Week 7 - Existing in the Presence of a Living God

This week I have the chance to give the message at our college ministry. The passage is from Mark 9, and it’s about Jesus teaching his disciples that in order to be the greatest we must become the least. I’m telling a story about this one time my mikey flooded when I was pumping out….some of you may remember this glorious moment and I’m sharing about stooping lower. Anyway, this passage has been on my mind nonstop these past couple weeks so while listening to Week 7 I was thinking about the parallels between Mark 9 and Genesis 18.

Part of the passage in Mark 9 shows the disciples having a conversation about who among them is the greatest, which is what prompts Jesus into telling them that in order to be the greatest, we actually are to become the least. This is what came into my mind when DJ was talking about the strangers showing up at Abraham and Sarah’s house, and the moment Sarah becomes aware that she exists in the presence of a Living God. In Mark 9, Jesus asks the disciples what it is that they were talking about, but they don’t answer. Until Jesus exposes the true nature of the conversation, it’s not that big of a deal. Things are shed in a different light when the Living God is standing before us. Shouldn’t things always be shed in a different light then??

“We cannot hide our inner thoughts from the one who is moving in our midst.” Sarah tries to hide her inner thoughts, her inward chuckle of sorrow, from the Living God. The disciples try to hide their conversation about greatness from the Living God. When I live in fear of Jesus revealing the true nature of my heart I feel like I’m living a counterfeit life. Even though I realize it’s impossible to hide anything, I’m afraid of the authenticity that comes with constantly existing in the presence of a Living God. My prayer is that by trusting Jesus, I am able to give him reign over the self-indulgent practices of my own heart that I am trying to hide from him.