Apicontent

“When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came up, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He asked him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be healed and live.” Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around him.
Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years. She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she kept saying, “If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.” At once the bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
Jesus knew at once that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you and you say, ‘Who touched me?’” But he looked around to see who had done it. Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” —Mark 5:21-34

This dramatic scene opens with a large crowd gathering around Jesus. A synagogue ruler–Jairus–humbly approaches the Lord, falling at His feet. He earnestly pleads for the Healer to place His hands upon his dying darling daughter–the apple of his eye–so that she will be made whole and live. In desperation, Jairus openly begs for healing, believing Jesus possesses the achieving power to make her well. And our Lord lovingly consents.

What parent would not do likewise when their child is physically sick? But what about when your child is spiritually sick? Are we as earnest then? The spiritual health of our children is of far greater value and importance than their physical well-being.

On their way to heal Jairus’ daughter, we find Mark abruptly changing the focus. A woman desperate for relief clandestinely approaches the Jesus in hopes of merely touching His cloak for her healing. In faith she reasons, if she can simply get close enough to touch the hem of His garment she will be freed from her misery. She holds a strong faith in the achieving power of Christ to heal her. For twelve long years she has sought help from many, yet she’s only grown worse. An outcast from society–much like a leper–she is considered ritually “unclean” because of her condition. She is excluded from normal social interactions. But, she does not allowing the crowds to hinder her pursuit. She inches closer to the Healer. She desperately reaches out for just a touch of His cloak. And as she connects with the hem of His cloak, immediately, Scripture says, her body is freed from her suffering.

At once, we are told, Jesus realizes achieving power had gone from Him and He turns towards the pressing crowd asking in tenderness, “Who touched my clothes?” Jesus’ question seems ridiculous to His disciples considering the great throngs around Him all seeking to get close to Him. Yet this does not hinder the Lord’s searching eye. He wants to commend and encourage her faith. Falling at His feet and trembling with fear, the poor woman presents herself to the One who made her whole. Our Lord tells her it was her faith–not His garment–that healed her.

Take It to Heart

Paul’s prayer in Philippians is a great prayer to humbly and boldly pray over those we love as well as for ourselves:

“And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.” —Philippians 1:9-11

God promises us His peace when we turn to Him!

“You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you.”—Isaiah 26:3

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ” —Matthew 7:7-8

Further Reflections

“It is God to whom and with whom we travel and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place.” —Elizabeth Elliot

There is nothing, indeed, which God will not do for a man who dares to step out upon what seems to be the mist; though as he puts down his foot he finds a rock beneath him.” —F. B. Meyer

“Now the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind – the one who had the “Legion” – and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man reported it, and they also told about the pigs. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their region. As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked if he could go with him. But Jesus did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you.” So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.” —Mark 5:14-20

It is interesting to note the differing responses to this amazing event. And it is important to remember that miracles do not save, they merely point to the One who does. In our verses for today, we see three reactions to the miracle Jesus performed.

Next, we see the townspeople coming out to see what the hoopla is all about. These people are curious. They discover the demoniac now delivered, yet the pigs drowned, and they don’t appreciate the tradeoff in the least. This man’s life was not worth the economic loss to them–and they feared even greater losses. Fearful that Jesus will take away more than He will provide, they choose the temporal over the eternal and beg Jesus to leave their region.

Then there is the healed demoniac. The one that lived in his personal hell on earth, the one that wailed and moaned in his darkness and depravity, the one who felt his skin being torn by his gnashing and cuttings, the one Jesus delivered with His Word. It is not so surprising to see his reaction of overwhelming appreciation and love. Jesus had saved him, and his response was love towards the Master.

