On Companions & Companionship!

Mark 3:13-19

Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils. And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him.

Food for thought!

Jesus has come to a very important moment in his life and work. He has made a very considerable impact on the public mind. But also his critics are growing in their opposition. Indeed, they have already decided to destroy him. If he dies, as he will, what will happen to his message? He had to find some way for his message not die when he dies. As a solution to this practical problem, he has to choose certain people on whose hearts and lives he will write his message and who will continue the message. The messengers die, messengers come and go; however, the message is forever, is eternal. 

Jesus chose a very mixed group of his messengers. In it the two extremes met. Matthew was a tax-collector and, therefore, an outcast; he was a renegade and a traitor to his fellow countrymen. Simon the Cananaean was Zealot; and the Zealots were a band of fiery, violent nationalists who were pledged even to murder and assassination to clear their country of the foreign rulers; today we call such as terrorists. Between Matthew and Simon there were all kinds of backgrounds and opinions, there are all of us. Jesus continues to mix us. 

Judging them by worldly standards the men Jesus chose had no special qualifications at all. They were not wealthy; they had no special social position; they had no special education, they were not trained theologians; they were not high-ranking churchmen and ecclesiastics; they were twelve ordinary men. But they had two special qualifications. First, they were loyal to Jesus. And second, they had the courage to show that they were loyal to Jesus.

Yes, to be with Jesus did require courage. We can all be loyal to celebrities, but not to someone labelled a sinner and a heretic; someone accused of violating all religious rules and regulations; someone heading for an inevitable death. These twelve men had all kinds of faults, but whatever else could be said about them, they loved Jesus and they were not afraid to show it. Do you have in your life loyal people like these disciples of Jesus, who can stand by you, come what may?

Jesus called the disciples to him for two purposes. First, he called them to be with him. He called them to be his steady and consistent companions. Others might come and go; the crowd might be there one day and away the next; others might be fluctuating and spasmodic in their attachment to him, but these twelve were to live with him all the time, day after day; they never go away, never come, because there're always there. They're Jesus' companions. Happy the man or woman with a companion like these.

Second, he called them to send them out. He wanted them to be his representatives. He wanted them to tell others about him. They themselves had been won in order to win others.

For their task Jesus equipped them with a message. The Gospel message, the good news, the word of Jesus is our weapon, it is our stronghold, it is our strength and power.

It is good to do good always!

Mark 3:7-12

7 Jesus went off with his disciples to the sea to get away. But a huge crowd from Galilee trailed after them-- 8 also from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, across the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon-- swarms of people who had heard the reports and had come to see for themselves. 9 He told his disciples to get a boat ready so he wouldn't be trampled by the crowd. 10 He had healed many people, and now everyone who had something wrong was pushing and shoving to get near and touch him. 11 Evil spirits, when they recognized him, fell down and cried out, "You are the Son of God!" 12 But Jesus would have none of it. He shut them up, forbidding them to identify him in public.

Food for thought!

Yesterday, we ended the Gospel with these words: “The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod's followers and ruin him.” Today’s Gospel is a follow up. Unless Jesus wished to be involved in a head-on collision with those religious authorities wanting to ruin him, he had to leave their synagogues. Now, for the first time, Jesus is preaching not from inside a synagogue but from outside, from the open, in a boat. Jesus has left the synagogues and has gone out to the lakeside and the open sky; He who once preached on a pulpit is now preaching from a boat! And he who was preaching to a few hundreds of people in the synagogue, is now preaching to thousands. Irony of things.

A lesson for us. When you hate someone, you turn that person into a hero. This is what has happened with Jesus; the more the religious authorities hate and hunt Jesus, the more Jesus is turning a hero, a superstar, a celebrity. The gospel says that people came from all over the neighbouring districts to touch him and listen to him.

They can take synagogues away from Jesus, but they cannot take goodness away from him; Jesus goes with his goodness and his people skills wherever he goes. As a result people are seeking him from all over. So large were the crowds that it became dangerous and a boat had to be kept ready, just off the shore, in case he might be overwhelmed with the crushing of the mob. His cures brought him into even greater danger; for the sick people did not even wait for him to touch them; they rushed to touch him.

