EmmDev 2026-08-11 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Faith vs Fear #1 - Waves and Wind

This week we look at Faith vs Fear....

Faith vs Fear #1 - Waves and Wind

"Lord, if it's You," Peter replied, "tell me to come to You on the water." "Come," He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." (Matthew14:28-33)

Our relationship with God is personal and intimate - and it is based on faith.

But faith is a tough word to define.
Our gospel account of Peter's Galilee-stroll is a very valuable lesson in the nature of faith.

It's the fourth watch of the morning (3AM-6AM).
The disciples have been pulling against the oars all night.
Their body clocks are at their lowest ebb.
They're exhausted and jumpy.
Then a scary apparition comes across the water.
They're terrified.
He calls to them and they hear His reassurance,
But it's Jesus and He says "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Peter calls and is invited to do what he asked to do.
And so he hoists his leg over the gunwale...
and plants his first foot on the water...
and takes his first step...
Towards Jesus...

Maybe Peter's faith is best described as his trust in Jesus.
Maybe faith is not merely a complex set of beliefs.
Or just the tight set of a determined jaw.
It's not simple mind over water.
Maybe it's that Peter sees Jesus and wants to be with Him.

Faith is a relationship with One who is Trustworthy.
Faith is trust. It's wanting to be where He is.

Peter is fine while he's moving toward Jesus.
It's when He looks elsewhere that he sinks.
But even then Jesus has him - because Jesus is trustworthy.

There will always be wind.
Fear will always try to overpower, sabotage or undermine our faith.
The longer we look in fear's direction the faster we will sink.

Faith is not a cranial mindset - it's a trusting relationship where we move toward Him. It's taking another step closer to Him and knowing that no matter where He's standing - on water, in the fire, or in the tomb - He is able to catch us.

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EmmDev 2026-08-07 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Time #4 - Eternity

Time #4 - Eternity

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes3:11)

We started the week with the Ecclesiastes' poem on the times and seasons of our lives.
It reminded us that along with the steady march of time, we have moments and opportunities that we should not miss.

The writer of Ecclesiastes calls himself "the Teacher", and throughout the book he reflects on life's deepest questions.
From the clues we find in the text, most scholars conclude that:

• he was probably wealthy, maybe a king or of a royal family
• he had become disillusioned with wealth, power and the rat-race of life
• he rejected simplistic cause-and-effect morality, because sometimes the righteous suffered and the wicked prospered.
• and although he comes across cynical and negative, there is a real search for God in his journey

The Teacher concludes his poem about the times and seasons of life with three powerful conclusions:

1. He makes everything beautiful in its time. God is at work in all the moments of our lives and, as we trust and follow Him, He is able to bring beauty even out of painful experiences. This echoes Romans 8:28: "God works in all things for the good of those who love Him."
2. Although our lives are moments and seasons lived in the relentless march of chronos, God has set eternity in our hearts. We are eternal beings living in a temporary world, and the choices we make today are shaping us for eternity. Deep within us is a longing for more than this temporary world can offer. Augustine prayed, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee," and Blaise Pascal spoke of a "God-shaped vacuum" within every person.
3. We can't fathom it all, because our perspective is limited, but we need to trust God who sees the whole Story from beginning to end.

Our passages this week have taught us that time keeps moving, but God is preparing us for eternity. We are urged to recognise the moments, grab the moment, number our days and remember that we are shaping our eternal souls. Time marches along but there are moments to grab and a God who sees it all and made us to spend eternity with Him.
Time passes. Eternity doesn't. Live today with and Eternal perspective. And trust the One who knows the whole Story.

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EmmDev 2026-08-06 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Time #3 - Number our Days

Time #3 - Number our Days

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalms90:12)

This is probably the oldest Psalm we have and it's the only one ascribed to Moses.
We think he wrote it during their 40 year wandering in the desert after the Israelites rejected the advice of Caleb and Joshua to trust God and enter the Promised Land.

The outcome of that rebellion was that the Israelites would wander the desert for 40 years so that the current generation would pass away and a new generation would enter Canaan. So Moses leads and guides for 40 years, attending many funerals of people who had died without reaching their destination.

Psalm 90 is a reflection on God's eternal nature and justice and humanity's temporariness.
At the heart of his Psalm is his prayer.
"Teach us to number our days aright: that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Notice that Moses isn't asking for more time.
He's asking that they will use their time well.
He doesn't pray for a longer life. He prays for a wiser one.

If he were writing in Greek maybe he would write: "While chronos ticks by help me to recognise the kairos.

This is so important.
Even when things are busy, we need to notice those moments where we need to appreciate beauty, have a significant relational interaction, reach out a helping hand, or hear God's voice.

We all get 24 hours and seven days a week.
We all have bills to pay, work to do, commutes to make, and to-do lists that tap their toes.

But Moses prays that we'll see eternity in the kairos moments that pop up in the relentless march of chronos and make good choices...

As I reflected on this passage in the sermon, five simple truths emerged that help us number our days wisely
1. I cannot do everything.
2. I cannot be everywhere.
3. I cannot say yes to every request.
4. I should make the right choices in the key moments
5. I mustn't postpone what truly matters forever.

Remember: It's not how much time we have, but how we use it.

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EmmDev 2026-08-05 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Time #2 - Grab Them

Time #2 - Grab Them

Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit... (Ephesians5:15-18)

You guessed it...
The word Paul uses for opportunity is "kairos".

He's been talking to the Ephesians about being light in the darkness - that they have to recognise that even though there is brokenness all around, the resurrection light of Christ shines on us, in us, and through us.

So we need to seize the day, grasp the moment, and grab the opportunity.
The word he uses for "making the most of" is fascinating. If you pull it apart its very literal meaning is "out of the marketplace." Imagine yourself going through the market place and spotting an item you've really wanted at a bargain price and there's only one left. What do you do? You pounce! You grab it! You don't miss a moment.

This word is used four times in the New Testament, all of them by Paul. In Galatians he uses it twice to talk about how Jesus redeemed us (think of a desperate slave on sale in the market place being bought and set free by Christ). Then he uses it here in Ephesians and also in Colossians, and both times he uses it in relation to "kairos" and how we must buy back, redeem, rescue or deliver those moments God gives us. Do you sense the urgency?

The point he makes is this: Our world is broken, "the days are evil", but there are moments that can be "bought out" of brokenness and infused with the resurrection light of Christ:
A moment to show appreciation to someone who is taken for granted...
A window to be kind to someone who has experienced harshness...
An opportunity to share our hope with someone who needs it...
A moment to right an injustice...

We come across these moments every day. We can be distracted and miss them, we can be foolish and waste the moment or we can buy them out of the marketplace of brokenness. Sometimes we think that it will cost us too much, but it is God who places the opportunity there and He will provide.

How can we do this well and not miss the moments?
Paul gives us four bits of guidance:

1. Don't be dumb - be wise. Stupidity is freely available, it's populist, comfortable, and egocentric. 
   Wisdom takes work to get to. It requires reflection, consultation with wise people and sources and sees beyond self.
2. Understand the Lord's will - this means spending time with Him and in His Word.
3. Don't anesthetize yourself either with alcohol, drugs, you-tube, social media or other distractions.
4. Be filled with the Spirit - ask the Holy Spirit to move in you and guide and prompt you.

One last thought: Paul isn't asking us to squeeze more into the day. He's just asking us to grab what's there.
Don't fill your diary - fill your moments.
God puts the moments there, and, armed with the light of the resurrected Christ and filled with the Spirit, we can buy them back!

