EmmDev 2025-05-29 [Treasure Cupboard] ADD

ADD

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts1:9-11)

In South Africa, Ascension Day used to be a public holiday. Since it always fell on a Thursday, it created a long weekend---schools would close, and we would use it for Youth Camps. These are good memories...

So when we talk about Ascension Day in our new context, the first thing people say is: "What a pity it isn't a public holiday any more..." But, if pushed, I wonder how many of us would know why the Ascension of Jesus is important to us.

I wonder if we suffer from A.D.D...
(Ascension Deficit Disorder)...

The Ascension is vitally important in God's Salvation Plan. Here are seven key truths about the Ascension:

1. Jesus has completed His Priestly Ministry: He sits at God's right hand.
   His sacrifice was sufficient. Our sins are completely forgiven. There is nothing more that needs to be done.
2. He has taken our humanity into heaven - Paul tells us that Jesus is the "firstfruit" of the resurrection. We won't be disembodied spirits floating on clouds. We'll have bodies, but we won't be limited by time and space. And, most importantly, Jesus does not discard His humanity - He is "not a high priest who is unfamiliar with our struggles" (Heb.4:15)
3. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit - The Risen and Ascended Lord Jesus, having cleansed and forgiven us, sends His Spirit into our hearts so that we can experience Christ's presence from within and His power can work in and through us.
4. He entrusts His work (making disciples) to us - Our lives have meaning and purpose. We are God's co-workers and He includes us in His work of reaching the world.
5. Jesus intercedes in prayer for us - Jesus, having experienced our humanity, prays for us. He knows hunger, tiredness, betrayal, pain, heartache and loss. What incredible prayers these must be.
6. He prepares a place for us - It's an incredible thought that Jesus, like a gracious host, prepares a place for us. We see this beautifully illustrated when Stephen is stoned. The Ascended Jesus who is seated at the Father's right hand is seen by Stephen - and He is standing to welcome His servant home.
7. He will return and will judge the living and the dead - CS Lewis wrote that our longing for justice is proof that heaven exists. We don't always find justice on earth. But Jesus, the righteous Judge, will balance the books and right the wrongs. Either people will accept His forgiveness and His death will pay their debt, or they will have to pay it themselves, but whichever way it goes - Justice will prevail

These great ascension truths should give us reason to rejoice and give thanks.
So maybe instead of having Ascension Deficit Disorder we should ADD:
Add thanks that He completed the work of our forgiveness
Add hope that He understands our humanity and we have resurrection hope
Add gratitude that His Spirit is in us
Add conviction to share in the work of sharing His love with the world
Add comfort that we are prayed for by Someone who knows our humanity
Add confidence that our place in eternity is secure
Add peace because this broken world will come to an end and a new world is coming

Can I get a Hallelujah?

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EmmDev 2025-05-28 [Moments with Mark] Water Walker and Doubting Disciples

Water Walker and Doubting Disciples

He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night He went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw Him walking on the lake, they thought He was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. (Mark6:48-52)

My favourite part about Jesus walking on the water is how Jesus invites Peter to join Him out on the water. Mark doesn't include that part of the story, probably because he was a protégé of Peter and didn't want his mentor to look bad.

But leaving out the "Peter interlude" also gives this account a more sombre tone especially as one looks at Mark's concluding comment about their hardened hearts.

To unpack this, we need to consider what the disciples have already seen. They've seen miracles of healing and exorcism. Faith moved a few friends to lower a paralysed man through the roof and Jesus healed Him. They've heard demons address Jesus as the Son of God. A raging storm was tamed with a word and a demonic wild graveyard resident was restored to full humanity. Most recently an impossibly huge crowd was fed by sharing an impossibly small lunch.

Now, after all they have experienced, they see Jesus walking on the water. What's sad is that they automatically assume the worst - "It's a ghost!" And when He climbs into the boat, the wind dies down and they are completely amazed.

