Study: How did the Pharisees try to trap Jesus with their question? What did Jesus teach in these passages about the sacredness of marriage and family, including children?
Apply: How does your church family encourage and mentor married couples and their children?
Share: Your friend says she would love to work with the kids in Adventurers, but with so much in the media today concerning teachers and kids, she does not want to be falsely accused of anything, so she has decided not to participate. What do you tell your friend? See Coaching and Mentoring Vs. Grooming.
Read in Class:Mark 10:17-31. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What crucial lessons about faith and the cost of discipleship—for anyone, rich or poor—is revealed here?
Apply: Read Romans 6:1-11. How do these verses describe the reality of letting go of selfish ambition and following Jesus.
Share: Your friend asks, why did Jesus ask the young ruler to sell all that he had? Why not just some of what he had or even just half? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:Mark 10:32-45. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: How do these verses reveal the continued ignorance of the disciples regarding not only Jesus’ mission but what it means to follow Him?
Apply: What does it mean as a Christian to be a “servant” to others? That is, how do you manifest this principle in your daily interaction with people?
Share: Your friend asks you if you can name a leader who has led with a servant’s heart? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: Mark 10:46-52. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: How did Bartimaeus react to Jesus’ passing by?
Apply: In what ways have you at times cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”? What happened, and what did you learn from this experience?
Share: Can you think of someone who could use Jesus’ help this week? How can you be the hands of Jesus in helping that person this week?
Main Theme: This section of the second Gospel is marked off by the healing of two different blind men, one at the middle of Mark 8:1-38 and the other at the end of Mark 10:1-52. These miracle “bookends” illustrate dramatically how discipleship includes spiritual insight regarding who Jesus is and where He is going. As His teachings challenged the twelve disciples about two thousand years ago, so they continue to confront disciples today with the deep cost, and benefit, of following Jesus.
Read in Class: Mark 8:22-30. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: Why did it take Jesus two touches to heal the blind man, and what lessons came out of this account?
Apply: What does this story teach us about times when it’s important not to say some things, however true they might be?
Share: Your friend asks you if it has ever taken you a while to understand something in Scripture. What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:Mark 8:31-38. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What does Jesus teach here about the cost of following Christ?
Apply: “ ‘He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life’ ” (John 12:25). How have you experienced the reality of these words?
Share: Your friend asks you if there was ever a time when you had to make a public stand or confession for Jesus, maybe even when no one else was standing up for Jesus? What do you tell your friend?
Study: What did Peter, James, and John see one night with Jesus?
Apply: In what situations, if any, have you had to cry out, “ ‘I believe; help my unbelief’ ”? What did you learn from those experiences?
Share: Your friend asks what led to the disciples lack of faith in this story. What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:Mark 9:30-41. Define the main idea in this passage.
Study: What is different about Jesus’ second prediction of His death and resurrection (compare with Mark 8:31)? Also, what do the disciples argue about, and what instruction does Jesus give?
Apply: What is the biblical idea of greatness in contrast to the world’s idea? Which one are you striving for?
Share: Your friend says, we may not come right out and say we are the greatest, but in what ways or actions do people try to say they are the greatest today?
Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) Mark 7:19 NLT
First let me say that I am explaining this with the NLT instead of the KJV, because most of our friends will be asking about this passage after reading it from the NLT and we can properly explain it using the NLT, so let’s do so.
In Mark 7 the religious leaders are asking Jesus why He does not have His disciples follow the man -made tradition of washing of hands before eating. Jesus replies by defending the Old Testament Scriptures over man-made traditions.
Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ Mark 7:6-7 NLT
Jesus is using the Old Testament as the standard against man made traditions. So it is very clear that Jesus is not doing away with any Old Testament teachings about eating pork or not. He would not defend the Old Testament and condemn man made traditions and then turn around and do away with the commands in Leviticus 11 all the same breath. That would not make sense. The context in both Jesus and the Pharisees’ minds is ceremonial washing and not pork. Jesus explains that it is not what goes in and out of our bodies that makes us clean or not but what comes out of the heart. Jesus finishes by saying,
Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) Mark 7:19 NLT
Now in the KJV Mark 7:9 ends with “purging all meats” While the NLT says “every kind of food.” The NLT is actually more accurate here. The word that the KJV used for meat is the Greek word, “bromata.” Bromata simply means food. It does not necessarily mean flesh. So the NLT is right, Jesus said the food that comes out of your body is clean regardless if you did the traditional washing of hands or not. Again clean or unclean flesh is clearly not the issue here. Again Jesus would not exalt the Old Testament over the traditions of man and then turn around and do away with what the Old Testament taught. He is doing away with the traditions of man. Again, “bromata” simply means food not flesh of any kind though it could include flesh I suppose. So Jesus is declared all foods clean regardless of the traditional washing. When the NLT says every food is acceptable in God’s eyes it is absolutely accurate. Pork was never considered food in this context either by Jesus or the pharisees. We have to keep things in context. When you tell your kids there is no school today so you can do whatever you want, it goes without saying that they still can’t rob a bank. When you said “anything” the context was automatically understood. Likewise when it says “thus purging all meats” in the KJV or “declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes,” the context is automatically understood that the food is clean regardless if one did the ceremonial washing or not. The Ceremonial washing does not make the food clean or unclean. The context in this story has absolutely nothing to do with pork or other unclean flesh being made clean. Matthew makes the context even more abundantly clear.
For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.” Matthew 15:20 NLT
Matthew 15:19-20 makes the context in Mark 7:19 abundantly clear that Jesus is talking about washing with unclean hands and not about pork. Again pork was not the issue to any of the parties participating in the discussion taking place in Mark 7 and Matthew 15.
If Jesus had declared pork clean in Mark 7 then I would really be confused why later, in Acts 10 Peter was still following the regulations in Leviticus 11. And even then Peter makes the context of the vision of Acts 10 abundantly clear in Acts 10:28 NLT “But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.” Peter tells us the context of the vision was clearly about Jews and gentiles and not clean and unclean flesh foods. While stressing the importance of context, I should also point out that in 1 Corinthians 8 when Paul is saying you can eat whatever you want, 1 Corinthians 8:1 makes food sacrificed to idols as the abundantly clear context. Again eating pork never crossed Paul’s mind while he was speaking or writing.
Regardless if we are Jew or gentile, before the cross or after the cross we all have the same stomachs, and we don’t need just the Bible to tell us how unhealthy pork is. Just ask your doctor. My doctor, who is not even an Adventist had a video playing in the waiting room, telling us that pork triples your chances of heart disease. Let’s close by looking at this the same way we should look at every Bible teaching, in the light of the cross. In Romans 12:1-2 we are told to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Just as Jesus gave His body for us on the cross, we give our bodies to Christ as a living sacrifice. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that whatever we eat or drink we should do for the glory of God. That includes way more than just eating pork or not. This is a challenge for all of us, including myself especially. Let’s live and eat and drink in the light of the cross, and eat and drink to have healthy bodies to help us spread the Gospel of Jesus.
You may sutdy this week’s Sabbath School Lesson here.
You may study more about healthy living in light of the cross here.
Main Theme: In Jesus’ teachings He put the Scriptures above man made traditions.
Read in Class: Mark 7:1-23. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: What relevant truths are presented here? What did Jesus say causes contamination of a person?
Apply: Might we have some “traditions” that perhaps conflict with the principles of God’s law? If so, what might they be?
Share: Your friend says that according to this story we have just read, that it is okay to eat pork? What do you tell you your friend? How might Matthew 15:20 help clarify things for your friend? See also, Does Mark 7 Tell us it is Okay to eat Pork?
Read in Class: Mark 7:24-30. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: What important lessons are found in this story?
Apply: Why is prejudice against other races and nationalities contrary to the teaching of Jesus? How can we seek to be purged of this evil?
Share: Your friend says that Jesus appears to be a little prejudice Himself in this story? Your friend asks why He was acting the way He was. What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: Mark 7:31-37. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: Who was brought to Jesus, and what did Jesus do for him?
Apply: What do you do with the gifts you have been given regarding hearing and speaking (for they are gifts)? How are you using them?
Share: Your friend asks why Jesus told people not to tell about the wonderful things he did for them. What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: Mark 8:11-21. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What approach by the Pharisees deeply disappointed Jesus? What had the disciples forgotten, and what point did Jesus make from this?
Apply: How can we learn to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality of God and to His love? Dwell on all the evidence that we have been given for God and for His love. At times, though, why does it seem so easy to doubt?