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EmmDev 2026-08-04 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Time #1 - Moments

Time #1 - Moments

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes3:1-8)

When I preached on this passage, I borrowed two useful Greek words from the New Testament: chronos and kairos. Chronos is clock time: minutes, hours and days. Kairos is the significant moment, the opportune occasion. While Ecclesiastes was written in Hebrew rather than Greek, these two words provide a helpful way of thinking about time.

Ecclesiastes was written by someone in search of truth and meaning. His exploration is sharp and critical - he is disillusioned with much of the fluff of life. He has explored work, hedonism, power and wealth and found them all wanting. While he is dismissive of many things, he finds some truths along the way.

One of the truths he finds is that while life has many "chronos" times,
what gives time meaning is the "kairos" moments...
A time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant...
So the significance of time is not the hours and dates, it's the moments.

How often do we find ourselves rushing for "deadlines", frantically keeping schedules and packing life full of appointments and events, but missing the moments?

Meaning is not found in how many hours we spend at work.
Purpose is not found in a full calendar.
Sometimes we just need to be late so that we can watch our toddler take their first steps.
Sometimes we need to replace the whistle stop tour of Europe for a slow holiday on a quiet beach where we can bond with our kids instead of chasing them from train to bus to plane.

The saddest thing is when a moment happens and we rush past it.
We need to learn how to escape the tyranny of the "chronos" to embrace the "kairos."

Jesus did this very well. He never seemed hurried. He had time for interruptions because He recognised moments. A blind beggar's cry, a woman touching His cloak, children climbing into His lap, a conversation beside a well. He never allowed the schedule to rob Him of the moment.

Life happens in the moments.
And in those moments the clock keeps ticking, but our hearts realise that something eternal is happening.

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EmmDev 2026-07-31 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Priorities and Balance #4 - A New Perspective

Priorities and Balance #4 - A New Perspective

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians3:1-4)

A perspective is a vantage point - it's your point of view.
It's where you look at the world from.
It's the lens you look through.
It's the underlying reality that informs what you see and how you respond.
It's the compass that guides the direction of our steps.

Paul doesn't begin with a command - he begins with an identity.
Paul is clear about what our perspective should be.
- We were dead, but Christ has raised us to life.
- Our destination is with Christ who is seated at God's right hand.
- Our desire, longing and focus should be on "things above" not temporary earthly things.
- Christ will return and we will be with Him, leaving this world behind.

This should surely change our priorities from things that have temporal value to things that have eternal value. It should surely help us to be less trapped by the "stuff" of this world. And it will surely help us to find the balance between meeting temporary needs and making eternal investments.

I love Paul's phrasing:
"You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

It speaks of rescue and intimacy and safety.
The world around us doesn't understand it.
Our eternal hope is "hidden" for now, but it is certain because the tomb is empty and Christ is risen, ascended and returning.

What is your current perspective?
Maybe you've been looking down too much.
It's time to remember and look up:
You were broken, sinful and unsure
and you were spiritually dead.
BUT Jesus took your life and wrapped it in His Death and Resurrection.
And you are forgiven and are destined for eternity with Him!

---

EmmDev 2026-07-30 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Priorities and Balance #3 - Presence over Protocol

Priorities and Balance #3 - Presence over Protocol

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke10:38-43)

This is a powerful parable-in-real-life.
It doesn't need a lot of explaining, but here's a few thoughts...

Hospitality was very highly valued in the Ancient Near East. So Martha's choice to focus on the meal and being a good hostess is understandable and even commendable.

And that's the problem with priorities.
They are sometimes hard to call.
Sometimes two things can look almost equally important and it's hard to decide which one counts most.
The catch with Martha is not that she was being hospitable but that she had made too much of it. The text tells us that she was "distracted with much serving." And, when we look at her complaint to Jesus, it is the language of a victim. There's the strong sense that her focus was more about the task than about delighting in Jesus.

Mary sits at Jesus feet. She enjoys the moment - we'll talk about time next week.
She chooses presence over protocol, connection over impressions.
I'm sure that, if it were needed, she would have whipped up a quick meal, but she avoids Martha's vortex of activity and chooses to be with Jesus.

Jesus' answer to Martha is very telling.
Although some translations put it differently, in the original Greek the wording is that Mary has chosen the good portion and it's a clever pun about Martha's choice. Martha is preoccupied with serving a portion of food. Mary has chosen the good portion: Jesus Himself. One meal will soon be forgotten. The portion Mary received "will not be taken away from her".

Every day we are faced with good choices and better ones.
There is work to do, meals to prepare and responsibilities to fulfill.
But before we do anything for Jesus, we must first spend time with Jesus.
The good portion is still available to everyone who will sit at His feet.

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EmmDev 2026-07-29 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Priorities and Balance#2 - First

Priorities and Balance#2 - First

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew6:31-33)

Few things rob us of balance more quickly than worry, and few things restore it more effectively than putting God first.

The balance lies in not being dominated by stress and worry. We do need to eat and drink but we should not be become obsessed about what we eat and wear. Earlier in this chapter Jesus spoke about the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and how God provides for them. The birds forage diligently and plants sink their roots deep and turn sunlight into food but there is joy and beauty in what they do. Obsession turns labour and housework into slavery. Balancing gratitude, trust and diligence is the key to a balanced life. We have gratitude for God's provision both through opportunity and ability, we trust God to watch over us and give us strength and then we bring our best efforts to the table.

But Jesus also calls us to have the right priorities and we have to get the top one right. First and foremost, our most important priority should be to ensure that we are seeking God's Kingdom and righteousness.

The Greek verb Jesus uses for "seek" is "zēteite" and it is significant because Jesus uses it in a positive and a negative sense in this passage. The pagans run after all the wrong things, but Jesus calls His followers to seek the Kingdom of God first. The verb means to seek, pursue, strive after, aim for and desire. Jesus uses it in a present, continuous and imperative tense - "keep on seeking". We are being commanded to have a deep desire and longing for God's kingdom and righteousness. What makes it striking is that Jesus isn't asking us to perform an action - He's asking us to cultivate a passion. If it were an action then we could tick the box and move on, but we're being asked to have a continuous longing that permeates all we do.

And it needs to be FIRST. Above all else. Above ambition. Above earthly affections. Above all.

And what do we long for? God's kingdom and righteousness. Longing for His kingdom means continually asking: "If God were King of this situation, how would it go down? How would He want me to behave? What outcomes would God want us to pursue? What are the priorities and principles that would apply here?" Pursuing God's righteousness adds moral depth to the idea of "kingdom." Sometimes people will cut corners because they argue that the end justifies the means, but in pursuing the kingdom we must also do things the right way.

Our balance comes from doing our part without becoming obsessed with the results. Our priority is to nurture a deep and growing passion to see God crowned as King in every part of our lives.

When the Kingdom comes first, everything else finds its proper place.

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EmmDev 2026-07-28 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Priorities and Balance #1 - The Foundation

Priorities and Balance #1 - The Foundation

After a long winter break, EmmDevs are back.
I've been busy with a sermon series entitled "Wisdom for Everyday Life"
You can watch the sermons on https://bit.ly/WisdomSermonPlaylist
The eight sermons were:

1. Priorities and Finding Balance
2. Time: Rejuvenation and Distraction (Serving Without Burning Out)
3. Faith vs Fear (Anxiety, Ignorance or Sober Faith)
4. Forgiveness vs Bitterness
5. Sober thinking in an opinionated world
6. Seasoned Words (De-escalating in a world that ramps up quickly)
7. Contentment vs Comparison
8. Faithful Witness: Strong Convictions, Gentle Hearts

The plan is to devote 3 or 4 EmmDevs to each theme...

