Law Enforcement Officer Appreciation Day!

Law Enforcement Officer Appreciation Day!

     This week I won’t be continuing our study in the Gospel of Mark. One of our deacons, an officer in the Maine Warden service (who also has a Master of ministry degree) will be speaking at Boothbay Baptist Church. We have invited Law Enforcement officers, active and retired, from our community to be with us for a special service and lunch. At a time when some in other parts of our country have not always given officers the respect that they deserve, we want to say we are thankful for the “thin blue line” that maintains order and keeps us safe.

     I grew up in a Law Enforcement family, and I was always proud that my dad was a policeman. When the kids at school would talk about what our dads did, I was always proud to say that mine was a “cop.” I remember the stories that he told about things that happened on the job and I remember times, in the 60s and early 70s when our country was also going through some trying times. As a kid, I was worried if he was safe in those days, if he would come home at night. But He never seemed to be afraid, not of anything. I remember him tucking his snub-nose .38 into his waistband when he went out. I asked him why he took a gun when he wasn’t in uniform, and he said that police were always on duty, 24/7 they needed to be ready if someone was in trouble. We are thankful for those who have accepted the call to serve as law enforcers.  You have our respect, our gratitude, and our prayers!

The message today will be based in part on Romans 13:1-6...

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,  ⁴ for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.  ⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.  ⁶ For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

The audio of Justin Fowlie's message can be heard on the church website. the first 2:30 had sound problems, so I suggest you start listening around there...
https://boothbaybaptist.com/sermons/law-enforcement-officer-appreciation-day-romans-131-6/?player=audio

Familiarity, Faith, and Fear - Mark 6:1-6

Familiarity, Faith, and Fear

Mark 6:1-6

Introduction: When the military personnel returned to the U.S. at the end of the Vietnam War, they were not, for the most part, received with respect and thanksgiving for their service and sacrifices… Unlike their fathers from World War 2 and the Korean war, they were viewed as representing an unpopular war and were essentially rejected by many, certainly not received as heroes. Thankfully that has changed over the last 20 years or so…  Truth: Homecomings are not always joyful!

        In our passage today, Jesus returns a second time to His home in Nazareth. We read about the first visit, immediately after the temptation in the wilderness and essentially announcing the beginning of His public ministry, when He spoke in the synagogue in Nazareth in Luke 4. In that context Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah (Lk 4:18,19; cf. Isa 61:1,2) and makes what amounts to a startling messianic claim: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21). How is He received? Not so well… Yes, initially “…all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth…” (Lk 4:22). But just a few verses later, especially after He alludes to the lack of faith among the Jews in times past and the purposes of God including the gentiles…

²⁸ When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.  ²⁹ And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.  ³⁰ But passing through their midst, he went away… (Luke 4:28-30).

They moved quickly from acceptance to absolute rejection and murderous intentions! This points to Jesus’ experience the last week of His life, as things move from the Triumphal Entry, to betrayal, desertion, and Calvary. “He came unto His own, but His own received Him not…” (John 1:11). But His time was not yet, and He passed through their midst and left. We know from John 7:5, that “even His own brothers were not believing in Him” for a time (only after the resurrection are they among the disciples).  In Mark 3:21, we read that “some of his own” came out to seize him, thinking he was out of his mind!

       Now, perhaps a year after the first return to Nazareth, things had changed. The news of the crowds that had come to hear him preach and among whom signs, miracles, and wonders were being done had spread throughout Galilee and had certainly come to Nazareth.  Would the people of His hometown, where He had spent nearly thirty years, from infancy to adulthood, finally be ready to receive Him?

       Unbelief is not simply the absence of faith, but the determined rejection of Jesus.  People are offended by Him because they are afraid of what acknowledging Him would mean. I believe they are afraid of letting go of their perception of autonomy, the idea that they are the master of their own lives, and admitting that they owe allegiance to another. People resist Jesus because they are afraid that they will need to surrender their life to another Master! That brings us to…

The Maine* Idea: When people refuse to believe in Jesus they are not rejecting you... they are afraid of what acknowledging Him would mean.