Share: What portion of this week’s Bible study do you think may be important to share with someone this week? How might you share this teaching with someone this week?
Read in Class:Mark 5:21-43. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What characteristics particularly stand out about Jairus? What interrupts the progress toward Jairus’s house?
Apply: The disciples asked Jesus how He knew someone touched him, while so many people were incidentally running into Him in the crowd. What is the difference between brushing up against Jesus and reaching out to touch Him? How can we apply incidentally running into Jesus or actually touching Him in our prayer and devotional life?
Share: Your friend asks why Jesus said the girl was not dead but sleeping, when it says He raised her from the dead? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: Mark 6:1-6. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: Why did Jesus’ hometown people reject Him?
Apply: Have you ever experienced rejection by your own friends, family or even church? Did this expereince draw you closer to Jesus? How did it help you mature in your faith?
Share: Your friend asks why Jesus’ own family and townfolks rejected Him? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:Mark 6:34-52. Define the main idea of this passage.
Study: What was the problem Jesus and His disciples confronted, and how was it solved?
Apply: What should this story tell us about why a correct understanding of prophecy is important? If a false understanding of Christ’s first coming led to disaster for some, how much more so could a false understanding do the same for some in regard to His second?
Share: Can you share a time when you thought you may not have enough and God still worked a miracle to provide for you?
Something always bothered me about the story about Jesus calming the storm, and why Jesus asked His disciples where their faith was? I thought they were showing faith when they asked Him to calm the storm. Then one day it finally dawned on me. Let’s look.
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So, they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:35-40 NLT
First it is important to notice that it was Jesus’ idea to cross the lake. Many times, we are following Jesus’ leading, but when things start to go wrong and we run into problems we start doubting our calling. I remember when I was living in Texas and got the call to be a Bible Worker in Florida. Everything seemed to be working out perfectly so I felt it was God’s will to go. While I was in the middle of what I considered to be a smooth transition, my aunt said something that surprised me. She said, “You are going to run into problems in Florida. But God will still be with you.” Her words proved true. Without going into detail not everything went as smooth at first as I thought it would. But God was with me and got me through those storms, until finally I was sailing on peaceful seas. When Jesus calls us, He is aware of the storms ahead. Sometimes He calls us into the storm. The question we need to ask ourselves, is not “Will everything work out smoothly?” The only question we need to ask ourselves is, “Did Jesus call me?”
This leads me to why Jesus asked the disciples about their faith after He calmed the storm. I always thought He was questioning if He could calm the storm but that clearly was not the case. They knew He could calm the storm. That is why they were calling on Him. I believe what Jesus was really asking was, “Don’t you have any faith? Why did you need me to calm this storm? Why couldn’t you just ride this storm out with me?”
If Joseph had never been sold and betrayed by his family, his dream of being a ruler never would have come true. If Naomi’s husband and sons had never died, she never would have gone back to her homeland with Ruth, where Ruth became an important role in the lineage of the Savior. If the early church had never been persecuted it never would have had to flee to spread the Gospel in foreign lands. It is often the storms of life that get us to where we need to be. Sailboats move by the wind, and if there is no wind there is no progress. Instead of asking Jesus to calm every storm our way, we need to have the faith to ride out the storm with Jesus and have enough faith to let Jesus take us wherever the storm needs to take us.
A while back a friend shared with me an experience where his family abandoned him as a very small child by the side of the road. It was heartbreaking. As an adult my friend asked Jesus where He was when his family abandoned him at such an early age. He told me God opened his eyes, and immediately he relived the scene where He was abandoned, except this time He saw Jesus walking beside him on the side of the road, smiling at him with love. Not too long after that I went through a stressful situation, nothing like being abandoned by family or friends, but to me a storm, nonetheless. As I prayed about my “storm” one morning, I remembered my friend’s testimony. This may sound silly, but I just spent a few moments imagining myself in the boat with Jesus in the middle of the storm. I imagined Jesus and me just sitting together in the bottom of the boat smiling at each other, while the boat was tossed about on the waves and the disciples were all freaking out. I imagined Jesus smiling and winking at me assuring me everything was going to be okay, and there was no reason to freak out with the disciples. This gave me peace in the middle of the storm and of course everything worked out fine in the end.
