Author: Aaron Hufty

Re:Verse passage – Mark 5:21-34 (day two)

For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” v. 28

It would be easy to read this story and think the woman was so desperate she was willing to try anything. Indeed, she had trusted doctors, healers, and all sorts of remedies, but this wasn’t the act of ‘let’s try one more thing’ thinking. All of the other remedies and treatments were simply part of a timeline toward an encounter with Jesus. It does make her story more dramatic, yes, but I have known people who have the exact opposite response after a years of being sick. I have seen them resign themselves to whatever is next. It is a defense mechanism against another disappointment. This woman’s actions were so focused on Jesus, she knew that touching him would heal her. That is the faith that Jesus acknowledged. Don’t expect Jesus to be a last resort for you or someone else in a time of hurt or loss. Regardless of your circumstances and how you got there, when it is time to encounter Jesus, do it like this woman: fully commit. The time for doubt, fear, and hesitation are behind. It is now time for healing and wholeness. It is time to touch the savior.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 5:21-23, 35-43 (day two) One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet ²³ and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” v. 22-23

Up to the point that Jesus actually heals this girl, this is a hard story to read. Imagine the anguish of leaving home with a child who in her last hours of life, knowing that the next breath could be her last. Jarius must have been at the point of desperation to leave home to seek out help. Seeking Jesus was his only comfort. Surely this miracle worker could restore her health, but her life? To hear the words that she had died must have broken him. This was another moment of desperation. Would he dare trust Jesus? What if he put his hope in him only to be disappointed. It would be like losing his daughter twice. Could he endure that? Complete trust is never easy. Jarius’ response was indeed a surrender. He surrendered to logic, to the voices of others, and to the promise of Jesus. When he asks you to believe him, surrender.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 5:1-20 (day two) They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. v. 1

As I re-read this passage today, it struck me that this was just following Jesus calming the storm. That may seem obvious, but we don’t often follow a strict timeline with some of the narrative readings. The last words of chapter four must still be ringing in the disciple’s ears. What sort of man is this? Did they go back to sleep? Were they up the rest of the night trying to grasp the sovereignty of Jesus? They had seen miracles prior to the night on the sea, but how did that night inform their reverence for Jesus with the miracles that followed. They didn’t have long to ponder these thoughts. As soon as they reached the shore Jesus was approached by the demon-possessed man. This must have been a turning point in the understanding of Christ’s divinity. Every wonder and sign they witnessed from here on out must have had a different significance and weight. Is that different from us? When you met Jesus in a dark place where he removed the burden of sin its penalty, didn’t that change your lip service devotion to him to a complete trust in his Lordship over your life. You may not see him stop a hurricane in the ocean, but he can speak peace to whatever consumes your heart. Everything that follows should be in service to a God who holds it all in his hands.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:35-41 (day two)

They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” v. 41

Yesterday in the re:vlog we touched on this verse briefly and I wanted to dig just a little deeper. If these men, who saw Jesus more than any other, were shocked and surprised by his command over the wind and water, what does that say about our own trust in the absolute authority of Jesus? These men should have known better, and yet it is more often in fear and uncertainty that we solidify our trust in the Lord than in plenty. Miracles were happening everywhere, but the disciples themselves were never in harms way. They weren’t suffering from deadly illness, they weren’t blind. They were witnesses, but not necessary recipients. This time on the water shook their faith. Were they assuming that being with Jesus meant being absent from suffering? Did they think that they would only help dispense with grace and mercy, but never receive any themselves? I don’t want to project any of my own inadequacies upon the disciples, but I understand their one-sided faith. It is often in the raging storm that we learn to fear the Lord, but we don’t have to wait for things to fall to pieces to trust. Thank God for the examples set forth in scripture. We should rejoice that we are not fearing for our lives in the raging sea, but we should be absolutely sure that Jesus can be found there.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:26-32 (day two) (A)nd he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. v. 27

Do you like to know how things work? Put another way, do you like to be in control of things? Work, family, relationships, projects, whatever it is, I like to have a sense of being in control. It is one of the reasons I detest roller coasters-that’s a different blog. To some degree or another most of us like that feeling on controlling a situation. There is security in knowing how things will go. Following a recipe can be so rewarding because you know what the result will be if you faithfully follow the plan. Walking in faith is an exercise in trust. We must trust the Lord to do the work that we cannot. Surrender is one of the cardinal principles of following Jesus. The need to know step a, b, and c are lost in the desire to obey and trust the Lord to give you what you need for the moment. For people like me that can sound terrifying, but in the cosmic Kingdom of God, it is reassuring to know that the outcome is not based on me, and if I’m honest that’s really better for us all.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:21-25, 33-34 (day two) And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? v. 21

One of the central themes in the Advent season is light coming in to a dark world. This is the picture of Jesus who would come to conquer sin and death. That same light that was the savior lives within us. So much of the world will encourage us to dim that light. You may hear people telling you to ‘tone it down’. Light is meant to shine, to reveal, to brighten others with its radiance. Our goal should be to give the light every opportunity to do its job. Not to hinder or hide the wonder of Christ. You don’t need to ask permission to shine, you need to rely on Jesus to light up your heart and your life. People will notice. Some will be uncomfortable, and that says more about them than it does about you. Let your light shine.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:1-20 (day two)  In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;  and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. v. 16-17 

Did you make New Years resolutions? How’s that working for you? Sorry, too soon? There is something about turning that calendar over that makes us re-think priorities, and to try and get a handle on areas of our life that we have either neglected or that have gone off the tracks. This is a good and cathartic practice, so why do they so often fail? Everything is well and good in theory, but we rarely weigh how entrenched we have become in our routines and patterns of life. To alter any area can take a seismic shift in our focus. Not impossible, but often more challenging to execute than anticipated. This is the kind of reaction Jesus warned against in this parable. We can see the benefits of fully trusting and following, but we have not counted the cost. It will take a seismic shift in our hearts that can only come from the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Don’t be discouraged, the Lord is in the soul tectonic shifting business. Trust him to plant those seeds in good soil, and let him work in your routines.