God seems to reveal Himself quite often in the bible but no one has ever seen God.  He wrestles with Jacob at night but Jacob does not know if he is wrestling with a man, an angel or God Himself. Further, it may have all been a dream to Jacob.  I guess Jacob assumed it was God wrestling with him because he received a blessing, satisfaction in finally realizing that he had been fighting against God all of his life and now God would allow him to live in peace with his brother.  Look further back in history. God made the Israelites cross the Red Sea at night and angels and clouds were present but was God?  Maybe the torch lights reflecting on the dust storm stirred up by the large numbers of Israelites and Egyptians moving around in the deserted fields caused the clouds to reflect a red hew.  How do we know that God exists?  How do we know that the Israelites have it right and all the other nations up until and through the Romans, who all worshiped a number of gods, were wrong? Why do people have to worship or pray to a higher deity anyway?  Was Jesus the convincing factor in humanity’s drama of revelation?  If Jesus was a liar or a lunatic, does that mean that God does not exist? If you believe in God, then the appearance of Christ was a major revelation by God Himself.  Let’s look at three other revelations.

                God’s revelation in the Garden of Eden was not without drama. Do you believe that Adam, while running around in the Garden of Eden, initially knew of the existence of God?  In Genesis, the devil assumes that Eve knew of the existence of God because he tempts her with the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  The devil asks her about this command that God had given them. We therefore know that Adam and Eve knew God personally “God pronounced his blessing on them.” Genesis 1:28.  Before their disobedience, they probably possessed a divine nature just as Christ, knowing nothing but good and completely sinless.  Then there was a revelation, not of God but of the devil.  Evil reared its ugly head and humanity was forever doomed, even to this day. God revealed to mankind the horrifying other self a human being can assume, a nature which is ungodly.  Why would a loving God allow such a thing to happen?  Free will in humans is a perplexing enigma. Unlike the obedient Christ, free will in Adam and Eve caused then to lose their divinity through their disobedience.

                God’s revelation to Abraham occurred years after His revelation to Noah.  Both were righteous men in the eyes of God. Abraham's father did not know the true God and neither did Abraham. However, one day the Lord God revealed Himself to Abraham and spoke with him. "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1-3. "I will make you into a great nation…and you will be a blessing…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."  In Genesis 15, God reveled Himself to Abraham during a deep sleep. In Genesis 18 God revealed himself to Abraham in the form of a man.  I personally think it was Jesus who stayed with Abraham as the other two archangels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

                God spoke with Moses as a friend.  “I will be with thee, God said to him.” Exodus 3:12. God’s revelation of Himself to the Egyptians was fruitless but it did reignite the burn for God within His chosen people, the Israelites. God did exhibit his power and authority with the ten plagues but Pharaoh still not did accept the omnipotence of God.  The Egyptians were tested just as Adam and Eve were tested.  Once they decided that their free labor source was more desirable than the riddance of constant pestilence, they took a bite of the forbidden apple so to speak.  They chased at what the Israelites had to offer and lost. There struggle failed. The Egyptians were kicked out of the proverbial garden.  They experienced death.  We can only assume that the Israelites still believed in the one and true God.  They left their homes and a relatively secure life in Goshen, even under slavery and burdensome conditions, to follow Moses to freedom.  What were they freed from?  Were they freed from the burdens of life?   Were they freed from the punishment of God for Jacob’s and his families’ disobedience? They experienced many more burdens for forty years wandering in the desert with constant complaint than they received from their task masters. Or did they?   Was all of these episodes of captivity, expulsion, punishment and freedom the result of God or were they random events praised by a conceited people who wanted to believe that one of the numerous gods in the then existing world wanted to lavish his bounty upon them to the exclusion of all the rest of humanity.  Was the exodus just a random event in history used by the Hebrews to embellish themselves or was God involved?

