Healing for Fellowship & Life

Mark 5:21-43
Again, I apologize for my lack of writing, although this time, I have no excuse ready, I have simply been delinquent. Herb Cocking, formerly of William Tyndale College, spoke on this story at Lakeside about a month ago, titling the message Two Daughters. I missed, but was able to listen to the CD recently, although that particular message was drawn from the Lucan account. (Another parallel is in Matthew 9)

Although we don't know Jarius' heart, it seems a bit hypocritical for a synagogue official to be asking Christ for healing. They were not normally on friendly terms with the Lord. Even if he was sympathetic to the Lord, his associates would have been anti-Jesus. Still, one sacrifices one's personal grudges for the life of one's child.

Herb pointed out that verse 34 and it's parallels record the only time Christ calls anyone "Daughter." There are broad references to sons and daughters of Abraham, but Christ looks at a woman who Jewish law (and in a way, God) had declared unclean, and brings her near with a single noun. She was cowering on the fringes, afraid of potential punishment, more afraid that Christ would remove the healing she already had. But he commends her: "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." That is a compliment and an encouragement for one who should not have touched Christ at all, because of uncleanness.

At this point, Jarius is chomping at the bit to get home. His daughter dying, and he's offering up his professional reputation while Jesus has a conversation with a woman LEGALLY UNCLEAN. Then, his worst fears are realized. But Christ is unconcerned. He's got a plan that makes horrid situations not only bearable, but moments of victory. The power He fully exhibits after the cross begins to be revealed hear: No force on earth, including death, can stop the advancement of God's kingdom, and the glorification of Christ.

Christ's touch moves a bleeding outcast into healing fellowship, and a sorrowing skeptic into a celebration of belief.

Even the Demons Believe

I apologize profusely for not posting for a week now. I've been a bit busy, but that is certainly no excuse. I will make every effort not to allow it to happen again. Monday, I was able to kayak the beautiful Pine River, easily the most fun river in the lower peninsula. If you are ever in the area, especially in late summer, it is well worth the effort. Because the river is mostly spring fed, it stays cold and runs quick even when other rivers are a tepid trickle.

On to the text. It's a bit longer this time, and I like to look at this as the 2nd of an 3 part series on demonstrating Christs authority in increasingly impressive accounts.

1. Jesus has authority over nature. (Mark 4:35-41)
2. Jesus has authority over supernatural. (Mark 5:1-20)
3. Jesus has authority over the unnatural. (Mark 5: 21-43)

Mark 5:1-20
So, in this section, we're looking at Christs authority over the supernatural: namely, his power over demons. I'd like to point out the ease at which Christ deals with a legion of demons. The man has become out of control, unable to be stopped due to the forces within Him, and yet Christ easily, simply demands the name of the demon, then orders them out. It is clear from the passage that the demons are intimidated by the power of Christ. Their first request is "Don't hurt me!"

In spite of His amazing power, Christ is so merciful that he complies. It is amazing to me that His mercy can, on occasion, extend it even to those who have long ago made their final decision to reject Him. If this is his attitude toward demons, how can we ever fail to have mercy on our fellow men, who are still within the reach of his saving grace? We have this same power, and capacity for mercy, at our disposal. The Holy Spirit who indwells us allows us to access this same authority
Finally, look at the reaction of the people who know the man. They are simply angry and afraid of Christ's power. Rather than being ecstatic at the man who's life was put back together, they become angry at their loss of property. This is the reaction of people who were afraid of a demon possessed man. Their fear of Christ's power is more latent, but just as real, as that of the demons. We can expect the same fear

It's NOT gonna be a Bright, Sunshiney Day

Mark 4:35-41
Jesus Calms the Storm

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (NIV)

We often fear in our lives. We often think that Jesus is sleeping, and is going to keep on sleeping while we drown. This anecdote is certainly there to support Jesus' claims of Deity, but for those of us who already have confessed that, it is more. It is a reminder that Christ really does have power. We acknowledge that he can change the weather, but we forget that he brought the storm in the first place. Let's ask ourselves, "Why is this storm here?" Perhaps there's a purpose for it. Instead of asking for God to simply take away our struggles, shouldn't we first ask what we're supposed to learn from it? I'm not saying if your sick, don't pray for healing, or if your boss is a jerk, don't pray for their attitude. I am saying that the prayer should not exclude requests for the strength to learn the lessons God has in the situation. Christ said "If there is any way, let this cup pass from me, but NOT MY WILL."

Two Parables on the Kingdom

Mark 4:26-33

He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." Mark 4:26-29 (NIV)

This parable is often criticized and passed over because it's the only in Mark. Personally, I love it. It points out how little we know about the process of salvation in the lives of to other people. The seed is flung out there, and we don't see anything. On Friday, our church was wrapping up VBS, and I gave a gospel message. Not an invitation, specifically, but an invitation. I haven't heard of anyone who turned their life over to Christ because of that, but a few families were at church today. Maybe they just heard the beginning of the gospel, and it has to germinate for a few months. Maybe it's just the beginning of something, we don't know. The point is, if the gospel goes out, sometimes it takes a while before it really starts to grow. And once it does grow, sometimes it takes a little bit before it's really ready for fruit.

Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. Mark 4:30-34 (NIV)

Another misinterpreted parable, but this one has parallels in Matthew 13 and Luke 13. It seems to indicate the Kingdom as something that begins very small, but grows to enormous size. In retrospect, we can see that occurring even now. This movement, which began with no more than a few hundred followers, is now (broadly) the world's largest religion, and has impacted and changed culture around the world. I am not under the impression that those over 2 billion people who profess to embrace Christianity are going to heaven, far from it. But the point that the message, and the number of adherents, has grown exponentially is not to be taken lightly. And even more importantly, the day is coming when that tree will not just be the largest, but the only plant in the Garden. Because that is when we see the full measure of the Kingdom.
How encouraging this should have been to the disciples in those early days, and even to us today. When they were persecuted, and their numbers reduced through imprisonment and death, they could be comforted in the knowledge that eventually, the kingdom of God would supersede all earthly kingdoms, and become the eternal throne for the true King of Israel.

Pay Attention!

Mark 4:23-25

"If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. Consider carefully what you hear" He continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." (NIV)

It seems that Christ is pointing to the effects of the hermeneutic spiral here. The more you study the the Word, the more you can understand. The more you understand, the more you can apply it, and the more you apply it, the more you study. Its like a savings account. You invest, say $100 in an account at an annual 6.25%, for a year. One year later, you've got your money, plus interest. So at the beginning of the next year, you've got $ 106.25. You leave it there, and the next year, you've got 112.89: the interest on the interest earned you $.39. Now that's not much, but if you leave that investment alone, and continue to get the same rate, after 50 years you'd have almost Except the returns for the Kingdom of God aren't pennies on the dollars, it's a richer life on earth, and eternal rewards.

Shine

Mar 4:21-22

He also said to them, "A lamp isn't brought to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Isn't it to be placed on a lampstand? For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light. (NIV)

We often hear verse 22 in referance to sin being revealed at the judgment, but this is to tear it from it's context. And when interpreting Scripture, (or any other literary work!) context is our primary tool. Put into context, it becomes clear that the hiddeness is the gospel. In conversations with unbelievers, one of the objections to the gospel that raises itself over and over is the absolute foreignness of the concept of substitutionary death in western culture. Another confusing point is a perceived lack of "clarity" on the deity of Christ. Some people object (like Zipporah) to the perception that God is bloodthirsty or vindictive at some points, but overly merciful in others. There are many things about the gospel that are difficult and confusing to those not under the influence off the Holy Spirit. However, Christ has pointed out that all of this will be corrected one day. And in the meantime, we are to make every effort to communicate the gospel effectively. As the grain in the previous parable multiplies, so we need to allow our light to shine and spread the gospel. But the light that we broadcast is not really our own. If comes from the Holy Spirit, and it is only through His power and encouragement that we can be enlightening and fruitful.

Green thumbs

Mark 4: 1-20

The parable of the sower has always been one that required a little more hammering out than usual, partially because we always try to extend it too far, and partially because there are so many little quirks in it that it constantly challenges our thinking.

This parable, like all illustrations, has limited scope, so it's important to recognize that Christ is talking about people's reception to the Gospel and not, say God's ability to prevent Satan from attacking individuals, or the sowers lack of work on the soil. We cannot read anything into the text that it doesn't intend to speak on.

It is interesting to note, however, the four categories of hearers Christ:
1. Those in whom the Word is unable to reach, because Satan removes it.
2. Those who hear the Word and receive it, but fall away for lack of support or understanding.
3. Those who hear the Word and receive it, but allow themselves to be distracted.
4. Those who hear the Word, receive it, and nurture it to maturity.

We often discuss whether an individual is saved, because they have a profession of faith, but few if any discernable works. I'm not promoting works salvation, but we have to consider categories 2 & 3. Are they saved? I think that most people say that 4 is saved, and perhaps 2 and/or 3. But certainly not the first. I think that is safe, but let's examine 2 & 3.

The 2nd category received the word with joy. This is usually enough for an evangelical to chalk up a conversion, so preconceptions may work as we ask ourselves the question, is this person saved? "Received with Joy" implies a certain amount of emotional ascent, but the falling away that follows makes us question whether this was an honest confession. Received with joy . . . and a falling away. As much as I hate it, they appear to be backslidden, if they are saved, or emotionally committed for a time if they aren't. Neither seem to fit comfortably into my own categories.

The 3rd category is easier to dismiss, because it lacks the "with joy" but similar questions must be asked, especially because there is no falling away, but instead, an unfruitfulness. I see these people at church every Sunday. They stop pursuing Christ, and start pursuing wealth, or power, or something that the world tells them is important. Saved? Probably. Lukewarm? Certainty.

Have you become distracted from your calling to Christ? Have you faltered for a lack of understanding? Or have you begun to produce fruit?