I. Unbelief denies that Jesus is who He revealed Himself to be (1-3).

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.  ² And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?  ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

          Unbelief rejects the testimony of His works and words (1,2). Jesus returned to his hometown, along with a group of His disciples, and as was His custom went to the synagogue. Jesus returns to Nazareth, His hometown, which at that time was probably a small and largely insignificant village. With probably only a few hundred people, it was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone, and probably knew everything about them. If you are from Boothbay you have an idea of what I’m talking about! As Jesus arrived in the village, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, along with His disciples, and began to teach. We are not told about the content of what He was saying, but most likely He is preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and calling people to repent of their sins and trust in God. Mark says the people were “astonished” at His teaching. The word used here can have the sense of being dumbfounded, flabbergasted, without an ability to explain something. How could Jesus, a carpenter, suddenly be transformed into a rabbi? Notice the questions they ask. This is not an honest investigation, a consideration of the evidence. Rather, it shows a desperate search for a reason NOT to believe…

       Where did this man get these things? They knew that Jesus hadn’t studied under a rabbi, nor did He have a learned father.  Where did He get the training to stand up and teach?  How could He suddenly return to town with a group of followers and begin teaching with such authority? In other words, it wasn’t what Jesus was saying that they are objecting to, but rather, His lack of a résumé that would quality Him as a spiritual teacher. The next “objection” is similar…

       What is the wisdom given to Him? Remember that in Judaism “wisdom” has spiritual connotations… “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Psalm 111:10; Prov 9:10). It seems Jesus did the trade he learned from Joseph well, but did not reveal much about himself to his neighbors during the 30 years or so before the start of His public ministry. There was that one trip to Jerusalem when He was 12 years old, about which we read in Luke 2:41-47. Then He amazed the rabbis and others present with His understanding and His questions. Still, here in Nazareth, this was Jesus, Mary’s son. How did He get this understanding and wisdom?

       How are such mighty works done by His hands?  It wasn’t only Jesus’ words, but His works that raised questions in the minds of His town folk. We are later told that Jesus only heals “a few” people during this time in Nazareth. Was that enough to astound them?  I would be pretty astounded by people being immediately healed through the laying on of hands! Or, could it be that they are referring to the stories that were circulating about the widespread miracles and works of power Jesus was doing through Galilee?  Stories like delivering the demon possessed man from the legion, or healing a paralytic, or even raising a young girl to life?  Probably some of both. Remember, some had seen the miracles He did and attributed them to the devil, refusing to believe. It seems now His own people were looking for reasons to ignore the evidence.

       Is not this… the son of Mary… It was highly unusual for someone to be described as the son of his mother even if his father had already passed. Remember this is a small town, probably just a few hundred. The kind of place where everyone knows all about everyone and their family. It may be that the “rumors” about Mary getting pregnant before she married Joseph had persisted, and bringing up that story by referring to Him as “Mary’s son” (rather than the son of Joseph) was one more way of attempting to discredit Jesus as someone worthy of a hearing. “He’s got all these brothers and sisters… or at least half brothers and sisters… we’re not even sure who this guy’s father was!” How could someone born as he was possibly be the messiah? Yes, “He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him!”

         Unbelief is offended by the humility of His incarnation (3). Is this not the carpenter? Though we traditionally translate the word here as “carpenter,” tekton, has the broader sense of a “builder.” It could refer to someone that worked with wood or stone, though probable some of both. It was a respected trade among the Jews, but not a rabbi or spiritual leader. Who did He think He was to stand up and teaching in the synagogue?  They would certainly not entertain the idea of the Messiah coming from such a humble background! By the way, His humble background was later a stumbling block to the Jews in general. When told by Philip in John 1 that they had found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46). The little insignificant town in Galilee? I don’t think so! The nation was looking for the Messiah in the first century, but most envisioned a military leader, someone like Saul, or David. or Solomon, and not a suffering Servant, a wandering rabbi who had basically the clothes on his back, a handful of followers, and, by His own admission, not even a place to lay his own head (Mt 8:20)! And so they took offense at Him. The word is the root from which we get the word “scandal” or “scandalize.” It may be that Isaiah envisioned this when he wrote,

"Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.  ¹³ But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.  ¹⁴ And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  ¹⁵ And many shall stumble on it… (Isaiah 8:12-15). 

       Jesus, who had shown only kindness, truth, and love, became an offense! His own did not receive Him. Do people you talk to seem to recoil when subject turns to Jesus? Don’t take it personally! When people refuse to believe in Jesus they are not rejecting you... they are afraid of what acknowledging Him would mean.

II. Unbelief rejects the messenger who is offering words of life (4).

“And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

        For a second time Jesus goes home to the village where he grew up and worked as a young adult. And for a second time He is rejected by his own people. Let me ask: How did it go for you when you put your trust in Christ and first tried to speak to the people you knew? What about now, do you find it difficult to witness to the people closest to you? You are not alone! People in their fallenness are already resistant to spiritual things, and as a result they will embrace any “smokescreen” they can find to avoid the truth. It is particularly easy to get personal, and to say hurtful things we would never say to a stranger or to someone we don’t know as well to those who are closest to us, our family, life-long acquaintances and the like.

