David Bahn – Reflections

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These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Genesis 10-11; Psalm 12.

Genesis 11:1-9

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. ² And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. ³ And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” ⁵ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. ⁶ And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Throughout the Bible: Babylon is a symbol of human pride, self-exaltation, rebellion against God, and oppressive worldly power. And Babylon is the location of the Tower of Babel.

The act of building a tower isn’t evil in itself. I’m thinking of the the KFVS TV tower in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Built in 1960 it was the tallest manmade structure in the world. It gave us Cape folks something to brag about. And it allowed the TV station to be viewed in six states. That lasted two years when a taller tower was built in Blanchard, North Dakota. Such fame is fleeting to be sure.

But there is a greater danger than losing the claim to have the tallest manmade structure in the world. The Tower of Babel was built to “reach the heavens.” The purpose was not to broadcast a TV signal. It was to make a name for themselves and to reach God – but not the true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – or Noah for that matter. The famous Etemenanki ziggurat in Babylon, for example, was dedicated to Marduk, Babylon’s chief god.

Genesis 11 is not criticizing architecture; it is critiquing false worship and human pride. And you don’t have to build a tower to celebrate either one. Pride can be far more subtle than a self-important strut, and false worship more nuanced than bowing before a carved image. It can take the form of quiet self-reliance, moral comparison, or the assumption that we stand before God on better footing than others.

At its core, the great pride of Babel is the belief that we can reach God on our own terms. Any confidence that rests in something other than God coming to us in Jesus Christ is a form of self-worship. And thinking we are somehow better before God than others is a temptation as old as Babel itself – and just as destructive.

Let us, instead, build towers of praise to God – giving thanks for his grace in coming to us. And let us humble ourselves before a very different tower: the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He humbled himself for our sake and has the name above every name. Let his name be praised.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey

Today’s readings are Genesis 1-3; Psalm 9.

Genesis 1:1-10

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

⁶ And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” ⁷ And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. ⁸ And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

⁹ And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.d.

It’s the Bible verse I use on my personal correspondence: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. (Genesis 1:3-4) Let’s reflect on that for a few moments.

God spoke light and the world and the universe into being. When he said, “Let there be light,” there was light. God’s word has power – not just authority, but power. When a police officer stops you, he has authority. But his word has no power to make your car stop. He can record your license plate number and your violation. He has authority to write a citation charging you with speeding or any other traffic violation. But he cannot – just by speaking – exert any restraint or cause any action.

God, on the other hand, has both authority and power. When he speaks light into existence it comes into existence – so too the land, waters, plants and stars and planets, and living creatures of all kinds. He did it by speaking. It is interesting to note that when the Lord God made man, he formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. The act was far more intimate and personal.

Because God created the heavens and the earth, and made man in his image, he also has authority over all things. Some people don’t like that idea. They don’t want to be under God’s authority. They want to be their own God. They will have their day in court. It won’t go well for them. We who recognize not only God’s power but also his authority submit to him, fear, love, and trust in him. We recognize that God has the final word and rejoice that God’s final word was spoken to us in his Son. This shapes our true identity and destiny.

When the light of God and his word fall on us, we see how good and gracious God truly is. We see how his final word is not only a word of power (which it surely is), but also a word of grace and love. Even when Adam and Eve sinned and hid themselves from God, he comes searching for them to bring them back to himself and restore them and all of creation. The seed of the woman will strike the heel of Satan and although Satan will inflict a mortal wound, the seed of the woman (Jesus) will destroy the works of the devil.

I cannot create light by speaking, but I can pray, “Let your light fall on us, Lord God, and point us to your final word, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These reflections grow out of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. You are warmly invited to join us on this journey

Today’s readings are Mark 15-16, Psalm 8.

Mark 16:1-8

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴ And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. ⁵ And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. ⁶ And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸ And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Mark’s Gospel ends abruptly — and uncharacteristically — with fear, silence, and an unsettling lack of resolution. The women leave the tomb afraid and say nothing to anyone. It feels unfinished. And perhaps that is exactly the point.

There are additional verses following Mark 16:8, but as most modern Bible translations note, “Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.” It is widely recognized that Mark’s original account likely ended at verse 8, with later scribes supplying a more conventional conclusion.

That said, Mark leaves us with two clear and vital truths after many long chapters recounting Jesus’ betrayal, suffering, and death. Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, his betrayal by Judas, the accusations of the religious leaders, the mocking and scourging by the soldiers, and his encounter with Pilate all lead to the stark reality of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.

And then comes this: Jesus’ body is no longer in the tomb.
The women are the first to hear the words, “He has risen; he is not here.”

They come to the tomb worried about the stone sealing the entrance, only to find it already rolled away. They bring spices to anoint Jesus’ body — but there is no body to anoint. Instead, they encounter a young man dressed in a white robe who tells them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.” They are instructed to go, to tell the disciples — and Peter — that Jesus is going ahead of them to Galilee.

