Couple of Hours with Mark & Friends - 6

The past Saturday our board and staff had a retreat in Arnold mainly for the purpose of getting close to God, hearing from God. We were not doing much planning, even though there are a lot of plans to be made. You will hear more about it, but one real blessing of the time spent was that we were joined on Saturday by Mike & Lucinda Harrison. Mike is the pastor of Parkland Chapel and one of the great Bible students and teachers around. He took about 45 minutes and gave us a lesson on how to read the Bible and how to teach people to read the Bible themselves. He challenged us to read all the way through the Bible each year (takes 11.5 minutes a day, so this morning I took off and did 2 Corinthians and will read a bunch in Judges later today), AND to slow down and use some to slow down and really learn to read and study the Bible deeply (IBS, Inductive Bible Study) to really understand what the Bible is saying. This is really what we have been doing with our two hours with Mark, so I thought we might see how what he taught us can apply to our short read of Mark 2:13-17 this week. IBS is a three step process of observation, interpretation, and application. We teach around The Bridge to read, reflect, and respond - very similar.

1. Let’s start with observation. You are going to see very quickly that this process cannot be done with a large amount of Scripture. Mark 2:13-17 is the perfect size. Before you start, pray that the Holy Spirit (He is the teacher; I am just a mouth, and a big one at that) illuminate your mind. Remember, God wrote the book, so we need to ask the author for explanation. Pray with high expectations that God will minister to you and teach you. Then, as we read, we observe with these questions in mind:

A. Who wrote it? Who are the major players? Who is the author writing to?
We know this passage is written by John Mark. He is writing to primarily a Gentile audience, but many Jews (who would be targeted as the ‘religious folks’ in the story) would experience this book as well. The major players in this passage are Jesus, Levi, his scumbag friends, and the creeper Pharisees. If you are not familiar with those terms, go back and watch the sermon from Sunday at The Bridge -- http://vimeo.com/28293366.

B. What are the main events?
First, in vs. 13 Jesus walked out by the sea teaching. This seems insignificant at first glance, but you will notice that while Jesus does some teaching in the synagogue, He is always GOING OUT ON MISSION. As he acts as a missionary from heaven, as one sent, he goes OUT to the people. He does not sit and wait for them to come to him. What are the ramifications for us just if we are going to ‘incarnate’ our lives, as they become more like His? As we observe closely, we see that He is teaching the masses, not just the select few that He came train -- a public teacher for the crowds. Then, vs. 14 shows us that Jesus walked up, regenerated, saved, and called Levi in a moment, “Follow me.” The Greek word for follow here (akolouthein) leads one into a sense that he is requesting a lot and that it is the only possible response for faith (risk and cost). There was no dialogue to the call; Levi must respond solely to the authority of Jesus. Levi was sitting there doing what tax collectors do, jacking folks for their money. A study of these tax collectors shows that they were bad people, truly slimy as they betrayed the Kingdom and worked for the evil Romans. Levi would have been despised and hated. This man was not welcome in a Jewish home because his touch on that house would render it unclean.
So vs. 15-16 show us the reaction of the Jews to this apparently horrific act by Jesus. This was even more offensive than the touching of the leper because while the leper could not help his condition, the tax collector was ‘unclean’ by choice. We observe in vs. 16, that Jesus did not slow His offense, He actually metastasizes it by going to dinner at the ‘unclean home’ with more of the ‘unclean.’ An interesting observation for you at this point might be to look at the term ‘wicked’ that the Psalms allude to. These folks at Levi’s house being labeled ‘sinners’ by the religious lent itself far more to the term reprobate that we might use today. The wicked or reprobate don’t just occasionally violate the law, they LIVE AND EXIST OUTSIDE OF IT. A close observation of Jesus ‘reclining’ at the table and ‘eating and drinking.’ Jesus sent us a signal that He has solidarity with alienated, sick, and needy people. These, who are living and existing, outside the law are starving spiritually, and Jesus modeled bringing them relationship and the Gospel. We once again OBSERVE the offense taken by the religious folks to Jesus’ definition of the Kingdom. You might observe that the ‘sinners’ have invited Jesus to dinner (a party, a feast kind of like the one that the father threw for the lost younger son in Luke 15), and the Pharisees are horrified and will not join the feast (like the elder brother). Also, in observation, you might note that Jesus’ body positioning, the reclining, shows that he, not Levi, is the actual host of the party. You also might observe that while the teaching of REPENTANCE is never far from the minds of those who are listening closely to Jesus, it is not mentioned much in the book of Mark. Notice that Jesus establishes the relationship and His authority first in the minds and hearts of His followers, He build into them faith in Him, THEN, he will make sure they understand the obedient act of repentance in completely interwoven with the faith He has given. The scandal of this story to the ‘religious’ is that he does not demand moral repentance as a PRE-condition of his offer of grace, love, and acceptance. Rather, Jesus initiates eternal life changing relationship with these sinners as they currently existed. This is a fundamental observation, as the regenerated ones will not leave their life of iniquities (like Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10) to impress Jesus or gain his favor but rather in response because he loved them first. He told Zacchaeus, “I must stay at your house today” without invitation. He initiates the fellowship. What are the implications to our theology of salvation if that is the case? It scandalizes those who try and define the Gospel in terms of morality and causes people to think that they must ‘clean themselves up’ before a relationship with Jesus is possible. We can observe in this passage that he makes clean with His grace; then, we respond. We don’t know how many were made clean from the party because we do not see who has responded with repentance and belief, but what is important to observe is that Jesus has been the initiator of all relationship. This idea is summed up in verse 17. Notice the difference in the mission of Jesus and the mission of the scribes. They come to enlighten; He comes to redeem. Given that mission, it is as senseless for Jesus to shun the ‘sinners’ as it is for a doctor to refuse the sick. Discuss how the grace of God extends to all forms of human depravity and that in a way, the sick sinner may be more ready for Jesus to redeem than the religious zealot because the sinner are more aware of their need for the transforming grace of God. “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (As I observed here, I did so with a commentary open from James Edwards. Sometimes to receive correct context of correct observation, a good outside source is necessary -- tg).

