Gospel of Mark

Forgiven (even for trashing the roof!) Mark 2: 3 – 12 (Part 1)

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Horsham, 14th January 2023

 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralysed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralysed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk”? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the man, 11 ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’

 (New International Version)

Part 1: Verses 3-5

There is no evidence that Jesus owned this house, but there are indications that this is where he was staying. We know that he spent time at Peter’s house, possibly as a guest. Regardless of circumstances, this was the house to which Jesus went on His return to Capernaum. This was the house where people came to see Him. If the crowd came to see something amazing, they left satisfied.

The press of the crowd is so intense that a small group of men, carrying their sick friend, stood no chance of getting into the house where Jesus was teaching. The traditional houses would have used the roof as an area for storage and retreat in the cool of the evening, and the stairs by which you accessed the roof would be on the outside.

So I’m seeing these guys struggling to get their incapacitated friend through the peripheral crowd to get to those stairs. The patient was lying on a sleeping mat. Carrying a sick man up the steps isn’t easy, and they won’t have been doing this quietly.

Maybe Plan A was to lower him into the yard, right in front of Jesus. As it turned out, Jesus was actually inside the house, so Plan A didn’t work out. So then, one of the friends has an idea. They’ve brought him this far. They can’t drag him back downstairs and they certainly can’t leave him here in the sun. So, they need a Plan B. Even by middle eastern standards, Plan B is a bonkers idea.

The middle east has a wonderful culture of providing hospitality. The gate to the yard was often left open and it was expected that people could wander in. They might be offered water to wash their feet. They might be offered refreshment. They will not be expected to cause damage to the house.

Damaging the roof is a serious business. It leaves the living space open to the elements and  renders the house insecure. Plan B affirms that these guys know that Jesus can heal their friend. These guys are absolutely desperate for their friend to meet Jesus.

Fighting their way through, mainly using their hands and feet as tools, they make a hole large enough for them to lower their friend to the floor below. I can almost hear the shouts of encouragement and the  exclamations of disbelief as the people below, even Jesus, are showered with plaster, mud and debris from the roof. Some of them – especially the house owners – must have been furious. I can see people running to the roof and trying to stop the vandalism.

I wonder whether, when thought of as the active scene that it must have been, this is one of the most dramatic scenes of healing in Scripture.

No wonder Jesus was impressed by faith of this group of this daringly resourceful group. ‘Son,’ he says, ‘you are forgiven of your sins.’ All of them. Even trashing the roof.

 

Gospel of Mark

Capernaum: Mark 2:1-2

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Horsham 8th January 2024

1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard hat he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. (NIV)

A few verses ago, Jesus declared his purpose. ‘Let us go […] to the nearby villages – so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ (1:38). His purpose, in these early days of his recorded ministry, is to preach. Here we see Jesus, returning to the lakeside town – to preach.

You’ve probably heard that sermon where someone says ‘if Jesus walked into this town, or even into this Church, what kind of reception would he get.’ The point is that people might miss the point, even reject Jesus. They might be people who ‘hear but do not understand; who see but never perceive.’ (Isaiah 6: 9).

Here we are in Capernaum. This was Jesus’ home town (Matthew 4:13). This is the place where the visible ministry of Jesus begins.  His healings are legendary. People are flocking to see him – so many that there’s no room left in his yard or his house. People desperate to see more drama. People desperate to see healings. They’re watching – but they’re not understanding that this is the Son of God. The celebrity healer is back in town and they want a piece of that action.

Yet faced with this crowd of people in his own home, what does the celebrity healer do? He preaches the Word of God. So now we have the people of Capernaum listening, but are they hearing?

“No city in Palestine appears to have enjoyed so much of the Lord’s presence during His earthly ministry as did this city. […] But nothing Jesus said or did seems to have had any effect on the hearts of the inhabitants.” (i)

Here is a town where, one bright day, Jesus, the Son of God turned up. Over an extended period of time He performed miraculous healings. He brought the word of God. For the most part, the people of Capernaum listened, but they didn’t hear. They saw, but they didn’t understand.

23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[e] For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Matthew 11: 23-24 (NIV)

So, while we’re on the subject, imagine that Jesus walked into this town. How would you react?  What kind of reception would He get in your town?