We start with Priorities and Balance

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your true and proper worship. (Romans12:1)

In a series that deals with many practical qualities (wisdoms) that should be present in mature believers' lives, it is vital to make sure that the starting point is not human effort.

Paul is crystal clear about that. He spends 11 chapters laying a foundation.
- We were dead in our sins and only Christ could save us.
- By ourselves we can't do good or avoid evil, only the Holy Spirit can do that.
- Even the fates of nations are in God's hands and not a matter of self-determination.

The starting point is not our effort, but God's mercy.
God has rescued us. God has redeemed us, saved us, chosen us.
He loved us first and saved us when we were powerless.

And anything we do is a response.

And the response to which Romans 12 calls us is a life of WORSHIP.
This is life's great priority.
The Westminster Confession (paraphrased) states:
"Humankind's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever."

Worship is not something that we do only on Sundays.
It's offering our bodies as "living sacrifices."
Dead sacrifices cannot climb off the altar. A living sacrifice can - but chooses not to.
A living sacrifice learns to ask "In this situation what would Jesus do? What glorifies God?"

And, strangely enough, counter-intuitively, this worship is not onerous.
We discover that when God is at the centre, we have come home.
And we enjoy God.

Paul uses an interesting word for "proper."
In Greek it is "logikos".
It can mean "reasonable", "logical", "spiritual", "rational", "fitting", "appropriate", or "considered."

Paul is saying:
When you consider the vastness of God's Mercy then worship: is a reasonable, logical, rational and appropriate response and is the most spiritually congruent thing we can do.

We prioritise God because He prioritised us...

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EmmDev 2026-06-03 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #9 The Abrupt Ending points to Resurrection Hope

Concluding Mark #9 The Abrupt Ending points to Resurrection Hope

"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.' " Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Mark16:6-8)

Most scholars agree that this was the original ending to Mark's Gospel.
It is abrupt and a little disturbing because it leaves things hanging in the air.

But think about it for a moment...
We think this account was written around 60AD some 30 years after the Ascension.
By now the gospel has reached Rome, Asia Minor and beyond.

Anyone reading the cliff-hanger ending would know how it actually turned out.
They would know that:
- the women did speak.
- the tomb remained empty,
- Jesus met with Peter
- Jesus met with the disciples
- He ascended and the disciples were filled with the Spirit
- the Church had spread like wildfire, in spite of persecution.

Resurrection had triumphed.
What looked like defeat and a sputtering wick had burst into glorious flame.

In many ways this is typical of Mark.
He portrays human weakness with simple honesty but never hopelessly.

Considering what I have just written, it is then unsurprising and quite ironic that the "footnote" or "longer ending" that was later attached to Mark reflects all these thoughts:
- Fear and unbelief addressed
- Great Commission and the Power of the Holy Spirit affirmed
- The Ascension and the disciples' missionary obedience recorded.

The abrupt ending naturally invites readers to ask what happened next.
The "longer ending" tries to do that for their generation, but I think the abrupt ending invites every reader to respond personally.

But we need to answer it too.
In the light of the Risen Christ who speaks to His Church and the Peter in you and me.
What will we do?
Will we, like the Early Church, overcome our initial fears and spread the gospel?
Mark leaves us to to add our response...
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That brings us, at long last, to the end of our marathon series on Mark.
I hope you have found it meaningful.
I'll be taking a break from EmmDevs for the rest of June.

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EmmDev 2026-05-29 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #8 The cross is not defeat, but victory.

Concluding Mark #8 The cross is not defeat, but victory.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard His cry and saw how He died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" (Mark15:37-39)

Mark records numerous moments where Jesus made it clear that He heading for the cross.
In chapter 10 Mark remembers how Jesus was striding ahead of the disciples and how His disciples are astonished and afraid.

Throughout his gospel, Mark paints a picture of Jesus serving, loving, healing and teaching and heading towards a sacrificial destiny.
"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 10:45)

So it is understandable that we might begin to see the cross as a low-point.
A place of tragedy, heartbreak and sacrifice.

But when we get to the cross, Mark surprises us because he writes briefly about the crucifixion (only 17 verses). There's a quiet dignity in his brevity instead of a Hollywood-like morbid fascination with the violence and suffering.

He recounts the criminals and the sign.
He dwells on the insults but this only strengthens the Centurion's response later.
He only notes one of the "seven words", but it is in God-Forsakenness that He atones for our sin.
He describes that wine-vinegar - the drink of the poor
and the crowd's misunderstanding that he was calling Elijah.

And then comes the climax...

• A loud cry and Jesus breathes His last - a clear indication that Jesus was not the victim who's life was taken,
  but the King who gives His life.
• The temple curtain torn in two. The atonement sacrifice was sufficient and our sin-debt was paid in full.
• The gentile Centurion, a man of authority, recognises Him as the Son of God.

This makes the cross a place of VICTORY.
Sometimes preachers and movie-makers use the violence and suffering of the cross to pull at the heart-strings.
Sometimes we tend to preach "BAD Friday" and "Resurrection Sunday"
but it is called "GOOD Friday" for a reason.
The victory was won at the cross - and the resurrection vindicates that victory

Do I hear a HALLELUJAH?

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EmmDev 2026-05-28 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #7 Reaching out to the Broken

Concluding Mark #7 Reaching out to the Broken

A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. "I am willing," He said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. (Mark1:40-42)

Mark's Gospel is filled with broken people:
- lepers,
- paralytics,
- demoniacs,
- grieving parents,
- outcasts, failures,
- doubters,
- and fearful disciples.

Our passage records the first healing miracle in Mark and it is most certainly not the last!

The man has leprosy. It is highly contagious.
People recoiled from those who had leprosy.
They chased them with literal and verbal sticks and stones.
The man comes and begs from his knees.
The disciples and crowd probably gasped and retreated.
All of a sudden Jesus isn't being mobbed or crowded.
They're all ten steps back.

The man is begging and Jesus is standing there.
"If you are willing... " the man implores
Jesus is filled with compassion. (In Greek the word implies an intense emotion)
Instead of stepping away - Jesus steps in.
Instead of recoiling - Jesus touches - probably embraces.
And the man is immediately clean.

This is what love is.

Throughout Mark Jesus consistently moves toward broken, not away from them.
We see it again and again:
- Jesus touches the untouchable.
- Jesus forgives the guilty.
- Jesus restores the ashamed.
- Jesus calls the unlikely.

Jesus' church needs to be like this too.
Church is not a display cabinet for saints
but a hospital for the broken.

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EmmDev 2026-05-27 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #6 The Tragic Hardness of Heart

Concluding Mark #6 The Tragic Hardness of Heart

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. (Mark3:3-6)

One of the saddest themes in Mark's Gospel is the ongoing hardness of people's hearts. This passage reveals it powerfully...

It's a Sabbath and the Pharisees are more concerned about observing the Sabbath than about the plight of a fellow human being. If the Law of Moses allowed one to get a cow out of a pit on the Sabbath, surely the healing of the precious human being would matter too?

Throughout Mark's Gospel we see people being helped by Jesus and trusting in Him:

• desperate people come to Him
• broken people trust Him
• outsiders welcome Him
• women follow faithfully
• children respond naturally
• sinners eat at His table

But the Pharisees remained hard and stubborn of heart.
Their hearts are so hard, that the Pharisees and Herodians who were polar opposites theologically and idealogically, begin to plot murder. Strange bedfellows indeed.

What's striking in this passage is that Jesus' response to this hardness was not indignation or antipathy but deep distress. He is grieving with the hot angry grief that one feels when there is a sense of a life wasted. He sees the hardness of their hearts and it vexes Him.

