27 March 2011

Psalm 93, 96; Jer. 6:9-15; 1 Cor. 6:12-20; Mark 5:1-20

This prophecy is a painful word to hear. The judgment of the Lord will fall on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, beginning with the children in the street and progressing through to the elderly whose homes will be given to others. The wrath of God is so complete it is overflowing. Greed seems to be the primary sin of the people, something we rarely think or hear about in our churches except when we point the finger outward. The Lord never condemns gain per se but here it is clear that exploitation is occurring, they are after “unjust gain.” The Lord says that all are guilty of this, commerce has become their cultural god. Is it too much to suggest that this has also been a problem in our day in our land? The healing of the wounds of the people lightly by saying peace is something that presses in on me particularly. Reconciliation is hard work and we cannot get there without truth, a band aid won’t do the job when the wound is deep.

This healing is a display of great power. The man had been shackled and chained many times yet he broke free so great was the demonic strength working in him. In spite of this, something in him remained human enough and hopeful enough that when he saw Jesus he ran to Him and fell at His feet. Jesus’ power was in His words, not physical strength. The chains didn’t bind the source of the strength and Jesus spoke to the problem not the symptom. The matter was spiritual and the cure was the spiritual power of the Word of the Lord commanding the spirit to leave. It is no wonder the people of the area wanted Jesus to leave, His power was greater than anything they had ever seen. When was the last time a church was asked to leave because of a demonstration of God’s power? We need more of that power.

Too often we are enslaved by desire not set free from those desires in the power of the Spirit. We have been given the Holy Spirit to cause us to will as God wills, the power that Jesus relied on to overcome all the temptations that were flung at Him from the time in the wilderness all the way to the cross when the crowds shouted for Him to prove Himself by coming down. We fail to live into not our human potential but our God-given potential because we rely on ourselves rather than the Spirit. Cultivating a life of constant prayer, constantly living in the presence of God by the power of the Spirit should be our goal, abiding in Christ. If we would see progress in our lives towards becoming Christ-like, we must begin where He did, constant prayer.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.