Now the Greek here is telling: Mark uses the root word "existēmi" which means to be "amazed", "blown away" or "gobsmacked" and he strengthens this already strong word with two modifiers - "lian" ("greatly") and "ekperissōs" ("beyond abundant"). By doing this Mark is creating the impression that this event completely blew them out of the water (pardon the pun) and blindsided them.

Sadly, this gobsmacked amazement is not positive in the sense of "wonder" or "awe", it reflects an unwillingness to assimilate the clues they've had so far. Their response should have been "Oh look He's doing something amazing again, but I guess that's what we can expect when He is who He is - truly the Son of God." But instead they are just unable to allow Jesus to be more than just a man. They just can't grasp the idea that He is God with us.

Today, sadly, we are sometimes too astonished when God does something miraculous. When we pray to the Creator of Heaven and Earth who gave His Son and raised Him from the dead, why should we be utterly gobsmacked when He answers? I'm not saying that we shouldn't be grateful and filled with wonder and awe. But sometimes our amazement reflects expectations that were far too small.

The disciples hearts were hardened, they struggled to raise their expectations.
Let's make sure we don't do the same...

One of my favourite analogies is about children's rhyme where the pussy cat goes to London to see the Queen. What did he do there? He frightened a mouse from under her chair. Talk about low expectations! He could have sat on her lap and drank a bowl of cream. But all he did was frighten a mouse. When we come to worship the God of the Universe what are our expectations? He invites us to expect big things!

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EmmDev 2025-05-27 [Moments with Mark] Praying with His eyes open

Praying with His eyes open

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, He went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and He was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. (Mark6:45-48)

There are some very powerful thoughts in this short passage.

The first is that Jesus dismisses the crowd all by Himself. One can imagine the pressure: "Just one more parable, please Lord?" or "Please just pray for my second cousin's sore toe?" or "Why do bad things happen to good people?" There was always going to be more and more need, but Jesus dismisses the crowd and they go, not because they've all been healed or because every need has been met, but because they've seen enough of God's coming Kingdom that their souls are comforted and they have hope.

The second striking thought is that Jesus, once again, spends time in prayer. Although Mark's gospel is short, punchy and action-packed, Jesus' devotional life is clearly depicted and highlighted. Here, after a very full day, Jesus debriefs and recharges in the solitude of His relationship with His Heavenly Father. Mark later indicates that Jesus prayed until the fourth watch (that's 4AM!) of the night. It is an intimate picture signifying that Jesus depended on His connection to the Father and the Spirit. We too should learn to depend on intimacy with our Heavenly Father.

The last beautiful thought is that the disciples were never far from Jesus' mind... When we were kids we got into trouble when we peeped while praying, but Jesus prayed with His eyes open - vigilantly watching over His disciples and tracking their progress from the mountain where He prayed. He could see they were struggling. He could see the wind against them. He was praying with His eyes open and fixed on the disciples. (Tomorrow we will see that He goes to them.)

He still prays like that for us.

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EmmDev 2025-05-23 [Moments with Mark] More than Food

More than Food

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. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But He answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" "How many loaves do you have?" He asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five--and two fish." Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 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 set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. (Mark6:35-44)

The feeding of the 5000 is recorded in all four Gospels, and each offers a unique perspective:
- Matthew frames the account in the context of Jesus just having been told of John the Baptist's death.
- Luke highlights that Jesus welcomed the crowd and ministered to them.
- John tells us about Andrew bringing the boy with the loaves and fish -- and goes on to record Jesus' Bread of Life discourse.

Here are a few observations from Mark's account:

1. The disciples' concern for the crowd.
   Some suggest they were worried the crowd might become hangry (hungry + angry).
   But I think they were simply doing the best they could - they hadn't yet grasped the full magnitude of Jesus' power.
2. Jesus' response is challenging: "You give them something to eat."
   There are at least three ways to understand this:
   - Jesus may have felt they were passing the buck - and passed it right back.
   - He might have wanted to increase their sense of ownership.
   - His question - and their answer - quantifies the size of the problem and the miracle to come.
3. Sitting down in groups of hundreds and fifties helps explain how they could estimate the size of the crowd.
4. Jesus gave thanks for the meal.
   Because of this, I always make a point of giving thanks for food.
5. Twelve baskets were collected.
   Perhaps one for each disciple, or a symbolic reference to the twelve tribes of Israel.
   Some say the baskets were lunchbox-sized and could be carried around.
   One of my mentors, Calvin Cook, suggests that the women wove the baskets from grass while they waited.
   Whatever the explanation - the symbolism is powerful: God's provision is abundant.

