Holy Week -- Tuesday

On Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week Jesus did a lot of teaching. Max McLean does a wonderful job here presenting the 12th chapter of Mark. Among many other issues he covers, Jesus answers the questions of those who are trying to trap him and he answers the question, What is the greatest commandment?

Jesus' answer seems simple: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). But this kind of love comes only as we strip away everything we want and everything we believe about God and the world, so that we can come to know God for who he is. Otherwise how can we love him with everything we are? And when we yield ourselves completely to God, we find we want nothing more than to love him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

And what does it mean to love our neighbor as ourself? Jesus answers that question in the story of the Good Samaritan, who crossed cultural and religious barriers to care for another human being that he had no responsibility, according to society. It cost him greatly, yet he was lavish with his love for this beaten stranger.

Indeed, Jesus demonstrated this lavish love when he laid down his life for us. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him (Romans 5:7-8, The Message).

May the Lord give us grace to follow these two greatest commandments.



Scripture for Tuesday of Holy Week
Matthew 21:20-22
Mark 11:20-12:34
Luke 20:1-40

Meet Max McLean

It was the power of God's Word that forever changed Max McLean's life.  Raised a nominal Catholic, Max walked away from all things Christian as a young teen.   Years later Sharon, the young woman who would become his wife, took him to a Bible study where he was drawn to the scripture passage being studied. "I remember the words of the text hit me as passionate and forceful," he told Tim Challies in an interview. "I had not been confronted by the power and insight of the Bible prior to that.  From that moment God began to work in my life and convict me of my sin.  At first I wanted to run away, but I couldn't.  Then I read John's Gospel -- in one sitting.  As I read it, I could see and feel it in my mind's eye.  I thought Jesus was going to come right out of the pages of the Bible an take me with him. At his crucifixion I was in tears.  But after the resurrection appearances, an inexplicable joy just overwhelmed my whole body.  I knew this story was true and that my life would never be the same again."

Since that time Max has used his passion for scripture to shape his career.  He has narrated the Bible in three different translations -- NIV, ESV and KJV.  His narrations of the scripture and his stage performances of Genesis and Mark's Gospel powerfully combine his theological understanding and dramatic expression that draws people in.  Just like the scripture did for him so many years ago.



Max is currently traveling with The  Screwtape Letters, a stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis' witty and thought provoking book.  McLean makes a marvelous Screwtape, and the show is receiving rave reviews wherever it plays.  November shows are scheduled for Memphis, Miami and Dallas.  Check it out here.