Right into Holy Week Jesus interacts with Pharisees, Saducees, Herodians, Teachers of the Law. They continue to resist Him and He faces them with truth, logic, Scripture and even outright rebuke, but they refuse to see...

May we never harden our hearts in this way.

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EmmDev 2026-05-22 [Moments with Mark] Mark's Pentecost #4 - In our weakness

Mark's Pentecost #4 - In our weakness

Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," He said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Mark14:37-38)

One would think that a Gospel account that formed the basis of the Early Church would attempt to paint the disciples in the best possible light. They were the ones chosen and trained by Jesus and they would have played a key role in the wonderful growth of the church. One might expect that a gospel account would portray them a bit like swashbuckling pioneers of the early church.

But Mark didn't do that. He portrayed them very humanly. They misunderstood Jesus, bickered over who was the greatest; fell asleep in Gethsemane when Jesus needed them; ran away when He was arrested; some even denied knowing Him; and they struggled to believe when faced with an empty tomb.

This doesn't inspire a huge amount of confidence in the first disciples...
But I think this is one of Mark's subtle points.

Jesus comment to Peter says it all. "The spirit is willing, but the body (flesh) is weak."

Jesus isn't talking about the Holy Spirit.
He's talking about the human spirit which, although willing, is hindered by our frailty and humanity.

But the Good News is that Mark starts His Gospel with the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:8: "I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

So Mark's Gospel is a true reflection of what happened.
Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to "give His life as a ransom for many."
He called disciples, but they were not superheroes, they were everyday people.
They made mistakes, they got it wrong, they were not strong enough by themselves.
But there was a promise - "He will baptise with the Holy Spirit..."

And it was fulfilled at Pentecost!
The church was never built on human strength, but on Spirit-empowered weakness surrendered to Christ.
Pentecost was not God choosing the impressive - it was God empowering the weak.
And that gives you and me hope!

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EmmDev 2026-05-21 [Moments with Mark] Mark's Pentecost #3 Inspiration under Pressure

Mark's Pentecost #3 Inspiration under Pressure

You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. (Mark13:9-11)

Today's reading comes from the challenging chapter 13 where Mark unpacks Jesus' teaching on the "end times."

To set the scene, the key points of this chapter are:

• The "end times" extend from Jesus' ascension to the Second Coming.
• The church will experience persecution and hardship cyclically, like the contractions of a woman in labour
• Some parts of the chapter apply to the persecution of the church by Rome, culminating in the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD.
• Other parts of the chapter are applicable any time or anywhere that the church is suffering or is being persecuted.

Our reading is a reassurance that Jesus gives the disciples, but it is also applicable to the whole church. It is a powerful reassurance and a comforting promise: "Whenever you're in a tough place, whenever you're being persecuted, whenever you're being threatened, and whenever you might be lost for words, the Holy Spirit will give you the words.

Throughout the history of the Church, there have been "contractions" - times that the whole or part of the church has experienced suffering and persecution. In the book of Acts and in the annals of church history we have story upon story of believers who have responded with love, grace and profound wisdom in the face of trouble.

This is a beautiful gift from God's Spirit.
He will be with us and He will give us the words we need.

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EmmDev 2026-05-20 [Moments with Mark] Mark's Pentecost #2 Misunderstanding the Spirit

Mark's Pentecost #2 Misunderstanding the Spirit

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind." And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons." So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit." (Mark3:20-31)

Today's passage is challenging.

There are two issues at stake here.
1. The Holy Spirit is the powerful One by whom Jesus "binds the strong man".
2. There are consequences to ignoring, resisting and maligning the Spirit's work.

As Mark portrays Jesus as tirelessly proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom in word and action. But the extent and effect of His ministry attracts attention and causes sensation. His family are embarrassed by the attention He is getting and those who are threatened by His popularity criticise and malign.

Their key argument is that His spiritual power has an evil source.
They need to do this, because otherwise they have to admit that "the Spirit of the Lord is upon Him."
This would be tantamount to admitting that He was the Messiah.

Jesus easily exposes their faulty thinking - A house divided against itself cannot stand.

But this leads Him to make a statement about blasphemy against the Spirit that has worried many sincere Christians. Over the years many people have consulted with me, worried that they have committed the unforgivable sin.

To understand what this is all about, we need to remember that one of the main activities of the Holy Spirit is to bring us to the place where we can recognise Christ as Lord. The Spirit is always drawing us closer to Jesus. He reveals, convicts, prompts, illuminates and works in our circumstances to open our eyes to Christ. He wants us to recognise Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

Jesus talks about "blasphemy against the Spirit" in Matthew, Mark and Luke. In each case He is confronting the hard-hearted Pharisees and Sadducees who persistently refuse to recognise who Jesus is:
- In Matthew they argue that Jesus does His miracles by demonic power
- In Mark they say that Jesus has an evil spirit
- In Luke the context is God's provision on the one hand and disowning Christ on the other and Luke puts it into the context of the final judgment.

So "blasphemy against the Spirit" is to reject the Spirit's "core business" which is to help us recognise Jesus for who He is.

Many Theologians understand that this is a process and not an event. We don't commit blasphemy against the Spirit by accident or as a once-off. This is something that is a stubborn hard-heartedness and that we don't care about. To "blaspheme against the Spirit" is to stubbornly resist the "seed-planting" work of the Holy Spirit to the end of our lives or to the point that our hearts are so hard that we will never change. Elsewhere Scripture talks about a "hardened heart" or a "seared conscience."

The point: If we are resisting the working of the Spirit, then we won't care whether this is forgivable or not. And so I say to folk: "If you're worried that you have committed unforgivable blasphemy against the Spirit, then you haven't!"

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EmmDev 2026-05-19 [Moments with Mark] Mark's Pentecost #1 Jesus and the Spirit

Mark's Pentecost #1 Jesus and the Spirit

It's Pentecost Week and so I'm interrupting the conclusion of Mark with four devotions on Mark's view of the Holy Spirit. (Mark just doesn't want to let go of me!)

John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: "After me will come One more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased." At once the Spirit sent Him out into the desert, and He was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended Him. (Mark1:6-12)

Mark only makes a few specific references to the Holy Spirit, but from these references we get a clear implication of the Spirit's work, effect and influence.

In the opening verses of the Gospel, Mark highlights the way John the Baptist characterises the ministry of Jesus as Spirit-filled-and-empowered. Then he shows the coming of the Spirit paired with the Father's affirmation of Jesus. Then he shows Jesus being led by the Spirit into the desert for a period of preparation.

There are a couple of insights that come with Mark's descriptions of the Spirit's work and presence in Jesus.

• The presence of the Spirit implies worthiness and power.
  Jesus receives the Spirit by worth - we receive the Spirit by grace.
• The Spirit comes as a dove along with the affirmation of the Father's love.
  This is beautiful and profound: belovedness precedes mission and identity precedes ministry.
• The Spirit guides Jesus in preparation and accompanies Him in temptation and hardship.
  Many who focus on the Spirit's gifts and empowerment neglect the fact that He will sometimes lead us into and through tough spaces.
• Mark uses his signature "at once" and we have a sense of the dynamic and vibrant nature of the Spirit's guidance.

From the very outset it is clear that Mark fully understands that Jesus' vibrant ministry as the "Son of Man who came to serve and not to be served" was guided, empowered, shaped and validated by the presence, indwelling, and work of the Holy Spirit.

The empowering of the Spirit, depicted by a dove and accompanied by an affirmation of love and approval, is significant. Sadly, many people reduce the Spirit to a source of power. The Spirit is more than Popeye's Spinach, Asterix's magic potion or a super-soldier-serum.
The Spirit isn't our power-pack, He's the affirming presence of God with us in Mission.