                We must make a choice that there is a God and only one or we must choose to believe that God does not exist at all.  Most people seem to subsist somewhere in the middle never really making a decision. It seems that God will not force anyone to make the decision because He gave us free will. But sometimes a certain of his elect will be forced, just as Abraham and Jacob. Human kind has progressed from the condition of expecting help from Apollo, Poseidon and Zeus; Baal and Dagon; Re and Amon; Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Neptune; Adad, Nammu and Marduk. But human progression in revelation and wisdom has convinced us that if there is a God, there can be only one. So we are left with a choice to either believe in one God or none at all. Did the Akkadian, Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman gods reveal themselves to their worshipers?  Why did not our one and true God of the Israelites not reveal Himself to the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans?  Maybe He did and they were blinded and could not experience Him or they just refused to take heed as Pharaoh did. Evil has existed on this earth since the Fall.  Yet God continually intervened to help humanity. But humanity keeps drifting farther away from God after each revelation. Revelation is a personal event that leads to a corporate experience.  Pharaoh was blinded and his fight with God failed.  Adam’s struggle with God failed.  Luckily humanity has had some successes with Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David and Solomon.  But these successes were short lived until the appearance of Christ.  The twelve apostles naturally believed because they were taught by the living God.  But notice how personal revelation began to assume more power with Paul (Saul of Tarsus) and Constantine and the Church Fathers in the third and fourth centuries.  Personal revelation has resulted in corporate obedience in a community throughout the ages but it seems to have peaked with Christ and is becoming less frequent today. 

                God has revealed Himself to me.  Why me, a horrible sinner and a complete failure with Christianity, is questionable.  Looking back in history, God has revealed Himself to people during major personal conflict and struggle. We can only assume that these life changing events are necessary to penetrate our stubborn free will.  My revelation moment occurred when I lost the security of a job of twenty years. No, some strange voice did not speak to me nor do I encounter a burning bush.  I met God in the depths of my depression at the gates of Hell. I was forced to turn to God for help.  Even more amazing, I believe that God orchestrated the whole event. But His will prevailed. Consequently, here I am fully convinced that a higher power does exist and He is constantly revealing Himself to people, even today. Do you truly believe that a higher power controls humanity’s destiny?  Isn’t it strange that the last book of the bible is entitled Revelation, when in fact the entire history of humanity has been progressing through an ever broadening awakening. I can only stand in awe for what the future will bring. God does work in mysterious ways.

I.               The Preparation for Jesus’ Public Ministry

Chapter 1

Mark starts the gospel with a quote from Isaiah. (However the quote comes from Malachi, Isaiah and exodus which explains the coming of a messenger ahead of the Lord.)  John appeared from the desert clothed in camel’s hair.  He proclaimed the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  The people from Jerusalem came to the Jordan River to be baptized.  “I have baptized you with water, he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mk 1:8.  Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  The Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove.  God said, “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.” Mk 1:11.The Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the desert where he remained for 40 days tempted by Satan.  Angels ministered to him.

II.            The mystery of Jesus

John the Baptist was arrested.  Jesus came to Galilee to proclaim the gospel.  He called Simon and Andrew as disciples.  They were fishermen.  Jesus called James son of Zebedee and his brother John who were fishermen.  They went to Capernaum.  While teaching in a synagogue a man with an unclean spirit appeared and chastised Jesus.  Jesus’ rebuked him and removed the unclean spirit.  Jesus’ fame spread throughout the region of Galilee.  While in Capernaum Jesus cured the mother in law of Simon Peter.  He cured many sick and demon possessed.  The next day Jesus went off into a deserted place and prayed.  Jesus left for nearby villages to preach in the synagogues.  Jesus cured a leper who publicized the whole matter.  Word spread throughout Galilee and Judea. 

Chapter 2

Jesus returned to Capernaum after a number of days.  Friends of a paraplegic lowered him through an opening in the roof of a house where Jesus was teaching. Jesus forgave him because of his faith and the man walked away.  The people were stunned that Jesus could forgive sins. Jesus went to the Sea of Galilee and called Levi, son of Alphaeus, a tax collector. Some Pharisees questioned why Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus said that he came to call sinners, not the righteous.  The disciples of John and the Pharisees questioned why Jesus’ disciples did not fast.  Jesus answered that the Bridegroom was still at the wedding.  The time for fasting will begin when the bridegroom leaves. And Jesus gave them the Parable of the wine skins.  Fasting now would ruin the wine and the wineskin.   Fasting is rendered superfluous during the earthly ministry of Jesus.  As Jesus was followed by his disciples through a grain field, the Pharisees asked why were they gathering during a Sabbath.  Jesus answered that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.  The son of man is lord of the Sabbath.

