Not the End

I liked the ending that Mark had more than Matthews, and I think that was because when I read Matthew I felt really sad for all the suffering that was happening with Jesus and how the disciples where a lone ad everything else. On the other side, while reading Mark, I felt hope.

Jesus knows it´s almost time for him to leave, and when they are having that Last Supper and he tells them “Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.” (Mark 14: 18) it sounds harsh, and it´s sad when we know it was Judas who betrayed him, but you still in a way have faith that it won´t be the end.

At first, when he had resurrected no many believed it was realy him. I don’t judge them, I would have probably done the same. It´s not like we are used to seeing the people again, after seeing them dead three days ago. But after knowing that that was really him there was hope that they would once again be safe and good things will happen around them.

Only it wasn’t really like that. After Jesus showed that he indeed had died and come back, he told them “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16: 15- 16)I think this is what probably gave them hope the most because of all the things he left them to do. When someone leaves, but they tell you to do something, every single time you do it you will think and remember that person. I think that when they did those things they remembered him and had hope that just like they had seen them again after his death, they would also see him again after their own.

Being the Change He Wished to See

I have realized that one of the things Jesus did the most were miracles. I think he did them to be remembered, but also to change the lives of the people who were blessed by him.

The miracles that he made had more than one purpose. He made them happen because he felt bad for others and had such a big heart he wanted to help them. An example of this is when he felt bad for the people that had been waiting for him so much and were hungry. There was not enough food for all of them but when he took “the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.” (Mark 6: 41- 44)

I don’t think that was the only purpose, I think he also wanted people to believe in him and see how powerful he really was. There where times where he would make the person believe in him first and then he would actually cure them. A very common example is the story of the father who brought his son, which had a bad spirits. When he asked Jesus to help him he answered “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. ” (Mark 9: 23- 24)

But if you think about it, miracles weren’t the only thing he did to be followed and remembered, he also said many important things that affected many, such as “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.” (Mark 7: 20) I think this makes a lot of sense, what comes out it´s probably what’s inside too. If there is someone doing bad things to themselves and to others, them it´s probably because of how they feel deep inside. Seeing things in this way can be sometimes good because you start to realize all the good people out there, not only because how nice they are or they always have a smile on their face, but because it will be easier to know how good that person really is and what it actually feels. The sad part is that it also works with the bad people.

All this things can also be found in Matthew, but I think they only got to me when reading Mark because of how they are in a way highlighted because of their great importance, while in Matthew there were other things that were highlighted, such as his birth.

Learning to Fish and Farm

I had imagined Mark to be somewhat different to Matthew, but it actually stayed pretty much the same, specially because the same things are said, only they are said from someone else’s point of view. There were some teachings that seemed clear this time. I don’t know if it was because it was the second time reading them, or if it was because it was Mark and not Matthew and therefore shorter and probably easier to understand.

“And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” (Mark 1: 17) I hadn’t really thought about this before, but now that I think about it, it makes sense. Jesus wanted us to follow him and back then, for that to happen he had his disciples and because it was at the start of everything there was probably not that many believes as we have now. He wanted to make the people that followed him some sort of missionaries to help him bring the truth or the way to their lives, they wanted to catch them just like fishermen do.


Something that I was able to understand was the parable of the sower, who when he had started to sow some of the seeds “fell by the side way”, others were blown with the wind, others landed on the rocky ground, with no earth, others were burned in the sun. Others “fell among thorns”, and yet others “fell on good ground” and was able to grow and “bring forth fruit.” (Mark 4:7-11) At first I was confused, what did all these lucky and unlucky seeds mean?

Well, first of all the “The sower soweth the word.” The seeds I believe represent the people, and many of the seeds that were on the side or have been blown with the wind are the ones that are have been confused by Satan. Others are like the ones that have heard the word but just don’t feel like following it, or even paying attention. The ones that have no roots are like the ones that have decided not to forget what they have heard and believe is true, but are I think, in a way scared of what might happen. Then, there are also others that do follow the word and are able to get the best from it and even share it with others and therefore are able to help many others. (Mark 4: 14- 20)

Until now I think I have been able to understand much more from Mark than from Matthew. I think that all this is actually really interesting. I really like how Jesus teaches through stories that help people remember more and understand what he really means.

