Here is a Man who was focused on His work. The leader of the synagogue had asked the Lord Jesus to come back to his home, lay His hands on his dead daughter, and raise her back to life. I wonder what Christ felt. Did He sense an urgency in this situation or suddenly have a drive to go and visit this home? He seemed to, for He went as one with a mission.
They arrived at the house to a crowd of people and loud music. Undeterred by the crowd, the noise or even the people's opinions, he ordered them to “Get out!”. He was direct in His approach and knew that this was the will of God. The crowd was put outside, and the girl was brought back to life. Death fled from before His fingertips, and the news of this miracle swept through the entire countryside. When God gives you something to do, you must do it as swiftly and as straightforwardly as an arrow that hits its mark. We are not called to waffle or pander to the crowd; we are called to do the will of God. There are so many things that could have distracted Christ along the way. Indeed, if we had been in His shoes, we possibly wouldn’t have even gotten to the house in question. We would have had to have sympathy with the woman who had the issue of blood, distracted by the large crowds that had gathered, or we would have had to go home to attend to this and that or felt too tired to go that day. When we arrived, we would surely have been put off by the large crowd of noisy people who had gathered in the family home to mourn the child. Can you imagine what you might have said on arriving? “Oh, am I too late?” or “I’ll come again when everyone has left!” Our Lord Jesus appeared almost rude and abrupt, ordering the crowd of mourners and musicians to “Get out!”. But He had a work to do for God, and nothing stood in His way. Like an arrow that hits its mark, so our Lord struck death, and it fled from before Him. Death became sleep in His presence. What an anointing! What authority! He was clear-cut in His delivery and His purpose. We must learn to be like Him. If He gives you something to do, then you must do it with a clear-cut purpose and delivery. Don’t look at how it will appear, but let His driving force and energies guide you. It is His anointing that brings the miracle. All we have to do is respond in obedience and faith; His will shall be done. Let this be our prayer: “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:19 NLT
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‘As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”
So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.’ Matthew 9 18-22 NLT What struck me as I read this passage was how busy Jesus was. First of all, ‘As Jesus was saying this ...’ He was in the middle of explaining to the disciples of John the Baptist why His disciples didn’t fast when the leader of the synagogue came up and knelt before Him, requesting that Jesus should come to his house and heal his dead daughter. If that wasn’t enough of a crisis, we read that as he passed through the crowd (Mark 5:27), a woman touched His robes and was healed. Not only did He know that power had gone out from Him, but He knew she was healed and turned and gave her a word of encouragement. He was busy, busy, busy! And yet, every time I read this story, I think of the control Christ had in this situation. I can become flustered in a crowd, especially if several people talk to me simultaneously. My wee brain can’t cope with it! But here was Christ, passing through the crowds, dealing with John’s disciples, explaining deep and glorious things to them, telling them what was going to happen in the future, whilst responding to a man who had just lost his daughter and attending to a woman who needed a major operation. He dealt with the whole situation perfectly. He was calm, in control, knew exactly what was happening, and knew that power had gone out of Him and every need was met. Wow! What a Saviour! We do our best in our small sphere of service. Pastors leading small churches deal with their folks kindly, tiring in service for Jesus. Famous evangelists arrive and minister to the crowd but seldom have time for the individual and are often protected by an inner circle of people who usher them out at the end of a big meeting, and no one gets to speak to them. I went to hear one of these big names recently. It was a small crowd of people who had been invited to come, so I took the opportunity to go and say thank you to the gentleman concerned. He was busy and brushed me aside with hardly a glance. It didn’t bother me. I recognised that he was as preoccupied as I can be at times. But our Lord Jesus wouldn’t have done that. He is perfect in all circumstances. Remember, no matter how busy you are today or how many things need to be attended to, there is One watching over you who is in perfect control. He will keep, control and guard you throughout your day if you trust in Him. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 NLT If I were to ask you to name all 12 apostles, I am sure some would struggle. We could remember the well-known ones: Peter, James, John, Judas and perhaps Matthew or Thomas, and then we would begin to falter.