This healed man’s grateful response was similar to adoration shone by the sinful woman who anointed Jesus by washing His feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair while the Pharisees sneered. Jesus affirmed her actions just as He did this healed man’s response:

“Then, turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss of greeting, but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfumed oil. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little loves little.’” —Luke 7:44-47

It is easy to compare ourselves to others and think we are not all that bad. When we look around us instead of above us perhaps we do not seem like we need a Savior at all. And yet, every soul born from Adam is in need of saving. Scripture tells us that no one is righteous not even one. Scripture tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God’s standard. And Scripture tells us that every sin carries with it a death sentence. Those that know Jesus know this. Jesus says to each one of us much the same thing He said to the healed demoniac: “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Take It to Heart

“He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name – he has given the right to become God’s children – children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.” —John 1:10-13

The demoniac was freed from his chains and was obedient to the Lord’s Word. He became an evangelist by merely telling what Jesus had done for him. What has Jesus done for you? What is your response to Him? Are you sharing your story?

Further Reflections

First, we discover those tending the pigs running to the town and countryside shouting forth the phenomenon–much akin to the fervor or emotionalism of seeing a magic show or some circus event. They were fueled by excitement, but not faith.“We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by ‘looking unto Jesus’. Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! Let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.” —C. H. Spurgeon

“So they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes. Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs and met him. He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. Then he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God – do not torment me!” (For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”)
Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” He begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region. There on the hillside, a great herd of pigs was feeding. And the demonic spirits begged him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” Jesus gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.” —Mark 5:1-13

Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. In these verses, we find Jesus and His disciples in a place inhabited primarily by Gentiles. It is here that this man possessed by many demons approaches the Lord Jesus. Driven by the demons to abide in a desolate area, this plagued person was kept in his own horrific prison-type experience. This oppressed man could not be subdued even by chains. He was as an untamed wild animal, shrieking wildly in an inhuman howl and cutting himself with sharp stones. The devil is a cruel master indeed.

His pathetic condition demonstrates this was not a mere sickness or insanity, but a satanic attempt to destroy one made in God’s own image. Praise God, Jesus is the One who saves the living from among the dead! Jesus tells us in Matthew:

“Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living!” When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.” —Matthew 22:31-32

Seeing Jesus from a distance, the demon-possessed man runs and falls on his knees in front of the Savior. The demons were fully aware of who Jesus was. Using the vocal cords of the man they were housed in, they shout out: “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” The demons are fully aware of our Lord’s divine origin and His superior power.

Jesus commands the demons to depart their host. When Jesus asks the demons their name, they respond through the man, “Legion, for we are many.” “Legion” was a common term in Palestine denoting a regiment of about six thousand soldiers–suggesting that this man was under the power of great strength and oppression.

Desirous to remain hosted in this desolate area these demons beg Jesus to allow them to stay. Jesus has the power to send them wherever he wills. These demons are fully aware of His power over them. Not wanting to be left without a host and in a desperate attempt to avoid being consigned to a disembodied state until the final judgment, the demons beg Jesus to allow them to enter into a herd of pigs feeding on the nearby hillside. Jesus gives them permission and the immediate destruction of the pigs ensues.

Take It to Heart

We are not matches in our own strength against these powers of darkness. It is only in the Lord and in His power that we are able to stand against them.

Further Reflections

“It is His love for man, His compassion for the human race, that prompts God to hate sin with such a vengeance. He gave Heaven’s finest that we might have the best; and He loathes with a holy abhorrence anything that would hinder our being reconciled to Him.” —Billy Graham

“What is man, when reason is dethroned and Satan enthroned?” —Matthew Henry

“No one overcomes the corruptions of his heart except by the enabling strength of the Spirit of God.” —Jerry Bridges

“On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” So after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, and other boats were with him. Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. But he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!” —Mark 4:35-41

Exhausted and in need of respite from preaching, teaching, and healing the Lord Jesus gathers His disciples into a boat with the command to head for the other side. Weary and exhausted from the day’s duties, Jesus sits in the stern and promptly falls asleep. Here Jesus demonstrates that it is not wrong to consider the frailty of our bodies when we are about God’s work! Our bodies are jars of clay, not machines. Jesus often withdrew with His disciples to solitary places for times of refreshment and restoration. Later in Mark we read:

“Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while” (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat).” —Mark 6:30-31

We are told a furious squall descended upon them–filling the boat with water until it nearly swamped. All the while the Lord slept soundly in the stern. Drained of hope, the disciples turn to Jesus, the God of all hope. Believing the Master to be unconcerned about their circumstances, the storm is testing the disciple’s reliance on Jesus. I’ve been there: Wondering if Jesus is unaware of my circumstances, singing a line from the old spiritual, “Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen”, and forgetting to go on to the next line, “Nobody knows but Jesus.” Why is it that when the fire gets hot we think Jesus is on vacation? That we begin to think He is not interested in our pain, interested in our sorrow, not able to help us through our difficult circumstance? Nothing could be further from the truth!

