Friday, February 9, 2018

The Praying Savior

Mark 1:29-39

Preaching God’s Word, healings, deliverance, and time in prayer. That is how Jesus spent this busy day that we continue to read about in Mark’s Gospel.  A few verses prior to our passage Jesus had been teaching God’s Word in the synagogue (Mark 1:21-22), and then He cast a demon out of a man there (vs. 23-26).  Now as Jesus leaves the synagogue we read of a number of people who turned to Him in their time of need.  They had heard or seen that He was the answer to their problems, and it was to Him they went.  To whom or what do we turn to when we are surrounded by problems?  Our first thought should be to the Savior.

First we read about Simon Peter’s mother-in-law (vs. 29-31).  She was in bed, sick with a fever.  In Luke’s Gospel, he says that this was a great, or high fever (Luke 4:38), so she was quite sick.  All types of home remedies of that time had surely been given to her, but that fever is still raging.  Peter’s family immediately thought of Jesus. They told Him about her at once, as it says in verse 30.  He can help, and He does!  Jesus goes to her, takes her hand, and lifts her up. What does the passage say?  The fever left her immediately!

Later that day, in the evening, many people from the town and surrounding areas come to Jesus with their sick (vs. 32-34) .  Word had gotten around that Peter’s mother-in-law was healed of her illness through the touch of Jesus. Surely He will help me, they must have thought.  That is what Jesus did.  He didn’t tell them to come back in the morning, as His day was over now.  He didn’t tell them that He was tired, that it had been a long day.  No, He ministers to each and every one of them, healing them of their various diseases.

We also read that several people brought to Jesus loved ones who were demon possessed (vs. 32, 34).  Demons, who are actually fallen angels who have given their allegiance to Satan, know the truth of who Jesus is.  However, they have rejected the truth and have rejected God, who is the source of truth.  Jesus commanded the demons to be quiet.  He did not want them to speak out who He was (vs. 34).  Their instant obedience shows that Jesus has ultimate power and authority over them.  They must obey Jesus!  He also didn’t want them to speak out because He wanted people to believe because of His words and deeds, not because of the words of a demon.  Jesus knew when it was the right time to reveal who He was.

Finally, after a very long day of ministering to people and a few hours of rest, Jesus rose up early in the morning, well before daylight, and went out by Himself to pray (vs. 35).   Why would He do that?  Why not take the opportunity to get a full 8 hours sleep? Certainly Jesus deserved it, after the busy day of ministering to the multitudes of people that He had the day before! Jesus knew the importance of spending quality time in prayer, in communion with His Heavenly Father.  Prayer is the vital link between us and God. As Jesus showed, it should be a priority.

Satan hates to see believers on their knees in prayer to the Father, and he will do whatever he can to prevent them.  Prayer goes along with the spiritual armor and weapons that we have been given (Ephesians 6:18).   Many times the Lord went off by Himself to pray, particularly late at night or early in the morning.  Jesus spent the night in prayer before He selected His 12 apostles (Luke 6:12-13). He also spent time in prayer before He walked on the water to the disciples, calming a storm (Matthew 14:22-23).  He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-56) and also while on the cross (Luke 23:33-46).

Even though He was the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, prayer was obviously important for Jesus.  If it was that important for Him, we should take time to be in communion with God, and also use this weapon we have against the devil.

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