Chapter 3

Jesus cured a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.  Jesus asked ‘is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil.’ Mk 3:4. The members of the synagogue had hardened hearts.  The Pharisees immediately conspired with the Herodians to put Jesus to death.  Jesus left for the Sea of Galilee with his disciples.  People came out from all the towns of Judea and Syria.  He cured many and removed many unclean spirits.  He went up a mountain and appointed 12 apostles: Simon Peter, James and John sons of Zebedee, Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot.  Jesus goes home and is accused of driving out Satan with the power of Satan.  Jesus says that if a house is divided it cannot stand.  No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder it.  These sins and blasphemy will be forgiven but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.  This sin is called an everlasting sin because it attributes to Satan what is actually the work of the Holy Spirit, victory over the demons.  Jesus was sitting with disciples surrounding him.  He was told that his mother and brothers were standing outside.  Jesus ignores them and says that whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.  Jesus used the parable as a method of teaching the crowds as compared with the interpretation of the parable he gives his disciples.  To each group according to its capacity to understand. 

Chapter 4

From a boat in the Sea of Galilee Jesus addressed a large crowd gathered regarding the Parable of the sower of seed.  The seed represents the word and the breakthrough of the kingdom of God into the world. The various soil types refer to the diversity of response.  Jesus also talks about the Parable of the lamp (light) and that measure with which one measures will be measured out against Him.  The one who has more, more will be given.  Jesus explains the parables to his disciples.  The seed has power to grow itself without human intervention.  Mysteriously it produces a leaf, an ear and full grain.  The kingdom of God initiated by Jesus quietly develops until the kingdom is finally established at final judgment.  The kingdom will be like a mustard seed.  The smallest of seed will spring up and become the largest of plant.  The climax of the parable is the harvest of 30, 60 and 100 foal, indicating the consummation with the kingdom.  Jesus orders the disciples to cross the sea with him and a storm appeared. They woke Jesus and he rebuked the wind as if it were a demon.  The wind ceased and there was great calm.  The disciples were amazed and terrified.  (In the Christian community this event depicted Jesus’ saving presence amid persecution.)

Chapter 5

Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to the Decapolis.  A man dwelling in the tombs with an unclean spirit and often bound in chains approached Jesus shouting “son of the most high God.” Mk5:7.  Legion was his name.  Jesus was in pagan territory.  Jesus allowed the unclean spirits to enter a herd of swine who rushed down a steep bank into the sea.  People from the town and countryside approached Jesus and begged him to leave because fear seized them.  The man went throughout the country proclaiming what Jesus had done and all were amazed.  Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and a synagogue official named Jairus approached him about his dying daughter.  In the crowd along the seashore was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for 12 years.  She touched the clothes of Jesus and was cured immediately.  Jesus felt power leaving him and asked ‘who touched me.’ Mk5:31. The disciples were confused because the crowds were so big.  The woman fell before Jesus in fear and trembling and confessed the truth.  Jesus said to her ‘daughter your faith has saved you.’ Mk 5:34. While still speaking people from the synagogue arrived and announced that the girl had died.  Jesus calmed Jairus and told him “just have faith.” Mk5:36. Arriving at the house of Jairus into a commotion of weeping and wailing, Jesus went into the house with Peter, James and John.  He told the people inside that the child was not dead but asleep.  They ridiculed him.  He put everyone out except the child’s father and mother.  Jesus took the child’s hand and said ‘little girl, I say to you, arise.’ Mk 5:41. The child rose immediately and all were astounded.

