Sad sentence in the Bible at Mark 5:17: "And they began to entreat Him to depart from their region." Jesus had just cast many demons out of cemetery-dweiling "demoniac," and sent the demons to into a herd of pigs. The 2,000 pigs promptly ran off a cliff into the sea and drowned...which is a bad deal if you're a pig farmer, and just watched your entire livelihood destroyed. So the local townspeople, and the heads of the Small Business Administration, Chamber of Commerce, and Industrial Development Authority asked Him to go elsewhere with His people-freeing/pig-killing program (even thought they KNEW of the miraculous healing of the "maniac". Meanwhile, the former "maniac" is sent back to his home area of Decapolis (means ten towns).... he's all the minister and missionary those people are going to need to hear from to learn about Jesus!!
Shortly in the narrative, a father will come to Jesus begging for him to come to his sick daughter's bedside. And a woman sick for 12 years will make a "power play" just to touch Him for the healing she believes in.....
Sooo... how to be sure to not miss Jesus' invitation, and the Holy Spirit's prompting for the day?
Years ago Johnny Cash sang a song entitled "I See Men as Trees Walking." It refers to Mark 8, when Jesus healed a blind man. There's a great line in the chorus: "Jesus reach down now and touch me, Jesus reach down now and touch me, Jesus reach down now and touch me, I would like to see!" He seems to be willing to do what we sincerely ask of Him!
Showing posts with label Jesus Healing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus Healing. Show all posts
Monday, January 20, 2014
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Master on Mission in Mark 5
An amazing amount of information is in Mark Chapter 5. Jesus healed a man of evil spirits, and his life was transformed. Interestingly, Jesus left after that one seashore event near the Decapolis area (10 cities). Instead of allowing the delivered man to become a fellow traveler, Jesus instructs the man to go home to his people, and tell his story. One man, with a transformed life, was all the missionary that the ten towns would need!! Hmm, an example for us??
Later, in another seashore area, Jesus was following Jairus to his home to heal the man's daughter. A woman touches the hem of his robe, believing that will bring healing for her long term bleeding. It does, and she can feel the change inside herself!
Jesus also felt the exchange, and asked, "Who touched My Robe?" (MSG). The disciples think it a silly question. They point out that in the jostling crowd, dozens of people would have touched Him. We always look at the story of faith of the woman who confessed being the person He was looking for in the crowd. He compliments her "risk of faith", and says she is healed (which she has already experienced).
What I've never seen before is revealed in what the disciples have said. There are many people around Jesus in this setting, who would have touched Him, and come in contact with Him more vigorously than the simple touch at the edge of His robe.
Dozens have touched Him, been close, come in contact with Him... and came away with nothing... Ouch! The Master Teacher, The Creator Of The Universe, is in their hometown... and they take no advantage of it, just pass by Him with no improvement in life inside, or outside.
I don't want to be like that: coming into contact with Jesus through worship and study experiences, prayer and preaching events, and leave without being changed.
Later, in another seashore area, Jesus was following Jairus to his home to heal the man's daughter. A woman touches the hem of his robe, believing that will bring healing for her long term bleeding. It does, and she can feel the change inside herself!
Jesus also felt the exchange, and asked, "Who touched My Robe?" (MSG). The disciples think it a silly question. They point out that in the jostling crowd, dozens of people would have touched Him. We always look at the story of faith of the woman who confessed being the person He was looking for in the crowd. He compliments her "risk of faith", and says she is healed (which she has already experienced).
What I've never seen before is revealed in what the disciples have said. There are many people around Jesus in this setting, who would have touched Him, and come in contact with Him more vigorously than the simple touch at the edge of His robe.
Dozens have touched Him, been close, come in contact with Him... and came away with nothing... Ouch! The Master Teacher, The Creator Of The Universe, is in their hometown... and they take no advantage of it, just pass by Him with no improvement in life inside, or outside.
I don't want to be like that: coming into contact with Jesus through worship and study experiences, prayer and preaching events, and leave without being changed.
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