Willow Journey

COMMENTARY
A major portion of today’s reading tells the story of John the Baptist’s death. At first glance, this seems like an odd story to be placed at this point in the book. John had been a major figure early on, but he hadn’t been seen in five chapters (Mark 1:2-14). What’s more, this story is told as a flashback. By this time in Jesus’ life, John had already been killed. So why did Mark tell the story of John’s death in this part of the book?
It seems that Mark placed this story here to draw a contrast with the story that immediately follows it. In the first story, we learn that John was killed by a “king” known as Herod Antipas. Herod was a power-hungry governor in Galilee, the area where Jesus did most of His ministry. Mark calls him a “king,” in part for dramatic effect and in part because this was a title he desperately craved (Mark 6:14). We learn from extra-biblical sources that Herod had a history of spurning Jewish values and exploiting the poor. This particular story tells us that Herod stole his brother’s wife, asked his stepdaughter to “dance” in front of his friends, and literally served “the head of John the Baptist on a platter” at a banquet (Mark 6:22, 25).
In contrast, the story that follows tells of a very different king and banquet. This is the story of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000. The basic details of this story are well-known, but we shouldn’t miss how much royal symbolism it contains. The story has echoes of Psalm 23, a poem about the Divine King (Mark 6:34, 39, 42; Psalm 23:1-2, 5). It also tells how Jesus provided bread in the wilderness, a miracle that people expected from the Messiah (Mark 6:32). Most importantly, Mark says that Jesus had compassion for the crowds because they were like “sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). This was biblical code language for “people without a king” (1 Kings 22:17; Ezekiel 34:5). In other words, Jesus looked with compassion on the people that Herod had failed to lead. Then, He showed them the kind of King He would be.
This is so relevant for us today. We live in a world where leaders all too often exploit those under their care in their insatiable pursuit of power. Jesus’ deeds show us a different way. The kingdom of God is not characterized by oppression but by compassion, so we should live compassionately too. When we feel hurt by those in power over us, Jesus’ actions can be an encouragement. We are seen and loved by a compassionate King.
SCRIPTURE

MARK 6:6b–44

JESUS SENDS OUT THE TWELVE

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

JOHN THE BAPTIST BEHEADED

14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”

16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protect- ed him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

26 The king was greatly distres...

COMMENTARY
When writing a letter, we tend to follow certain formats or conventions. We start by identifying the recipient (e.g., Dear Jane). We then write the body of the letter. Finally, the letter concludes with a polite closing that identifies the writer (e.g., Sincerely, Joe). These conventions vary somewhat depending on the specific type of letter, but they tend to follow a general guide. One of the first and most important things we should notice about the book of Philippians is that it is a letter. When the apostle Paul composed this letter, he followed some of the standard conventions used in his culture – the Greco-Roman culture.
This is especially clear in the opening section of Philippians (Philippians 1:1-11). Paul begins this letter by identifying himself as the writer (Philippians 1:1). Then he identifies Philippian Christians as his intended recipients (Philippians 1:1). He follows this with a greeting (Philippians 1:2). Finally, he ends his introduction with a note of thanks and prayer (Philippians 1:3-11). This was the standard way that letters were written in Paul’s culture.
While Paul was guided by ancient letter-writing conventions, he also felt the freedom to transform some of these conventions to make powerful points. For example, in this and other letters, Paul created a wordplay on the standard Greek greeting charein (“Greetings”). He did this by substituting it with a theologically profound phrase containing the same letters: charis kai eirene (“Grace and peace”). Paul often greeted people this way because he wanted to express more than a simple “hello.” He wanted his readers to experience the grace and peace of God that had radically transformed his own life.
Another way Paul’s letter to the Philippians differed from the conventions of his day is found in the note of thanks and prayer included in verses 3-11. In other Greco-Roman letters, this section usually included a prayer for the health or wealth of the recipients. Paul made no such prayer for the Philippians. Instead, he prayed that their “love may abound more and more” (Philippians 1:9). Paul prayed this, not because he didn’t care about the physical well-being of his Philippian readers, but because he understood from personal experience that allegiance to Christ did not always lead to better physical circumstances (Philippians 1:7, 12-14; 3:10; 4:11-12). What was more important was that these Christians maintained a spirit of love, no matter what situation they found themselves in. This is a prayer that we would do well to make our own. Imagine what our churches would look like if our prayers became less about improving our physical circumstances and more about expanding our capacity to love.
SCRIPTURE
PHILIPPIANS 1:1–11

CHAPTER 1

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

REFLECTION

1. How would you describe Paul’s feelings toward his Philippian readers? Why does he feel this way about them? Who in your life do you feel this way about and why?
2. After sharing his “affection” for his Philippian readers – an affection that is modeled after the “affection of Christ Jesus” for us – Paul prays that their “love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Philippians 1:8-9). The idea here is that they would have more than just a widespread love, but also a wise and discerning love that is able to distinguish what matters most from what is less important. How have you seen wise love in action? In what relationships could you use more wise love?