       At first this may seem a little contradictory. We’ve been talking about the Laser-focused Church ministry vision for over a year. On one hand, statistics consistently show that 95% of those who come to faith and are eventually discipled, active church attenders, come primarily because of the influence of someone in their oikos, that is, their extended family and friends.  Yet it is also true that it can be more difficult to talk to those same people, not because they get upset or hysterical, but because they get historical! What I mean by that is that they know the stories about us in our youth (or stories from last week!) that demonstrated our weakness and vulnerability, and yes, our fallenness. They know the times we acted in the flesh and were inconsistent with the faith we professed. And so, they attack. It may be laughter or mockery, it may be anger, it may be dismissal.  Jesus says don’t be surprised by rejection… the world hated Him first!

        So, what do we do? First of all, it is good to admit that there is probably at least a little truth in what people say about us! I know my younger brothers, and sometimes even my sister or my parents, would say occasionally something like “is that how a Christian would act?” Not that they cared about my soul necessarily since they weren’t believers, but they liked to remind me that I was giving them an excuse not to believe!  We read some admonitions about that in I Peter, about living in such a way before the world that rather than giving them an excuse not to believe, we are offering a testimony to the transforming power of the grace of God (see for example I Peter 1:14f.; 2:1ff.; 3:14-16). We are His witnesses, may out lives consistently reflect the reality of our faith!  So, don’t give up, keep loving them, keep praying for them, stay open to opportunities to point them to Jesus. After all, when people refuse to believe in Jesus they are not rejecting you... they are afraid of what acknowledging Him would mean!

III. Unbelief separates from the blessing God would give (5,6).

“And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.  ⁶ And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.”

       Matthew is more explicit in connecting unbelief and the relative sparsity of miracles in Nazareth: “And He did not do many miracles their because of  their unbelief…” (Mt 13:58). Mark, as he sometimes does, uses language that is more difficult: “And he could do no mighty work there…” The phrase would seem to imply that the lack of faith among the inhabitants of Nazareth limited Jesus’ ability to do miracles there. Does that mean that His power is limited by human unbelief? I don’t think so, since we see many cases where Jesus does miracles with no reference to the faith of the person who is healed.  In John 9, at the beginning of the story, the blind man did not even know who it was that healed him. In Luke 17:12-19, Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one returns to give thanks and is commended for his faith. The dead daughter of Jairus certainly didn’t have faith, nor did the man possessed by the Legion on the other side of the lake. It seems in some cases the miracles Jesus did evoked faith, but they were not enabled by faith. What is Mark’s point? What was so different in Nazareth as compared to the earlier ministry in Galilee?

       How then does unbelief limit the powerful work of God? A verse in John 2:24 comes to mind, “…He did not entrust [the same verb, pisteuo, “believe”] himself to them because He knows all people…” He knew their hearts, they rejected the light that they had and so Jesus moved on. In other areas of Galilee, the crowds poured in, people told people and they brought the sick and the lame and the demon possessed to Him for healing. A year earlier, when Jesus made a messianic claim in the synagogue they took him to the edge of town and were ready to throw him off a precipice! Now it seems they dismiss him. “Who is out there speaking on the common? Oh, it’s only Jesus… never mind…” How could they even consider a common craftsman, a carpenter, as a serious teacher… much less as the promised messiah? In other places they brought to Him the sick, the lame, the oppressed, and He healed them all (eg. Matt 12:15)! Here, they dismissed the One who could meet their deepest needs. “He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him…”

       It’s interesting that only twice is Jesus said to “marvel” or “be amazed” about something. One was positive, involving a gentile, in Luke 7:8,9, where Jesus “marvels” at the faith of a centurion. The other is here, in Nazareth, when Jesus returns a second time to His hometown. Here He “marvels” at their unbelief.  

What is God saying to me in this passage? When people refuse to believe in Jesus they’re not rejecting you... they’re afraid of what acknowledging Him would mean.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? It is astounding to us that people who knew Jesus for maybe thirty years failed to recognize the truth about Him, and ultimately rejected Him.

