Heal

-

Read:

Mark 1:32-34


Reflect:

Throughout Mark’s Gospel we constantly find Jesus trying to keep a low profile. He orders most of the people He heals to keep quiet about it. He keeps the demons He drives out from speaking ‘because they knew who he was.’ In some sense healing someone is a very intimate and personal thing to Jesus. It’s not so much a tool to impress the masses as it is a private expression of love to the person being healed.

However, when miracles happen, people notice and most of the time people want in on the action. Jesus lovingly obliges them by healing and freeing those who are brought to Him.

In today’s passage we are reminded and encouraged to bring our worries, our concerns, our illnesses (both mentally and physically) to Jesus and just let Him love us. We don’t have to go far. We can just pray. Right now.


Respond:

Lord Jesus, thank you that you care for us. Thank you that you are truly accessible to us and that you welcome us as we are. Amen.


Remind:

”How sweet the name of Jesus sounds, in a believer's ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.”

~John Newton~


Photo by Dima Mukhin on Unsplash

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Torn (Holy Week - Good Friday)

-
Image
Read: Mark 15:37-39 Reflect: The curtain in the temple was there to hide the most holy place in the Jewish temple. The high priest would go behind the curtain once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people for the year. With Christ’s death the curtain is torn and the holiest of holies is exposed, open for all to see and experience. The heart of God is exposed to all. Through Christ’s sacrifice the loving heart of God is revealed to the world, and the world is welcomed in to experience it for themselves. Nothing and no one else would have been able to make this happen. Only Jesus. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you for your willingness to reveal God’s love through your sacrifice on the cross. Thank you for inviting me into a relationship with you not dependent on anyone but me. I come to you now and bow in your presence, for you are here with me. Amen. Remind: ”God waits for you to communicate with Him. You have instant, direct access to God. God loves mankind so much, and in a ve
Read more

Bread

-
Image
Read: Mark 14:22 Reflect: The Passover rites were observed by Jewish people since their rescue from Egypt (Exodus 12). Jesus takes the bread and changes its meaning to reflect the salvation work He has come to do. By offering the disciples bread Jesus gives them (and us) something to remember and celebrate His sacrifice by. Though they did not know it at the time Christ’s body would be broken like the bread was broken, and offered to all who would accept it. And like bread we need to accept it and take it up daily (Matthew 6:11). Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you that your body was broken for me. I accept your offer of salvation again. Amen. Remind: ”Bread of Life? Jesus lived up to the title. But an unopened loaf does a person no good. Have you received the bread? Have you received God's forgiveness?” ~Max Lucado~ Photo by   Maria Ionova   on   Unsplash
Read more

Salt

-
Image
Read: Mark 9:50 Reflect: I have a bit of a sweet tooth. Caramel is one of my absolute favourites. That’s why it was quite interesting to come across salted caramel when I moved to the UK. It wasn’t something I knew in South Africa before, so I was rather sceptical at first. Surely salt and sweet do not go together! So I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it. It wasn’t bad at all! It was rather good, actually! When Jesus tells His disciples to ‘have salt among yourselves’ (v. 50) I imagine He means to bring out the best flavours in one another. To encourage one another into greater holiness, into greater intimacy with God, into living lives that better point to and glorify God. Salt is great for enhancing all the flavours in our community, but too much salt isn’t helpful. That’s why having salt among ourselves should always be aligned with an effort to stay at peace with each other. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you that you have placed me in a community of believers. Thank you for your
Read more