Chapter 6

Accompanied by his disciples, Jesus went to Nazareth and began teaching in the synagogue on a Sabbath.  The crowd was astonished at his wisdom and mighty deeds but they asked “is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary.” Mk6:3. Jesus was not able to perform any mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.  Jesus summoned the 12 and sent them out two by two with authority over unclean spirits.  Jesus told them to take nothing relying on a total dependence on God for food and shelter.  He ordered them to shake off the dust on their feet from the towns who rejected the call to repentance.  The disciples drove out many demons and cured many who were sick by anointing with oil.  King Herod the great heard of Jesus’ fame.  The people thought that Jesus was John the Baptist or Elijah.  Herod thought that Jesus was John whom he had beheaded because John said it was not lawful for him to have his brother’s wife, Herodias.  John was killed as a fulfillment of Herodias’ daughter’s wish to have his head on a platter.  The 12 returned from their journeys and reported to Jesus all they had done.  The disciples followed Jesus to a deserted place to rest.  Vast crowds developed.  Jesus was moved with pity.  He began to teach them. It became late and the disciples wanted to dismiss the crowd so they could eat.  Jesus said feed them yourselves.  With five loaves and two fish, after looking up to heaven, he said blessing, broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples.  5000 men ate and were satisfied.  Jesus told the disciples to cross the lake toward Bethsaida.  After praying on a mountain top, he saw that the wind was tossing their boat.  About the fourth watch Jesus was walking on the sea and they thought he was a ghost.  They were terrified.  Jesus said “take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.” Mk 6:50.He got into the boat and the wind died down.  The disciples were unable to comprehend the feats of Jesus and their hearts were hardened.  Jesus healed many at Gennesaret.

Chapter 7

Scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem approached Jesus and asked why did his disciples eat with unclean hands. Jesus said Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites.  “This people honors me with their lips but their hearts far from me.  In vain do they worship me teaching as doctrine, human precepts.” Mk 7:6-7. Jesus condemned their man-made rules and laws.  He said, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” Jesus declared all foods clean.  “From their hearts come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murderer, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, blasphemy arrogance and folly.” Mk 7:21. From there Jesus went to Tyre.  He entered a house to escape notice but a woman of Greek origin begged him to drive out the demon from her daughter.  Jesus cured the daughter simply by the faith of the mother.  Jesus moved on to Sidon by way of the Sea of Galilee to the Decapolis.  Jesus cured a deaf man.

Chapter 8

The crowd had gathered around Jesus for three days and had nothing to eat.  Jesus used seven loaves of bread from the disciples, gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute.  He fed 4000 people.  The Pharisees came to Jesus seeking a sign from heaven.  Jesus said no sign will be given to this generation.  The people of Bethsaida brought Jesus a blind man.  Putting spit on his eyes and laying hands on him Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” Mk 8:23. Looking up the blind man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.” Mk 8:24. Then he laid hands on his eyes a second time and he could see clearly.

III.           The ministry begins to be revealed

Jesus and his disciples set out for Caesarea Philippi.  Jesus asked “who do people say that I am?” Mk 8:27. They replied, “John the Baptist others say Elijah still others one of the prophets.” Mk 8:28. Jesus said, “But who do you say that I am?” Mk 8:29. Peter said to him “you are the messiah.” Mk 8:29. Then Jesus warned them not to tell anyone.  Jesus said to them that ‘the son of man must suffer and be killed and rise after three days’.  Peter rebuked Jesus for such statements and Jesus said “get behind me, Satan.  You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Mk 8:33. Jesus said ‘whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.’ Mk 8:35  (Life seen as self-centered earthly existence and lived in denial of Christ ends in destruction, but when lived in loyalty to Christ, despite earthly death, arrives at fullness of life.) “Whoever is ashamed of me in this world, the son of man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his father’s Glory.”

Chapter 9

Jesus took Peter, James and John atop a high mountain and was transfigured.  Elijah appeared along with Moses.  A cloud appeared suddenly and a voice said, “This is my beloved son, listen to him.” Mk 9:7.Jesus told them not to say anything until He had risen from the dead.  The disciples did not know what that meant.  They asked if Eliza must come first.

Jesus heals a boy with a demon.   The disciples were unable to.  Jesus said, “O faithless generation how long will I be with you?  How long will I bear you?” Mk 9:19.  Jesus said, “Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Mk 9:23. The disciples asked why they couldn’t heal the boy.  Jesus said, “This kind can only come out to prayer.”

