this passage always moves me profoundly.
They're heading towards Jerusalem and Jesus is walking ahead of them. He isn't ambling along, teaching the disciples and crowds. He's focused and determined. He's leading the way - walking into His destiny. The disciples are filled with wonder and the other followers are fearful. They know that the tensions with the "religious mafia" are high and that there is a good chance that Jerusalem is a trap.

Jesus isn't filled with false optimism - He isn't deluded. He knows what's coming. He spells it out clearly and yet He is route-marching to Jerusalem. He's terse and clear. The time for beating about the bush is over. The disciples must be warned - and even though they don't fully grasp it, Jesus is preparing them. They will still scatter and hide, but in time it will all become clear that it was God's plan.

I prefer to use capital pronouns whenever I refer to God. It makes the writing slightly less readable, but denotes respect...

Today it was hard to put capital letters on Jesus' pronouns when the phrases were "condemn Him", "hand Him over", "mock Him", "spit on Him", "flog Him" and "kill Him." He was the glorious Son of God and we would do these terrible things to Him.

And He led the way and walked into His destiny...

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EmmDev 2025-08-29 [Moments with Mark] Rewards and Boasting

Rewards and Boasting

Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields -- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark10:28-31)

I think everyone felt a bit deflated when the young man walked away. Such promise, and yet such "stuckness". Maybe Peter wanted to comfort Jesus: "Don't worry about him, Lord. We have left everything to follow You!"

Jesus' response, as it often was, was enigmatic. In short, He promises rewards for those who make sacrifices, but also warns that persecution and trials will be part of the journey. He speaks about both this present world and the world to come.

Those who follow Jesus will walk a challenging road. There will be things to let go of, and sometimes people will let go of us because of our faith. But there are blessings too. We will find a spiritual family, and sometimes even material provision, but there will still be trouble.

This world is not our final destination. It is still broken. Believers have the joy of knowing God as Father, experiencing forgiveness and grace, and belonging to the faith community. But trouble does not disappear. This is our earthly life ("this present age") and it is not the end of the story. Our final destination ("the age to come") is eternal life with the Author of Life. There, brokenness will be healed and evil defeated.

In the meantime, we are called to put Him first, even when it means sacrifice. Blessings will come - sometimes in surprising ways - but trouble will come too, and we should not let it derail us.

Jesus ends with a gentle warning. "Be careful about boasting, Peter. Eternity will reveal all things, and those who thought they had done the most may discover that others gave even more. Sometimes the first will end up last, and the last first."

---

EmmDev 2025-08-28 [Moments with Mark] Rich, Young, Influential - Loved

Rich, Young, Influential - Loved

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' " "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," He said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." (Mark10:17-27)

This is an account that is both beautiful and sad. It is beautiful because it tells of the hunger of a young man who had everything the world could give him, but still longed for something more. It is sad because when he found the answer, he could not accept it.

I can't help but wonder if the rich young ruler was Joseph of Arimathea, who eventually went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus and buried His body in his own tomb... that would make this account less sad and even more beautiful...

Let's pick up the highlights:

• From the other gospel accounts we know he was young and influential. We can also see that he is devout and earnest. But this was obviously not satisfying him, because he runs to Jesus and falls to his knees.
• He's rich and influential, and Jesus is just an itinerant carpenter-preacher, and yet he runs, kneels and calls Jesus "good teacher". It's clear that the man has seen or sensed that there is something about Jesus. Jesus picks up on this and confirms his suspicion - "no-one is good, except God alone..."
• Jesus then lists some of the commandments from the "second tablet" (commandments 6-10). These are the commandments that have to do with loving people. This is the "usual" expectation that people have of religion: "Just be a good person..."
• The young man isn't boasting, he's sincere when he says "I've been doing this."
  This is why Jesus looks at him and loves him. (It's a sentence that takes my breath away every time I read it.)
• But the man has been doing it all himself, and so Jesus asks him to do the one thing he can't do. "Sell your stuff..." And the key issue isn't that the poor need it, but that his stuff was getting in the way of the first tablet commandments "No other gods and no idols" or "Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength."
• And the man walks away. If I were in Jesus' shoes I would have been tempted to say "Ok, let's start with half..." But Jesus is resolute. The man is possessed by his possessions and he needs to be free.
  This is why Jesus consistently warned about how impossible it was to serve God and money (Mammon).
• Then He talks about how hard it is for the rich to shake their "possession obsession." People have tried to soften Jesus' image about the camel and the eye of the needle, saying that the "eye of the needle" was a narrow gate that needed you to unpack your camel before going through it. But I think Jesus meant a literal camel and a literal eye of the needle. It's impossible to get free of "possession obsession" unless God changes our hearts.