C. When was it written? Mark was probably written first of the four Gospels. Early 50’s AD. When was it received? Quickly, we believe that the other writers of Gospels had a copy of Mark as they put their works together, so John Mark recorded Simon Peter’s eye witness account and got it out quickly. When did it take place? This calling Levi in this this section happened very early in the public ministry of Jesus.

D. Why was it written? This particular passage is crucial because the selection by the Holy Spirit to have multiple authors record the selection of Levi shows us that it has significance.
Jesus is in the process of completely redefining the Kingdom of God by showing that we are to rub shoulders with the unclean (not be the unclean; we go to war with sin). This is a major theme of this section of all of the synoptic Gospels. JESUS IS FULFILLING THE LAW, not smashing it, but bringing it into focus and completing it. How has the Bible re-shaped your views in the difference between religion and the Gospel?

E. How is it done? How did it happen? How is the truth illustrated? Sometimes the answers to these questions force us to observe a parable, or a poem, or some figurative language. In our Mark 2 passage, we have straight narrative. Jesus was teaching the crowds. He regenerated and saved Levi. He called him to follow Him. Levi did. Then, the reformed thief becomes generous and throws a huge feast for his sleazy friends, so they can meet Jesus. In this case, we observe the events.

Observation includes attention to detail, so we might want to read in multiple translations. And, then re-read. We MUST focus on the immediate context. What happened before, in, and after the passage. There are items in the healing of the leper and the paralytic that affect over understanding of this account. Jesus will not allow His Kingdom to be defined by man. What about cross-references to use? We can even do a Greek or Hebrew word study which I did for you earlier.

Observation involves knowing the historical and cultural issues as well. We will discuss these in the discussion of the next passage as we finish chapter 2 and begin chapter 3. Also, observation involves meditation. “Blessed is the man whose delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on his law he MEDITATES day and night.” (Psalm 1:1) Therefore, we must have time to turn off electronic media, even put away commentaries, and reflect on the Word of God.

2. Interpretation
Interpretation is the science of discovering the author’s ORIGINAL meaning as he wrote the Scriptures under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
A. What did the passage mean to original audience? In our passage, the reaction would have been shock to the Jews and even some of the Gentiles.
B. How was this relevant to the original audience?
C. What are the key truths and/or principles?
D. Does your interpretation fit within the context of the passage?
E. Mike Harrison believes that there is only one correct interpretation, but many applications. I think I agree with him.