Another lesson. Good is always good; and doing good is always good. Jesus did good in the synagogue (healed a man with a crippled hand), he did good all the time, even on a Sabbath, on a beach, at the wedding, on the sea, on the cross. As a dedicated follower of Jesus, seek to do good to all people, all day and all days and all the time, and in all places where you happen to be. This is what Jesus expects from you and me.  Be good and do good.

Act 10:38

Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country doing good, helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him.

Do good at all times!

Mark 3:1-6

Doing Good on the Sabbath

Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. 2 The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. 3 He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand here where we can see you." 4 Then he spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" No one said a word. 5 He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out-- it was as good as new! 6 The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod's followers and ruin him.

Food for thought!

We're back in the synagogue. The setting is like this: there's Jesus, there's his critics the Pharisees, there's a man in need, and there's a Sabbath. What would you do if you were in that synagogue that Saturday? With whom do you identify yourself, with Jesus being watched, with the Pharisees on the watch, with the sick man in need of help, or with the Sabbath to keep? 

Jesus knows what is going on. He knows that he's being watched. He knows that this whole thing is designed as a trap to ensnare Him. But, Jesus also knows that this man needs healing, which only him can give, and Jesus is determined to do the right thing come what may. You see, it is always risky doing the right thing; many people are only interested in doing not the right thing but doing things right. Doing things right means following the rules and laws and people's expectations. Doing the right thing means doing what is good and right even when it goes against the law or against people’s expectations.

Jesus told the man to “Stand here where we can all see you.” Jesus calls him to come and stand before the whole crowd. What Jesus is about to do will not be done in a corner. 

Jesus confronts the obvious hypocrisy of the Pharisees by asking them two simple, straightforward questions: Is it lawful to good or evil on the Sabbath? It is lawful to save a life or to take a life? By calling the man to the front of the crowd and asking these questions was all an effort to awaken sympathy in the hearts of the Pharisees. Jesus was using this moment to try and touch their hearts. His efforts failed! They had hard hearts. No one said a word.

The Pharisees suffered from “hardness of heart”. These men had been confronted with truth many times and they continually rejected that truth. As a result, their hearts became hard. They were outraged when Jesus healed the man on a Sabbath; they were only concerned in doing things right and not in doing the right thing, were interested in keeping the rules and not saving life. Are we any different?

The Pharisees and the Herodians were bitter enemies. They were on the opposite sides of every issue. But, they found common ground in their common hatred of the Lord Jesus. So, they formed a plot to find a way to “destroy” Him. They wanted Jesus dead and they set out to accomplish that end.

There is a bit of irony in this story, as well as a lot of hypocrisy. These men are upset because Jesus gave life back to the man on the Sabbath, but they have no problem plotting to take life from Jesus on a Sabbath day. Many times we do those things we condemn in other people.

What is it that Jesus is teaching us if not that we cannot and should never compromise on doing good; attending to human need has precedence over religious laws and rituals. 

Jesus' religious scandals!

Mark 2:23-28

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going along beside the fields of standing grain, and as they made their way, His disciples began to pick off the grains and to eat them. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, Look! Why are they doing what is not permitted or lawful on the Sabbath? 25 And He said to them, Have you never [even] read what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were accompanying him? — 26 How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was the high priest, and ate the sacred loaves set forth [before God], which it is not permitted or lawful for any but the priests to eat, and [how he] also gave [them] to those who were with him? 27 And Jesus said to them, The Sabbath was made on account and for the sake of man, not man for the Sabbath; 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

Food for thought! 

Are you ever counted Jesus' "religious scandals"? Jesus is in the business of stirring up trouble! From the time He appeared and began His earthly ministry, to the moment He ascended back into Heaven, Jesus was busy upsetting tradition and tipping sacred cows. Where the Jews were concerned, Jesus was involved in one religious scandal after another.

Jesus' first scandal was when He publically forgave a man’s sins, in Mark 2:5. The second scandal was when He attended a feast with sinners at Matthew’s house, in Mark 2:16. The third scandal was when Jesus and his disciples refused to fast as everybody did, in Mark 2: 18. The fourth scandal is of course today's gospel reading; 

The verses we have read today open up another scandal between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. This time it involves their traditions. Jesus dared to ignore their rituals and they are offended once again. However, this is no ordinary scandal. For this scandal would create such anger and hatred toward Jesus that the Jews would actually seek to kill the Lord because of it, Mark 3:6.