Luke records several encounters between angels and people early in his Gospel. Zechariah questions the message. Mary receives it in faith. The shepherds respond with wonder and obedience. But Mark tells us something more raw and unsettling: at least at first, the women flee in fear and say nothing to anyone.

Yet Mark’s Gospel is not the only testimony to what followed Jesus’ death and resurrection. The story does not end with silence. For nearly two thousand years, the message has gone out — the story of Jesus’ life, teaching, suffering, death, and resurrection. And it continues to be told.

Mark begins his Gospel with the words, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” He ends with fear and unfinished sentences. But the end is not The End.

The risen Jesus still sends his people. Until he comes again to gather us to himself, there is a message to tell — and now it is our turn to continue the story, wherever and whenever we can.

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Today’s readings are Mark 13-14, Psalm 7. I hope you will join me in reading these passages.

Mark 13:24-27

[Jesus says,] “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

There is a fascination among some Christians with the End Times. Some of that fascination is healthy. Some of it is not.

The unhealthy fascination tends to revolve around speculation — about the nation of Israel, the red heifer, timelines, and tribulation charts. When such speculation overshadows Jesus’ clear and urgent call, “Repent and believe the Good News!”, something has gone badly wrong. At times, I fear that it has.

At the same time, there are faithful teachers — including a former seminary classmate of mine and now a retired professor — who rightly insist that the End Times do matter. Not because they invite speculation, but because they are bound up with the resurrection of the body and the promise of eternal life. The End Times are not about escaping creation, but about its renewal — the new heaven and the new earth — where we will be fully human, body and soul, without sin.

When I read passages like Mark 13:24–27, I am reminded how often these words are pressed into service to support a particular end-times scheme. But if we fail to hear these words against their Old Testament background, we will miss Jesus’ point altogether.

The image of the Son of Man coming in the clouds sounds, at first glance, like a description of Jesus’ second coming to the earth. But in the Old Testament — especially Daniel 7 — the Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days to receive dominion, glory, and authority. This is not descent, but exaltation. It echoes Jesus’ own words after the resurrection: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

And when Jesus speaks of sending out his angels to gather the elect, we need not imagine a distant future only. Think of Pentecost. Think of Acts, where persecution scatters believers — and everywhere they go, they preach the Word. God gathers his people not by fear, but by the Gospel. Not by threats of judgment, but by the promise of forgiveness and life in Christ.

God is indeed to be feared — but he is also to be loved and trusted above all things. And Jesus is describing events that have, in fact, brought blessing upon blessing to countless people through the ages.

For the message of repentance and faith has gone out. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have been brought to faith, gathered to Christ, and saved.

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Today’s readings are Mark 11-12; Psalm 6. I hope you will join me in reading these passages.

Psalm 6

O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath.
² Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
    heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
³ My soul also is greatly troubled.
    But you, O Lord—how long?

⁴ Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
    save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
⁵ For in death there is no remembrance of you;
    in Sheol who will give you praise?

⁶ I am weary with my moaning;
    every night I flood my bed with tears;
    I drench my couch with my weeping.
⁷ My eye wastes away because of grief;
    it grows weak because of all my foes.

⁸ Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
    for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my plea;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
¹⁰ All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
    they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

I used to watch so-called Professional Wrestling on TV as a kid. It was many years ago – so many that the programs were in black and white. Dick the Bruiser had a tag-team partner, The Crusher and they would inflict pain and injury on their opponents beyond belief. Arms twisted four times around, chairs crashed across faces, and body slams that would kill a mere mortal. Double-teaming their opponents while tagging out. Now I know that was all scripted, but even though the outcomes were predetermined, the physicality was very real, and the “work” (the scripted performance) often blurred into a “shoot” (legitimate physical struggle).

The tag team effort to confound and discredit Jesus was at first successful only in providing fodder for Jesus’ confrontation of the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and chief priests. They couldn’t touch him. No matter the sly posturing Jesus always had an answer. “Whose wife will she be?” the Sadducees ask. “You know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God,” Jesus answers. They ask, “By what authority do you do these things?” Jesus responds, “I’ll answer you if you tell me whether John’s baptism was from God or from man.” (These examples are from today’s Mark readings.)

Tag-team tactics against Jesus just don’t work. And when they’ve exhausted their energy trying to take him down, he teaches a parable about those who should have provided the fruit but who did not and quotes, “The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” They would reject Jesus, but he would not be discarded. He will stand.

I can imagine that Jesus considered Psalm 6 more than once. And in the end his prayer in that vein was answered. He was delivered – even though he would go to the cross and die. And, sadly, his foes would be ashamed by their rejection of God’s Son our Savior.