I have often wondered why the others were not so widely known. Twelve men had left everything to follow Christ. They wouldn’t have been considered part of the group if they had not committed everything to God. Did they go back on their commitment? Did they retire from any visible service after the Crucifixion? Or did they all go on working for Christ until the end? Their names are listed in Matthew 10:2-4: ‘First, Simon (also called Peter), Thomas, Then Andrew (Peter’s brother), Matthew (the tax collector) James ( Son of Zebedee), James (son of Alphaeus), John (James’s brother), Thaddaeus, Philip, Simon (the zealot), Bartholomew, Judas the Iscariot' Some had more prominent roles than others. Some of the apostles wrote letters to the churches or individual people, which have caused their names to be remembered through the centuries. But there were others we know very little about. Bartholomew, for example, was only mentioned in the four lists of the twelve apostles in Matthew Chapter 10, Mark Chapter 3, Luke Chapter 6 and Acts Chapter 1. Apart from that, there is no record of him. But the fact he was a member of this group of men meant he was a significant leader in the early church. He must have worked hard to spread the gospel, although his work is not recorded in the Bible. Perhaps he was overlooked by the others, or he may have been happy, quietly working away in the background; we don’t know. But we know that Christ had accepted him, and Bartholomew would have been privy to the private conversations between Christ and His disciples. Bartholomew wasn’t working for fame or power but as a faithful servant to God. Whether others acknowledge what you do for Christ is irrelevant, He will see it. Your devotion must be, first and foremost, to Him. He will never overlook your work for Him or take you for granted. Your name may not be recorded anywhere in a book on earth, but it will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life if you walk faithfully with Him. There will always be people who are better known than you. People who can do the things that you do quicker, more efficiently, even more effectively. But our job is not to compare ourselves to another; it is simply to walk faithfully and obediently in the way our Master has set out for us. One day, we will lay our crown at His feet. Whether you are well-known like Peter or hidden like Bartholomew, remember He looks down from heaven and He alone knows your heart. Meekness is not a quality we often seek. In today’s society, we are taught to believe in standing up for ourselves and shouting about our human rights. Even children in schools are taught about the Rights of the Child; and I have known, on more than one occasion, a child insisting they have a right to play when it is time to learn!
I wouldn’t want to return to the old-fashioned ways of being seen and not heard, but an arrogant and opinionated attitude is fast becoming the norm in our society. This is a godless way. Whatever our attitude to life, we should adopt an inner spiritual humility when in prayer to God. “Meek spirits are in high favour with the Father.” CH Spurgeon If we are in need, we have the promise of His leading and being taught in His ways. “He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.” Psalms 25:9 NLT There is no better path than the one God has chosen for you to walk. It is where you will be happiest, find the blessings along the way and be closest to God. Never forget, no matter how militant the world becomes about its rights, keep an inner attitude of humility and teachability before God. “Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.” Psalms 25:5 NLT After Mary had used expensive perfume to anoint His feet, the Lord Jesus told His disciples that He would not always be with them. The anointing she had given Him signalled her love and affection for the Master. Mary had taken the best of what she had and poured it out as an offering for Him. In verse 7, Jesus explains that Mary had done this in preparation for His burial. What a privilege and an honour! If she had stalled, it would have been too late; she would have missed her opportunity. It would never have come again. The days were passing, and soon, He would be taken away.
Some among us love the Saviour, but we have never used the opportunity to give the finest years of our lives and offer them at the feet of Christ. The days are passing quickly. All too soon, our youthful years, energies, health and strength will have gone, and we will have missed opportunities that will never come again. Let us choose to give the best of what we have to Him. One day, we will be too old and frail to serve Him as fully as we want. Whilst we have our health and strength, let us offer our services to the church and the King of Kings. Recognise, like Mary, the privilege and honour it is for you to give with all your heart, soul and mind. (Matt 22:37) She didn’t let anyone or anything stop her. Be as determined as Mary. You will not regret it! The importance of time alone with God cannot be stressed enough. It’s good to develop the habit when spending time with your Father of making it the same time and place every day.
Make sure you return to the same familiar place to read and pray. And when you return, make sure you rest. We can rest physically, but our minds are still overactive. This is where we have to train ourselves to be quiet. Like every child, I sometimes had difficulty getting to sleep. I remember feeling too excited mentally, or my body wouldn’t rest. My father used to come and sit with me. He would encourage me to relax by talking about quietening each part of my body. It used to work! I was never fully asleep when he left the room, but I don’t remember lying awake afterwards. Life can make us hyper and stressed; we need to return and rest in the quiet of God. That’s where we will learn to be confident in God and know His will. We need to sit quietly and ask our Father to come and sit with us. Ask Him to teach you to rest in Him. Then, when you feel unsure of the way ahead or anxious about a situation, return to God, rest in Him, and quieten yourself. You need to still your soul by being in His presence and reading His word. Wait until He speaks to you and absorb His word deep inside. Let His words saturate deep into your soul. Like Jeremiah said: “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.” Jeremiah 15:16 NLT Then you will rise and go forth with the courage of a lion! When we know He has spoken, we need never feel afraid. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT Here is a perfect example of how we should approach and present ourselves to the Lord Jesus.
