Mark 10:49
“Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”
Imagine the thrill that must have filled Bartimaeus when he heard these words. Although his eye did not allow him to see, he had heard the stories of the man from Galilee, who was healing the sick and raising the dead. Now Jesus was right there within the sound of his voice, able to hear his cries. Knowing that he had nothing to offer, Bartimaeus simply cried out for mercy. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Bartimaeus did not consider himself worthy of receiving anything from Jesus, but he did consider Jesus worthy of giving it. He knew that his only hope was mercy, and He cried out to the One he knew would provide it. The surrounding crowd began to rebuke him. They did not consider Bartimaeus worthy of receiving anything from Jesus. It is not difficult to understand why. What could a blind beggar possibly offer the King of Kings? I am sure Bartimaeus had grown accustomed to being silenced and ignored. Those with little to offer are often ignored. But his cry for mercy did not go unnoticed; Jesus heard his cry and called him; first to have his sight restored, and then to follow Jesus.
Like Bartimaeus, Jesus is calling you. First, He is calling you to come, have your sins forgiven and receive eternal life. Second, He is calling you to follow Him, and finally He is calling you to serve Him. Will you answer that call? Will you ignore the cries of your own heart or of others who say, you are not worthy? Instead, will you listen to the One who is worthy of giving mercy; Who is calling you to come to Him?
Pastor Jim
Paul often referred himself as a servant, or a slave. The word he used was “dulous”, which means bond-slave, or a person who was bound to another. It is not difficult to find examples in history of people who have been enslaved. Some are slaves because they were conquered in battle, others for religious or ethnic persecution, and still others because of debt or a criminal offense. It is quite difficult, however, to find examples of people who chose slavery as a way of life. I suppose no ambitious students ever pursued slavery as a career path, seeking a university that offers a good slave training program. Yet Paul refers to himself as a bond slave of Christ. Exodus 21 gives a vivid picture of why Paul would choose to be a slave.
On the top of a mountain covered in smoke, Moses met with God, and heard the standard upon which relationship with God would be established. The Lord gives a list of ten commands that reveal His holiness, and our need for sacrifice. The first four commands reveal things about the nature of God. We learn, along with being jealous, just, merciful, faithful and holy, He is also the only true God and must not be reduced to an image or an idol.
Mark 4 ends with the story of a dangerous journey on which Jesus took His disciples. Knowing all things, He knew they would face a storm on the sea. He knew this storm would be so great that those who had grown up fishing those waters, and experiencing rough conditions, would fear for their very lives. But it is not until we venture into Mark 5, that we understand the reason for the journey was one man. Jesus left the multitudes and took twelve men on a death-defying trip across dangerous waters, in order to reach this one man. Multitudes were flocking to Him, but in the country of the Gadarenes, was a man in need. This becomes even more amazing when we understand who this man was. We read of him,
Since the incarnation, this is all the more true. He has seen oppression with the eyes of man. He watched the brutal way in which men oppressed men. He saw tax collectors steal from men, to support their sinful lifestyles, soldiers abuse their authority, instilling fear in the people, and religious leaders manipulate the people, to gain power over their lives and attain positions of prominence.
Jacob and his eleven sons were given the best that Egypt had to offer. While the Egyptians suffered under the famine and were forced to forfeit their lands to the state in exchange for food, Jacob’s sons were given the best pasture land. While jobs were scarce, Jacob’s sons were hired to be the chief herdsmen for Pharaoh’s flocks. In a time of great difficulty, they were experiencing such blessings that Jacob predicted the family would multiply greatly and become a strong nation. It is striking to me that the favor they were enjoying, was not their own merit, but the work of another. The same is true of us. We have forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and the favor of God, not based on our own work, but due to association with Christ. All who are in relationship with Him are adopted sons and daughters of God, and joint heirs with Jesus. We are no longer looked upon as strangers who live distant from God, or as enemies who are fighting against God, but we are viewed as children who are loved by God. All the favor of God is given to those who are his by relationship. It matters not the sins we have committed in the past. Throwing a brother in a pit, then lying to dad about his death, were not the issue. All that mattered, was Jacob and his sons were related to Joseph. Sit back for a few moments and rejoice over the fact that you belong to God, because of what Jesus has done for you. You are a blood-bought, highly favored child of God, who has been given every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.
Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians that they would comprehend the love of God which he described as beyond our ability to understand.
We understand that marriage was designed by God. He created man and woman, and designed marriage as the most intimate of all relationships. But why? What is the purpose of marriage? If we were to walk the streets and interview people, asking them, “Why did you get married?”, I think the most common reply would be, “I got married to be happy.” I don’t think every married couple is happy, but I think that it is the motivation behind most marriages. We think being with that person will make us happy. But I want you to notice what we read regarding God’s design in marriage: “It is not good for man to be alone…” (Genesis 2:18). It was not for man’s happiness alone that God designed marriage, but instead, for his good.
I think Peter had a little more insight into the mind of God than he gets credit for. In the passage leading up to this, Jesus spoke regarding confronting those who are in sin. He spoke of going to a sinning brother, bringing others and going a second time, then telling the church of his sin, and finally treating the unrepentant as you would an unbeliever (which of course means that you want to do all you can to win them back to Christ). It is in response to this that Peter asks regarding forgiveness.
I am sure we have all been complimented, at one time or another, for how we looked, or what we were wearing. Of all the compliments I have received, none has been quite like what Jacob said to Esau. After not seeing his brother for 20 years, Jacob said, “you look a lot like God.” Jacob is not saying God is a six foot tall man with red hair, but that the actions of Esau were, in some way, reflective of the character of God. What was Esau doing that was so godlike?
Jim Gallagher 