Jesus enters Jerusalem and is welcomed heartily with fanfare, cheers, and expectation. Many had concluded rightly that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but had concluded wrongly that Jesus would a conquering king in the traditional sense. They assumed that Jesus had come to take the throne of Israel in a limited, earthly sense, like kings that had come before him. Christ, however, came to vanquish sin and death, not the Roman government. When he enters the temple he rebukes those who use the worship of God as a money-making venture. The chief priests, scribes, and elders challenge the authority of Jesus, but calls their bluff by revealing that fear people more than they fear God. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

The Pharisees continue to test Jesus to see what his conclusions will be concerning various topics of the law. Today that ask about divorce, and Jesus asserts that divorce was permitted under the Law only because of the hardness of man’s heart. Next, Jesus tells his disciples to let children come to him, for one can never enter the kingdom unless he does so like a child. Here in the 10th chapter of Mark’s gospel we also find a lengthy account of the rich, young ruler who cannot fathom leaving his riches behind to follow Jesus. This account is followed by teaching from Jesus about the nature of riches and the kingdom. We’ll also read Christ’s 3rd prediction of his death, the glory of service, and the faith of a blind man. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Out of the twelve apostles that Christ selected there are three with whom he had a closer relationship; those men are Peter, James, and John. Today, Jesus takes the three of them up a mountain to pray where he is transfigured before them. In other words, his glory is revealed through his humanity in a unique and tangible way, so that the disciples might bear witness to his divinity. When they descend the mountain to meet the other disciples, Christ finds the remaining disciples trying to cast out a demon, but they are unable to do so. Later, Jesus predicts his death for the second time in the gospel of Mark, answers a question about who is the greatest, and gives a hyperbole for those who go on sinning with the blessings God has given them. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In our reading today, Jesus miraculously feeds four thousand people with only seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. When the people are satisfactorily fed, they collect the uneaten pieces and gather seven large baskets full of leftovers. Jesus later warns his disciples to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees, and they think he’s talking about literal leaven, and begin talking about how they don’t any bread. Later, Jesus heals a blind man partially, and then fully, as a parallel to his disciples who are beginning to see things clearly but whose eyes are not yet fully open. As a side note, technically we’re also reading verse 1 of chapter nine, as it serves better as a conclusion to Christ’s discussion about endurance. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

