by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton
Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man, “I am willing,” he said, “Be clean!” Mark 1:41-42
The Bible was written for all men but it is also an intimate message for you personally. When I read the Bible I am always looking for that intimate message.
Throughout the entire Bible God tells us what He is going to do and then He does what He says. God said “Let there be light” – and then there was light. God told Noah that there would be a flood and then there was a flood. God told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and then God made him the father of many nations.God means what He says and He says what He means and as I was looking over my notes from Mark, I was struck by what Jesus said to the people who came to him.
The Messiah was announced throughout the Old Testament:
“Let the be light” (Genesis 1:3) “and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4)
“God remembered Noah” (Genesis 8:1) and promised never again to destroy life on earth with a flood. This was the saving grace which came to us through Jesus so that “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:31) “I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)
“all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3) and “The gospel foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham. (Galatians 3:8)
The Messiah, Jesus, also means what He says.
“I am willing”
First came the leper who was hoping that Jesus was willing to help him. Jesus responded with compassion. The leper came to Jesus for help and Jesus reached out and touched him. Leper’s in Jesus’ day was like C-19 today. Keep your distance – Do not touch – and yet Jesus reached out and touched the leper. If you think of sin as a disease, more visible in its effects than in its microscopic appearance, and if you understand that we are all lepers then this becomes an intimate message. When we come to Jesus for help we don’t have to ask if He is willing to help, He has already told us, “Yes! I am willing” (1:41)
Then with the touch of Jesus we are clean.
“Your sins are forgiven”
The man physically paralyzed could not make it in to see Jesus all on his own, fortunately he had friends willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get him there. They tore apart the roof of a house! And lowered their friend through the opening they had made. When Jesus saw their faith He addressed the deepest need first. “Son your sins are forgiven.” (2:5)
How many of us are paralyzed by fear or anxiety or by pain, indecision or guilt? Sometimes it takes a lot of digging through the roof and the walls that we hide ourselves within, in order to get us down on our knees before Jesus.
We don’t always know the extraordinary measures that are taken on our behalf. A stranger introduced my grandmother to Jesus, she taught my mother and my mother taught me. Would I have met Jesus without the love of this stranger? And not just the stranger, but my grandmother and my mother, all worked together to bring me to Jesus.
And when we get there Jesus addresses our deepest need first. “Your sins are forgiven”
“Go and tell.”
A demon possessed man came to Jesus and when He had cleared out the demons the man would have followed him but Jesus sent him home. He didn’t just send the man away He sent him on a mission.
“Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you. (5:19)
There are three parts to this mission: 1) Go! Jesus isn’t on the earth to follow anymore. If we want to follow Him today we must Go! and 2) Tell how much the Lord has done for you. Don’t just count your blessings and keep them to yourself, tell people where they came from so that they will know where the treasure lies. And finally: 3) Tell people how God has had mercy on you so they will recognize the treasure when they see it for themselves.
“Go and Tell” but also “Show and Tell” live a life that reflects the mercy you’ve been given and points toward the treasure. Never forget whose name you bare, whose life you represent.
“Don’t be afraid; just believe”
To the man whose daughter was dying as the world told him to give up Jesus said “Don’t be afraid; just believe. (5:36)
The world doesn’t want us anywhere near Jesus. It will do everything in its power to stop us from reaching Him. The world says: “Don’t bother” “It’s too late” “It won’t help”
But Jesus has already told us that He is willing, He is able and He will address the heart of our issues: We are forgiven! All we have to do is to keep heading towards Jesus until we stand before him and confess, then peace and freedom will be ours.
Don’t listen to the world. Listen to Jesus “Don’t be afraid, just believe”
“Only through prayer”
To the man whose son was plagued by evil spirits Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” And the man replied, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” (9:23-24)
There are many times when we desperately want to believe, but can’t quite. Jesus is willing to help us even in this well of despair when we can’t quite believe that anything can help. Just believe, in spite of everything – just believe.
The disciples could not drive out this spirit, though they had driven out demons before. They asked Jesus why they had trouble with this one and He answered, “Only through prayer.” In other words only when we are connected to the power source are we empowered, if this was true for the disciples it is certainly true for me.
Believe that you will be heard and then connect to the power source: Pray! Ask Jesus to overcome your unbelief and He will.
