Tag: willing to heal
Compassion empowers ministry!
Scripture reading for February 10th: Mark 1
Key Scriptures: Mark 1:40-42 “A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy was cured.”
Leprosy is a disease of the skin that causes the skin to crust with sores and ooze body fluids. It was contagious and people with the disease had to separate themselves to keep from infecting others. Any Israelite who touched a leper would be considered “unclean.”
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus was humbly approached by a man with leprosy. This man fell to his knees and begged the Master to be willing to heal him. Mark records that Jesus was filled with compassion for this hurting man who was suffering from the disease and its lonely consequences. Compassion is love that deeply touches the heart and moves a person to take action to minister to the one that is hurting. You might call it love on steroids! Jesus reached out His hand, and touched the man. He told him that it was His will to heal and at Jesus’ command, the leprosy left immediately!
Observation for over-comers: As believers, through empowerment by the Holy Spirit, we have a river of Christ’s love and compassion flowing in our hearts. God is willing and we have authority and compassion waiting to be released for hurting people! “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, . . ..” (Proverbs 15:4)
Jesus, Man of Prayer
Scripture reading for March 22nd: Luke 5:12-28
Luke is interested in prayer and makes many notes of Jesus praying. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16) Jesus felt it necessary that He get away from people, even His disciples, and spend time with His Father. He would go to a ‘lonely place’ where He could be alone and unhindered by noise and demands from others. It is not that people are bad, but what is most important must be prioritized. In order for Jesus to be effective and follow Father’s instruction, He must have confidence that He knew what the Father wanted to do with each person and in each situation. This confidence came through a relationship of prayer.
One prior encounter involved a leper who came trembling before Jesus begging for Him to make him clean. The man wondered out loud if Jesus was willing to heal him. Jesus knew the Father’s heart through prayer and relationship and could respond to this need in the affirmative. “Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately the Leprosy left him.” (Luke 5:13)
The rule for religious leaders was that they could not touch anything ‘unclean’ or they would be defiled themselves. Jesus did not operate with the religious rules of the day, but rather was free to respond as His Father directed. The results spoke for themselves to those willing to listen. These miracles caused quite a stir and drew crowds of people with needs to hear Jesus as He preached the good news!
A second occasion is also recorded by Luke of a man who was paralyzed being let down through a roof for Jesus to heal him. Luke records that the power of the Lord to heal the sick was present. (Luke 5:17) Jesus, seeing the friend’s faith, spoke a word, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:20) The man was healed and restored in front of a crowd of people. This was the result of prayer in the lonely place!
Could it be that we aren’t being used for the miraculous because we are not spending enough time in the ‘lonely place’, alone with our Lord? Is faith present to bring people to Jesus for healing prayer? God wants to do so much more to bring people to wholeness! Lord, may I be a man (or woman) of prayer!
“Everyone’s looking for You!”
Scripture reading for February 16th: Mark 1:29-2:12, Psalms 35:17-28, Proverbs 9:13-18
“That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons speak because they knew who He was.” (Mark 1:32-34) Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God with power. The proof of this was miracles and deliverance. Jesus worked well after dark healing and delivering many in Capernaum. The whole town gathered at Peter’s mother-in-law’s house to receive healing. Crowds came to get in on what Jesus was saying and doing!
“Very early the next morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they proclaimed: “Everyone is looking for You!” (Mark 1:35-37) The secret to Jesus’ power and authority was in prayer. Jesus took time to pray alone, seeking the Father’s will and then doing it. It would have been easy to get caught up in the crowd’s interest and adulation, but Jesus wanted to please His Father first and last!
It would have seemed the perfect opportunity to do more ministry since everyone in Capernaum was looking for Him. This was an evangelist’s dream: A large crowd of hungry people! “Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else–to the nearby villages–so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” (Mark 1:38) Jesus did not let the crowd influence Him from doing what He came to do. He was under orders and moved because of some hidden agenda. He had business to attend to elsewhere. The crowd there had seen enough and there were many others who had not had an opportunity to experience the kingdom of God near to them. Many others were still in bondage to the kingdom of darkness!
The lesson for us today is our need to stay in focus on our mission and the means to do that. We must spend time alone with God in prayer! God has personal instructions for each of us. The crowd isn’t always right and what we did yesterday in that place isn’t necessarily what we should do today. God is looking for you and me today, in the secret place!