Mark 13:35-37
Rebecca Lightfoot
N Mark13:35-37,toward the end of Jesus’ Earthly ministry,when He knew the time of His leaving was coming soon,Jesus says,”Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back-whether n evening,or at midnight,or when the rooster crows,or at dawn.If he suddenly comes,do not let him find you sleeping.What I say to you,I say to everyone:Watch!”Jesus knows that we tend to leave our hearts/minds/lives “unattended”/unprotected from whatever may come into our lives for the purpose of luring our hearts/minds/lives away from the right & true ways of honoring Christ;His Word;& His Spirit in & with our lives.Of course Jesus is talking about the obvious sources that deliberately attempt to mislead&misguide us.Jesus is also calling us to Discernment & Wisdom based on what He has Taught&Demonstrated with His Word;&His Life,so that even the slyest of ways the enemy uses will b thwarted by GOD’s TRUTH,& THE TRUTH of The Gospel,&what The Gospel empowers n our lives.Satan will use any means to chip away even the smallest bit of TRUTH away from us.Satan knows that if he can chip away at TRUTH,he has the potential to inflict our lives w a significant crack n our right relationship w The Lord.And once he has inflicted 1 crack,he has easier access n our lives to begin chipping away at another.Throughout history,the first place that Satan has sought to inflict a crack...is aimed at The Word of God.The foundation of ALL LIFE is from The Word of God(John1:1-4,”In the beginning was the Word,& the Word was with God,& the Word was God.He was n the beginning w God.All things were made through him.& w/out Him was not anything made that was made.In Him was life,& the life was the light of men.”).It is at the FOUNDATION of all life that Satan is primarily targeting his efforts!If he is successful at chipping away at The Word,he knows that he can then chip away at the significance of Jesus Christ...& the TRUTHS fulfilled by His birth/life/ministry/sufferings/death/resurrection/ascension!(John1:14,”And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,& we have seen His Glory,Glory as the only Son from the Father,full of grace&truth.”)The Word is FOUNDATIONAL & THE EMPOWERING/SUSTAINER of all life...and Jesus is The Word!.Any time that we allow the smallest “piece” of TRUTH to be chipped away,we allow Jesus to become a little less than what HE IS!This gives Satan great joy!The attributes of Jesus are immeasurable!But when 1 chip is made n “immeasurable”(which by definition is impossible anyway...),then “the immeasurable” becomes measurable! What is Infinity becomes measurable;what is ALL POWERFUL becomes less than all powerful;Boundless Mercy is made less than what we need;Abounding Love becomes less than enough;etc.The primary target of THE ENEMY has always been,& is always The Word of God!Satan knows this is a direct assault on Jesus!We need to know this also!So we will b deliberate n protecting AWE of God’s Word,& not reduce God’s Word to anything less that The Miraculous Revelation of God’s Character/Love/Mercy/Grace& His Ways...for our good!Dear Lord,protect me from allowing Your Word to become anything less than what IT is...help me to continually b n AWE of the TRUTHS You reveal through Your Word,& The Miraculous Ways that you work n my life through Your Word.