Mark
Connect the stories of Jesus in the book of Mark to your work.
Mark Chapters 1-3: John Baptizes Jesus of Nazareth (22 minutes)
Our origin does not dictate or limit our identity. Through baptism—the visible sign of turning to Jesus’ way—we accept our identity as children of God above and beyond any identity the world confers. The identity that we have as children of God is the starting point by which we live out our lives, even in the workplace.
Mark Chapters 4-6: Jesus the Builder (27 minutes)
How much of the wisdom in Jesus’ parables was developed through his experience as a tradesman in the first-century economy? If nothing else, remembering Jesus’ experience as a builder can help us see the parables in a more concrete light.
Mark Chapters 7-8: Discipleship in Process (19 minutes)
We may feel tempted to portray ourselves as righteous, wise, and skilled in our workplaces, as a witness to Jesus’ righteousness, wisdom, and excellence. But it would be a more honest and more powerful witness to portray ourselves as we really are—fallible and somewhat self-centered works-in-process, evidence of Jesus’ mercy more than demonstrators of his character.
Mark Chapters 9-11: Wealth (27 minutes)
Jesus’ encounter with a rich man who asks “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” constitutes one of the few passages in Mark that speaks directly to economic activity.
Mark Chapters 12-13: Our Work Fulfills the Great Commandment (21 minutes)
When we hold our own actions up to the standard of the Great Commandment, when we love God completely and care for others with the same care we show ourselves, we bring the kingdom of God to our places of work.
Mark Chapters 14-16: The Cross and the Resurrection (30 minutes)
But God’s grace overcomes even the most crushing blows of work and life for those who will accept it. It is the one way our work can yield “a hundredfold now in this age,” and our lives lead into “the age to come, eternal life.”