There are people whose primary job is to criticize others; people whose primary goal in life is to set themselves up as judge and jury on the lives of others; people who are critical of every body except of themselves; people who claim to know all the rules but no knowledge of Jesus. These are the Pharisees. 

These people are upset by everything and by nothing! They cannot believe what they see the disciples of Jesus doing. Many people are critical of you, of me, of everyone that's different. Consider what Jesus did to his critics; this is what we should do when people want to argue religion with us, or when they criticize you. He pointed them to the Word of God. He pointed them to the truth. Jesus did not argue with these men; He merely pointed them back to the Word of God. He says, “Have you not read…?”

Many times our problem is the same problem the Pharisees had, we haven’t taken the time to read and understand the Bible, and we criticize others based on nothing. Shame on us!

A LESSON FOR THEM AND FOR US

Jesus proceeds to remind them of an incident that occurred during the life of David. When he was fleeing from Saul, he and his men needed food. In 1 Sam. 21:1-6, David and his men came to the priest and asked for food. The priest told David that there was no bread except the “showbread”.

The showbread was twelve loaves of bread that were baked fresh every Sabbath Day. These twelve loaves were placed on a table in the holy place in the Tabernacle (our Blessed Sacrament and tabernacle come from them). The twelve loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel. They reminded Israel of the Lord’s presence among his people of their dependence upon Him for their physical needs. It was also called the “Bread of the Presence”. The showbread was changed every Sabbath Day and the old bread was eaten by the priests in the holy place.

This bread was not to be eaten by non-priests, according to the Law, but because they were hungry, it was given to David and His men to eat. The clear teaching here is that human needs are more important than a legalistic keeping of the Law; that persons are far more important than rituals; that the best way to worship God is to help man; that the best way to use sacred things is to use them to help men. That, in fact, is the only way to give them to God; the sacred things are only truly sacred when they are used for man. The showbread was never so sacred as when it was used to feed a starving man. The Sabbath was never so sacred as when it was used to help those who needed help. The final arbiter in the use of all things is man and not law.

Be open to new new ideas!

One day when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Why is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of fasting while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they could not think of fasting. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then, on that day, they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; if he does, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine, fresh skins.

Food for thought!

The man who walks with Christ walks in radiance of joy. This is what Jesus is trying to teach us on innumerable occasions. This time round, he compares this joy to a wedding joy. At the wedding the bride enjoys the company of the bridegroom, and the bridegroom enjoys the company of the bride. All this means that it is good for our souls to be with Jesus, and that Jesus too enjoys our company. Think about it, Jesus enjoys to be with you. Do you enjoy Jesus moment? Do you have in your day any JESUS MOMENT? 

It also tells us that no human joy lasts for ever. John's disciples were at this time sad because John was already in prison. For Jesus' disciples that time of sorrow would come when Jesus is imprisoned. It is one of the great inevitabilities of life that the dearest joy must come to an end. All humans and their joy pass away. Jesus alone is the same yesterday, today and for ever; God alone abides amidst all the chances and the changes of life. The dearest human relationships must some day come to an end; it is only the joy of heaven which lasts for ever, and if we have it in our hearts, nothing can take it away.

This also means that days will come, days of challenges, of hardships, of suffering. It means that life was not meant to be easy. Life is a challenge. Even for Jesus there was a moment of agony; he could not and did not escape it. Jesus was never under any illusions; clearly at the end of the road he saw the Cross awaiting him. He knew that for him the way of life was the way of the Cross, and yet he did not swerve one step aside from it. Here is the courage of the man who knows what God's way costs, and who yet goes on.

So, seize the moment, seize the present joy, seize the week and all its opportunities. Don't shut your mind for new ideas. We should never be afraid of adventurous thought. If there is such a person as the Holy Spirit, God must ever be leading us into new truth. Just look at the many inventions in technology, in computers, in cell phones, in medicine, etc. How would medicine fare if doctors were restricted to drugs and methods and techniques three hundred years old?

Many people are afraid of new methods, new innovations, new ideas. That a thing has always been done in certain way may very well be the best reason for stopping doing it. That a thing has never been done may very well be the best reason for trying it. No business could exist on outworn methods; a business allergic to innovations is doomed to die. The same with many of us; either we innovative or we perish.