The Pharisees observe a number of practices that they have developed outside of Scripture in order to maintain what they perceive to be according to the law. These traditions began to be held in such high esteem that they were seen to be equal to the Law itself. Moreover, they lacked a true love for the God of Abraham, essentially adhering to regulations as their salvation and their righteousness. As we read the interactions Jesus has with the Pharisees today, keep in mind that Christ came to fulfill the law, not abolish it. He teaches the crowd that it is not what goes into a person that makes them unclean, but that which comes out from the heart. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Jesus and his disciples have been traveling from town to town, and in today’s reading, they return to Nazareth, which is where Jesus grew up and where his family resides. Those who knew his family knew that he grew up without formal teaching under the roof of a humble, blue-collar father. Jesus doesn’t have the accolades of the scribes and Pharisees, and so they reject his teaching. Jesus then commissions the twelve apostles and they spread out into the nearby towns and villages teaching, healing, and casting out demons. Later, Mark gives us a detailed account of the fate of John the Baptist, who was beheaded by King Herod at a party. We’ll also hear accounts of Jesus feeding the five thousand, walking on water, and healing the sick. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Jesus and his disciples are crossing the sea. When they reach the other side, they are greeted by a man who is possessed, not just by one demon, but by many demons. While others attempted to bind and imprison this man who caused so much chaos, Jesus chooses to set him free, casting out the demons into a herd of pigs. This display of power freaks people out, and they ask Jesus to leave their region. Jesus and his disciples cross back to the other side of the sea where a leader of the synagogue meets Christ and begs him to come heal his sick daughter. On the way to heal her, a woman who wants to be healed touches Jesus’ clothes, and instantly she made whole. As Jesus nears Jairus’ house, he learns that she has died. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Our reading begins as Jesus tells a parable about the seed of a sower. The sower scatters the seed, but it falls onto different types of ground and into varying circumstances. The seed that falls on good soil is fruitful and reproduces, whereas the rest of the seed is not fruitful. The twelve apostles are confused. Jesus explains that his parables are intentionally obscured from those outside, but the kingdom of God is revealed to his followers. Later, as Jesus and his disciples travel by boat, a great windstorm arises on the open sea. Like Jonah, Jesus is asleep, but unlike Jonah, Jesus calms the wind and the waves himself by speaking to nature authoritatively, and the disciples have trouble wrapping their minds around it. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Jesus puts the hypocrisy of the Pharisees on display by healing a man on the Sabbath, and in turn, the Pharisees begin looking for a way to kill Jesus. The crowds continue to grow, and Jesus has the disciples get a small boat so that he can teach without getting crushed by those asking for healing. From the crowd of disciples, Jesus summons 12 men who be his apostles, and knowing the history of God’s people, we’re meant to understand that these 12 men parallel the 12 tribes of Israel. While eating and teaching in a house, scribes from Jerusalem enter and accuse him of having an unclean spirit, and Jesus jukes them by essentially saying, “You know, you really shouldn’t call the Holy Spirit unclean, because that’s blasphemy.” :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Here in chapter 2, Mark continues to reveal that Jesus is not just any ordinary man, nor is he just another prophet, but is, in fact, God in the flesh. When a paralytic man is brought to Jesus for miraculous healing, Jesus does not heal him at first, but instead tells the man that his sins are forgiven. When the scribes present begin thinking about how only God can forgive sins, Jesus reveals his divinity threefold by perceiving their thoughts, by confirming that he has such authority, and by miraculously healing the man to attest to his power. This chapter also begins to reveal that the scribes and the Pharisees despise Jesus, questioning his authority, his purity, his devotion, and his commitment to God’s law. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Today, we begin the gospel of Mark, which is one of the three synoptic gospels. “Synoptic” basically means “seeing the same thing,” and the other two synoptic gospels are Matthew and Luke. Historical evidence from early church fathers tells us that the apostle Peter is the one who passed these reports on to his attendant and writer, John Mark. Mark’s gospel is the shortest, but the most action-packed, as he includes a number of accounts and moves quickly from one scene to the next. connecting his stories with phrases like “immediately,” “just then” and “as soon as.” We also get a sense for how hectic life must have been for Jesus, as crowds push in around him demanding more and more of His time. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Paul has argued that to submit to the law’s demands as a means of righteousness is to submit to a yoke of slavery, whereas those who submit to Christ are free. Today, he continues that train of thought by arguing that to submit to circumcision as a means of righteousness is to obligate yourself to the entire law. He encourages the church to reject the works of the flesh and embrace the fruit of Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He encourages the church to share of their blessings with other believers, especially those who teach. As was commonplace, Paul was dictating his letter, but concludes by picking up the quill himself. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Some of you may have noticed that we didn’t quite finish chapter 3 yesterday, and yes, that was intentional. The last three verses of chapter 3 actually fit better with Paul’s flow of thought into chapter 4, because Paul is pointing us to our inheritance as heirs in Christ. When it comes to what we each inherit in Christ, there is no division or hierarchy between Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; we are all sons and heirs. Paul is concerned that the Galatians will be enslaved to the law rather than free in Christ. Using an analogy, Paul says that Abraham’s sons represent two covenants: one born of a slave woman in Arabia, and another, Isaac, who born of a long-awaited promise through Sarah, a free woman. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In chapter 3 of Galatians, Paul’s frustration with the churches in Galatia begins to show as he explains that it is foolish to trust in the law. He argues that the children of Abraham are not those who are his descendants by physical descent, but those who have faith. Those who rely on the law are under a curse, but Christ delivered us from the curse by being hung on a tree, that is, the cross of crucifixion. He goes on to argue that the law came 430 years after the covenant promise with Abraham, and did not void that covenant. The promises of that covenant are to Abraham and his seed, which is singular: in other words, they point to Christ. The law was given as a guardian because of man’s sinful nature, but in Christ, we are no longer under the law. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In the first chapter of Galatians, Paul began defending his apostleship from rumors that he was not a true apostle and that gospel he preached was not the true gospel. Writing largely to Jews who felt that they must continue to abide by the Levitical law while following Jesus, Paul began by giving his testimony, moving from a former zealot in Judaism who persecuted the church to one who had a miraculous encounter with Christ. He continues that testimony today, including a brief history of his ministry to the Gentiles. The rubber meets the road when Paul brings up the “circumcision party,” a group who wants Gentile believers to be circumcised. Paul argues that if righteousness comes through obeying the Law, then Christ died for nothing. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Paul’s purpose in writing this letter to the churches in Galatia is to rebuke them for abandoning the true gospel for a false one, relying on works of the flesh rather than on works of the Spirit which they received through faith. He is more critical of his audience in this letter than in any other, calling them “foolish Galatians” and asking “who has put a spell on you?” He also defends himself against accusations that the gospel he is preaching is man-made rather than God-given. Using his own testimony, the testimony of others, and sound logic from Scripture, Paul argues that the true gospel is received in faith and that the promise of freedom in Christ has been present in God’s covenant all along. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

James begins today’s section by explaining that fighting, warring, and quarrels arise from the passions that wage war within us. In other words, people fight because they want what they want and won’t humble themselves before the Lord. James says that it is arrogant even to confidently assert that you know what tomorrow will hold. Instead, James says that our conversations should be peppered with reminders that God is control of our days. Later he condemns those who become rich through unjustly withholding wages from those who have worked for them. Though many in this world may be dishonest and unjust to get what they want, James encourages the church to be truthful in all things, letting their “yes” always mean “yes” and their “no” always mean “no.” Finally, James urges the church to pray during times of suffering or sickness. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

James says that those who teach will be judged more strictly, and goes on to tie teaching in with one’s ability to control their own tongue. The mouth of the Lord’s servant should not release both cursing and blessing any more than you’d expect a saltwater spring to produce fresh water. He then gives a checklist of the kind of wisdom that comes from above. Earthly wisdom, on the other hand, reveals itself through bitter envy and selfish ambition. Fighting, warring, and quarrels arise from the passions that wage war within us. Those who refuse to submit to God should repent, be mournful, and despair because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

James wants his audience to know showing favoritism and partiality because of one’s social status is sinful and breaks the law of God. Specifically, James addresses the practice of honoring those who have money above those who are poor, reminding us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Next, James addresses what seems to be an argument between the value of faith and the value of works. While good works do not save one from hell or make someone righteous before, faith without works is useless. In other words, true faith is accompanied by works. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

We’re beginning the book of James, written by James the brother of Jesus. Writing to his Jewish kinsmen who are scattered abroad, this letter is largely focused on the practical outworkings of faith, answering the question: “What does faith look like when it is lived out?” In the opening chapter, James commends the church to rejoice in trials, for it will produce endurance in the faith. Furthermore, when life presents opportunities to act sinfully, no one should say that he is being tempted by God, because God doesn’t tempt anyone. He also warns his audience, not simply to hear to word of God but to put the word of God into practice. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org