Learning from God the Importance of Faithful Love (Mark 10:1-12)

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. (10:1)

I always focused on the Father, on the Kingdom of heaven, and on teaching about this. The works of the Father would then support this teaching. I would explain that I came to accomplish what Isaiah promised (Is 61), to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to comfort those who mourn. As the kingdom of the Father comes near, the consequences of sin move away and the light of the gospel appears. 

And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (10:2)

I did not come to judge but to bring deliverance from sin. The Pharisees did not like that, because they did not have that power. The only power they had was to make people follow their understanding of the law of Moses. Therefore they made all the efforts they could to bring me back to this subject, with the hope that they could prove me wrong. They had the form of religion but not the heart required. Moses commanded to love the Father with all your heart, soul and strength, yet they did not do it. They thought that they just had to obey written laws, while the Father was calling them to a living relationship with Him. 

I came to accomplish the law of Moses, to enable people and show them how to love the Father, how to live the intimate and joyful relationship with the Father we are called to live. It was strange that they would speak of the possibility of divorce, were the Father was longing for his people to stop worshipping idols and becoming adulterous. The Pharisees, by their blind attachment to written texts and their inconsistent application of these written texts, were in fact pulling people away from a living relationship with the Father, thus encouraging unfaithfulness to God despite their accent on the law of Moses. With the Sadducees, through their teaching, they were leading to themselves and not to the Father, making of the house of my Father a cavern of robbers. They were leading to a practical divorce from the Father, while pretending to lead to God through the analysis and application of a text from the Father. It was therefore really awkward from them to speak about the Father’s teaching concerning divorce. 

He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. (10:3-5)

They focused on the possibility of writing a certificate of divorce, and the possibility for a man to get rid of his wife. I focused on the heart of the Father, that tolerated divorce not as a good thing but as a possibility because of the hardness of human hearts. 

When you read the Scriptures, don’t make the same mistake, don’t focus on what you can do or cannot do, because that is not the heart of the Father in Scriptures. The heart of Scriptures is about a loving relationship with the Father and with me. Learn to love us, to develop an intimate relationship with us. Of course, these sacred texts will give you some practical guidance on what to do. Yet, don’t forget that the ultimate goal of Scriptures is to lead to a loving relationship with me, the Messiah, and through me to love the Father. I am the way to the Father, and I am the good shepherd. Don’t let thieves guide you to selfish goals, don’t let Scriptures become a dry set of rules. They speak about me and about the Father, come to me and you will find peace, real peace for your soul. 

But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become on flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (10:6-9)

Through couples, the union of a man and a woman, God has always wanted to teach humans faithfulness and love. Love thrives in stable relationships, and the union between a man and a woman was designed by the Father to last for all their life, as a sign of the faithful relationship He wanted with each man and each woman. Loving God and loving your neighbor are enlightening each other. As you learn to be faithful to your wife or husband, you learn to be faithful to your God. As you learn to love God every day of your life, you learn to love His works and His creation, as it can be beautifully demonstrated in your love for your spouse. This has been the intention of the Father from the beginning. 

Most people who desire to divorce imagine that their life will then be easier, while it is rarely the case. What is lacking in most cases is a strong relationship with me. As you learn to become intimate with me and the Father, as you learn to feed on the bread of heaven, this love relationship with us, you will be able to walk in dark places and remain joyful in challenging situations. It is true, in some cases divorce can be a solution, for instance in some cases of adultery, but it is never the first solution that the Father wanted. You should learn to listen to me and let me guide you as your shepherd, instead of seeking Scriptural rules to justify your selfish will. 

In his desire to demonstrate what love is about, the Father even taught the prophet Hosea to stay with an unfaithful wife, as a teaching of His faithful love for Israel and for humanity. The question is always: is your relationship with God the first relationship in your life? Have you learned to receive the love of the Father and to let this love rule in your life? Or, do you let the imperfect human relationships become the most important relationships in your life, with their fleeting value and many imperfections? As long as you focus on men for becoming happy, you will chase happiness but not find it. As soon as you learn to let our love fill your heart, purify you completely through the tender presence of the Holy Spirit, you will discover that continual joy and happiness was as close to you as your right hand. 

And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (10:10-12)

You live in a culture where people think that sexuality is what makes people happy. It can be part of it, but it is certainly neither necessary nor fundamental for happiness. What is needed for happiness is to be filled with the love of the Father, and to learn to live a life full of this love for God and for your neighbor. Once you learn this lesson, once you stay attached to me as the branch is attached to the vine, nothing can destroy your joy and happiness. 