Jesus Died. Matthew Ended. Jesus Resurrected… Matthew Didn´t

This part of Matthew was sad. Jesus is killed in a very cruel and unfair way. Why didn’t he do something to stop him own death if he had saved many others from many other things that they had to go through? Why after making so many miracles to others did he not make a miracle for himself?

The answer or what is mostly believed is because of the love and his purpose of coming here. More than what I had said in my other post, I have decided and understood after continued reading that there was much more to him coming here than to just wanting everyone to follow him, he had a purpose of saving us.

We usually don’t ponder every day why he did that for us, or how big the sacrifice he did actually was, because after all, does it really make a difference? Well, it does. To us he might seem distant, but for his disciples and all the people he had gotten so close with must have felt as if your best friend or at least a very close one died for you. It might have happened a really long time ago, but they believe and the many teachings that he left are still remembered, and even practiced.

One of the most surprising things he said some time before leaving was “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”(Mat 22: 38) If you think about this it kind of makes sense. God has done a lot and the only way we can sort of repay him is by loving him. We are used to loving only with our hearts, this time he asks for us to love him with our souls and our minds. I don’t really know how to do that, but I believe that once there is a point in your life where you actually get really close to God you will be able to love him with all three things, but for now one can only give the most with what one has.

He also says that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Mat 22: 39) This seems even harder to do, and what I understand from it, it doesn’t necessarily mean neighbor, but everyone in general. If we loved everyone as we love ourselves, I think we would first have to think how much that is. We should ask ourselves, do I love myself? It’s a random thing to ask, but it´s reasonable, and everyone’s answers would vary, because if we all really, really loved ourselves we would always eat what’s best, be in shape, sleep enough and do things that we like to please ourselves. No one really does all of them.

What is the point really, if we were able to do them all, then we would be able to have so much love for ourselves that we will have to share it with others and therefore love others as we love ourselves? This sounds selfish. And I think it´s actually the other way around. We should treat others as we want others to treat us. So if we love others, then they will love us.

I don’t really think there has really been anyone that has been able to achieve that level of love, except for Jesus. All the things he said, all the parables he taught, all the people he cured and the huge sacrifice he did were more than just acts so the people would love him, they were things he did for the people to understand how much he loved them, how much he loves us.

Even though he did die, he lived again. I am sure that he didn’t come back for the fact of coming to check on the people, and make sure that they were following what he had said, (it was only three days later). I think that he had come to finish showing the path he had already started to build once he had come. He wanted to show that death wasn’t the end, and that just like him we could someday live again.

Why then would he come back?

Jesus Wants Everyone to Follow Him

Reading Matthew has made me think a lot about what Jesus wanted in the first place, what exactly was the point of him coming here, when probably staying in heaven would have felt like, well, heaven? That’s why I think that one of the main reasons was to be an example to all of us and someone to follow, but to do that he had to show us the path and teach us the way.

Knowledge was one of the first and most important steps I found. To follow something you need to know what it is. Jesus tried being friendly and by helping people that had some sort of disability, not only did he show how powerful he was, but also how much he cared. He wanted people to understand that he was there to be some type of support,” Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11: 28-30)

Next he wanted people to believe in him, to have faith and that way be able to follow him. There are many examples of people that had faith and that thanks to that they were able to get cured or were able to help others. There are many different believes in what faith is, but Jesus says that faith can be compared to a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed, but that when it grows it can be one of the biggest trees. “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Mat 17: 20) if we have at least a tiny bit of faith, we can really make many things, but why then, if a mustard seed is so small, can´t we make the most marvelous things in the world? Isn´t it enough or isn’t it right and that’s why God won´t let those things happen even if have a lot of faith?

Sometimes it seems to me as if all the wonderful and most amazing things happened only back then, when Jesus was around. We all know the story of Jesus walking on water, and how Peter was curious to try it, “And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Mat 14: 29-31) Is that what is constantly happening to us, little faith?

Once Jesus had taught the way, then he wanted to people to follow him and go through the path he had created, and in a way lose themselves in doing good things to other, having faith and doing everything to be able to be like he was, because “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Mat 16: 25)

We Continue With the Bible, This Time Matthew

The Old Testament is a very well known and has many wonderful and important things that are believed by many. This part of the Bible talks more about Jesus, how he got here, who exactly he was and how he became so well known and loved. Since he was born he had to go through a lot, and that was because all the difficulties with the different kings that wanted to destroy him.

