Restricting the Power of God - Mark 6:1-6

 Jesus goes back to His hometown, Nazareth, and  begins to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The people of His hometown who heard him were both surprised and skeptical. They knew Him as the carpenter's son and knew His mother, brothers, and sisters and were offended by the authority He demonstrated in His teaching. Their attitude toward Him exemplifies the old saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt." Jesus explained the phenomenon as a prophet is without honor in His hometown. While His friends and neighbors in His hometown scorned His authority and leadership, Jesus was amazed by their unbelief: "And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief" (Mark 6:5-6). Matthew says that Jesus could not do mighty works in Nazareth because of the unbelief of His hometown friends and neighbors. Previously, we described how even a small act of faith can unleash the mighty power of God. Now we see the debilitating effects of unbelief. It seems that unbelief by those who should believe can have the unfortunate consequence of restricting the flow of God's grace to save, heal, and deliver people.

Unleashing the Power of God - Mark 5:21-34

While Jesus was on His way to to heal the young daughter of Jairus, one of the rulers of a synagogue in Galilee, a woman who had suffered for twelve years from a disease causing abnormal bleeding touched His garment and was immediately healed of her disease. Her healing is seemingly unintentional or inadvertent on the part of Jesus because He asked who it was that touched His garments even though the usual crowd of people was pressing against Him. The woman fearfully acknowledged that she was the one that touched Him and was healed. Jesus then said to her: "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease" (Mark 5:34). This suffering woman's actions demonstrate the power of faith that is focused on the person of Jesus and draped in humility. God's grace is so pervasive that even the simplest act of human faith is capable of discharging its mighty healing power.

The Storms That Build Our Faith - Mark 4:35-41

When all the world is raging about you and it seems that problems just keep piling on, though you know that you are God's child, do you get a sinking feeling and it seems that God has forgotten about you and your circumstances? That may be the way the disciples felt when they were traveling across the Sea of Galilee in a boat with Jesus and a great storm came up: "And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he (Jesus) was in the stern, asleep on the cushion" (Mark 4:37-38a). The disciples had to wake Jesus and then asked Him if he cared that they were perishing. When Jesus woke up He rebuked the storm saying "Peace, be still" and there was a great calm. Then He turned to the disciples and asked them why they were afraid and did they still have no faith. How many problems must you have before you know that you can trust your life and circumstances to God? For those who still have little or no faith, Jesus will rebuke the storms of life. For those with faith, He will sail with you through the storms of life and build even greater faith!

Kingdom Productivity - Mark 4:1-20

This passage is the parable of the sower. It is also repeated in Matthew 13:1-23 and Luke 8:4-15 and it presents an important principle to living in God's present and future Kingdom. The parable of the sower describes four categories of hearers of the message of the Kingdom of God--three categories are believers of different degrees and and one category is unbelievers. The first category is unbelievers who hear but do not understand the message (seed falls along the path and birds eat it). The first category of believers receive the message with joy but do not endure (seed sown on rocky ground). The second category of believers is unfruitful because the cares and desires of the world choke the message (seed sown among thorns). The third category of believers is fruitful and productive for the Kingdom (seed sown on good soil). These fruitful or productive believers believe in the reality of God's Kingdom and so it transforms their life so that they now live for the purpose of growing God's Kingdom: they hear the message, accept responsibility for it, and then tell the message to others--and God produces the yield thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold!

The Unforgiveable Sin - Mark 3:29-30

"But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin—for they were saying, He has an unclean spirit." The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying that Jesus was possessed by the devil because He cast out demons and healed people. Jesus responded by asking how Satan can cast out Satan because a kingdom divided against itself cancels out its own power or authority. He concludes with a strong warning directed toward the scribes who were accusing Him. Jesus warned them not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit because it is a sin that is eternally unforgiveable (because the Holy Spirit is the agent of God's power). It seems that it is easy to attribute acts that are outside of our own realm of understanding or experience to Satan. It is almost as if we believe the devil does miraculous things and the Holy Spirit cannot or will not. If a supernatural or miraculous act advances the Kingdom of God, then common sense tells us, as Jesus points out in Mark 3:24, that it is surely not Satan tearing down his own kingdom by building up God's Kingdom.

Your Other Right Hand - Psalm 109:30-31

"With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death." This Psalm is an assurance that God takes up the cause of His people when they are downhearted and confronting evil and injustice. Verse 21 says that God will "deal on my behalf" for His name's sake and He will deliver me because of His steadfast love. Isn't it good to know that God stands beside you--He stands at your right hand--when you need His vindication and His deliverance? Knowing that He is right beside you taking up your cause gives you reason and strength to give God "great thanks!"

Taking Care of Sin First - Mark 2:9-11

"Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Rise, take up your bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—he said to the paralytic—I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." While Jesus healed many people during His earthly ministry, this is the second healing of an identified person recorded in Mark (2:1-12) and Luke (5:17-26) and the fourth recorded in Matthew (9:1-8). A paralyzed man being let down through the roof of a house in front of Jesus has lots of dramatic effect and is certainly noteworthy. But I think the story is significant and the reason that this account of a miracle of healing is recorded in the Bible is because Jesus confronts the Jewish religious leaders about what His real mission is. Although Jesus has authority to heal people, taking care of sin is His primary objective. Before Jesus heals or delivers you, He needs to take care of your sin problem first!