These 2 stories put side-by-side reveals one thing – Jesus cares. He cares enough to do something.
One of the most beautiful hymns in our hymnbook is "No One Ever Cared for Me like Jesus."
The first stanza goes:
I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus
Since I found in Him a friend so strong & true;
I would tell you how He changed my life completely -
He did something that no other friend could do.
No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin & darkness from me -
O how much He cared for me!
It’s the true testimony of the goodness of Jesus, once you’ve experienced it.
• When you come to know Him, you would have tasted it too.
• Will people know? Will our friends know?
EVERY ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE, therefore let us
(1) Seize every opportunity we have to COME to Jesus
(2) Develop a Faith that would never be discouraged by the difficult
Last month when we touched on Mark 1, we saw the crowd coming to Jesus because of the many miraculous healings He did.
• Peter says, “Everyone is looking for you!” (1:37). People follow Him wherever he goes.
But the next two healing accounts were quite different.
• The first one (1:40-45) was a leper and the second one, a paralyzed man.
• Both were restricted in some ways. They do not have the freedom of coming to Jesus like the rest.
THE LEPER
• He was regarded as an outcast by the society. There is no place for sick people like him.
• He was expected to stay within imaginary boundary lines, determined by the society.
• He does not have the remotest chance of seeing Jesus, UNLESS he was given one
And that was precisely what happened – by the grace of God
• Jesus steps into his territory. Jesus came along that way
• No wonder this man has to beg on his knees
• This was probably his only chance – the chance of a lifetime
THE PARALYZED MAN
• This second man was not bound by the society or was he confined within place.
• His was the bondage of a different kind – he cannot walk.
• He does not have the remotest chance of seeing Jesus, UNLESS someone helps him to Jesus.
And that was precisely what happened – by the grace of God
• He has friends who are willing to carry him.
• They were not deter by the circumstances – be it the crowd or the small house
• This was probably his only chance – the chance of a lifetime
(1) SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE TO COME TO JESUS
I was arranging Breakthrough Missions Sunday with Pr Simon Neo - July or Oct 5th week.
• Both dates were possible but he is more keen on July (wondering why) - then he said, "Good to take the earlier one, don’t take Oct. If Jesus returns in August, then we’ll miss another chance to do something for Him."
• Prov 16:9 - In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
• Luke 12:16ff - parable of rich man who build larger barns to store his crops - God says, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" (v.20)
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY - these 2 cases tells us:
Every ENCOUNTER with Jesus is a potentially LIFE-TRANSFORMING one.
You can be lifted from your pit, moved by His words, or touched by His power!
From the Gospels, we see that almost every encounter with Jesus was a life-transforming one for the seeker.
• We see that in the disciples’ lives - the way they were called into following Christ
• We see that when the sick, demon-possessed, the lepers and paralytics come to Him
• Later on we see a Samaritan woman, Nicodemus, Zaccheaus, the Centurion, and the list goes on.
I believe NO ONE who has truly met Jesus can come away from that encounter unchanged and untouched.
HOW ARE WE CHANGED - very often, by hearing His Word and touched by His Power
You see the power of His words?
• Look closely; it wasn’t His touch that heals. It couldn’t be because of other incidents we read:
• The healing of Centurion’s servant, He did not even see the sick person; a woman was healed by merely touching His garment
• The power that heals was in His words: "Be clean!" (1:41); "Son, your sins are forgiven." (2:5) - Both physical and spiritual healing happening at the same time!
We’ve seen again and again that God’s power resides in His Word. When God speaks, things happen.
• He speaks things into existence. “Let there be light.”
• He calls His disciples to follow Him.
• He orders evil spirits to get out.
• He commanded sickness to go. He calls, “Lazarus, come forth!”
Reminder: It really PAYS to pay more attention to His Word, right?
We must make time for such encounters - in worship, QT, prayer time...
AND BOTH EXPERIENCED THE HEALING POWER OF JESUS!
Bro/sis, there are many lepers and paralytics around today –
• People who are unable to come to Jesus, who will probably never have a chance to step into the church and hear Him.
• People who are in bondage – because of their circumstance, because of their own sinful nature
• Some things are obstructing them from coming to Jesus – obstacles that are set there by society, by the world, by Satan, or simply by physical illness or sin.
People need to ENCOUNTER Jesus and we need to provide the MEANS for them to make it.
• As in the case of the paralytic, God’s power flows because friends step in
• God’s grace flows when we are willing to carry the person to Jesus
• No matter what is obstructing our way, overcome them and bring them to Jesus
We need to think of ways to get them to Jesus
• in creative ways, overcoming obstacles, never give up attitude..
(2) DEVELOP A FAITH THAT IS NEVER DISCOURAGED BY THE DIFFICULT
THE LEPER
• Even though leprosy is an incurable disease, it did not stop this man from coming.
• In fact, his prayer went like this: “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” (1:40)
• Apparently the issue to him wasn’t Jesus’ ability but rather His willingness; it is His will to do so.
There had not been a cleansing of a leper since the time of the prophet Elisha - nearly 800 years before.
• Based on the OT, the only account was Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army. And he wasn’t even a Jew but a Gentile.
• So the clear understanding of the day is that leprosy had never been and can not be cured.
Yet this man wasn’t going to be discouraged by such a mindset. He is set to come to Jesus and ask.
THE PARALYTIC
The easy way out is to rationalise with your mind
• Maybe it’s not God’s will. We’ve carried him so far and now the crowd is there. There are no doors, no windows; no way to get in to Jesus.
• But instead of giving up, they set the mind to work and then their hands and feet to work – and start tearing off the roof.
Faith is never discouraged by the difficult.
• When you meet one barrier, you bounce off and find the next opening… and you keep on going.
• The important thing was to get the man to Jesus and faith would not be thwarted.
