Read: Luke 11:14-23 “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: ‘Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.’” Luke 11:17 (NIV) T he only thing that can keep Satan out is to keep Christ in!! There is a story about Christian converts in Southern Asia who were once Buddhist. Before they were converted, there had never been a murder in the village, never any thefts or fights. But after conversion, the people began to act ‘evil’, and crime started to happen. Years after the missionary who converted them had left, he ran into one of the people from the village. The person told him about all that had happened in the village. The missionary expected that the former Buddhist was going to blame Christianity for all their problems.
Instead, he said that it was all proof that God was working in their lives and the truth of Jesus Christ. For as long as Satan is served, he keeps his peace. In healing the demon that was mute in the man, Jesus was charged with being a demon himself by some witnesses, but Jesus stated that it makes no sense for a demon to cast out a demon. Someone who is working for God is filled with God. The devil’s weapons cannot be used against God. There is no middle ground, for Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:23) In our world today, one of the greatest lies is that of neutrality or indifference.
This indifference does not realise the evil of evil, or the good of good! Casting out the evil is not good enough Jesus says, one must be filled with God and all that is good. The devil will fight back, but the reality is that Christ is so much stronger, and that Jesus won the victory over the devil once and for all on the cross. At our baptisms we were named and claimed by Jesus, and nothing can take us out of His hands. Our place is with God, and we have a place reserved for us in Heaven. But now, we live in His grace and presence on Earth. Keep your life filled with Christ!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for filling my life with you and every good thing. My life has been claimed by you so let my focus be always on you, for there is no middle ground. Amen.
Read: Luke 7:11-17 “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and said, ‘Don’t cry.’” Luke 7:13 (NIV) A mother’s and father’s hearts have to be strong when dealing with little ones who get hurt, otherwise their hearts would break. I recently read the saddest and shortest story ever. It was by Ernest Hemingway: For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. Just reading this causes my heart to break on behalf of these poor parents. I am sure we have all experienced times of heartbreak, heartache and when it seems that we have no more tears to cry.
Yet, we know that there is a loving God who has experienced losing a child in the most horrific way. I wonder if God cried when Jesus died! Jesus has the heart of God: loving, caring, compassionate and wanting all to come home to Him. When He was on earth, He tried to show His love of people and demonstrate that He understood their hurts and concerns. Jesus was walking around, teaching, preaching and healing when He came across a funeral procession. A widow’s only son had died. She had already lost her husband and now her son and she was destitute and without anyone to care for her. She was heartbroken and obviously filled with extreme grief. Jesus’ heart went out to her and just touching the bier (the platform holding the coffin), He told the young man to get up.
The widow’s son was now no longer dead and so he got up and started talking – makes me wonder what he said to everyone around him! With joy, Jesus gave the young man back to his mother. There were no more tears of sadness, rather tears of joy. The people praised God for His care for all His people. When we have our sorrows, bring them to one who understands and knows what it is to lose someone. Someone who knows your grief and heartache. Our God is a God of compassion and love! “God has come to help his people.” (Luke 7:16b)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you know grief. You know what it is to have a child hurt and killed. Help me to bring my tears and grief to you, knowing you hear, understand and hold me in your loving arms. Amen.
Read: Luke 5:1-11 “Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’” Luke 5:5 (NIV) There is something about fishing that you either really enjoy, or you don’t. There is not much of a middle ground. To catch a fish requires patience, quietness and perseverance. If you don’t have these qualities, maybe fishing is not your thing to do. When I was a little girl and we went for holidays to Marion Bay on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia we always brought our fishing reels. It was September, so rather chilly, but on most days, you would f ind at least one or more of the Gerhardys trying their best to catch a fish or squid. I enjoyed the fishing. It was peaceful, quiet and you could do nothing else but sit there with your thoughts and hopefully a fish or two. To be a professional fisherman would require a huge amount of patience and perseverance.
It seems that these disciples-to-be had a lot of both of these qualities. But after a whole night of fishing and nothing to show for it, they were done. They were obviously men who listened and learned for they knew that Jesus was preaching and teaching important things to all the people and that He spoke with authority, for Simon called Jesus, ‘Master’. I think I would have done a bit more arguing when Jesus told them all to go out again, but because Jesus said so – they went! What a miracle to then have their nets filled to the brim with fish, and overflowing. What does surprise me is Simon’s response, ‘Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!’ Instead of joy, Simon was afraid and fearful for he felt he was sinful and unworthy when in the presence of one who can command nature. But Jesus assured Simon not to be afraid for he will now help Him in the Kingdom work for God. Note the fishermen’s next move – they immediately left everything and followed Jesus. Listen and be obedient to God’s leading and guiding!
Prayer: My loving Saviour, thank you for guiding, teaching and leading me with patience. Help me to be obedient to your calling and to listen for where you are leading me. Amen.
