TEXT: Mar 1:41-42 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
• Prayer:
• Purpose, mission. Why are you here? Why did Jesus come?
Mar 1:28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
• Jesus had cast a demon out of a man on the Sabbath day.
• Please notice that when people realized that Jesus ruled in the spirit world, he became very popular.
• People love to sense the power over the mysterious, spiritual.
• But notice Jesus’ actions.
Mar 1:29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
• Instead of feeding off the momentum, Jesus moves from the public to the obscure.
• He leaves the admiring crowds to the house of one of his disciples.
• We need to learn something: Jesus’ kingdom work does not march at the expectations of the crowd.
• That is because God does things, not in the way most people expect, but in His own ways.
• Isa 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Mar 1:30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.
• In these small houses, often slept in the same room as ate.
• However, when possible, houses had a sick room.
• Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in the sick room.
• They told Jesus about her.
Mar 1:31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
• Mark quickly moves through the story without some details.
• What was said, emotional reactions, appreciation and thanksgiving.
• What was Peter’s mother-in-laws reaction? She began to serve others.
• Pastor Tim, my Christian life is not complete. Have you began to serve?
• As long as we are satisfied with our ticket to heaven and short on appreciation for what Christ has done for us, attendance and personal lives will be enough.
• When we fully grasp what Christ has purchased for us with His horrible death, burial and resurrection, we will want to serve Him and others
Mar 1:32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.
Mar 1:33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
Mar 1:34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
• This is a sad passage if we slow down and look at it.
• It is awesome that Jesus was moved with compassion to heal these diseased, tormented people.
• What is sad is that they waited until sundown.
• Remember, they had their Sabbath service interrupted by a demon that morning.
• They had the healer, Jesus Christ in town.
• Yet, they were so religious, the waited until sundown to bring their sick to Him.
• This will not be a sermon on the Sabbath.
• If you are confused at all about the Sabbath and Sunday, please let me know.
• Know this, however, from our passage.
• Religion will always have us elevate the things of God to a place of worship.
• Jesus taught us that the Sabbath was created for man, and here they elevated it to a point of worshipping the day.
• Their Sabbath ended at sundown. They were a religious, but dead, people.
• So are we when we distort the things created to that exalted place of the creator.
• Religion kills and prolongs suffering. Jesus gives life abundantly.
Mar 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (there are a few sermons here).
Mar 1:36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him,
Mar 1:37 and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you."
Mar 1:38 And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came."
• Here again we see that the plan of God doesn’t make sense to our logical minds.
• If one was seeking only to rise in power, he would have stayed at this place.
• He had momentum going.
• But Jesus just met with God and focuses on His deeper purpose.
• He said, it’s time to move on.
Mar 1:39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Mar 1:40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean."
Mar 1:41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean."
Mar 1:42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Mar 1:43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once,
Mar 1:44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them."
Mar 1:45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
• Again, Jesus goes to preach in Galilee.
• There, he cast out demons and healed the people.
• Here, a man with what was considered an incurable disease comes to him, kneeling.
• This man does not ask a question, but expresses simple faith.
• “If you want to, you can heal me.”
• Jesus is said to be moved with pity and answers, I will, be clean.
• The man with leprosy was healed, immediately.
• Jesus told him, “Now you don’t tell people about this, but go to the priest to be proclaimed clean and reclaim your family life.”
• But full of the great news, this man could not be silent.
• The news spread and Jesus’ fame grew to where the small towns could not handle the crowds.
• Jesus ministry had to stay in the remote areas because of the large crowds coming from all across the region.
• I want is to look at three things that must direct our service in the Eula community as a Church.
• There are questions here that must be asked, that if we do not look closely at the passage, will go unanswered and we will miss the blessing.
• It involves the healing ministry of Jesus.
I. The Compassion of His Ministry
• Jesus had gone to preach, but the number of people who were sick and oppressed was overwhelming.
• Jesus was moved with compassion.
• Even at Peter’s house, He was filled with compassion and healed Peter’s mother-in-law.
• How could someone with Jesus’ heart look at all the hurting people and not offer relief?
• I believe verse 41, not typical for Mark to record, showed Jesus heart.
• Three words, “Moved with pity”. The greek means the compassion that turns the inside out.
• Jesus was broken hearted by the suffering of the people.
• Our ministry must look on people with compassion and love.
• But the heart of his ministry was redemption.
II. The Catalyst of His Ministry
• We can see the theme over and over.
• Jesus said, “I need to teach….I need to preach….”
• But everywhere Jesus went, it turned into a healing service.
• Why did Jesus move on?
• Note the emphasis on teaching and preaching in the text.
• Mar 1:38 And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came."
• After spending the early morning hours in prayer, Jesus is moved to His primary purpose, to bring the message of God to a lost and dying people.
• Our purpose as a Church is not to end the suffering and hardship of people in this life.
• Our mission projects are not just to help the financially destitute and make someone’s journey easier.
• Our mission is to share the news that God wants people prepared for eternity.
• Our purpose is to preach Jesus and His salvation to those who would be lost without Him.
• Our efforts are eternal and rise far above the pain and suffering we see in this world.
• Jesus came and died to prepare Himself a people for Heaven, not to eleviate discomfort on earth.
• Luk 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
• But like Jesus, we must find the balance.
III. The Counterbalance of His Ministry.
• How can we see someone suffering and not have the compassion our Savior had?
• It is one thing to see suffering and size it up as an opportunity to share the gospel with someone.
• However, should we not be moved by the hurting of those around us?
• Can we not be moved by the suffering of others, knowing full well that Jesus was?
• Yes, it breaks our hearts to see people push away the Savior.
• It was our Savior who, as He looked at all the lost people of the city, said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!” Matt. 23:37.
• But it was also the Savior who looked at the leper and was deeply moved with compassion.
• It is important for us to be a compassionate people, but not lose focus from our mission.
• It is important for us to be moved to acts of compassion, but never forget the eternal soul of the sufferer.
• Jesus maintained that balance. We must also.
• Today, there are some who have lost their compassion for the hurting.
• This is not pleasing to Him who was moved by the hurting.
• Jesus has called us to be His compassionate people.
• There are some who are so focused on the physical and emotional needs of the hurting, you have lost your sight of our mission, to lead people to repentance and back to God.
• You may be here today, either looking for the purpose of your life or the purpose of your suffering.
• God may have spoken to you in yet another area through His Word and His Spirit.
