Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Mark 14, if we’re being honest, is a hard chapter to stomach as a follower of Jesus. From start to finish, the themes consist of betrayal, sorrow, and the feeling of defeat. This chapter gives us a glimpse into the darkest days of Jesus' life. It begins with the chief priests and scribes scheming and plotting to arrest and kill Jesus.  Unfortunately, we see that this will soon be accomplished with the help of Jesus’ very own disciple, Judas. As the time draws near for Jesus to be taken away and eventually crucified, He gathers all twelve disciples together for one last meal. It wasn’t until I recently reread this chapter that I truly saw the mercy of Jesus towards His followers who would soon betray and deny him, Judas and Peter. 

This chapter paints a picture of the struggle we face against our flesh and why it is so important to fight against it.

In verses 19-21, Jesus openly addresses the group about the fact that He has already been given over to the chief priests. Instead of flipping the table or calling Judas out by name, He pulls a classic Jesus move. He creates the space for Judas to have a second chance. A second chance to repent. A second chance to deny his fleshly greed. Even then, Jesus still loved him and was hoping that Judas would fight against the flesh.

Jesus does the same thing with Simon Peter in verses 26-31. Jesus warns one of his closest followers and friends that he will deny Him three times before the rooster crows twice. Now, you would think that Peter would know by now that Jesus knows all things, but he just wasn’t having it. I’m sure he was thinking, “No way. You’re wrong, Jesus! Not me.” Scripture says that Peter was emphatic or insistent about the matter. Peter didn’t believe for one second that he could ever deny the Messiah. His fatal flaw was forgetting the fact that Jesus knew him better than he knew himself. Peter missed his chance and didn’t heed the solemn warning of the Savior. He relied on his strength - the power of his own flesh - like so many of us do.

The humbling part about Mark 14 is that we also see Jesus struggling with the reality of what was to come. We see Him in the Garden of Gethsemane on His face in prayer. The burden of fear was so heavy on Him that He began to sweat blood. The sorrow that had come over Jesus was so great that He asks the Father to take the cup from Him. He could have denied the Father’s will if he wanted to. Jesus had the same free will that we do, but thankfully that’s not how the story goes.

You see, had Jesus valued His own personal comfort more than His Father’s will, He would have forfeited His God-given calling and purpose! Sure, He could have gone on to perform many more miracles, but God had a much greater purpose for Jesus. Likewise, each of us has been given a God-given calling, and it won’t always be a cakewalk getting there. It requires our humility and submission to the Lord’s refining, which can be uncomfortable. However, what comes from seasons of refining and crushing is a faith in the Lord that prepares us for the calling He has for our lives. Our flesh will always keep us from our calling if allowed. When we spend time in prayer, scripture, and Godly community, we are actively feeding the spirit and starving our flesh.

Reflection:

• When do you notice yourself relying on your fleshly strengths and abilities rather than relying on God?
• In your quiet time, ask the Lord to create opportunities for you to trust Him over your flesh.
• Also, I recommend listening to the song “Spirit Lead Me” by Influence Music and Michael Ketterer. This song paints a great picture of how we can say “yes” to the Holy Spirit and “no” to our fleshly desires.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Mark 14

Author: Amy Stampley

In the final days that Jesus was on Earth, He knew His last day was coming soon. As He was visiting the house of one of His followers, a lady with a jar of very expensive oil came to Him, broke the jar, and poured it out over His head. This was a symbol of worship and respect! She honored Him with this precious gesture. She was strongly criticized by people in the crowd for wasting oil that was very expensive. Jesus told them that the woman would be remembered in scripture because it was such a beautiful gift of honor to Him.

• Think of one of your most prized possessions. Would you sacrifice that possession to honor God if you were given the opportunity as this lady was?
• How can you honor Jesus today? (Doing something nice for someone, thanking Him for dying on the cross for us, telling a friend about Him)
• Dear God, we are all human and because of this, we make mistakes every day, but we want to honor You. God, help us to remember the woman with the anointing oil and how she wanted to give the best of what she had. Let these things remind us how much we should honor You with everything that we do. Lord, we want our ways to be pleasing to You. Help us, Lord, as we strive to honor You. Amen.