The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 1:40-45"

      I am glad to once again have the opportunity to post the sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the message. 

     We are once again this week looking at what we can learn from Mark's Gospel. In our passage for today, we have an account of Jesus healing a leper. This miracle is also recorded for us in Matthew and in Luke. 

     As we saw in the previous weeks, Jesus had begun His ministry, and part of that was healing the many people who were being brought to Him with a whole host of problems. Jesus moved with compassion for the people healed the afflicted and cast out demons. He went to Peter's home and healed his mother-in-law. 

     In our passage today, a man who was filled with leprosy comes to Jesus and kneels before Him. He says to Jesus, "If you will, you can make me clean." Jesus was moved with pity for the man's condition and reached out and touched the man, and Jesus cleansed and healed the man immediately and completely. 

     After the man was healed, Jesus instructed the man to not tell anyone. He was only to go and show the priests and make the appropriate offering per the Law of Moses. Instead, the man went out and told everyone. The word spread about Jesus healing the leper, and Jesus couldn't even go into the towns because the crowds seeking healing were so great. Jesus went to lonely places, and the crowds came to Him there. As always, Jesus healed the sick who were brought out to Him. 

     So, what can we learn from this account? First of all, this account isn't as straightforward as you might think. There is a little controversy surrounding this passage. In most of the Greek manuscripts, it reads that Jesus was moved with compassion or pity. However, in one of the oldest manuscripts, it reads that Jesus was indignant or angry when the man asked for healing. Which is right? What can we make of this?

     The vast majority of manuscripts read that Jesus was moved with compassion or pity, and I think that is right. When Jesus saw this man in so much pain and hurt, He felt deeply moved. He wanted the man to be well. I also think that Jesus was moved with compassion at the thought that this poor man would even have to question that He would want to help Him. The leper had no doubt been through a great deal of hurt and rejection in his life. 

     Jesus is compassionate. He cares about us, and He cares about our needs. He loves us, and He wants the best for us. He went to the cross because He loved us and wanted us to be with Him forever. He does not want anyone to suffer. Now, we do live in a world of suffering, but because of what Jesus has done suffering will one day cease entirely when the New Heavens and the New Earth are created.

     Now, what would be different if we did interpret the passage that Jesus became angry or indignant? If this is truly the correct interpretation, I don't think it means He was angry at the man. I think Jesus was angry that the man had to ask if you are willing. The religious and social system when Jesus was on earth would have completely rejected this man. Lepers were viewed as people who had committed some great sin and were being punished by God. They were rejected by the religious people and society. 

     Jesus would have been angry that people excluded this man and made him feel as if he was rejected by God. Jesus never rejected anyone. That is one of the reasons that the religious leaders didn't like Him. Jesus wanted everyone to come to Him so that they might have the abundant life that He offered to all who believe in Him. 

     Now, there is something else that I want to point out in this encounter. Jesus touched the leper and made him clean. This was something that was not to be done in that world. Touching the leper made Jesus ritually impure. No one touched a leper. Yet, Jesus in His love and compassion touched the man and made Him whole. His touch was an expression of His love and caring for the man. 

     I think something deeply theological is going on with this story. The man who is filled with leprosy is like us when we are filled with sin. Jesus took our sins and bore our sins in His body. Because of this we are freed from sin, and we have received the imputed righteousness of Christ making us clean. This is deeply symbolic healing with great meaning for us. It shows what Jesus did for us and how He has made us whole. 

     Jesus then instructed the man not to tell others. Why? I think He wanted people to come to Him to learn and to know not just to get something out of Him. When word got out, people came from everywhere to be healed. Jesus could give them what they wanted. 

     I think there is still a lot of this today. We view Jesus as the cosmic dispenser of good things. Don't want to go to hell. Get Jesus. Jesus wants us to come to Him to have a relationship with Him. He wants us to follow His path, and only a part of that is going to be with Him in Heaven. We come to Him to know Him and receive His life and His new way. 

     Finally, we read once again that Jesus went into the lonely places. He needed to get away and pray and meditate. He had to recharge. We do to. Even there, the people came. Jesus who is all good and all compassionate helped everyone who came. He loves us so much. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying for my health. I am better, but I am still having a lot of health issues. Thank you. 

     Let us pray for those facing hardship as a result of natural disasters. I know that there have been bad storms in Madagascar, and there have been bad fires in the Midwest in the US. Pray that people will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     We all need to keep praying for peace in the world. Pray for a diplomatic solution in Iran. Pray for peace. We don't need any more wars. Also, keep praying for Ukraine. Pray for peace in Sudan, Israel, Gaza, Yemen, Syria and Myanmar. Pray for peace in any area where you know there is conflict. 

