Read Proverbs 27:14-27
Read Mark 5
Today's chapter from Mark shows us three powerful miracles to encourage us.
In the first we see a legion of demons that torment a man while empowering him with super-human strength. Nothing could bind him. No chains, no shackles, nothing. That is, until Jesus shows up. Then this strong man comes cowering before Jesus, and the demons beg not to be tormented by Him. They beg to be allowed to enter the pigs. Their time of destruction and doom is coming. But for now, Jesus allows them to leave. Our conversion was very much like the conversion of this man. Maybe we didn't have a legion of demons in us, but by nature we were blind, dead in our transgressions, and an enemy of God. The Holy Spirit rescued us through the means of grace, not by any effort of our own. Like this man, then, we can go and tell "how much the Lord has done" for us.
In the second miracle we see a woman of great faith reaching for Jesus. She cannot be healed by doctors. But she knows that if she only grazes Jesus' garment with her hand she will be healed. And in fact, this is what happens to her. Our clinging to Jesus, our looking to him in times of trouble, our beseeching his mercy in prayer is a reaction like this woman's. She has faith. She responds in faith. We have faith, with trust, prayer, and faithful service, we respond in faith too. We know Jesus has the power to heal, to help, to rescue.
In the third miracle Jesus helps even after it seems like it is too late. Jesus has defeated a legion of demons. He overcome the woman's incurable disease. Now he gains victory over death. He speaks to a dead girl and says, "arise." We can expect to hear these words too. We know that he will be with us all throughout life. Even as he has given us new life, and has come to our aid all throughout this earthly life, he also when he returns will say to us "arise," and we will. We can be confident. Not only have we seen (in the Word) Jesus raise others from the dead, but we have also seen that death cannot contain Him. No chains of the grave, no shackles of death, nothing could hold him. And we who are baptized into his death are also united with him in his resurrection.
Thanks be to God!
Pray:
"Lord, rescue us from the power of Satan, and draw us from the grave through Your resurrection. May we learn joyfully to tell our neighbors what good things the Lord has done. Amen." (TLSB p. 1665).
Study with me tomorrow,
Pastor Jon
Soli Deo Gloria!
The Proverbs link takes me to Mark 4. Um..yeah.
ReplyDelete14Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
ReplyDeleterising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.
So is this basically, don't wake me up before my alarm clock? :)
Sorry about the link...
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. You can imagine a devout person waking early, stepping outside and sounding forth loud praises to God, praying that his neighbors would be blessed. The neighbor is thinking, "It would be a blessing if this numbskull would let me sleep!"
I had similar experiences waiting tables. Some people would tell me, "God bless you!" and then leave a dollar, if even that. I would think, "If you really wanted God to bless me, then you would have left a proper tip since I gave you good service!"
We must always be considerate of our neighbors, and also be intentional in not just wishing them blessings, but being the blessing of God to them.
It is a proverb that makes us smile while making us think. :)