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EmmDev 2026-05-14 [Treasure Cupboard] Ascension Day

Ascension Day

 

It's Ascension Day today. It used to be recognised as a public holiday, but now the responsibility lies especially with the Church to remember and celebrate it well.

Even in the Old Testament, God's Sovereignty and Majesty were recognised by the Israelites. Psalm 47 was written by the "Sons of Korah" who were a family line of Levites (temple servants) descended from Korah. Although Korah himself rebelled against God in Moses' time and died in judgment, his descendants were spared and later became faithful worship leaders and musicians in Israel.

Psalm 47 sits in the middle of three Psalms that assert God's victory and celebrate God reigning over nations, wars, fear, and every force of chaos. We're most familiar with Psalm 46 which starts off with "God is our refuge and strength - a very present help in trouble" and ends with "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 48 celebrates Zion - the city of God - as a place of peace and refuge.

Psalm 47 - the psalm in the middle - is marked with great joy and celebration. It starts with "Clap your hands" and "Shout for joy" and continues to celebrate God's victory and our deliverance and inheritance.

The Psalm evokes an Old Testament image: a king riding up to Jerusalem and taking his place on the throne. It would be a time of great joy: "God has ascended amid shouts of joy... sing praises... sing praises."

Today we celebrate Jesus' Ascension.
It is not merely about Christ departing, but of Christ reigning.
- He is the Messiah - God's chosen one - God's only Son.
- He made the ultimate sacrifice - His life for our sin
- The sacrifice was sufficient - and so God raised Him from the dead
- He ascends now - Having conquered Sin, Death and Satan.
- He reigns at the Father's right hand - interceding for us.
- And we have the hope of His return.

We have two tasks or callings to do in the meantime.
1. Celebrate who He is and what He has done through worship.
2. Tell others about His love and victory and doing it in word and deed.

Read the Psalm below and clap your hands, sing praises to God, and proclaim His victory to the world!

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loved. [Selah] God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. (Psalms47:1-9)

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EmmDev 2026-05-13 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #5 Parables about the Kingdom

Concluding Mark #5 Parables about the Kingdom

He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come. (Mark4:26-29)

Mark recounts Jesus' parables.
Most of these parables are about the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God grows quietly but powerfully
-Seeds.
-Lamps.
-Mustard trees.
-Soil.

Mark's parables remind us that God's Kingdom often looks small, hidden and unimpressive at first.
-But the seed is powerful.
-The gospel changes lives.
-Truth grows.
-Love multiplies.
-Grace bears fruit.
-And often the growth happens quietly:

"All by itself the soil produces grain..."
God is at work even when we cannot see it.

In my life God worked like that:
- I was baptised by believing parents
- I had a Sunday School teacher in a conservative Afrikaans church whose sincerity impressed me
- I heard our high school Students' Christian Association (SCA) singing worship songs and it drew me
- I joined the music team
- I went on a camp
- I started reading the Bible
- I started helping out at a youth group
- And the rest is history

There's a lot of "I's" there, but I was just responding, God made all the first moves.

How has He been at work in you??

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EmmDev 2026-05-12 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #4 Movement, Trust and Surrender

Concluding Mark #4 Movement, Trust and Surrender

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of people." At once they left their nets and followed Him. (Mark1:17)

Mark's gospel is a gospel of movement and calling.
Jesus is portrayed as "the One who came to serve and not be served."
He is constantly on the move: teaching, healing, praying and calling.

When it comes to calling, the first disciples quickly learned that following Jesus means movement, trust and surrender.

In Mark, discipleship is never passive.

Again and again people must:
- leave their nets
- leave comfort
- leave pride
- leave old identities
- leave fear

When you add people to a quiet life, it stops being quiet. Jesus called the disciples to be fishers of people. Previously they would have talked about nets, techniques and the best way to cook a fish. Now they would talk about connection, contact and their need for God. Their lives would be filled with:
- jostling crowds,
- moms bringing snotty babies,
- hungry crowds,
- and going wherever Jesus took them.

And the disciples often fail spectacularly.
- They misunderstand.
- They argue.
- They panic.
- They sleep in Gethsemane.
- Peter denies Jesus.

And yet Jesus keeps calling them back.

That is deeply encouraging.
Mark reminds us that discipleship is not about flawless performance, but about continuing to follow Jesus in the helter-skelter --> even after failure.

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EmmDev 2026-05-08 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #3 More on "Son of Man"

Concluding Mark #3 More on "Son of Man"

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans5:7)

The Biblical Book that uses the phrase "Son of Man" even more than the gospels do is Ezekiel. There it means "Mortal Man" as some of the older translations put it. I think this is part of the reason that Jesus used the phrase. He was emphasising the incarnation. He was the "Word made Flesh".

But in His trial Jesus brings another emphasis when He quotes from Daniel 7: "You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." This powerfully brings together the idea of "Mortal Man" and "Messiah"

Other Messianic titles like Messiah, King, Son of David were politically loaded - Jesus chooses a title that is Messianic, but conveys His mission. "The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom to many."

Paul develops a similar thought using a different analogy. He talks about Jesus as a kind of "Second Adam" and in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 he talks about how Jesus' death and resurrection open a new way for us.

When we combine this with John's idea of the "Word became flesh and dwelt among us" we start to see the huge significance of the Incarnation.

We have a God who came to live among us and rescue us.
HALLELUJAH!

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EmmDev 2026-05-07 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #2 Son of God, Son of Man

Concluding Mark #2 Son of God, Son of Man

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark1:1)

Mark explores a profound contrast in his gospel.
He identifies Jesus as the "Son of God."
But He also calls Him the "Son of Man."

Interestingly, Mark uses "Son of God" three times.
- At the opening of the Gospel
- In the mouth of the demons in ch.3 so that even ultimate evil knows His authority
- In the mouth of the Centurion at His death

We see glimpses of His glory:
-Demons recognise Him.
-Storms obey Him.
-Disease flees from Him.
-Food multiplies
-Fig trees wither
-Death is defeated (but in Mark's ending we get just a glimpse of resurrection)


But for Mark the "Son of God" reveals His glory through servanthood.
He uses "Son of Man" fourteen times.
Jesus truly is a "man of the people" and His glory is often hidden beneath humility.
He walks dusty roads, touches lepers, eats with sinners, grows tired, sleeps in boats and finally hangs on a cross.

Mark's great revelation is this:
Jesus is not less glorious because He serves and suffers.
His humility is His glory.

Once again we come to one of the major points in the Gospel of Mark:
"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."

Jesus, the Son of God, is also the Son of Man.

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EmmDev 2026-05-06 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #1 Immediately

Concluding Mark #1 Immediately

At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert... (Mark1:12)

Apart from some detours for Month of Mission and Lent, we've been working through Mark since February last year!

For interest, I threw all 115 of my devotions on Mark at an AI and asked it to summarise the key themes.
The results were striking and rang true and so, over the next few days, I'll explore these themes.

The first of these themes is that Mark should not be read without an appreciation of the sense of urgency that permeates the narrative. Mark writes with urgency and simplicity.
Again and again his favourite words appear:
"Immediately..."
"And then..."
"At once..."

This gives Mark's Gospel a sense of breathlessness.
Jesus is always moving:
- Teaching.
- Healing.
- Confronting evil.
- Calling disciples.
- Striding toward the cross.

This links to Jesus' powerful sense of purpose which is expressed so clearly in Mark 10:45.
"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."