IV.          The full revelation of the mystery

They came to Capernaum.  The disciples were arguing among themselves.  Jesus said, “If any one wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and servant of all.” Jesus said, “Whoever receives the child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives the one who sent me.” Mk 9:37. The disciples saw someone driving out demons in Jesus’s name.  Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” Mk 9:40. Jesus warned the disciples about causing others to sin.  He said, “If your hand causes you to Sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed then with two hands to go into Gehenna.” Mk 9:43. He also speaks about the foot and the eye.

Chapter 10

The Pharisees asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”  Mk 10:2. Jesus says that the Law of Moses permitted divorce only because of the hardness of your hearts.  However Jesus said God made creation for the husband and wife to become one flesh and what God has joined no man must separate.  (Thus Jesus declared the permanence of marriage.)  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. Jesus blesses the children.  Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like the child will not enter. A rich man approached Jesus and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Mk 10:17. He said he had followed all the commandments.  Jesus said “go, sell all that you have, give to the poor, and follow me.” The man went away dejected for he had many possessions.  Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples asked who can be saved?  Jesus said, “for humans it is impossible but not for God.  All things are possible for God.” Mk 10:27.

On their way to Jerusalem Jesus explained what was going to happen to him: scourging and death and rising in three days.  James and John wanted to be seated next to him in heaven.  Jesus said whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. In Jericho Jesus cures the blind man, Bartimaeus.  Jesus said your faith has saved you.

Chapter 11

Jesus sent two of the disciples into Jerusalem and brought back a colt.  As he entered Jerusalem, people laid palm branches in the street.  They cried “hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord.” Mk 11:9. He went to the temple, looked around, and went out to Bethany with the 12.  Upon entering the temple the next day, he drove out the money changers.  When evening came they went out of the city.  Returning to the city the next day, the disciples saw the withered fig tree.  Jesus says have faith in God and if you tell the mountain to be lifted up and thrown into the sea and does not doubt in your heart but believes, it will be done for him.  All that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it will be yours.  When he returned to the temple area the chief priests asked him “by what authority was he doing these things” in order to trick him.  Jesus asked, “Was John’s baptism of heavenly or human origin.” They refused to answer and Jesus did likewise.

Chapter 12

Jesus tells them the parable of the vineyard and tenant farmers.  After sending his servants to collect the rent, the owner sent his son.  The tenants killed the son also.  Jesus said the owner will come, put the tenants to death and give the vineyard to others.  Some Pharisees asked is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar?  He took a denarius and showing an image of Caesar said, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Mk 12:17. The Sadducees asked about resurrection.  Jesus said at resurrection they will be like angels in heaven.  God is not God of the dead but of the living.  One of the scribes asked, “Which is the greatest commandment.”  Jesus said you shall love your God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength.  The second is you shall love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus denounces the scribes as being proud and deceitful.  A poor widow’s gift to the temple is worth more than large sums from excess.

Chapter 13

Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple.  Jesus describes the end times.  He said the gospel must be first preached to all nations.  He predicted wars, famine and persecution and a desolating abomination-the romans leveling the temple.  No one knows the hour except the father.  Therefore, watch.

Chapter 14

Two days before the feast of Passover the chief priest decide to put Jesus to death.  In Bethany a woman anoints him with genuine spikenard.  The disciples complained.  Jesus said you will always have the poor among you.  And Judas Iscariot went to the chief priest to hand him over.  Christ sent two disciples to prepare the room for the Passover.  Jesus predicts his betrayal to the 12 while eating.  He makes the new covenant with some bread and wine.  Then they leave for the Mount of Olives.  He predicts their abandonment and Peter’s denial.  He took Peter, James and John to Gethsemane to pray and asks that this cup be taken away.  And Judas Iscariot appears again with the chief priests and scribes and kisses Jesus.  They arrested Jesus.  A bystander cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant with a sword. They seized Jesus and the disciples fled.  Peter followed at a distance.  Many witnesses testified in the Sanhedrin against Jesus, but their testimony did not agree.  And the high priest asked, “Are you the messiah, the son of the blessed one?” Mk 14: 61.  Jesus answered, I am.  The Sanhedrin condemned him to death for blasphemy.  A maid of the high priest accused Peter of being a member of that Nazarene sect.  Peter denied it.  The cock crowed.  The maid saw peter in the outer court again and said that he was one of them.  Peter denied it again.  A little later a bystander accused him of being a Galilean.  Peter began to curse and to swear.  A cock crowed a second time.  Peter remembered the words of the Lord and broke down and wept.

