Memory Text: Mark 9:35 NIV “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."”

Sunday, May 8 A Public Failure
Mark 9:14-32 NKJV “14 ¶ And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to [Him], greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" 17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." 19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21 So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22 "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." 23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things [are] possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" 26 Then [the spirit] cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" 29 So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." 30 ¶ Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know [it]. 31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day." 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.”
Mark 9:19 ROBERTSON’S NT WORD PICTURES The disciples had failed and their unbelief had led to this fiasco. Even the disciples were like and part of the faithless (apistos, unbelieving) generation in which they lived. The word faithless does not here mean treacherous as it does with us. But Jesus is not afraid to undertake this case.

Monday, May 9 True Greatness
Mark 9:33-50 NRSV “33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." 36 Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." 38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." 39 But Jesus said, "Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 ¶ For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. 42 "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 44 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. 46 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. 49 "For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."”
Mark 9:35 COMMENTARY THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL The spirit which proudly seeks to be first in place thereby consents to make itself last in character, for it reverses the graces of the soul, turning love into envy, humility into pride, generosity into selfishness, etc.

Tuesday, May 10 Reformation in Divorce
Mark 10:1-12 20th Century NT “1 ¶ On leaving that place, Jesus went into the district of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Crowds gathered about him again; and again, as usual, he began teaching them. 2 Presently some Pharisees came up and, to test him, asked: "Has a husband the right to divorce his wife?" 3 "What direction did Moses give you?" replied Jesus. 4 "Moses," they said, "permitted a man to ‘draw up in writing a notice of separation and divorce his wife.’" 5 "It was owing to the hardness of your hearts," said Jesus, "that Moses gave you this direction; 6 But, at the beginning of the Creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, 8 And the man and his wife shall become one;’ so that they are no longer two, but one. 9 What God himself, then, has yoked together man must not separate." 10 When they were indoors, the disciples asked him again about this, 11 And he said: "Any one who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery against his wife; 12 And, if the woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she is guilty of adultery."”
Mark 10:3 COMMENTARY THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL Jesus went back to the original law propounded by God and recorded by Moses, and shows from it: 1. That marriage is a fundamental principle of social order, God having it in view from the creation, and hence making them male and female (Mr 10:6). 2. That the relation of marriage is superior even to the parental relation (Mr 10:7). 3. That by it the pair become one flesh, so that a man is as much joined to his wife as he is to his own body (Mr 10:8). Now, since a man can only be separated from his parental relations or from his own body by death, which is an act of God, so it follows that the superior or similar relation of marriage can only be dissolved by the act of God. Thus Jesus draws the conclusion that no man or body of men, whether acting in private, civil, or ecclesiastical capacity, can dissolve marriage otherwise than according to the decrees of God.

Wednesday, May 11 The Children
Mark 10:13-16 Weymouth “13 ¶ One day people were bringing young children to Jesus for Him to touch them, but the disciples interfered. 14 Jesus, however, on seeing this, was moved to indignation, and said to them, "Let the little children come to me: do not hinder them; for to those who are childlike the Kingdom of God belongs. 15 In solemn truth I tell you that no one who does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will by any possibility enter it." 16 Then He took them in His arms and blessed them lovingly, one by one, laying His hands upon them.”
Mark 10:13 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY It is looked upon as the indication of a kind and tender disposition to take notice of little children, and this was remarkable in our Lord Jesus, which is an encouragement not only to little children to apply themselves to Christ when they are very young, but to grown people, who are conscious to themselves of weakness and childishness, and of being, through manifold infirmities, helpless and useless, like little children.
Mark 9:33-34 MKJV “33 And He came to Capernaum. And being in the house, He asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves in the way? 34 But they were silent. For in the way they had disputed among themselves who [was] the greatest.”
Matthew 15:23 MKJV “But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, Send her away, for she cries after us.”
Matthew 6:9 KJ21 “In this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.”
Luke 11:13 KJ21 “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"”
Ephesians 5:8 KJ21 “For ye were one time darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”
1 Peter 1:14 KJ21 “As obedient children, do not fashion yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance,”
1 John 5:21 KJ21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

Thursday, May 12 Attitudes Toward Riches
Mark 10:17-22 ASV “17 ¶ And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, [even] God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother. 20 And he said unto him, Teacher, all these things have I observed from my youth. 21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 22 But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions.”
Mark 10:22 COMMENTARY FAMILY BIBLE NOTES Grieved; that this great sacrifice was required of him. Thus his idolatrous love of wealth was immediately revealed.