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Mark 7:31-33a: Personal dealings.

^“31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.  ³² There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. ³³ After he took him aside, away from the crowd, ” NIV UK

David Watson told a story in one of his books about a bank somewhere writing to a student and saying something like this in the letter: ‘’Dear 11085743, we have a personal interest in you!’’ There can be no doubt that the Lord Jesus has a personal interest in you.

He wants time alone with you, ‘’away from the crowd’’, as it were. Make sure you give Him His heart’s desire. When I was a student, in college, I would have considered it an honour if the Principal had indicated that he wanted to spend time with me. If he just stopped momentarily to say a few words I was thrilled. Now Jesus is the most important Person in the universe, and He wants time with little old me. Surely I can feel the privilege in that and respond well?

But note that with regard to the man in our story, Jesus ‘’took him aside’’. I believe there are times when Jesus orders our circumstances in such away that time with Him is virtually enforced. These opportunities often come in packaging that doesn’t much look like gift wrap. But whether welcome or unwelcome, seize every opportunity to be alone with Jesus. Cultivate the one relationship which matters most.

The ‘’crowd’’ may be composed of people. It may also take some other form. It may be a ‘crowd’ of distractions. Determine to come away from them in order to spend time with Jesus.

‘’I heard the voice of Jesus say, ‘Come unto me and rest’…’’

PRAYER: ‘’The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you. I want to know you more.’’

Mark 7:24-30: Faith presses through.

^“24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. ²⁵ In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. ²⁶ The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷ ‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’ ²⁸ ‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ ²⁹ Then he told her, ‘For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.’ ³⁰ She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.” NIV UK

It strikes me that if Jesus is in your heart, His presence will become obvious. Why would you want to hide Him anyway? People will be drawn to the Christ in you.

The woman, the lead character in today’s story, was desperate;

Her daughter had a demon;

She, the loving mother, was desperate for deliverance;

Initially, she seemed to meet with a denial……but faith presses through.We have seen this before in the men who carried their friend on a mat to Jesus; in the woman who had suffered with bleeding for twelve years. Even in Jesus’ seemingly unpromising words she found enough promise to cling to. ‘’For without faith it is impossible to please God…’’ (Hebrews 11:6). She held on in belief and pleased the Lord. If she was a Gentile ‘dog’, might there not be at least a scrap under the table for her? For her daughter? The answer was a resounding ‘Yes’ – and so much more than scraps. She found something in Christ’s Word to dig her fingernails into.

PRAYER: Lord, may we, your people, live our lives prayerfully at your feet. Make us a people of earnest prayer and persevering faith, who will not let you go until you bless.

Mark 7:14-23: How’s your heart?

^“14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.¹⁵ Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.’  ¹⁷ After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. ¹⁸ ‘Are you so dull?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? ¹⁹ For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.’ (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) ²⁰ He went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. ²¹ For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come – sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³ All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’” NIV UK

The Jews, in their traditions, followed strict dietary rules. They believed that certain things you ate could ‘’defile’’ you. ‘Christ the controversialist,’ flatly contradicted that point. The heart of man’s problem is the problem of man’s heart. Jesus showed that we don’t have tummy problems so much as a heart defect. As Proverbs says, above everything you need to guard your heart, for out of it flows the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

To draw from a picture painted by C.S.Lewis, in my ‘cellar’ I can see lots of ugly ‘creepy-crawlies.’ If I don’t deal with them radically and immediately, they will proliferate, and eventually take over the whole house. I could be overrun and eventually destroyed by them.

Can you see what’s at stake?

You don’t have to be overly concerned today about what’s on the menu today. But it should bother you if you are letting things run riot down in the ‘cellar’ – ‘squatters’ who really don’t belong there.  It is a human trait to get massively worked up over things which don’t really matter, and to neglect the most important issues.

The big New Testament picture would say to those in Christ, ‘Put these things to death, because you can by the power of the Spirit.’ Nail them to the cross; crucify the flesh.