What is the "take-home"?
That we are loved.
Fiercely and Urgently.
Jesus came and lived earnestly, urgently, passionately and purposefully.
He came to rescue us and He poured His life into His mission...
... and then He poured His life out on the Cross.
He held nothing back - He gave us His all.
We are fiercely and urgently LOVED.

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EmmDev 2026-05-05 [Moments with Mark] An Early Church Conclusion to Mark

An Early Church Conclusion to Mark

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen Him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it. (Mark16:9-20)

There are some important textual questions around the last 11 verses of Mark as we have them in our modern Bible Translations.

• The passage is not found in the oldest manuscripts.
• Its language and style differ from the rest of Mark.
• It includes themes that may reflect the early church's mission rather than Jesus' earthly ministry.

The NIV Study Bible says this about today's reading: "Serious doubt exists as to whether these verses belong to the Gospel of Mark. They are absent from important early manuscripts and display certain peculiarities of vocabulary, style and theological content that are unlike the rest of Mark. His Gospel probably ended at 16:8, or its original ending has been lost."

I think that a viable explanation is that while the early church carefully preserved and transmitted what it received, they sometimes included additional material that reflects the early church's witness.. As we discussed in the last devotion, the "abrupt ending" left us contemplating that although the resurrection happened, there were moments of struggle and fear too. It may be possible that Mark left the ending abrupt so that people would think and ask: "So what happened next?" The early church included material that answered the question.

The longer ending may not be Mark's original conclusion, but it powerfully reflects how the early church understood and proclaimed the risen Christ. Here are some of the key lessons:

1. Although the "abrupt ending" reflects some uncertainty and fear, these are explicitly answered in resurrection appearances and by Jesus addressing their fears and doubts. (It must be noted that the line "He rebuked them for their lack of faith and stubborn refusal to believe..." carries a stronger tone than we see elsewhere in the Gospels, and may reflect the early church's emphasis on bold, trusting faith...)
2. The missional nature of the ending certainly reflects the passion and ardour of the early churchh.
3. That same missional focus also reflects in the emphasis on belief and baptism and the consequences of a lack of faith.
4. The promise of "signs and wonders" is a vibrant reflection of the life of the early church. Paul drove out demons, spoke in tongues, healed people and even survived a snake bite. We don't have a Biblical account of a Christian surviving a poisoning attempt but, in the light of all the other miracles, this too is feasible as something that happened in the growth of the church.
5. The Ascension account makes three important points:
   1. Jesus sat down at the right hand of God - speaks of His authority and victory
   2. The disciples went out and preached
   3. The Lord worked with them and confirmed His word miraculously - speaks of the powerful outpouring of the Spirit.

So although it's unlikely that Mark wrote the longer ending, the early church preserved these thoughts, and nothing in this passage stands alone - all of these themes are found elsewhere in the New Testament. And, guided by the Spirit, we can learn from and apply the lessons we learn from this later ending.
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Tomorrow I'll end off this series with a reflection of Mark's "Key Lessons...."

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EmmDev 2026-04-30 [Moments with Mark] Abrupt Ending

Abrupt Ending

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as he told you.' " Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Mark16:1-8)

While there is another section that follows, scholars are pretty convinced that this is where the original gospel of Mark ended. Next week we'll look at the "longer ending" and understand the role that it plays.

For now, let's consider this piece as the "shorter ending."

Let's bear in mind that for Mark and the early church, the Resurrection was never in doubt. Christians were being persecuted and martyred and they faced their death with hope and praise because they were utterly convinced of the resurrection. The Holy Spirit had been poured out on them, the church was growing like wildfire, and they were not afraid of dying for their faith. In writing his gospel, Mark wasn't defending the resurrection, he was making sure that the stories about Jesus that we think he was hearing through Peter's sermons, would not be lost to future generations. (Think about how abruptly Mark began his gospel. No birth and infancy narratives - just straight into the account of Jesus' ministry.)

So this "abrupt ending" is not so abrupt when we consider Mark's style and purpose. Throughout the gospel Mark has been short and economical, writing like a newspaper reporter: short, sharp and punchy.

When it comes to the resurrection he's doing the same.
He describes:
- the first eye-witnesses.
- their journey to the tomb and what they experienced.
- what they saw: The stone rolled away and the angel sitting inside
- what they heard: Jesus is not here. He is Risen. Tell the disciples and Peter "Go to Galilee"

Then he describes the women leaving, trembling and bewildered, not talking to others at this point.
And that's the original ending.

It's a puzzling note to end on.
From the other gospels we know that Jesus Himself appeared to Mary Magdalene and that the women eventually told the disciples. We know that Peter and John ran to the tomb and that John believed. From John we know that Peter left bewildered and wondering what happened. From Luke we know that Jesus appeared to Peter all by himself.

Maybe this is the clue that Mark is leaving us. He emphasises that the angel told the women, "...tell the disciples and Peter..." Maybe Mark wanted his readers to understand that the women struggled and that Peter struggled, but everybody knew that the tomb remained empty, the Holy Spirit came, and the Early Church found courage.

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EmmDev 2026-04-29 [Moments with Mark] Joseph (Part 2) - Respect

Joseph (Part 2) - Respect

So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. (Mark15:46-47)

Yesterday we looked at Joseph's faith and courage.
Today I'd like to consider another driving force in his actions, namely respect.

Let's recap. Joseph
- takes a risk going to Pilate.
- probably jeopardises his standing with the Council
- makes a sacrifice in offering up his expensive and elite tomb

Along with his faith and courage, Joseph is "doing right" by Jesus.
I think this shows respect.
There are moments of respect throughout the burial and resurrection.
- Nicodemus brings spices for the burial. He was also a member of the council.
- The women return after the Sabbath to complete the work of anointing Jesus
- Jesus folds His grave cloths when He rises from the dead.
- And Joseph does what he can to give Jesus a dignified burial

Respect is important.
It speaks of the intrinsic value of people, and in this narrative, it reminds us that Jesus was respected even by some of those who would have been considered His enemies.

When we love God, we also love people.
But we also respect God and respect people.
Joseph shows it towards Jesus, as do Nicodemus and the women.
Jesus shows it towards Joseph and whoever will tidy the tomb.

In a world filled with disrespect - where people are celebrated for "dissing" (disrespecting) others, this is an important insight.

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EmmDev 2026-04-28 [Moments with Mark] Joseph (Part 1)

My apologies for the long delay in devotions. The Easter season overwhelmed me a little and then we were away on leave...

Joseph (Part 1)

It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate was surprised to hear that He was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. (Mark15:42-45)

I have a little theory. I can't prove it, but in eternity we'll know if I'm right.
I think that Joseph of Arimathea was the "Rich Young Ruler" who walked away when Jesus told him to give up all he had... If I'm right, this makes the events of this passage very significant.

The name "Joseph" means, "God will add."
This is very fitting for this moment because, although this account is about a burial, God will add resurrection to the story.

