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Year B - Proper 1; 4 Before Lent 9/2/03 6 p.m. Mark 1:29-39

8/2/09

Mark 1:29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Are you a 'lark' or an 'owl'? Do you find it easy to get up in the morning, or do you like to go to bed later? Chloe and I are larks, although she is sometimes too early even for me! Joshua and Mel are owls. Jesus got up before dawn to spend time communing with his Heavenly Father. Jesus would have relished a lie in that morning. He had just spent a very tiring day teaching in the synagogue, healing numerous people, and driving our demons. But he disciplined himself to spend time with God. He needed this time to recharge his spiritual batteries, and, perhaps to seek God's leading for what he was to do next.

John Bunyan wrote, 'Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.'

I am certain that we could all spend more time and energy in prayer. It requires self-discipline. It will go against our natural inclinations which will want to lie in, or watch the television, or whatever distraction may tempt us. But it will transform us, and it will transform our church if we sought God in prayer. It was encouraging on Monday night that, despite the snow, eight people came and prayed at our monthly prayer meeting.

Mark says that Jesus went to a 'solitary place' to pray ,verse 35. A literal translation of this word is 'the desert'. There were no deserts nearby so why should Mark use this term ? We read in verses 12 & 13 that Jesus went to the desert to be tempted or tested. The desert was the place where the Israelites were tested. So Mark uses the word to show an environment of testing or tempting.

Mark records Jesus praying on three occasions and in each case he is faced with a crisis. For example, another time is when he prays in the garden of Gethsemane on the night he was betrayed. We may ask 'What is the crisis that Jesus is facing here? It surely is not of the magnitude of he faced on that Thursday evening ?'

On Tuesday evening's One Show people were interviewed in the street about whether they would talk about God. Many of them would not. This followed a magazine interview with Jeremy Vine, who said that he is a Christian but he wouldn't talk about this on air. The point was pout that the British are not very outgoing when it comes to talking about religion.

In contrast a Christian nurse faces disciplinary action because she offered to pray for an elderly lady she was caring for.

38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

The Greek word 'kerysso' translated preach in verses 38 & 39 is a word meaning 'proclaim' or 'announce'.

What was Jesus' proclaiming ? 'The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!', verse 15.

Jesus was talking about himself. The kingdom, or rule of God is to be found in the person and work of Jesus. He is the good news that needs turning to and trusting in. Christians have a personal relationship with him. It is natural to talk about our relationships. Think of the way that Tom Cruise made a fool of himself on Oprah Winfrey's sofa when he talked about his love for Katie Holmes, who is now his wife.

Why is it so difficult for believers to talk about Jesus?

We don't have to be as intense as Tom Cruise, in fact, it might put people off if we are!

If we don't tell people about Jesus who will?

How do you feel at the thought of sharing your faith? Inadequate, scared, and reluctant are probably some of the feelings. If you do this is great. The apostle Paul who was learned and we would think of as an evangelist wrote this...

1 Cor. 2:1-5 1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power.

Weakness, fear and trembling, not with wise and persuasive words. I think these words could apply to each one of us when it comes to sharing our faith. But these words were applied to himself by the apostle Paul one of the great influential figures in the early church. So if he felt like this and was so influential each of us can do our bit. To do this we need to follow the example of Jesus and pray.

If God granted you 70 years of life, you would probably spend that time as follows: 24 years sleeping; 14 years working; 8 years in leisure activities; 6 years eating; 5 years travelling; 3 years in education; 3 years reading; 3 years watching television.

If you went to church every Sunday and prayed 5 minutes every morning and night, you would be giving God 5 months of your life. Five months out of 70 years!

We are called to use our talents, our energy, our reputations, our time and our money to share this good news to a word full of bad news. To pray against everything that will try to deflect us from this task, and to pray for those who have not heard and received the good news of Jesus.

Year B - Proper 1; 4 Before Lent 9/2/03 6 p.m. Mark 1:29-39

Mikhail Gorbachev 1931-, Soviet Statesman and President of USSR (1988-91); Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind."