Kill them, before they destroy you. There is a need for spiritual ‘pest control’.

PRAYER: ‘’Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.’’ Psalm 51:10.

Mark 7:1-13:Truth v tradition.

“The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus ² and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. ³ (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the market-place they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)  ⁵ So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, ‘Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?’  ⁶ He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

⁸ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.’

⁹ And he continued, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! ¹⁰ For Moses said, “Honour your father and mother,”^[and, “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” ¹¹  But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God) – ¹² then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother.¹³ Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.’ NIV UK 

The concept of ‘’Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,’’ takes a hammering in a passage like this. John Stott wrote a book entitled ‘Christ the controversialist.’ Jesus did not avoid difficult conversations when they were necessary. He was ready to confront wrong believing and faulty practice.

Not all traditions are bad. At best, traditions preserve what is best from the past, and transport it into another age. Good things can get carried forward by traditions. But wherever tradition clashes with truth, the truth must win. Tradition must bow to Biblical revelation. All tradition must be judged at the bar of Scripture. Let it be measured against the plumb line of the Bible (13).

Worship is about more than singing. It concerns living. It’s about obeying ‘’teachings’’ (7). If we follow the ‘’rules’’ of men, rather than the Word of God, our worship is empty (6, 7).

Jesus refers to a practice prevalent in His day where Jews would use a tradition of promising a gift to God as an excuse for not helping their parents. Is that the kind of worship God desires? Of course it isn’t. It’s been pointed out, from this, that we must not use one part of the Bible to avoid obeying another bit. Hold all truth in balance. God does not contradict Himself.

PRAYER: Lord God, I want you to have the final say in my life, and not any tradition.

Mark 6:53-56: Anchorage.

^“53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. ⁵⁴ As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognised Jesus. ⁵⁵ They ran throughout that whole region and carried those who were ill on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ And wherever he went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed those who were ill in the market-places. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. ” NIV UK

Life can get stormy. We all know it. We need an Anchorage.                                             Disciples anchor in the Person of Jesus (54) In ‘recognising’ Him; in coming to know Him,to know Who He is, and in knowing Him as He is, we find our Bedrock.

Disciples anchor in the Work of Jesus (55). He is all-powerful. There is nothing we face He can’t help us with.

An old hymn says: ‘’Within the veil, thy spirit deeply anchored. Thou walkest calm above a world of strife…’’

‘’Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?…We have an Anchor that keeps the soul…’’

Mark 6:47-52

^“47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. ⁴⁸ He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, ⁴⁹ but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, ⁵⁰ because they all saw him and were terrified.  Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ ⁵¹ Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, ⁵² for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.”

What do you do when Jesus seems distant? (47).

What do you do when the wind is against you and you feel the strain? (48a).

What do you do when it looks like Jesus isn’t interested? (48c).

This story encourages us to keep trusting. Know that the Lord will come to you at the right time (48b), but it will be the time of His choosing. We, by then, may be tempted to imagine all is lost. But He is always on time.

• He still comes to us at the perfect time (48b);
• He still speaks words of comfort and encouragement (50);
• He still reveals Himself in troubles (50);
• He still brings storms to an end (51)
• He still amazes (51).

We, on the other hand are often in unbelief because of what we don’t understand (52).

PRAYER: As painful as it may be, please show me Lord where my heart is hard, and melt it; fill my ignorance with a deeper knowledge of Jesus. I need you Lord…so much.

Mark 6:45-46: Jesus at prayer.

^“45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.” NIV UK

We never get the impression from the gospels that Jesus prayed at one particular time. He prayed much, that is obvious. He prayed at different hours and in varying circumstances. I believe we can safely say that His life was soaked in prayer. We can’t help but feel inspired (and rebuked) by His example.

