Mark 6:1-13 “And Jesus could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them” (Mark 6:5) Compare that with Mark 6:13 “They (the disciples) cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them”. A link to the audio of this talk There was a huge difference between the ministry of Jesus in his hometown and the ministry of the disciples – and, one suspects by the reference to anointing with oil, the ministry of the early Christians after the death and resurrection of Jesus. We long to see those deeds of power. We long to see people set free from the grip of evil, and those wonderful healings. When I finished at university I went to work as a parish assistant in Hackney. I was asked to visit a young man who was in a long-term coma. I sat by his bed, and I would pray for a miracle. Perhaps, if I am honest, I wanted to see that miracle so that I could claim that I had power, so that I would be vindicated, so tha
2 Corinthians 8:7-24 Talking about giving! It is sometimes difficult coming into the middle of a passage. In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul has been speaking of the Christians from Macedonia who have given generously to the fund that Titus and he are collecting for the Christians in Judea and Jerusalem who are facing famine. Now he addresses the Christians in Corinth. He speaks of how they excel in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in eagerness (one assumes, to do the will of God). He adds, oddly, that they also excel in being loved. It is, incidentally, much easier to give when you know that the one to whom you are entrusting your money really cares for you. Financial consultants understand that, and so did Paul. And he urges the Corinthian Christians, just as they excel in many other things, to excel in their generousity. There are several things that I would like to draw out from this passage. 1. If you want to know what a person loves, look at what they give We give to what w