This is what Jesus said to me. He says what He means and He means what He says.
“Let the be light” (Genesis 1:3) “and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4)
“God remembered Noah” (Genesis 8:1) and promised never again to destroy life on earth with a flood. This was the saving grace which came to us through Jesus so that “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:31) “I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)
“all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3) and “The gospel foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham. (Galatians 3:8)
The Messiah, Jesus, also means what He says.
“I am willing”
First came the leper who was hoping that Jesus was willing to help him. Jesus responded with compassion. The leper came to Jesus for help and Jesus reached out and touched him. Leper’s in Jesus’ day was like C-19 today. Keep your distance – Do not touch – and yet Jesus reached out and touched the leper. If you think of sin as a disease, more visible in its effects than in its microscopic appearance, and if you understand that we are all lepers then this becomes an intimate message. When we come to Jesus for help we don’t have to ask if He is willing to help, He has already told us, “Yes! I am willing” (1:41)
Then with the touch of Jesus we are clean.
“Your sins are forgiven”
The man physically paralyzed could not make it in to see Jesus all on his own, fortunately he had friends willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get him there. They tore apart the roof of a house! And lowered their friend through the opening they had made. When Jesus saw their faith He addressed the deepest need first. “Son your sins are forgiven.” (2:5)
How many of us are paralyzed by fear or anxiety or by pain, indecision or guilt? Sometimes it takes a lot of digging through the roof and the walls that we hide ourselves within, in order to get us down on our knees before Jesus.
We don’t always know the extraordinary measures that are taken on our behalf. A stranger introduced my grandmother to Jesus, she taught my mother and my mother taught me. Would I have met Jesus without the love of this stranger? And not just the stranger, but my grandmother and my mother, all worked together to bring me to Jesus.
And when we get there Jesus addresses our deepest need first. “Your sins are forgiven”
“Go and tell.”
A demon possessed man came to Jesus and when He had cleared out the demons the man would have followed him but Jesus sent him home. He didn’t just send the man away He sent him on a mission.
“Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you. (5:19)
There are three parts to this mission: 1) Go! Jesus isn’t on the earth to follow anymore. If we want to follow Him today we must Go! and 2) Tell how much the Lord has done for you. Don’t just count your blessings and keep them to yourself, tell people where they came from so that they will know where the treasure lies. And finally: 3) Tell people how God has had mercy on you so they will recognize the treasure when they see it for themselves.
“Go and Tell” but also “Show and Tell” live a life that reflects the mercy you’ve been given and points toward the treasure. Never forget whose name you bare, whose life you represent.
“Don’t be afraid; just believe”
To the man whose daughter was dying as the world told him to give up Jesus said “Don’t be afraid; just believe. (5:36)
The world doesn’t want us anywhere near Jesus. It will do everything in its power to stop us from reaching Him. The world says: “Don’t bother” “It’s too late” “It won’t help”
But Jesus has already told us that He is willing, He is able and He will address the heart of our issues: We are forgiven! All we have to do is to keep heading towards Jesus until we stand before him and confess, then peace and freedom will be ours.
Don’t listen to the world. Listen to Jesus “Don’t be afraid, just believe”
“Only through prayer”
To the man whose son was plagued by evil spirits Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” And the man replied, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” (9:23-24)
There are many times when we desperately want to believe, but can’t quite. Jesus is willing to help us even in this well of despair when we can’t quite believe that anything can help. Just believe, in spite of everything – just believe.
The disciples could not drive out this spirit, though they had driven out demons before. They asked Jesus why they had trouble with this one and He answered, “Only through prayer.” In other words only when we are connected to the power source are we empowered, if this was true for the disciples it is certainly true for me.
Believe that you will be heard and then connect to the power source: Pray! Ask Jesus to overcome your unbelief and He will.
This is what Jesus said to me. He says what He means and He means what He says.
He is willing and able. He cuts right to the heart of the issue and forgives. His forgiveness inspires a response – Go and Tell. Don’t listen to the world – listen to Jesus “Just believe” and plug into the power source - Pray
Simple –Ain’t – Easy
It’s a Personal Choice
Wendy
And in case you’re just joining us here are the links to:
Mark: An Overview of the Gospel
Mark Part One: One Good Hour With God
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