(i) Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Mark, Ryle, Aneko Press, p19

Personal

Changing Times

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Horsham. 2nd January 2023

For the last few years I’ve been busy. Probably too busy. Around 8 months ago, I felt that God was telling me that I should put stuff down at the end of 2023. So, as of December, I have not renewed my contracts to teach English as a second language. I have set aside, for the time being at least, my responsibilities as an international coach with CCI Worldwide. On Friday, 5th January 2024, I will be putting down my role as Development Coordinator with Horsham Churches Together. Changing times.

You probably know Psalm 46:10 which says ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ As I write this, I’m reminded that in the original Hebrew, the verb which we translate as ‘Be still’, implies a relaxed calmness before God. To come close to that, we need to stop. We need to put things down – empty our hands – and wait on the LORD.

That’s what I’m doing.  Creating time to stop, to wait, to pray, and to listen. Time to be still. Time to be.

 

Gospel of Mark

Fame, Celebrity and the Son of Man: Mark 1: 45b

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As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere. (Mk 1:45b)

‘Fame,’ someone once said, ‘is a powerful cultural magnet.’ (i)

The fame of Jesus at this point is because he has been healing people, lots of people, in Capernaum. Suddenly his name is out there. Everyone expects and wants these healings to continue. People are queuing up outside Peter’s door demanding more,  but in the preceding verses, Jesus has declared that His purpose, the very reason He has come, is not to to be a celebrity healer, but to preach the Kingdom of God.

There’s something extremely attractive about celebrity. Something which affects us all. Yet we know that celebrity isn’t always as much fun as it’s cracked up to be. Stereotyping is always unhelpful, and of course many celebrities lead happy and very fulfilling lives, but the lifestyle is not without pressure and can be tiresome and restricting at times. Just occasionally, we hear something of the overwhelming pressures which are borne by some contemporary celebrities. It can be difficult to know who your friends are. Difficult to know who to trust. Other people constantly drawn to you, wanting their moment with you, making demands. The reality is, that sometimes celebrity can be a very lonely place to be.

Personally, I think that this verse attracts less attention in the commentaries than it should, because it lifts the veil on an angle of the life of Christ in these early days of His ministry. Jesus is being hounded by people who want his attention. People are constantly looking for him. He is unable to move anywhere without people pursuing him and making demands of him. If he appears in the town he gets mobbed. If he wanders in the countryside he’s hunted down. His life is no longer his own. He is pursued and watched at every turn. Jesus is a celebrity.

If there had been pens, everyone would have wanted Jesus’ signature. If there had been cameras, there would have been paparazzi riding donkeys. There would have been endless demand for selfies. If there had been Facebook, everyone would have wanted to post pictures, tell stories and spread rumours about Him. For Jesus, there was no safe place to escape to. No gated communities or secure houses where he could take time out. No publicists or media teams to help Him to manage the message. No teams of security guards to keep people at bay.

Wherever he went, people felt a magnetic attraction to Jesus. We do well to notice the  pressures which celebrity put upon Jesus and those around Him. It gives context to those moments when the Disciples tried to protect him, from the leper, from little children. It gives context to those moments when Jesus took time out, withdrew from everyone and everything. It gives context to the times when Jesus needed to reconnect with God, and to refocus on His purpose. Moments when he needed to step back from the pressures of celebrity. We do well to notice that this is a verse which we can connect with. We understand the magnetism of fame, and so we can begin to think about the way people interacted with Jesus. There’s something very contemporary about this verse.

Celebrity is a powerful thing. It has huge impact on our culture today, and that helps us to identify with some of what is going on here. Fame is not always been a good or helpful thing. It needs to be managed. Without control, those who pursue and make demands, the whole publicity machine,  start to define the celebrity. Here is the Son of Man, being hounded by people wanting more healings. Here is the Son of Man, being chased by people demanding more of what they want. Here is the Son of Man, responding to and  managing his celebrity, and recovering control of His own identity. They demand dramatic healings, but His purpose is to preach.

This Scripture gives some really accessible context to the life of the Son of Man in these early days of His ministry. He is a man pursued. He is a man with a mission.

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Gospel of Mark

Touching the Untouchable: Mark 1: 40-45a

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‘Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes.’ (www.WHO.int/healthtopics/leprosy)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

40 A man with leprosy[a] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Jesus was indignant.[b] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

Mark 1: 40-45 (NIV)

In a part of the world where we take medical advances for granted, leprosy, especially if caught early, is curable. In 1st Century Palestine, it was not. The biblical word lepros could have referred to a number of conditions, but we can draw two key conclusions. Firstly, the man was visibly sick. Untreated, this sickness would have been debilitating with visible deterioration of the man’s skin and flesh. Secondly, because of his sickness, he was excluded from the city, banished to live either alone or in what we might think of as a rough encampment of other sufferers of skin diseases. Such people were, in effect, the living dead – abandoned by society to their slow, miserable, lonely and painful death. They were a class apart. Reduced to begging on the open road, from travellers who would avoid contact with them at all costs.

