Dealing with critics and growing God's kingdom

Jesus dealing with his critics (Mark 3)

    Throughout his ministry Jesus had to deal with critics. This is what people do when they do not understand something or do not like it, they criticize.
    In this case we are told that they "watched him closely...so that they might accuse him" (2). I have met some people like that in my day. Ones who feel they are the Christian hall monitor. They are constantly keeping a watchful eye, so that they might accuse. The problem is that the accusations seldom have any thing to do with scripture and are based on personal opinion and preferences. Just as was the case with these religious people of Jesus' day. Oh Lord, help us be religious about the right things. We have enough problems of our own without running around watching other to accuse them.  
    Another sad thing is that when we get involved in this accusing it accomplishes nothing but to stroke our own ego. If we were really a concerned Christian, we would go to the person alone to talk to them and base our observations only on God's word. Instead people often talk to the whole world about the other person without ever approaching them.
    This grieved Jesus because it displayed the hardness of their heart (5). Isn't it interesting how right and wrong always get back to the condition of our heart. Oh God keep us from having hard hearts and make ours soft and pliable in your hands.
    They were plotting to destroy him (6). Can you imagine? And yet in so called Christian circles this happens. No wonder the world sometimes struggles to see in us anything attractive. God help it not to be so among our church.

Parables (Mark 4)

    So many things could be said about these specific parables found in this chapter but I want to make a very simple observation. These are parables about God's kingdom and they teach that God's kingdom is designed to grow. With that in mind what are we doing to help God's kingdom grow?