The disciples should have known that a ship with the Lord Jesus in it may be tossed, but it will never sink. We may perhaps be at our own wits end, but we are never at faith’s end while we have a Savior to go to. Sometimes a greater lesson is learned in the midst of our storms, before the waves are quelled. We can be sure God always has our best interest at heart. He will never leave us or forsake us. Nothing can change our unchangeable God. We must rest in His words:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28-30

The words of the Old Testament remind us:

“God is our strong refuge; he is truly our helper in times of trouble. For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, when its waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea.” —Psalm 46:1-3

Christ rebukes the wind and the waves and they immediately subside at His command, leaving tranquility in their wake. There is always complete calm with the Lord Jesus. He is never out of control. He is never unable. We discover in Psalm 107 words describing our Lord’s actions:

“They cried out to the LORD in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles. He calmed the storm, and the waves grew silent.” —Psalm 107:28-29

Take It to Heart

Near the end of our verses for today we find Jesus asking the disciples about their fear and their faith. Our great fear will cause our faith to flee. Our great fear will force us to take our eyes off the God of all creation–the all-powerful, the all-knowing, the everywhere-present God. And we will put our eyes on ourselves. The result? Sheer terror.

Faith conquers fear! In the calm after the storm the disciples sat wide eyed–full of reverence and respect over what had transpired. They were beginning to realize that Jesus was no ordinary man!

When Christ is in our company we have all that we need.

Further Reflections

“Be not dismayed, but go to Him who is the God of all comfort, who comforteth all those that are bowed down, and He will give you a word which shall heal your wounds, and breathe peace into your spirit.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

“Hope, it is exquisitely fragile and it is an exceptional force and it is essential to faith and you can’t afford to lose it. Lose your fears but never your hope.” —Ann Voskamp

“He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground – when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade.”
So with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.” —Mark 4:30-34

In our verses for today Jesus is teaching us that the work of grace is very small and mysterious in its beginnings, yet it flourishes greatly and considerably.Here Jesus likens the kingdom of God to a common mustard seed–the smallest of all seeds planted in the Palestinian ground. This was an annual plant that could reach a height of twelve to fifteen feet in but a few weeks. Similarly, the work of grace in a man’s life is at first a very small thing, but it grows and grows and grows! The kingdom of God on earth also had humble beginnings which will end greatly. Consider for a moment the original disciples: Never was there such a great undertaking by such a few. These men were responsible for fulfilling Jesus’ great commission and spread the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth through the power of the Holy Spirit:

“Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18-20

Think for a moment of the differences between Jesus first and second earthly comings. When he was born in the manger, it seemed insignificant, perhaps even enigmatic. The beginning of God’s earthly kingdom–embodied in the presence of our Lord and Savior was no bigger than a mustard seed. And yet the gospel has continued to spread throughout the world, stretching to the furthermost corners of the earth. And as a result, His second coming will most assuredly surpass all kingdoms in glory, greatness, and power. At that time God’s kingdom will be very great indeed.

The Holy Spirit is given to every believer to empower and teach and He is training and equipping us to pass the baton to every subsequent generation until Christ’s second coming.