By seeking your happiness in divorce and a new human relationship, by trying to remarry out of selfish motives, you will commit adultery, you will just show that you are unfaithful to the eternal vow you made to God and to your first spouse. People promise to be faithful to each other whatever the circumstances, but then they want to take back their vow when things get tough. If the Father did so with humans, there would not be a single human still alive today. Is it what you want, to see the Father remove his faithful love when you are unfaithful? If it is not the case, then don’t look at divorce as a good thing, because it is not. Learn to forgive and to receive God’s forgiveness. It is possible for a spouse to be faithful, even if the other is not, that is what the Father has demonstrated for a long time. It is possible even to love you enemy, as the Father wants you to learn. In all this, it is extremely important that you learn to listen to me and to follow me. In some very specific cases, I will allow a person to divorce, but not out of frustration, rather out of obedience to me. 

Remember that the root of happiness is found in God and in His faithful love, and not in humans. Learn to welcome this love and to imitate it in your own life. Once you have learned this lesson of God’s faithful love, you will be a happy person whatever the human relationships you are in, you will be able to sing with joy while in prison, you will love even in front of enemies, you will remain in my peace even in the midst of war. Our love is not a cheap love that comes and goes, it is a stable and an all-conquering love. I died on the cross out of love for humans, and the Father brought me back to life. I have conquered death, sin and hatred. Welcome my victory, welcome our love. Shine of this perfect love and cast out the darknesses of your world. 

Welcome the Purifying Salt and Fire of the Holy Spirit (Mark 9:38-50)

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. (9:38-40)

Remember that I did not sow my word sparingly. This means that many will do ministry in my name in a way that you will not necessarily approve. Yet, don’t be too quick to judge. As a matter of fact, do not judge. You recognize a tree by its fruits. If the tree is good, the fruits will be good, and if the tree is bad the fruits will be bad. If the Christians would be more concerned with shining of my light and listening to me, instead of listening to negative news and criticizing each other, this could help a lot my Church. It is true, some preach my name with impure motives. Yet, focus more on reaching the lost than on correcting other Christians. How will your service for my glory be evaluated by others? Will they see the fruits of the Spirit, the fruits of good works that the Father has done through your love and obedience? 

You are called first and foremost to bring the fruits of the Father, to shine of His light in this world. Learn to focus first on the Father and on me, on being in constant communion with us through the Holy Spirit, then focus on bringing others to this vital fellowship. You will realize that you don’t have much time left for judging and stopping others who preach my name in a way different of yours. If I ask you to correct a brother, then do it in a spirit of humility; but if it is only your brain that wants to control how others speak of me and you go to rebuke them with such unloving motives, then I will not approve. 

For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. (9:41)

In the opposite, if you follow me as my disciple, I will bless those who bless you. The blessing of Abraham will then flow through you, as it flowed through me. I call you to be a blessing, to bear my kingdom in you, to shine of my light in this world. 

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. (9:42)

If you want to focus on the risks of having people sin, don’t focus so much on the risk of others causing sin, but focus first and foremost on you risking to make someone fall into sin. Do not look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but remove first the plank in your own eye. You will realize that correcting requires grace and much love. First welcome my corrections, learn when you can become a cause of sin, and realize that you are not crushed simply because of our love and grace for you. As you realize that you should have many times been thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck, we want you to learn humility and focus more on our love than on judging others. It does not mean that there is no judgment, it simply means that this is not your task: I am the one who will judge. Because I gave my life for the world, the Father gave me to judge the world. 

And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. (9:43)

If some actions or habits cause sin in your life, you should get rid of these habits. Don’t take half-measures, with the discouragement that they so often bring. Humbly recognize that you are not as strong as you pretend, and that you need to get rid of some actions. Recognize that you need to depend more on me as my disciple, and you will avoid many struggles and sins. Learn to walk with me in all you do, and you will learn the joy of a peaceful conscience. 

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. (9:45)

If going to some places causes you to sin, don’t go there anymore. 

And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ (9:47-48)

If watching certain things or persons causes you to sin, don’t watch that anymore. Your eye is like a lamp, highlighting elements of the reality. If you highlight sinful things, images of sin and darkness, then darkness and sin will creep in your heart and harm you. Don’t let that happen, and even if it already did, take the required steps to get rid of the images of darkness. If TV programs are leading you to spiritual passivity or to bitterness and sin, then don’t watch them. If some websites or even all internet leads you to sin, then don’t go there. If some newspapers bring impure desires in your heart, get rid of them. 

