Devotion : Mark 4:35-40

This morning I shared from the above passage. A summary of the sharing is as follows:

At a glance, a suitable title for the passage would be:

• Jesus calms the storm
• Storms of life
• With Christ in the vessel...

Yes all that is true but if we carefully examine the verses, we will see a totally different perspective.

• 4:35 - Let us go over to the other side.
• 5:1-2 - They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.

This changes the whole emphasis.. From the storm the focus is now turned to the demon possessed man. From teaching the multitudes, the scene now focuses on reaching one man who was demon possessed. I am suggesting that if we have only seen the passage as Jesus calming the sea and the waves, we have missed the point. The big picture is really the Missionary heart of God. The missionary heart of God appears again in the fine print. Our God is a missionary God. The Bible is a missionary book. Luke 19:10 -" The Son of man came to seek and save the lost". He came for both the Jews and the gentiles. One of the accusations made against the Lord is that he came only for the Jews. This passage silences the critics. The "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee. They were both Gentile cities filled with citizens who were culturally more Greek than Semitic; this would account for the pigs in the biblical account. The Jews never reared pigs. Jesus was very clear about His purpose. He was a missionary sent from heaven both for the Jews and the Gentiles.

Not only was Jesus clear about his purpose, he was focused on that purpose. In the beginning of the passage, we read that a great multitude was following Jesus. The disciples were having a good time with Jesus. He taught them many things by parables. A church retreat was in session. Anyone would be comfortable in that sort of a situation. We would rather be there forever. Yet in verse 36: That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." You see the heart of God. In the evening when everyone would like to rest, Jesus still pursue his purpose, to reach the lost. The church is the only organisation that exists for non-members. The church cannot lose its focus. The Christian cannot lose his purpose and his focus. There will be many things to distract the believer from the purpose God has for his life. Comfortable Christian community, a wonderful career, household chores, family needs are many distractions that we should guard against.

His focus caused him to leave the comfort zone, just to reach out to one man. J.I. Packer was blunt when he wrote, "It needs to be said loud and clear that in the kingdom of God there ain't no comfort zone and never will be." In the evening, they crossed the lake and probably reached the other side the next morning, thus sacrificing their sleep, their comfort and the good fellowship with the multitudes. In fact the Bible says in Phi 2: 5 - Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! It was the ultimate sacrifice.

Application:

• Do we have a purpose in life, just like Jesus?
• Is that purpose focused on reaching the lost?
• Are we willing to leave the comfort zone just to accomplish that purpose?