Introduction to Daniel

THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF DANIEL

The book of Daniel is set in the context of the Babylonian and Persian Empires where Daniel lived as an exile from the nation of Judah. He had been taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar II in 605 BC and resided there until at least 537 BC, after the Persian Empire of Cyrus the Great overtook the Babylonians.

THE HISTORICAL SITUATION OF THE READERS OF DANIEL

While the setting described in Daniel is quite clear, the date of the composition of this book is hotly debated. There are two main perspectives concerning when Daniel was written. The first and traditional perspective understands the book to have been written in the 6th century BC by Daniel himself while he was living in exile. The second and more recent perspective understands the book to have been written (or at least finished) sometime around 164 BC while the people of Judea were living under the tyrannical rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

This debate is complex and considers all sorts of factors like language, vocabulary, literary style, and history. A good study Bible or commentary is a useful resource for those who want to learn more on how to navigate the contours of the arguments (see Selected Resources at the end of this introduction or the bibliography at the end of the book). What all sides agree on is that Daniel’s original readers were people who suffered under oppressive regimes, whether it was 6th century BC captives in Babylon or 2nd century BC Judeans who were persecuted by a foreign king. Appreciating this context of suffering is critical for recovering the relevance of Daniel today.

MODERN RELEVANCE OF DANIEL

It can be easy for us as Christians living in 21st century America to identify with Daniel. There are many ways in which we should aim to be like this inspiring person. His loyalty to God in all circumstances, his persistence in prayer, his integrity, and his wisdom are
all virtues we would do well to emulate. But we must not fail to see that the socio-political situation many of us are in more closely parallels that of Nebuchadnezzar than that of Daniel and his friends. With all of our power, privileges, security, and abundance, we can easily misappropriate the message of Daniel and make it into a promise for us, when it may in fact contain a prophetic critique. The message of Daniel is a promise of hope for those who are hurting at the hands of leaders who misuse their power; God sees their pain and will vindicate them in the end. But it’s also a challenge for those with influence over others – a challenge to look at the world through God’s eyes so that they can truly discern if they are leading like image-bearers or behaving like beasts.

GENRES

The book of Daniel contains two primary genres. The first six chapters of the book are written in the familiar narrative style. Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 are narratives of court contest. In these stories, Daniel and his friends find themselves competing with Babylonian scholars for positions of authority in the empire. The success of the Judahites through God’s favor demonstrates the supremacy of God over the deities of Babylon. Chapters 3 and 6, each following a pair of stories where Judahites have been promoted, contain what are called narratives of court conflict. In these stories, Daniel and his friends find themselves accused by their jealous Babylonian and Persian contemporaries. These stories also magnify God’s power through miraculous acts of rescue.

The final six chapters of the book are written in a more esoteric and cryptic genre called apocalypse. This type of literature can be very confusing, even for the most trained readers of Scripture. Many would prefer to skip this part of the book, but to ignore these chapters would be to ignore some of the most important passages in all of Scripture for understanding who Jesus is and what He did. There’s so much to be gained by entering into the apocalyptic world, and with an understanding of a few key ways of approaching these texts, they can become even more accessible.

First, the word “apocalypse” does not mean “the end of the world” despite what English dictionaries or Hollywood directors lead you to believe. It’s all too common for people
to read this part of Daniel and assume that it contains predictions about what is unfolding in the geo-political world today. We should not make this assumption per se. It certainly challenges our geo-political world to get in line with the ways of God’s kingdom. But the word “apocalypse” simply means “to unveil.” An apocalypse is essentially an unveiling

of an alternative perspective of reality so that we might come to see the world the way God sees it.

Second, apocalyptic literature uses a lot of images. We should not interpret these images too literalistically. We should think of them as symbols that conveyed something signi...