Don’t discuss with sin, you will always lose. Sin is not a friend, therefore don’t treat it as a friend but rather as an enemy. Avoid sin, and where your eyes lead you to sin, as much as possible. Don’t justify a sinful bent, just get rid of what causes you to sin. In doing so, you will avoid going progressively down to hell, the hell of a guilty conscience in your world, and ultimately hell forever. I did not come to judge but to save, I did not come to condemn but to deliver. Ask for my help with humility, act upon this request and follow faithfully the path of deliverance I will open for you. You will then see my joyful deliverance in your life. 

For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (9:49-50)

I want you to make a difference in this world. I want you to be a light shining of my love. I want you to be salted with the fire of my Holy Spirit. You will then give a good taste to the simplicity of life, you will bring grace in relationships. If you lose the salt of my Spirit, you cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit by your own strength. You cannot produce by yourself real love, peace and joy. Come back to the source of love, welcome my Holy Spirit and learn not to grieve Him. Then you will have in you this salt that the world longs for. 

I did not come to bring a superficial peace, but the peace that comes from the fire of the Holy Spirit, a real love that brings real peace. If you don’t know this love, ask it with faith and you will receive it. If you don’t have the Holy Spirit, you cannot produce it, simply consecrate all you are to me, repent of any deed of darkness and invite the Holy Spirit to fill you. Be humble, don’t hesitate to ask Christians you trust to pray for you. Then the fire of my love will shine in you, then the light of my grace with be manifest. Then you will have salt in yourself and will carry my peace in your relationships with others. 

Love Flows Through Humility (Mark 9:30-37)

Jesus Announces Again His Death and Resurrection (Mark 9:30-32)

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. (9:30-32)

The first time I mentioned my death, Peter opposed it strongly, and I needed to rebuke him. This time, my disciples did not dare to speak, aware that it was not a secondary matter, that it was a given they had to accept. 

My death and resurrection were so important, and it was important that step by step they would prepare for it. It is true, even at my death they were not ready, but these repetitions had prepared them for welcoming the Holy Spirit and for accepting the cross. I did not speak to convince people instantly, I spoke to prepare for the Father’s way to be manifested. It is very important that you learn from this that you have to focus on me and on the Father, not on what other people think. Ultimately, it is not your fellow humans who give life, but the Father through the Holy Spirit and through me. Love the Father with all your heart, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Loving your neighbor sometimes means to do what he tells you, but not always. Sometimes you will have to look harsh or insensitive, in order to help the Father bring His grace to your neighbor. My disciples did not want to hear about my crucifixion, but by me repeating it they began to wrestle with it step by step, as their reactions clearly showed. 

Greatness Through Humility (Mark 9:33-37)

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. (9:33-34)

Unable to understand why I would die, since I was the Messiah, and unable to understand what my ministry was ultimately about, they tried first to grasp what would happen after my death. Since they did not really hear that not only I would die but also resurrect, they began to think about what would happen if I was no more there. Their very down to earth thinking led them to the question: who will be the leader after Jesus is gone? And this first implicit question led to the second one, when they asked each other: who is the greatest? In their thinking, the greatest among them would then become the leader. 

It was strange to me that they would not meditate first about the ultimate goal of my ministry, this intimacy with God that they were to experience and communicate - this good news that transforms everything. They did not understand the coming of the kingdom through me, they did not focus yet on the Father in their thinking. They were still trying to analyze and grasp spiritual realities with earthly concepts. 

And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (9:35)

I came not to master but to serve humans. I did not claim any title, but humbly came in a poor family of Nazareth. It is the Father who elevated me, it is the Father who did miracles through me, through my listening to His voice and through following His direction. I accepted the cross, and he resurrected me. I accepted to be last, and he made me first. The key question of my ministry was not who is the greatest, but who is willing to serve the Father. It is only through the acknowledgment that without God nothing important and eternal can be accomplished, that people can be elevated by the Father. It is foolish for humans to try to reach the heaven and eternity with their strength and brain. Once they recognize that they are not God, that they are created by God and need his help, only then can the Father pour fully his love in them and elevate them. As long as you think that you are better than you neighbor, you are dangerous because you will crush and destroy others around you. As long as you try to elevate yourself by your own strength, you have to lower others. Once you abandon this self-centered effort, if you come to me with your burdens I will give you rest and show you the way of life, and through fellowship with me the Father will elevate you. That is how the last will be first. 