“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “I will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it. I will pluck from the top one of its tender twigs; I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. I will plant it on a high mountain of Israel, and it will raise branches and produce fruit and become a beautiful cedar. Every bird will live under it. Every winged creature will live in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree. I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it!’” —Ezekiel 17:22-24

“The one who has ears had better listen!” —Matthew 11:15

Take It to Heart

“God is the God of promise. He keeps His word, even when that seems impossible.” —Colin Urquhart

Further Reflections

“But He is the Living Word and His Word is a flashing, double-edged sword and He doesn’t write Himself into neat five-point outlines but He is like the wind–and He speaks in parables that subvert and poetry that ignites and metaphors that jolt and there is nothing safe or small or stiff about Him.” —Ann Voskamp

“Whenever God rules over the human heart as King, there is the kingdom of God established.” —Paul W. Harrison

“He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come.” —Mark 4:26-29

Jesus is teaching us in these verses the sure truth that undetected and without clamor, yet insuperably and without fail, God carries on His good work in the lives of those who believe. I am reminded of Paul’s words:

“I thank my God every time I remember you. I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 1:3-6

King David wrote similarly in the Psalms:

“The LORD avenges me. O LORD, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made!” —Psalm 138:8

“No one overcomes the corruptions of his heart except by the enabling strength of the Spirit of God.” —Jerry Bridges

He who has begun a good work in us will most assuredly perfect it! We can be certain God will finish what He has begun. Our hope must be based solidly not on our own weak strength–for that will certainly fail us–but on the surety of the love of God–for that will never fail us. This confidence of the good work being completed within us will give us great comfort. The work of grace will be accomplished wherever it has been begun. The continuous work of grace in a life makes us more and more like Jesus and fits us rightly for the enjoyment of God. Wherever this good work has begun we can be sure God began it. We cannot begin it by ourselves because we are by very nature dead in our sins and trespasses. God alone makes alive what was once dead. I am reminded of Ezekiel’s amazing experience in the Valley of Dry Bones:

“The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and placed me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. He made me walk all around among them. I realized there were a great many bones in the valley and they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign LORD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, listen to the LORD's message. This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live. I will put tendons on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath in you and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them.
He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, – prophesy, son of man – and say to the breath: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.” —Ezekiel 37:1-10

Through belief in Jesus, we are offered life in abundance! Jesus tells us in John that He came to give us life!

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” —John 10:10

Take It to Heart

A.W. Tozer once said that we can have as much of God as we want. He is the One who gives us life that is truly life. When we hunger and thirst for His righteousness, He will fill us. Why would we want to avoid Him and His abiding peace and joy when we can have as much of Him as we want? God offers us life that is truly life in abundance! He promises us the fulfillment and purpose in life we all so greatly desire, and yet we often so wrongly go about searching for fulfillment in a myriad of other ways. However, ultimate and complete satisfaction only comes from the Savior.

“The real believers relentlessly believe that. The world or circumstances will try to dupe you differently–but it’s a law as irrefutable as gravity itself: no matter what—as much God as you want. Is there anything else worth wanting or having?” —Ann Voskamp

“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. If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!” And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”
—Mark 4:21-25

Jesus is clear–believers are to let their light shine before men, fueled by His mercy and love. Our spheres are to see our good deeds and praise the Father in heaven. He who gives the power also gets the glory–the light within us is to point to the One who put it there. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said:

“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.”
—Matthew 5:14-16

A light is meant to both shine and give direction. Light also dispels darkness. It unmasks the hidden, bringing out in the open those things that are concealed and secret. We do those around us and ourselves no favors when we hide the light of our words and deeds. In our age of tolerance we often muffle the truth in an effort to keep peace and not ruffle feathers. Often we choose not to refute with truth and mercy thinking our lack of words and actions to be Christ-like when in reality we are driven by fear or indifference or weakness or ignorance or some other wrong motivation.

We carry around in our jars of clay a precious treasure, do we allow others to see it?

“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.”
—2 Corinthians 4:7

“To believe in the God over us and not in the God within us – that would be a powerless and fruitless faith.” -Phillips Brooks

In the last sentence of our verses for today, Jesus is basically telling us: “Use it or lose it.” As believers, we are often guilty of sitting in a “holy huddle” feasting upon God’s truth and yet never pouring it out to the world. We must allow the Holy Spirit to make the Gospel come alive through our actions or words. We are meant to be conduits of His love and grace!