While it is pure speculation on my part, this is why I like to think that the rich young ruler was Joseph of Arimithea and that God's Spirit eventually softened his heart to stand up before Herod and give his tomb to Jesus.
All things are possible with God.

---

EmmDev 2025-08-27 [Moments with Mark] Being Infant-like

Being Infant-like

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them. (Mark10:13-16)

Most preachers approach this passage by talking about the innocent faith of children, often pointing to the image of a child who jumps trustingly into daddy's arms.

But I want to suggest another way of looking at it...
The age of the "little children" is the critical issue. Matthew and Mark use the word "paidia", a diminutive form of "child," while Luke uses "brephē", which means infant or baby. On top of this, people were "bringing" these children to Jesus, which suggests babes in arms rather than independent children running around. When Jesus then takes them in His arms, the picture is not of playful youngsters but of helpless infants- a bit like the way ministers hold babies when baptising them.

At first this might seem counter-intuitive. Is Jesus really asking us to become helpless infants, rather than trusting, optimistic kids as in the illustration I opened with?

The truth is, we'd prefer the latter. We like the idea that we contribute something - even if it is just childlike faith. But what Jesus is actually saying is much more radical. He is teaching us that we come to God helpless. We cannot save ourselves. We need Christ to rescue us. We are saved by grace, not by works, so that no one can boast.

Tomorrow we will look at the rich young ruler and see that the same truth applies: we cannot save ourselves.

So the beautiful good news in this passage is that Jesus invites us to come to Him even when we are helpless and have nothing to offer. This is the principle of His Kingdom: those who feel as weak and dependent as babes in arms are welcomed and embraced by Him.

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EmmDev 2025-08-26 [Moments with Mark] The Marriage Ideal

The Marriage Ideal

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to Him, and as was His custom, He taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" "What did Moses command you?" He replied. They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." (Mark10:1-12)

Jesus left Galilee and went into Judea, crossing into the region beyond the Jordan. This area was under the reign of Herod Antipas, the one who had John the Baptist thrown in prison because John denounced him for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife.

So the Pharisees came to Jesus with a trick question, hoping that His answer might get Him into the same trouble as John the Baptist.

Matthew, who wrote for a Jewish audience, clarifies their question: "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" There was a disagreement between two of the Rabbinic schools at the time about how to understand Moses' instructions in Deuteronomy 24. The one group (under Rabbi Shammai) said that divorce was only allowable for marital unfaithfulness. The other group (under Rabbi Hillel) said that if a wife became "displeasing" to the husband (even by burning supper) he could divorce her.

Jesus acknowledges the brokenness of society, but holds to a very high standard. He goes to our created purpose and reminds us that the commitment is meant to be lifelong and that God's ideal for us was lifelong marriage between a man and a woman.

This is a very tough issue. As a pastor, I am committed and trained to do all I can to preserve marriage, but there have been cases where I have had to recommend divorce in the case of abuse, unrepentant adultery or when children are being adversely affected.

These exceptions don't change the principle and ideal.
Marriage is a high calling and we should set the bar high.
In Matthew, Jesus clarifies that the only valid reason for divorce is unfaithfulness.