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not only me but him who sent me.” (9:36-37)

My disciples were looking for a leader after me, I welcomed a child. They looked for power, I showed them humility. A child knows that he needs his father, that alone he will not be able to survive very long. In the same way, humans need dearly the heavenly Father, in order to not only live a short human life but to receive the eternal life, as they learn to know me and the Father through an intimate and vibrant relationship. 

I wanted my disciples to realize how vital it was to care for the little ones, to learn to see the love of the Father in a child. In my name, following my example, I wanted them to learn to love the humble and to show the love of the Father. In receiving a little child in my name, in imitating me, they showed that they received my love. In receiving my love they received me and the Father who sent me. I did not come for power, but to show the way of heavenly love, the way of a humble love that transforms communities and nations, a love that is not proud, a love that you receive and give joyfully. 

Prayer Brings Victory (Mark 9:14-29)

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” (9:14-18)

As I came down from the mountain, I saw many people and scribes arguing. It did not take long to realize that there was a debate. The disciples had been able to heal the sick and cast out demons, but this time they were not able to cast out a demon. The scribes were seizing this opportunity to create doubts about who I was and what my ministry was. 

It was very important for me to train my disciples and to empower them to do the works that the Father had prepared in advance for them. Yet, failure is often more useful for teaching someone than success. When people succeed, they tend to think that they know what is needed, and that they don’t really need to learn. When someone fails, then there is the need to learn something. 

And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.  (9:19-20)

In Judaism in this period, people had developed methods and specific prayers for casting out demons. The way I trained my disciples, for casting out demons, was very different. They did not need to recite specific prayers, they just had to do what I told them, to cast the demons out in my name. The focus was not on specific words, but on listening to me and doing what I told to my disciples. What was at stakes was the difference between obeying dead rules and remaining in a living relationship with God through my words and commands. 

There is no technique for casting out demons, it is a matter of manifesting the power of the Holy Spirit in you and through you. The focus is not on a technique, but on faith in the person of God and in His holiness. I rebuked the people, in particular the scribes, for their lack of faith. They were replacing living faith in the Father with dead words that were supposed to contain power. 

And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help me with my unbelief!” (9:21-24)

This father was begging for help, but was not sure whether I could do something or not. He had seen my disciples fail, so he wondered whether I could help or not. My answer did not focus on me but on faith in God. Faith is not only this abstract idea that God is the creator of the universe, it is rather a living relationship with the Father in which you rely on him and on His guidance, confident that as you do His will, he accomplishes his plans of love through you. Faith requires a real relationship with the Father, the aptitude to listen to God and to hear Him lead you. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes from God speaking to you. 

And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. (9:25-27)

I did not want to attract the crowd, but simply help this father and deliver his poor boy. United to the Father, I followed His direction and could cast out this mute and deaf spirit. After this, the unclean spirit had taken so much energy from this boy that he looked like a corpse. I touched him, praying that the Father would give him the strength to get up, and he indeed arose. 

And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (9:28-29) 

The disciples had been used to have me speak to them, giving them the words from God, and when I was away they realized that they did not know how to receive words from God without my presence, specially when things did not go as they hoped. They still confused the power of God and their power. They did not yet understand how my authority was intimately related to the Holy Spirit in me. This failure was an important moment, for them to learn more about faith and prayer. 

Humans are looking for power, God is looking for relationships of love. Men are seeking techniques, God is sharing His tenderness. The selfish minds seeks ways to assert their strength, God seeks ways to communicate His mercy. 

Prayer is not about power, but first and foremost about intimacy. It is true that, through my intimacy with the Father, I received His power and could bring miracles. Yet, power was never the focus, it was always love. As I kept this loving relationship with the Father in all circumstances, He could lead me to show His love through me. That is why I said to my disciples that whoever sees me sees the Father. 

It is through faith in God that you can develop in you a strong life of prayer, this intimate dialogue with the Father. Don’t forget, prayer is not only about asking things from God, it is much more, it is thanking him, asking him questions and listening obediently to him. As I am with the Father, you can come to me and with the Father we will communicate with you. We will show you how much we love you and how precious you are for us, we will invite you to respond to our love with simplicity. 

As prayer becomes strong in your life - this love relationship between you and me, our love will become strong in you and through you. As you follow the directions of our love, through the Holy Spirit, you will see our love bring the works that were prepared for you to practice, and miracles of love will follow. Yet, don’t focus on the miracles, focus on our love. As for the disciples then, our goal is never to lead you to become proud and powerful, but humble and loving. 