He was able to survive, but the king wasn’t the only one that wanted him dead. Satan tried to tent him too. I think this was a little random, and that in a way it shouldn’t happen because he was Jesus and was supposed to be perfect and not be tempted by Satan, but I think I was wrong because he was tempted, only he was perfect enough to respond with the best comebacks and not to fall by his lame-yet-easy-for-all-of-us-to-fall -for-temptations. “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God… Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God… Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Mat 4: 4-10) Jesus is really smart and knows exactly how to answer, and that is by citing God and the scriptures.

Even if this hadn’t been enough to prove all the people that he was someone special and unique yet powerful, he went and start to help others by making miracles and healing all those who needed his help. “And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.” (Mat 4: 24)

He reinforces the commandments Moses had, and in a way added some to others and other times he made sure they were able to be understood. “But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.”(Mat 5: 39)Most of these things remind me of the Tao, and how if there is no one that does wrong to you then how can you know someone else is doing good to you? It’s a balance. It´s also about how you have to be good to others, even if they are not good to you.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:” (Mat 6: 19) In other words, don’t be materialistic. There are much more important thing out there than having “treasures” that will get stolen and someday will be over, the true happiness is the real “treasure.”

The goal, or the main point of Jesus coming, teaching, being a good example and everything else was to tell people “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Mat 4: 8) there is a lot we still have to do to even be a little bit closer to being perfect, but even thought he already knows that, he help us realize that by following we will be able to understand how we can be able to be perfect and someday we actually will be able to get there. First: “Judge not, that ye be not judged, with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Mat 7: 1-2) and “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Mat 7: 7)

I really like these two first teaching or important things he says because they actually do make a lot of sense. They also give me hope. Just the fact of knowing that if you actually ask and try hard, and have faith you will get things and your questions will be answered. I think that judging part is also extremely important. It´s really hard not to judge others, but it actually makes sense wean you say that when you judge others, others will be judging you in the same exact way.

It´s really interesting and I know I could go on forever talking about Jesus, but there is definitely a lot to do so for now we shall just keep reading and trying to find out the real meaning and things like that.

Tao Never Ends, The Tao is Eternal

These are the last scrolls from the Tao. I have always believed that the last chapters of everything are always the best and the most important. This time I was wondering if it would end with a really big and clever thing to, or if it would just make emphasis in something that had been mentioned earlier. After reading it I realized that most of the things it said had been the ones that I had already read about in the last chapters, but it also had some others ideas that seems to be somewhat new. These are some of the teachings or things I liked the most.

“What is firmly established cannot be uprooted. What is firmly grasped cannot slip away. It will be honored from generation to generation.” (54) I think this mainly refers to habits. Many times doing something repetitively makes it become a habit, we grow used to it. There are good ones and bad ones too, and once they become a habit it´s harder to forget it or even stop doing it, and some of them can even go on forever, “from generation to generation.”

Sometimes we think that the best things always have to be the most expensive, most beautiful, the best and the biggest, but sometimes simple is best. “See simplicity in the complicated. Achieve greatness in little things… in the universe the difficult things are done as if they were easy. In the universe great acts are made up of small deeds.” (63) This I would have imagined is the easiest of all the teachings from the Tao, to try to find the simplicity of everything and not complicate ourselves, but sometimes it seems as if there is no other way than making it complicated. There really is a lot to do.

“Deal with it before it happens. Set things in order before there is confusion… People usually fail when they are in the verge of success. So give as much care to the end as to the beginning; the there will be no failure.” (64) I really like this because there have been many times where I wish I had been more careful and that I could actually go back in time and fix what I had done. It might sound impossible, but Tao does know the answer. “Deal with it before it happens.” We have to be careful with what we say and think, because they might become actions. Being sure of what is happening and not making things up can be helpful to not get confuse and end up making everything more complicated than it already is, but if we try hard from beginning to end, we shall succeed.

There have certainly been a lot I have been able to learn from the Tao. I even feel a better person just by having read it. Imagine how it would feel to actually follow it and know exactly what it´s like to follow those teachings. Like I had said before, I sometimes feels as if I was about to convert to Taoism because of the great impression it has made on me, but not for now. There are other things I already believe in.