Author: abe

Waiting reveals whether we trust His character or our calculations.

“You go into the vineyard also, and whatever is right, I will give you.” 
Matthew 20:4 • Read Matthew 19:27–20:16

The promise and the warning

Peter asks Jesus what those who have left everything will receive. Jesus answers with a real promise. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Then comes a warning: many who are first will be last, and the last first. The parable explains it. Those hired last are paid first; those hired first are paid last.

No one loses the promised wage. But the order of payment exposes what waiting has produced in the first workers.

Jesus gives Peter assurance, then guards him from turning assurance into calculation.

Whatever is right

The first workers have an agreement.
The later workers trust the Landowner.

No amount is stated to those hired later. They enter the vineyard because the Landowner says he will give whatever is right.

They leave the outcome in his hands. He will do what is right for them.

Trust does not calculate what God must give. It rests in who He is: never unjust, never unfaithful, never mistaken in His generosity.

When waiting becomes calculation

The first workers watch the last receive a denarius. While they wait, their expectation changes.

They calculate that longer work and greater hardship must mean more pay. Their reasoning gives them confidence in a promise the Landowner never made.

When he does not fulfil that expectation, they judge him to be unfair.

He put its true name upon it

They present their complaint as justice. The Landowner answers, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong.” He kept their agreement.

They called it unfairness. He called it envy.

The test did not inform the Landowner or create their envy. It brought into view what he already knew, so that they might see what was governing their hearts.

Grumbling begins when our calculation of what is right becomes more authoritative than God’s revealed character.

But do not finish by staring at the workers.

Look again at Jesus.

The Landowner has done no wrong.

See His justice.
See His faithfulness.
See His sovereignty.
See His generosity.
Hear His truthful question.
Receive His invitation into the light.

And then, standing before Him:

Lord, what are You naming in me?

Confession is not self-condemnation. It is agreeing with the One who already knows our hearts and gives grace to cleanse and renew us.

No polishing.
No softer name.
No accusation against God.
Only truth, repentance and yieldedness.

Let the soul settle again in what is true:

He will do what is right for me.
I do not need to calculate another servant’s portion.

Q. Which carries greater authority in my heart: God’s revealed character or my calculation of what He ought to do?

Prayer

Lord, teach me to trust Your character rather than my calculations. Name what is hidden, lead me into confession, and renew my mind until my response reflects Jesus. You will do what is right for me. Amen.

Whose approval shapes our response to God’s Word?

“because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her.” 
Mark 6:26 • Read Mark 6:14–29

Hearing without yielding

We may discover what governs our hearts when obedience begins to cost us. Herod enjoyed hearing John, recognised him as righteous and holy, and protected him. Yet hearing never became surrender.

The passage opens with explanations of Jesus: John raised, Elijah, an earlier prophet. For Herod, the explanation is personal. He thinks the John he beheaded has risen. His words suggest a troubled conscience; Mark does not explicitly call it guilt.

Am I letting Jesus reveal who He is, or fitting Him into what I already know, fear or want to believe?

When resistance deepens

Mark looks back to explain John’s death. John had confronted Herod’s unlawful marriage. Being king did not place Herod above God’s law.

Herodias held a grudge and wanted John killed. Herod’s protection prevented it. Her intention remained until the banquet offered an opportunity.

Herod’s reckless promise follows the daughter’s dance. She consults her mother, then hurries back, demanding John’s head at once. Mark leaves her reason for consulting unexplained. The request makes the pressure immediate and public.

Sorrow without surrender

Herod is deeply grieved. Yet his sorrow does not govern his decision. Because of his oaths and his guests, he orders the execution. John bears the cost of Herod preserving his standing.

Respecting God’s truth does not mean obeying it when obedience costs.

Do I keep listening because truth interests me, or allow it to change what I am unwilling to surrender?

The wider connection with 2 Corinthians 7:10 is searching: sorrow according to God’s will produces repentance.

Feeling sorry must lead to a changed mind, direction and actions.

Now look towards Jesus.

His obedience holds when the cost is greatest.

John’s death anticipates Jesus’ rejection. Later, Pilate also yields to pressure (Mark 15:6–15). But in Gethsemane, Jesus yields to His Father’s will despite His anguish (Mark 14:32–36). His faithfulness carries Him to the cross for us.