The actions of this man tell that after the extraordinary events in Capernaum, the fame of Jesus as a man of healing had spread beyond the town. The sick man knows who Jesus is. He is absolutely confident in the ability of Jesus to heal. Jesus is moved by compassion, and the extraordinary faith of this man.

I can feel the disciples tensing as this man approaches. Jesus reaches out his hand and actually touches the man. I wonder whether you remember the disciples trying to come between Jesus and small children who were coming to sit with him and perhaps to distract him. This man is unclean, wrought with incurable disease, and rushing to get close to Jesus. Against every cultural norm, Jesus allows him to approach and fall to his knees. We struggle to grasp how this would have looked to the first followers of Jesus. The minds of the horrified disciples are divided, perhaps, between creating a physical barrier between Jesus and the leper, or keeping their own distance from this desperately sick man.

In that instant, at the word of Jesus, the man is healed. His condition is not simply improved. As with Peter’s mother in law, the healing of this man is immediate and absolute. The visible marks of his sickness are gone. They are no longer there. No wonder that, in spite of Jesus’ appeal, he ran off down the road declaring his healing to anyone who would listen. A moment before he was facing a ghastly premature death. Jesus has given him new life. His joy must have been utterly overwhelming. What the disciples think at this point we can only imagine.

The Jewish Law requires that having received healing, the man present himself to the priest who has the power to declare him clean. Jesus direction to go to the priest demonstrates respect for the Law of Moses. But why is this extraordinary healing to be kept quiet. As simple, perhaps, as the fact that Jesus has told us that his purpose in going to the villages is to preach. He needs to be seen as the one who has the words of life, rather than being pursued as some kind of celebrity healer. He has left Capernaum to escape the crowds who want to receive or at least witness healings, and the profound testimony of this man means that his attraction as a healer will only continue to grow.

We are privileged to live in a time and place where leprosy is rarely diagnosed, and where the effects can be addressed and managed.  Our distance from the impact of this dreadful disease means that we might miss the grace of Jesus highlighted by Mark. Here is a lesson for the us, and for those first disciples.

Here is Jesus, ready to very deliberately cross one of the most clearly defined social barriers. Moved by compassion, he not only gives time to this man. He reaches out and touches the untouchable. He lays his hand on that which is unclean, and with his power and authority, in the words ‘Be clean.’ makes it completely, wholly, and absolutely clean.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

A note about Leprosy

Whilst we, in the west, rarely have direct contact with sufferers of leprosy, it remains a serious and life changing reality in many areas of the world. ‘Every two minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease. That’s more than 200,000 new cases a year. Although it is curable, millions of people worldwide are living with the effects of the disease, from physical disability to mental health problems, poverty and discrimination.’

For more information, and how you can help, please visit the Leprosy Mission website.

 

Gospel of Mark

Prayer, Passion and Preaching: Mark 1: 35-39

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35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Mark 1:35-39

12th December 2023, Horsham

‘After a day of intense excitement, with the news of God’s kingdom going public with a bang, Jesus knew his need of a God given sense of direction and inner strength, both to build on the apparent success of the previous day and to take things forward in the right way.’(i)

Jesus, we are told, didn’t leave the house early. He left very early – before the sun was up.  Maybe he woke early. Maybe, after the excitement of healings on the previous day he was having trouble sleeping. It’s probable that in the early morning, more people were starting to arrive at the house, looking for Jesus the healer. People are excited and desperate for help. They have never seen anything like this. Everyone wants to see Jesus.

Jesus was a guest in the home of the disciples. The fact is, I suspect, that when the disciples awoke, Jesus simply wasn’t there. How can you mis-place a house guest? Especially one as important as Jesus. Where’s Jesus? Surprise and embarrassment turn to panic as they search for him.

When my children were small, I had an older friend who used to tell me that the key to good parenthood was making time for ‘a bit of p & q’. Sid wasn’t a man of faith, but he knew that moments of ‘peace and quiet’ were precious. They could be restorative and energizing. In our modern lives, finding the right place for downtime is a challenge. We have to work at it. So many things are constantly grabbing at our attention, we have to create space. Back then, I used to grab quiet moments to sit, all on my own, on the back step of our house. All weathers – day or night., that was my space. The family respected that this was my quiet place. Of course there were always interruptions. Visitors would occasionally find it strange when they arrived to find me sitting on the back doorstep in the rain.