Jesus' plea to us is to be open minded! 

He takes away our sins and guilt!

John 1:29-34

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

Food for thought!

Jesus, as John himself had rightly observed, is the lamb of God that takes away our sins. 

Jesus, and only Jesus, can free us from our guilt and from our guilty conscience. This is really good news for us who believe in Jesus. We know that Jesus' profession is getting rid of sin; his business is deleting our sins. That's why He is the lamb of God that takes away our sins.

This "Jesus - Sin" connection may be disturbing to some people. But if you remember these words below you would understand easily why Jesus' business is our sins:

1 John 1:8

If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.

In other words, because all of us are sinners, Jesus has all of us to deal with. Nobody, in their right senses, can say that they don't need Jesus.

If we don't deal with our guilt, our guilt will deal with us. It is a powerful thing that easts us from inside out. It will eat you alive. You can’t run from it. You can’t hide from it. You can’t escape its words. It shows up when you are alone. Guilt comes calling in the dead of night. It gnaws at the soul and eats away at the mind.

The only solution for guilt over past sins is to bring those sins to Jesus. When they are brought to Him, Jesus forgives the sin and removes the guilt. He can set us free from the monster of guilt! Jesus is the lamb of God that takes away our sins, John the Baptist told us.

Another good thing to know is NO ONE WHO LIVES DEEPLY IN CHRIST SINS. It means that without Jesus, there's nothing that is holy, that is good. It inversely means that all that is done in Jesus and with Jesus is holy and good. Jesus does not only take away sins committed, he also takes us away from committing sin. He is our Saviour!

Do you remember the words of that old hymn:

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain:

Are you washed in the blood,

In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Saviour’s side?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,

And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,

And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;

There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,

Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

The gospel according to Matthew!

Mark 2:13-17

13 [Jesus] went out again along the seashore; and all the multitude kept gathering about Him, and He kept teaching them. 14 And as He was passing by, He saw Levi (Matthew) son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, Follow Me! [Be joined to Me as a disciple, side with My party!] And he arose and joined Him as His disciple and sided with His party and accompanied Him. 15 And as Jesus, together with His disciples, sat at table in his [Levi’s] house, many tax collectors and persons [ definitely stained] with sin were dining with Him, for there were many who walked the same road (followed) with Him. 16 And the scribes [belonging to the party] of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with [those definitely known to be especially wicked] sinners and tax collectors, said to His disciples, Why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and [notorious]   sinners? 17 And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are strong and well have no need of  a physician, but those who are weak and sick; I came not to call the righteous ones to repentance, but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin).

Food for thought!

In order to understand Jesus' way of doing things, let us look at the kind of man Levi was. He was a tax collector.  In Jesus's time, the Jews were under occupation of the Romans. The Romans collected taxes on everything and on every activity of the Jews, including the fish that were caught on the Sea of Galilee.  As a tax collector, Levi worked for the occupying authority, the Roman government. 

The Romans had come up with a tax quota system for each province in the empire. They allowed their nobles to bid on the contracts for collecting the taxes in each area. These nobles usually hired locals to collect the taxes. As long as they met their quota, the Roman government didn’t care how much more they collected. As a result, the tax collectors became very rich, (like Zacchaeus, Luke 19:2), as they overcharged the people, paid the Roman government and kept the difference for themselves.  

Because of the system, all tax collectors like Levi were notoriously dishonest, and as a result he was among the most hated people in Israel. He was viewed as public sinner, isolated in the community. He would not have been allowed to go to the Temple or the synagogues. He was a social outcast, who could only socialize with other tax collectors and sinners. This is the reason why at dinner he invited others like him, "when Jesus, together with His disciples, sat at table in his [Levi’s] house, many tax collectors and persons with sin were dining with Him, for there were many who walked the same road with Him."

This is the kind of man Jesus saw and called to be his associate. Did you notice that it was as he walked along the lakeside that he called Levi (Matthew)? Even as he was walking along, Jesus was looking for opportunities and partners. Jesus was never off duty; he was always on the look out, always looking for opportunities, because opportunities are everywhere and in everybody. Train yourself to be on constant look out for opportunities.