Recently I was on an airplane that hit some turbulence. I and many of the other passengers have experienced turbulence on a plane before so it did not alarm any of us. We just kept listening to our music and reading our books. I reminded myself I should stay just as calm when life hits turbulence. I should remain calm, and just ride out the storm with Jesus. Having enough faith to believe Jesus can calm the storm is one thing. Having enough faith to not ask Jesus to calm the storm, and just ride it out with Him is even greater.
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
Main Theme: Jesus used parables to help His listeners relate to the Gospel.
Read in Class: Mark 4:1-9. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: What are the different soils like, and what happens to the seed that falls on them?
Apply: What are some other spiritual lessons that we can learn from nature?
Share: Your friend asks, you if you have ever seen any fruit from the spiritual seeds you have planted. What testimonies can you share with your friend?
Read in Class: Mark 4:10-20. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: Why did Jesus teach in parables, and how did Jesus interpret the parable of the sower?
Apply: Consider your own life. Are any characteristics of the path, the rocky ground, or weedy ground creeping into your experience? This could happen more subtly than you realize. What choice can you make to change, if need be?
Share: Your friend asks why Jesus did not want those on the outside to understand the parables? What do you tell your friend? Hint: 1 Corinthians 2:14.
Read in Class: Mark 4:21-25. What are the main ideas of these passages?
Study: What is Jesus’ special emphasis in the parable of the lamp? What lesson is Jesus conveying with the parable of the measuring basket?
Apply: How can we better understand the principle that with what measure you use, it will be measured to you? Think about it in all your dealings with others.
Share: Your friend asks why the one has little has even that taken away from them? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: Mark 4:26-32. What are the main ideas of these passages?
Study: What is the primary focus of each parable? What is the important stress of the parable of the mustard seed?
Apply: “ ‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’ ” (Matthew 24:14). Consider what the “church” was like when Jesus made that prediction. Why is this such a remarkable and faith-affirming prediction?
Share: Your friend asks you how you are currently sowing the Gospel seeds. What do you tell your friend?
Amplified controversies can silence the Gospel, or amplifying the Gospel can silence controversies.
The church in Jesus’ day was praying. They prayed so much Jesus had to warn people not to be showing off how much they were praying and to pray in their closets. The church in Jesus’ day was debating Scripture. Many lawyers and Pharisees would approach Jesus with some Scripture they wanted to argue over or debate. They all quoted Scripture to each other. Yet, even though they knew the Scriptures and prayed a lot, they still crucified Jesus.
Why didn’t praying and quoting Scripture keep them from turning around and crucifying the Son of God? Well, here is one thing they weren’t doing. They weren’t reaching out to serve others. They weren’t sharing the Gospel with the Samaritans and the rest of the world. They would rather be stirring up controversy in the church instead of sharing the Gospel with the world. That kind of a mindset led them to crucify Jesus. After all they had to get rid of Jesus so the Romans would not take away their church where they could have power struggles and controversies. We read of the exact opposite happening during the Protestant reformation.
In Wesley’s time, as in all ages of the church’s history, men of different gifts performed their appointed work. They did not harmonize upon every point of doctrine, but all were moved by the Spirit of God, and united in the absorbing aim to win souls to Christ. The differences between Whitefield and the Wesleys threatened at one time to create alienation; but as they learned meekness in the school of Christ, mutual forbearance and charity reconciled them. They had no time to dispute, while error and iniquity were teeming everywhere, and sinners were going down to ruin. –Ellen White, Great Controversy, Pages 257-258
While the reformers did not agree on every point, they amplified the Gospel and silenced controversies. Please notice that even though they did not all agree on every point they were still all led by the Holy Spirit. They avoided needless controversy so they could reach the lost, instead of avoiding the lost to engage in needless controversy.
Of course I realize not all controversy is needless, There are issues and controversies that must be faced. At the same time we have to choose our battles well. We don’t have to die on every hill. Daniel was a man of strict integrity who still got promoted in Babylon, of all places. I imagine he chose his battles well. His diet was very important. His prayer life was so important he would not back down even from the lion’s den. At the same time I can’t see Daniel getting promoted in Babylon by making an issue out of every little thing. I see him following the counsel Paul gave us, to live as peacefully with people as possible, instead of stirring up controversy. For Daniel to be such a man of integrity and still get promoted in Babylon, he must have learned some diplomacy. Again I don’t see him doing that by making mountains out of molehills and fighting every battle that could possibly be fought, and dying on every hill there was to die on.