If you read the Gospel’s, you’ll see that time and again Jesus made space in his life for a bit of very purposeful peace and quiet. A place where he can pray. A place where he can connect with God. A time when he could recover his strength and allow the Holy Spirit to direct His steps. If the Son of God needed that to keep Him on target, how much more do I need it!

In later times I have learned to find my own space in a field, or on a bench in the local park. As a commuter, I could be quiet on a busy tube train and I could pray as I walked across the city between meetings. As I write, I am having some downtime in a local coffee shop.

Of course, even for Jesus there were interruptions.  Can you sense the irritated tone of the disciples who found Jesus’ behaviour strange. ‘What are you doing here? Everyone’s looking for you!’ Yesterday was awesome. Today could be even better!  There are people queuing up outside my house and you’re up here taking a moment!

Yesterday, Jesus demonstrated his extraordinary power. Today he has the opportunity to really consolidate his reputation. But Jesus is not up for that. He is ready to leave Capernaum and head for the villages. The healings in Capernaum have announced his ministry to the world. But from now on,  His ministry is less about physical health. The heart of His ministry – his passion –  is spiritual health. From this point forwards, the heart of His ministry is preaching. ‘That,’ says Jesus, ‘is why I have come.’ (v38)

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Contemplative

Do not worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34)

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In a few weeks time, I will be stepping down from my role as the Coordinator for Horsham Churches Together. I’ve done this job for just a couple of years. There have been challenges, but I’ve met and worked with some wonderful people and it’s been an incredible privilege to serve local Churches and Christian leaders in this way.

Moving on undoubtedly brings me closer to retirement. That feels like a big thing for me. I don’t feel ready to retire, and I have very mixed feelings about stepping down, but in my heart, I know it is the right thing for me to do.

Last night, I went to a worship and prayer service which brings together people from many of the 31 Horsham congregations.

As I walked to the meeting I was reflecting on my role with and my small contribution to the life of Horsham Churches Together over the last couple of years. Those mixed feelings rose again in my mind. Who is going to take over? What will it look like without me? How’s it going to work?

Then, as I walked up North Street, past the Old Council Offices, God spoke. ‘This story,’ He said, ‘is about me, not about you.’ There was a gentleness to these words, yet a profound directness. Stop worrying about the next stage of the story for HCT. It seemed to say, the future of HCT is part of God’s story. Not mine.

Later, at the service, I found myself praying on my own to one side of the auditorium. I was prayerfully reflecting on my own career – my own story. I have done many jobs – paid and voluntary. If a book were written about my life, I thought, each of them would be a chapter in my story. I have so often been deeply conscious of His presence at so many important points in my life. The start, and the closure, of each chapter has invariably involved a sense of His direction and leading. So, I found myself prayerfully asking God what was next for me. In an instant, in my mind, was the phrase ‘How much better will it be if you let me write the next chapter.’

“6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSV)

“6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSV)

Gospel of Mark

A man with the power of God: Mark 1:29-31

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Three verses. Four sentences. So much going on!

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30Simon’s mother in law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her.

Here’s a reason to read and reflect on a few verses at a time. I have read these verses so many times, but there is so much here that I hadn’t noticed before.

First, Mark gives us such a simple, yet such a profound image. Jesus, leaving the synagogue and just walking up the street with a small group of friends. It’s an ordinary, authentic moment. Here is Jesus, Son of God, Lord of Creation – wandering up the street with a bunch of mates. In those few words, you are confronted by the absolute humanity of Jesus.

Next we learn about this household, living together in one or two rooms. Simon and his brother Andrew share the house. This is their family home. It is likely that they group up in this place with their fisherman father Jonah (i). Simon is married, and (as would have been entirely normal) shared his home with other family members including, not just his brother Andrew, but his wife’s mother. This is not life changing stuff, but it’s a glimpse into the life of these young fishermen.

Simon’s mother in law is sick. She has a fever. There is no health service. No paracetamol. No antibiotics. A fever is serious. The lady is very sick. It’s natural that when a visitor arrives at the house, that they would be told about the suffering of the woman at the heart of the household.

31So he went to he, took her by the hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

I recently suffered a bout of Covid. Several weeks after the infection I still have some lingering symptoms. The idea of leaping out of bed at the height of the infection and getting straight back to work sounds like some kind of medieval torture. Make it a sick woman, being turned out of bed to serve the men and it smacks of abuse or even slavery. But something very different is going on here.

