Healing

Freddy Lam

Jesus in Galilee • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

0 ratings

· 5 views

Notes

Transcript

One of the thing I missed since moving into my condo is cable TV. After all, EURO cup is on and all I can get is the latest score from twitter and highlight reels. But the other thing I missed, which is actually a secret indulgence of mine is turn to the CTS channel and watch the healers in Charismatic churches. Now, thanks to YouTube, I can watch some of the highlight reels of that as well. Have you ever seen the one with a famous televangelist waving his suit jacket and some creative soul decided to turn it into a lightsaber as his congregants are slain by the spirit? It is QUITE the feat.

Now I personally do believe the healing gifts are still operational today when it can clarify or demonstrate God’s power particularly in mission context. But at the same time, all joking aside, there is a great need for healing. After all, we are still in the midst of a pandemic. People are still getting sick if they don’t decide to get vaccinated while living in a hot zone. Some may even die. And that’s just the more uncommon disesases. In the wake of the fall, our body begins to be built up and around a certain age it starts to decay. We have no control of our health. One minute we are fine, and the next we could be sick with anything from the common flu or something worse. And also, what about those who society deems disabled because we have a standard of what is abled. While many have lived and even come to appreciate disability as a badge of honour, others hope that neither they nor their loved one would be born into such a condition.

This is perhaps why our ear perks up when we hear about Jesus’ healing ministry. And Jesus heals a lot of people. But the reason he heals, just as the reason he forgives as we explored last week, may not be as straightforward as you think.

GOD

We are on the fourth part of the gospel of Mark series, Jesus in Galilee where we have been taking key themes from the first eight chapters to give us a sense of who Jesus, the son of God is and how it is related to the gospel and the kingdom of God. So far, we have explored the themes of Gospel Announced, Calling Disciples, and Forgiveness. Today, we will look at the theme of healing. Here’s the main idea:

Authority and Compassion marks our Lord’s Healing Ministry.

So if you have a bible, turn or click with me to the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1, verse 21. Here’s our first point:

I. Jesus’ healing ministry confronts the physical and spiritual terrain with authority (21-28).

Mark 1:21–22 ESV

21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

Let’s set the context Jesus is back at his base of operation, Capernaum, in the region of Galilee. And as we note so many times in Mark, ‘immediately’ something happens. This time, he ‘immediately’ went into a synagogue. Interesting to note it was on a Sabbath that he went to the synagogue. That would be our equivalent of Friday sundown to Saturday Sundown. As a roaming rabbi, he probably went up to the place where the scroll of God’s word was placed, opened it and began to teach from it. Mark is setting us up with one of the key word we see time and time again in this gospel. Authority. In fact, Jesus’ teaching has authority that trasccends those of the scribes. We learned last week these scribes are already pretty impressive, having the ability to read and write in a largely illiterate world, and are learned in interpretation of the law. Then how does Jesus teach with authority? Most likely, Jesus speaks of the law as the lawgiver himself. Even prophets used thus says the LORD meaning I am not him. Or the scribes would say Rabbi so and so said this. And then immediately, someone comes in which sets eveything in motion!

Mark 1:23–24 ESV

23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”

First interesting thing to note is how does such a sacred place gets infiltrated by an unclean spirit. With our Western frame of mind, it’s hard to imagine there’s this spiritual world that is present or a cosmic spiritual battle that is being waged which our eyes are not prevue to see. But talk to a missionary or when a spiritual sensitive pastor or any Christian walks into or are near other religious buildings, sometimes they tell me there’s a presence there or there’s a darkness looming over it. But if we learn anything from this, it’s that the oppression is so strong and gain so much power, they aren’t even wary of trampling onto sacred ground. But what this unclean spirit does is also very telling. Clearly he doesn’t like the fact Jesus is in town, and so to make sure everyone hears him, cries out (like really loud) identifying who Jesus is. Just picture this man who has never met Jesus telling everyone who Jesus is, where he is from. This spirit also is fearing for his life, and perhaps of his minions. He knows he no longer have the upper hand. And I don’t believe he’s asking Jesus whether he is coming to destroy them as they don’t know, like an inquiry. But a challenge. First it asks what is their relationship, if any. That’s like asking what light has to do with darkness. Or the leafs have to do with the stanley cup. Ouch! Too soon? Nothing, right? So mind your own business! The second is revealing Jesus’ identity. To call out someone’s name in ancient culture is to try to get an upper hand over your opponent. It’s like that childhood game we use to play and says, my daddy is 6 ft. Oh yea, my daddy is 6 ft. 2. Oh yea, well my daddy can lift me up! Oh yea, well my daddy can lift me and your daddy up… and on it goes. It’s also interesting to note a common feature in the Gospel of Mark that it’s often Jesus’ disciples who are unsure about his identity whereas the demonic forces who is suppose to go against Jesus often knows very well who Jesus is. But Jesus would have none of it:

