Seeing Eye Faith

 Mark 

[8.22-23] They arrived at Bethsaida. Some people brought a sightless man and begged Jesus to give him a healing touch. Taking him by the hand, he led him out of the village. He put spit in the man’s eyes, laid hands on him, and asked, “Do you see anything?” 

Lord Jesus-There are no sure fire recipes for miracles, it is never that neat.  This man was brought to you by friends who begged for his healing.  I wonder if there were Pharisees in the crowd that brought this man to you.  This person was in need and he had friends that were concerned for him.  I wonder if they had to drag him to see you? Was he tired of the quest after something that he could seemingly never have? How many tries at healing did this man have to go through before he met you, Lord Jesus?

[8.24-26] He looked up. “I see men. They look like walking trees.” So Jesus laid hands on his eyes again. 

I wonder why it took two touches to heal this man.  I don't know why people looked like trees to him after you put spit on his eyes.  Those words keep running around my mind..".I see men they look like trees."  How often do I see the movement of your Spirit but am not able to make out the real intent of it. There is some awareness of presence but not content always.  This man desperately needed a second touch from you if he was going to live a life not hemmed in by his lack.  Would his life have been improved if he had left see trees instead of people?...sure but you don't want improved you want transformation.


The man looked hard and realized that he had recovered perfect sight, saw everything in bright, twenty-twenty focus. Jesus sent him straight home, telling him, “Don’t enter the village.” 

Lord Jesus--How often have I had to come back to you again and again to be able to get a view of how life really is?  This man needed a kind of seeing eye faith that you allowed him to test out while you were right there beside him.

That is the way it is for me from time to time...I get part of the picture but miss some required elements.  So I am left with people that look like trees wondering if I am stuck in a nightmare on a dark night.  But then you are right beside me and all it really takes is a second look, a second touch and things come into focus.  You never leave me looking at people who look like trees for very long.

Lord Jesus--In this day that I will rush to very soon, lead me by the hand when all I see is distorted grace me with the touch of you healing hands in this day.


Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30811-30815). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.

Faith Beyond Fish and Bread

Mark 8
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

Lord Jesus--I can miss the point so easily. Your work in my life is not about proof...signs and wonders.  They are points that lead in a direction.  There is nothing that is random or without a purpose.  All of them are to be used to point toward you...I just need to look for the intention and the direction.  The point is not fish, bread or whatever the present tense need is.  The point is deeper and wider than that.The point is that no matter what face the present need may take, you are going to use them to shape me and mold me. 

It is not random circumstance no matter how much it appears to be the case on this side of the looking glass.  There is intention...there is molding that is going on...there is obedience that is called for. It looks much different from my end of the heaven to earth continuum   It looks, random, hopeless and chaotic at best. But then you know that better than I do...

I understand what drove these leaders of their faith to look for understanding, and sure things. The problem is simple.  The only sure thing is that you will continue to lead.  The next steps will always require faith...there will be the need to reach beyond what is a sure thing.  Faith and grace are never from each other.

14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

Lord Jesus-When you were talking about yeast...it had nothing to do with fish and bread.  It had everything to do with the way that these religious elite approached the world and especially the way that they approached God. They approached you through what they knew expecting it was the whole of revelation. 

You surprised them you moved beyond their limited categories...so often you surprise me.  Don't allow me to get hardening of the categories.  The faith walk continues far beyond my limited ability to understand...beyond my limited theological and ecclesiastical categories.  

In the journey that awaits me today, focus my heart on the things that are really important.  Not fish and bread but your leadership...so much to rejoice in and be thankful for...

Tricks With Fish and Bread?

 Mark

008 [8.1-3] At about this same time he again found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said, “This crowd is breaking my heart. They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they’ll faint along the way—some of them have come a long distance.” [8.4] His disciples responded, “What do you expect us to do about it? Buy food out here in the desert?

Lord Jesus--I wonder what would happen if the Sunday sermon went on for three days without coffee or a break? These people did not miss out on the blessing because they were willing to wait, to listen and to stay with you during those three days in the desert.  I wonder how that played out...were there breaks in the teaching? Did they ration out the water that was available? Do I miss out sometimes because I leave for home too soon?