But Jesus didn’t just say prayers; He walked with the Father. His prayers were not religious; they were an expression of a relationship. We, too, are sons of God. No-one else can be a Son of God in the unique way Jesus is. He is the eternal Son. Nevertheless, we are adopted as sons through Jesus, and we too can seek to keep in step with our Father.

In this prayerful enjoyment of God, we will not only say things, and ask for things. We will also hear things. We will receive direction (43) from the Lord Himself. When you run into a storm, it’s a precious thing to recall how you got into this boat in the first place. If Jesus ‘’made’’ you set sail, He has a reason for you finding yourself in these angry waters; tossed to and fro by pounding waves. Everything is right that seems most wrong when you’re in God’s will.

Make it your aim to walk with God; and remember, ‘If you want to meet Him everywhere, you must meet Him somewhere; if you want to find Him all the time, you must find Him some time.’

PRAYER: I believe Jesus is my pattern in prayer, as in everything else. Help me please, Holy Spirit, to follow my Lord into the ‘secret place.’

Mark 6:35-44: Life begins at…

^“35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. ³⁶ Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’ ³⁷ But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’ ³⁸ ‘How many loaves do you have?’ he asked. ‘Go and see.’ When they found out, they said, ‘Five – and two fish.’ ³⁹ Then Jesus told them to make all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³ and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.” NIV UK

I saw a card in a shop the other day. It bore the message: ‘’Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.’’ There is no little truth in that. Many of us will have had moments when we heard Jesus say, ‘’You give them something to eat’’ (37a). At least we will have had equivalent times in which the Lord Jesus asked of us something we could not do. Then we found He put into our hands ‘’immeasurably more’’ (Ephesians 3:20).

In his excellent book, ‘On being a servant of God,’ Warren Wiersbe says that ministry takes place where divine resources meet human needs, through loving channels, to the glory of God. That is exactly what you have here in this story. Wiersbe also says that in ministry we are tempted to imagine that God has called us to be manufacturers when He has in fact given us the work of being distributors.

 Jesus asks us to do what we can’t do. We put into His Hands the little we have, and He performs a miracle with it. He puts it back into our hands, bigger and greater than ever it was before, and we share with the world that which He gives to us.

PRAYER: ‘’Why should I ever anxious be, when such a God is mine…?’’

 Mark 6:30-34: The Shepherd’s heart.

^“30 The apostles gathered round Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. ³¹ Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ ³² So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognised them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” NIV UK

It’s good to know that we can (and, I believe, should) talk to Jesus about our work. We ought not to speak about it to others in a bragging kind of way, but we can tell Jesus in an honest sort of way. Talk it over with the Lord: the concerns on your heart, the problems requiring solutions, the ministry you have performed and that which still lies ahead. You can tell Him about your successes, and give Him the glory. You can also discuss the failures – whether real or apparent. When I was a little boy, I had a lovely pastor called George. He taught us a simple song that went: ‘’A little talk with Jesus makes it right, alright.’’ It’s amazing how it does. Even if the situation doesn’t change, you will change on the inside as you cast your burden on Him. It’s what He wants you to do.

Jesus knows our needs better than we do. He is aware of them even before we tell Him. On this occasion He knew His disciples needed rest. They had just returned from a ‘ministry trip’, and found themselves in a situation of constant demand. Few of us will ever have been so busy as the disciples were at this time.

Jesus called them into rest. But as well as showing for all time the legitimacy of rest, He also demonstrated that there are times when our own needs must take a back seat to those of others. In ministry, we have to train ourselves to be open to interruptions. Jesus’ Shepherd heart could not hear bleating sheep and not care for them; He could not see hungry sheep and not feed them. However, in the first place, He stepped up and took responsibility. It seems He kept His disciples out of the picture until later in the day. He showed loving, protective concern for the under-shepherds too. After all, were they not also His sheep?

Note that true rest has time with Jesus at its heart; and whatever we do to rest, it will not turn out to be rest if it is not Christ-centred (30, 31, 32).

‘’Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’’ (Matthew 11:28-30).