Bring your divided heart to this faithful Saviour. His mercy invites repentance. Ask Him for courage to take the obedience you have delayed.

Submit to God’s Word even when obedience costs others’ approval.

God’s truth calls for more than my interest, agreement or sorrow; it calls for a surrendered response that changes my decisions.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me to receive Your Word with more than interest. Show me where I am protecting myself from its claim upon me. Do not let me mistake sorrow for surrender.

Give me a repentant heart and courage to obey You when obedience is costly. Keep my eyes upon Your faithfulness, and teach me to value Your approval above the approval of others. Amen.

Depending on His provision and leaving the outcome with Him

“And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;” Mark 6:7 • Read Mark 6:7-13

The One who sends them

Look first at Jesus. He calls the Twelve, sends them in pairs and gives them authority. Their ministry begins with Him. They go as His representatives.

This is the first sending of the Twelve recorded in Mark. Now they must serve among people whose needs they cannot meet by themselves.

They preach repentance, cast out demons and anoint the sick with oil and heal them. His work brings release and restoration.

The power they need belongs to Jesus. Their calling is to obey Him.

Depending along the way

Jesus gives them authority without making them self-sufficient.

A staff and sandals are permitted, but no bread, bag, money or second tunic. They must receive provision along the way.

Where a house welcomes them, they are to remain until they leave that place, accepting the hospitality offered.

These ordinary instructions become a lesson in dependence. Can I trust Jesus for what I need to do His work today?

Receiving welcome and rejection

Jesus prepares them for people who will neither receive nor listen. In this mission, they are to leave, shaking off the dust as a solemn testimony.

They need not remain indefinitely trying to secure acceptance. Their obedience matters, but they cannot make someone receive the message.

This is not a general rule to abandon unbelievers. Here they must obey Jesus and leave the response with Him.

Yielding the outcome to Jesus

When Jesus’ message is rejected, I can bring my hurt to Him without allowing it to harden into offence.

I also need humility. Have my words or manner hindered someone? Lord, show me what needs to change, and help me love them still.

We may never see what becomes of a word faithfully spoken. The person and the outcome can remain in His hands.

Neither welcome nor rejection changes whose work it is.

Look again at Jesus. The One who first sends them with authority later sends them to all nations.

In Matthew 28:18-20, the risen Lord declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. He commands them to make disciples of all nations and promises His continuing presence.

They never outgrow their need for Him.

This wider connection deepens Mark’s lesson. Greater responsibility still calls for dependence. John 15:4-5 describes that dependence as abiding in Jesus.

We never graduate from the school of discipleship into independence from Jesus.

Am I faithfully carrying out what Jesus has entrusted to me, while entrusting to Him what only He can accomplish?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me obey You today and depend on You more deeply.

When Your message is rejected, keep me tender and humble.

Open their hearts and minds to You.

The work remains Yours.

Help me leave its fruit in Your hands, and rest in Your presence. Amen.

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We can be amazed by Jesus and still withhold our trust.

“And He was amazed at their unbelief.” 
Mark 6:6 • Read Mark 6:1–6

Amazed yet offended

Jesus teaches in His hometown synagogue. His hearers recognise extraordinary wisdom and mighty works. Yet they turn to His familiar circumstances: the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brothers and sisters they know.

Their knowledge becomes a reason to dismiss Him. They take offence.

They are amazed at His teaching; He marvels at their unbelief.

Could I admire His words while keeping my life beyond their reach? We may want something amazing to hear while resisting the authority of the One who speaks.

The honour He deserves

Jesus names a prophet’s lack of honour among his own people. This is not presented as a direct Old Testament quotation. Jeremiah’s rejection by Anathoth and betrayal within his family offer a close parallel (Jeremiah 11:21; 12:6).

Matthew 13:53–58 parallels Mark; John 4:44 repeats the saying. In Luke 4:16–30, Jesus recalls Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, and Elisha and Naaman. God’s mercy reaches outsiders while many within Israel remain without those blessings.

Knowing God’s messenger does not necessarily mean receiving him. Familiarity can become resistance.

Look again at Jesus

Before we settle into examining Nazareth, look at the One standing before them. His wisdom remains true when they dismiss Him. His authority deserves honour when they withhold it.

His compassion remains visible too. Mark records a few healings even here. Unbelief has consequences, but this passage does not make God powerless or explain every unhealed illness as a failure of faith.