Let’s consider the story of the paralytic. Let’s pay attention to the different participants in this story and what each person or group were doing. Which ones were engaged in the Gospel and which ones were engaged in controversy?
And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. ]Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Mark 2:1-12 NKJV
Jesus was preaching the Gospel. Some were carrying a man to Jesus so he could benefit from the gospel. Notice, though, it’s the people seated in the house that are causing controversy, (not all, I am sure) by questioning Jesus’ right to forgive. Jesus was too busy for controversy because He was too busy preaching the Gospel. As a matter of fact, His only response to the controversy was to amplify the Gospel by healing the man as well as forgiving him. The people bringing the paralytic to Jesus were so busy helping the man find Jesus that they had no time to engage in controversy. The only people in this story who had time for controversy were the people sitting in church waiting for something to be said that could turn into a controversy.
Maybe there would be less time for controversy if we were all like the Wesleyans engaged in helping sinners find the Savior. Maybe there would be less time for controversy if instead of sitting in church critiquing the new elder’s sermon and his wife’s dress, we were busy creating an opening in the church to let people in who are hungering and thirsting for forgiveness and the Gospel.
Maybe you’re right. Maybe the red carpet in the church does need to be replaced with an earth tone carpet instead. But while you were pleading your case in the board meeting, a young single mother could have used an encouraging phone call reminding her she is not alone and God loves her. You can amplify the need for earth tone carpet or you can amplify the Gospel.
Maybe you’re right. Maybe the church should have reimbursed you for traveling all the way to see a church member in the larger hospital all the way in the city. You also had to pay for parking. The church did not reimburse you for that either, even though they paid for the youth group to go into the city to buy ice cream. It’s not fair. But you got to share Jesus with the sick church member and even prayed with the person in the next bed. Leave that with Jesus. After all, you did not do it for the church. You did it for Jesus. Let Him pay you. He saw what you did. He will provide for you. You can amplify your rights or you can amplify the Gospel.
Maybe you’re right. Maybe your understanding of the 144,ooo is right ,and the Sabbath school teacher is wrong. But while you were fighting your case in Sabbath School, a teenage boy was loitering in the church hallway, not because he didn’t want to go to his Sabbath School class, but because he’s not sure he is worthy. You see, he found his uncle’s porn stash and got all tangled up in that again. He wasn’t looking for it. It was just there. Now he’s wondering why God allowed that to happen? He is wondering if God can forgive him – again. He is nowhere close to being able to debate and split hairs about Christian perfection. He just wants to know if God still loves him and can free him again from this one addiction. Amplify the Gospel.
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
Main Theme: This week we will look at how Jesus handled some controversial situations and what we can learn from Him.
Read in Class: Mark 2:1-12. Discuss the main ideas in this passage.
Study: What was the paralytic looking for when he was brought to Jesus, and what did he receive?
Apply: In the story in Mark 2:1-12, Jesus is preaching the Gospel. A group of frirends are bringing another friend to Jesus to hear the Gospel. Another group of people are critisizing Jesus and questioning Jesus’ words and methods. Which group to you most closely identify with and why? Which group was doing waht they were supposed to be doing?
Share: Your friend asks how Micah 6:6-8 explains what was happening between Jesus and the leaders. What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class: Mark 2:13-22. Ask the class to summarize this passage.
Study: Who was Levi, the son of Alphaeus, and why would there be an objection to him becoming a disciple of Jesus?
Apply: Who are those who today might be looked upon as the tax collectors were in Jesus’ day? How do we adjust our thinking regarding them?
Share: Your friend asks you if we should be fasting to today, and if so why and how? What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:Mark 2:23-28. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: How does Jesus counter the charge brought by the Pharisees?
Apply: In the NLT Mark 2:24 says the pharisees accused the disciples of “harvesting grain on the Sabbath.” Really? All they were doing was plucking a few heads of grain to eat right then. Would you really consider that “harvesting?” Were the pharisees going a little overboard on this accusation? What are some things we sometimes go overbaord on or may be a little too picky about?
Share: Your friend asks you what Mark 3:1-6 teaches about Sabbath keeping. What do you tell your friend?
Read in Class:Mark 3:20-35. Discuss the main idea of this passage.
Study: What connection do you see between the two stories intertwined in this passage?