But He acknowledges that it is hardness of heart that leads to people rushing into marriage, not working hard at their marriages, being unfaithful in their marriages, or being dysfunctional in their marriages.

Divorce happens, but it is not the ideal.
And when people are divorced, they need to take their part in the failure of their marriage seriously. We know that it is not always fifty-fifty, but even if one's part in a marriage failure is 3%, one should take ownership of this brokenness. Jesus warns against lightly remarrying after divorce. Scripture suggests this is permissible only in very limited circumstances. The statistics bear this out: the failure of second marriages is much higher than first marriages and the failure of third marriages is higher still.

So where does this leave us?
Divorce is not the unforgivable sin. There is grace for all.
In a culture that divorced easily, Jesus held up the ideal.
We should do our very very best to preserve marriages and ensure that people go into marriage thoughtfully, seriously and in dependence on God.
When a marriage fails we should grieve and ask for grace and restoration.

Jesus' teaching here sets the standard high.
Marriage is a worthwhile ideal.
We should not cheapen it by making divorce easy.
But we should also not use the ideal to "flog" others or ourselves when a marriage fails.
I believe heaven weeps, and we should too...

---

EmmDev 2025-08-15 [Moments with Mark] Salt

Salt

Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other. (Mark9:49-50)

The chapter ends with three statements Jesus made about salt. He may not have said them all at once, and He probably repeated them on different occasions. Mark seems to place them here as a fitting conclusion to this challenging section on discipleship, which began when the disciples argued about greatness.

It's helpful to consider the symbolism of salt in Biblical times:
- Salt was a preservative and purifier.
- Salt was a flavour enhancer.
- Salt was included in many of the Old Testament sacrifices.

Let's consider the three sayings:

1. "Everyone will be salted with fire."
   OT meat and grain sacrifices had to be sprinkled with salt before being burnt on the altar.
   But in the New Covenant we offer ourselves as "Living Sacrifices" and instead of being sprinkled with salt, we are sprinkled with fire. Fire is a symbol of trial and purification or refining. Those who follow Jesus as disciples will go through hardship and purification as we offer ourselves to Him. As Peter says our faith is like gold refined by fire.
2. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?"
   Notice that Jesus doesn't say "How can it be made salty again," He says "How can you (2nd person plural) make it salty again." Christians are purifiers, preservers and flavouring agents in society. We are meant to be thermostats... not thermometers. We don't go with the flow, we change the flow. We are meant to be portrayals of the abundant life that Jesus promises in John 10:10. But we can lose our saltiness and Jesus' question indicates that it can be almost impossible to make us "salty" again. So it's better not to lose it in the first place.
3. "Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with each other."
   Christians sometimes say: "We're under grace and not law..."
   And this becomes a license to let sin in the back door.
   Having salt in ourselves means that we keep our communities pure, but that we do so graciously.
   Paul flips the order around in Colossians 4:6 but is saying the same thing: "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

So, this concludes this chapter which has contained a challenging call to leadership through discipleship.

• Sometimes disciple leaders will be salted with refining fire so that we can be good living sacrifices.
• We need to ensure that in the light of the world's corruption and lacklustre values, we are bringing flavour and purity, recognising that when we lose that ground, it is hard to regain.
• We need to balance grace and purity in our communities

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EmmDev 2025-08-14 [Moments with Mark] The Principles of Disciple Greatness.

The Principles of Disciple Greatness.

And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark9:42-48)

After John's interruption about other people using Jesus' Name, Jesus returns to the theme of the Kingdom of God being a place where children (who had no status in society) could be welcomed.

He goes on to talk about how serious heaven considers it when a "little one" is led astray by someone claiming to be a disciple. The word He uses for "millstone" isn't the word used for the small household millstone that was turned by hand but the huge communal millstone turned by a water wheel or a pair of oxen.

This leads Him to talking about taking radical measures to deal with sin in our lives. While He uses hyperbole, it powerfully conveys the urgency of the principle.

