Day 42 – October 26, 2023: Deuteronomy 5 and Mark 3-7

We only read one chapter in Deuteronomy today, but it is an important chapter. We find the 10 Commandments listed in this chapter. Often Christians use the 10 commandments as the basis for their faith, and yet we know that Jesus clearly synthesizes these commandments down to two: love God and love your neighbor. That doesn’t mean that the actual commandments are null and void, no, they apply, but they do not lead to righteousness. If we faithfully follow the 10 commandments it doesn’t guarantee that we will have eternal life. That remains when we have a personal relationship with Jesus. But once again in Deuteronomy we seem to have Moses who is giving a recounting of what had already taken place so that it would be on record.

We then fully launch ourselves into the Gospel of Mark. The last of the chapters of Mark that we read today, chapter 7, has Jesus giving his disciples and those who would accuse his disciples of treading on the traditions, a reminder that the laws were written so that God’s commandments would be obeyed in all times of our lives. It isn’t as if the commandments are written in a vacuum and if we just obey them that frees us to live our lives however we would want. No, walking with God requires that every single aspect of our lives be given an opportunity to demonstrate that we actually love God by how we live, not by how we manifest ourselves in religious settings.

There are a number of other stories about Jesus, but many of them in these chapters refer to his healing power. Often Jesus once he heals tells people not to tell anyone, otherwise he would be overrun by the people. But we read that this doesn’t really work because the word gets out anyway about Jesus and he is surrounded by people who want him to heal them. I really hope you all take advantage of the opportunity to come and be healed at the service of healing this Sunday. I am convinced that God will make Himself known just as he did in Scripture.