The Jesus they reject still lays His hands upon sick people and heals them. Let His mercy draw us towards Him as His warning searches us.

Honour expressed through faith

Hebrews 11:6 offers a wider connection: pleasing God requires faith that approaches Him, trusting that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Faith is dependence upon God, not a technique for obtaining wonders.

Amazement can leave me watching. Honour receives Jesus with trust. His word is allowed to question my judgement and shape my obedience.

Where have I said, quietly, “I will listen, provided You do not challenge this”? Bring that reservation before Him. Return to a word you have admired but resisted, and take the step of obedience it calls for.

Unbelief dishonours Jesus despite the wisdom and power He reveals.

This is the passage’s warning. Its fitting response is equally clear:

Honour Jesus by responding to Him in faith.

Receive His word because He is trustworthy. Yield because His authority is rightful. Look to His mercy as you bring Him your unbelief.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, let my amazement become faith.

Forgive me for wanting to be impressed while resisting Your authority. Expose my reservations. As I behold Your wisdom and mercy, teach me to honour You by receiving Your word and trusting You enough to obey. Amen.

“Pray at all times in the Spirit.”
Ephesians 6:18. Read Ephesians 6:10-19

Those words in Ephesians 6:18 can immediately make us ask, How do I do that?

But Scripture begins somewhere else in 6:10

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

Before we are told how to stand, we are told where the strength to stand comes from.

His strength. His might.

The battle is beyond what we see, and the strength required is beyond what we possess.

So prayer cannot simply be my assessment of circumstances brought before God: Change this. Remove that. Give me this outcome.

What if I cannot see the whole battle?

What if I do not even know what should be prayed?

Romans 8 tells us plainly: “we do not know what to pray for as we should.”

But the Spirit helps our weakness.

Perhaps that begins to open Ephesians 6:18:

Praying in the Spirit is not trying to persuade God to accomplish what is on my mind, but depending upon the Spirit to bring my praying increasingly into agreement with what is on God’s mind.

This is not passivity.

Ephesians says: stand, take up, pray, watch, persevere.

It is dependent participation.

Remain

Jesus said:

“Remain in Me… for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Then:

“If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask…” John 15:7

Notice the movement.

Remain.
His words remain.
Ask.

Prayer arises within fellowship.

We remain because we cannot see, understand, pray or stand independently of Him.

The branch does not manufacture life.

The Vine supplies.

And Psalm 37 takes us deeper:

“Delight yourself in the LORD.”

Before the desires comes delight.

Fellowship does not merely change what we ask.

Fellowship transforms the heart from which the asking comes.

As we remain, we know Him.

As we know Him, we delight in Him.

As we delight in Him, our desires increasingly come under His Word and His will.

As desire is shaped in fellowship, asking is shaped too.

This is not a formula.

It is relationship.

Not Performance, but Dependence

“Pray at all times” can sound like an impossible demand for continuous religious activity.

But perhaps we have missed its heart.

“Pray at all times in the Spirit” is not a summons to continuous religious performance. It is a summons to continuous dependence upon God, expressed through prayer in fellowship with Him.

Prayer is not merely something we do in His presence.

Prayer flows from living in His presence.

Through the Son.

In the Spirit.

To the Father.

And that fellowship does not turn inward and stop with us.

Ephesians continues:

“with all perseverance and every request for all the saints.”

Prayer in the Spirit is not merely an inward spiritual experience.

The Spirit turns us toward the concerns of God, and God’s concern includes His people.

We are not standing alone.

Our brothers and sisters need His strength too.

So dependence becomes fellowship, fellowship bears love, and love expresses itself in intercession.

The Pursuit

There is another danger.

We could understand all this correctly and turn it into a new technique:

Here are five things to do so that you can pray in the Spirit.

But that would contradict the journey.

Even transformation must not become the pursuit.

Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us that as we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into His image by the Spirit.

We behold.

He transforms.

Transformation is consequence.

Christ is central.

The branch does not stare at its fruit.

It remains in the Vine.

Christ is the pursuit.

Everything else is fruit.

The Treasure

Jesus said:

“where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

And perhaps here we reach the heart of it all.

God Himself is the Treasure.

Not merely answered prayer.

Not spiritual strength.

Not discernment.

Not even transformation.

