Mark 4-5  and   Matthew 8
October 23, 2014


We read once again of the sower and the seed, the demon possessed man, Jairus and his daughter and the woman with the issue of bleeding.

If I look at the account of Jairus through the lens of the parable of the sower and the seed, I see several groups of people:  Jairus who has allowed the Word to grow deeply in his life,  the servants, who were hopeful that Jesus could do something, but when they saw the girl had died, their faith died as well.   The mourners, who encountered Jesus but laughed and dismissed his observations completely.     Isn't that something?   I'm willing to bet that any time you see God working, the same reaction is taking place.   Let's observe and recognize how the Word is being received, but let's not worry about it.   Just keep sharing and testifying,  God will take care of the rest.

The demon possessed man account reminds me that God cares about everyone.   The area this man lived in wasn't Jewish  (that's why they had pigs...Jews didn't raise pigs).  And yet Jesus takes time away from the crowds of his own people to witness there.  It also reminds me that sometimes the person that the world has given up on is the best witness concerning the power of God.   Nobody in town believed that the crazy man who lived in the graveyard could be rescued, let alone be an evangelist...no one but Jesus.    Jesus tells other people to keep what has been done for them a secret...but to the demon possessed man He says "go and tell".   I'd be willing to bet that this man became quite well-known because of the miracle Christ performed in his life.

The woman who was bleeding had most likely given up hope.  Her money was spent, the doctors didn't have any idea how to fix her.   The Bible doesn't say, but she could have been looking a few months down the road and making plans for her end of life care, and the care of her estate.
But hope is renewed when Jesus comes into our lives.  We begin to realize that there is power in His name, and in His Word to heal, to forgive and to restore.   Jesus is the source of all power and strength.   The power to heal our bodies and our relationships.  The power to heal families and individuals, and whole nations.   When we touch Jesus our lives our changed, our bodies are changed, our outlook is changed and our future is changed.   Everything changes for the better when we come into contact with Jesus.

The greatest gift we can ever give to another person is an introduction to Jesus.   Hope begins with Him and springs from Him.   Contentment and peace are found in Him.  We can only truly rest in Him, and we are only effective in Him.   In Christ....clinging to his garments, sitting at his feet, is where we should all long to be.   There is no greater place.

On a different, and somewhat random note, I am willing to bet that the woman who was healed went home, raised her family, etc. and had no idea what an impact her act of faith has had on hundreds of generations since.   There's no way she could know that her simple act of reaching out would inspire paintings, sermons, songs of praise,  and literally thousands or hundreds of thousands of similar acts of faith.

I encourage you today to take your own step of faith, and be encouraged!  Perhaps without you ever knowing it, your Christian walk and your act of faith will encourage others to do the same!


PR