Mark 1:25–27 ESV

25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

Jesus’ rebuke was sharp and to the point. First he exerts his authority. You tell me to mind my own business? Well I tell you be quiet! You have no place here, or in this poor man’s body. Get out! And the spirit has no option but to show one last time how much he enjoyed tormenting the host by a series of protests and out he came. I can just imagine how often this man would come in and would raise terror and scare the inhabitants and would go away laughing, but he’s finally met his match. Interesting also we don’t hear about the man anymore. Suffice to say he has been restored. The signficance is huge and we will cover that in the scond point. Instead, Mark focuses us on the crowd in the synagogue. They put one and two together about this mysterious Jesus: teaching as the lawgiver, and not by calling on any God like in the name of Yahweh, come out, but by his own authority, I, Jesus, command you to come out! As a result, more people hear about him. Undoubtedly the scribes would have gone back and report to their employers the Pharisees and Sadducces what happened and animosity grows. We will look at that next week.

Maybe this is even a way for Jesus to mark a collision course with those who will ultimately put him to death. That this is Satan’s endgame. The lose one troop, so he can win the war. Except of course we know what ought to be Satan’s ultimate victory by slaying the son turns out to be his ultimately undoing.

It’s difficult to apply this because we are so far removed from demon possession, but we need to be aware that there is and still is a cosmic battle going on. Satan is real. His minions are real. While we may not be demon-possessed or know of people who are, we see evil at work in different ways. Oppressive systems, historical sins, now being uncovered. Whether it is black slavery, the residential school, the greed of the most wealthy, prostitution and human trafficking, and the wars that are constantly being threatened and wage against fellow human beings. To the personal issues of strife and jealousy, bitterness and envy, pride and unforgiveness. That is our sin at work, but it is also rooted in some sense to a spiritual reality. Afterall, your downfall brothers and sisters mean a temporary victory for the defeated to gloat just one last time, a setback to the kingdom breaking forth in your household or workplace. So we need to learn to reclaim these strongholds IN THE NAME OF JESUS. The one who has authority. Bring darkness to light by exposing it publically. His name, a great name, will guard your heart and protect you from being made a pawn of the enemy!

Our second point:

II. Jesus’ healing ministry releases the infirmed and oppressed with compassion (29-34).

Mark 1:29–31 ESV

29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 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.

Lots of immediacy in this passage. This short story spoke of Jesus attending to his own. His disciples’ mother, at their house. He brought along the sons of Zebedee, James and John. So when he arrived the boys immediately told them of their mother-in-law’s condition. Jesus could have probably spoke “fever, be gone!” and I am pretty sure it would not linger for even more than a moment. But instead Jesus took three actions: he came, he took her by the hand, and he lifted her up. I imagine this to be a tender moment. The action is like lifting someone weak off their bed but the result is miraculous. She was healed, and began to be so well that she served them, which means the healing is total and complete.

I often thought about these boys, Simon and Andrew. Your mother-in-law literally just came out of a fever and you are asking her to still do your laundry?! But perhaps there’s a more subtle point to this. Everyone who Jesus heals or sees him heals, responds differently. As we learn, one guy got so excited and told everyone of his healing Jesus couldn’t preach in the cities, only the wilderness. We don’t know what happened to the man with the unclean spirit but the reaction of the crowds was amazement. And here, Simon’s mother-in-law serves. In each of their own way, having receive Jesus’ healing with compassion, they respond in compassion.

Mark 1:32–34 ESV

32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 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.

And so mark wraps up this section with this summary statement. If we are to believe this sundown is the next day, when the Sabbath would have ended, where it’s permissible to bring people to be healed or exorcised. When everyone’s winding down, Jesus was just getting started! He seem to have a whole system in place, lining up a whole city with two infirmities: either sickness or demon possession. And as if Mark has no time to list out all the diseases, he seem to imply whatever ailment was brought before Jesus he cured! The Satanic stronghold in this city begins to crumble as the Kingdom breaks into its dominion. Let the demon presence be silent, for it’s not time for his inauguration to be revealed!

YOU

And perhaps this is where we imagine a little more. If one mother-in-law of Peter responds to healing with service out of compassion, how much more does each person who are made well by Jesus’ healing ministry can do to change their town! Even if half the town is ungrateful to being cured and just walked away, that’s still enough people to make a substantial difference if they decide to show compassion to someone else in town. Perhaps that is how the kingdom breaks forth, not by might and coercion. But by each seed of healing planted in compassionate soil we can show compassion to others as well. Think about it, though not all of us are endowed with the gift of healing physical infirmities. But what might a healing word of encouragement, a healing gaze of understanding, a healing touch of comraderie or being in someone’s shoe might do.

MCBC, may we receive a healing from the Great Physician who tends to us with such great compassion and with such authority against all things which are oppressive, so that we can sow seeds of compassion in his name to the glory of the Father.