Mark 5:30-34 - April 2, 2010

Mark 5:30-34 “At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Have you ever noticed that sometimes Jesus is on a completely different wavelength from the people around Him? Here He is in the midst of a massive crowd with people pressing in to touch Him from all sides and yet He asks, “Who touched me?” His disciples are confused and amazed by this question. They know that His questions are always purposeful and yet the question does not seem to fit into the context. Could it be that perhaps the disciples are looking at the wrong context?

Throughout the Gospels there is a consistent pattern of Jesus redefining the context of the situation that He and the disciples are in the midst of. In Matthew 14 the disciples suggest that Jesus send the multitudes away so that they can find food but Jesus instead tells the disciples, “you give them something to eat”, knowing that they do not even have enough food to feed a small group. In Jn. 11:11 the Lazarus is dead but Jesus speaks of Him as only having fallen asleep. His response to their confusion in John 11:15 is “for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.” Everyone is focused completely upon Lazarus and their grief over his death except for Jesus. He is on a completely different channel of thought. “For your sake I am glad that I was not there…” Jesus is not grieved over the suffering of Lazarus. He is intently focused on the work of enlarging the disciple’s faith that will come through raising Lazarus from the dead. The context of this crisis is not really about Lazarus at all, but about the revelation of Jesus Christ as the resurrection and the life!

In Mark 5:30-34 there is a crowd gathered but Jesus recognizes something different going on. He discerns a different context of God’s activity taking place in the midst of a multitude. He recognizes that one person in the midst of this chaos has come with a different heart. Instead of pressing in to touch him like a multitude of groupies at a rock concert, one woman has pressed through with faith! One woman has pressed through and touched the divine nature inside of Him! She has touched Him in such a way that the life of God within Him is activated and power is released into her body!

Jesus persists in His search for that one person who has touched Him differently from all of the rest. Having received her miracle, this faith filled woman reveals herself to Jesus and the disciples in amazement, surprised by the fruit of her own faith. She tells her story to Jesus and He confirms that it was HER faith that resulted in her healing. This is such a powerful lesson for us as we approach God. Much of the divine activity that took place in the ministry of Jesus and His disciples was the fruit of the people’s faith. It is essential that we understand that OUR FAITH has a vital part to play in receiving from God.

Because this is true this story and many others like it should lead us to pursue the answer to the question, “how can I grow in faith?” If my faith can release miracles, how can I get more of it!? Place yourself in the path of those things that increase faith and you will see more of God. Seek out revelation that brings transformation. Set your heart in front of the fire of God’s word and spend your time with people who have experienced God so that your faith life will flourish!

Even as we pursue faith in the midst of circumstance we must equally remember to ask the second question raised by this passage. “Am I looking at this situation the way that Jesus is looking at it?” We must take the time to consider our point of view. Has an earthly mindedness caused us to miss the kingdom interpretation of our situation? In John 9:1-5 the disciples asked Jesus if the man’s blindness was the result of his sin or sins of his parents. They weren’t even asking the right question. They interpreted this situation out of religious error and therefore judged the man who was blind! How often do we judge people because we have wrongly interpreted the situation we are seeing? We must learn to see with kingdom eyes and interpret life from an eternal perspective. The more we can see our life situations from a kingdom point of view the more we will find the kingdom of God at work in the midst of the situations of our life!

Mark 5:25-29 - April 1, 2010

Mark 5:25-29 “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”

So….life has been hard lately! You have spent most of your money trying to solve your problems and all it has accomplished is to leave you with no money! In fact instead of seeing things improve, they have only gotten worse. Have you ever felt that way? Has life ever given you a prolonged season where things just seem to go from bad to worse? How did you respond in that time? How are you responding even now? In times such as this ever person has a choice as to how they are going to respond. What will you do? Will you complain, accuse God, or maybe find someone to be the target of your blame and anger? You have a choice!

Mark 5:25-29 is a powerful picture of just such a person. In this passage we find a woman who has been totally spent. She has been sick for twelve years. Her doctors are of no help. Not only have they been of no help but in their attempts to find a cure they have actually caused her great suffering and her condition has only gotten worse. Add to that the fact that the doctors who were of no help took all of her money in payment for the cures that did no good. Now that is adding insult to injury!

Like all of us this woman also had a choice. She was faced with a decision of where she was going to spend her remaining energy, her remaining strength. Many people who find themselves in this type of situation yield to depression or turn to alcohol or some other form of false comfort to ease their mental and physical pain. Not this woman. In her desperate hour she spent her energy turning to God!

There are many important messages in this one little passage if we will but take a look. First of all thank God for the person who took time to tell her about Jesus. The miracle that touches her life in this story begins with the fact that someone took the time to tell her about Jesus. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from hearing the word of God and it was proven true in this situation. Upon hearing about the mighty miracles that were flowing out of the life of Christ this woman is now filled with faith in the midst of her affliction. Instead of just pushing away another suggested cure like so many people do, she is willing to try once more and reach out to Christ in faith!