        Could it be that our unbelief is limiting a work that He would do in our midst? Is there someone you have stopped praying for because they seem so hard and unreachable? Is anything too difficult for God? He saved us didn’t He? Have we failed to embrace the mission of reaching our friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers? If this is true, if eternity really is at stake, don’t we need to risk it, and with gentleness and respect look for openings to give a reason for the hope that is in us? Maybe we need to rethink our motto, “A lighthouse of God’s grace and truth.” That’s ok. But we need to think about that not only in terms of our united mission as a church, but also our calling as individual members. We are called to be a hundred lights, all of us, all around this community, wherever God has placed us, looking to point those in our families and our community to Him! He saved us on purpose, for a purpose… let’s live worthy of the calling with which we have been called!

       Think through that group of people in your oikos. Let’s recommit ourselves to pray daily for their souls, and to ask, “How can I best point them to Jesus?”  AMEN!

A Tale of Two Daughters - Mark 5:35-43

A Tale of Two Daughters: Healing and Life!

Mark 5:35-43

Introduction: As I considered the two stories that are interconnected in this section of Mark, I thought of the opening line of A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That is what two lives in this context of Mark must have felt.  For one, a touch, and a woman who Jesus tenderly addresses as “daughter,” is healed—the best of times! And then a father gets the horrible news, his beloved daughter had died—Hope is shattered! The worst of times?  Remember the context in Mark, Jesus has been revealing His authority. Over nature, over sickness, over demons, He is Lord! Now He will reveal to the few He allows to see, that He is the resurrection and the life! That truth changes everything for those who will trust Him!

The Maine* Idea: If Jesus is who He claimed to be, then we can take Him at His word, we can trust Him even in the most hopeless situation.

The immediate context: The healing of the woman who had suffered for twelve years with a hemorrhage, and the accompanying exchange, delays Jesus from arriving sooner at the home of Jairus. Would it have been soon enough? It is notable that Jesus initiated the delay, the woman had only reached out and touched the fringe of his garment as he passed. It is also remarkable that there is no indication that Jairus become frustrated or angry about the delay.

I. Why bother the teacher anymore? The implication of the question is that there is nothing else anyone can do, it is over Jairus, your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher anymore?  Why indeed. It only makes sense if He is more than just a teacher (35)! Did the miracle Jairus just saw stir faith? Did He look at Jesus with hope even as he received the terrible news? We don’t know.

³⁵ While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 

     The timing: While He was still speaking… Notice the timing… Mark draws attention to the timing of the arrival of the messengers from the house of Jairus, while He [Jesus] was still speaking they came. What was Jesus saying? He was speaking to the healed woman who had bowed before Him, and told Him the “whole truth.” And Jesus said to her,

"Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

He addressed her tenderly as “daughter,” and said “your faith has saved you…” It seems Mark wants us to understand that she had experienced more than mere physical healing. Somehow, what started as almost superstitious faith had been corrected and fleshed out, as Jesus turned, called her out of the crowd, and spoke to her. It seems she recognized more about who Jesus is. He was not only a healer and prophet, but He cared about her, He affirmed her faith and spoke “peace” over her. But was Jairus’ faith perhaps deepening too?

      The testing: Heartbreaking news… was all hope gone? It may be that Jairus had first come to Jesus seeking a prophet and miracle worker. Then He sees Jesus take a moment to call out this woman who had touched Him and been healed of her infirmity. And He called her out not for rebuke, but gently, with compassion, with love, commending her faith.  But how could he still believe, his daughter had died! Why bother the teacher anymore?  Jairus is stunned, he says nothing, but Jesus knows the fear that is welling in his heart. Who is this? More than a teacher, much more. He is the resurrection and the life! That truth changes everything for those who will trust Him! That is the Maine* Idea: If Jesus is who He claimed to be, then we can take Him at His word, we can trust Him even in the most hopeless situation.

II. Faith overcomes fear, including the fear of death (36-40a)!

³⁶ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."  ³⁷ And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.  ³⁸ They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.  ³⁹ And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping."  ⁴⁰ And they laughed at him.

     The admonition: “Do not be afraid…” We have seen quite a few people react in fear already in this context of Mark’s Gospel. The disciples were “afraid” of the storm on the lake (4:40) and then they “feared a great fear” when Jesus stilled the storm. The people across the lake were filled with fear when they saw the healed man sitting clothed and in his right mind, and ultimately asked Jesus to leave their region. The woman who had just been healed in this context fell before Jesus in “fear and trembling.” Then Jairus gets the news, and Jesus says “Do not be afraid…” This would have to have been the greatest fear of Jairus… that he would be too late, that his daughter would die before he could get back to her with Jesus. Death is an enemy as old as the Fall. Remember God had warned Adam and Eve that disobedience would bring death: “…in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die…” (Gen 2:17). Paul reflected on that consequence of human rebellion when he said,

¹² Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned… (Rom 5:12).

