Results 1 - 5 of 5
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Levi L Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Return of the King | Mark 9:15 | Levi L | 124466 | ||
Me again. Just thought of something else. Addendum: Don't you get the impression that the crowd were having a wonderful day out? The entertainment factor was 10 out 10. Consider the elements of a great drama: In one corner were a small cluster of red-faced, uneducated men who had abandoned their trades to follow a nomadic preacher. The crowd had seen the disciples speak commanding words to the afflicted boy, yet those words had fallen to the ground flat. Void and unproductive, nothing had changed as far as anyone could see. There had been no miracle for the crowd to loudly applaud. The disciples seemed agitated by failure. They had been unable to heal and restore. They glanced nervously at the nearby mountain, expecting the return of their Teacher, and dreading his quizzical stare. In the other corner were some highly learned men, respected in society, admired by the people, who had an immaculate grasp of scripture, and they were demanding answers to some pretty difficult questions. The crowd could observe a distraught father and his tormented son. Tempers were fraying under the hot Meditteranean sky. The poor man had nowhere left to turn if Jesus of Nazareth was unable or unwilling to heal his child. So for the neutral obserever, there had been entertainment in great abundance. And then they saw the Man Himself. Calmly leading Peter, James and John back down the mountainside. Here comes the Great Rabbi! More awesome than Moses, who had returned with the tablets of God in his hands. Jesus carried the Law inside himself because He is the physical incarnation of the Law a.k.a. the Word made flesh. |
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2 | Presenting symptoms: demon possession | Mark 9:17 | Levi L | 124462 | ||
Wow, I'm surprised that no-one else has posted here yet. Here are some questions: How did the man know that his son was possessed by a spirit? Weren't there any other explanations for the boys siezures? If a 21st century boy went to a medical practioner with the same symptoms: (lack of coherent speech, foaming mouth, grinding teeth, rigid posture, clumsiness near fire and water), what would be the most likely diagnosis? I don't think many modern doctors would conclude that the boy was demon possessed. So which diagnosis is the correct one? I would guess that some religious authority had confidently told the man what was wrong with his son, but had unfortunately been powerless to rectify the situation. Then Jesus disciples had a go at driving out the unclean spirit. They tried but they failed. Ignominiously. (sp?) 2 Kings 4:31 "Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff upon the child's face but nothing happened. There was no sign of life." (Living Bible) Perhaps if we can figure out why the disciples ran up against a spiritual brick wall, it might throw some light on Gehazi's failed resurrection attempt. Or vice versa. |
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3 | Stop arguing | Mark 9:16 | Levi L | 124459 | ||
One thing I admire about Jesus is His willingness to take on His opponents. If it was me who had just returned from a wonderful mountain-top encounter with God and two ancient prophets, I would resent this immediate conflict, coming so soon afterwards. It would have been so much easier to walk away from the floundering nine, jump into the nearest boat and sail away to some tranquil location to think about His transfiguration. Instead, Jesus meets His critics head on. He plunges straight into the thick of the action, just like the Sheriff riding into some lawless western town. Jesus didn't abandon His disciples to failure and doubt. Instead, the Great Deliverer rescues them in person. Surely Jesus knew what the altercation was all about. He didn't really need to ask. Like a parent separating naughty children, Jesus demands to know what all the noise is in aid of. This was no profitable discourse that the scribes had embarked upon, but rather a discouraging attack on the disciples puny faith muscles. Jesus took control of an awkward situation. BTW, have you noticed how many questions the Lord asks in this passage? Why so many questions, do you think? |
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4 | Return of the King | Mark 9:15 | Levi L | 124458 | ||
None of the other translations mention that Jesus was 'yet glistening' (Amp) Do you think this is an accurate rendering of the Greek? If Jesus was still glowing with the after effects of the transfiguration, do you think it was anything like Moses whose face shone with the radiance of the glory of God and had to be covered with a veil? Why were the crowd amazed to see Jesus? Hadn't they been expecting Him? Or was it His radiant appearance that filled the people with awe? Or did they sense that like Boaz, this man was able to resolve the conflict that had arisen between the disciples and the scribes of Israel? The NIV says that the people were "overwhelmed with wonder." The AV says that the people ran to Jesus and "saluted" Him. (with military precision?) My hunch is that the crowd were overwhelmed with the authority, righteousness, and purity which Jesus displayed at this time. They ran to Him like sheep, loving the voice of the Good Shepherd, yet fearing His majestic demeanour. Do you agree or not? This is a tough passage for me. |
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5 | "Show me the heavenly money!" | Mark 10:21 | Levi L | 123861 | ||
Hello, I notice that no-one has posted here for three years! I'll brush off the cobwebs to moan about the rich man. Isn't it a shame that he wasn't a bit more curious. If only he'd tarried long enough to ask Jesus exactly what was on offer. What did the Lord mean by 'treasure in heaven?' The rich man seemed to weigh up the deal: - treasure on earth, (short-term wealth) was more precious to him than treasure in heaven (rewards beyond the horizon.) |
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