She has been moved so deeply by the Holy Spirit as she has heard the testimony about Jesus that she is willing to take a risk. What if she cannot reach Jesus? What if the disciples push her away for her bold presumption? What if she touches Him and nothing happens? The good news of this story is that the faith that has grown in her heart is stronger than the doubts and questions that are attacking her mind to drive her away from her miracle. What about you!? Are the voices of discouragement in your mind speaking to you louder than your faith!? Don’t stop! Press through the crowd like this weary old woman and get a hold of Jesus!

This woman faces her fears and presses into the chaos of the circumstances. She is undeterred by the pressing crowds. She is moved only by the faith that has grown up in her heart as positive confession fills her mind. As she steps out in faith, her focus is on one thing. “If I can only touch Jesus I will be healed.” This is such a powerful image of a heart set firmly in faith. She listens to no other voice but the voice of faith. She yields to no hindering circumstance! Instead she presses through and is rewarded for her faith. Mark 5 says that immediately upon touching Jesus she is healed.

Have you touched Jesus in your hour of need? Have you placed yourself in His presence and pressed through the crowd of distractions that would hinder you with such conviction that nothing else matters but touching God? Let your need drive you into His presence not away from Him. Let your suffering be swallowed up in a vision of a God empowered miracle changing your life forever. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Turn to Him and let your life be healed!

Mark 5:21-24 - March 31, 2010

Mark 5:21-24 “When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.”

Talk about a busy day! Consider this, Take a boat and cross the Sea of Galilee, rebuke a raging storm with such authority that your disciples sit there in terror and amazement. Then land on the opposite shore where you encounter a severely demonized man filled with so many demons that they identify themselves as legion. After casting out the demons and watching them drive a herd of thousands of pigs into such a frenzy that they rush into the waters where they are all killed and this act of power and wonder causes the people who see it to be moved with such gratitude for the man’s freedom that they immediately ask Him to take His disciples and leave. How do “you” say thank you?

I don’t know about you but I am already tired and Jesus is just getting started. It is no wonder that Jesus is asleep in the boat. This story brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “power nap”! So… Jesus loads up His team and heads back for the other side of the sea. When they arrive it is not a well deserved rest that is waiting there for them. Instead, before He can even make His way inland away from the sea, we are told that another large crowd gathers around Him. As they are pressing in on Him a regional leader whose daughter is dying comes in such anguish of heart that he falls at Jesus feet, (something that the synagogue ruler would not do under normal circumstances,) and begs for Jesus to come and heal his daughter… no pressure!

Can you imagine the intensity of just this short portion of one day in the life of Jesus? This is not even the end of the day, because as we will see in the next devotional even this story is interrupted by another crisis and power encounter before it can even be completed! These events are not simply a demonstration of the supernatural miracle working power that moved through Jesus. These images are the images of a man who possesses an amazing amount of emotional strength and physical endurance. In such a short period of time Jesus encounters a life threatening situation complete with all of its emotion in the lives of His disciples as the giant storm sweeps over the boat, the most intense demonic manifestation recording in the scriptures and all of its inherent sense of evil as well as the human compassion involved in seeing such brokenness. His emotions are then stirred by the reality of seeing this man restored to health at the same time as watching the destruction of 2,000 animals. (What were those Jewish farmers doing with a herd of pigs anyway? Could the fact that Jesus allowed the demons to destroy the pigs been a statement and a judgment as well?) Jesus then endures the fearful rejection of an entire community that should have loved and welcomed Him with gratitude for His compassionate ministry to the demonized man. Then He takes another exhausting journey across the sea where He now is faced with another demanding crowd and the desperate cries of a father who is fearful that his daughter is dying!

This entire story is such a picture of what the power of the Holy Spirit adds to a life. In Eph 3:15-16 Paul prays for the church. “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,” This prayer identifies the nature of this reserve of strength that filled the life of Jesus. He was… “strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” When Jesus received the Spirit on the day He was baptized He received a lot more than miracle working power. There is a strength available to every believer through the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. It is a power that resides in our inner man that can be cultivated through building our relationship with God. And it is a power that makes us strong to do the work of living the Christian life. It is not merely power to bring good to others. It is a divine power to live supernaturally, to live sensitive to God and able to joyfully endure the demands of a life lived for God, whatever they may be. We have been promised in I Co. 10:13 that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear. For everything that you will face today there is strength available to express Christ in the midst of it. There is power available to remain in His peace no matter what comes your way. Pray this prayer of Paul today and ask the Lord to strengthen you with power in your inner most being!