Jesus came to provide an answer to the curse for all who would trust Him. In the great resurrection chapter, I Corinthians 15, Paul said in 15:54-57,

⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."  ⁵⁵ "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"  ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

        The alternative to fear: “…only believe!” Jesus says “Do not be afraid… only believe!” I heard a webinar this week on discipleship, and the speaker said discipleship is really the process of moving from unbelief to belief in more and more areas of our lives. Trusting Christ alone and His finished work for our salvation is only the beginning. Then we must increasingly submit areas of our lives to Him as we recognize how His person and work impacts our living. Jairus could trust (or at least hope!) that Jesus could heal his daughter in her sickness… but what could He possibly do in the face of death? Jesus says don’t be afraid, only believe, trust me. Some of the best examples of faith in the gospels are not Jews, but rather gentiles! In Luke’s Gospel, he is relating the stories of some the miracles Jesus did, and we read in Luke 7:2-7…  

² Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.  ³ When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.  ⁴ And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him,  ⁵ for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue."  ⁶ And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.  ⁷ Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.

Lord, you don’t need to come, I’m not worthy of that. Just say the word and it is enough. That is faith! Jairus had a level of faith, but he wasn’t going to let Jesus out of his sight, he was bringing Him to his daughter! But now it was too late! Or was it?  Why bother the teacher? If He is Emmanuel, God with us, it makes all the difference in the world! Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, only believe!” Who is this man? At a friend’s tomb, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life!” That truth changes everything for those who will trust Him! That is the Maine* Idea: If Jesus is who He claimed to be, then we can take Him at His word, we can trust Him even in the most hopeless situation.

III. Jesus directly revealed this sign to only a few. Why? (40b-43).

But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was.  ⁴¹ Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  ⁴² And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.  ⁴³ And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

         Only a few were allowed in. Jairus and his wife, the three disciples, and Jesus himself are the only ones that go into the room where the girl is. Why? Wouldn’t everyone know what had happened when she walked out alive?  Perhaps, at least those with eyes to see and ears to hear would see God at work. Those hardened in their unbelief might reason, “Well, what do you know, I guess Jesus was right, she was only sleeping!”

        They were not to make it known (contrast 5:19).

       The man across the lake who had been freed from the Legion of demons was told to go home, to his own people, and to tell them what great things the Lord had done for him. Here, Jesus first limits the number of those who directly saw the miracle (only three disciples, and the girl’s parents are in the room), but also tells those who did see not to make it known! Why again do we see this theme of Jesus seemingly controlling the spread of the reports and testimony of the miracles that He was doing?  He didn’t come to win a popularity contest. Jesus came to give His life a ransom for many, to be the sacrifice and substitute who would make it possible for humans to be reconciled to God. The story is moving toward a climax at Calvary (and the Garden tomb!) but that time had not yet come.

       The sermon today is called A Tale of Two daughters, and the answer to the question about “why” Jesus was limiting, for a time, the testimony of His works could be called The tale of two Lazaruses! As far as I can find, the name “Lazarus” only occurs in two contexts in the Bible. Once the name is used to describe a poor man in a story Jesus told (Luke 16:19-31). The other is the story of Jesus’ friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, from Bethany (John 11:1-50; 12:10). In the first story, Lazarus, a poor man, dies and is taken to “Abraham’s bosom.” The rich man dies and is in torment in Hades. There is a great gulf between them and the rich man pleads that someone be sent back to warn his brothers so that they not come to that place of torment. The final exchange gets to the point of the parable:

²⁹ But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.”  ³⁰ And he said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.”  ³¹ He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” (Luke 16:29-31).

They have the Word of God. If they won’t hear and believe the Word, they won’t believe even if someone comes back from the dead to warn them. Jesus is pointing forward to the resurrection, and the refusal of many (most!) to recognize the truth and submit to His Lordship. Is that really true? Wouldn’t people be convinced by the testimony of someone who died and came back? Well, the other Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany, answers that question.

       Lazarus of Bethany is the man who dies in John chapter 11. There are a few parallels between John 11 and this miracle in Mark 5. For one thing, we see a “delay” in Jesus getting to the dying person. In the story of Jairus’ daughter it seems to have been only a few minutes delay. But when Jesus heard Lazarus was sick, he delayed two days before setting out for his home (Jn 11:6). In both cases someone in the story thinks it is too late, if Jesus had gotten there sooner maybe He could have healed the sick person, but now it was too late, the one they loved had died! In both cases Jesus uses the euphemism of “sleep” to describe death. In John 11, after raising Lazarus from the dead, what happens? The leaders plotted to kill Jesus (11:53), and not only Him, but Lazarus as well!