     Pray that Christians all over the world will love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and not be moved to despise their brothers and sisters based on politics or nationality or other so-called divisions. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for those in the nations of Algeria and Thailand. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     I have an announcement. I have been working on a laymen's commentary on the book of James, and it is now finished. Starting next Wednesday, I will post one chapter a week until the whole book has been posted. I will post the verses on Tuesday. We will continue in Mark with the sermon. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Matthew 5:4 -- "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Revelation 21:4 -- "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 1:21-39"

       Thanks for taking the time to read the message this week. I hope and pray that everyone is doing well this week. 

     For the last few weeks, we have been in a continuing series of messages on the Gospel of Mark. We are going chapter by chapter and verse by verse through this Gospel for as long as it takes. 

     In our message last week, we saw that Jesus was just at the start of His public ministry. He came out of the wilderness temptation, and then He chose some of His first disciples. He told them that they would become fishers of people, and they left everything behind and immediately followed Him. 

     In our passage for today, we find that Jesus is beginning His teaching and healing ministry in the city of Capernaum. On the Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach the people. The people were amazed at the teaching that Jesus was giving because He taught under His own authority and not like the teachers of the law. This meant that Jesus made statements about what was the truth without going back and quoting from others in order to authenticate what He was saying. He taught under His own authority because He was God come in the flesh. All authority was His in Heaven and on earth. 

     In addition to teaching, another important part of Jesus' ministry was healing those who were sick and those who were oppressed by the devil. People from all over would come who were sick so that Jesus could lay His hands on them and heal them. Jesus was filled with compassion for the needs of the people. He cared about their spiritual needs and their physical needs. 

     One thing to note in this passage is that the evil spirits recognized Jesus right away. They had no power when Jesus confronted them. When He told them to depart, they had no choice.

     In our passage today, we also see that Jesus performed a miracle for Peter's family. Peter's mother-in-law was sick, and Jesus brought her back to health. She showed her gratitude by serving and helping the Lord and His disciples. 

     Now, what can we learn for our lives from this passage so far. First of all, we see the divinity of Jesus firmly displayed. By having teaching authority, authority over disease and authority over the spirits, Jesus demonstrated in no uncertain terms that He was God. He forbade the evil spirits to identify Him because He wanted people to come to their own conclusion about who He was. And that is what everyone has to do. We all must decide who Jesus is and if we will acknowledge who He is and invite Him into our lives to be out Savior and Lord. 

     In this passage, we see that we have an example for our service for the Lord in this world. Jesus ministered to the whole person. He told them about His message of love and forgiveness, and we have been given the ministry of reconciliation by the Lord as well. We are to go into the world and preach the Gospel and tell people that they can be reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

    We also, like Jesus, have a ministry for the whole person. Jesus met the needs of the people. Those of us who claim Jesus as Lord also have the duty to minster to the sick and to help people that are hurting in this world. If all of those who claim to know Jesus would work together, we could provide medical care, food aid and other assistance to the least of those among us. That is our duty in imitation of the teaching and practice of Jesus. 

     Now, in the last part of our passage, we see that Jesus went out into solitary places to pray. He needed to recharge by spending time with His Father. That is our example. We cannot go out into this world and help people if we are not filled up with the power of the Lord, and this comes about by spending time each day in prayer. We need to pray and meditate and let the love of Jesus fill our hearts so that we can give the love of Jesus to others that we meet throughout the day. 

     In all things, Jesus is our example. Let us go into the world and tell others about the Lord, and let us help others to have a better life while await the coming again of Jesus. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am having a lot of health issues right now. Please keep praying. I am still able to go to work and post the messages, so I am thankful for that. 

     Please pray for peace. The world right now is a total mess. We need peace on the streets of the US. We need to keep praying of Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, Syria and Yemen. Pray for peace in Haiti. Wherever you know there is conflict, pray for peace. 

     Keep praying that those affected by the winter storms here in the US will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of India and Senegal. Pray that many will come to know the Lord Jesus. 

     Next week, I will post the verses on Tuesday. We will continue in our study in Mark. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Isaiah 26:3 -- "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

Psalm 104:34 -- "May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the Lord."

The Weekend Sermon -- "Mark 1:16-20"

      Once again we have come to the time for the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone has had a very good week. I am doing some better. 

     As you are probably aware by now, we are in a series of messages where we are going through the Gospel of Mark. This is going to be an extensive study, and I am not going to rush through things. I want us to really see and understand who Jesus was and what He did during His time upon this earth. 

