Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Since entering the ministry in 1978, Max Lucado has served churches in Miami, Florida; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and San Antonio, Texas. He currently serves as Teaching Minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. He is America’s bestselling inspirational author with more than 140 million books in print.

Visit his website at MaxLucado.com

Facebook.com/MaxLucado

Instagram.com/MaxLucado

Twitter.com/MaxLucado

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

BOOK OF MARK

Nelson Impact

Contents

How to Study the Bible....................................ivIntroduction to the Book of Mark..........................viiLesson 1 Compassion.......................................1Lesson 2 Healing and Forgiveness..........................11Lesson 3 Responding to God's Word.........................21Lesson 4 Faith Through Trials.............................31Lesson 5 Step Out in Faith................................41Lesson 6 Testing Faith....................................51Lesson 7 God's Truth Versus Tradition.....................61Lesson 8 True Discipleship................................71Lesson 9 Faith to Overcome................................81Lesson 10 Salvation Through Faith.........................91Lesson 11 The Greatest Commandment........................101Lesson 12 Adoration.......................................111

Chapter One

COMPASSION

REFLECTION

Compassion describes one of those longings that we find easier to feel than to describe. We can see that it relates to sympathy and empathy, but it seems deeper. Showing compassion is not so much about how someone feels toward us but is more about how he or she acts toward us. He or she helps in a way that shows he or she really understands. Think of a time when you were hurting or in need. How did someone show you compassion?

SITUATION

As Jesus preached about the kingdom and healed many diseases, his ministry expanded rapidly. Crowds were growing; demands were great. Once in a while, a quick event unfolded that left a lasting impression, such as when a leper came to Jesus. When this leper approached Jesus, he was breaking all the rules. Lepers were "unclean" and weren't supposed to come near anyone. But Jesus looked beyond that fact.

OBSERVATION

Read Mark 1:40-45 from the NCV or the NKJV.

NCV

40 A man with a skin disease came to Jesus. He fell to his knees and begged Jesus, "You can heal me if you will."

41 Jesus felt sorry for the man, so he reached out his hand and touched him and said, "I will. Be healed!" 42 Immediately the disease left the man, and he was healed.

43 Jesus told the man to go away at once, but he warned him strongly, 44 "Don't tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest. And offer the gift Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show the people what I have done." 45 The man left there, but he began to tell everyone that Jesus had healed him, and so he spread the news about Jesus. As a result, Jesus could not enter a town if people saw him. He stayed in places where nobody lived, but people came to him from everywhere.

NKJV

40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." 41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

EXPLORATION

1. What does the leper's statement reveal about his belief in Jesus?

2. Jesus could have healed the leper simply by speaking to him. Why do you think Jesus reached out and touched him?

3. Lepers were the outcasts of society, forced to live outside the city limits. Why did this leper approach Jesus?

4. Why didn't the leper obey Jesus' request to keep quiet?

5. Describe what the leper may have felt after Jesus touched and healed him.

INSPIRATION

Jesus was a master at communicating love and personal acceptance. He did so when he blessed and held ... little children. But another time his sensitivity to touch someone was even more graphic. This was when Jesus met a grown man's need for meaningful touch, a man who was barred by law from ever touching anyone again....

To touch a leper was unthinkable. Banishing lepers from society, people would not get within a stone's throw of them. (In fact, they would throw stones at them if they did come close!) ... With their open sores and dirty bandages, lepers were the last persons anyone would want to touch. Yet the first thing Christ did for this man was touch him.

Even before Jesus spoke to him, he reached out his hand and touched him. Can you imagine what that scene must have looked like? Think how this man must have longed for someone to touch him, not throw stones at him to drive him away. Jesus could have healed him first and then touched him. But recognizing his deepest need, Jesus stretched out his hand even before he spoke words of physical and spiritual healing. (From The Gift of the Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent)

REACTION

6. Think of a time when you witnessed an act of compassion. Describe what you saw.

7. Have you ever withheld compassion from someone in need? Why?

8. Who are the "lepers" of today's society?

9. What would have to change in order for you to follow Jesus' example and show compassion even to those you find unattractive?

10. What specific person in your life comes to mind to whom you can show compassion?

11. In what ways do you need Jesus' compassionate touch?

LIFE LESSONS

Compassion is one aspect of love. Compassion may grow from feelings, but true compassion represents a practical attention to someone's needs. It doesn't require us to feel; it requires us to act. Sympathy says, "I feel bad that you're hungry." Empathy says, "I know something about how you feel; I was hungry once myself." But compassion says, "Friend, let's go get something to eat." Sympathy and empathy don't require us to do anything; but compassion will cause us to touch, lift, feed, and help those in need as Jesus did for the leper.

DEVOTION

Jesus, you set the bar of compassion high, but you promised to help us meet it. Teach us to practice a different way of seeing people. We look to evaluate and we look to criticize. We look to feel sorry and we even look to feel superior. Help us look for opportunities to practice compassion. Energize us to move beyond our feelings into the territory of treating people the way you treated them.

For more Bible passages about compassion, see Matthew 8:15; 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 7:13; 22:51.

To complete the book of Mark during this twelve-part study, read Mark 1:1-45.

JOURNALING

What are some practical ways that I can reach out in compassion to those around me?

Chapter Two

HEALING AND...