Chapter 15

In the early morning the Sanhedrin handed Jesus over to Pilate.  Pilate asked, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Mk 15:2.  Jesus replied, “You say so.” The crowd convinced Pilate to release Barabbas.  After he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.  The soldiers lead Jesus into the preatorium.  They clothed him in a purple robe and weaved a crown of thorns for his head.  They pressed into service a passerby, Simon, the Cyrene, to help carry his cross.  They brought him to a place called Golgotha, crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots.  It was 9:00 AM.  With him, they crucified two revolutionaries.  The revolutionaries and the chief priest mocked Jesus.  At noon darkness fell over the whole land until 3:00 PM, when Jesus cried out, “eloi, eloi, lema sabachthani?, which is translated, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mk 15:34.  Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.  The veil in the sanctuary was torn in two.  Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Salome were looking from a distance.  When it was evening, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus.  After wrapping him in linen, he laid him in a tomb hewn out of rock.

Chapter 16

Very early morning on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalen, Mary the mother of James and Salome brought spices to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus.  When they arrived the large stone had been rolled back.  Upon entering they saw a young man sitting clothed in a white robe.  He said to them, “Do not be amazed!  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified.  He has been raised; he is not here.” Mk 16:6.  “Go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘he is going before you to Galilee.’” Mk 16:7.  They fled saying nothing to anyone for they were afraid.

The longer ending

Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalen.  She went and told the disciples.  When they heard that he was alive, they could not believe.  Jesus appeared in another form to two of the disciples walking in the country.  They returned and told the others but they did not believe either.  Later, as the eleven were at table, Jesus appeared to them and rebuked them for their nonbelief.  Jesus said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Mk 16:15.  Then, Jesus was taken up to heaven.  They went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

The shorter ending

And they reported all the instructions briefly to Peter’s companions.  Afterwards Jesus himself, through them, sent forth from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of the eternal salvation.  Amen.

http://www.globalpost.com/article/6646453/2015/09/10/remains-new-human-species-found-safrican-cave

This supposed new human species is not really a human.  i think the remains found were that of apes.  Instead of evolving into a humans, these ape species actually evolved into the apes we see today.  Apes once walked on their hind legs but have since evolved to walk on their hands and feet. My theory is just as sound as Darwin's.

 The most complete description of the Catholic Mass in the early church was written by Justin Martyr for the roman emperor Antonius Pius around 155 AD.  Justin was a Samaritan and pagan at birth.  Then Justin encountered the philosophy of Jesus Christ-the love of wisdom.  Justin became an evangelist and eventually went to Rome where he found a misunderstanding of the Christian mysteries.  He wrote an apologia regarding the Mass with two roman liturgies: one with a baptism and one with a regular Sunday Mass.  In these descriptions of a Mass, he describes the sign of peace, the gospel reading, the prayer of the faithful, the offertory, the great amen, the communion, and the collection. All of the current parts of the Mass were mentioned.  In another work, Justin holds that the sacrifices of ancient Israel were Old Testament types that foreshadowed a New Testament fulfillment and the sacrifice of the Mass.  The Jews argued that the dispersion in 70 A.D.  was a providential preparation for a universal, spiritual sacrifice as prophesied in Malachi. Justin lambasted them for their foolishness.  Justin was beheaded by the Romans in 165 AD.

When Justin described a mass after a baptism, he discussed the actions of a president and the distribution of the Holy Eucharist by the deacons. When Justin described a Sunday mass in Rome, he stated that Christ was crucified the day before Saturn’s day and rose on the day after Saturn’s day, which is the day of the sun.(Sunday). These terms seem to correspond to the days of Saturday and Sunday with Christ being crucified on Friday. Justin quoted Malachi and compared his words to the bread and the cup of the Eucharist.