At that moment in my life, the disciples were still focusing more on power, and did not understand what had happened with this boy. They did not see the importance of prayer. It was not about the amount of time spent in prayer, or the specific words said in prayer. It was simply the quality of their relationship with the Father, their aptitude to speak and listen to Him, so that he could lead them as He was leading me. 

A few generations after the apostles, the Christians again thought that the deliverance of this boy was a matter of power, and they corrected my words to add that it was ‘through fasting and prayer’ that this type of demons would go away. It is strange that they dared do that, since I did not fast during my ministry with the disciples. Fasting is often seen as a technique of power, yet its value is simply to help focus on God in prayer. It can help for a time to be more focused, but its importance is much lower than prayer. 

Prayer, listening to me and following me is the source of love, purity and power. Don’t look further, don’t try to find specific techniques to cast out a specific demon. Simply learn to listen more closely to me, to follow my directions, and to remain filled with the Holy Spirit. That was the way I followed on earth, that is the way I invite you to follow. Don’t forget, I have gained the victory over death and sin, welcome fully this victory through a constant prayer life and rejoice!

The Commandment to Listen to Jesus (Mark 9:1-13)

The Transfiguration of Jesus

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, and no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. (9:1-4)

Through this revelation, Peter, James, and John could witness the kingdom of God coming with power through me. They did not understand, and would need time to process what happened. After speaking to them about my death, it was important for them to see how real was the kingdom that I was bringing. The Father asks me to be the King of kings, Lord of Lords, with Him and the Holy Spirit. 

My kingdom is real, it is the kingdom of heaven, and it was the focus of all my ministry on earth. I started by proclaiming that the kingdom was near, and here I demonstrated to a few key disciples how real and powerful was this kingdom. The alternation of revelations about my suffering and death on one side, and the power of kingdom on the other, was intentional. This helped to prepare my disciples for my death and resurrection, for the way of the cross in the power of the kingdom. People often think that power will avoid suffering, or that suffering is a failure. I came to teach that the kingdom of heaven is first and foremost rooted in love, and that love demonstrates how suffering and power can be two complementary facets in your world. 

In this world, you will have to suffer, because of sin. For many it is difficult to move away from hardened hearts of dead power to loving hearts of humble love. In order to proclaim efficiently my coming kingdom, you have to accept that I don’t use human weapons of death but spiritual weapons of life, and that my kingdom is not built on violence and war. My kingdom is built on love and sacrifice, I have shown the way to follow. Yet, many people have a hard time to see that accepting to suffer is not a sign of weakness. This was the case during my life, this is still the case today. 

I appeared in shining clothes, with Elijah and Moses. They rejoiced to be at my side for a while. We discussed of the accomplishment of my task through my crucifixion and resurrection in Jerusalem. They were rejoicing of seeing what they had awaited for so long, for the Holy Spirit to be welcomed by many, for the love of the Father to spread in many hearts. 

And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” (9:5-7)

Peter saw in me a revelation that was very different from the worldly Messiah he had thought would come. It puzzled him for a long time, and with the others they were afraid to die when they saw me transfigured. They realized that God was revealing himself through me, and they feared for their life. For people to be able to come close to God without dying, they need to be purified, so that they are not consumed. That is why I came, that is why I sent the Holy Spirit, to prepare people to come close to God, to become able to love God with all their heart, soul and strength. 

When the Father spoke, his message was extremely simple: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” With these simple words he stressed that I am really who I said I am, that God is really my Father, that I am really the Son of God. Yet, the most important part is forgotten by many Christians, the Father said: “listen to him.” It was true then and has always been true, my disciples hear my voice and follow me. The Father did not say to read the texts speaking about me, although this is also important, but he said: “listen to him.” 

I even told my disciples after my resurrection that I would be with them until the end of the age, yet most people don’t believe my words. If I am with you, it is to speak with you. I also said: “where two or three are united in my name, I am in the midst of them.” This means that I want a real relationship with each of my disciples. You are in a world of theories, of abstract theology that often miss the simplicity of my good news. My good news is that God is with you, that I came to deliver you from this separation from God. What better sign of this deliverance than the ability to dialogue with me, to dialogue with the Father? How can you have a deep and loving relationship with someone if you don’t hear the person speak to you? How strange that people try to love me without learning to listen to me. The one who really loves me is the one who listens to me and obeys to what I say. 