If you were concerned with these peoples needs after three days how much more is there concern for those who walk with you a life time? How often does your heart break  for the needs that you are  fully aware of?  Yet, on my side of the earth-heaven continuum I remain unaware of that breaking heart of my Lord.

So maybe my default should be to assume that you know exactly what is needed.  That you are working in ways that are unseen to bring about exactly the feast that is needed at exactly the right time.  My part is to listen, to watch, to respond with faith when needed.  Was there just a hint of sarcasm in the voice of the disciples as they look around and said..."What do you expect us to do about it?"  Ok...so losing the sarcasm would also be a move toward positive...

[8.5] He asked, “How much bread do you have?” “Seven loaves,” they said. [8.6-10] So Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. After giving thanks, he took the seven bread loaves, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples so they could hand them out to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He pronounced a blessing over the fish and told his disciples to hand them out as well. The crowd ate its fill. Seven sacks of leftovers were collected. There were well over four thousand at the meal. Then he sent them home. He himself went straight to the boat with his disciples and set out for Dalmanoutha. [8.11-12] When they arrived, the Pharisees came out and started in on him, badgering him to prove himself, pushing him up against the wall. Provoked, he said, “Why does this generation clamor for miraculous guarantees? If I have anything to say about it, you’ll not get so much as a hint of a guarantee.”

Lord Jesus--Do I buy into the same way of looking at miracles that the Pharisees did?  They were not looking at the people impacted but rather for a guarantee of authenticity of the act performed. For you the act was a validation of seeing a known need and seeking to address the need.  It was not q theological debate that moved your heart but rather the needs of these people who cared enough about the message to listen even with out eating.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30794-30802). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition. 

Open Eyes and Ears

Mark 7

[7.31-35] Then he left the region of Tyre, went through Sidon back to Galilee Lake and over to the district of the Ten Towns. Some people brought a man who could neither hear nor speak and asked Jesus to lay a healing hand on him. 

Lord Jesus--I wonder who these people were who brought this needy man to you.  They were powerless to help him themselves except in this small way.  They could bring him to the person that could meet his need. Yet this simple act changed his life.  

So often I think of evangelism in such static ways.  As if there are rules to telling people about you. Really, what you want me to do is to bring needy people to the place where they can expect help.  Teach me the simple thing that this needy man's friends instinctively knew.  Forgive me for making telling someone about you a difficult stilted event...it should be as natural as breathing, or talking about a well loved friend.

He took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man’s ears and some spit on the man’s tongue. Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, “Ephphatha!—Open up!” And it happened. The man’s hearing was clear and his speech plain—just like that

Lord Jesus--This man had lived in the quiet dark all his life.   The miracle was more than just helping him hear and speak.  You restored what had never been experienced.  You gave to this man an understanding of speech and sight that he never had before.  You helped him see and understand what he was seeing.  

How often do I see what is right before my eyes and yet miss the point entirely?  I like to think of myself as a bright person but I can be so thick.  I trip over what you put in front of my feet...all the while looking for your will. Restore and reorder my sight and hearing.  Don't let me miss your will on the way to doing your will. 

Lord Jesus-In the day that awaits me in a few hours, open my eyes and ears.  Help me to experience life with eyes wide open and ears that are listening for your call. 

[7.36-37] Jesus urged them to keep it quiet, but they talked it up all the more, beside themselves with excitement. “He’s done it all and done it well. He gives hearing to the deaf, speech to the speechless.”

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30784-30790). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.

The Needs of the Unnamed

Mark 7
[7.24-26] From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn't think he would be found, but he couldn't escape notice. He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet, begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter.

Lord Jesus--You were looking for a time of rest and of decompression with the disciples a time to teach, a time to deconstruct for them the events of the work that they were engaged in.  It was not just the work at hand that you were interested in, but also building their understanding of the kingdom.  Since the feeding of the five thousand that had been the goal.  A mountain hide away by the sea would have suited your needs...but it was not to be.

Yet the needs evidenced everywhere that you moved...from the misunderstandings of the pharisees,  to the fear of the disciples,  to this women and her daughter...need surrounded you.  They still surround you in the prayers of your people.  So often I come to you with a check list of needs in hand.  Forgive me that my lists leaves out the most important elements of prayer too often...adoration and praise for who you are.  Right now I praise you and lift your name high...you are a mighty God engaged at the point of our needs.