There was a missionary in Africa who wrote "The Jungle Doctor Stories", which was a series of children's stories illustrating Biblical principles. One of them is about a tribesman who adopts a baby leopard in spite of the chief's warning that "Little leopards become big leopards and big leopards kill." Though they fed the leopard porridge and treated it like a pet, its hunting instincts awakened - and it killed.

In summary, the section we've been considering over the last few days started out with the disciples arguing about who was the greatest and Jesus' response. This is ultimately about Leadership as a Disciple.
Here are the key lessons about greatness as a Disciple Leader. (A leader who is a Disciple, not a leader of Disciples)

1. Disciple Leaders have a Servant Heart.
2. Disciple Leaders consider and welcome "the least" and the "little children" - the people society disregards.
3. Disciple Leaders are not threatened by others but are delighted when Kingdom Work is done.
4. Disciple Leaders don't cause others to stumble.
5. Disciple Leaders deal radically with baby sins before they become big sins

Remember that Jesus didn't just preach this message: He lived it.
He is the ultimate Servant Leader who welcomed, protected, and dealt with sin at the cross

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EmmDev 2025-08-12 [Moments with Mark] Maturity in Diversity

Maturity in Diversity

"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in My name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. (Mark9:38-41)

My mentor in ministry, Glen Craig, said: "True Spiritual Maturity is when you can worship in silence with the Quakers in the morning and with Charismatics and their drums and electric guitars in the evening and come out of both saying: 'That was WORSHIP!'"

Jesus has been sitting with the disciples having the conversation about greatness, humility and welcoming children, when John interjected up with a question: "We saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."

This is another example of the disciples taking themselves too seriously. The essentials are present: The Name of Jesus and the power of the Spirit. If the name of Jesus was used, but there was no real spiritual power, then the sincerity of the person is in doubt, and if there was spiritual power, but not the name of Jesus, we might wonder about where the power was coming from.

Jesus is quite clear: when there is spiritual power, or a genuine act of service, and it is done in the name of Jesus, heaven notes it down and it will be rewarded.

Today, Christians tend to be very critical of anyone who does it differently.
People often act like doctrinal police officers, splitting hairs over interpretations and practices. We need to be humble enough to recognise that, in His mercy, God works amongst all kinds of Christians, including us!

Obviously the line has to be drawn at doctrine that denies the fundamentals of the faith (the Apostles' Creed is a good starting point for the fundamentals) and we also need to steer clear of those who don't practice what they preach or don't show true fruit of the power of the Spirit, which isn't only miracles, but the fruit of the Spirit.

There's the lovely tale of the monk who was on a ship that stopped at a desert island. There they found three mystics who prayed a simple prayer: "Father, Son and Spirit You are three and we are three; have mercy on us." Pitying them for their simple prayer, the monk taught them the "Our Father" and then the ship left. A day later a fireball came moving across the water and the three mystics were inside. "We've forgotten the prayer you taught us," they said, "please teach us again." To which the monk replied - perhaps you need to teach me.

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EmmDev 2025-08-08 [Moments with Mark] The right ambition (part 2)

The right ambition (part 2)

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me but the One who sent Me." (Mark9:36-37)

The disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest.
Jesus had already sat down like a rabbi and inverted power and value completely as He taught them about being a servant.
Now He adds a visual illustration...

In Graeco-Roman times and Israelite society children were loved, but they had no rights and no social standing at all. Children were dependent, powerless and vulnerable. They could offer no reward or advantage to the one who welcomed them.

Jesus is challenging the disciples to greatness through service and sacrifice.
To welcome and serve a child was service without explicit reward or advantage.
It was sacrificial and could often be costly, draining, and exhausting. (As anyone who has walked the corridors with a querulous infant knows)

Welcoming the helpless and powerless without reward or advantage is the service we are called to.
This kind of service:
- Was the pathway to true greatness
- Meant you were actually serving God
- Is radically counter-cultural and is a hallmark and benchmark of the Kingdom of God

Jesus is hammering His point home: "Greatness in His Kingdom is measured by our willingness to serve the least and welcome the overlooked."

