MARK 10:1- And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

THEME OF THE DAY. ARE YOU LEARNING FROM HIM? Sometimes in reading our Bibles, we may gloss over sentences which seem to have little significance or application. In our desire to get to the “meat” we may miss powerful lessons for our lives. To quickly breeze by any sentence is a mistake. Remember the words of the Apostle Paul – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). And our Lord Jesus proclaimed, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass way” (Matthew 24:35). So, go slow . . . word by word . . . praying the Spirit of God makes EVERY WORD OF GOD alive and relevant in our lives. Like today’s scripture.

As we read it, what is occurring might not jump off the page with force, but it should. There is really a lot of truth in this short sentence. If we take our time, ponder what is happening, we will see wonderful applications in our own lives. We will mention two and focus on the second one.

First, Jesus was not a boring teacher or preacher – And He left and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to Him again. Sure some people came to see Jesus do the signs and healings out of curiosity. They might have thought the circus came to town, but what about the hurting souls knowing their sin, their brokenness, and their need of what only Jesus gives – forgiveness? They were riveted to His preaching. What would be more inviting and cause one to return to hear Him than to listen to Jesus say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). And now the application . . . how eager are we to hear the Lord through the preaching of His Word? Are we weekly excited about the coming Lord’s Day when His Word will be unfolded in the fellowship of His people? It is a sign of spiritual illness if we attend church out of mere duty or obligation instead of going to fulfill a deep thirst and hunger for the Lord Jesus.

Another lesson we may easily miss in today’s scripture is the action of the Lord Jesus – And again, as was His custom, He taught them. Jesus came to reveal God to people. He did so primarily by preaching and teaching. And every Christian knows this truth, but the question we must ask is . . . “Are we, as is our custom, consistently learning from Jesus? A further question is . . . “Have we so learned at the feet of Jesus this past week, month, and year that we know Him, not about Him, but know Him more? That is the goal . . . the Apostle Peter exhorts us, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus” (2 Peter 3:18). The Christian life is a growing and progressing life. We are never in neutral. We are either thriving spiritually or withering spiritually and it all depends on whether we are Mary-like before the Lord Jesus – Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42).

So, are you leaning from Jesus? He has been given to us from the Father as our High Priest, Ruling King, and Teaching Prophet. Are you experiencing all three in your life? I hope so. Those roles define the living reality of walking with Him.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for giving me Your Son and Spirit to guide and teach me into Your truth.”

QUOTE: “Jesus has been given to us as our High Priest, Authoritative King, and teaching Prophet. Are we living in the reality of all three?”