Traditions
Text: Mark 7
Outline:
A. 7:1-13, Discussion on tradition and defilement
A'. 7:14-23, Jesus explains what really defiles a man
B. 7:24-30, Syrophoenician women
B'. 7:31-37, Deaf man
Comments: Let's start with the “Fiddler on the Roof.” Remember Tevye singing “Tradition” – that's what we are going to talk about today.
Epistolary Opening
text: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Outline:
A. Address, 1:1-2
B. Blessing, 1:3
C. Calling, 1:4-9
Comments: Most of the Christians have a general knowledge of the Epistle. St. Paul didn't waste his breath for polite and extravagant beating around the bush – he will address many challenges, problems, and sins of the congregation in a very straight forward manner. In the light of our background knowledge about the content, it is very noteworthy seeing the positive opening he begins with.
Two “banquets”
Text: Mark 6
Outline:
A. 6:1-6, Jesus is rejected at Nazareth
B. 6:7-13, Jesus sends out His disciples
C. 6:14-29, Banquet of Herod
C’. 6:30-44, Banquet of 5000
B’. 6:45-52, Jesus comes to His disciples by water
A’. 6:53-56, Jesus is accepted at Gennesaret
Comments: Let’s begin with the structure. A and A’ talk about Jesus reaching out to people in two different places (no other stories name the places), mentioning also “villages” (v. 6b, 56). B and B’ talks about Jesus sending out and coming to His disciples. C and C’ have stories of two banquets – one is Herod’s birthday, the second one where Jesus feeds 5000.
Traveling
[Newsletter article for March 2026]
Over and again I re-read the wilderness account of the temptations of Jesus. I think I understand “bread one.” For sure, bread is important for life, but we are not to place the gifts of God before the Giver. He is the great provider. His living Word – our Lord Jesus – is our primary source of satisfaction. Maybe I just scratching the surface of the meaning – I find it sufficient for now.
But what about the other two? What puzzles me is not the response of Jesus – the whole approach is off: jumping of a pinnacle of the Temple? (Matthew 4:5-7). I can easily see how Jesus steps out of the roof and very slowly descends to the ground without ANY angelic help – as He did it later in His ministry walking on waters. So, what was devil trying to accomplish there? Test the boundaries of trust the Son has toward the Father? See is it really the incarnate Creator who rules over the law of gravity He embedded into the nature?
Two stories of Healing
Text: Mark 4:35 – 5:43
Outline:
A. 4:35-41, Calming down a storm
B. 5:1-20, Healing a man with a demon
C. 5:21-43, Healing of two “girls”
Comments:
I told you I am a fan of Creation. Here we go again. Just look at the outline. Nature, then Man, then Woman (actually two of them – God loves His daughters). Now, let us go to the text.
Creation Story
text: Genesis 1:1 – 2:24
Outline:
1st story, 1:1
– 2:3, 7 day of creation
2nd story, 2:4 – 2:24, creation of man
Comments: Isn't it interesting and intriguing that Bible begins with the creation account. Not 10 commandments, not the Fall. The Flood could've been a great beginning – while Noah is in the Arks, God tells him the story of creation and fall – which led ultimately to the Flood. No, Bible starts from the very beginning. It tells you something – that God is the creator. No simply the One who put everything in its place, but the One who constantly creates – old things do not suffice, they have to be transformed (Isaiah 43:18-19; Isaiah 65:17 and 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5).
Therefore, the creation account is not simply a sequence of disconnected acts or events – it is a profound pattern we always need to return to. Fulfilling our life vocations, doing church work, or anything else – being the bearers of God's image we are bound to mimic His initial action of creation.
1 Timothy: On Prayer
Speaking about the prayer we can identify a few sub-topics:
Types of prayer – this will/might determine the content of prayers
Prayerful posture – kneeling, hands up, and what about Abrecht Durer?
Place of prayer – special building/room or where?
A. Types of prayer. In 1 Timothy St. Paul identifies four types of prayers: supplications, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving (2:1, cp. Phil. 4:6).
Supplication – lit., entreaty or petition. Something one asks of the LORD, 1 Peter 3:12.
Prayer – very general term. Time, dedicated to a formal ceremony at a specific place (Acts 16:13,16).
Intercession – petition (on a person’s behalf). Later St. Paul will use this word to describe a prayerful engagement (4:5).
Thanksgiving – lit. good gifting. This is what Adam and Eve failed to do in the Garden of Eden. What Jesus had to restore for the disciples at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19).
B. Prayerful posture. Modern culture promotes minimalism as it pertains to spirituality. Hiking, fitness, diet, exercises – anything that is related to body life should be done actively. But the spiritual exercises – the less action, the better. That’s a reflection of materialistic worldview that penetrated the church. Along with turning a church into a lecture hall, the main posture for the people is sitting.
In the Bible the only “person” who sits is a king. Everyone else is either prostrated, kneeling, or standing up. Therefore, the apostle picks up on that in 2:8, since we are in the presence of the King, we should stand, and the worshiping attitude can be expressed by raising “holy hands.”
At the same time, we can enjoy the care of the Church for the varicose veins of her members, allowing people to sit during a lesson or a sermon. Side note, as you might know, benches came to church gradually beginning XIII-XIV century. It was the Protestant Reformation (not Lutheran) that, shifting the accent of the service from Lord’s Supper to sermon, sprang a wide pew installation project. It resulted in the architectural collapse of modern church buildings, which look like a warehouse (outside, and what is worst of all – inside). People come to be fed, to listen, to consume, creating “what did I get from the service?” attitude. Apostolic Church was the church of prayerful engagement of the congregation as a whole, going through words and motions of the liturgy (Psalm 136). Yet, even now, some Lutheran churches keep the kneelers (cp. Bethey, Lompoc-CA) to maintain a variety of prayerful postures.
C. Place of prayer. St. Paul does not address the question of a dedicated building in the letter. At the same time, when the apostle talks about the Church, he brings up “building” references – pillar and buttress of the truth. On one hand, it is a good visual. People of the I century AD were very familiar with the temple structures.
This is not the first time Scripture uses construction terminology as a description of metaphysical realities. Solomon talks about the wisdom is a “house builder” (Proverbs 9:1).
On the other hand, as mentioned above, first church communities had special/dedicated places or buildings for “prayer. See Acts 16:16). When St. Paul speaks of “every place” (2:8) he does not mean wherever you are individually. He means that in every city, town, and community men (note the plural form) should get together for prayer and teaching. There is no deviation from the service of the sacrament – the prayer includes the eucharistic part (the last one), as we talked before.