     Our study today finds us looking at how Jesus called His first disciples. After Jesus, was tempted in the wilderness, we saw last week that He began to preach a message about repentance and the coming of the Kingdom of God into the world. Right away, many people were attracted to Jesus' message, and they began to follow Him. 

     Most of Jesus early ministry was centered around the Sea of Galilee. At this time, there were many small towns and villages around the Sea, and it was the center of a thriving fishing industry. 

    One day, as Jesus was walking on the shore, he saw Andrew and Peter fishing. He called to them and asked them to come and follow Him, and He would make them fishers of people." They immediately followed Jesus. Later, Jesus saw John and James fishing. When He called them, they left everything behind and followed Jesus. 

     It doesn't say so in this Gospel. but we know from other accounts that Jesus already knew these men. They were followers of John the Baptist, and Jesus met them when He was in the vicinity of John's ministry during the time that He was baptized. They had presumably gone back home after John was arrested. Now, they had received the call from Jesus to follow Him, and they quickly responded. 

     I want us to focus on three things from this account. First of all, Jesus called them to follow Him, and they did it immediately. When the Lord calls us to do something for Him, that too should be our response. We should not hesitate once we know the Lords will. We should be quick to get about the task that the Lord has called us to do. This demonstrates that we have a heart that is yielded to the call of the Holy Spirit.  This also applies to those who the Lord is calling to salvation. Today is the day of salvation. Do not put off until tomorrow your decision to follow Jesus. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow. 

     The text also shows us that these men whom Jesus called left the old behind and followed Him. They were willing to lay aside everything that was dear to them in order to follow Jesus. Jesus is to be first and foremost in our lives. We are to follow Him as Lord. We do what He tells us to do. We are not to put anything or anyone before our relationship with the Lord. He is always to be number one. We need to be willing to lay everything aside and follow Him. He calls us to be a new creation leaving behind the old as all things have become new. 

    When Jesus called His first disciples, He said that He was going to turn them from being fishers of fish into fishers of people. He was going to train them to become those who would bring people to faith in Him. He would train them and teach them for the next three years, so that when He was gone, they would be able to go to all the world with His message of love and forgiveness. 

    Today, we are called to be fishers of people. Jesus has given us the Great Commission telling us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. We are to be out telling people that Jesus has died and risen from the dead that they might be reconciled to God. It is our mission to be evangelists spreading the good news about Jesus everywhere. 

     One thing that I would like to add. Jesus chose fisherman, tax collectors and ordinary people to be His disciples. That shows us that whosoever will may come to Him. The Lord is not a respecter of persons. He will accept all who come to Him, and He is able and willing to use anyone whose heart is yielded to Him in service. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I am doing better with my health, but I still need your prayers. Thank you. 

     Please pray for those in the US who are still without power due to the winter storms. Pray that they will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     Let us continue to pray for peace in the world. Pray for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Sudan, Venezuela, Haiti, Myanmar and Congo. Pray for peace wherever you know there is a conflict. 

     We need to pray that the measles outbreak in South Carolina will come under control. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Western Sahara and Turkey. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all.  

Verses For The Week

 Galatians 6:2 -- "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

John 15:12 -- "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

Empathy Is Not A Sin

      Lately, within conservative Christian circles, there has been a lot of talk about what they are calling the sin of empathy. The thinking goes that empathizing with someone who is doing something wrong is a way of condoning their actions. 

     What does the Bible say about empathy and whether or not it is a sin? First of all the Bible tells us in Romans 12:15 that we are to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. We are to feel their pain and their joy. We are to enter in to people's heartache and happiness because that is a way of understanding what a person is going through. It is putting ourselves in somebody else's shoes so to speak. Paul will tell us in the book of Galatians that we are to bear one another's burdens. 

     Now, what does Jesus have to say about all of this, and how is He our example? The very act of Incarnation is an act of empathy. God became man. He came to be with us and to feel and experience what we go through. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus was touched with the feelings of our infirmities. We are also told that He was tempted in all manners like we are. He understands what we are going through because He went through it Himself. 

     Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. He became sin for us even though He knew no sin. That, to me, is the ultimate act of identifying with the other. 

     If someone is going through a hard time, they don't need to hear us condemn them. They need our presence. They need us to understand how they feel. And that understanding helps to inform how we respond. Let us remember in everything we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. And we are to do unto others as we would have done to us. 

     Empathy is not a sin. It is feeling what someone else feels so that we can be present and be a help to those in need and to those in pain.