How good are we at serving? Especially when there is more cost than reward?

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EmmDev 2025-08-06 [Moments with Mark] The right ambition

The right ambition

They came to Capernaum. When He was in the house, He asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark9:33-35)

This morning I was at a minister's fraternal where the speaker spoke about two kinds of pastors and churches: those operating as egosystems and those functioning as ecosystems. He talked about the need to be servant leaders. When I got home, I realised that our next passage in Mark deals with the same issue! (I love how often the Holy Spirit orchestrates these kinds of coincidences!)

Just some context for today's passage: Yesterday we looked at the lonely road Jesus was walking as He headed to the cross where He would lay down His life for us. The disciples just didn't understand.

We see the depth of their misunderstanding in today's passage because, immediately after Jesus had just declared His intention to lay down His life, they're arguing about greatness.

When they get to their destination, Jesus asks "What were you arguing about on the road?"
It's amazing - it was OK to argue on the road while Jesus was out of earshot, but now that He's listening, they don't want to admit it. Sometimes there are things we wouldn't do if we remembered that Jesus is near enough to see and hear.

So Jesus sits down.
This is the posture of a Rabbi.
It signifies that something of importance is about to be said.

"If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

This is the pulse of the kingdom.
Our ambition should never be for position but for the privilege of service.
We should be striving to be last - not to be losers - but to make everyone around us win.
Our goal is to help everyone around us reach their full potential.
Our ambition is to see others thrive and grow.
We're here to serve
- not so that people will compliment us,
- but that we can complement (note the different spelling) them.

I'm a cycling fan and so I was interested in the fanfare around the retirement of the Belgian rider Tim Declercq. He was celebrated and acknowledged by some of the most successful cycling champions, even though he did not have a single victory as a professional. Why? Because of the number of times he helped others to win. As a slightly bigger rider, he would spend hours riding at the front of his team so that the champion of the team could shelter in his slipstream. He would bury himself: riding until his legs gave out, fetching drinks and food from the team car and encouraging his teammates. Over the years, many riders benefited from his selfless service, as he helped them to earn victories and accolades. The two titles given to him were "El Tractor" and "Super Domestique" recognising the immense efforts he made to pull others to victory and his heart to assist them in whatever way he could.

Tim Declercq understood that he was part of an ecosystem and not an egosystem...
And it gave him great joy to do it.
May we do the same...

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EmmDev 2025-08-05 [Moments with Mark] The Lonely Road

The Lonely Road

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because He was teaching His disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise." But they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it. (Mark9:30-32)

It's quite a thought that while a significant part of Jesus' ministry was to announce the Kingdom of God (which was Good News and came with healing, miracles, and people being delivered from demon possession) there were also moments where He had to talk about the cost of the coming Kingdom...

This is one of those moments.
Jesus took steps to avoid the seeking and pressing crowds so that He could spend time with the disciples and try to attune their hearts to what was coming: betrayal, execution and resurrection.

The passage tells us that the disciples just weren't able to process this.
It was unthinkable, unpalatable, and unacceptable.
They're in denial: They can't, won't, or don't understand and they're NOT going to ask about it either.

So Jesus walked a lonely road.
He alone fully grasped the Kingdom cost He was about to pay.

Take a moment to reflect on that.
It's amazing to think that He would love us so much...

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EmmDev 2025-08-01 [Moments with Mark] What they missed...

What they missed...

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," He said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, His disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." (Mark9:25-29)

Imagine the scene with me...
The disciples have been trying to cast out the evil spirit.
A crowd has gathered. They know the story. They're hoping for a resolution.
The disciples are trying their best.
They're using every formula of exorcism they can think of.
They're invoking the name of Jesus and using all the gestures and rituals.
But it isn't working.

The crowd starts losing interest. They're drifting away...
Jesus arrives and the disciples and the dad and boy gather around Him.
Then the boy starts convulsing and the crowd starts dashing back to the scene.