⁹ When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,  ¹¹ because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus… (Jn 12:9-11).

Jesus was not late in Bethany nor was He late in our passage in Mark 5. His timing was in fact perfect. He is never in a hurry and He is never late! He had a plan to reveal His glory to those who had eyes to see. Others were determined in their unbelief, they wouldn’t believe even if someone came back from the dead! What about you?

What is God saying to me in this passage? Jesus is the resurrection and the life! That truth changes everything for those who will trust Him! That is the Maine* Idea: If Jesus is who He claimed to be, then we can take Him at His word, we can trust Him even in the most hopeless situation.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Mark has been telling the story of Jesus in a way that reveals to the reader the answer to the question the disciples asked in the boat: “Who is this!?” Who is Jesus? Why did He come? What does it mean to follow Him? Has the answer to those questions moved you to trust Him as your personal Lord and Savior? The price has been paid, the gift has been offered, has your heart been opened to reach out your hand and receive the gift of the King?

       Is there an area of your life where you have found it difficult to trust Him, to surrender to Him? Maybe stewardship of your finances. How can I afford to give… and ten percent at that? He says, don’t be afraid, only trust me (In fact, He says “Test me in this…!). Maybe you have health issues that you, or someone you love, are dealing with. Jesus says, don’t be afraid, only trust me. Maybe you have a prodigal son or daughter, or another loved one, who is far from the Lord, seemingly in bondage to the enemy. You fear for their soul, their eternity. Jesus says, “Don’t fear, only believe.” Keep telling them the truth in love, keep praying. Jesus says “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me…” It could be you have friends or family in Texas cleaning up after Harvey or in Florida staring down the barrel at Irma, He says, don’t be afraid, trust me, I’m in control, and I can bring good out of every situation. 

     Jesus is the Son of God, He is Lord of Creation. All authority is His in heaven and on earth. Do you believe it? Think about what that means. That truth changes everything! Trust Him!    AMEN. 

A "Touching" Story: Hope and Healing - Mark 5:21-34

A “Touching” Story: Hope and Healing

Mark 5:21-34

Introduction: Jesus had led his disciples into a storm and showed His power over nature. They crossed the lake, it seems, to set one man free from the bonds of a demonic legion, and to send Him as a witness back to his own people. Now they came back across the lake, and in midst of the multitude, we see two more “divine appointments.”  We see two lives inextricably connected: one a dying child from a prominent family (we’ll see more about her next week). The other, at the center of the message today, a woman whose disease would have left her outcast and marginalized. The child was 12 years old. The woman had been afflicted for 12 years. The only hope for both of them is Jesus.

The Maine* Idea: Jesus is no respecter of persons. He came to give new life to all who reach out to Him in faith.

I. Desperate Intercession: Touch my daughter (21-24a)!

²¹ And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.  ²² Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet  ²³ and implored him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live."  ²⁴ And he went with him.

       Notice that there was no lack of ministry opportunity when Jesus got back across the lake, the people were waiting! One desperate man in particular finds his way through the crowd to plead for Jesus’ help. Humility and sincerity are evident as he “…fell at His feet and pleaded earnestly…” The word “pleaded [earnestly]” is the same word [parakaleo] that we’ve seen four times already in this chapter. The legion had “begged” not to be tortured, and then “pleaded” to be sent into the herd of pigs. The people of the land “begged” Jesus to leave, and the delivered man “begged” to go with Him! And now this man, this synagogue ruler and desperate father, falls down before Him, and “pleads” for Jesus’ help for his daughter.  Remember that in general Jesus has not been well received by those in authority throughout his ministry in Galilee! Whatever this father’s position had been about Jesus previously, he had seen enough to hope, in his desperation, that Jesus would help his little girl. And so in his brokenness and desperation, he came.

     “…Come and put your hands on her…” Remember that Jesus has done considerable ministry throughout Galilee, including miracles of healing. He had made a point of publicly healing a man in the synagogue in Capernaum, and whether there or elsewhere there is a good chance that this ruler had seen Jesus heal diseases and infirmities. And even if he had not seen, there is no doubt that he had heard about the miraculous healings that were happening as the crowds came to Jesus. There is no sign of hesitation, the man asked, and Jesus “went with him.”  The Scriptures are full invitations to come to God in prayer. We are to call on God for salvation (Rom 10:9,10). We are to ask Him for our daily bread. We are told to keep knocking, keep seeking, keep asking.