COMMENTARY
Today’s reading represents a major turning point in the book of Mark. Up until this point, Jesus has spent His time in and around the Galilean countryside, demonstrating with great power that He is the Messiah. Now, the book begins its second act as Jesus travels “on the way” to Jerusalem and teaches about the “way” of the Messiah (Mark 8:27; 9:33-34; 10:17, 32, 46, 52).
The episode in Mark 8:27-33 functions as a hinge between these two acts. In the first part of the story, Jesus asks His disciples a question: “Who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29). This is not the first time that someone has asked a question about Jesus’ identity. Throughout Mark, people frequently raised similar questions (e.g., Mark 1:27; 4:41; 6:3). However, this is the first time that Jesus Himself poses the question. He asks it in Caesarea Philippi of all places, a city that was named after Caesar Augustus and had a temple dedicated to the worship of the emperor. Peter’s response, “You are the Messiah,” shows that Peter understands, at least in part, who Jesus is (Mark 8:29). Jesus is God’s anointed King, who would disarm the powers and authorities of this world.
Peter’s response is called “The Great Confession.” While his confession is great, it was still a bit misguided. Following Peter’s answer, Jesus went on to teach clearly what it would look like for Him to assume the throne as the Messiah. Mark 8:31 says, “He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.” We shouldn’t miss how startling this would have been to Peter. Mark says Peter was so disturbed that he “rebuked” Jesus, the same thing Jesus did to stormy seas and demons earlier in this book (Mark 1:25; 4:39)!
Peter’s rebuke reveals that he still had a shallow, albeit popular, view of the Messiah. He was expecting a Messiah that looked more like a military general than a suffering servant. In our culture, we have our own shallow, if popular, views of the Messiah too. Some prefer to see Jesus without His cross. Others prefer to see Jesus without His kingdom. Jesus wants us to see that they go hand-in-hand. Jesus came to triumph over sin in all its forms: spiritual, sociological, political, etc. He did this not by matching might with might, but instead, by suffering as a servant on a cross (Isaiah 52:7-53:12; Colossians 2:13-15).
SCRIPTURE
MARK 8:22–9:13

JESUS HEALS A BLIND MAN AT BETHSAIDA

22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

PETER DECLARES THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH

27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

JESUS PREDICTS HIS DEATH

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

CHAPTER 9

1 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

THE TRANSFIGURATION

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, Jame...

COMMENTARY
In Philippians 1:12, Paul’s letter to the Philippian church turns to a discussion of Paul’s present circumstances. In this section, Paul confirms what he had already alluded to in verse 7, that he is in “chains.” In other words, Paul is imprisoned as he had been many times for preaching the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23). There has been a good deal of debate about where Paul was imprisoned and what the specific conditions of his imprisonment were. It could be that Paul was held in a dark, overcrowded, and unsanitary room which was common at the time. It is also possible that Paul was held under house arrest (Acts 28:16). Whatever his specific circumstance was, this would appear to be a ministry-halting situation.
Paul, however, saw things differently. He writes in verse 12, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.” From Paul’s perspective, his imprisonment didn’t slow the spread of the gospel, it actually advanced it. There are two reasons for this.
First, Paul’s imprisonment gave him an opportunity to share the gospel with people he might never have otherwise met. In verse 13, he specifically identifies the palace guard as one of those groups. The palace guard, also known as the Praetorian Guard, was an elite force of Roman soldiers with significant political influence. These soldiers would sometimes stand guard over prisoners like Paul, but they also had the honor of guarding political leaders including the Roman emperor himself. Because of his circumstances, Paul was able to share the gospel with the Praetorian Guard and as a result, the gospel began making its way into the inner parts of the largest, strongest, and most interconnected empire in the world.
Second, Paul’s imprisonment advanced the spread of the gospel because it inspired others to boldly carry on his mission. He writes in verse 14, “And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” At this time, preaching about Jesus had dangerous consequences as demonstrated by Paul’s own imprisonment. It would have been understandable for Christians to be afraid of sharing their faith. Paul’s willingness to embrace these consequences for preaching the gospel actually inspired others to show the same kind of courage.
Paul’s message and model should inspire us too. It can be easy for us to shy away from sharing our faith because of fear or concern that our circumstances aren’t quite right. We don’t feel adequately trained or we don’t view our everyday settings as the mission field that God has called us to. What God wants us to discover is that He can use us no matter our circumstances. In fact, He may have placed us right where we are because He sees the opportunity in our circumstances. The choice we face is whether we will embrace our opportunities or choose to give in to fear.
SCRIPTURE
PHILIPPIANS 1:12–18

PAUL’S CHAINS ADVANCE THE GOSPEL

12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

REFLECTION

1. Philippians 1:15-18 describes a situation in which some tried to “stir up trouble” for Paul by preaching the gospel with wrong motives. There is a good deal of debate as to who these individuals were and how exactly their preaching could bring Paul difficulty. What is clear is that they were motivated by “selfish ambition.” Later in Philippians 2:3, Paul instructs the Philippians to live differently: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition.” How does Paul model this teaching in his own response to this particular situation?
2. Paul’s courage in the face of imprisonment gave others confidence to preach all the more. What is it about courage that inspires confidence in other people? Which courageous people can you look toward when you lack confidence in your faith?