Through the Bible - Jeremiah 22-23, Matthew 24:29-51
Good morning,
When I was young I learned to shoot a .22 rifle with my dad when I was 5 or 6 years old, shooting at corn cobs that had been thrown into a pond was great fun. Even at that age you could not help but realize the power in that little cartridge as you watched the corn cob bounce out of the water with the shot. Firearms can go off as intended but also go off unexpectedly. Guns had various trigger pulls. If you moved from a heavy trigger pull to a "hair trigger" your first shot would go off before you intended, it did not matter. When the gun went off, you knew the power had been released. There could also be times when you'd pull the trigger and nothing happened, the cartridge was a dud.
I recently read Mark 5 with the account of Jesus healing of Jairus' daughter and of the healing of the woman who had been healed by touching Jesus' garment. We'll go there for today's verse.
Mark 5:28-30 New King James Version (NKJV) For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"
Tim Keller notes that this is the first time that the word "dunamis" is used in the book of Mark. It is the word from which we get the word dynamite. I had previously imagined that it most have been some kind of tingling feeling that she has. But reading this word dunamis, brought a different image to mind. As with the gun going off, there was no doubt in the mind of the person who had released the power and no doubt of the impact on the person on the receiving end.
What pulled the trigger that "set it off"? Was it an impulse, was it chance, or some other kind of mystical power? Jesus calls her so that there would be no doubt of what it was that released His healing power. It was faith. Read Jesus words as recorded by Mark.
Mark 5:33-34 (NLT) Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over."
Faith is the trigger, it, in itself is not the power. You can have faith in just about anything, but it won't release power unless it is faith in something real, something that has true, unfailing power. , If you put your faith in something else, when you pull the trigger of faith, you may find it a dud. We put our faith in Someone who has the power and authority to heal and to save. It is a dynamic, explosive power. When faith Christ is applied in our lives, when we pull the trigger, there will be a release of His power, someone, or something will be impacted.
Don't put your faith in something that won't go off when you pull the trigger of faith. Don't miss the opportunity or the blessing.
Mark 5:25-34
New King James Version (NKJV)
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"
31 But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"
32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."
No comments:
Post a Comment