Discipleship 101

 An old joke asks, 'Why does the Bible ask us to love our neighbors AND our enemies?' They're often the same people! Today's Scripture shows it. People want healing from Jesus. They respond in droves. But their response shows they want His healing. Not Him. The Father sent Jesus to be the Messiah. Our Savior. Just not the kind of Savior they wanted. Last week, Jesus outed & ousted a demon. In church, no less! Mark 1:29-39 picks up the story 29aas they left the synagogue. It's time for a meal. 29bJesus, James, & John, went home with Simon & Andrew. There, they found 30aSimon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. Down. Hard. What do disciples do when we see a healing need? 30bThey told Jesus about her. And what does Jesus do with everyone who came to Him for healing? 31aHe went to her, took her hand & helped her up. Healed. 31bThe fever left her & she began to wait on them. Immediate healing. No recovery time whatsoever. Jesus can heal any way He chooses. Sometimes, it's instantaneous. Sometimes, it's gradual. At times, He only heals our ability to heal. In Kirkland, some years ago, that's what happened. We don't always get to see results. That time, He chose to let us. Over several weeks we prayed for a woman who'd been in a high-paying, high-responsibility government job (project manager for national-sized projects). Over several years, her health declined to the point she couldn't work or even focus. She could barely move around. As a last resort, she started coming to us for prayer. After several weeks, she stopped. Months later, she came back. What happened? Over the weeks we prayed, she began feeling better. God gradually restored her body's ability to recover. Jesus can heal any way He chooses-instantly, gradually, or any way in between. In Mk 8:22-25, Jesus healed a blind man in steps. Why such differences? We're all different in our need for healing. Jesus meets us at our point of deepest need. There, He heals. We don't always need physical healing most. Sometimes, inner healing is needed before He'll heal us physically. It's always up to Him. He chooses. He heals. Ours is to listen as He leads. So far in Capernaum, it's 2 spectacular healings. One was in church, accompanied by an even more spectacular exorcism. All in a small town. Word spread as people waited for sabbath to end at sunset. 32After sunset, people started bringing Jesus all the sick & demon-.possessed. Fathers, mothers, friends, & relatives brought their afflicted friends & family members. They all lined up at Simon's & Andrews's house. 33The whole town gathered at the door. As they came, 34aJesus healed their various diseases. One by one, long into the night. 34bJesus also drove out many demons. Demons lose every power encounter with Christ. They're outed & ousted. 34bBut Jesus wouldn't let the demons speak. Why? Yes, 34cthey knew who he was. But Jesus doesn't need or want demons testifying about Him. All those healings & deliverances show us two things. That 1st time, Jesus's healing & deliverance on the sabbath weren't abnormal. It's part of ministry. Jesus doesn't want us to stagger under illness or demon harassment. He'll help if we ask. (Or someone asks for us.) Jesus loved His disciples so much He even washed their feet. How much more does He want to heal our diseases?! Deliver us from demons? There in Capernaum, Jesus starts an amazingly successful ministry. No doubt, he got to bed late that night. Weary. But 35aat zero:dark-thirty in the morning, Jesus got up. He left the house & went off to a solitary place. Got a successful ministry? We'll need solitude, too. (If Jesus did, don't we even more?) 35bThere, He started praying. Why? Jesus is God. The Son. He's also fully human. Of man. As a man, to say what the Father says, He needs to pray. To do what the Father is doing, He needs to pray. By praying, He finds out what He's to do. The Gospels say Jesus prayed for hours before every major event in His ministry. He prayed for hours before choosing His apostles. He prayed for hours at the Transfiguration. He prayed for more hours in the Garden of Gethsemane. That raises a question for us. Jesus prays for hours before every decision. How long should we pray before our decisions? (The Bible never caps it.) That night, Jesus prayed for hours. 36After some time, Simon & his companions looked for him. They're doing what we should do. Is Jesus be missing in our life or ministry? Go find Him! When we seek Him, He'll choose to be found. 37aWhen they found him, they exclaimed. "Everyone is looking for you!" Yes, but why? They want something from Jesus. Not Jesus. 38aJesus replied, "Let's go somewhere else-to nearby villages. Why? 38bSo I can preach there too. That's why I've come." Jesus wants to heal. But He wants our salvation even more. He came to save us. That involves 2 things. He atoned for all sin, thereby reconciling us to the Father. He also came to help us understand. Understand the Father's plan of salvation: saving faith-trust in Jesus. And as a result, in gratitude, repent from sin. Understanding meant preaching to as many as possible. What about healing? When the Kingdom comes, it comes in power. Miraculous healing & deliverance still accompany the KoG as it advances. 39aSo Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. In all the towns, he was 39bpreaching in their synagogues & driving out demons. Healing as He went. Our lesson? Do as Jesus did. Pray for marching orders. Preach & teach the gospel everywhere we go. And as He leads us, heal & deliver as we go. Discipleship 101 - Mark 1:29-39 Page 1 of 1