Eric Butterworth; "Fundamentalists believe Jesus was God becoming man. I believe that Jesus was man becoming God."

Camille Paglia 1947-, American Author, Critic, Educator; "Jesus was a brilliant Jewish stand-up comedian, a phenomenal improviser. His parables are great one-liners."

Martin Luther 1483-1546, German Leader of the Protestant Reformation; "You should point to the whole man Jesus and say, ''That is God.''

All these opinions are in response to the question, 'Who is Jesus?' At the start of Mark's gospel he is building up a picture of who Jesus is : the Holy Spirit baptizer, verse 8; the Son of God, verse 11 ; a victor over temptation, verses 12 & 13; one who is bringing in the Kingdom of God and invites people to follow him, verses 14-20. Last week we saw Jesus as one who had authority in teaching and in driving our evil spirits.

From verse 21 Mark has begun to tell us of a day, a sabbath, early in Jesus' ministry spent at Capernaum. Last week we saw how, in the synagogue, Jesus has taught "as one having authority" beyond knowledge of the scriptures; he has healed a man possessed by evil - simply by commanding the evil force to leave him.

Now, with the four disciples he has called so far, he heals the mother of Peter's wife. That she serves them shows that she is completely and immediately cured (v. 31). Although Mark does not point it out, Jesus goes against the religion of his day in curing on the sabbath.

Then, at the start of the next Jewish day ("that evening", v. 32), many who are in like condition to the man in the synagogue ( possessed ) and to Peter's mother-in-law (physically ill) are brought to him. Many gather around the doorway ("door", v. 33) of the house to see his miracles. The evil spirits recognize his power over them but he intends to show himself as God's agent later, so he does not "let the demons speak" (v. 34). Maybe he had learned from his encounter with the evil spirit in verse 24 who blurted out that He is the Holy One of God.

Jesus then withdraws to be alone to commune with God (v. 35). Perhaps Peter and the others see him as missing an opportunity to heal, but Jesus insists that his mission extends beyond Capernaum (v. 38). He travels throughout the region, proclaiming the good news to Jews who meet for worship and study, and overcoming evil forces in people (v. 39).

Having looked at this passage from a wider perspective I would like us to look at three points, each beginning with 'Pr'. Prayer; Priorities; and Preaching;

Prayer;

John Bunyan wrote, 'Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.'

I am certain that we could all spend more time and energy in prayer. It requires self-discipline. It will go against our natural inclinations which will want to lie in, or watch the television, or whatever distraction may tempt us. But it will transform us, and it will transform our church if we sought God in prayer. This is why we need as many people as possible to commit themselves to pray using the Prayer Clock Notes, to pray for people to witness to and invite to church using the yellow cards, and to pray every day for our church.

The crisis Jesus is facing is the temptation of the popularity that his ministry was attracting. We have to remember that this was at the start of Jesus' earthly ministry. This could have deflected him from his mission just as the prospect of the suffering on the cross could have. The crowd just saw Jesus, the miracle worker who healed the sick and drove our demons. To them he was just like an ideal National Health Service. But rather than waiting months you just had to wait for minutes at the door of the house where he was, verse 33. If you knew Jesus well like Simon Peter he would do a house call and heal your mother-in-law ! The crowd wanted to use him for their own means. This leads us on to our next Pr,...

Priorities

Simon's question to Jesus in verse 37 conveys an irritation that Jesus is not doing what the people want him to do, or , perhaps, what the disciples expect of him.

36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"

Jesus reply, suggests that there is more to his mission than being a local faith healer. 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Jesus mission was to preach to as many people as possible. He was very focused in doing what God wanted him to do rather than what people wanted him to do.

One of the reasons that he forbade the demons from proclaiming who he was is because the people had a wrong expectations of the Messiah. They expected someone who would defeat the forces of Rome. But Jesus came to defeat the forces of evil. Jesus did not come solely to perform miracles of healing and exorcism. They were a by-product of his mission if you like. They pointed to who Jesus was, and why he had come. They show that he has power over evil, something we looked at last week.

