REAL COLORS (3 OF 12)
Real Colors
Mark
Patrick Edwards
Mark 2:1-3:6
Introduction
They say making a good first impression is extremely important. And I think that's certainly true in many cases. Whether it's a job interview or meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time, you want things to get started on the right foot. But the older I get the more I've come to rely a lot less on first impressions because often they can be deceiving as to who a person really is. I think about some friendships in my life where I kind of wrote off a person when we first met. Over time, however, I came to see that maybe I had not given them a fair shake or there was a lot more to them than I initially thought.
Of course, then there have been others who were very charming when we met; the relationship seemed like it would be a great and beneficial one. But over time I discovered that they were not who I originally thought them to be. Maybe there were character issues, or I found out the hard way that they could not be trusted, or I just found out they were using me for their own gain and wants. In other words, while first impressions are important, it takes time to discern someone's true colors.
Last week in Mark's Gospel we began to see Jesus perform miraculous deeds and wonders. I can't even imagine what these scenes would have been like: exorcisms, diseases cured, leprosy healed. It no doubt that, "Jesus could no longer enter a town openly," (Mark 1:45). Who wouldn't have rushed to see him, even if you were perfectly fine, wouldn't you have been curious to still go and see what happened next?
But in these first two weeks, we've also seen Mark show us that there was and is more to Jesus than meets the eye. While Jesus did perform many signs, Mark has consistently pointed to his preaching, "proclaiming the good news of God: 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!'" (Mark 1:14-15). In other words, the miracles were just guidep ...
Mark
Patrick Edwards
Mark 2:1-3:6
Introduction
They say making a good first impression is extremely important. And I think that's certainly true in many cases. Whether it's a job interview or meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time, you want things to get started on the right foot. But the older I get the more I've come to rely a lot less on first impressions because often they can be deceiving as to who a person really is. I think about some friendships in my life where I kind of wrote off a person when we first met. Over time, however, I came to see that maybe I had not given them a fair shake or there was a lot more to them than I initially thought.
Of course, then there have been others who were very charming when we met; the relationship seemed like it would be a great and beneficial one. But over time I discovered that they were not who I originally thought them to be. Maybe there were character issues, or I found out the hard way that they could not be trusted, or I just found out they were using me for their own gain and wants. In other words, while first impressions are important, it takes time to discern someone's true colors.
Last week in Mark's Gospel we began to see Jesus perform miraculous deeds and wonders. I can't even imagine what these scenes would have been like: exorcisms, diseases cured, leprosy healed. It no doubt that, "Jesus could no longer enter a town openly," (Mark 1:45). Who wouldn't have rushed to see him, even if you were perfectly fine, wouldn't you have been curious to still go and see what happened next?
But in these first two weeks, we've also seen Mark show us that there was and is more to Jesus than meets the eye. While Jesus did perform many signs, Mark has consistently pointed to his preaching, "proclaiming the good news of God: 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!'" (Mark 1:14-15). In other words, the miracles were just guidep ...
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