Let's pick up the details:

• It was Preparation Day: They had until sunset and then the Sabbath begins. So it was urgent to get this work done, thus avoiding defilement on the Sabbath.
• Joseph is from Arimathea which was also called Ramah. There were a number of places called Ramah in the OT, because the name can mean "high, exalted, lifted up, lookout, height." There is also a possible link to the Ramah mentioned by Jeremiah and quoted by Matthew when Herod orders that the baby boys around Bethlehem be killed - "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning..."
• Joseph was a prominent member of the Council which was the highest Jewish governing body consisting of chief priests, elders and the teachers of the law. They made religious decisions, legal judgments and, ironically, were the ones who decided on the arrest and trial that led to Jesus' crucifixion.
• Joseph was "waiting for the Kingdom of God." This means that he was spiritually aware. Another member of the council, Nicodemus, had been to meet Jesus (see John 3) and according to the other gospels, he accompanies Joseph to the burial. So it seems that there were some religious leaders who had open hearts and were contemplating Jesus' significance.
• He boldly went to Pilate. Mark is highlighting the irony here. The council condemned Jesus to death and now Joseph is giving Him a dignified funeral. This would have placed Joseph under a spotlight of suspicion and criticism. This would have had to be a carefully considered decision, especially as it involved a family tomb, and Joseph makes it boldly.
• Pilate is surprised that Jesus is already dead. This was because crucifixion was a slow and cruel way of putting people to death. Mark is making an important point here. Jesus' life wasn't taken by Roman torture, His life was given for us.
• Pilate gives the body to Joseph. Normally crucified criminals' bodies were discarded like refuse. Rome preferred it that way, it proved their supremacy. To have an executed man's body buried among the wealthy and elite would have mixed the message that Roman Crucifixion was meant to convey. Maybe it was the impact Jesus had on Pilate earlier that day that led him to agree to this request.

Tomorrow we'll look at the rest of the details, but for now, our takeaways are:

• Joseph is a leader who, in spite of the other toxic leaders in the Council, was impacted by Jesus.
• Pilate was also impacted by Jesus and releases His body for dignified burial instead of humiliation.
• In Joseph's name ("God will add") and in the name of his home town ("Ramah" - the place of weeping) we find hints of the sadness Jesus came to heal and the hope of resurrection.

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EmmDev 2026-04-07 [Moments with Mark] The Faithful Women

The Faithful Women

Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed Him and cared for His needs. Many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem were also there. (Mark15:40-41)

From the other gospels we know that there was only one male disciple at the cross and that was John. We think it is because he was young, possibly just a teen. This is why he could call himself "the one that Jesus loved." Being the young one it is likely that all the disciples and Jesus had a soft spot for him. This, probably, is also why Jesus assigns him and Mary to look after each other. To be fair, John is there only by advantage of his youth. The other disciples were older and potentially have been considered as "enemies of the state." It would have been dangerous for them to be at the cross.

In gentle contrast, Mark tells us of a number of women who were there, supporting Jesus. There are some variants in the names of the women as given by the four gospel writers, but we won't be considering the individuals for now.

What is interesting is that Mark portrays women positively in his gospel:
- The woman with the bleeding disorder had courageous faith.
- The Syrophoenician woman understood grace.
- The widow with her two coins gave sacrificially.
- The woman who anointed Jesus recognised His impending death when others didn't.

Here, the women stay at the cross, continuing their faithful devotion to Jesus. Mark tells us that they came to Jerusalem with Jesus and that in Galilee they had followed Jesus and cared for His needs. Luke tells us that some of them "... were helping to support them (Jesus and the twelve) out of their own means."

In a society where women did not enjoy rights and standing of men, it is significant that Mark (who was known for brevity and focus on key aspects) devotes some time to describing their presence. Especially just after the dramatic events of Jesus' death.

These women are examples of "a long obedience in the same direction."
They have been faithful, and, despite being undervalued by society, they are just faithfully there.
Let's take a moment to give thanks for the faithful women who are role-models to us as they faithfully and practically practice a long obedience in a God direction.

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EmmDev 2026-04-02 [Moments with Mark] Triumph: Demonstrated and Recognised

Triumph: Demonstrated and Recognised

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard His cry and saw how He died, he said, "Surely this Man was the Son of God!" (Mark15:38-39)

Yesterday I suggested that Jesus' "loud cry" was one of triumph.

Our reading today supports this...
At His death, the temple curtain, which separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, tore from top to bottom. We should never underestimate the visceral impact this event would have had. Normally the Holy of Holies was "off limits" - The High Priest entered only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. Jesus' sacrifice changed all of that. The torn curtain was a powerful symbol of the success of the atonement offering Jesus made.
The letter to the Hebrews explains that Jesus, our High Priest, sacrificed for our sins, once and for all.

Now the Roman Centurion didn't see the curtain tear. He saw the darkness. He may have felt the earthquake mentioned in Matthew. He heard Jesus' cry. He saw how Jesus carried His agony and how He died. He didn't hear a helpless victim. He didn't see a tragic ending. He wasn't left hopeless. He was moved to make a significant statement. "This Man was the Son of God."

This statement is one of the most powerful creeds or declarations of faith in the New Testament.
There's deep theology in this one line.
- He was a Man (God made flesh)
- He was the Son of God (Not just a good man - He was God)

Think about it...
This seasoned Roman soldier had simply been doing his duty.
He'd executed a man considered an enemy of the empire.
And yet, as he contemplated this grisly death which should have simply been a demonstration of Rome's crushing power over anyone who would dare to oppose, he came to a completely unexpected conclusion:

This was the Son of God.

Today we think about Jesus walking the dusty byways of history. We can reduce Him to a relic of our Sunday School stories - an artifact of a quaint religious upbringing. But what happened to the Centurion should grab our attention. At Jesus' death, he should have smirked and said something like "See? You don't mess with the power of Rome."
But instead, he is shaken to the core.
Even in death, Jesus conveys majesty.
His sacrifice means something significant.

And we should take note!

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EmmDev 2026-04-01 [Moments with Mark] Victim or Priest?

Apologies: this is yesterday's devotion sent out late. Today's one will come a little later.

Victim or Priest?

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. (Mark15:37 )

As we have seen, Mark keeps things short and simple.
From the other gospels we know that this "loud cry" included
"It is Finished" ("Tetelestai" - "Paid in Full")
and "Father into Your hands I commit my Spirit".

Mark captures the sense of this with his simple account.
The loud cry is one of triumph and victory.
Breathing His last indicates that Jesus was in control.
His life wasn't taken from Him by us - He gave His life for us.

This is a vital distinction.
Jesus is not a helpless victim, He is our Great High Priest who offers Himself.
Tomorrow we will see that the manner of His death is so striking that it moves a senior Roman Officer to utter one of the New Testament's greatest statements of faith.

Take a moment to reflect on a Saviour who
- experienced the excruciating (pun intended) agony of the cross,
- refused narcotics,
- fulfilled scripture,
- offered mercy to a hardened criminal,
- took care of His earthly mother and youngest disciple,
- and traversed God-forsakenness that reduced Him to His "mother tongue."
Then even in His final moments even death is His choice and not ours.
He is not a victim losing His life, but a Priest offering it.

As Charles Wesley's hymn asks:
"Amazing Love, how can it be, that Thou, O God, shouldst die for me?!"

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EmmDev 2026-03-31 [Moments with Mark] Mother Tongue

Mother Tongue

Jesus hung on the cross for six hours. (Time was measured from sunrise and so Jesus was crucified at the 3rd hour (about 9AM))

At the 6th hour (about midday) darkness covered the land until the 9th hour. This darkness represented the time in which Jesus experienced separation from God. This was the penalty for my sin and yours. God's wrath is complete separation from Him.

Imagine what that was like for Jesus. As part of the Trinity, He had experienced eternal and perfect love and communion with the Father and Spirit. Now on the cross, He is separated from the Spirit and the Father.

In this gut-and-heart-wrenching moment Jesus does two incredible things.

Firstly he quotes from Psalm 22 which starts "My God my God why have you forsaken me..." If someone on their deathbed says "Our Father who art in heaven..." we would say they prayed the Lord's prayer on their deathbed. If someone says "The Lord is my shepherd..." we would say that they recited Psalm 23. Jesus, by quoting the first line of Ps.22 is therefore connecting to the whole of the Psalm which is an exploration of the pain of unjust suffering and God's ultimate deliverance. If we ever wondered whether God understands our pain, this Psalm and the fact that Jesus had it on His lips on the cross should cancel all our doubts.

