Jesus: Savior of the whole world
Mark 7:31-8:26
Verse 31, which starts this passage of scripture shows, among other things, that Jesus really wanted to reach the people. He moved around the country like our presidential candidates do, trying to reach as many places as He could in the period of time he had so He could spread His message of love. In this verse, He travels 80 miles, on foot, from one semi-Gentile region to another.
In this new region, called the Decapolis, Jesus healed a deaf mute. He then told the people not to tell anyone. Why? I don’t know. Either he wanted to get some work done in peace, which seems unlikely, or He was using “Child Psychology” much like we would tell a child, “whatever you do, don’t touch that red button” knowing full well that that’s exactly what the child will do next. No one can resist a red button.
After three days in the wilderness, preaching to another multitude, Jesus had compassion on them and asked the disciples to feed them. They (again) said that they could not feed such a group, but Jesus blessed the seven loaves and they reaped seven large baskets of leftovers. Jesus scolded His disciples later for not realizing that if He could feed the people once, He could do it a second time. And why is this second story of a mass feeding recorded so soon after the first mass feeding? The first time, He was feeding Jews, and He reaped 12 baskets, which is the number of tribes in Israel. This time, He was in Gentile country and He reaped seven baskets, which is the number of Gentile churches John writes to later in Revelations. Jesus came to feed Jews and Gentiles, or the whole world.
In 8:11, the Pharisees wanted a sign that Jesus is of God. Jesus said “no signs for you!” What He was really saying was this: “Geesh, I sent a bunch of prophets, made it pretty clear in the Bible that I’d be here at this time, I even sent John the Baptist to prepare the way. What did you do? You killed the messengers and ignored My teaching! If you don’t already get it that I’m the Messiah, you never will.” Jesus had a hard time with Pharisees. He later warned his disciples of the “leaven” of the Pharisees (hypocrisy) and of Herod (worldliness). The disciples thought He was talking about bread (you notice that Jesus sighs a lot in this passage).
At the end of this passage, Jesus healed a blind man in stages, showing that sometimes healing is gradual rather than immediate. Healing can be a process.
Well, I’m sold. Jesus healed people with infirmities, fed the whole world, patiently taught those who would listen, scolded those who wouldn’t. It’s pretty clear to me that Jesus demonstrated His love for humanity through acts of service and by the words that came out of His mouth. And He’s still doing these things today! God’s not dead. He is alive. Thank Him for all He’s done.
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