In the Parable of the Talents, makes this same point:“Someone asked, ‘Will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved?’ It is more a question—Whether we—who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not—can be saved.” -Charles Spurgeon

“Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
—Matthew 25:24-30

Take It to Heart

Believers are to be conformed to the image of Jesus leaving the “aroma of Christ” everywhere in their wake:

“For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing – ”
—2 Corinthians 2:15

We are to radiate and point others to a path of wholeness that is achieved through His power. Our influence is to be evident, like a city on a hill or a lamp upon a stand. Is your sphere of influence a different place because you bring Jesus there?

“The experts in the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the ruler of demons he casts out demons!” So he called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom will not be able to stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan rises against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand and his end has come. But no one is able to enter a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can thoroughly plunder his house. I tell you the truth, people will be forgiven for all sins, even all the blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” —Mark 3:22-30

First His family says “He is out of His mind” and now the teachers of the law are claiming that Jesus is demonically possessed and driving out demons with Satan’s power. It is amazing how low people can go when they are seeking to destroy someone, is it not? There was no arguing the fact that Christ had cast out demons–proof was present! Therefore, the enemy sought to twist and distort our Lord’s miraculous works. Satan never voluntarily abandons his possessions. Someone stronger, Someone with more authority, must come and overpower him. That Someone is Jesus, our Victor!

Satan is a creature of vengeance, doing anything he can to keep us from rightly worshipping and serving God. He is always on the prowl, trying to make us like one of his own. If he can’t get us to stop our worship of the Almighty, he attempts to diminish or distract us from Him. He hates God being worshipped because he craves desires to have that worship for himself. Indeed, he desires to be God. The five “I will’s” of the devil are synonymous with the “I will’s” of the King of Babylon presented in Isaiah–Satan being the real power behind that pagan king:

“Look how you have fallen from the sky, O shining one, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the ground, O conqueror of the nations!
You said to yourself, “I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon.
I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!”
—Isaiah 14:12-14

Remember as well that the adversary tempted Jesus with a vain effort to get Him to fall prostrate at his unholy feet:

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur. And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.” —Matthew 4:8-10

Jesus counters the teachers of the law’s inane accusations with reason. Rather than avoiding or shunning the opposition, our Lord refutes their charges directly: What would it possibly behoove Satan to fight against himself? How would his kingdom of darkness stand much less advance if he were in constant opposition battling evil against evil?

Satan–depicted by Jesus as the strong man–whose houses are filled with sin, sickness, sorrow, and death, does not give up without a battle. It is he who must be tied up in order for the captive to be set free. Jesus disarmed Satan’s power with the cross. The victory belongs to all believers! We have life in Jesus! All sin carries with it a death sentence–death to relationships, death to fullness of joy, death to character, death to life. When you really think about it, what does anyone ever gain from sin but destruction and death?

Take It to Heart

All the sins against God are open to God’s forgiveness with one exception: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In light of the context in which Jesus gives this warning, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit seems to have more to do with a prevailing attitude of defiant hostility toward God–a rejection of His saving power–rather than an isolated act or utterance. It is to prefer darkness after being exposed to the light. It is a persistent attitude of willful unbelief. It is sadly sin against the last remedy, rendering it unpardonable.

“And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” —Colossians 2:13-15

Further Reflections

“No more let sin and sorrow grow. Nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessings flow. Far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found. Far as, far as, the curse is found.” —Isaac Watts

“Now Jesus went home, and a crowd gathered so that they were not able to eat. When his family heard this they went out to restrain him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” —Mark 3:20-21

To be sure, “wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Proverbs 27:6) but it is certainly as true that insults from those in our family can bite bitterly! The “sticks and stones” ditty saying “words will never hurt me” that we are so well grounded in is far from reality. Here our Lord’s family members, His nearest and dearest, those whom should have known Him best, dish out verbiage which had to blister. His family bought into what others had espoused regarding Jesus’ zeal and reasoned He had gone mad. Whether their intent was good or bad, their words still had to sting our Lord. There appears to be quite the disconnect between our Lord’s family and the words they surely knew from Proverbs. At the very least these verses were not reverberating in their ears or different words would have been flowing from their tongues:

