Memory Text: Mark 8:35-37 MKJV “35 For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel’s, he shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange [for] his soul?”

Sunday – Service and Discipleship
Matthew 8:14-15 NRSV “14 ¶ When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; 15 he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him.”
Matthew 8:14 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES Mark adds that Simon and Andrew lived together, and that James and John went with them to the house. He adds, also, that before the miracle they spake to him about the sick person. The miracle was direct and complete. She was so completely restored as to attend them, and minister to them.
Mark 1:29-31 NRSV “29 ¶ As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”
Mark 1:30 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Our English word “fever” is derived from a related word. Luke, a physician, diagnosed this affliction as a “great fever”. The presence of marshland not far from Capernaum, whose climate was subtropical, suggests that it may have been malaria…Peter’s mother did arise at once is stated in Luke 4:39, and is indicated by the fact that all three accounts imply that she was able to minister to the household before sunset. A long fever usually leaves its victim weak, and a period of time is necessary before the vital powers of the body are restored to their normal strength, but this woman’s cure appears to have been instantaneous.
Luke 4:38-39 NRSV “38 After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. 39 Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.”
Luke 4:38-39 The Clear Word “38 After the morning service, He and His disciples went to Simon Peter’s house for lunch. When they got there, Peter’s mother-in-law was in bed with a high fever so they asked Jesus to heal her. 39 He went to her bedside, rebuked the fever, and immediately it left her. The she got up and prepared a meal for them.”

Monday – Jesus and the Paralytic
Luke 5:17 Holman “On one of those days while He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in Him.”
Luke 5:17 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY There were some grandees present in this assembly, and, as it should seem, more than usual…They sat by as spectators, censors, and spies, to pick up something on which to ground a reproach or accusation.. These Pharisees and scribes (or doctors of the law).. came from all parts of the nation. Probably, they appointed to meet at this time and place, to see what remarks they could make upon Christ and what he said and did... Observe, Christ went on with his work of preaching and healing, though he saw these Pharisees, and doctors of the Jewish church, sitting by, who, he knew, despised him, and watched to ensnare him.

Tuesday – To Send Fire on the Earth
Matthew 10:34-37 CEV “34 Don’t think that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came to bring trouble, not peace. 35 I came to turn sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. 36 Your worst enemies will be in your own family. 37 If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples.”
Matthew 10:34-37 The Clear Word “34 Sometimes the gospel is like a two-edged sword: it brings the good news of salvation on hand, but accepting it can also bring persecution. 35 It can even drive families apart, such as fathers from their sons, or mothers from their daughters, and in-laws from their in-laws. 36 In fact, a disciple’s enemies could come from his own family. 37 If you think more highly of your parents or of your family than of me, then I can’t trust you to be my disciple.”
Matthew 10:35 PEOPLE’S NT COMMENTARY The conversion of individual members of the family would cause variance. In nearly all quarrels, except those about religion, the members of the same family stand together, but in religious feuds the family circle is often broken and its parts arrayed against each other.
Matthew 10:35 COMMENTARY ROBERTSON’S NT WORD PICTURES The daughter-in-law (numphên). Literally bride, the young wife who is possibly living with the mother-in-law. It is a tragedy to see a father or mother step between the child and Christ.
Luke 12:49-53 God’s Word to the Nations “49 "I have come to throw fire on the earth. I wish that it had already started! 50 I have a baptism to go through, and I will suffer until it is over. 51 "Do you think I came to bring peace to earth? No! I can guarantee that I came to bring nothing but division. 52 From now on a family of five will be divided. Three will be divided against two and two against three. 53 A father will be against his son and a son against his father. A mother will be against her daughter and a daughter against her mother. A mother–in–law will be against her daughter–in–law and a daughter–in–law against her mother–in–law."”
Matthew 10:24-25 Moffatt NT “24 A scholar is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord; 25 enough for the scholar to fare like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If men have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they miscall his servants!”
Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 355 – “The servant is not above his master. The Prince of heaven was called Beelzebub, and His disciples will be misrepresented in like manner. But whatever the danger, Christ’s followers must avow their principles. They should scorn concealment. They cannot remain uncommitted until assured of safety in confessing the truth. They are set as watchmen, to warn men of their peril. The truth received from Christ must be imparted to all, freely and openly."

