2.
A
little boy returned from his first day at school with a request from the
teacher. She asked the children to bring a copy of their birth certificate to
school to be sure their records were accurate. Although she explained what a
certificate was, it was a pretty big word for the little guy to remember. But
he understood the idea. Bouncing into the house with his important message, he
shouted, “Mom, tomorrow I have to take my
excuse for being born.” God has purposes, not excuses. A purpose for
sending his Son, a purpose for calling us to faith, and a purpose for keeping
us in faith, we see this today in Mark 1:29-39.
3.
Here we see that Jesus’ first day of public
ministry—the Sabbath—is a busy one. Given the endless series of things to which
Jesus attends, we sometimes imagine that He’s too busy for us and our problems.
But Jesus knows and cares for each of us individually. He actually commands us
to lay all our needs before Him and stands ever willing and able to help
us. Jesus shows us the heart of His
mission today in Mark’s Gospel. His
purpose for coming was to seek and save the lost, to heal us from our sickness
of sin through the preaching of the forgiveness of sins.
4.
Mark 1:29-39 says, “29And immediately [Jesus] left the
synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now
Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about
her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever
left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or
oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
34And 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. 35And rising very early in the
morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place,
and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him,
37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he
said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also,
for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in
their synagogues and casting out demons.”
5.
Although
Jesus performed many great miracles, he didn’t come primarily as a miracle
worker. Although he healed many sick people, he was not primarily a healer.
Although he cast out many demons, he did not come primarily as an exorcist. No,
Jesus’ mission was to redeem the world, to seek and to save what was lost. No
wonder he felt such a need to go on and to share that message with more people.
After all, his message was nothing less than the message of eternal life
through him. Along with His suffering, death,
and resurrection, Jesus impacts the world by the preaching of His Word. This is the heart of Jesus’ mission.
6.
But,
where did Jesus’ preaching fit into his total ministry? The Gospel of Mark tells us. Jesus has been at the synagogue at Capernaum. After worship, He enters into the house of
Peter and Andrew with James and John. Jesus
finds Peter’s mother-in-law stricken with a fever. He lifts her up, and the fever leaves her and
she begins serving them. Then at sundown,
after the Sabbath ends, Jesus, receives crowds who continually bring those afflicted
by illness and demons. He heals many and
casts out demons.
7.
Then
Mark shows us our Lord Jesus early in the morning. He leaves the disciples to pray in solitude. He’s hunted down by the disciples. He then announces the heart and purpose of
His mission. Let’s go to neighboring
towns so that I might proclaim the kingdom of God there too. That’s why I came here, Jesus says!
8.
But,
what does Christ’s preaching of the Word mean for us? Jesus’ healing . . . is, a proof of his
preaching. Through His Holy Word, Jesus
heals our minds, bodies, and souls. He
shows that he is the ultimate Preacher, and Prophet. Mark shows us that Jesus’ preaching . . . is eternally genuine, true, and omnipotent. Jesus heals our greatest illnesses—rejection
of his will, unbelief, sin, and death.
This is just as impactful for our world today as it was when Jesus
himself spoke.
9.
Here
in Mark 1:29-39 we are reminded that the miracles of Jesus were viewed by the
Savior primarily as ways to emphasize and substantiate his preaching. It was
the preaching—the message of forgiveness through his work as the Messiah—that
was always most important. Better than anyone else, he knew that the miracle of
bringing a sinner to faith was more important than even the most dramatic
healing or exorcism.
10. And, how does Jesus’ preaching and
healing, the heart of his mission, continue to impact us today? Like Peter’s
mother-in-law, we are touched by Jesus in order to serve out of faith and love. Like the disciples, we’re invited to hunt
down Jesus at Bible studies, devotions, in Holy Communion, in Confession and
Absolution. Like the crowds, we may
always bring others to be spiritually healed by his touch and preaching—at
worship, Bible studies, Baptism, Holy Communion.
11. God empowers believers (his Church)
to respond by the Holy Spirit through his Word.
The Holy Spirit empowers believers to continue the preaching of Christ
Jesus (be about the mission of the Church).
By the same Word we preach, Christ enables us to go and make disciples
of all nations. The Word of Christ validates
our forgiving the sins of repentant sinners.
Thus, through our preaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments,
Jesus continues to heal the sick of soul.
12. Mark also reminds us that although
Jesus has much more to do among the people of Capernaum, He makes time for
private devotion and then insists on moving on to visit other towns and
villages. His steadfast obedience to the right priorities stands in sharp
contrast with our own tendency to lose focus, allow others to set our agenda,
and put lesser things above what is most important. Given our weaknesses, it’s
reassuring that Jesus keeps things straight.
He sticks to the heart of his mission. Jesus’ highest goal was, and is,
to fulfill the Father’s command that He save the lost.
13. Jesus came to preach Good News, this is at
the heart of His mission, and Jesus still does that through preachers and his
body of believers, the Church.
Amen. Please pray with me. Lord,
teach us to turn to You in every need. Then give us grateful hearts so that,
after receiving Your kindness and healing, we thank and serve You. Preserve us, O Lord, from misplaced
priorities. Keep us focused on Your Gospel, which is the heart of Your mission,
so that we may know and do what is pleasing in Your sight. Amen.
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