       As I read this story I thought of a prayer meeting in our church in NJ almost 30 years ago. One of the men in the church had never prayed aloud in prayer meeting, or in any public meeting of the church as far as I know. In that prayer meeting, after learning that his brother had a tumor on his spine, he prayed the most touching, profound, and concise prayer I’ve ever heard. From the depth of his heart he cried out and said, “Lord… touch my brother!” that was it. And you know what? God answered that prayer. Not through bringing healing in this life, but through leading his brother to a clear, life changing, confession of faith in Christ as Savior and Lord.  The Lord touched his brother, and he was ready for heaven when the time came.

       It is good and proper to pray for healing in this life. Sometimes, when it fits God’s purposes, He will do it. But when He does heal, just as when Jesus healed so many during His earthly ministry, it is only temporary, it is only a picture of what is to come. It is appointed unto men once die… When He grants healing in this fallen world it points ahead to the promises of the coming age, when, according to Revelation 21:3,4…

"…the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  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 day will come for God’s people when the curse is undone fully and finally. Jairus probably wasn’t thinking about the future kingdom, or even whether or not Jesus was the promised Messiah. But He had healed others, could it be that He could help his daughter and rescue her from the brink of death? To say the least, the leadership of the Jews had not warmly embraced Jesus and His message. But Jesus is no respecter of persons. A father was asking, and a child was in need. Jesus came to give new life to all who reach out to Him in faith.

II.  A Touch of Faith: A beggar reaching out to the King (24b-29)!

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.  ²⁵ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,  ²⁶ and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.  ²⁷ She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.  ²⁸ For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well."  ²⁹ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 

       The language in v.24b shows the pressing needs of the multitude, “a great crowd followed Him and thronged about Him.” Remember that Jesus is going with a desperate father to minister to the need of his daughter who was sick and seemingly near death.  Though some among the leadership of the Jews were already plotting against Him, Jesus showed no hesitation in going with this man. Jesus held no animosity toward the leadership of His people. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. There was still time for them to repent and believe! So, He went.

       Yet somehow, in this crowd, a woman had worked her way near Him. Look at the description of her in vv.25,26. She had been suffering with her condition for twelve years. According to Leviticus 15:25, her condition would have meant that she was ceremonially “unclean.” Think about what that meant. She was excluded from the Temple grounds. She would not have been allowed even to enter a synagogue to hear the reading of the Scriptures. Being out in public, and in a crowd like this, would have meant that she would have rendered any people that she came in contact with “unclean.” After twelve years, had she been alienated from her family and friends? We don’t know. If she was married, had her husband by now divorced her? The Bible doesn’t say. We do know that she was desperate. She had seen many “physicians” and had spent all that she had seeking a cure, and she had found none.  What a contrast between this woman, marginalized and outcast, and Jairus, a respected leader of the people!  Yet we all are desperately needy. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one. Did these two understand the depth of their spiritual need? We don’t know. Jairus was desperate, and this unnamed woman was, by any measure, a desperate woman… They both were looking for help to the One who had come to be our Rescuer, our Savior.

       A touch of faith… Augustine said, “Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe.” It almost seems he was describing what we see in this scene. The faith of this woman is explained starting in v.27. She had not, it seems, been in the crowds that had seen the miracles that Jesus had done. However, she “had heard the reports about Jesus…” Others who had seen and heard Him were testifying about Him, and word had gotten to her. And hope began to grow. No one else had been able to help, but this man was not like anyone else!  It may be that she felt unworthy to speak to Jesus, to ask for His healing touch.  Maybe she knew that He was going on an urgent “house call” and didn’t want to slow Him down. But as she pressed closer, she said, “…if I even touch his garment I will be made well…” She believed Jesus could help her infirmity. It wasn’t a lot of faith. She seemingly didn’t understand much about who He really was and what He came to do. It was like a tiny mustard seed…

       Faith may start as a grain of mustard seed. More important than the greatness of our faith, is the greatness of the One who is the object of our faith. J. Gresham Machen, one of the founding professors of Westminster Seminary, said “The more we know of God, the more unreservedly we will trust him; the greater our progress in theology, the simpler and more childlike will be our faith.” This woman reaches out, hoping, believing, that this man of God who is passing through the crowd is able to bring healing where no one else could. And she touches the edge of his robe, and she is healed! Rich or poor, prominent or outsider, He is able to meet our deepest need. Jesus is no respecter of persons. He came to give new life to all who reach out to Him in faith.