The biblical text is an excellent starting point to encounter me and to listen to me, yet if you fall short of a real relationship with me, you can end up making many theories on the ground of a few verses. Some said that the Scriptures are my cradle. It is nice, because I was a baby for a time. Yet, I am no more a baby. I am the lion of Judah and I want to lead my disciples in all they say and all they do, like an army united through my love which will crush darkness and bring God’s mercy and grace to shine and rule in many places on earth. A written text will never be sufficient to allow that. The Scriptures are an invitation to listen to me, to listen to the Father. It takes a step of faith to ask and listen to me, to speak and hear me in your heart. Yet, without this step of faith, the message of the kingdom becomes diluted and without much use. I did not come to make people nice, I came to bring a holy transformation that shakes this world. I came to manifest a love that casts out darkness and brings the light of the Father. I am the Word of God, I am still speaking today. The key message of the Father was: listen to him. Many people forget that the Father did not say that I am the Scripture of God. He did not ask to read but to listen. I am the Word of God. There is a major difference between reading and listening to a person. Reading can still allow control of what you read. Listening invites relationship and obedience, depending on me in all you do. I depended on the Father for all I said and all I did. I am the Word of God, and I want to teach my disciples to listen to me. Yet, I cannot force them and lead them without them choosing to really depend on me and on my voice. As the Father said a long time ago, he wants to tell you today: listen to our voice, listen to me. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. If you parents who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. And the Holy Spirit will remind you all I said, will help you to hear all I say, and will teach you all things. 

And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. (9:8-10)

As this vision disappeared, I told them to keep silent on what they saw. This revelation would help them prepare for my death and resurrection, although they did not see yet the big picture of my mission on earth. They had not experienced someone coming from the death back to life, so I could not blame them for not understanding yet what a real rising from the dead might mean. 

And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” (9:11-13)

For my disciples, what was the closest to this idea of resurrection was the teaching that Elijah would come first to restore all things. This had some truth in it, because John the Baptist came with a message similar to the message of Elijah, a message of repentance, to bring back the hearts of the fathers to their children and the heart of the children to their fathers. Yet, this did not mean that Elijah would resurrect. First of all, Elijah was not dead, as they could witness in my dialogue with him and Moses. I just pointed them to John as the one who came in the authority of Elijah, and that instead of resurrection Herod killed him. I then tried to bring them back to what was key: the fact that I would suffer many things and be treated with contempt. Since a disciple is not greater than his master, I knew that it was not something that they wanted to hear. If I would suffer, it implied that they would also suffer. Before speaking of resurrection, they needed to acknowledge the journey through suffering that I was going to face, the journey that they would also have to face. 

Still today, many of my disciples are ready to rejoice of my resurrection, but don’t want to deny themselves and carry their cross. They don’t want to acknowledge that by following my voice and learning to love as I love, that would still imply some suffering in your world. Yet, take heart because I have conquered death, and as you learn to follow me you will participate in my victory. Do not focus on suffering, focus on me and on my love. Pray for each other, heal the sick and cast out demons. Proclaim my kingdom through your words and through your actions. Don’t let the burdens of this world crush you. Learn from me, for I am humble and meek, I will teach you the love of the Father. Open the eyes of your heart to what I want you to do every day, open the ears of your heart to my voice. I will then lead you as my dear sheep, as one of the precious children of the Father. No one will snatch you out of our hand, in us you will find the refuge and strength that you need, you will find purpose and joy in all the days of your life. 

Love Has a Price (Mark 8:27-38)

Who Do You Say I Am? (8:27-30)

And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philipp. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. (8:27-30)

In this moment, I did with my disciples exactly what I did before with the blind man. I took my disciples aside, and probed how much did they see who I am. My identity was not wrapped in mystery, but the eyes of people are so fragile, they tend to look only for what they already know or what they want. Learning to see is a spiritual journey. Most people saw in me John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the prophets. They did not see what was unique in me. 

Peter associated me with the Christ. He was right in some ways and wrong in others. He was right concerning the fact that I am indeed the Christ, the Messiah, the one promised by the prophets to deliver Israel from oppression and who would bring an eternal kingdom. He was wrong in the fact that he expected this kingdom to be of this world, and the real oppressor was not a specific nation like Rome, but sin and death in all their forms. 

Since this understanding was only partial, I charged my disciples not to speak. It would take them a long time to realize the parts they missed concerning my mission on earth. Only after my death, only after Pentecost would they have a clear grasp of my mission and their mission. 

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection (8:31-38)

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. (8:31)

In order to help my disciples to understand my real mission, I began to speak of the cross. I would not take a worldly power in Israel, in fact I would be killed. Then, I would rise again, showing that my victory would be on  sin and death, not on a foreign nation. In some ways, for you today, this seems pretty simple, but for my dear disciples then it was completely foreign to their understanding, and I knew that it would take a long time for them to understand. 

