It's All About Me

By Phil Wood

Scripture: Mark 11:15-17

One of the big Aha Moments I've had over my years studying Scripture is that, basically, the entire Bible is about me. Well, it's about God, and Jesus, but after that it's about me. Now, before you start with, "Oh boy, here we go again, it's all about Phil, everything is always about Phil, now even the whole Bible is about Phil," consider this.

I believe the entire Bible is also about you. Whether it's telling a story about millions of Jews in the desert, or about any of the singular biblical characters who populate its pages, or about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, himself, the story is a message from God about whoever may be reading it. In your case, that would be you. In my case, that would be me.

Jerusalem is me. The wall of Jerusalem is my body. The temple is my heart. The whole Bible, from beginning to end, is the story of God and the relationship he wants to have with me. Like the Jews, I keep turning my back and wandering away. He keeps calling me, drawing me back. He keeps trying to show the Israelites how important it is that he be at the very center of the loving community he's trying to build. He keeps trying to show me how important it is to keep him at the very center of my being. 

Now, whenever I open my Bible, I stop and reflect for a few moments before starting to read. I need to be still, and know the great I Am is about to speak directly to me about something in me that I, personally, need to think about. This has made a huge difference in the way I read the Bible.

This morning I read the passage from Mark 11 about Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers and driving folks out of the temple who were buying and selling there. "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?'" Jesus asked. "But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

In my former days I thought this was a story about the righteous anger of Jesus and how wicked it is to do unholy things in the place that has been designated for prayer and communion with the Holy of Holies. But this morning I remembered the temple is my heart.

O, my God! I have allowed so many unholy distractions to clutter my heart, day in and day out. Politics. Worldly desires. Social media ramblings. And on and on and on. Father, overturn the tables and benches, drive out the buyers and sellers of distraction and the robbers of my soul. Make my heart a place of prayer as you have always intended. Make my heart a place of communion with you. In Jesus name, amen.

The Demon of Doubt

By Phil Wood

Scripture: Mark 9:14-29, Matthew 17:14-20

I have a friend who asks hard questions. "How can I give myself," he asks, "how can I surrender myself to Jesus when I can't see him and I can't hear him?"

I think my friend is a believer and what I think he's saying when he asks these questions is, "Help my unbelief!"

When Jesus heard a man express this prayer, "Help my unbelief," he ordered an evil spirit to come out of the man's son, and with a shriek it did. That man saw Jesus in the flesh. He experienced the healing of his son before his very eyes. He witnessed the end of a problem that had been tearing him apart for years. I'm going to surmise the man went home that day no longer struggling with unbelief.

But what about my friend?

Later, the disciples asked Jesus, "Why couldn't we drive the demon out? In Mark's version of the story, Jesus answered simply, "This kind can come out only by prayer." In Matthew's version of the story, Jesus' answer was a bit different. "Because you have so little faith," he said.

The man whose son was healed had also demonstrated a lack of faith saying, "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." When Jesus called him out on that lack of faith, the man (unlike the disciples) immediately recognized how small his faith was, and prayed for help: "I do believe; help my unbelief!"

Jesus answered that prayer immediately. In an instant, he not only healed the boy, he healed the father. 

I know my friend has to pray this prayer for himself, and I hope he does, over and over. In the meantime, I'm praying it for him, and for myself, and for all who are occasionally possessed by demons of doubt:

Lord, help our unbelief! Help us recognize when our faith is shallow and to pray for help immediately. Cast out the demon of doubt. Give us eyes to see, and ears to hear your amazing response. Amen.

P.S. Isn't it great to know you're praying for something that you know for sure is in the Father's will?