Him.

If He is our Treasure, our hearts are drawn toward Him.

We commune with Him.

Delight in Him.

Depend upon Him.

Pray in fellowship with Him.

Then Psalm 139 opens a beautiful window in verse 18:

“When I awake, I am still with You.”

I sleep.

I awake.

And I am still with You.

Not awakening first to religious duty.

Not awakening to technique.

Awakening in the consciousness of fellowship with God.

The heart awakens to its Treasure.

Face to Face

But we do not yet see Him face to face.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.” 
1 Corinthians 13:12-13

Now we live by faith.

Now we hope.

Now we love the One we cannot yet see face to face.

Faith trusts Him.

Hope looks toward Him.

Love delights in Him.

And one day:

The Treasure we have loved by faith and hoped for is before us, face to face.

Faith has done its work.

Hope has reached fulfilment.

Love remains.

All through Ephesians 6 we were told to stand.

Stand in His strength.

Stand in His armour.

Stand in the evil day.

But standing is not the destination.

In this age, in His strength, we stand.

An age is coming when the struggle is over and the Treasure is before us.

Then the posture changes.

In this age, in His strength, we stand.
In the age to come, in His presence, we fall.

Not in defeat.

In worship.

“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 
Revelation 7:12, NASB 2020

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The heart of the matter is where our heart is. Is it resting in Christ?

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved…” 
Colossians 3:12 • Read Colossians 3:12–17

Before we lead we belong

Leadership can fill our minds with what we have achieved, what remains unfinished and what others expect. In the middle of it all, we can lose sight of the One we follow.

Paul begins in 3:12… chosen of God, holy and beloved.

Before responsibility comes belonging. Before we are leaders, we are His.

Our role is entrusted to us. Our identity is received from God in Christ. This is not a call to try harder to become better leaders. It is an invitation to keep following our Leader together.

What are we becoming. Our doing must flow from being and becoming in Christ.

His concern is not merely what we have accomplished or are accomplishing, but what we are becoming as we follow Him.

Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love are not techniques. They are Christlike character.

Paul speaks of one another and one body. This character becomes visible in our shared life: how we listen, bear with weakness and forgive. What is our leadership revealing about where our hearts rest?

Christ remains the Leader

His peace rules | His Word dwells | His name governs

We have responsibility, but He has authority. We may lead His people, but they remain His people.

We never grow beyond needing His Word or depending on His care. Before we lead, we follow. As we lead, we follow. While we lead others, we keep following Him.

Look again at His heart

Yet the searching question about our hearts should lead us to Jesus, rather than leave us absorbed in ourselves.

If you are tired, frustrated or carrying a burden others cannot see, pause. Listen to the Leader Himself:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

A good leader follows the Leader.

Hear the tenderness of His invitation. He calls us to Himself, to take His yoke and learn from Him.

He is “gentle and humble in heart” Matthew 11:29.

Christ is the focus. Everything else is consequence.

Look at Him before measuring yourself again. Bring Him the unfinished work, the difficult conversation and the fear of letting people down. Let His Word speak into the place where your heart has become anxious or self-reliant.

In His presence, ask:

Lord Jesus, is my heart yielded to You?

Lord Jesus, draw my heart back to You.

Where service has become function without fellowship, restore my delight in You. Where I have carried what belongs to You, teach me to trust Your care.

Let Your peace rule, Your Word dwell and Your love shape our life together. As I lead others, keep me following You.

You lead. We follow.

Amen.

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When the news seems to end hope, Jesus still has a word to speak.

“Do not be afraid, only believe.” 
Mark 5:36 • Read Mark 5:21–43

The father who needs Jesus

Jairus falls at Jesus’ feet. His little daughter is dying. His position as a synagogue official cannot save her. He pleads for Jesus to come, lay His hands on her, and restore her to health and life.

Luke adds that she is his only daughter. Jesus goes with him. A large crowd follows, pressing close as they make their way towards the house.

Then another sufferer approaches. A woman has endured bleeding for twelve years, as long as the girl has lived.

Treatment has exhausted her resources and left her worse. She has heard about Jesus. She believes that even touching His clothing will be enough.

The daughter who receives peace

Her body is healed, but Jesus has more to say to her.

She touches His garment, and immediately the bleeding stops. Jesus turns to find the person who touched Him. She comes fearing and trembling and tells Him the whole truth.