Mark 5:14-17 - March 29, 2010

Mark 5:14-17 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man-and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.”

Have you ever been surprised by the unpredictable response of people to something when you anticipated a different response from them? This passage is just such a moment in the life and ministry of Jesus. One of the greatest miracles of scripture takes place in these three verses. Mark 5:14-17 is a prime demonstration that the power and ministry of Jesus is not limited to the redemption of the body but the transformation of the mind! Jesus has stepped out of the boat into a powerful confrontation with a severely demonized man and triumphed thoroughly.

Everyone knew this “man of the tombs.” He had been the focus of much attention and effort and the topic of many discussions and now held the people in fear of his desperate condition. And yet Jesus has encountered him fearlessly with just the power of His voice and not only subdued him but set him completely free. One of the most exciting verses in scripture to me is verse 15 which states “they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.” Imagine this. A man’s life has just been totally altered. He has been set free from such intense insanity that he was known by all and yet now he is there, sitting calmly at the feet of Jesus! It is time for celebration! Or so we would think. But, instead of rejoicing the people respond with fear.

The minds of the people are racing with the question “If this man can set this crazy man free, who is He?” Consider the context. A deranged man has found rest for his soul, the demons are gone, BUT… there are thousands of dead pigs floating in the lake below! Can you say “collateral damage?” The people who gather witness this scene. What a mix of mystery and majesty! How are we going to explain this to the neighbors? Isn’t church supposed to be conducted decently and in order? The Holy Spirit is a gentleman! The minds of the people are so distracted by the chaos of the moment that they cannot celebrate the condition of the man who was set free. Instead they ask the Lord to leave! Imagine that. One of the greatest miracles of scripture has just taken place and instead of worshipping Jesus they ask Him to leave because this miracle is wrapped in a context that leaves them uncomfortable and afraid.

Do you think that perhaps the church has reacted the same way to the work of the Holy Spirit on some occasions? This passage paints a whole different view of the Lord Jesus and the power of God! He will not be confined to our rules! He will step outside of our comfort zone for the sake of bringing freedom to the captives that He loves and died for! Don’t miss the miracles of the moment because they come with distracting baggage. Look for the man sitting at the feet of Jesus who has found rest and if you find him there rejoice!

Mark 5:9-13 - March 28, 2010

Mark 5:9-13 “Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. 11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.” NIV

This passage of scripture is a fascinating glimpse into the ministry of deliverance. Through this one passage many lessons can be learned about demonic oppression, the interaction between humans and the demonic in deliverance and the authority of the believer over demonic influence in an individual’s life.

Jesus has been approached by this severely demonized man, a man so warped by his bondage that he lives amongst the tombs like a wild-man, intimidating all who came near to him until his encounter with Jesus. After initially commanding the demons to leave this man in verse eight, Jesus evidently discerns a different dimension to this demonic oppression than we see Him encountering in any of His other deliverance ministries. For the first time we see Jesus engaging in an exploratory dialogue with the demons. In most cases He simply commands the spirits to be silent and to leave but in this case Jesus probes deeper.

There is an implied lesson in Jesus’ ministry of deliverance. He does not become fascinated by dialoging with the demons. He gains the information that He needs to bring freedom but does not engage in the novelty of the supernatural encounter. In seeking to find the name of the demon He is seeking to identify the nature of the oppression so that He may set the man free. The measure of Jesus’ authority is so complete that the demon that is speaking on behalf of the group of demons identifies that there are many, many spirits involved in the bringing about this condition of bondage in the man. It is worth noting that this totally deranged state that we find the man in is not the fruit of one demon’s work. It is the accumulative torment of a host of demons that have progressively gained control over his mind.

Jesus does not go through a process of identifying the name and nature of every spirit involved. He simply identifies that there are many spirits at work in this man’s condition and then takes authority over them in mass. He is bold and shows no hesitance even in confronting what he now knows to be a host of demons.

It is equally significant to note that the authority of Jesus is not limited to the time frame when the demon is inhabiting the person. The spirit has to ask permission of Jesus for what it will do after being driven out from the person. Jesus is in total control of the situation and the spirit must gain permission from Him to go into the herd of pigs. Every believer must understand the measure of Jesus’ authority because this is the authority that is available to us as we grow in Christ. In Mt. 10:7-8 the disciples were commissioned by the Lord to preach the kingdom, heal the sick and to cast out demons. Jesus later identifies that this authority and commissioning is conferred upon all who believe in Him for salvation not just a select few super apostles. In Mark 16:16-17 Jesus says “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons.”

The same faith that secures salvation results in authority over demonic oppression that binds the people that Christ came to save. It is time for the church to recognize who we are and what we have been given. It is vital that we throw off all teachings that rob us of our true identity in Christ and leave us as 2 Tim 3:4-5 says “having a form of godliness but denying its power.”