Apply: Based on Scripture how would you explain what the unpardonable sin is?
Share: Your friend says she is afraid she has commited the unpardonable sin. What do you tell your friend?
I must admit, while I hated Covid and everything about it, there were some things I rather enjoyed about the temporary shutdown.
I enjoyed giving Bible studies at home on the phone in my pajamas. I enjoyed Sabbath mornings, relaxing with my Bible and having a nice big breakfast before meeting everyone on Zoom for church. I enjoyed the fact that while we did church on Zoom, old friends from around the world could join us. I even got to speak at my old church in Texas on Zoom, and a retired pastor in Texas who used to be at one of my current churches in Florida, got to be our guest speaker on Zoom.
I even learned I knew how to cook. However, when the restaurants opened back up, I seemed to have forgotten I knew how to cook. I enjoyed all the miles I saved on my car, working from home. Being an introvert, (My friends find this hard to believe but yes, I am an introvert.) I enjoyed having more time to read and write and just think and ponder life. I actually would not mind another shutdown every now and then, just without the Covid!
But as introverted as I may be, I missed people! A single friend who lives alone like I do, mentioned to me on the phone how long it had been since she had been hugged. She said at least people stuck at home with their families can touch and hug each other. For her, though, there was no human touch. For me neither. Human touch is important. As a matter of fact, I believe that is why Satan has so masterfully made inappropriate touching such a problem today. Now people are scared to touch someone even appropriately, and by this Satan has a double win. Bad people are touching others inappropriately and good people aren’t even touching others appropriately, for fear their motives will be misconstrued. But appropriate touch is still so vitally important. Take the story of Jesus healing the leper for example.
Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. Mark 1:40-42 NKJV
We all know in the Bible leprosy can be symbolic of sin. I love the fact that while some of our prayers may seem to have a delay in being answered not so the prayer to be made clean. As soon as the request was made for being cleansed, the leper was immediately cleansed. This tells me that when I ask for forgiveness and the moral cleansing referred to in 1 John 1:9 that there is no delay. I am immediately forgiven and cleansed.
But back to my point about how important appropriate touch is. Mark tells us Jesus touched the leper. Why? After all, He healed him with the words, “be cleansed,” so why did Jesus have to touch him? Because, while Jesus cleansed the leprosy with His words, He healed the loneliness with His hand. This man had been an outcast from society and even his own home. He needed more than just physical healing. He needed emotional healing. He needed to be healed from loneliness. Words can heal leprosy, but human touch cures loneliness.
When it comes to sharing the Gospel, many people want to drop a piece of literature on someone’s doorstep and run away before the person opens the door, so they don’t have to talk to them. But the Gospel heals us completely. The Gospel not only gives us amazing facts, but it also gives us amazing relationships. The Gospel takes away our sins, but it also takes away our loneliness. This means mingling with people instead of just throwing Bible facts at them and running away. And get this, while some people complain some Bible study groups and even Sabbath school classes have too much food and refreshments instead of just studying the Bible, the complete Gospel provides both spiritual food and physical food. The complete Gospel fills the mind, the heart and the stomach! The complete Gospel makes us complete spiritually, physically and emotionally. This is why many Bible study growth groups have refreshments after the deep Bible study. This gives the teacher the opportunity to teach and fellowship with the group so he/she can get to bond with everyone.
A while back a friend from Florida moved to another state for a couple of years and then moved back to Florida. When she came back, I asked how she liked where she just moved from. She said, “Everyone was friendly, but nobody wanted to be your friend.” I thought wow, that could describe some of our churches. Everyone smiles at you but as soon as church is over, they all want to run home to be alone. I have often said, you can’t tell how friendly a church is on Sabbath. You can tell how friendly a church is during the week. Smiles and greetings on Sabbath mean absolutely nothing if we ignore each other during the week. That is why its only during the week that you can tell how friendly a church or Sabbath school class is. Our Sabbath Schools classes and Bible study groups are designed to do way more than present a Gospel that just saves you from sin. If that were the case we could all just study our Bible alone and have church by ourselves at home. Our Sabbath School classes and Bible study groups are to present a Gospel that saves the sinner from sin and loneliness.
In the story of Jesus healing the leper, we see that the Gospel cleanses us and makes us whole, spiritually, physically and emotionally.
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
In Light of The Cross 