Lectio Divina: Christ The Servant at Work

Today's Scripture: Mark 3:1-30

The Four movements of Lectio Divina...

Lectio (Read): Read attentively and carefully, identify key words

V1 Synagogue: an assembly of persons

V2 Sabbath: day of weekly rest from secular avocations

V4 Lawful: is it right to do good v harm, give life v death?

V6 Pharisees: no verbal answer, but left to immediately plot against Jesus

V12 Silenced unclean spirits: why?

V14 Appointed 12: called to service

V14 Apostles: named to preach as ambassadors, messengers of His message, the gospel

V15 Authority to cast out demons: defeating spiritual forces requires Christ’s authority

V21 Family thought Jesus was out of His mind: out of touch with reality

V22 Scribes thought Jesus’s authority came from Beelzebul: the dung god, a wordplay on Beelzebub, a Chaldean name for Satan

V23 Jesus’ answer: Satan’s kingdom is divided and doomed

V27 Jesus’ answer: Satan is bound by Christ’s authority, that’s why Jesus defeats him so easily

V28 Jesus’ answer: that’s blasphemy (denying, defaming the Holy Spirit’s work) and is unforgiveable

Meditatio (Think): Reflect, ask what is God saying to me?

One way to honor the Sabbath is by doing good, giving life apart from wage-earning, secular work. Christ has reserved God-honoring work for His called, named disciples, not for the unholy or unclean. God-honoring work like preaching, healing, and casting out demons requires and reflects His holy authority. All who deny and defame Christ’s authority suffer the consequences of unforgiven sin.

Oratio (Pray): Respond to God

Thank you Lord for reminding me that one way to show the world that I’ve entered a Sabbath rest and I’m resting in and trusting you is to be preaching your gospel, doing good, and bringing life to others. Thank you for reserving this work for me and for naming me as one of your children, called to imitate You in performing your God-honoring work… “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:1-3). I know others may say I am insane because I don’t think and act like the world, but as I learn to rely on your authority, I pray that Jesus will be revealed in power and many souls will be turned toward my Savior.

Contemplatio (Act): How am I changed by this encounter with God?

I want to live every day as a called and empowered ambassador for Christ!