Father, You got me through it all. Easter break has not been a break but it has been worth every moment! A beautiful service Thursday night, an enjoyable birthday celebration Friday night, prepping for Sunday all day Saturday, and a wonderful day today, as we celebrated Resurrection Sunday in three services, then were blessed to host our family for a time of delicious food and loving fellowship. Yes, I am weary but thank You for Your hand in it all!
Mark 7:31-37 (<<click to read the passage)
In reading this passage, the first phrase that really jumped out at me was “he [that is, Jesus] sighed”. Now I would agree with commentators who state that Jesus’ sighing is connected with His sympathy for the man’s condition of being deaf and having a speech impediment. That is very much who Jesus is, He loves us deeply.
But to me, it seems that it also speaks to a certain degree of His exasperation. Most definitely Jesus loved the man and must have felt great sympathy for the life he must have led with these impairments but did the “people” feel the same way about this man or were they just wanting another show, another demonstration of miraculous intervention. After all, “the more he [Jesus] told them not to, the more they spread the news [of the man’s healing].”
There is absolutely nothing wrong in feeling like he was being taken advantage of, of being a form of entertainment. Yes, Jesus was (and is) there to meet our surface needs but we miss the point if that is all we think He does – all that we think He is good for.
Jesus doesn’t want us to suffer but, truly, He loves us regardless. He loves us right where we are when we come to Him. We must realize that He sees us far beyond the outward and physical. He sees us to the farthest depths of our being, to the very core of our soul, and he loves us. He accepts us.
And honestly, we are all impaired spiritually. We are born that way. And until we come to Him, we are bound. We cannot free ourselves. But do we just want to be entertained or do we want the truth – the truth of who we are and the ultimate truth of what He can do for us?
Lord Jesus, help us to see what You want for us – not just the temporal – not just the here and now – but the eternal. Enable us to see and accept who we are and to clearly see what we can be in You. Amen.
Apr 21st, 2019, Sun, 9:03 pm