Does your interpretation harmonize with the whole of Scripture?
So, CORRELATION is using the whole of Scripture to illuminate, validate, confirm, and support an interpretation.
NEVER BASE DOCTRINE ON AN ISOLATED SCRIPTURE.

3. Application
This is embracing God’s truth and the “doing” of God’s Word.
A. How can you, or the church as a whole, apply to the original audience?
B. What are the similarities between them and us?
C. What are the theological principles of the passage?
APPLICATION MUST COME DIRECTLY FROM THE MEANING OF, OR PRINCIPLE(S) OF THE PASSAGE.
D. How can you, or the church as a whole, apply the scriptural truth to your life?
So, what applies to you from the calling of Levi??
-- Application is where the Spirit is most likely to do a personal work in you and through you and through you (impact others).
-- Without application, observation -- observation and interpretation are WORTHLESS.

"The List"

I have had a lot of requests for "the list" from yesterday's sermon.
Here ya go.

JESUS LOVES SINNERS.

Therefore, sinners you are welcome here at The Bridge:
So, here we go -- to the guys that want to be girls and the girls that want to be guys,
To the drunks and druggees, to the weirdos, the porn addicts, the prostitutes, the adulterers, to the sexually promiscuous racked with guilt, to the sexually promiscuous not racked with guilt, to the thieves, the liars, the angry dads, the hormonal moms, to those who make their kids idols, to those who view their kids as a curse, the gluttons, the obsessive fans of movies about werewolves or transvestites, to the men who are 28 and living in mom’s basement who don’t have a job but can smoke Madden NFL or Gears of War on the XBOX, to the idolatrous computer nerds, to the whackjobs, nutjobs, the losers, the freaks, the geeks, the rednecks who drink a case of Natural Light, spotlight, and kill deer, to Star Wars groupees, NASCAR groupees, chain smokers (cigs or weed), to women who get paid in $1 bills, to people who text and drive, to radical Democrats and Republicans, to Mormons and any other religious folks that wear strange underpants, to steroid-pumping body builders, to people who wear biking shorts, Speedos and/or thongs, to Yoga instructors, witch doctors, potheads, crackheads, methheads, meatheads, and deadheads, even to tree huggers and PETA members,


AND to religious people who are upset right now because these subjects were not on the the Waltons, Touched by an Angel, Little House on the Prairie, or in their Christian home school curriculum and don’t think that Jesus drank REAL WINE, I have good news for all of you.

YOU ARE ALL WELCOME AT THE BRIDGE!

Couple of Hours with Mark & Friends - 5

Week #5. Mark 2:1-12. Can you believe it? Kids are back in school. Does that help your ability to get these two hour study sessions in or not? Doesn’t matter -- we have to find time to prioritize the King.

A deep foreboding disturbance has crept into Mark’s description for us. We find that as Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God that he disturbs both the irreligious and the religious. The dark clouds of venom from both sides are beginning to form.

1. Let’s start by noticing that some sections of the synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, & Luke) have the same story recorded for us. Give a quick read to Matthew 9:1-8 & Luke 5:17-26 and note any differences you might see. Sometimes there is just confirmation of events, and sometimes there are marked differences. I find these slight variations to actually confirm the inerrancy of Scripture as they do not really contradict facts, but they show that these writers worked independently in putting together their eyewitness accounts. In other words, what we would expect to see from independent research and not some copycat scheme. God directed, but human organized and written.

2. Let’s stir some thought up here and talk about crowds. Coming out of Chapter 1, crowds are obviously a big deal. Mark mentions crowds 40 times before chapter 10. We need to notice though that as Jesus moves from SHOWING what the Kingdom is like (healing, feeding multitudes, etc) to TEACHING what IT is like, we start to see the difference between the visible church and the invisible church. You want to be a member of the invisible church which are the people that God has drawn to Himself, has regenerated, and they have responded with repentance, faith, and all out commitment to Jesus -- the true believers. We will start to see that as Jesus begins to teach on the cost of following him, the visible church (those that like the food and the healing, but not the sacrifice, don't love the Father, the King, the Gospel) will begin to fade away. He cannot drive the invisible church away because there no task too daunting for the true believer. To illustrate what I am talking about, give a quick read of John 6 in your group and talk out the difference in the two churches. There are about 15,000 to 20,000 in church as he feeds them with a kid’s sack lunch. Then, he begins to teach and the teaching about life with Him being one of suffering whittles the mega-church down to a cell family of 11 -- the 12 plus the phony who would betray him. The point is just because the crowds are clamoring about him does not mean that they are following and believing in him. My prayer is that most who pass in & out of the doors our church are being moved by the Holy Spirit into the invisible church. Please stop and pray the same for your cell.

