Mark 9:23 … All things can be Done (10/30/16)
“If you are able, all things can be done for one who Believes.” ~ Jesus (Mark 9:23)
This verse can be quite misleading (and has indeed misled more than a few) until one remembers how Jesus actually believed about Belief. You see, for Jesus at least, Belief had nothing at all to do with mental reverence or verbal professions of worship … No … For Jesus, Belief was an action; a verb; an open leap of faith; a vibrant emulation of the Way of the Truth of his Life (see John 13:15-17 et al) … For Jesus at least, Belief was either active or it was nothing. And because for him it was an active reflection of his teachings – teachings that focused almost solely on encouraging others (actually in-Courage-ing others) to perform deeds of self-sacrificial Love, the only thing that those who are Believing in such a manner can wish for is the opportunity to serve others — the opportunity to reach out and Care — the opportunity to Forgive an enemy — the opportunity to Give one’s last two pennies to the poor …
As such, this verse is not a call to rationalized selfishness at all – not at all a justification of the hollow & morally feeble “Prosperity Gospel” … Instead, it is a call for us to truly BELIEVE – an encouragement to know that we can all effectuate great Goodness for those in need, and an in-Courage-ment for us all to go forth into our lives and do just that.
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