And in the background, we should remember Psalm 23.
Jesus saw the crowd as sheep without a Shepherd - and He shepherded them in both word and action.

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EmmDev 2025-05-22 [Moments with Mark] Interrupted

Interrupted

So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 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. (Mark6:32-34)

I once heard someone describe the ministry as "a series of interruptions punctuated by attempts to have a Quiet Time."

I'm not sure I would describe it quite like that, but Brenda and I talk about the "phone call that changes everything." We have our plans for the day, and then the phone call comes and the day takes a new direction.

Some of the most profound ministry comes out of times like that.

Luke talks about Jesus who came "to seek and save the lost" - and Mark will later quote Jesus saying: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Mark has portrayed Jesus as working hard: relentlessly healing, teaching and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. We've already seen Him being interrupted by His disciples while He was having His devotions, and now the crowds intrude on their rest time.

I'm sure some of the disciples responded wearily, impatiently and negatively as they approached the shore only to see the crowd waiting. But Jesus' first instinct is compassion and grace. And, seeing them as sheep without a Shepherd, He Shepherds them.

Now a cynical reading of this text might conclude: "See, there are always interruptions - so why bother trying to retreat, recover, rest and recuperate?"
But that is not the point of this passage.
The big point of this passage is to recognise that interruptions come.
- and sometimes they come, even during important times of rest.
That does not make rest unimportant
- and we should still try to "come apart and rest a while"

But the key thing is to learn that the way to deal with interruptions is to have COMPASSION.

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EmmDev 2025-05-21 [Moments with Mark] Process Time

Process Time

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught. 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." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. (Mark6:30-32)

The disciples' outreach had been effective. Lives had been changed, the Kingdom had been proclaimed and darkness driven back. One would expect high-fives, celebration and high energy.

But now the crowds were coming even more than before - so much so that they didn't even have a chance to eat.

They were victims of their own success.

And so Jesus does something very important.
"Come with ME, by YOURSELVES to a QUIET PLACE and get some REST."

It's a profoundly important principle to put into place.
When there has been output - even if has been successful and a blessing - rest is needed.

But look at the components...
- Be with HIM - this isn't just sleep, collapse, recharge - It's being with Him
- Bring YOURSELF - There needs to be reflection and we need to be present
- Be in a QUIET PLACE - be careful of filling the space with fluff and noise
- And REST - it should be easy not intense

Sometimes after a full weekend of ministry I tell Brenda that I'm tired and need to rest, but sometimes I have filled that space with watching Sci Fi movies or surfing You Tube music videos. Fun, yes - but candy floss when my soul needs something more substantial.

This Monday Brenda and I took a slow drive out to the Magaliesberg region. We listened to music, drank in the sights, chatted when there was something to say and just enjoyed being together. We reflected on what had gone well and on what felt daunting. We didn't do hectic Bible Study or have an intense time of prayer, but we were deeply aware of His presence and His love even in the midst of much done and much to do.

When last did you have a time like this?

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EmmDev 2025-05-20 [Moments with Mark] A sad interlude

A sad interlude

They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in Him." Others said, "He is Elijah." And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago." But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!" (Mark6:12-16)

When Jesus sent out His disciples two by two, He multiplied His influence significantly.
Across the land people were hearing the news of the coming Kingdom of God and seeing its power in miracles, healings and exorcisms.

News of this reached Herod and provoked an interesting guilt response.
A little background...