3. Go ahead and talk about the four men. Do you have community with other Christians to this degree that they would do anything to get you in front of Jesus? This is a great reason to be a part of a healthy cell. A whole lot of this roof would have been baked mud. There is some serious effort to carry a long distance and to hoist onto a roof. I wonder if some members of the invisible church helped them at any point because most people were I am sure clamoring to see Jesus for themselves because he could improve their world - their story. These men are giving a little glimpse of what it means to be a part of the invisible church, where the mission of God and the well being of others supersedes our agendas. This removing of obstacles for people to be able to see the Gospel clearly is a strong indication of faith. Are you putting up obstacles (religious preferences, sin patterns or lack of holy living, no time for people) or are you removing obstacles for people to see Jesus?

4. I spent most of my time in the sermon discussing the difference between what the paralytic and his friends were probably primarily concerned about as they encounter Jesus, and what Jesus considered the priority. They wanted the man healed (and that is very natural and a neat thing), but Jesus knows that it is VASTLY more important that we be healed in our relationship with him by having our sins forgiven than it is to have a somewhat whole physical body. Discuss your thoughts as you listened to that.

5. The surprise forgiveness of sins shifts the story from the paralytic to the scribes. What began as a heart warming healing has become a tense battleground for spiritual authority. This accusation of blasphemy is no small item as by Jewish law, it would have carried the sentence of death. So, Jesus has caused a “great disturbance in the RELIGIOUS here.” These men believed that THEY carried the true word of God and they are blind to the fact that they are staring at the WORD (the Logos) Himself. Religion always creates men who believe they can save themselves by their self-righteousness. Discuss how the Gospel disturbs that as It shows that their in NO righteousness outside of the blood of Jesus. Grace alone, Jesus alone, the cross alone is what saves men and women from themselves.

6. The Gospel (Jesus) also insults the irreligious because they want to be their own Gods and do whatever they want. They hate authority and reject Christ because He is the ultimate authority. Discuss the ability of people to accept the authority and turn from sin outside of the work of the Holy Spirit. We will find out in chapter 3 that these folks want Jesus dead just as bad as the religious folks that he has insulted. The Gospel offends the religious and the irreligious.

7. I used the words astonishment and awe. Look at this definition of awe -- ‘mixture of wonder and dread: a feeling of amazement and respect mixed with fear that is often coupled with a feeling of personal insignificance or powerlessness.’ Think about and discuss your feeling with this definition when you think about the wonders that the Gospel have brought to both your soul, your mental health, your emotions, your relationships, etc. These people were completely awestruck by the magnitude of what they saw Jesus do. Do we worship like we are awestruck? Why or why not?

Couple of Hours with Mark & Friends - 4

OK. Sorry this is late. Surgery took a toll on me, but let’s dig deep for a few minutes. Mark 1:35-45

It has always astonished me that Jesus prayed. Why did He have to pray? At the same time, He is the son of God and 100% God. A little clue may be found in us. When I am at my busiest is when I am doing Christian ministry. Some days are running from deep study for a sermon, to meeting with someone about the church plant in Arnold, to meeting with a couple whose marriage is jacked and needs help, to family worship with Kelley, Justin, and Taylor. None of that is sin (like Jesus spending his day preaching, healing, exorcising demons), and it is what I have been called to do - fun neat stuff. However, none of it is just deep time spent with the Father, loving and listening, and maybe whining and praising. Jesus had throughout all eternity past had full access to the Father and the Spirit without a lot of distractions, but now he had put on one of these human tents and was distracted, even by good things. By going to a desolate place and praying, He was getting back to his favorite thing to do - hanging out with the One who is worthy to hang out with. This is more than a battery recharge; this is heading to the deepest purpose of all -- loving God one on one. This is more than duty; this is the deepest calling that the son of God had and that the children of God have.