To be a follower of Christ means we serve Him, therefore becoming a servant. “Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.” John 12:26 NLT This leper came with a servant attitude. Not only did he approach carefully, kneeling before Jesus, but he also did not demand his own way. Imagine having a terminal illness and asking Jesus if He would heal you by saying, “If You are willing!” Most of us would be desperate to be healed, not caring if it was His will! We would cry out to God, heal me! But this leper demonstrates a godly attitude and one we must learn to practice until it becomes a natural way of life. I don’t believe in being a doormat to everyone, but we can be lower than a doormat to Christ. We, like John the Baptist, should adopt the attitude: “I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” John 1:27 NLT John was saying he wasn’t even worthy to untie this man's sandals, let alone wash his feet. It would save a lot of the bickering, arguing and being offended in the church if we adopted this attitude and sought to serve rather than to be served. Few are born with a servant's heart, but we can learn to practice it. Look for ways in which you can serve to be a blessing to others. This is the way to find favour with God. Paul, the greatest of the apostles, had learned this lesson. He said, “And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 NLT This verse comes at the end of the story, where two men possessed by demons were set free. The Gospels give slightly different accounts, but some facts remain the same. We don’t know whether there was one man or two, but however many there were, they were in a terrible spiritual state and violent. Mark’s Gospel describes it like this:
‘He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.’ Mark 5:3-5 ESV The man lived in a cemetery, more at home with the dead than the living, and no one could go through that area. The local villager who wanted to go and mourn his dead quietly couldn’t visit those parts because he was terrified. Jesus, on arriving in the locality and in a short space of time, had miraculously cast out the troubling demons and set the man (or men) free. The demons had come out with loud protestations, and our Lord had given them leave to enter a herd of pigs, which proceeded to run terrified down a steep hillside and straight into the sea. They were all lost. The herdsmen fled, not into the sea, but into the local town, telling everyone what had happened. The entire population of the local village came out in force and begged Jesus to leave. They would rather have their demon-possessed violent men living in the local cemetery, preventing villagers from visiting the graves and burying their dead in peace than have this peaceful man who controlled demons amongst them. Why, we ask? It is the old story of the familiar against the unfamiliar. We don’t like change. Here is a story full of the glorious changing power of God. We read later in the Gospel that the villagers found the demoniac: ‘sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.’ Mark 5:15 NLT We love the old rather than the new. I hear of lives, again and again, having difficulties at home after they have been converted. They have stopped drinking, swearing, or being a bigot, but their partner has preferred the old person to the new person. It is strange and doesn’t make sense. Christ makes all things new. He makes everything better, fresher, cleaner, happier, clear and whole. We must learn to welcome the new. We must demonstrate the changes in our lives with joy so that others may not be afraid and ask Jesus to leave them alone. What responsibility is upon us to transmit the joy of salvation! Jesus did the opposite of what many modern-day evangelist would do. Most love to gather a crowd. We would advertise big-name speakers, put up posters, and use social media to promote outreaches.
But when Jesus saw the crowd coming around Him, He made arrangements to cross the lake. He wasn’t there to please the people or whip the crowds up into a frenzy. He didn’t seek to be the centre of attention. Instead, He listened carefully to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He wasn’t so overwhelmed by the crowds that He missed the gentle prompting that came to Him to cross to the other side of the lake. The centre of His being was focused on God. Nothing would move Him from this position: no crowds or flattery or adulation. Jesus was moving in a dimension that the thousands who followed Him were unaware of. And so it was, when He crossed to the other side of the water, that miracles happened, and souls were changed forever. The Good Shepherd had left the ninety-nine to search for lost sheep. The deep soul-searching cry of two men had reached His spirit. On the farther shore, He found the two in a terrible state. ‘When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They came out of the tombs and were so violent that no one could go through that area. They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?” Matthew 8:28,29 NLT Jesus had left the thousands, crossed the lake, and taken control of a violent storm to answer the cry of two men. Before long, they were set free and at peace. Never forget no matter how troubled a soul is, if they desire to be free, He will hear their cry and come to their aid. No street pastor, big-time evangelist or even kindly neighbour was involved, but because these men wanted help, Christ came and found them and healed them of all their sickness and disease. He knows our hearts and will respond quickly if we sincerely desire to be changed. We all face mountains of difficulties from time to time. Thankfully, few face them all the time; but when we have difficulties to face, we tend to turn our molehills into mountains. They can seem overwhelming, dominating our lives and causing us to lose sleep. But in the eyes of God, they are small and insignificant.
Jesus said our problems can be removed. All we need to do is to say to this mountain of a problem, be removed, and it will. It is hard to believe life could be so simple! We are not meant to live in the shadow of our mountain of problems. We are not to be depressed and oppressed by life's difficulties. We are to be free and carefree. We are meant to consider the lily and the life of the sparrow. I must admit that my problems don’t seem to suddenly pick themselves up and throw themselves into the sea, even when I want them to. I wish they would! But what I have learned is not to live in the shadow of them. We must learn to live in the sunshine of His presence where possible. When you are in worship, whether in church or at home alone, or out walking in the countryside, come out from under the shadow of the mountain of problems to stand in the light. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NLT Let your problems disappear, and enjoy being in the presence of God. Let all the strain and stress roll off your shoulders, enjoying the moment of praise and communion with God. For that short time at least, let your problems be removed and cast into the sea. By taking your mind off your problems for a while, the mountain may seem less significant than it did before. After spending time with your Lord, your problems will have rolled into the sea. Try not to allow them to surface again too quickly! They may return eventually, but that only gives you another opportunity to take the mountain and cast it into the sea again. Only by continually looking up will come victory and peace. Only by practising this will we be established in Christ. “Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1b,2a. NLT |
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