• John the Baptist (JohnB) publicly condemned Herod for taking his brother's wife, Herodias.
• Herod had him arrested.
• Herodias held a grudge against John.
• Herod was fascinated but intimidated by John and would occasionally listen to him preach.
• One night at a party, Herodias' daughter danced for Herod and his guests. Intoxicated by alcohol and her performance, Herod foolishly granted her a wish.
• On her mother's advice, she asked for JohnB's head on a platter. Because of his guests and the rash promise he had made, Herod felt compelled to comply.

It's a horrible interlude and a tough reminder that the coming of the Kingdom will be met with resistance.

What's striking is that Herod has a conscience about it.
Sadly, in three years' time when Jesus appears before Herod, it seems that his heart has hardened.

It's a sobering picture:
God is merciful and is at work even in environments of power, corruption and immorality. (Even today)
But humans can harden their hearts...

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EmmDev 2025-05-16 [Moments with Mark] From watching to doing

From watching to doing

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (Mark6:6-13)

The disciples have been watching Jesus.
Now He asks them to go and do...

There are a couple of key points.
Firstly, He gives them authority over evil spirits. It's His authority, not their own and we should never face evil by ourselves or in our own strength or name.

In the second place, they are to go out in faith, taking no provisions, but simply trusting God to provide for them as they go and trusting that God opens hearts along the way.

In the third place, they must stay where God opens a door for them and not become celebrities. (In those days people competed to have popular preachers/teachers to stay with them.) The first person who took a risk on being hospitable should be the person they stayed with.

Finally, they should not stay where hearts were hard, but simply move on.

The disciples went as Jesus sent them, and the gospel was preached and lives were changed...

When it comes to applying this passage to our lives, I have to admit that it is hard to understand how to do that and it is a little intimidating. Our time and context don't make it simple to go out without supplies and preach in towns and villages and it is not like the gospel isn't known. But we can't just dismiss this passage, saying "That was then and this is now..."

If we apply the principles, then remembering that we go in His authority is important. Learning to go in faith and trust that God will provide is also important and we may need to learn more about venturing out in faith. These days we need to look for hospitable hearts and not hospitable homes and recognise that some people are the doorways to certain communities and reaching them will help us reach others. Finally, when people aren't ready for the message, we should not "hammer away" at them, but rather leave that work to the Holy Spirit.

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EmmDev 2025-05-15 [Moments with Mark] Parochial

Parochial

Jesus left there and went to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given Him, that He even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him. Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith. (Mark6:1-6)

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "parochial" has the following primary meanings:

1. "Relating to a Church parish and its local area."
2. Having a limited or narrow outlook or scope.

In the case of today's reading, people had a parochial view of Jesus. They had a narrow-minded or provincial perspective on Him. They'd seen Him grow up and they knew His family and so they measured Him by their experiences and standards.

Their Jesus-picture was domesticated and past-tense.
Their view of Him was parochial.

Ironically, those of us who have been in the church a while run the same risks. We tend to keep Jesus in the dusty streets of Israel and the stories of the Bible. We forget what John said at the end of his gospel: "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (John 21:25)

Jesus is able to work in our lives too.
Let us not only talk about what Jesus DID,
but about what He is DOING!

Which means we can't limit Him.
We can't put Him in a box.
We can't be parochial.

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EmmDev 2025-05-14 [Moments with Mark] Reaching Faith

Reaching Faith

So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around Him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' " But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (Mark5:24-34)

This is the interlude in the account of the healing of Jairus' daughter. Jesus is hurrying because it is a child. The crowd is pressing in, because Jairus was prominent and they hoped to witness a miracle.

The woman has suffered. She's tried all the remedies, potions, rituals, diets and practices. Her malady made her ritually unclean and anyone she touched would be considered unclean too. One would expect her to be cynical and bitter. And yet she has faith.

We don't know if she had only heard of Jesus or if she'd gone to see/hear Him before, but something about Jesus convinced her. Something about His message, His character and His demeanour convinced her that He could be trusted. She was so convinced that she took a major risk by going into the midst of the crowd and touching Jesus' robe.