He calls her Daughter, affirms her faith, and sends her in peace. She receives personal assurance from the One whose power has restored her.

While Jesus is going to one man’s daughter, He gives this suffering woman His full attention. His authority carries tender care.

The news that seems to end hope

While Jesus is still speaking, messengers arrive. Jairus’ daughter has died. Why trouble the Teacher any further?

Their words assume that death has placed her beyond His help. Jesus immediately tells Jairus not to fear, but to believe.

Jairus now faces two voices: the report that closes hope and the Lord who calls him to trust. Jesus’ word comes before the outcome.

The Lord who speaks life

At the house, Jesus takes the girl’s hand and commands her to rise. Immediately she gets up and walks. He then asks that she be given food.

The One who commands the storm and delivers the oppressed also rules over sickness and death. His care reaches even the small and ordinary.

Romans 4:18–21 illuminates this trust. Abraham believed in hope against hope, convinced that God could fulfil His promise despite circumstances that seemed to rule it out.

Hope rests in the One who speaks and can fulfil His word.

These miracles reveal Jesus’ authority. They do not promise immediate healing in every illness.

Look again at Jesus.

His life-giving authority extends over sickness and death.

Our risen Lord promises to raise His people to life (John 6:40). Our final hope rests securely in Him.

What fear are you carrying before Him today?

Trust Jesus, even when circumstances appear to extinguish hope.

Bring Him your helplessness. Hear His word in Scripture. Let His revealed character shape your prayer when you cannot see what comes next.

Then share what this passage reveals, so another person may find encouragement in Him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me trust You.

You are the Lord of life, and Your care is tender.

By Your Spirit, steady my heart when the news is frightening. Help me hear Your word and rest my hope in You. Give me courage to make Your goodness known. Amen.

The voice once heard crying among tombs now proclaims Jesus.

“Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 
Mark 5:19 • Read Mark 4:35–5:20

The Lord whom darkness cannot resist

After Jesus calms the storm, the disciples ask who He is. Across the sea, Mark continues to reveal the answer. The One whom wind and waves obey also commands the forces of darkness.

A man lives among tombs, crying out night and day and cutting himself with stones. No one can subdue him. He breaks chains, yet remains captive.

The spirits recognise Jesus, but resist His intervention. Their name reveals the extent of the oppression: they are many.

Their multitude cannot overrule Him. They must plead for permission. Luke adds their fear of the abyss; Matthew records their anticipation of judgment.

The mercy that restores

Jesus reveals God’s sovereign authority and restoring mercy.

Before the people sits the man, clothed and in his right mind. Luke places him at Jesus’ feet. His dignity is visible again. The scene of torment has become a scene of peace.

Jesus calls this mercy. His compassion has acted where human strength could not deliver.

The man does not earn this deliverance through a response Mark records beforehand. Mercy comes first. His own response becomes visible after restoration.

The presence we welcome or resist

The people become afraid and ask Jesus to leave. The restored man begs to be with Him. Later hearers are amazed.

These responses are different. Recognition, fear and amazement can accompany an encounter with Jesus without becoming trusting obedience.

But let us look beyond their responses to the Lord before them. His authority and mercy belong together. The One who commands the spirits is the One who restores their captive.

Sent to make His mercy known

The man wants to accompany Jesus. Jesus sends him home to tell his people what the Lord has done and how He has shown mercy.

His desire is good, but Jesus’ word directs its expression. He goes and proclaims throughout the Decapolis what Jesus has done.

Jesus names the Lord’s mercy; the man names Jesus. His proclamation makes known the One who restored him.

The application is already in Jesus’ command.

Although the people ask Jesus to leave, He leaves a witness among them.

Look again at Jesus.

Behold His authority and His merciful heart.

The man’s restored life draws our eyes to Him. His testimony carries that revelation to others.

What will we do with the mercy we have received?

Proclaim what Jesus has done and how He has shown mercy.

Begin with the people around you. Speak truthfully of Him. Sharing this passage may help someone else behold His glory.

Let worship find expression in speech, action and adoration, shaped by His word.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, direct my response. I worship You, the Lord of all authority and the God of all mercy. By Your Spirit, make my heart willing to obey. Help me tell what You have done and how You have shown mercy. May others see Your glory through my testimony. Amen.

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