Num. 12-14
I wonder why only Miriam was struck with disease? Perhaps she was the one who was really doing the complaining, or at least instigated it.
Moses was indeed meek – he never craved power, and he never used his position to his own advantage or saw himself as better than any other. What a different world it would be if we could all be like that. Case and point in chapter 14, Moses turns down an opportunity to become the father of God’s people, instead seeking God’s forgiveness for the very people who sought to stone him after all he had done for them. Whether he is concerned about the people or simply how it would reflect on God, as his words sort of indicate, I don’t know. I would love to better understand the heart of Moses, for it seems to me a heart of true leadership.
And then there are the people…isn’t it just like us to want to fix our own mistakes? God told them the consequences of their sin, but rather than accepting that in repentance, they thought they could undo it and proceeded to sin again. Such stark contrast to the humble spirit of Moses!
Mark 14:27-53
Here’s that staying awake thing again…they had just been told that the hour was near and that they would all fall away, but rather than spending time in fervent prayer, as Jesus did, they slept. I so see myself there! I guess it’s good to know that Jesus loved them anyway.
So why did Judas need to identify Jesus with a kiss? Did the religious leaders not know who He was? But what a betrayal – under the guise of friendship! The depravity of the human race never ceases to amaze me, and yet Christ died for us.
One more thing in this section of Mark – what’s up with the mention of the man who ran away naked?? I have marveled at this odd little detail before, thinking maybe it showed the seriousness of the situation (bad enough to be willing to run off without your clothes!), but it struck me this morning that perhaps this young man was Mark?