Jesus did not let public opinion of him influence what he knew God was calling him to do. This is a lesson for us today. We can be easily influenced to do things that people around us do because, if we take a stand, this may well be misunderstood and people could look down upon us. Issues such as not shopping on a Sunday, refusing to take part in the National Lottery, telling others about Christianity, and even attending church every week are areas where God calls us to be distinctive yet will not be popular.

At the same time, we should not distance ourselves from people in such as way that we are unable to communicate the gospel in word and deed. Indeed, we may be called to make personal sacrifices to draw alongside people to show Jesus to them. This is what Paul was writing about in 1 Corinthians 9: 19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

These words do not mean that the gospel has to be watered down to make it more palatable. This is saying that we should adopt every approach possible to try and draw alongside people wherever they are. This will be costly. Paul talks about making himself like a slave, a Jew, a Gentile, and a person considered weak to share the gospel. These things would have gone against his pride and natural inclinations, but he is prepared to put none of these things before his desire to spread the good news.

The Anglican church with it's Parochial system is an example of this approach. For example, the whole of England is divided into Parishes and each Parish has a minister allocated to it who has a responsibility for the care of everyone in the parish. The parishioners do not have to attend the church, have been baptised, or even call themselves Christian to come under the minister's care. So each local minister has the opportunity of drawing alongside everyone in his parish to show them the love of God.

Here is a list of what is sometimes expected of Vicars:
If the pastor's hair is gray, he's too old. If he is young in appearance, he lacks experience.
If he visits too much, he ought to be in his study. If he doesn't visit, he's lazy.
If he visits only the poor, he's trying to get recognition for being spiritual. If he visits only the wealthy, he's after money.
If he makes suggestions to improve the church, he's a dictator. If not, he's a figurehead.
If he preaches an hour, he's long-winded. If he preaches short sermons, he's lazy and doesn't study enough.
If he fails to please everybody, he hurts the church. If he does please everybody, he has no convictions.
People will have various expectations of what a minister or a Christian should be like, and what he/she should do. And everyone will at some time make a mistake, or be misunderstood by folk. We saw earlier how Jesus followed the will of God, rather than the will of the people. In the same way ministers and church members today have to struggle with the tension of doing what they feel God is calling them to do, rather than what people think they ought to be doing. They also have to face the issue of trying to be all things to everyone, without compromising the essentials of the gospel.

When you next hear a minister or fellow Christian being criticised pray for him/her, and, if it is right, pray for the opportunity to say something positive about them. Remember too, that we all have the duty and the gifts to show the love of God to the world around us.

Preaching;

Preaching is important. I read a book which said, 'A sermon should be like a lady's skirt. Short enough to provoke interest, but long enough to cover the essentials.'

We read in verse 38 of the priority Jesus places on preaching throughout the area. This was accompanied by driving our demons and healing. The Greek word 'kerysso' translated preach in verses 38 & 39 is a word meaning 'proclaim' or 'announce'. What was Jesus' proclaiming ? 'The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!', verse 15.

Jesus was talking about himself. The kingdom, or rule of God is to be found in the person and work of Jesus. He is the good news that needs turning to and believing.

The word translated 'preach' in 1 Corinthians 9:16 is different. It is 'euangelion' literally meaning 'good news'. We get the word evangelise' from it. By the time Paul is writing the word means the proclamation of the good news about Jesus. It refers to what is being done, proclaiming, and the content, the good news of Jesus.

Both words, proclaiming and bringing good news are focused on Jesus.

Some of you will know that last June a friend of ours from Theological College, Neville Bateman died. He had been a Vicar in Manchester. Under his ministry three people started training as Readers. When one of them was asked what was the inspiration for this, she said that she had never heard the Bible preached properly until Neville came to their church.

The preaching of the gospel in all it's fullness will transform and inspire people. It is our duty and joy as those entrusted with the gospel to convey it in word and deed to as many people as possible, as effectively as possible. To make it a priority.

If you went to church every Sunday and prayed 5 minutes every morning and night, you would be giving God 5 months of your life. Five months out of 70 years!