“A person has joy in giving an appropriate answer, and a word at the right time – how good it is!” —Proverbs 15:23

The words of the Prophet Isaiah regarding the suffering Servant come to mind–surely our Lord endured much undeserved insult and hardship while His feet walked this earth:

“I offered my back to those who attacked, my jaws to those who tore out my beard; I did not hide my face from insults and spitting. But the Sovereign LORD helps me, so I am not humiliated. For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; I know I will not be put to shame.” —Isaiah 50:6-7

As Jesus humbly obeyed his heavenly Father, his actions were misconstrued by others. How painful. We should not be surprised when this happens to us as well and we must be sober in our discernment of others as well. What call has God placed on another’s life that may appear skewed in our eyes? I am reminded of the missionary Amy Carmichael’s words: “It is not at all that we think that ours is the only way of living, but we are sure that it is the way meant for us.”

The crowds in our verses for today continued to flock to Jesus, pressing in on and surrounding our Lord and His disciples so much so that they had had no opportunity to even eat. Yet we discover the Master did not shut the door in their faces nor did He ever turn any petitioner away. Instead, we find Him unhurriedly and graciously bidding them welcome. These crowds presented an opportunity for Jesus to fulfill His mission.

Take It to Heart

“Who will be utterly other-worldly, utterly single-hearted, utterly consumed. Don’t think I am that myself! I fall far short of my own standard. But that is what I want to be, and that is what we must be if we are to stand the strain and conquer.” —Amy Carmichael

“ Therefore consider carefully how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is.” —Ephesians 5:15-17

“Now Jesus went up the mountain and called for those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve (whom he named apostles), so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach and to have authority to cast out demons. He appointed twelve: To Simon he gave the name Peter; to James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, he gave the name Boanerges (that is, “sons of thunder”); and Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” —Mark 3:13-19

In the account of this same incident in the Gospel of Luke we discover the reason our Lord went up on the mountainside–to pray!

“Now it was during this time that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent all night in prayer to God. When morning came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), and his brother Andrew; and James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” —Luke 6:12-16

Prayer was Jesus’ holy habit–early in the morning, late at night, and all through the night, through his life on earth we see Jesus taking time to talk to His Father. Spending time alone with God, Jesus was not out to impress men, rather He desired communion, direction, and strength from His Father. I am reminded of our Jesus’ Words in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward! But whenever you pray, go into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.” —Matthew 6:5-6

Prayer was never meant to be a liturgical performance whereby one sets out to eloquently espouse religious jargon for the benefit of man’s ears. Prayer is conversation and communion with the I AM, the great Creator God! When we forgo this privilege we end up wandering around in fog. We are the losers when we pursue our own imaginations, rather than listening for God’s still small voice for direction, power, and timing.

God intended from the beginning that we would be in a relationship with Him. From Adam on it was God’s desire and design for man to walk with Him in holy communion. When our first father failed, God cried out to him in the Garden, “Where are you” (even though God knew, he wanted Adam to answer Him). God always presses us to confess and repent of our wrong doings for our own good. The worst possible place for anyone to find themselves is outside of God’s perfect and pleasing will. Unfortunately, many of us do find ourselves in precisely that place due to our prayerless, rushing ways. We are to wait upon the Lord for His guidance.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5-6

Take It to Heart

This is why we must take time to pray. Not just over monumental things–like the selection of the twelve–but over everything else as well. God delights in hearing us talk to Him!

Amy Carmichael’s short prayers are a great model for us:

“Your patience Lord.”
“Your peace Lord.”
“Your grace Lord.”
“Your kindness Lord.”
“Your joy Lord.”
“Your goodness Lord.”
“Your direction Lord.”
Constantly pray. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Further Reflections

“Our attitude of surrender and dependence upon God is best evidenced by our prayer life.” —Chip Ingram

“A prayerless soul is a Christless soul.” —Charles Spurgeon

“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” —Samuel Chadwick