Jesus responds quickly. He doesn't want the boy to become a spectacle.
He authoritatively commands the spirit to leave.
The boy, after being tormented for so long, collapses in a faint but Jesus lifts him to his feet.

Later on the disciples quiz Jesus: "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
They had tried. They had perhaps even said the right words. After all, earlier in Mark 6, Jesus had given them authority to cast out demons, and they had successfully driven out demons on their missionary outreach. So what happened here?

Jesus' answer is simple, but profound and it is linked to His earlier exasperated comment: "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?"

"This kind can come out only by prayer."

What Jesus is saying is that they had forgotten to pray.
They'd relied on formula, ritual and past experience.
They'd used the words, repeated the actions, and gone through the motions.
But their faith was in the ritual and their "muscle memory."
They weren't actually connecting to and relying on God.

They weren't in communion and contact with their Heavenly Father, they were relying on technique, ritual, and formula. When it is actually about relationship and dependence.
(Some later manuscripts add "and fasting" but the same point is being made: "You weren't relying on God, but on yourselves.

The disciples had grown confident in their abilities. Perhaps they thought they could handle it themselves. But real spiritual power doesn't come from methods - it comes from communion with God.

Prayer is not just a religious activity.
It's our lifeline to the Father.
It is the place where we draw strength, authority, perspective, and compassion.

This moment was a sobering reminder for the disciples, and for us, that:
- We never graduate from needing God.
- We are never so "spiritually mature" that we can operate on autopilot.
- Power in ministry flows from a heart anchored in prayer.

The contrast is striking:
The father brought a reaching faith, filled with doubt and desperation - and he received a miracle.
The disciples brought technique and confidence - and failed...

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EmmDev 2025-07-31 [Moments with Mark] Reaching Faith

Reaching Faith

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet Him. "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark9:14-24)

As soon as they came down from the mountain top, Jesus and the three disciples were immediately thrust into a messy and heart-breaking situation.

A man had brought his son, who was suffering from demon possession (some suggest an extreme form of epilepsy, but it is clear that an evil and destructive force is at work here.) The disciples had tried to exorcise the evil spirit and had failed.

At that point the finger-pointing would begin: "You don't have enough faith", or "There is still hidden sin in your life", or "There is a generational curse that needs to be broken", or "This is God's will."

The father is desperate, the disciples are flummoxed and Jesus is disappointed at their lack of faith (more on that tomorrow). Jesus asks them to bring the boy and the reaction of evil to the Holy Son of God is immediate and dramatic. Could this partly be due to the close encounter that Jesus had with His Father - that He was still aglow with the glory of God?

When Jesus inquires as to the extent of the affliction the father affirms that it has been a long and destructive ordeal and this causes him to desperately plead "Please, if you can do anything...?"

This seems to strike a chord in Jesus and repeating the father's plea, He affirms "Everything is possible for him who believes."
At first this looks like the same old story - your prayers aren't being answered because you don't have enough faith. BUT the father's answer and the immediate deliverance Jesus provides shows us something different.

The father doesn't have great faith. He has some faith and a bunch of unbelief. He's not trying to bluff God or practice the power of positive thinking. He's coming to God just as he is. No pretences, just desperate reaching faith.

(Tomorrow we'll see what the real problem was...)

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EmmDev 2025-07-30 [Moments with Mark] Coming down from the Mountain

Coming down from the Mountain

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant. And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him." (Mark9:8-13)

There are three things to think about today:
1. Coming down the mountain
2. Rising from the dead and waiting
3. Elijah

Transfiguration moments are "mountaintop" moments. You'll remember from yesterday's devotion that Peter was so enamoured with the moment that he wanted to build shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah and just stay there. He doesn't even think about where he and the other two disciples will stay! But while we may want to stay on the mountaintop, we have to come down to the valley.

