Thursday, May 1 – Mark 6, Luke 9

1. With what attitude did the people of Nazareth scorn Jesus? (Mark 6:3)

2. What did Jesus mean when He said, “A prophet is not without honor”? (Mark 6:4)

3. When Jesus sent His disciples out two by two on a mission, what instructions did He give them? (Luke 9:1–6)6)

4. When Herod heard about Jesus’ renown, what thoughts crossed the wicked king’s mind? (Mark 6:14–16)

5. What had Herod done to John the Baptist that troubled his conscience? (Mark 6:17–29)

6. What guidance did Jesus offer His disciples upon their return from their mission? (Mark 6:30, 32)

7. Where did He retire with them to rest for a while? (Luke 9:10)

When we commit ourselves to studying the life of our Lord Jesus Christ through the Gospels, we begin to appreciate the heavenly and envision eternity, when we will hear from the divine lips of the Master the wise lessons recorded by the inspired writers, which we can now read.

The Gospel account tells us that Jesus fed five thousand, but in reality, the narrative follows the custom of the time: only the men were counted, not the women or the children. Help me with the math! If we estimate that for every man, there was a woman present, and if we add one child per family (though it could have been two or three), how many people did the Lord feed that day? Do your own calculations.

When Jesus stated that some would not die until they saw the Kingdom of God, He was undoubtedly referring to the three who accompanied Him to the Mount of Transfiguration, often described as “a miniature second coming of Christ.” Moses and Elijah were present there.

When that young man told Jesus he would follow Him after burying his father, he was not talking about his father having just passed away. If that were true, what would he have been doing among those listening to Jesus at that moment when he should have been at the funeral? It was an excuse, just like the one who bought oxen without testing them, the one who purchased land without seeing it, and the one who said he had just gotten married. In any case, what was he doing there instead of with his wife? (See Luke 14:15–23). Excuses, excuses, and more excuses!

This man who wanted to bury his father appeared to be a good son, but in reality, he was making an excuse. His father had not yet died. In modern terms, his excuse for not following Jesus was: “Lord, after I fulfill a series of responsibilities and after I bury my father (which might happen later, perhaps in years), I will follow You.” The duty of this man, called by Christ, should have been to follow Him and share the message of salvation with his family, even with his father, before his death. Unfortunately, he did not.

What do we do when we receive the Lord’s call? Are we willing to follow Him, or do we place “important” things in our path and overlook the most important?

I encourage you to follow Isaiah’s example from his youth when he declared, “Here am I, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)