Wednesday – The Worth of Our Souls
Mark 8:35-37 NKJV “35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Mark 8:35-36 The Clear Word “35 Whoever tries to save himself by denying me will lose eternal life, but whoever is willing to lose his life out of love for me and the gospel will be saved. 36 What profit is there in gaining the whole word and all the good things of this life if it causes you to lose your own soul and forfeit eternal life?”
Ellen White, Acts of the Apostles, p. 365 – “The minister who is wholly consecrated to God refuses to engage in business that would hinder him from giving himself fully to his sacred calling. He is not striving for earthly honor or riches; his one purpose is to tell others of the Saviour, who gave Himself to bring to human beings the riches of eternal life. His highest desire is not to lay up treasure in this world, but to bring to the attention of the indifferent and the disloyal the realities of eternity.

Thursday – Go Therefore and Make Disciples
Matthew 28:18-20 Weymouth “18 Jesus however came near and said to them, "All power in Heaven and over the earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations; baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; 20 and teach them to obey every command which I have given you. And remember, I am with you always, day by day, until the Close of the Age."”
Matthew 28:18-20 The Clear Word “18 Jesus spent a number of days with the disciples. Then before He left, He said. ‘All power in heaven and in earth has been returned to me. 19 So go and tell people of all nations the good news and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them everything I’ve taught you. I’ll be with you, even until the end of the world.’”
Matthew 28:20 PEOPLE’S NT COMMENTARY It was an arduous work he had commanded his disciples to undertake; a few uninfluential and unlettered laboring men to undertake the moral and religious conquest of a world that had just crucified their Master. There was, however, an assurance that they should be equal to the task, for, (1) All power, or authority, in heaven and earth was in the hands of their crucified Lord. (2) He now declares, I am with you always. He who has all power will be present with them, a help in time of need. He is a mighty, present and helping Savior.
Matthew 28:20 ROBERTSON’S NT WORD PICTURES Christians have been slow to realize the full value of what we now call religious education. The work of teaching belongs to the home, to the church (sermon, Sunday school, young people's work, prayer-meeting, study classes, mission classes), to the school (not mixing of church and state, but moral instruction if not the reading of the Bible), good books which should be in every home, reading of the Bible itself. Some react too far and actually put education in the place of conversion or regeneration. That is to miss the mark. But teaching is part, a weighty part, of the work of Christians.

Friday – Further Study
Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 350 – “The followers of Christ are to labor as He did. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the suffering and afflicted. We are to minister to the despairing, and inspire hope in the hopeless…The love of Christ, manifested in unselfish ministry, will be more effective in reforming the evildoer than will the sword or the court of justice. These are necessary to strike terror to the lawbreaker, but the loving missionary can do more than this. Often the heart will harden under reproof; but it will melt under the love of Christ. The missionary cannot only relieve physical maladies, but he can lead the sinner to the Great Physician, who can cleanse the soul from the leprosy of sin. Through His servants, God designs that the sick, the unfortunate, those possessed of evil spirits, shall hear His voice. Through His human agencies He desires to be a Comforter such as the world knows not.”
Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 354 – “Persecution will spread the light. The servants of Christ will be brought before the great men of the world, who, but for this, might never hear the gospel. The truth has been misrepresented to these men. They have listened to false charges concerning the faith of Christ’s disciples. Often their only means of learning its real character is the testimony of those who are brought to trial for their faith. Under examination these are required to answer, and their judges to listen to the testimony borne. God’s grace will be dispensed to His servants to meet the emergency.”