Maybe you feel like you’re being tag-teamed. You might wonder whether God has abandoned you. But he has not. Just as surely as he rescued his Son from the grave, we will be rescued as well. We have been redeemed. We will stand with Jesus before God in humble faith and eternal praise.

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Today’s readings are Mark 9-10; Psalm 5. I hope you will join me in reading these passages.

Mark 9:1-8

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.”

² 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, ³ and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵ 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.” ⁶ For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷ And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” ⁸ And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

My son is an officer in the United States Navy. When I think of power, I think of the aircraft carrier he served on a few years ago — a massive ship with immense resources to move through the seas and project strength where needed. Or I think of a powerful locomotive pulling tons of freight across the nation. Or the engines of a widebody jet, producing nearly 200,000 pounds of thrust.

When I think of spiritual power, my mind goes to the walls of Jericho falling as Joshua led Israel around the city. Or to Jesus calming the storm, commanding wind and waves to be still. Or to Jesus ordering the demons out of the man possessed by a legion.

But Jesus gives us a different picture of the kingdom of God coming with power. Mark makes clear that the Transfiguration fulfills Jesus’ promise: “There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

We might expect a bolt of lightning or another Red Sea moment. And in a way, that is exactly what the disciples are given — Moses, the witness to God’s saving power at the Red Sea, and Elijah, who once saw fire fall from heaven on Mount Carmel. They appear with Jesus before Peter, James, and John on the mountain.

So what does it mean to see the kingdom of God come with power? It means seeing Jesus for who he truly is. He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He is God’s beloved Son, to whom we must listen. For a time, he hid his glory as he walked among us — but here, for a brief moment, that glory shines through.

And this is where the power of the kingdom still meets us today: not in displays that impress the strong, but in the Son who goes on from the mountain to the cross. There, in weakness and suffering, God’s true power is revealed — power to forgive sinners, to defeat death, and to give life that will never end.

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Today’s readings are Mark 3-4; Psalm 2. I hope you will join me in reading these passages.

Mark 3:1-12

Again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. ² And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³ And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” ⁴ And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵ And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

⁷ Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea ⁸ and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. ⁹ And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, ¹⁰ for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. ¹¹ And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” ¹² And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

In 12 short verses Jesus encounters people in need with dramatic results because of the encounter. When he withdraws with his disciples to the sea, great crowds follow him and he teaches them, and heals many. When he encounters the unclean spirits they fall before him and confess that he is the Son of God. He will not let them witness to his identity. The time has not yet come. The religious leaders are not yet fully united and he has not accomplished all he was destined to do before his sacrificial death.

But he has certainly gotten their attention! Why would there ever be a question about healing someone – even on the Sabbath?!? What kind of religiosity do the Pharisees hold to that would even call that into question? I shake me head in unbelief as I consider their response. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand and the Pharisees take counsel with the Herodians(!) how to destroy him.

I suppose there are those who value decorum over grace. Some would see a man in desperate need – hungry, dirty clothes, unshaven, and smelly – and not wish him to enter their house of worship. I might even be put off in such a situation. But honestly, I’d be more fearful of the responses of the church members than I would of the man so obviously in need.

Jesus is not afraid of either. He came to seek and save the lost. He is the physician of the sin-sick. He is the healer of body and soul.

God, give us the courage to receive those who you send to us so that we may be instruments of your Good News to those in need!

Clicdk here for an audio version of this blog post.

Today’s readings are Mark 3-4; Psalm 2. I hope you will join me in reading these passages.

Mark 3:1-12

Again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. ² And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³ And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” ⁴ And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵ And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

⁷ Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea ⁸ and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. ⁹ And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, ¹⁰ for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. ¹¹ And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” ¹² And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

In 12 short verses Jesus encounters people in need with dramatic results because of the encounter. When he withdraws with his disciples to the sea, great crowds follow him and he teaches them, and heals many. When he encounters the unclean spirits they fall before him and confess that he is the Son of God. He will not let them witness to his identity. The time has not yet come. The religious leaders are not yet fully united and he has not accomplished all he was destined to do before his sacrificial death.

But he has certainly gotten their attention! Why would there ever be a question about healing someone – even on the Sabbath?!? What kind of religiosity do the Pharisees hold to that would even call that into question? I shake me head in unbelief as I consider their response. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand and the Pharisees take counsel with the Herodians(!) how to destroy him.

I suppose there are those who value decorum over grace. Some would see a man in desperate need – hungry, dirty clothes, unshaven, and smelly – and not wish him to enter their house of worship. I might even be put off in such a situation. But honestly, I’d be more fearful of the responses of the church members than I would of the man so obviously in need.

Jesus is not afraid of either. He came to seek and save the lost. He is the physician of the sin-sick. He is the healer of body and soul.

God, give us the courage to receive those who you send to us so that we may be instruments of your Good News to those in need!