Stepping in the Light

“And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:21-24

When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, He found His disciples unsuccessfully trying to cast an evil spirit out of a boy. The father of the young boy said to Jesus, “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” The father had failed to help his son. This man had undoubtedly taken his son to many other people for help, but to no avail. As the man brought the boy to Jesus, he came first to the disciples; and since Jesus had not been there, he had asked them to help, but they could not. The boy’s father was desperately continuing to seek help, but he had long since given up hope that anyone could actually help his son. He said to Jesus, “If thou canst do anything….” Jesus told him that all things are possible to him that believeth.

This father is a good picture of us as Christians. He knew that it was his job as a father to find help for his son, so he kept seeking for help in spite of the fact that he no longer believed it would do any good. If we aren’t careful, we can fall into the same trap. We are doing “Christian” things, but are we believing that Christ is able to make a difference in our lives?

“There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Mark 7:15, 21-23

The Pharisees taught that there were certain times that water must be poured over the hands, and there were specific instructions for how it should be done. These rituals were not performed for the purpose of personal hygiene, but rather for fulfilling tradition. When the Pharisees saw that some of Jesus’ disciples had eaten without first performing the ceremonial pouring of water over the hands, they immediately asked Jesus why the disciples were not keeping the tradition of the elders. In His answer, Jesus made a distinction between physical and spiritual cleanliness. Our Lord explained that the food that we eat, regardless of whether or not we have washed our hands before we have eaten it, passes through our bodies with no effect on our spirituality. Of course, Jesus knew the value of the hygienic handwashing we practice today, but He also knew that hygiene was not a part of the Pharisee’s complaint. They believed that the disciples were becoming spiritually unclean because of their lack of observing this tradition. Jesus’ answer shows us that it is not what goes into our mouths, but what comes out of our hearts that reveals our spiritual condition.

“And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.” Numbers 20:10-11

Moses had smitten a rock in order to bring forth water before, but that time it was exactly what God had told him to do. God had told Moses to smite the rock, representing Jesus’ death on the cross. Now, many years later, the people were complaining of thirst once again. This time, God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come forth. This was to picture the availability of God’s grace to all who simply cry out to the Lord for His mercy. Christ died for us once, and now the water of life is free to all who ask. But this time, Moses was angry. He spoke roughly to the people and struck the rock twice with his rod. God, in His mercy, still miraculously met the need, and water gushed forth to satisfy the people. However, God told Moses that he would no longer be allowed to bring the people into the Promised Land because he disobeyed.

Impulsive, angry behavior can be incredibly destructive. We need to be careful to bring our anger in check to avoid saying or doing things that we will regret later. God used Moses to perform more miracles than any other person in the Old Testament, but even he was subject to acting in anger.

“And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Mark 6:30-31

After a relatively short time of training, Jesus sent his disciples out to preach and teach. He had given them the power to do the same miracles that He had done. As they traveled and preached, they were amazed at the things that they saw God do. When they returned, they were so excited to tell Jesus about all of the things that they had seen happen. Jesus encouraged them to take some time and rest after all of the things that they had experienced.

Rest is important. Our bodies need rest from physical labor, our minds need rest from perplexing problems, and our spirits need rest from tension and emotional strain. It seems that many people are overstressed in our present day culture. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). God does not want us to be stressed out or to burn out. He wants us to rest in Him. There is a spiritual rest that we have when we have placed our faith in Christ for salvation. “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). It is our privilege to work for the Lord, but at the same time, He wants us to rest in Him.

“But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.” Mark 6:4-6

Early in His ministry, Jesus visited Nazareth, the area where He grew up. He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and began to teach, just like He had done in many other places. When the people heard Jesus speaking, they were offended by the way that He taught. They remembered Him as the carpenter’s son who was running errands for his father, and now He spoke with the authority of a seasoned, educated rabbi. Where had He been? Who had trained Him? What brought about such a change?

Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith, and verse six says that “He could there do no mighty work.” Our lack of faith limits God’s ability to work in our lives. God has the same amount of power whether we believe in Him or not, but He has chosen to work on behalf of those who exercise faith in Him. Jesus certainly had the power to cast out devils and raise the dead in His home town, just as He had done in other places; but no one had enough faith to enable Him to help them in that way. Do you believe that God wants to work in your life? Your faith is what unleashes His power.

“Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.” Numbers 13:2

When I was a boy, I often thought about Moses sending the twelve spies into the land of Canaan. Each time I thought about the fact that ten of the spies brought back an evil report, and that the people of Israel listened to them more than they listened to Joshua and Caleb, I always thought that Moses made a mistake in sending them in. I blamed Moses for the people’s failure to go in to the Promised Land because I thought if Moses had not sent in the spies, the people would have just marched in to Canaan and started winning battles.  But one day I was reading this passage and I realized that Moses did not do anything wrong. God told Moses to send these spies into the land. Who was at fault then, and what did they do wrong? The ten spies who came back and gave their opinion about the conquest were the ones who were wrong. They were sent to search the land and bring back a report of what was there; they were not asked to give their opinion. These men had the opportunity to see the wonders of Canaan, but they failed to believe that God would give them the land. They had seen the miracles of Egypt and had eaten the manna in the wilderness, but they did not believe that God could help them conquer Canaan. They failed because they did not believe God. God wants you to be victorious. Have faith in Him!

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward. When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.” Numbers 10:1-6

Communication is vital within any group of people. The Israelites were presented with unique challenges because of the size of their encampment and the number of people dwelling there. God told Moses to make two silver trumpets and develop a system of signals that could be easily heard by the people and convey a simple message to everyone simultaneously. This would help them to immediately begin working together to achieve a common goal. We do not know exactly what these trumpets were like, but it is possible that they could have been heard for miles in every direction. God knew that Moses would need to be able to communicate with the people efficiently in order to complete their journey in the wilderness. Communication is just as important to us today. What new channels of communication could you open with others today?

“And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.” Numbers 7:3-5

At the dedication of the tabernacle, the princes of the twelve tribes of Israel brought an offering that included twelve oxen and six covered wagons. These wagons were to be used in the transport of the tabernacle as they moved from place to place. Three families of the Levites were given the responsibility of carrying the tabernacle and all of its furnishings as they journeyed through the wilderness. God told Moses that the wagons should be given to the Levites according to their service. The sons of Merari were given four wagons because they transported the framework of the tabernacle. The sons of Gershon received two wagons because they were in charge of the coverings of the tabernacle. The sons of Kohath were not given wagons, because they were chosen to carry the furnishings of the tabernacle. These items were so sacred that no one was ever allowed to see them, and they always had to be carried by hand. Using wagons would certainly have been easier, but they had the sacred privilege of carrying the most holy things. We must remember that God is always faithful to give us the tools we need to complete the tasks He has for us.

“And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” Mark 4:20

The Parable of the Sower contains four types of soil: the wayside, stony ground, thorny ground, and good ground. Three of the four types of soil have the potential to germinate seed, but only one type of soil brings forth fruit. Jesus explained that the sower is one who sows the Word of God. Everyone needs the opportunity to hear the truth of the gospel, and the only way that people will hear is if Christians share the good news. Some people hear the gospel and it has no effect on them. They reject it or ignore it and immediately begin thinking about something else. Other people hear the gospel and they are happy about becoming a believer, but they soon face problems and stop growing in grace. These are Christians whose growth is stymied by affliction, persecution, the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. They are believers, but they never bear fruit.

Good ground produces fruit, but it requires cultivation. The ground needs to be tilled and the stones need to be removed. The thorns and weeds need to be pulled and discarded. It seems that Jesus is saying that if we want to bear fruit as Christians, we are going to have to work at it. If we want God to classify us as good ground, we must allow His Word to cultivate our hearts until we begin to bring forth fruit for His glory.

“And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.” Mark 3:22-27

The scribes were constantly looking for ways to discredit Jesus. In this passage, they accused Him of being possessed by the prince of devils and using that power to cast out evil spirits. Jesus responded by pointing out that their accusation was based on faulty logic. Satan is a powerful foe, and none of us has a chance against him on our own. The devil hates us because of how much God loves us, and his attacks against mankind are evidence of his constant struggle against God’s plan. Jesus asserted that Satan is not confused; he is not fighting against himself. He is fighting against God and against mankind, and his goal is to do as much damage as possible. Nevertheless, Jesus is much stronger than Satan. He is able to bind the strong man and spoil his house. Even though the devil is trying to destroy us, we do not have to fear him because “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).