Of all the people Jesus called to follow him Matthew gave up the most. He literally left all to follow Jesus. Peter and Andrew, James and John could go back to the boats, for they were fishermen. There were always fish to catch and always the old trade to which to return; but Matthew burned his bridges completely. With one action, in one moment of time, by one swift decision he had put himself out of his job forever, for having left his tax-collector's job, he would never get it back. For many people, his decision was the most reckless thing anybody could do.  

A certain famous man had the habit of going for long country walks on the river. When he came to a brook that was rather too narrow to cross comfortably, the first thing he did was to throw his coat over to the other side. He made sure that there was to be no turning back. He took the decision to cross and made sure he was going to stick to it. Matthew was the man who staked everything on Christ's word, "Follow me"; and he was not wrong. When and if Jesus says to you "come", leave whatever you're doing and go to where he tells you. He knows best.

From his decision Matthew got at least two things. (a) He lost one job but he got a far bigger one. It has been said that Matthew left everything but one thing--he did not leave his pen, for the first gospel was written by Matthew. With his orderly mind, his systematic way of working, his familiarity with the pen, Matthew was, the first man to give the world a book on the teaching of Jesus. 

(b) The odd thing is that Matthew's "reckless" decision brought him the one thing he had been looking for -- be of use not just to a few but to as many people as the whole world. Today, all who own a Bible own the gospel according to Matthew. Had Matthew refused the challenge he would have had a local coverage. But because he answered the call he gained a world-wide coverage as the man who gave to men the record of the words of Jesus. We need today daring people like Matthew.

Like Matthew, sometimes the Lord challenges us to leave our comfort zone, our old jobs, our old mentality, our old beliefs, our old friends to move on to territories known only to him. We do well to remember Mary's advice to the servants, (Jn 2:5) "Whatever He says to you, do it."

Dare to do the difficult thing!

Mark 2:1-12

1 AND JESUS having returned to Capernaum, after some days it was rumored about that He was in the house [probably Peter’s]. 2 And so many people gathered together there that there was no longer room [for them], not even around the door; and He was discussing the Word.3 Then they came, bringing a paralytic to Him, who had been picked up and was being carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get him to a place in front of Jesus because of the throng, they dug through the roof above Him; and when they had scooped out an opening, they let down the [ thickly padded] quilt or mat upon which the paralyzed man lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith [their confidence in God through Him], He said to the paralyzed man, Son, your sins are forgiven [you] and put away [that is, the penalty is remitted, the sense of guilt removed, and you are made upright and in right standing with God]. 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, holding a dialogue with themselves as they questioned in their hearts, 7 Why does this Man talk like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins [ remove guilt, remit the penalty, and bestow righteousness instead] except God alone? 8 And at once Jesus, becoming fully aware in His spirit that they thus debated within themselves, said to them, Why do you argue (debate, reason) about all this in your hearts? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven and put away, or to say, Rise, take up your sleeping pad or mat, and start walking about [and keep on walking]? 10 But that you may know positively and beyond a doubt that the Son of Man has right and authority and power on earth to forgive sins—He said to the paralyzed man, 11 I say to you, arise, pick up and carry your sleeping pad or mat, and be going on home. 12 And he arose at once and picked up the sleeping pad or mat and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and recognized and praised and thanked God, saying, We have never seen anything like this before!

Food for thought!

Four men wanted to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus, but couldn’t get him there because of the crowds that blocked the door into the house where Jesus was teaching. You already see how egoistic sometimes we get! Imagine: here's is a sick man on a stretcher wanting to get to the divine healer and be healed, and no one lets him do it. It is like the people are saying, we don't mind about you and your sickness as long as we are OK and listening to what Jesus is saying; don't disturb us with your problems. I am imagining the sick man pleading with the people to have mercy on his situation ...!

The sick man was lucky, he had friends (a friend in need is a friend indeed). His friends having gotten fed up with the people's attitude, must have said to their friend, "don't mind them, these people are also sick, may be sicker than you; they may be physically ok, spiritually they are not; they too need Jesus." So the four men took their friend where there was nobody, onto the roof of the house, broke up the roof and lowered their friend down to Jesus through the hole in the roof.

