The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 25: Mark

Top Highlights

“The lesson is profound because it is so simple. We can be called and gifted, prepared and ordained, to be the disciples of Jesus Christ, but if we do not remain in constant contact with the source of our power, we will fail in crisis.” (Page 184)

“Jesus comes to our most desperate moments the same way. He doesn’t start by overruling the forces of nature, but by telling us to look up, see the reality of His presence, and calm down. Of all the miracles, His presence is first and foremost. If we know that He is personally present with us in the middle of the storm, the stilling of the sea and the stopping of the winds are incidental.” (Page 141)

“Unless they share a vision of the joy that Christ sees, they can never endure the cross or despise the shame that awaits them as well.” (Page 178)

“The fourth and final step in the perversion of legitimate religious symbols is to use ritual to justify sin.” (Page 148)

“One of the most pitiful sights in all the world is a person whose mind is so torn that he or she worships while cursing, and confesses while blaspheming. If ever a picture of Satan’s ultimate motive in possessing a person has been painted, this is it. The devil is never content until he has destroyed the last vestige of the image of God in the human personality.” (Page 109)