In the last five years, this has been a great strength of mine at times, and just plain non-existent at others. I am a decent church leader, husband, and father when my prayer life is deep and not superficial. I am downright awful while when there is no time in just deep conversational prayer with a Bible in my hands (not to study and learn, but to hear from God).

So, this begs some questions for you and me:

1. How are you doing at this? Is this only for Martin Luther, or Mark Driscoll, or Jesus (Mark 2:35)? Or, is it for every follower of Christ?

2. Jesus is being a worshiper. His prayer life is vastly more about submission to the Father than a “battery charge” or a “to do” list. Are you a worshiper in your prayer life?

3. Read Romans 12:1-2. How does God say to become a worshiper?

4. Notice Paul’s urgency. “In view of God’s mercy” (NIV) or “by the mercies of God”(ESV) means that you have been regenerated. Now, he is saying, since that is true, with urgency, on a daily basis, present your bodies (which includes your minds) completely to God for His bidding. Does that sound like your prayer life? What was Jesus praying about for all of this time that the disciples were looking for Him? Probably He was talking through the Scriptures with the Father and submitting His body as a living sacrifice for the mission of God for that day and upcoming days, eventually to a cross. What would that look like for you?

5. Do you pray more to talk to God about your world or to listen to God about His? The disciple of the Lord Jesus will migrate to the latter.
Let’s practice this with the Bible.
If you are in cell, get by yourself for a few minutes. Hopefully, it is beautiful outside. Go to a desolate place (like Jesus in Mark 2:35). Open to the book of Colossians, chapter 3, and begin reading, but don’t read for understanding or study or try and figure it out. Go very slow -- you have 20 minutes here (Jesus and Luther would do this for hours). Let the Bible read you. Let God speak into you and then pray your response. Pray your confession, your admiration for Jesus, your submission to His will, your supplication for others, whatever. Praying from God’s heart makes you a humble listener first and then a responder to God’s grace. This makes you a worshiper. This will allow your prayer life to be something that God wants to talk about (inside his will and about living in His Kingdom) instead of your agenda, about your world, and your mission. You will actually be surprised that you will eventually get to what is bothering you or a personal need, but you will pray it from God’s perspective instead of a selfish one. Once again, are you a worshiper on God’s mission or trying to pack Jesus around on your mission? In Mark 2, Jesus models for us that even when we are doing things on God’s mission, we must take to time to be a submitted worshiper of God - a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing.

6. The scene with the leper starting in Mark 1:40 is just gripping. Leprosy was a sentence. A sentence of death eventually, but before that of ostracized (read Leviticus 13:45-46) isolation. This outstretched TOUCH from Jesus in vs. 41 which leads to his COMPLETE healing in vs. 42 is one of the great illustrations of the Gospel in the Bible. Discuss us being “set outside the camp” after the fall (Genesis 3) as we are now unclean. Discuss how the Gospel addresses THIS uncleanliness.

7. Jesus “sternly charged” the man not to tell anyone in vs. 43. Seems interestingly light to us that this man was was so intensely disobedient since he was SO excited about Jesus and what he had done. Jesus was serious (if you study this in the Greek, very serious) about protecting the veil of his messianic identity with this command, but it just seems so fun that the man goes and shares anyway. However, his actions imposed a burden and forced Jesus into desolate places. Can you think of anything that we do that appears to be positive for the Kingdom, but actually it gives an impression opposite of the true Gospel? I was recently with someone that was gravely and possibly terminally ill. A well meaning person came into the room and began to tell the family that because Jesus was the almighty God that he knew that God wanted to and and WOULD heal their child. He prayed fervently and expectantly in the name of Jesus that God do this for this family because he loved this family so much and God wanted ‘good’ things for this family. This was a case of a person being really excited about Jesus, but not in tune with Scripture or God’s will. I loved their excitement over Jesus, but as they talked and prayed, the focus was on what people wanted instead of what God wanted. I believe that God CAN heal this person (he is still alive and I would love to see it); God can do anything He wants. However, just because this man and this family desperately want it AND believe in the right Jesus does not mean that it is in God’s will for this healing to happen. God’s glory is always the end goal. God’s mission is always what is essential. Discuss how the best way to pray for this man would be.

