With My Eyes On Jesus. Dale Goldsmith

      Day 6, Monday—Jesus’ Assignment: To Die For

      Mark 1:14–15: Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, (15) and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

      Context: Mark’s gospel plunges immediately into Jesus’ ministry with this brief summary.

      Meditation: The Urban Dictionary defines “To die for” as “something I want very much . . . [or] take risks to get.” Doesn’t the kingdom of God—that time when we live harmoniously in the loving and mutually supportive rule of God—sound like something we would want very much? With the prospect of such a dream coming true, even “Repent!” doesn’t sound so scary. (Maybe not scary, but not so easy either. When we realize that it is a call to turn from what we now focus on toward a new existence in accord with God’s wishes it becomes seriously and complexly challenging.)

      The Free Dictionary defines “To die for” as “worth dying for.” Now that is sobering. We have already read of two attempts by others to kill Jesus and the successful effort to get rid of Jesus’ predecessor, John. Can this develop into a story of which we want to be a part? Is that promised kingdom compelling enough “to die for”? (Spoiler alert: We already know that dying will be the fate of Jesus if he is to complete his mission.) Can this kingdom story be the main foundation for our own story, our own living and dying? Can we respond to Jesus’ “to die for” story by repenting our current life and committing to live for and in the story Jesus brings to life?

      There are things about Jesus’ story that sound more like down-and-dirty politics and social prejudice than a divine plan. It sounds horrible so far. Can Jesus tough it out? Will I be ready to live and commit my dying to Jesus and include myself in his story?

      Prayer: Help me to see more clearly and love more dearly Jesus’ mission. Amen.

      Today: Work on “repent”: taking one thing at a time—even if only a small one. Beginning now.

      Day 7, Tuesday—A No-Frills, One-Off Miracle

      Matthew 9:18–25: “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” . . . (25) He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

      Context: After offering his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus performed miracles: cleansing a leper, healing a paralytic, calming a storm, healing a demon-possessed man, and then another paralytic. In the midst of a discussion of fasting with John the Baptist’s disciples, he is approached by a “ruler.”

      Meditation: Do you ever wonder why Jesus didn’t bring more people back from death? Each Gospel writer knew of other instances where Jesus brought the dead back to life (see Mark 5:22–43; Luke 7:12–15; John 11:41–44). Yet each evangelist only reported one such incident.

      Do you find it frustrating that despite having such power, Jesus spent it on other things—like walking on water, turning water into wine for a party, and feeding people who perhaps should have brought their own lunch with them when going to hear him preach?

      Or is it possible that Jesus didn’t see our human propensity to mortality as our most pressing problem? The fact that Jesus spent most of his time telling parables describing the kingdom of heaven, and the fact that most of his miraculous cures were for people who were alive would seem to reinforce that tentative—and seemingly hard-hearted—conclusion.

      Could it be that while paralysis or leprosy or blindness is not “normal” across the whole of humankind, our dying is? Perhaps our physical dying simply is not among the problems Jesus came to address. Instead, we may come to understand that it is Jesus’ dying that reframes our common experience of death.

      Prayer: Help me to know that you are quick to respond to our concerns and that you will be ready to help each of us with dying. Amen.

      Today: Can I remember praying for the miracle of continuing life for a dying friend? How did I deal with the “answer” if no miracle came?

      Day 8, Wednesday—The Voice of Jesus

      John 5:24–25: “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. (25) Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”

      Context: After John’s report of Jesus’ third miracle—healing a paralytic at the Sheep Gate pool—and emphasizing to his listeners that he is speaking on behalf of and under the authority of God.