The purpose of renewal on the mountaintop is to strengthen us for life in the valley. So too, our times of worship on a Sunday and our devotions during the week are not mountaintops to linger on, but times to gain perspective and strength so that we can serve and work in the valley. But we do need the mountaintops!

Jesus tells them to keep the matter to themselves until the Son of Man has risen from the dead. This is a continuation of the "Messianic Secret" that we've seen in Mark's gospel. Discretion about Jesus' true identity was necessary so that He could complete His mission without being mobbed or misunderstood. He had come to seek and save. Being seen as a "Military Messiah" would have hindered that.

It's significant that after being transfigured (which confirmed that He was the Son of God), Jesus again refers to Himself as the Son of Man --- a title that emphasizes His mission to suffer and die for our sins. The disciples still hadn't grasped the full plan: that Jesus would die and rise again. So, when He referred to "rising from the dead," they were confused. But waiting to speak of what they had seen until the right time meant it would all make much more sense later.

Sometimes, on the mountaintop, God reveals things to us that are not for immediate sharing. There is a time to wait before speaking.

Their question about Elijah is very pertinent.
The last two verses of the Old Testament are:
"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5--6

The expectation was that the end-times and the coming of the Messiah would be inaugurated by the reappearance of someone like Elijah, who would bring a spiritual awakening.

In Jesus' understanding, John the Baptist is the Elijah figure. The problem with the traditional view was that people expected the coming of the Messiah to be a glorious and victorious event. But Jesus points them instead to the prophecies of a rejected Messiah. As evidence, He reminds them that John was arrested and beheaded - and that a similar fate awaited the Messiah Himself.

This is a sobering piece.
The key takeaways are:

1. We need to come down from the mountain, but we need the mountaintops too.
2. Some things we learn on the mountain aren't for immediate use; we must wait for the right time.
3. Jesus, the Son of God, knew that He would have to die as the Son of Man because He had come to seek and save humankind.
4. The triumphalistic expectations around Elijah (John the Baptist) and the Messiah (Jesus) had to be tempered with the understanding that He would pay a price to save us.

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EmmDev 2025-07-29 [Moments with Mark] Transfigured

Transfigured

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There He was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!" Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. (Mark9:2-8)

The Transfiguration is a significant moment in the gospels.
Here are some key perspectives:

1. It is a confirmation of the confession Peter made that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law (represented by Moses) and He is the hope of the prophets (represented by Elijah).
2. It speaks of the importance of setting aside time and making an effort to be in the Father's presence. While He was always in the Father's presence, this is a moment of retreat. Jesus deliberately sets aside time to be with the Father in solitude and natural wonder.
3. This moment is an important "tank-filling" or time of renewal for Jesus. His true identity has been declared, His intention to go to the cross has been made known, and He has unequivocally called people to follow Him. The Kingdom of God has come, and now Jesus must go to the cross. This moment strengthens Him.
4. The Father affirms Jesus with an audible public voice from heaven. The other times this happens are at His baptism and in the week before the crucifixion.
5. This is shared with only three disciples. It is a holy, precious and intimate moment.

So, the Transfiguration is a key symbol of Jesus' Divine Nature. It is a foundational event at a significant stage in Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, and a profound moment of strengthening and divine affirmation for Jesus.

But I want to apply it a little differently:
If Jesus needed to retreat and be with the Father, how much more do we?

In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul talks about how Moses' face glowed after he had spent time with God on Mount Sinai. The glory faded, and Moses wore a veil either to stop the Israelites from being scared of his luminous face, or to hide the fact that the glory was fading.

In verse 18 Paul writes:
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Like Moses, whose face glowed after being with God, and like Jesus, whose glory shone as He brought His frail humanity into communion with His Father - we also can shine with God's glory.

Many of us are running on empty, even though the stakes are high.
Let's learn from Jesus:
- Take time
- Retreat
- Keep it intimate
- Spend time in the Father's presence and with His Word

And I believe we'll be reminded:
"You are My child and I love you."
And I think our faces will shine!

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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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