Secondly, Jesus quotes the Psalm in Aramaic. This is His "mother tongue" - the language He was first taught as a child and the language He grew up with. When we are pushed to the limits of our humanity, we go back to our earliest memories and language. We tend to talk about the cross as though it was a tea-party. Jesus, in this moment of intense pain and suffering, is pushed back to his "mother tongue". It should fill us with incredible awe and wonder that we would be loved SO much.

It's important to note that Jesus isn't surprised or caught off guard here. It's not as though He didn't know what was going to happen. Some interpret "Why have you forsaken me?" as a moment of desperate pain. Although the pain takes Jesus back to "mother tongue", He is not surprised or "out of His mind with pain". He deliberately alludes to Psalm 22 and faces separation with the clear hope that God will deliver him.

Psalm 22 ends with "They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn--for he has done it.

Jesus at the 9th hours says "It is FINISHED!" (I have done it).

HALLELUJAH!!!

(I've included the full Psalm 22 below...)

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark15:33-34)

PS 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.
4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8 "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
10 From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him--
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him--
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn--
for he has done it.

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EmmDev 2026-03-25 [Moments with Mark] Insults

Insults

Apologies for the missed devotion yesterday. We were down in Dundee KZN to do some sessions with our Probationers. We were camping there and it was pouring with rain - which made writing EmmDevs challenging!

For even Christ did not please Himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me." (Romans15:3)

In our last devotion we looked at all the groups who poured out insults on Jesus.
The priests, the crowds, the soldiers and even the fellow-crucified all poured out disdain and vitriol on a humble carpenter from Nazareth who preached love, healed broken people, fed the hungry and drove out life-destroying demons.

Why did this happen? Why such anger?
To find our answer, we turn to a letter Paul wrote to the Church in Rome.
He's making the point that Jesus put His own agenda second and God's agenda first.
He's quoting from Psalm 69 which is a Psalm about a good God-fearing king who suffers for His trust in God.
This Psalm that is applied to Jesus is also quoted in the gospels when Jesus is clearing the temple and the disciples remember Psalm 69:9: "Zeal for Your house consumes me..."

When the Psalmist says "The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me."
- The "You" in the Psalm is "God"
- and the "Me" in the Psalm is David, but it is prophetic of Christ.

The point that Paul is making, is that Jesus voluntarily bore humankind's hostility toward God.
When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they knew they were naked, and their immediate instinct was to hide from God.
Even in Adam's first sin-stained encounter with God we see the hostility emerge:
"The woman YOU put here with me -- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

That's the reality of our sin-stained perceptions. We are hostile to God. He is light and our darkness cannot bear it.

Jesus reflected the righteous love of God and human hostility was directed towards Him.
It breaks our hearts, but it can't be denied.

But Paul's point is vital. Jesus chose to bear this. He chose to carry our hostility.

Jesus did not just endure human insults: He carried our hostility toward God, and answered it with love.

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EmmDev 2026-03-20 [Moments with Mark] Rejected

Rejected

Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!" In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked Him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but He can't save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. (Mark15:29-32)

It's a three-fold rejection.
- From the crowd.
- From the people who should have recognised Him.
- Even from the two crucifixion criminals.

Imagine being utterly rejected by those you came to save.

And dying for them anyway...

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EmmDev 2026-03-19 [Moments with Mark] Stark Contrast

Stark Contrast

The written notice of the charge against Him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. (Mark15:26-27)

From the other gospels we learn that it was Pilate who had the sign written for the cross.
Here's how John describes it:
"Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."
Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." (John 19:19-22)

It is very likely that Pilate wrote this to anger and ridicule the Jews. ("Look at your king on the cross")
It was also a veiled threat that anyone who wanted to be a political leader in opposition to Rome would suffer the same fate.
But the chief priests were quick to nitpick - they were worried - many people would see the sign.
Perhaps they were worried that some would make the connection to Isaiah 53 which is about the suffering Messiah.
So they wanted the sign tweaked to say that Jesus had made a false claim.

Up to now Pilate has come across weak and indecisive. In this moment he is decisive and firm of purpose.
His sign became the silent preacher, explaining the tragedy and triumph playing out beneath it.

In sharp contrast to the sign which proclaimed the royalty of the One being crucified, we see Him crucified between two criminals. The Greek word that is translated here as "robbers" is "lēstai" and it had the connotation of "guerrilla fighters", "revolutionaries", or "anti-Roman insurgents." Barabbas, the murderer, was also counted as a "lēstai". These are not petty criminals, they are enemies of the state.

Jesus is crucified between them, and it seems that the purpose was to imply that He was the worst of them.
(The one criminal actually later acknowledges that he has done things that deserve being crucified.)
Initially Jesus will be subjected to their derision, but later one of them comes to faith.

So we have a stark contrast.
A sign proclaiming greatness is meant as mockery and warning, but it actually conveys a great truth.
The providing of "bad company" is meant to besmirch character but leads to salvation.
The King is condemned among rebels so that rebels like us might go free.

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EmmDev 2026-03-18 [Moments with Mark] Six Hours One Passover Friday

Six Hours One Passover Friday

It was the third hour when they crucified Him... At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour... And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last... (Mark15:25-37)

Back then, time was measured from sunrise. So the third hour is 9h00, the sixth is 12h00 and the ninth is 15h00.

For the next few days we'll explore Mark's account of the six hours Jesus spent on the cross.
Bear in mind that the first three hours of the day (before the third hour) consisted of an ambush; lies; accusations; manipulations; trials before high priests, Herod and Pilate; a crowd shouting "crucify Him"; soldiers mocking; a flogging; and the arduous "Via Dolorosa."

Then, at the third hour, they crucified Him.

The physical agony has been well documented.
And occasionally we do have to think about it.
His raw encounter with pain reminds us that
- when we are in pain, He understands
- when human beings are incredibly cruel, He understands
- when we are exposed, powerless and completely at the mercy of others, He understands

But there's more than physical agony.
In the first three hours Jesus endured worst human beings can offer. They've hammered nails through Him. They've gambled away His clothes and the soldiers, priests, thieves, and the crowd have mocked. He is alone apart from a few women and John (who was probably just a teenager.) They're not really able to comfort Him. In fact, He lovingly comforts them: giving Mary a God-son and John a God-mom.

But there's more than social humiliation.
In the second three hours it goes dark for three hours.
This is symbolic of the darkness of our sin that now rested on Jesus.
In these three hours He is experiencing Divine Judgement and Wrath:
My eternity without God, your eternity without God, everyone's eternity without God.
Only three hours by our time.
For Him, it is eternal consequences, being carried on shoulders attached to nail-pierced hands.

...It's Passover...
In the temple courts and in homes people are preparing in the strange darkness.
They're slaughtering Passover lambs, preparing unleavened bread, and making bitter herb sauce.

But for six hours the "Lamb who takes away the sins of the world" has been hanging on the cross.
For three of those hours He has been abandoned by people.
For three of those hours He has been literally God-forsaken.

If we combine all the gospels, big things happen at the end of the sixth hour on the cross.
- He cries out in the agony of forsakenness.
- He breathes His last, He gives up His Spirit, He pronounces "It is finished!" (Done, Paid in Full)
- The temple curtain tears from top to bottom
- Graves split open and dead people rise because, death too is defeated.
- Our sins are forgiven, our penalty paid.

And the Roman Centurion declares "Surely this was the Son of God!"

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