And it was a major big risk. She was ritually contaminating everyone she jostled with in the crowd and if any who knew of her condition saw her or if any evidence of her condition were to be noticed, people would have been very angry.

Furthermore, she decided to seek anonymous healing by simply touching His garment. This was probably for multiple reasons: (1)Not bothering Jesus, (2)consideration for the plight of the child, (3)not wanting to reveal how she had ritually contaminated the people she had brushed against and (4)she was used to not being touched.

Her faith was rewarded and she was instantly healed physically. But Jesus had more than her physical healing in mind - He wanted to heal her spiritually, emotionally and socially. By getting her to come forward and tell her story, she is able to express her pain and isolation and Jesus is able to call her "daughter" and commend her for her faith. This would give her closure, assurance and respect from the crowd.

Her reaching faith was met by a Saviour who could do more than she could ever think or imagine!

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EmmDev 2025-05-13 [Moments with Mark] Jairus

Jairus

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around Him while He was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet and pleaded earnestly with Him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him. ...[INTERLUDE}.... While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at Him. After He put them all out, He took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark5:21-43)

The story of Jairus doesn't read the same if we don't include the interlude where how Jesus pauses His helter-skelter rescue mission to help the woman who had the long-term bleeding. Can you imagine how Jairus was hopping from one foot to the other, chewing his nails, dying inside while it happened?

Let's think about Jairus...
It must be said that most of the religious leaders where opposed to Jesus. Jairus must have been different or desperate to come to Jesus. I suspect it was a bit of both. His desperation is seen in how he fell at Jesus' feet and pleaded with Him. His differentness is seen in how he trusts Jesus even after the interruption and the news of his daughter's passing.

I'm fascinated at the moment where all the professional mourners and musicians laugh at Jesus. Mark simply says "After He put them all out..."
Don Fransisco puts it like this:
"With authority I've never heard from the lips of any man,
He spoke and every sound rolled out with the thunder of command,
And in the sudden silence they all hurried for the door
Wondering what the reason was they'd ever come there for."

Then look at the tenderness of the resurrection. He takes her hand and says "Little girl, get up"
And then, when she awakes, He tells them to keep this private and with the tenderness that we would associate with doting granny, He reminds them to give her something to eat."

Imagine the roller coaster Jairus must have been through.
Imagine his pictures of Jesus.
There's hope, then frustration as He stops, a glimmer of hope when he sees Jesus' compassion for the woman, blind trust when he hears of his daughter's passing and Jesus tells him to believe. Then horror when the mourners laugh and goosebumps when Jesus dismisses them and then awe and wonder when He raises his daughter from the dead.

What a story he would have to tell!
------------------------
You can listen to and watch Don Francisco's dramatic retelling of this story here: https://youtu.be/F8F4UyuzEO4

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EmmDev 2025-05-09 [Moments with Mark] Calming a human storm #4

Calming a human storm #4

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with Him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. (Mark5:18-20)

The conclusion of this story is that Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee to the "other side" and ultimately reached one man, the GGG (Gerasene Grave Guy). The rest of the people asked Him to leave.

I don't blame the GGG for wanting to leave with Jesus. After all, his own people had chained him and treated him badly and they would probably blame him about the pigs. But Jesus sends him to tell his story - and he goes to the ten towns on the south and east of Galilee (called the Decapolis (Deca=10 and Polis=towns))

The interesting thing is that the next time Jesus returns to this area, there is a complete turnaround: People are receptive and He needs to feed 4000 people who are there listening to his teaching. (See Mark 7 & 8.) It is widely accepted among scholars that the change in response to Jesus in the Decapolis is due to the missionary activity of this man.

There are four key lessons to learn from this amazing encounter:

1. While this account is somewhat unsettling, it does remind us that evil is real and should not be trifled with.
2. It also demonstrates the authority and power of Jesus and shows us that He has power over the forces of darkness and that even the darkness knows who He is and knows His power and authority... and trembles...
3. It shows the compassion of Jesus who comes "to the other side" for just one man
4. It shows how the gospel can spread when one man tells his story.