These four men who brought their friend to Jesus were willing to do whatever it took to get their friend to the Lord. They dared to do what was difficult. Whenever you are faced with a choice between doing two things, always choose the most difficult and the most unlikely. That's where the blessing is lying disguised. It was not easy to carry that grown up man up on the roof. It was a difficult task. The gospel says, "And when they could not get him to a place in front of Jesus because of the throng, they dug through the roof above Him."

The people dared to do the unusual. They were willing to think outside the box! They were innovative! For them, it was not business as usual, it took ingenuity to think of breaking up the rules. Yes, sometimes we must do the extraordinary in order to get the ordinary; we must break the rules and go against everyone's expectations. In the eyes of the people, the four men were breaking the rules and going against the normal thing, against the "good" thing. For Jesus, however, these four men were something else, they were heroes. What Jesus saw in these men was not folly but faith.

If you think you are lacking these men's faith and courage, if you believe that you need a turn around in your life, if you feel some people or someone is stopping you from getting to Jesus, is stopping you from achieving your dream, if you feel you are like that sick man in need of genuine friends to carry you forward to Jesus and to healing and to forgiveness and to holiness and wholeness ... I pray that you learn to dare.

"Jack of all trades, master of none!"

Mark 1:29-39

29 Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew's house, accompanied by James and John. 30 Simon's mother- in- law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. 31 He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them.

32 That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil- afflicted people to him, 33 the whole city lined up at his door! 34 He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn't let them say a word.

35 While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. 36 Simon and those with him went looking for him. 37 They found him and said, "Everybody's looking for you." 38 Jesus said, "Let's go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I've come." 39 He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons.

Food for thought!

Do you notice Jesus' day and life? And do you see any similarity with yours? Jesus began his day in the synagogue. Synagogues were places of listening to the Word of God; sacrifices were done only at Jerusalem. So Jesus started his day at the Lord's feet, listening to the Word of God.

From listening to the word of God, Jesus went to work. In other words, the word of God should prepare us for our work. FROM WORD OF GOD TO WORK OF GOD. God's word prepares us to go to God's work. Each one of us has or should have some work to do. And all our work, all that we do, our job, is ultimately God's work. We're all serving the Lord. There's no work that is too small to qualify as work of God. That's why we must always do well whatever we do; we're serving God when we serve God's people.

Work, work, and work is no good work! The gospel says " While it was still night, way before dawn, Jesus got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed." Jesus began the day with the word of God, then went to the work of God, now he finishes the day with God. I hope you understand the difference between the work of God and the God of work. We cannot let the work of God make us forget the God of our work; we cannot work 24/7. It is not good for our bodies and souls.

As Jesus was praying, people were meanwhile looking for him; they still needed his services; they wanted more of him. "Everybody's looking for you." They said. To everyone's surprise, including ourselves, Jesus didn't heed to the people's plea. He instead said, "Let's go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I've come."

Jesus is telling us that his trade is to preach. What is yours?

"Jack of all trades, master of none!"

Does Jesus interfere with your life?

Mark 1:21-28

21 Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. 23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, 24 "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" 25 Jesus cut him short. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," he ordered. 26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. 27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. "What sort of new teaching is this?" they asked excitedly. "It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!" 28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.

Food for thought!

Everybody's words are powerful. But Jesus' words are not just powerful; they are power. When Jesus spoke in the synagogue, the gospel says, "The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority-- quite unlike the teachers of religion."

Jesus taught like nobody else. He was unique. No one to compare with. He was himself the authority. He was not quoting anybody else because he was God speaking. Jesus could teach and touch everybody, including the devil. The gospel says that as Jesus was talking "Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, 'Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One sent from God!'"

What was a devil doing in a holy place like a synagogue, and among worshippers? Why would a devil be there? Why were the worshippers ok with a devil among them? What does this teach us? That sometimes we go to church full of hidden problems; in our churches we sit besides people with serious problems of every kind, financial, social, professional, family, spiritual. Yes, many times we have problems unknown to others, just as this man was among those worshippers! Quite but suffering alone.

That is the bad news. The good news is that where Jesus shows up, everybody shows up in their true colours; we cannot hide before Jesus. The gospel says that as Jesus was teaching, the devilish man denounced himself: "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One sent from God!"

Until Jesus comes into our lives, our homes, our offices, our churches, our families, we can never say we are ok. The Bible says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Heb 4:13).

This fact is not meant to frighten us. Because the following text to this one says very encouraging words: "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."