HE RAN AND HE RAN
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Text: Mark 5:6 “But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him”.
Luke 15:20 “But when he was a yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion and he ran and embraced him, and kissed him”.
INTRODUCTION
These two texts taken from different parts of the Bible have a similar message. The man runs to Jesus from afar, and the father runs to his prodigal son from afar. A needle will move toward magnet when
once the magnet moves towards it. It is ours to run to Jesus if all the running was ours, but the real truth is that the Lord runs to us. These verses illustrate the difference between our action toward the Lord and the Lord’s action toward us, but let us note first.
I. That the sinners place is afar off
A. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians addresses them as those who were once afar off, without Christ, without a place among God’s people, without a share in the covenants of promise, without hope
and without God in the world. Afar off because like sheep they had gone astray and each had turned to his own way. When Peter denied Jesus it might have been the result of his following afar off. Backsliders and sinners are indeed afar off. God says Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”, saith the Lord. What a vast difference in character between the demoniac and Jesus. What a great difference between the prodigal son and his loving Father. What a difference between man and God in every way.
B. Sinners are by nature afar off
The Bible tells us that by nature we are “children of wrath and disobedient. Solomon tells us that we have followed the way that seems to be right but it wasn’t right and it let us further away from God. When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, and heard the Angels singing Holy, Holy, Holy, he recognized the gulf between his
sinful self and a holy god, and cried out, “I am a man of unclean lips. After the miraculous catch of fish Peter fell down before the Lord saying, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord” (Luke 5:8).
The sense of God’s presence makes one feel is unworthiness and sinfulness. If we could have a vision of God’s holiness and righteousness and then looking at ourselves we would agree with
God’s word, that our self righteousness best is as filthy rags in God’s sight, and will never excuse us from the wrath against sin and against us if we are sinners, and the Bible says all are sinners.
C. At best “the heart of the natural man is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?”
According to Mark 15, “it is the abode of evil”. Matthew 15:19, Matthew says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,adulteries, fornication’s, thefts, false witnessing, blasphemies. These are the things which defile.” Solomon said, “it is fully set to do evil” and yet the moralists try to convince us that the natural heart can be reformed.
Paul tells to put off the old man, the old manner of life which is characterized by lying, anger, stealing, evil speaking, bitterness, wrath and giving place to Satan in other ways. He urges us to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. The heart needs replacing instead of renewing. God promises us to remove the stony heart with one of flesh. “He will not depise a broken and contrite heart.” God places a wider gulf so much that it is hard to tell a christian from a non-christian. Christianity so called and worldliness so called are close together despite the devine injunction for a clear cut separation from the world.
II. The sinner’s place is afar off as to knowledge of God’s love and mercy.
A. Paul in Ephesians 4:17-18 speaks of unbelievers having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God,
through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart and have given themselves over to sin”.They have made a wrong choice. Their way is down and not up. The demoniac knew Jesus by name but knew little of the tenderness of his heart and of his ability to save them from the uttermost to the uttermost all who come to God by him. The prodigal knew little of his father’s heart of tenderness, love and mercy. The way out of the mire was filled with dread of rejection. Had we have known the real character, God His father he wouldn’t have waited so long to return. Jesus tells us that all Heaven rejoices when a sinner repents and comes home to the father’s house and heart. The sinner’s hesitance is returning is that he cannot believe that God will welcome him. Such an attitude causes him to be.
B. Afar off as to hope. The demon possessed man had little hope of recovery, and the demons tried to rob him of that little, but Jesus saw his need and helplessness and cast the demons out of him breaking their control. The prodigal said, “I am no more worthily to be called thy son”. Yet the father forgave him and restored him to sonship. Sin separates sinners from God. Despite all wishful thinking, your Golden Rule philosophy of life. Your cherished good works you will never bridge the gulf between you and God, you will remain afar off if you reach God, you must reach him through his only begotten son. There is no other way. But Thank God it is our priviledge this morning.
III. To Look To Jesus
The sinners wisest course is to trust in the one who saves from sin. “Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners thus bridgeing the gap between themselves and God. Regardless of our sinful condition He can cast the demons, break the hold Satan has upon us and cause us to be clothe in His righteousness, and is our right minds. He permits
is to draw near to worship Him, and invites us to become His disciples. Let us come back to the Father’s house. God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. In God there is certainly of forgiveness for all repentant sinners. God knows when we turn to Him and comes to meet us.
When the prodigal was a great way off, his father saw him and ran to meet him. When either God or man is strongly moved the pace is running. God in compassion runs to meet returning prodigals. Here
was great love in action, great tenderness, great compassion, great mercy, and great welcome. The running made an end to the prodigal fears of rejection and brought to him a swift realization of joyful acceptance.
A father mourned over a wayward son whose misconduct had brought shame upon the family. The boy left in disgrace and for years was lost to the family. Then a neighbor planned to make a trip around the world. The sorrowing father went to the neighbor and said, “If you should happen to meet my boy tell him that I love him still”. The
traveler looked for him in every port he visited, and one day found him and delivered the father’s message, The son’s heart was touched that his father still loved him no matter what. That message broke the grip of Satan and the boy came back home.
CONCLUSION
As God’s representative I too have a message to deliver. It is, “Return, your Heavenly Father loves you no matter what and wants you to come home.” Run to the Savior and He will run to you. His promises is still valid. “Him that cameth unto me I will in no wise cast out”. Come now!
