Category Archives: Devotional

Don’t demand a sign – Mark 8:11-13

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As was often the case, Jesus found himself in another argument with some Pharisees.

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

The interesting thing is that Jesus did in fact give a number of signs pointing to his being the Messiah.  The Gospel of John is perhaps the clearest on this point.

The first was his changing the water into wine, after which John 2:11 says, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”

After healing an official’s son, John 4:54 informs us, “This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.”  Later we read, “Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,” in John 12:37.

And of course, near the end of his Gospel (John 20:30-31) John writes, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

The best way to understand Christ’s point in refusing the Pharisees the sign that they seek may simply be that he’ll be the one to decide what sign(s) he is willing to perform.  Their job and ours is merely to accept the signs that he gives. His ultimate sign was his resurrection, but of course they didn’t accept that one either.  We must do so if we are truly to be his followers.

When we deal with God, we need to maintain a healthy attitude of submission.  Making demands on him reverses the relationship.  He may do what we ask if he so chooses, but he is not obligated.  On the other hand we need to always be at his service.  If he makes a demand on us, it is only right.  The only right response is to do what he says.  This becomes easier the more we accept the fact that he knows and wants what is best for us and teaches us through this process.

Don’t search for a method – Mark 7:31-35

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31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 

Jesus performed many miracles, but it seems like Christ hardly ever did things the same way twice.  Chuck Smith (1927 – 2013), in his Word for Today Bible, saw this as an important point.  

Why did the Lord use such complicated and varied approaches?  Because he didn’t want to create a magic ritual and didn’t want to start a new tradition for doing things.  It should never be about a formula; it should be about the Lord and relying on Him.  He is God, and he does whatever He wants, in whatever way He chooses.

I had to learn this early in my Christian experience.  Growing up Catholic, we had a lot of set forms and traditions.  Some were helpful, most all were harmless, but some could be quite misleading, especially in the way we practiced them.  One of these potentially misleading practices was the Novena, special prayers repeated for nine consecutive days or weeks, which were often accompanied by a specific prayer request.  

Of course it’s fine and often necessary to pray for the same thing day after day, week after week.  The point is that the form – the novena, in this case – does nothing to help or hinder God’s answering of that prayer.

So here I was a teenager, newly awakened to the Christian faith.  A novena was scheduled in our local parish and I took part, putting my request out there before God and whatever saint or saints were seen to be of special help.  And God answered in a wonderful way.  My faith was encouraged.

Some time, a few years later, another big need arose.  Convinced that the novena was the cause of my past blessing, I took part again.  This time, however, no answer.  Not even to this day, almost 40 years later, now that I think about it.  My dire (or so I considered it) need went unmet.  The novena didn’t work.  

As Chuck points out, God doesn’t want us to fall into magic rituals.  Jesus healed often, but when he did, he did so in different ways.  He didn’t want us to imitate his method.  God still answers prayer, sometimes in absolutely convincing, remarkable ways.  And sometimes he doesn’t, or so it seems.  I suppose we should say that sometimes his answer is no.  But none of this depends on the method.  We don’t spit on our finger and touch someone’s tongue to make God work.  Nor do we say special novenas for nine consecutive days.  But we do cry out sincerely and with perseverance, while constantly seeking his will, so that our prayers might be perfectly in line with it.

 

Familiarity – Mark 6:1-3

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Everyone in Nazareth knew Jesus.  The town wasn’t that big and Jesus had lived there most of his life.  When he came home and taught in the synagogue, the response might have been positive.  I’m the sort that loves it when guys from my hometown of Buffalo, NY, or my current home of Indianapolis make it big in one way or another.  Imagine if one of your local boys turned out to be the Messiah!?  It doesn’t get any bigger than that.

Alas, that was not the case.

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

Familiarity can go two ways.  They clearly knew enough about Jesus and his “mighty works” to put two and two together.  It was an informed decision.  But they also had enough information to imagine that their unbelief was justified.  “He’s just a carpenter, right?”  “And his mom, brother and sisters are just normal folks. We’ve known them forever.”  If they had anything privately against the family, say suspicion surrounding the circumstances of Jesus’s birth, or some minor scuffle with a one of the brothers, these things would not work in Christ’s favor.

They were still wrong.  Jesus was and is the Christ, the Son of God (Mark1:1).  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)

We can make the same mistake today.  People reject Christ due to familiarity.  They grew up in a Christian home or they know any number of Christians that they find unimpressive.  Or they pay Christ a bit of lip service while not accepting the Jesus we find in the Bible, because, well, they know a little too much, they believe.

This also happens in churches to otherwise solid believers.  It is more subtle, but the same basic thing.  The longer we know a pastor, a worship leader or the overall atmosphere of the church, we are faced with a continuous decision.  We can stay faithful for the sake of the relationships and continue to help build the ministry – or not. 

Maybe we’re kind of bored with the music.  Maybe we wish they would stress our favorite doctrinal stance a little more then they do.  Maybe we like the decor of another building or the neighborhood in which another church is located.  We can go on. 

Familiarity can increase commitment, cultivate brotherly love and build trust.  Long, old friendships are usually the best we have.  Or, we can collect evidence that something is seriously wrong.  If they did it with Jesus, we can certainly do it with other sinners saved by grace.  

 

 

Only believe – Mark 5:36

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These words that Jesus spoke to Jairus regarding his daughter can easily apply in any number of situations that we face.  Here is how they appear in context.

35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 

The context in this case is vital to understanding what Jesus is saying.  

Jairus came to Jesus as his daughter was dying, asking for help.  Before they got home, however, the daughter had died.  When all was lost, Jesus encouraged Jairus with the words, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”  As it happened, Jesus raised her back to life.

Why does God so often wait until all hope is lost?  Perhaps it is so we are more focused upon hoping in him.  There is something spiritually healthy about being brought to the end of ourselves.  Self-sufficiency can be an enormous obstacle to faith.  Hope in anything or anyone but Jesus can redirect us away from trusting him.

When it is obvious that we cannot do anything to fix our situations, and neither can anyone else, God has the opportunity to intervene without interference.  He must like that, because he puts us in that place of helplessness pretty often.

What hopeless situation are you facing right now?  I am facing a few of them, but I won’t clutter this post with their tedious descriptions.  Christ’s message to us might be the same as his message to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; only believe.”