Devotion for 09.11.2024

Scripture: Mark 7:14-37

Mark 7:14–37 NIV

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” 16 17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) 20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” 24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. 31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Devotion for 09.08.2024

Hook

“It seems that Without God, men cannot, and Without Men, God will not.” —a quote perhaps by St. Augustine.

The idea has become more important than the truth of where it came from, perhaps because it ventures forth the idea that there is something God refuses to do—something He holds Himself back from doing. If it is true, it is a limitation God puts upon Himself, so we get curious and take notice.

Point 1

No direct Bible verse tells us this, but today’s passage demonstrates a particular role opened up for us regarding God’s work in healing. While the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were concerned about being touched by unclean people and things, ruining their own personal holiness, Jesus never had that concern. He touched the sick, the dirty, Samaritans, Gentiles, people with leprosy, people with demons… Jesus wasn’t worried about getting unclean.

So when he taught that we become unclean by what comes out of us, not by what comes into us or what we bump up against, he also lived that lesson out in his own life. He interacted with everyone regardless of social, spiritual, physical, or legal status. But he didn’t live that lesson out alone.

Most people in the gospels who Jesus healed could not come to Him alone. In this passage, the pagan girl tormented by demons could not come to Jesus, so her mother came in her place to intercede on her behalf. Just like the healing of the centurion’s servant, Jesus was maxed at her faith and healed the girl without ever being in her presence. The deaf and mute man could not hear anything about Jesus or know when he was there without someone helping him. When he came to Jesus, he couldn’t speak or ask for anything. Someone had to be his ears and mouth for him until Jesus restored his own.

And these are just two examples of many. The blind man Bartimaeus had people to direct him to Jesus even as he cried out for help on the side of the road. The quadriplegic man had four friends who carried him through the roof of a house to get to Jesus. While there are a few examples of Jesus going into pagan and Samaritan territory to corner people of their sin, sickness, and spiritual oppression, Jesus rarely sought out broken people to heal. In fact, this passage showed that even when he tried to hide, those whom God called to intercede for orders brought them to him physically or as requests for mercy and healing.

So, I cannot say for certain that God will not work without us, but I can say with complete confidence that God desires us to bring those who need Jesus to Him and that He will respond to our acts of faith with delight, not as a reward for our good deeds but because it shows that we are growing hearts that love more like him.

CTA

Who needs Jesus in your life today? Who needs forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and redemption? What is one way you can bring them to Jesus today?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, Thank you for coming into our lives and saving us. Thank you for recreating us and redeeming our lives as you Shape us each day to be more like you. Help us to see and walk alongside the broken and helpless, and bring them into your presence so they can receive the true healing and restoration they need. Be the guiding light of our hearts as we grow to love like you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.