FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOU—Mark 1:29-45
***A man in Kanpur, India holds the Guinness World record for the longest ear hair. He had set the previous record of 5.2 inches, but 5 years later, he more than doubled his record with a length of 11 inches. One of his relatives praised his accomplishment, saying, “This is a great achievement. At first society used to taunt him…that he won’t receive any record for this….but then by gods grace Bajpai made a record and the same people today say that he really achieved something in his life.” (c. 2010 United Press International)**
I don’t know about you, but I think I am on this earth for something greater than making an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records. What ARE we here for? How do we find our purpose in life, and how do we fulfill our purpose?
We might look for our purpose in our circumstances, our abilities, or the needs we see around us. We might also find purpose in fulfilling our dreams, our passions, or the expectations people place upon us. Yet today we ask…
WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE FOR US?
-GOD’S PURPOSE FOR ALL CHRISTIANS IS TO EMBODY THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
What is the kingdom of God? The short answer is that the kingdom of God is life under God’s rule as king.
There are hints of the kingdom of God in the Old Testament: When King David and his descendants ruled as God desired, the kingdom of Israel was, to a limited degree, as it was meant to be. Yet the kingdom of Israel never fulfilled God’s intentions, and the prophets envisioned a greater kingdom where everything would be made right. Isaiah 11:1-9 gives a vision of that kingdom: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse (David’s father); from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
When the line of OT kings was reduced to only a stump, Jesus was the shoot, the Branch—a descendant of Jesse and David—the ideal king. As the Messiah, he launched God’s kingdom of righteousness. In Mark 1:15, Jesus began his ministry by saying, “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Now Jesus is in Capernaum. It is a Sabbath, and Jesus and his disciples had gone into the synagogue. Jesus taught the congregation, and the people were amazed at the authority with which he spoke. There was a man in the synagogue with an impure spirit, and Jesus cast out the spirit. The people were even more amazed at his authority and power.
Read Mark 1:29-34.
Imagine how Peter’s wife is feeling, after hearing and seeing Jesus in the synagogue. Now Jesus is coming for dinner, and her mother, who was going to help serve the meal, is sick in bed with a fever.
Jesus goes to the mother, takes her hand, and helps her to her feet. The fever is gone, and she hurries to the kitchen to serve dinner. When she comes out of the kitchen, everyone is talking about what happened at the synagogue.
This is the best day ever! They hang out for the rest of the day, watching football. Well, maybe not—but imagine the warm, peaceful feeling, with the mother-in-law beaming, and Jesus bringing joy into the home. Jesus embodied the kingdom of God, just by being in the house.
At sundown the Sabbath is over, and people start coming to the door. They line up to see Jesus, hoping for miracles. There is a lady with cancer, a man with a bleeding ulcer, and several with intestinal parasites. There are several possessed by demons. (What are the symptoms? Are some crying out in rage, mutilating themselves, or out of touch with reality?) Every person gets Jesus’ full attention, hears his words of healing and peace, and is restored to health.
Imagine the emotion Peter feels, seeing all this. The line goes on into the night, and everyone is bone-tired, yet exhilarated. This must be what the kingdom of God is like! Jesus embodies the kingdom of God.
Can we embody the kingdom of God?
We are not Jesus! We don’t have the same personal authority and power, but we have the authority and power of Jesus.
We have the authority of Jesus when we share a message with the authority of Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The authority of Jesus comes to us through the Bible; the OT were his Scriptures, and the NT carries the authority he gave to his apostles.
We have the power of Jesus when we pray in his name. We display the kingdom of God as we reach out in compassion and speak words of healing to people who are troubled.
We embody the kingdom of God when we gather in our homes, in church, or small groups. We bring the kingdom of God into our work, our neighborhood, our community, for the Apostle Paul tells in Romans 14:17, “The kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
God’s purpose for all of us is to embody the kingdom of God. Yet the way in which we do that is not the same for everybody.
-GOD HAS A UNIQUE PURPOSE FOR EACH PERSON IN GOD’S KINGDOM.
Imagine the emotions Jesus felt during that amazing night. It might have been the first time he had healed so many people and cast out so many demons. It must have been exhilarating to have such power and do so much good. And all night long, Jesus was feeling the love, basking in awe and appreciation. He could do this for the rest of his life! If he simply followed his emotions, he would spend his years as a faith healer.
***An internet site has, “How to discover your life purpose in 20 minutes.” 1) Take out a blank sheet of paper. 2) Write at the top, “What is my true purpose in life?” 3) Write an answer (any answer) that pops into your head. It doesn’t have to be a complete sentence. A short phrase is fine. 4) Repeat step 3 until you write the answer that makes you cry. This is your purpose. **
I believe Jesus was tempted that night to find his purpose in his emotions and personal passions. Because he was tempted and trying to process all that was happening, he did something quite surprising:
Read Mark 1:35-38.