The perfect and acceptable sacrifice: god declares that everywhere among the gentiles sacrifices are offered to him are pure and well-pleasing through his Priests.  He condemned the Jews who call their prayers sacrifices.  There are nations in which Jews do not live, however, thanksgiving offered in the name of the crucified Christ is given worldwide.

Medieval Christendom failed, the reformation failed, confessionalized Europe failed and Western modernity is failing, but each in different ways and with different consequences.  Yet each in a different way continues to remain important in the present.  They do not exist in isolation from the others.  Medieval Christendom institutionalized Catholicism.  But there was no conformity in practice.  It failed to live by its own truth claims.  It failed to practice what he preached and left room for reformation.  The political structure of sovereignty and nobility contributed to its demise.  Not only the aristocrats but the ecclesiastical authorities enjoyed power and privilege and possessions and rarely expressed self-denying virtues.  The reformers did not practice what they preached either.  The reformers claimed that the Catholic Church misinterpreted doctrine.  Yet the reformation was not successful at applying the fundamental principles of the bible.  Scripture alone was not the solution but a continued cause of misinterpretation.  Conflicting issues of interpretation were suppressed.  No supreme authority had the final say.  The reformers wanted to fix the institutionalized world view on which eternal life depended.  Confessionalization-secular authorities oversaw the churches they created and controlled ecclesiastical leaders.  They seized all political power ceding to the church only what served their purpose and interest.  Religious and political wars continued until the Dutch realized a cooperation between economy and the church.  Yet punishment from the institutions continued: the inquisition in Spain and the witch trials in American.

Western modernity was forged in the context of the unintended persistence of Christian pluralism and the failures of confessional rulers to achieve their goals.  A resultant break was made between public life and private religious life.  The church especially in America realized that acquisition of material goods was not sinful and one could be pious along with prosperity.  The most important idea from the American experience was individual rights.  The failings of western modernity is that it does not prescribe what citizens should believe, how they should live or what they should care about. Christian values no longer exist.  People live for themselves and ignore politics.  Secularization and scientism are subverting modernity.   The theological controversies in the protestant churches put a hold on the advancement of theological certainties even though there is agreement on many doctrinal issues.  Arguing the differences left the door open for secularism.

Reason alone is no better than scripture alone in discerning persuasive answers to the life questions.  The natural sciences have made extraordinary advances, but by definition, can offer no answers to any of the life questions.  What remains is divergent secular and religious truth claims in the western world.  Secular discourse offers no prospects for resolving any of the contested moral or political issues.  As a result, public life today is riddled by anger and uncivil rivals with incompatible views about what is good, true, and right.  Most of these views and values are distantly related to Christianity.  Men and women prioritize the fulfillment of their desires on a strictly individual basis and what feels good to them at the time.  Modern philosophy replicated the open ended and irresolvable pluralism of Protestantism regarding truth claims.  Modern natural sciences have had success in explaining natural phenomena by not depending on theology or morality.  But modern science has not addressed human sufferings.  It is amoral.  And power is being concentrated in a political and wealthy elite who enact their own moral preferences through technological applications.  This paradigm shift is set within a rancorous culture of moral disagreement and political conflict.  This conflict within modernity has created a discipline of individual rights beyond what is natural.  Individual rights and dignity can only be real if human are more than biological matter.  Unfortunately society is moving away from the idea that humans are created in the image and likeness of god.  Nature is not a creation.  Human beings randomly evolved.  They are not endowed by their creator with unalienable rights.  Only energy and matter exists. Our world today exists as a result of an unintended extension of the late medieval and reformation era developments that remain influential in the 21st century. Modern philosophy and thoughts failed to provide a reasonable substitute for religion.  This happened only because secular research institutions have banished theology from their academic disciplines.  They tend to define discoveries in the natural sciences with no theological basis.  God, for those who choose to believe, can be anything that they want god to be, each determining his own desires and truths and meaning of life.  Universities have discarded natural law and become inhuman.  Because of their abandonment of God, God has abandoned us.