And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (8:32-33)

Peter could not see the link between the fact that I am the Christ, and my death and resurrection. Not understanding, he thought that I was wrong, and tried to redirect me. This was not from God. At that precise moment, Peter was more attached to his desire of physical deliverance, of a worldly messianic kingdom, and because of that he let Satan enter into him. My words are always plain, and I needed to rebuke Satan who was beginning to get inroads in the heart of Peter. Peter was not ‘possessed’, but he was clearly influenced by Satan. I needed to be very clear because all the other disciples were watching and they needed a clear direction. Satan was working in the heart of my disciples, who still had a hardened heart, and he would even win over Judas Iscariot in the end. My words to Peter were concerning a very real danger, and I wanted my disciples to be aware of the stake. 

In your world, people have often this idea that if they are Christian they will not be influenced or oppressed by demons. If their understanding of being a Christian is a continual fellowship with me and the Father, dialoguing with me during their days and walking in the spirit, then they are right. This life of the spirit is indeed what I want all my disciples to experience and this indeed protect them from demonic influences or oppression. I want them to know me intimately and to know the Father, not in an abstract way but in all the decisions and all the moments of their life. 

Yet, many people calling themselves ‘Christians’ are not yet there, and have not even learned to listen to me. I don’t want to condemn, but I want to attract them to a deeper communion with me, to a continual life of prayer, so that they are continually protected. This is very practical, John Wesley would speak of the continual witness of the Spirit to describe this. When people have not yet learned to remain in me and I in them, they are subject to having demons come and influence them in their words and decisions, oppress them and crush them. If Peter could be influenced by Satan at that moment, many can be influenced today. 

Learn to remain in me and I in you, learn to remain filled with the Holy Spirit, to follow us in all you do, and you will be really protected and safe. The Father is indeed a fortress and a sure protection, this protection is practical and in me you receive this protection. Paul spoke of the armor of the believer, in Ephesians 6, you can meditate on this. 

You have different ways to recognize if you have reached this safety in me. One of them is to keep the witness of the Holy Spirit during your days, to continually experience our presence in you. Another way, which is very similar, is to check during the day that you can not only speak to me but listen to me. My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me. As you listen to my voice and follow me, you will be able to do the good works that the Father has prepared for you, bringing miracles, conversions and other forms of our love through you. 

Learn from this story to remain humble. Keep in mind that I have gained the victory on the cross. For you to experience this victory, you have to renounce control over your life, and to live your whole life in me and through fellowship with me. 

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (8:34)

I had to be very clear, so that my disciples would have a clear victory in God, and not be crushed by Satan. When you deny yourself, you refuse to let your will be separate from my will and the will of the Father, you accept to let our will and our love rule over your independent will. To accept the cross is to accept that you can suffer. Suffering is not a goal in itself, but should not be feared neither. It is only as you deny yourself that you will find in us the safety and peace to accept suffering, and then be able to follow me wherever I lead you. Our goal is to manifest fully in you and through you our love. This love has a price, and you have to learn that it will involve some form of suffering. There is no greater love than to give your life for those you love. This was my path, this is the path I invite all my disciples to tread. 

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? (8:35-37)

Learn to focus on me, on my love and on dwelling in me. For this to happen, you have to lose your independence. As you learn how much the Father and I love you, how much the Father is good, learn to accept that you independent will is not what you have been created for. You have been created for fellowship and not for independent lordship. Self-centeredness is the disease that harms your world, and we came to heal this disease. 

I came to show the way through the Father’s love and through my sacrifice on the cross. You have to follow me in accepting to renounce an independent life, to lose your autonomy and to enter in full fellowship with me - as I did with the Father. I did not say or do anything independently from the Father. Learn to speak and act in me and with me, motivated by my love and holiness. 

It is true, there is a form of loss concerning this independence, yet without this loss you will lose much more in the end - your very soul and body. You reap what you sow, if you sow independence from God who is the source of life, you will reap death in the end, death for your soul and for your body. If you sow dependence on the source of life, on us, then you will reap eternal life with us. 

