aBeLOG
Welcome to the aBeLOG, a series of (hopefully!) fortnightly posts on all matters homiletical. I intend to touch on whatever grabs my attention regarding preaching—issues contemporary and ancient, ideas hermeneutical and rhetorical, personalities conservative and liberal, publications antiquarian and avant-garde. Essentially, I’m going to follow my own homiletical olfactory instincts up rabbit trails and after red herrings. Comments are always invited and appreciated.
Mark 10:32–52
The true sign of greatness of disciples is their acceptance of Jesus’ mission to follow his model of suffering and service.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve …
Mark 9:35
This section has the most detailed Passion Prediction in Mark (10:33–34), which is followed by a depiction of the complete incomprehension on the part of Jesus’ disciples about his mission.
James and John already had had a fairly higher standing around Jesus than the
Mark 10:13–31
Confident of the abundance of their rewards, disciples give freely of their possessions, humbly depending upon God.
“Sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Mark 9:35
This section opens with Jesus’ embrace of children (10:13–16). The characteristic of children that enables them to accept everything as a gift is what the disciple should demonstrate: receiving the kingdom with humility acknowledging total
Mark 10:1–12
Followers of Jesus, in obedience to Scripture, remain united to their spouses for life, in the journey of discipleship.
“And the two shall become one flesh.”
Mark 9:35
In Mark 3:31–35 and 10:28–30, Jesus had declared that a new family was being formed, that related to him, that followed him, and that represented him. Questions would have arisen then regarding the implications of this new unit of relationship for the already-existing unit of the traditional family:
Mark 9:14–50
The humble disciple, faithfully dependent on God’s power in prayer, serves the last and least.
“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Mark 9:35
The prominent theme in this pericope, that commences with the healing of a demon-possessed boy, is humility.
Reinforcing the intensity of the demonic struggle, the affliction of the boy, with its etiology and its symptoms, gets extended coverage in the account: 9:17–18, 20, 22, 26. As 9:19
Mark 8:27–9:13
The hope of future glory encourages disciples amidst present suffering while following Jesus.
“If anyone wishes to follow behind Me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me!”
Mark 8:34
Allusions to who Jesus is have permeated the Gospel all along thus far; the crowds have often been amazed at Jesus’ words and deeds, and they have congregated in large numbers before him, but everyone—crowds and disciples—have failed to (fully) grasp the person
Mark 7:31–8:26
God can be trusted for the provision of life’s daily needs.
“Do you still not see or understand?”
Mark 8:17
This text demonstrates the continued lack of discernment on the part of Jesus’ disciples, which had been a constant theme in Act I of Mark (1:1–8:26). This last depiction of the disciples’ obtuseness (8:1–21) is bracketed between two miracles of perception: a deaf and dumb man is healed on one side (7:31–37), and the sight of a blind man is restored
Mark 7:1–30
Faith that produces obedience, not hypocritical allegiance to manmade rules, renders the disciple morally acceptable to God.
“The things which come out of one are the things that defile one.”
Mark 7:15
This pericope primarily deals with an issue of the “heart” (7:6, 19, 21): both purity and impurity begin “inside” (7:21, 23), not “outside” (7:15, 18). Jesus’ concern here is with moral purity—obedience to God’s commands. On the other hand, the Pharisees’
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching.