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Marriage and divorce are two topics that draw a lot of opinions both inside and outside the Church. In today’s text, Jesus takes some religious leaders to task over some dismissive attitudes regarding these realities. In the end, how does Christ’s kingdom bear weight on one of the most sacred of earthly relationships: marriage?

What do a child, a mysterious man casting out demons, and tying a millstone around your neck while swimming have in common? In this section of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us what it means to be “little” and “least,” and therefore “great.” (AUDIO NOTE: Due to a live analogy, the audio quality decreases from the 17:15-20:00 mark.)

What happens after you go up a mountain? You have to come down. Right after the glorious mountaintop transfiguration, Jesus encounters what he calls a “faithless generation.” What does that mean? And, what does Christ offer them?

Moses, Elijah, and Jesus (oh my)! Why does Mark suddenly give us an interaction (on a mountaintop nonetheless) between these three figures?

This saying of Christ, to take up our cross and follow him, is often rehearsed by Christians. But, what does it actually mean and look like to do this?

Did Jesus really call a woman a dog? This is a baffling passage, but Mark wants us to see what Jesus saw in the woman: a faith that pleases God.

We love traditions. In fact, we love law! “Do this” and “do that” is so natural to us. But, what can happen when Laws and Traditions become the focal point of our faith? How is the Law of God meant to function within our life? Where does the Gospel come in? Jesus teaches us in his collision with the Pharisees and Scribes in Mark 7.

Where is Jesus when we are struggling? What do we do when we feel like the grips of life (and winter!) just never seem to let go? And, what does any of this have to do with boats?

Feeding the 5,000 is one of Jesus’ most popular miracles. But this feeding is more than just loaves and fish, it is a display of biblical imagery and is full of the merciful heart of Christ for sinners.

We typically associate Palm Sunday with shouts of cheers and loud “Hosannas!” But, Jerusalem has a reputation: she is not friendly to her prophets. Sin, condemnation, and a “triumphal” exit of John the Baptist.

Mark caps off this section showing us the final enemy of faith: death.

This is a wild story in the Gospel of Mark, but its significance should not be understated. What do demon-possessed men, pigs, and baptism have in common?