8. Jesus then commands the healed leper to observe the Mosaic law (Lev. 14) and go show himself to the priest which would have been quite a tedious task because there would have been a lot of travel and time to do so. Given his track record of obedience following the healing, do you think that he did as commanded and went to the priest? There are other stories of interesting reactions after healing. Read Luke 17:11-19 and discuss if you think there was healing without regeneration for the nine healed lepers who did not return and worship Jesus. Notice that all ten are being obedient to go see the priest when the one returns to worship. Think about correlations with some of your lives where maybe in your younger years, you had an encounter with God and maybe even did what you were told and got baptized, but then became radically disobedient afterward as someone who practiced unrepentant sin. Do you see any similarities?

Have fun.

2 Hours with Mark and Friends - #3a

Mark 1:21-34

1. One of the most striking things to me in this passage is that Jesus has become so well known for his authority over the natural and the supernatural that vs. 33 says this, “And the whole city was gathered together at the door.” Now, Capernaum was probably only a city of 50-100 people, but that is still astonishing that they were so enamored with the presence of Christ that there was not a person not attracted to the authority. Is it ludicrous to think that with enough prayer and surrender to the same Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we could not see a whole community basically crowding the doors of our churches because his power and authority had become so famous. Jesus himself said that we would do greater things than He did after he went away. Do we believe Him? We have seen evil spirits run out of people since we started The Bridge. We have seen people physically healed. We have seen marriages that were apparently not repairable get repaired. People are off drugs, not dependent on alcohol. The Gospel has made radical changes in many people’s lives. You may be one of them. Why has this not brought the entire city to our versions of Simon Peter’s door? Discuss the power of prayer and proclamation to this analogy.

2. PRAYER In Joshua 10, Joshua was given a task to perform to make the God of the Bible famous. As God was supplying him success in this endeavor, Joshua actually prayed that Jesus make the sun stand still in the sky so that he would have enough time in the day to complete his task. God responded in vs. 13, “The sun stopped in the midst of the heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.” What is your “sun stand still” prayer that might bring all of our community come to the door to see the Jesus that does such miraculous things? I have prayed that all churches in St. Francois County (and now Jefferson County) be such conduits of the power and authority of Christ that the entire community crowds the doors to get a peak at such things. Is that ridiculous? Why or why not?

3. PROCLAMATION I believe the second issue is proclamation. If you re-read Mark 1:21-28, something tells me that it was only a matter of minutes before the entire city had heard of the authority of Jesus’ teaching and the exorcism that took over the usually boring church meeting at the synagogue. How did that happen? PROCLAMATION. Proclamation about Jesus. Some who had been regenerated proclaimed the Gospel on a personal level. Think about (if you are doing this in private) and/or discuss (if you are in cell) how if God has performed miracles in our midst that our entire community has not heard about them. God’s authority and grace is spectacular and when proclaimed (not as fanatics, but as awe-struck worshipers) should attract the entire city to our homes and churches. What prevents this?

4. Christians are commanded to practice hospitality. Ben noted that Simon Peter’s mother-in-law began to immediately serve upon being healed because she could. Our taking care of the needs of others in love is a NATURAL outcropping of the healing of grace. Think and discuss how you feel about your service to others. Is there any? If so, does it feel obligated, like you owe somebody something, or does it feel natural and in a flow of your life in Christ. You are a new creation.

5. Read 1 Corinthians 9:5. We keep coming back to this deal about ‘radical abandonment’ and ‘take care of your family.’ I find it interesting that apparently Simon Peter’s wife must have also have abandoned all her agenda and followed Christ with her husband. Discuss how a one flesh marriage must go this way.

6. We learned that the Greek word for authority here (Mark 1:22) means, “out of the original stuff,” or “out of the origin.” This has ramifications in many different directions. Remember that through His partner in the trinity, the Holy Spirit, that Jesus wrote all Scripture. He is the author and perfecter of our faith -- the beginning and the end. This is fun. The use of this Greek word for authority also shows up at the end of the Sermon on the Mount as the scribes declared it about Him there also. Matthew 7:28-29. To finish up your 2 hours of study here, take off on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7 (which must have been given in a very close time proximity to the events of Mark 1). Reflect on our teachings and look closely how Jesus redefines (from authority) the Kingdom of God.

That will be more than two hours, but I have some more thoughts on this in an upcoming 3b.