III. A Revelation of Grace: Daughter, your faith has healed you (30-34).

And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?"  ³¹ And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'"  ³² And he looked around to see who had done it.  ³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.  ³⁴ And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

       Perhaps this illustrates the interplay between the deity and the humanity of Jesus during His earthly ministry. It seems that at times He manifests his divinity, like when he commanded the wind and the waves to be still. On other occasions, it seems that in His humanity He responds as a man filled with the Spirit, sensitive always to presence of the Spirit and the Father, acting in obedience and submission to His will. The woman touches Jesus’ garment, and “He perceives that power had gone out of Him…”  In His divinity, He knew all about the woman, but in His humanity, He sensed that something had happened, and so He asks, “who touched me?” Think about that for a moment. Why stop to ask this question? For Jairus, it was a delay that no doubt was testing his faith. His daughter was desperately sick, dying, and Jesus stops and asks such a question! Even the disciples were stunned, “Look at this crowd, how can you ask that?”  He did not need to identify the woman. But it seems He wanted her faith to extend beyond mere physical healing. He wanted her to have a better sense of who He is, and hopefully to trust Him for her spiritual needs as well.

       Notice a couple of details. First of all, the woman responds to Jesus’ question. She was afraid, but she came and confessed it was her who had touched Him.  Could it be that her instantaneous healing had deepened her faith, helping her to understand more fully who this man is? She fell down before him and “told Him the whole truth.” The disciples were afraid when Jesus stilled the storm, the people across the lake were afraid when they saw the authority of Jesus in casting out the legion. Now this woman, falls before Him, in fear and trembling, and tells the whole truth. And Jesus calls her “daughter.” What a tender address!  As far as I can find, this is the only place in the gospels where Jesus addresses someone this way. Jairus had come asking for help for his beloved daughter, could it be that Jesus’ words were not only for the woman, but for the others that were there as well? She had been outcast, unclean, rejected, but Jesus says “you, daughter,  are part of my family!” And he says “your faith has healed you.” The word “healed,” is the verb sozo, which can also be translated “saved.” Your faith has saved you.

       By the way, Jesus hadn’t forgotten about Jairus and his daughter. We’ll get to that next week. But Jesus took the time to lead this woman to a deeper faith. Our destination is the new heavens and the new earth, but God is also interested in the journey. Have you been impacted this week by the depth of suffering in this fallen world? I have. But God will use the trials we go through to grow us. George Mueller, one of the great men of faith in the modern age of the church, said,

God delights to increase the faith of His children...I say, and say it deliberately--trials, difficulties and sometimes defeat, are the very food of faith...We should take them out of His hands as evidences of His love and care for us in developing more and more that faith which He is seeking to strengthen in us.

Jesus is no respecter of persons.  Regardless of class or position, all people are equally important to Him. A synagogue ruler, or an unclean, outcast of a woman, it didn’t matter. They equally reflected the image of God, and they equally needed deliverance from sin. That is the “Maine* Idea” in this passage…

What is God saying to me in this passage? Jesus is no respecter of persons. Remember who He is. Remember why He came. He came to give new life to all who reach out to Him in faith.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? It is not wrong for us to cry out to the Lord for our temporal needs. Jesus said elsewhere, “…ask and you will receive…” (John 16:24; cf. James 4:2,3). We are to pray for our daily bread, and for forgiveness, and for deliverance from temptation and evil (Matthew 6:11-13). The effects of the fall are all around us. He, the sinless Son of God, came to rescue us from the curse that Adam’s disobedience brought on humanity. We need to believe He is God the Son, we need to trust that He paid the price for our sins and that He rose the third day. Like the woman, we need to reach out our unworthy hand to touch the hem of His garment. For Jairus, for the woman, for the people who were watching this encounter, the disciples and others, this was an opportunity to grow their faith. It forced them, it forces us, to answer the question the disciples had asked on the boat, “Who is this man?” It invites us to consider why He came. It calls us to follow Him.  As Jesus met with His disciples that last Passover in Jerusalem, He gave them a perpetual ordinance that would be a reminder of what He was about to do… He came to lay down His life, to be the substitute for all who would turn to Him in faith… He took our sin in His body on the cross… we receive, by faith, His righteousness. Peter said it this way, “…and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.  ²⁵ For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls…” (I Peter 2:24,25).  Amen.