Introduction:

There are weights that only Christians carry. I talked to a friend whose daughter was angry with him, a feeling many parents know. But my friend was not only concerned about reconciling with his daughter; he was also scouring his heart before God to see if he had sinned. Who but Christians feel that weight? I know a man who watched some of the Grammy's—the music awards—last Sunday night and was sickened by the vulgarity and sacrilege. I'm sure many people were, but this man groaned over the lostness of people who know nothing about Jesus. His heart was heavy over their blindness. Who but Christians feel that weight?

There is a Christian who serves two beggars, and does so often. When others are exasperated with them, he feels the ache of their need, he makes his time theirs, he defends them, he cries over them, and he does it all for Jesus. Who but Christians feel that weight? There are Christians who having professed Christ have lost much, if not all. Whose families reject them, or who lose credibility in their work, who are mocked or dismissed as fools. Who but Christians feel that weight? There is a woman who has borne depression and lost love and a heartbreaking child, and rather than being angry with God, she is resolved to rejoice in the Lord. Who but Christians feel that weight? There are Christians who ponder the death of Christ till their hearts hurt, who believe deeply that Jesus suffered for them. Who but Christians feel that weight?

We're studying the Gospel of Mark. In this book, as soon as Jesus' disciples realize that he is the Messiah, the Christ, he introduces them to the heavy lifting. He told them, to their horror, that he would suffer, be rejected, die, and finally rise again. It ...

Lee Eclov recently retired after 40 years of local pastoral ministry and now focuses on ministry among pastors. He is the author of Feels Like Home: How Rediscovering the Church as Family Changes Everything and Pastoral Graces: Reflections on the Care of Souls (Moody Publishers), as well as being a frequent contributor to Preaching Today and CT Pastors. To learn more about his Pastors' Gatherings visit www.leeeclov.com.