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (8:38)

Do not be deceived, the one who does not learn to deny himself - and who rather chooses do deny me - will reap the bitter fruit of his choice. Death, physical and spiritual death are a reality. We want to avoid it for everyone, but each person has to choose life. To choose life implies choosing the Father and I, since we bring life to this world. If people want a ‘moderate’ gospel, in which they want to go to church on Sunday and do whatever they want during their week, that is not anymore my gospel; in fact it is no more good news. The path for my disciples requires all their heart, this has always been the case and will always be. You are called to love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. This is our path, and it has never changed. It implies denying your independence, it implies taking up your cross and following me on this path of holy love. You will then learn to love your neighbor as yourself, and see the light of God shine in you and through you. 

I have won the victory against sin and death, I died on the cross and rose again on the third day. This victory is for each person. Learn to welcome this victory in all your life, so that you will have life in abundance, so that you will enter fully in the path of pure love that I have opened for you. 

Opening the Eyes of the Disciples to the Way of the Kingdom (Mark 8:22-26)

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida 

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” (8:22-26)

As I came to this blind man who begged to touch me, I had mercy on him. In his case, the fact of touching me was not enough for him to get well (compare to Mark 6:56). He needed more help. His faith was still lacking. That is why I had mercy on him and took him by the hand, leading him out of the village so that I could pray peacefully with him. Remember, I did not guess what to do, I always followed what the Father told me or what he showed me. That is the same way I use to lead my disciples still today, but for that you need to learn to develop this sensitivity to my spirit, to the Holy Spirit. You will then be able to practice the good works that the Father has prepared for you. 

This time, for this blind man, I needed to spit on his eyes, to lay hands on him. So many were healed just by touching the fringe of my garment, but for him I needed to bring him aside and to take more time with him. In many ways, what I did with this blind man was similar to what I did with my close disciples, with the twelve. The spit on his eyes can remind you of the words I needed to speak to my disciples. They needed to learn who I was, who the Father was. This spit was not enough to heal the blind, I needed to lay my hands on him. In the same way my disciples needed not only to hear my words but also to have personal contact with me, to see me at work, in order to discover the love of the Father in a very practical way. 

With all this, it was still not enough for the blind man to see well, he just began to see people looking like trees. My disciples also struggled to see clearly what the Father was doing through me, and to see the people with the Father’s eyes of love. They still saw people as objects, like walking trees in some ways. They needed more help to see clearly. For the blind man, I again laid my hands on his eyes, and this time he could see clearly. For the disciples, this second close contact, that would bring clear sight, would only come after my resurrection, through the light of Easter, as I appeared to them and spoke with them. It is only then that they would understand clearly who I was and what I was calling them to be, as children of the Father. 

Finally, I said to the blind man not to go back to the village, but to go to his home, where he really belonged. I also asked my disciples not to go back, to leave behind their past life and to go to their real home, their real identity of children of God, to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom, to become kingdom bearers. 

The Father used this healing to announce the journey of my disciples. They did not understand then, but later they did understand. My Father is so practical in the ways he led me in all things, it helped me teach my disciples in very practical ways, giving even hints about what was needed through the ways I healed this blind man. 

What I did with my disciples then, I still need to do with my disciples today. Many first have a hard time to see that I am still alive, that I can speak with them and be in contact with them. I am still today the Messiah, the Son of God. As my disciples learn that, I can teach them how to pray and live. I lead them aside as they learn to meditate on the teachings of the Father in the Bible, and more particularly as they learn from the stories of my life in the Gospels. 

Through my words, through the accounts of the Bible and as they learn to pray and to listen to me, they begin to discover that I can open their eyes to the realities of the kingdom. In many cases, like for the twelve, people struggle to understand my sacrifice and the role of the cross, they think that prayer is like a magical wand that you shake and all is fine, that suffering disappears when you follow me - but it has never been my teaching, in your world love very often implies an acceptance of suffering. 

Through continued contact with me, as you learn to listen and to dialogue with me, I can then open more clearly your eyes to spiritual realities, to the Father’s grace in the midst of human weakness. You then learn how the wonders of the Father’s love flow not only through human strength but even more through human weakness. As you learn the lesson of the cross, as the twelve also had to learn, you learn to die to yourself and to live a holy life by faith in me and through me. As you walk with me on this way of sanctification, your eyes become opened more fully to the grace of the Father, your heart can then be filled with the love of the Holy Spirit. Then, you will no more see people as objects or trees to manipulate and use for your own benefit, but as children of God that the Father loves dearly and to whom He wants you to minister. 

Then, you will be invited to leave your old life behind you. You will be able to do what I did, to be yourself a ‘little Christ’ - a Christian - and to minister the grace of the Father to many, opening physical eyes as well as spiritual eyes to our pure and tender love for this needy world. You will then bring the Good News of the kingdom to many, you will be a kingdom bearer.