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EmmDev 2025-05-08 [Moments with Mark] Calming a human storm #3

Calming a human storm #3

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. (Mark5:14-17)

There will always be rubber-neckers...
A confrontation between good and evil - a herd of pigs plunging into the lake - a well known trouble-maker allegedly healed and so the people come from all over when they hear about what happened and, without being macabre, they're taking the pig carcasses for food. Agricultural cultures are pragmatic.
The point is that there would have been a lot of people.

And there's the man they had given up on - the man who they had chained up like a wild animal. He's sitting with Jesus - dressed and in his right mind.

They beg Jesus to leave.
- They're scared of Him.
- They don't want Him disturbing their lives any more.
- And maybe they felt a bit guilty.

Sometimes we push Jesus from our lives too...

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EmmDev 2025-05-07 [Moments with Mark] Calming a human storm #2

Calming a human storm #2

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of Him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. (Mark5:6-13)

There is a raw and primal feel to this encounter. Not many of us have encountered people who are demon-possessed and who have reached such a desperate state. The man runs to Jesus - the human being is desperate. He shouts at the top of his voice - the demonic forces inside him are terrified of Jesus. There is a storm roiling inside this poor desperate man.

Jesus wants to set the man free. The demonic forces are many. A Roman legion consisted of 6000 soldiers. Yet these forces are terrified of Jesus. He is able to demand their name and they are begging for mercy.
This is a clear picture of the power of the Messiah even on "the other side of the lake."
One should not miss the title they give Him: "Jesus, Son of the Most High God."
This title is given to Jesus, by Mark, by God Himself at Jesus' baptism, by the Roman Centurion and, as we see here, even by His enemies.

Many people are bothered by the fact that Jesus allows the demons into the pigs, when the pigs then rush into the lake. They feel bad about the pigs and about the impact of this loss on the farmers. Some argue that the Jews considered pigs unclean, but this is a Gentile area. I think there are three main reasons Jesus allows this. Firstly, it demonstrates the destructive power and intent of evil. It was a warning about playing on Satan's playground. Secondly, it is a demonstration of the man's deliverance and the defeat of the evil powers. In the third place, I think it is a judgement on the people in the region who chained and restrained the man and were very possibly unnecessarily cruel to him.

While this account is somewhat unsettling, it does remind us that evil is real and should not be trifled with. It also demonstrates the authority and power of Jesus and shows us that He has power over the forces of darkness and that even the darkness knows who He is and knows His power and authority... and trembles...

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EmmDev 2025-05-06 [Moments with Mark] Calming a human storm #1

Calming a human storm #1

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 man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. (Mark5:1-5)

Gerasenes was "the other side" of the lake and, in many ways, the other side of the tracks. It was mainly Gentiles who lived there (hence all the pigs that we'll meet later) and the Jews looked down on them.

It is significant that Jesus went there. It speaks of His commitment to all of humankind. Everyone needs to hear.

The Gerasene Grave Guy (the GGG) was in trouble:
- He was possessed by an evil spirit - He was a slave of Satan
- He lived among the graves: Although physically alive, he was spiritually dead.
- He couldn't be bound: He was out of control
- He couldn't be controlled: And it seems he could not control himself
- He was in pain and inflicted pain to himself: Self-defeating and self-destructive behaviour.

Maybe he saw the storm over the lake being stilled. Maybe he experienced the relief in the air that one feels when a storm has finally broken. Maybe he sensed the presence of the Storm-Stiller as He climbed out of the boat, but, whatever the reason, this poor man comes running to Jesus.

Although his condition is extreme, it is indicative of the fate of humanity.
- We are under the power of Satan - "prince of this world" (See John 12:31) and the "ruler of the kingdom of the air" (Eph.2:2)
- We are spiritually dead even though physically alive
- We are out of control - just watch the news and look at how we stick to our diets and resolutions
- We are in pain and a lot of it is self-inflicted.

The Good News is that the Storm-Stiller comes to the "other side" - He comes to you and me.

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