[7.27] He said, “Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there’s any left over, the dogs get it.” [7.28] She said, “Of course, Master. But don’t dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?” [7.29-30] Jesus was impressed. “You’re right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone.” She went home and found her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good.


Lord Jesus--You are still meeting our needs.  We may not see you this side of the pearly gates but you are intimately engaged in our lives.  You continue to heal your people.  You continue to engage in the our lives with grace and understanding of our weakness and need. 

Interesting that this is a healing that is long distance...the girl afflicted by the demonic never even saw you. She received healing at your word.  The same word that had spoken into existence the created order was now active in the life of this little one chased by demons.  We never even learn the name of this little one. But you cared about this little one who was not a part of the covenant community.  Yet...

In this day with the needs that will confront me,  help me to be a person of peace and grace. Give me eyes to see the needs that surround me as you see them.  May I be your workman in this day concerned about the "least of these."  Don't let me get tripped up with silly tags and code words that obscure the person for whom you died. 

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Location 30784). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.

Clean Inside and Out

007 [7.1-4] The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him. They noticed that some of his disciples weren’t being careful with ritual washings before meals. The Pharisees—Jews in general, in fact—would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing, with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they’d give jugs and pots and pans).

Lord Jesus--There is nothing wrong with being clean. Part of the point here is the heart can not get clean from the outside in...the action has to be internal, dynamic and ongoing.  The Pharisees wanted to make it external, static, and achievable with great effort that they could control and manage.

 [7.5] The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, “Why do your disciples flout the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?” [7.6-8] Jesus answered, “Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it. They act like they are worshiping me, but they don’t mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy, Ditching God’s command and taking up the latest fads.”

Lord Jesus--Worship needs to something beyond a show, a procedure or a performance...something deeper on the heart level. It can become so driven by outside forces...something that is expected, something that is planned for, and something that has no power in it. Worship can become a part of  "Church Light" or "church lite." The choice is made in the heart of each person present.

Somehow worship needs to become something deeper than just saying the right things and going through the motions.  It needs to be something deeper.  A place where action meets intention.

So today Lord, as we gather for worship wed action with intention in a way that transforms your people.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30756-30764). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.

Miracles and The Everyday

 Mark 6

[6.53-56] They beached the boat at Gennesaret and tied up at the landing. As soon as they got out of the boat, word got around fast. People ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was. 

Lord Jesus-Healing was an everyday event in your ministry. This is one of the most confusing and difficult areas in the church today.  I absolutely believe that you work in the everyday situations of my life. Miracles happen but they are not so often the sick being healed.  Why not?  Is it because we don't bring our sick to you?  We keep them home.  We stay home when we are ill.  Now, some of that is good public health...don't get the healthy sick.  But I wonder how much of that is not thinking... not believing that you can act.  

Prayer should be my default position...it should be where I reflexively run to at the first sign of trouble or need. I have to face it that prayer is a growing edge in my life.  You have been engaging me and continue to engage me in an ongoing dialogue.  This prayer journal is an example of that ongoing conversation. NEEDTOBREATHE lyrics come to mind...

In your ocean I'm ankle deep,

I feel the waves crashing on my feet;

It's like I know where I need to be

But I can't figure out,

I can't figure out

Just how much air I will need to breathe

When your wave washes over me,

There's only one way to figure out

Will you let me drown?

Will you let me drown?

The answer to that question is NO! You are not going to let me drown. You intervene in ways that I just don't even have a clue about.

But do I bring all of the hurts to you first?  All of the questions? All of the growing edges?  Most of the time,  I have to go through my wash cycle first.  I have to cycle through fear, anxiety, desperation and then finally acceptance of the fact that you are the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Why do I do that?  When acceptance is where I end up anyway? I can almost hear you saying yet again..."Silly Man..."

Wherever he went, village or town or country crossroads, they brought their sick to the marketplace and begged him to let them touch the edge of his coat—that’s all. And whoever touched him became well.

So this early morning as I write this I realize that really I am not looking for big things...no gigantic revelations of mystical dimensions.  That would be great if you choose to send it my way. But really it is a simple thing that I am looking for...just the edge of your coat. 

A touch of your hand in grace and love extended...that is more than enough for a Tuesday morning.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30752-30755). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.