Jesus, the man, moved by compassion for a sick woman in the household of a friend. Jesus,   taking her by the hand – offering the healing touch with the power of God.  In that instant, at His touch,  the fever is gone. This lady doesn’t just feel a bit better – she is healed. She is cured. No lingering symptoms here. In an instant, her health is fully restored. Absolute healing.

Right next to an image of the true humanity of Jesus, here is an image of the supernatural and generous healing power of the Son of God. The very healing power of God. Jehovah-Rapha (ii).

Her immediate return to work doesn’t reflect some kind of prematurely forcing back into service. It demonstrates her complete healing. It shows her readiness to step straight back into her cherished role of providing hospitality to her guests. Her desire to serve Jesus is a reflection of her gratitude for his grace.

Jesus, in his humanity. Jesus, with the power of healing. A woman, responding to the encountered with His grace.

Three verses. Four sentences. So much going on!

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(i) See Matthew 16:17,
(ii)Jehovah Rapha (more correctly Yahweh Rapha) is a name attributed to God in Jewish tradition, which means ‘The God who Heals’

Contemplative

Beatitudes: Dr Michael Frost

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Dr Mike Frost is the founding Director of the Tinsley Institute, a mission study centre located at Morling College in Sydney, Australia.

This is quoted from: www.nomadpodcast.co.uk/michael-frost-deconstructing-the-christian-narrative-of-power-n302/

‘I don’t read these as conditions – if you do these things you will be blessed, but as proclamations of the upside down kingdom

  • God is for those who are down and out, for the freaks, the weirdos, the awkward, the suffering, the irreligious and the profane;
  • God is for those who are deep in grief, whose pain makes them unable to participate fully in the strategies of a successful modern life;
  • God is for those who do not use power and strength over others in order to make their way in the world;
  • God is for those who long for things to be put right and for the unjust systems of the world to be torn down
  • God is for those who show mercy and forgiveness to one another, rather than seeking revenge for the ways in which they have been wronged
  • God is for those who can see that the external markers of religiously approved behaviour don’t mean much after all;
  • God is for those who resist  ways of violence and oppression in the world, and instead seek to become agents of peace and reconciliation between those who do not yet understand or love one another
  • And God is for those who, because they seek to live in this kind of reality, encounter the impression, exclusion and disdain of those with power, wealth and status.’

Gospel of Mark

They were amazed at His power… Mark 1:23-28

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A few months ago, a local man called Douglas who has mental health problems and spends much of his time wandering around the town, walked into the Church during a service, straight to the front, and started shouting at the musicians who were leading worship. He had been drinking, he was quite agitated, and he was very loud. In an instant, the atmosphere moved from calm and worshipful to tense and uncomfortable.  One of the Church people who obviously knew Douglas,  immediately and confidently responded to the interruption. Standing alongside Douglas, he spoke gently to him. Within moments the pair were sitting, chatting  quietly in the corner of the Church.

In any religious ceremony, there is always a tension when someone other than the speaker raises their voice and disrupts the service. When that person is unwell or drunk, most of us feel very uncomfortable.

In Mark 1:21-23 we see Jesus preaching in the synagogue. Unlike other teachers and preachers, this Jesus speaks in his own authority. People are amazed and excited about this young rabbi. And then, while he is speaking, a man stands up and starts shouting. ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?’ Do you sense the tension in the room. ‘I know who you are, God’s Holy One.’

Jesus, the preacher, deals immediately and confidently with the problem. No need to raise his voice. ‘Hold your tongue and get out of him.’ The problem is not the man, but something deep inside the man. In an instant, the man is on the floor convulsing. He screams. And then he is still. The spirit has fled.

‘If his words had amazed the people in the synagogue, his deeds left them thunderstruck.’(i)

They had been amazed by the words of Jesus. Amazed by the authority with which he spoke. And now they see his sheer power, demonstrated through his actions. This was a dramatic scene. Small wonder that the news about Jesus rapidly spread far and wide.

‘Jesus, with one word of clear, simple, brief authority exorcised the demon. No-one had ever seen anything like this before. The power was not in the spell, the formula, the incantation, the elaborate rite; the power was in Jesus.’ (ii)

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  • Wm Barclay, New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Mark, [Kindle DX Version Loc 1001]
  • Wm Barclay, ibid., [ Loc 1037]