It had been a very late night, and Jesus must have been exhausted. Yet he rose before dawn to pray. Why? He had to talk to his Father about his unique purpose in life, and how to fulfill it.
Where does Jesus find his purpose and direction? His emotions steer him toward becoming a faith healer. His newfound disciples want to make him a superstar, saying, “Everyone is looking for you!” But Jesus has been talking with his Father, and he says, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. THAT IS WHY I HAVE COME.” His unique purpose comes from his Father.
How do we find our unique purpose in life? We are not the Messiah, like Jesus, and we have not heard from angels and visions what we are to be! How does God guide us?
Part of our purpose in life is to be faithful to our roles and commitments. If you have a family, your purpose in life includes being the best spouse, parent, or family member you can be. If you are in the workplace,
God’s purpose for you is to bring kingdom righteousness into business and relationships. If you make a commitment to serve God and people, that commitment helps to define your purpose in life.
Our gifts and abilities might guide us in finding our purpose; if you have leadership gifts, it is reasonable to assume that God wants you to use those gifts, whether at work or in the church. If you are good with people, you can assume that God intends for you to work with people in some way.
Our passions, even our emotions, should not be ignored either. If you love children, have a passion for the homeless, or love to make money, God can direct those passions toward a kingdom purpose.
We also discover our purpose by going into the world to explore how God is calling us. Even Jesus (who was only 30 years old) received more clarity about his purpose in life as he began to teach, heal, and exercise his power. As he reflected on what he had done, praying and listening to his Father, his purpose became even clearer.
Someone has said, “Not even God can steer a parked car.” God’s purpose for us becomes clearer as we step out in faith and commitment. Like steering a car, we receive feedback from our successes and failures, from other people, and from our own sense of satisfaction and joy. Then we talk to God about it, seeking his direction.
That is how Jesus did it! The Son of God, who had exercised his divine power and authority in a wonderful way the day before, got up before dawn to talk with his Father about the direction he should go to fulfill his purpose.
HOW CAN WE FULFILL OUR GOD-GIVEN PURPOSE?
Read Mark 1:38-45.
Jesus has talked to his Father in heaven, and he has decided his priority should be to broaden his ministry in Galilee, preach the kingdom of God and drive out the kingdom of evil.
But then a man with leprosy interrupts his plans. The man has a horrible disease, and he faces the prospect of keeping six feet away from people for the rest of his life. He is on his knees before Jesus, begging for help, and confident that Jesus can heal him and make him clean.
This does not fit into Jesus’ priorities for the day! In fact, if he heals this man, he will be dogged by crowds wherever he goes, and it will be more difficult for him to teach his disciples and share the message of the kingdom.
Jesus looks at the man, and he is “indignant.” Is he irritated at the hard choice he has to make, or angry that the man has to suffer so much? Either way, this is not as it should be; there should not be a desperate leper on his knees before Jesus, but there is.
The man says to Jesus, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus doesn’t hesitate: “I AM willing. Be clean!” Immediately, the man is healed. Jesus tells him to tell only the priests, so he can get a clean bill of health. He disobeys and tells everyone, and Jesus is no longer able to openly enter the towns of Galilee because of the crowds.
What happened to Jesus’ priorities? His first priority was to embody the kingdom of God, and he did that by healing the man. His unique priorities were to teach his disciples and spread the good news, and Jesus was focused on that when he warned the man to keep quiet about his healing. Jesus was not interested in fame or adulation from the crowds; he would gladly give that up to accomplish his purpose.
When the man did not cooperate, Jesus had to deal with the consequences. It made things harder, but not impossible. Although staying out of the towns of Galilee made his life more difficult, it also may have helped him teach his disciples in private.
It was not always easy for Jesus to live a purposeful life, and it is not easy for us either. Many activities and commitments compete for our time and attention, and we have to make choices.
Jesus shows us that “interruptions” are often “opportunities” to embody the kingdom of God. The person who interrupts your concentration at work, the relative who needs a phone call or a ride, the call for help from a Christian in need—not interruptions, but opportunities.
Yet we must not allow the demands of other people to override our unique, God-given purpose. People make demands on our time, and good causes ask for our time and money. Fun times and fulfilling activities beckon us. If we don’t say “No” to some of those things, we will not be able to say “Yes” to more important things: family time, significant ministry, time alone with God, God-given dreams for his kingdom.
If we do help people, we can set boundaries. We can limit our availability, define the limits of our commitments, refuse to be manipulated or used. Jesus set a boundary for the leper: “Don’t go out and tell everybody.” The man did not respect his boundaries, and Jesus dealt with that.
Living by priorities was not easy for Jesus, and it will not be easy for us. We need God’s help to make choices and stay on track.
After a late night, Jesus felt a need to get up, go away alone, and pray about his purpose and priorities. If Jesus needed to work through his purpose and priorities with his Father in heaven, how much more do we need to pray about these things and live out the priorities God has for us!