Read Matthew 15:29–39
Previously in this chapter, there was an intense teaching and training time for the disciples, first regarding what makes a person ‘unclean’, and then the testing involved with the Canaanite woman. Now Jesus is back near the Sea of Galilee, walking in a remote mountainous area, with crowds of people tagging along – for three days already. There are no shops nearby. And many people have been healed.
Jesus calls his disciples and tells them of his concern for the people having nothing to eat. If you were walking in their sandals, what might you be thinking? Like them, wouldn’t we be looking at the limitations of the circumstances also, rather than asking, ‘Well, Lord, how do we do that?’
The feeding of the 5,000 is recorded in all four gospels, but the feeding of the 4,000 is only in Matthew and Mark. Some think they refer to the same happening, yet there are differences, such as their settings and the amount of leftovers. Also, there would have been plenty of remote places in Galilee and surrounding areas. Many people were following, spiritually hungry and, in this setting, physically hungry after three days.
In Matthew 14:15–18, as evening approached, the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away to buy themselves some food from the villages. But Jesus says, ‘They don’t have to go. You feed them’. ‘We only have …’ ‘Bring what you have here to me.’ In both settings (including today’s reading), the miracle happens from the hands of Jesus through the hands of the disciples to the people. They all ate and were satisfied.
In both settings, the disciples saw what can happen in human situations of limitation. We may have been in circumstances of a tight budget. Many of us have. But that is the very place where we recognise the Lord’s provision, especially if we are willing to ask him.
Father, forgive our fear of our limitations. By your Holy Spirit, grow in us the courage to trust you in any situation of limitation so that it becomes an opportunity to recognise you at work. Thank you – in Jesus’ name!
Ruth lives in Adelaide with Steen, her husband of more than 50 years. Her autoimmune disorder is now under control, although kidney dialysis is currently a requirement three times a week. That swallows much time, yet the Lord is with her in the challenges. He is always faithful!
Read: Mark 8:22-26 “He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” Mark 8:24-25 (NIV) There is an actual ‘walking palm tree’ (Socratea exorrhiza) so named because of its long roots which raises the trunk off the ground. It is said to be able to haul itself out of the shade into sunnier spots by growing more roots on one side and losing them on the other. In 2015, a Russian biologist claimed that one of these trees had moved up to 20m in two years. The fact that the man in the above scripture said ‘walking trees’ points to his blindness and not knowing what things look like in real life.
The miracle of Jesus healing the blind man from Bethsaida, is one miracle that was performed in stages, it wasn’t an immediate healing. After Jesus’ first touch of the man, he could only partially see. It was only after the second touch that the man was able to see everything clearly. No one really knows why Jesus took this man aside with only a couple disciples and spat on his eyes. In other healings Jesus just touches with his hands. There was obviously something about this man that made Jesus act differently, or maybe it was to be a real teaching time for His disciples.
Jesus treats us all differently. He knows what is best for each of us and in the timing that He chooses. Healing can happen immediately, or it can be a process where things are fuzzy, and we are not seeing anything quite clearly. Can Jesus heal? Absolutely! Do we know how, when or where? No – Jesus has His own reasons and time for each of us. What we can be certain of is the love and grace of Jesus in the compassion He shows to all His children. God sent His Son to earth to show the whole of the world how much He loved and cared for all creation. Come to Jesus daily with your concerns and leave it to His timing. Allow Jesus to touch your life!
Prayer: Dear Lord God, thank you for your love that you give me each day. Help me to leave my life and its concerns in your hands, for you know what is best for my life. Amen.
Read: Mark 8:1-10 “Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.’” Mark 8:1b-3 (NIV) Sympathy looks in and says, “I’m sorry.”
Compassion goes in and says, “I’m with you.” Sympathy looks in and says, “I would like to help.” Compassion goes in and says, “I am here to help.” Sympathy says, “I wish I could carry your burden.” Compassion says, “Cast your burden on me.” Sympathy often irritates many words. Compassion helps and hears in quietness and understanding. ~ Author Unknown Jesus had shown His compassion when feeding the five thousand men earlier in Mark 6. Now, more people had gathered to hear Jesus preach in a remote place and from what is written they were there three days listening without food.
Jesus’ words were the food and water to sustain their souls. But now they needed to return home and Jesus thought of their physical needs. Again, He asked His disciples to feed them and again they found bread and fish. After Jesus gave thanks for what God had provided, the food was distributed to the four thousand people and seven basketfuls were left over. A sign of God’s abundance and love! Compassion is a character trait that is present in everyone. However, it is also a trait that sometimes gets forgotten. It is both innate and can be learned and enhanced. It is something you can develop with practice, and it involves two things: intention and action. The intention is simply opening your heart to others; the action is what you do about it. Mother Teresa reminds us, “We cannot always do great things on this earth. We can only do small things with great love.”
Prayer: My loving Father God, you had such compassion on the people who were searching for your love. Have compassion on me and show me love, grace and mercy as I follow you. Amen.
