chapter 01

Allow me a short introduction.

To understand the story of Jesus, one should understand the process of story telling. Go read a thousand books and you will see that the story is always somehow about us, or the people of another time and how someone managed to accomplish something out of the normal to become material for a story to tell others. To show them how it was done and perhaps to show how it can be done.

Usually, in the case of historic or religious writings, men sit down with an objective to promote their way of thinking.

Jesus is a character in a story. He or someone like him was likely real. And there have been many and will be many more very much like him. Though not all would agree. Charles Darwin, Fredrich Nietzsche and Galileo (Copernicus) were all poking at the same thing.

Our ancestors did not know everything. So instead of worshipping them, we must learn to embrace change and evolution.

If something in a book sounds impossible, it might be just that. Let it slide, it's inevitable when even people in the same age try to report events.

What matters in the Jesus Christ story is the rejection of the laws of Moses and some ideas what direction to go.

Okay.

Mark starts with John the Baptist promoting the 'forget your sins' campaign. People went for it. Bob Marley sings the same thing:

"If you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on Earth."

That is what John and Jesus want to make clear.

"Man, we have it here, don't wait for the nonsense they promise for your death."

John tells them Jesus is the man with the holy spirit.

Or another way to say it, an angel.

And just a reminder for those who have just joined us. On Earth, angels don't have wings. They are the us trying to become. Our future trying to pull us through with an idea.

After John got the crowd's attention to his dunking people in water show, Jesus dropped in.

After the formalities to honour Jesus before the crowd, John dropped Jesus in the river and Jesus jumped up and saw a pigeon. White of course. Important for imagery.

And Jesus followed the bird into the desert. Tempted by the devil. Mark gives no details but something else is real here.

Angels came to help him. Protect him from wild animals.

In the desert.

It sounds a little more like a camping trip. Angels were friends.

People don't really go forty days in the desert without food. Unless they want to die.

Jesus went on back to his home town. Like Matt said. Teaching with authority. Something knew. The scribes didn't.

Then some guy runs in screaming.

"Jesus Christ. I know who you are. You are God's messenger."

The guy flipped about until Jesus said thanks, that's enough.

"Wow. He told the mad man to chill and he did."

An amazing event. The word spread fast.

"Have you heard about this messiah guy."

"Ya, he told my kid to stop crying and it did."

"My hand works again."

"I was blind yet now I see."

So they went to Simon's mother-in-law's house. She jumped up out of bed and gave them something to eat.

All the possessed people came to see Jesus to get depossessed. Demons suddenly homeless.

When the crowd got out of control in his home town, Jesus took his buddies and went to the next town.

Preaching in the synagogues. Of all places. And driving out demons.

Then the guy who is unclean gets clean with Jesus then runs from town to town telling the good news.

So to get away from the crowded towns, he went out in the fields and preached and healed there.

chapter 02

Jesus went back home to Capernaum and many people came to his house. This time the man he sends home wasn't there yet. Perhaps a little liberty from Mark. A little more theater. Four guys and I always see our preacher when they cut a hole in the roof. They gotta get this paralyzed man in the house so Jesus can say:

"Oh, you ripped a hole in my roof. Whatever, I'm in a forgiving roll. Your sins are forgiven."

"Blasphemy."

"I can say what I want, the synagogue doesn't own the language we use."

Though, admittedly, they do help preserve it.

"Go."

Which is dumb. the house is over crowded and they are pushing through the doors and windows. They should have pulled him back up to the roof. Fixed it. And whatever.

Jesus went back to the lake and here he collects up Levi. Who in Matthew was Matthew. Maybe Matthew Levi is his name.

But whatever.

He partys with tax collectors and other social outcasts and the priests don't like it and Jesus says; well Healthy people don't need doctors.

And like Matthew's written already, as long as Jesus is around, there was no time for fasting.

And again the question of eating, rather picking, corn on the Sabbath.

The answer. David did it too.

The rest doesn't need be repeated except for the last two verses.

We'll do the Gideon. Quote vs. 27: "... The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. 28. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."

End Quote.

chapter 03

All right. So Jesus marches right on into the synagogue where there was a man with a paralyzed hand.

Still the Sabbath.

"Come up front so all can see."

So the guy with the hand goes up to Jesus.

"So, is it better to do evil, save life, or kill."

No one spoke.

Jesus was angry and looked around at everyone.

"Stretch out your hand."

Jesus knew they, the priests, were stubborn and wrong. That's how the Good News Bible translates, hard of heart.

Anybunnie. The priests were not happy. They went to Herod's boys to make plans how to kill him. Jesus Christ.

"Well, for us, we'd like something Roman. So perhaps crucifiction."

"Cross. I like it. Simple. Easy to market."

"We could even call it Christianity. It has a nice ring. Who is this guy."

"Some smart ass punk from the line of David."

"Right on. I remember my Dad telling me about his mother. Oh boy."

"Well, it's been written, that'll be what we do then. We'll have the paper work done and we'll get Christ on a cross for an afternoon. Very good. This will be a hit. I can see it before me."

Then Jesus went back to the lake. Many people came and he healed many and everyone wanted to touch him.

Like Elvis.

After a round of Jesus telling evil spirits to stop yelling.

Quote

"Thou art the Son of God." End Quote.

"Shut up."

He went up a hill and he chose 12 disciples. Which is different but not significant to Matthew's story where he already had five.

Simon finally becomes Peter. James and John also get a surname. Boanerges. The Men of Thunder. Or Sons of Thunder.

Maybe a little significant because Thunder was the forerunner god of Moses. He understood it. And fire.

And in chapter one, Jesus did have his first four men. And if I forgot to say so, there were other workers on the boat in Mark's story. Matthew didn't say there weren't. So not to worry. Someone else would do their work.

Story. Jesus Christ.

He went home. He and the boys were working so much they hadn't been taking care of themselves.

People were saying Jesus had gone mad. And his family thought they better find him and take him home.

"He had Beelzebub in him."

Jesus, let's talk Judas Priest instead just a few lines. The neurotic mothers of uneducated children took Judas Priest, the band, to court and said their music made kids kill themselves.

"Now why would we want our record buying fans, concert going fans, to kill themselves."

Which shows two things. People were stubbornly stupid in the time of Jesus and in the time of Judas Priest.

I'll tell you what those rockers most often say:

"Don't believe the nonsense those smiling faced snakes sell you and do your own thing. And thinking."

Only the holy spirit matters. And almost everyone who stands up to make the way less a lie is saying the same thing.

It is us. Here and now. We are the budding gods.

A very dangerous time to be ignorant.

Then mother and brother arrived to take Jesus home. Before he got into trouble.

The famous, who are my brothers line.

And.

"Go home, I will not be done till I'm done."


mark chapters 04 - 06