MARK DEVOTIONS
by Rev. Sunil Balasundaram
These are devotionals that I have written based on the shortest Gospel – Mark – in order to understand/discover/be reminded (whatever fits you), who Jesus is, what God is doing in the world, and my (and hopefully your) response in the form of a conversation prayer. I hope you will enjoy this devotional journey that we have together, wherever you are in cyberspace. Remember, this is not a study – it is a devotion. I’ve also chosen a song for you to listen at the end of each devotion. Be blessed!
WEEK ONE
Day 1, Monday
Mark 1:1 [NIV]
“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
I’m sure you would have noticed that this reminds you of another “beginning” – that of the creation of the world in Genesis 1:1. John, who would later write his Gospel, would also begin with a “beginning” – though would refer to Jesus Himself, as the Word who was in the “beginning”. But it seems as if Mark wanted to get straight to the point. He didn’t write of Jesus’ birth – not that it was not important – but for Mark (or Peter, who was probably relating all of this to Mark), the most important thing was the Gospel – Good News. The good news was a person – Jesus (=Savior) Christ (=Messiah, God’s anointed One). But that’s not all, this person really was the Son of God, God the Creator coming as… a creature! Mark’s “good news” is that God is not a “far away, powerful, inaccessible One” – but that for some wonderful reason God coming in Jesus is good news – for now, for always, for me, for the world. Mark wanted to share it (hence the Gospel’s writing), what about me and you?
Prayer: Maybe I’ve heard the word too often, Lord, but the word “gospel” no longer excites me. Has it stopped being “good news” for me, for the world? Is the bad news of the world (and often in my own life) so overwhelming that you, Jesus, are no longer “good news”? Forgive me for my “staleness”; but thank you for never stopping to be my “good news” even if I don’t always recognize it. Remind me, Lord, that when I keep focusing on you (as THE good news), your face becomes gradually clearer, and so does your love and plan, for me, and for my world. Amen.
