WIWO: Mark – Episode 17: Marriage, Children, and Wealth

Reading: Mark 10:1-31 Context: How do Jesus’ teachings on divorce reflect God’s original design for marriage relationships? Divorce is alien to God. His original design was that those who married would be married for life. Divorce was a response to rebellious hearts that didn’t want to take on the original design. Going back to God’s […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 16: Humility and Service

Reading: Mark 9:33-50 Context: What prompts Jesus’ teaching about greatness and service in God’s kingdom? The lads are quarrelling before they reach the crib. He asks them why they’re arguing. They keep shtum, as if you can do that with a man who knows. The nature of their quarrel is about who is the greatest. […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 15: Glory and Discipleship

Reading: Mark 9:1-32 Context: How does the transfiguration confirm Jesus’ identity for the three disciples who witness it? Here’s the confirmation – it’s one thing to be told that He’s the son of God, it’s another thing to witness His transfigured form revealing the glory of the only begotten son of God. That kind of […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 14: The Great Confession

Reading: Mark 8:22-38 Context: How does the gradual healing of the blind man parallel the disciples’ gradually developing understanding? Throughout the journey of discipleship, the disciples see what Jesus does, but they don’t always understand it at the time. Indeed, they will often misunderstand what He does, and it will take gradual learning to understand […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 13: Faith Beyond Boundaries

Reading: Mark 8:1-21 Context: Why does Jesus perform a second feeding miracle, and what might this signify? The first feeding was significant because of the audience. The second feeding is significant because of the audience. In the first feeding, the people of Israel benefited. In the second, it’s the Gentiles that are also getting a […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 12: Heart Matters

Reading: Mark 7:1-37 Context: What specific traditions are the Pharisees concerned about, and why do they matter to them? In this episode, the Pharisees were concerned about the state of the hands. The tradition they observed was ensuring that hands were washed before partaking of food. This wasn’t for hygiene reasons; this was for the […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 10: Rejection and Mission

Reading: Mark 6:1-29 Context: Why do Jesus’ own townspeople struggle to accept His authority and teaching? Heh. This bit is so funny. The folks in Jesus’ hometown struggle because they already know this fella. He was in that big family with that Mary woman. He was there with the brothers and sisters. We know this […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 9: Faith and Healing

Reading: Mark 5:21-43 Context: What social barriers does the bleeding woman overcome to reach Jesus, and why is this significant? This scripture does not indicate the social barrier, but we can infer the following: she has a disease, which doesn’t make her socially acceptable for starters. The nature of the disease, apparently, would make her […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 8: Power over Creation

Reading: Mark 4:35-5:20 Context: What does the disciples’ fear during the storm reveal about their understanding of Jesus at this point? They understand, and they don’t understand. They’ve observed and not fully comprehended it. There are ways for them to go in their understanding of this guy, despite His teaching insisting that He’s no regular […]

WIWO: Mark – Episode 7: Parables of the Kingdom

Reading: Mark 4:1-34 Context: Why does Jesus begin teaching in parables at this stage of His ministry? At this stage, the ministry of Jesus is drawing a big crowd. That crowd includes a spectrum of folks when it comes to their interest in Jesus. He has amazed many who are keen to see what He […]