Read: Mark 7:31-37 “[Jesus] looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means ‘Be opened!’) At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” Mark 7:34-35 (NIV) The poor man who was brought to Jesus lived a very lonely existence. He could not hear a sound, but neither could he communicate with speech except for a grunt or two. To live like this would to be in a cocoon – no hearing or speech! It doesn’t tell us how he communicated with others as there was no official sign language nor whether he was literate and could read or write. He would have depended on the other senses: touch, sight and smell, but even so it would be as if living in an isolation chamber of absolute silence.
Think then of the extreme joy of this man, through the love of his friends who brought him to Jesus and was healed. He probably had no idea where he had been taken nor anything about this man Jesus. But with the touch of Jesus he could hear and speak, his life was truly reborn. He was set free to enter the world of sound and free to hear the voice of his Saviour. He was also free to tell others about Jesus and to also praise Him. It all happened when Jesus uttered the one word: “Ephphatha” (pronounced ‘aff-ar-tha’). It is an Aramaic word which translates to – “Be opened!” With this ‘deep sigh’ from Jesus the man’s life went beyond physical healing; it was an opening up towards a true healing of the soul. This is such a beautiful story of being set free from what bound this man.
To apply it to us, we also are in bondage to the constraints and social norms in our world. Jesus set us free through His death and resurrection to have a true healing of our souls. The freedom Jesus offers is an emancipation from all that keeps us from sharing and being who God wants us to be; living how God wants us to live and knowing that in Jesus we are freed and forgiven from all our wrong doings. ‘Ephphatha’ – be opened to hear and see and feel God’s mercy and love.
Prayer: Merciful God and our loving Saviour Jesus Christ, you have opened my heart and life to all the possibilities you have in store for me. Help me to know that in you I have true freedom. Amen.
Read: Mark 6:30-44 “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.” Mark 6:42-43 (NIV) How many of us when preparing a meal for family and friends work out exactly how much each person will eat, to have just enough food for everyone. Leftovers are a sign of abundance. The food from Jesus is always in abundance. Jesus was tired, his cousin John the Baptist had just been beheaded, and he was peopled out. He needed a quiet place to go with His close friends where no one could find Him. The wilderness on a boat could be considered a good place to be alone. But the people were needy and needed Jesus to heal and teach them, for they were hungry for the truth. I know that when someone is hungry in my house, I feed them and provide enough and more to satisfy them. Jesus saw how these people hungered for knowing about the Kingdom of God. Even though He was tired,
He fed them with His words. But then they became physically hungry. What to do? No shops around nor any farms to go gather food, just a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish. Definitely not enough for five thousand men and just as many women and children. But, with God nothing is impossible. The food is blessed, and all eat to their fill and still there is more left over. God is an abundantly generous God. God’s generosity is never just enough. And God doesn’t give leftovers. Our loving Father gave His best – His one and only Son – this is the nature of our God… He always gives His best.
All the multitude had eaten their fill, and our God of abundance didn’t stop there for He multiplied the loaves and fishes to the point that there were also twelve baskets left over! God is not a God of leftovers, but when He provides for His children, there is always enough left over! When God says He will provide for all your needs, just wait for the abundance and more. He loves you so much. God will provide all you need in abundance!
Prayer: Dear God, you provide me with all I need from day to day and more. Help me to be thankful for your generosity and abundance and be willing to also share with those around me. Amen.
Read: Mark 5:24b-34 “[Jesus] said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’” Mark 5:34 (NIV) For the last 17 years our family has had a pet turtle, Frank. He is the pet of our son who got him when he was eight years old. At the time we didn’t look at the lifespan of a turtle. Anyway, we let Frank out of his turtle tank to wander the house every so often. Usually, he just sits for a while to get his bearings and then takes off on an expedition. If he is not watched and his whereabouts assessed, Frank, in the freedom of the huge house, gets lost (to us). One time I remember we searched and searched to find him before discovering him under a computer table amongst the cords in a pile of fluff.
Freedom can be a scary thing. Children when they are given freedom in a playground, run and run, but you do notice them looking back making sure that there is a secure adult still there watching and caring. In Mark 5 we read a story about a woman in bondage to her illness. She had been suffering from bleeding for twelve years and had tried most things but was not getting better. In Jesus’ time, when a woman was bleeding, she was considered unclean and not permitted out the house or to go to worship in the synagogue, or to touch another person. She was considered contaminated and treated as worthless and unclean. This woman had heard about Jesus and ventured out, probably trying to hide herself among the crowd, or they might turn on her.
Her thought was to just touch Jesus’ clothes, and she would be healed, and this is exactly what happened. There were people all around Jesus, jostling and bumping Him, why would Jesus mention just one person who touched Him? There was a difference between her and all the others around Him. Jesus acknowledged this woman’s need and faith with His blessing of healing. She believed Jesus had the power to heal and it was her faith that healed her. Knowing and believing in Jesus freed this woman from what kept her in bondage. Faith in Jesus brings freedom!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to you having the faith that you can heal me in body and soul. Touch my life to free me from all the stresses and issues that plague me. Only in you is true freedom. Amen.