Mark 4:35-Mark 5:43

How do you respond when you don't understand the circumstances of life?  What do you do when life gets hard and there's no good explanation?

In today's passage (and a little bit of yesterday's), we see four different groups of people face four different trials.  Each responds differently.

What Does This Teach Me About Jesus?

JESUS HAS POWER OVER STORMS (Mark 4:35-41)

In the first incident, Jesus and the disciples got on a boat to travel across a lake. Unfortunately, the weather was not on their side, and a storm started to make things ugly.  Waves broke over the boat, almost overwhelming them and yet, amidst the squaller, Jesus slept.

The disciples started to freak out a little bit.  I don't say that to point fingers; I've panicked during a storm before, and I've never been in a storm in a 1st century boat.  However, the next part is where they could have responded better:

38b The disciples woke him [Jesus] and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

How did they respond?  

Doubt! 

They had given up their past lives to follow Him, but when a trial came, they responded with doubt.  They suggested that Jesus might not actually care about them. 

Jesus woke up, and promptly showed He had power over the storm.

JESUS HAS POWER OVER DEMONS (Mark 5:1-20)

Eventually, they arrived on the other side of the lake, and they had an unique greating from an unexpected individual- a demon-possessed man. Of all the men in the Bible, he gets one of the best descriptions: he lived in tombs, could break chains with his hands, howled in the night, and cut himself with stones.  

This was Jesus' welcoming commitee.

When he saw Jesus, he had a very different response than the disciples had:

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”

What was his response?

Fear

Of all the possible responses, a possessed man identified Jesus as "Son of the Most High God," and feared the consequences of his condition. 

After a brief conversation, Jesus sent the demons out of the man, into a herd of pigs who ran off into the lake.  The story was quickly spread by those who tended the pigs, and people came to see what happened.  Instead of finding the crazy possessed man, they found him clothed and in his right mind.  They respond much like him; they were afraid and amazed.

Jesus demonstrated He had power over demons.

After a bit more travel, a synagogue leader ran up to Jesus with fear in his eyes.

“My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”

Jesus had compassion for the man and headed towards his home.

JESUS HAS POWER OVER SICKNESS (Mark 5:24-37)

While Jesus was on His way to the man's house, He found Himself in the middle of a crowd.  In the crowd was a woman who had been sick for 12 years.  Her sickness had cost her all of her money, comfort, and dignity.  There was nothing left for her to do.

27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

What was her response?

Faith

She believed with absolute faith that she would be healed just by touching Jesus' clothes.  When she finally made her way through the crowd, she grabbed His cloak, and instantly she was healed.  

Jesus demonstrated He had power over sickness.

JESUS HAS POWER OVER DEATH (Mark 5:35-43)

Jesus spoke with the woman, and their chat was interrupted by news of the synagogue leader's daughter.

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

The girl died.  In their minds, it was too late.  There was no point in wasting anymore of Jesus' time. 

36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Jesus continued on His path to Jairus' home.  Before He even entered, it was clear what had happened.  The despair and grief could be heard from outside.   

39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.

What was their response?

Loss of faith

This same family had their patriarch summon Jesus to heal their daughter.  They knew of His reputation as a miracle worker.  Some of them may have even been aware that He had just healed a sick woman.  Still, when Jesus exhibited confidence that the girl would be okay, they laughed at Him.  Their faith in His abilities disappeared with her life. 

After clearing the room, Jesus walked up to the little girl.

41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around

Not even death could defeat Jesus.  Jesus even had power over death.

What Does This Tell Me About Myself?

Whether due to our personalities or our experiences, all of us respond differently to trials.  How do you respond?  What informs how you respond?

We see four different responses to trials in these verses. Which one do you drift towards:  fear, doubt, loss of faith, or faith?

On paper, every single one of us would acknowledge that Jesus has power over everything.  We sing about it in songs.  We teach our kids or students about Jesus.

• If we know that He is all-powerful...
• If we know that He is all-loving...
• If we know that He is all-good...
• If we know that He is trustworthy...

If Jesus has power over storms, demons, sickness, death, and loves you....

....what are we worried about?  

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

- Colossians 1

 

 

   SEAN CHANDLER  |  Associate Pastor 

 

 Sean has been a part of the association of Hill Country Bible Churches for over twenty years. He received Christ as a youth while attending Hill Country Bible Church NW. He attended Hill Country Bible Church NW from 1989 to 2002. At that time he began attending HCBC Pflugerville. He served as a student ministry intern there for two years. In 2008, Sean graduated from Columbia International University with a double major in Bible and Bible teaching. Sean married his wife, Jennifer, in 2006. Their first child, Liam, was born in 2012.

He blogs regularly at seanchandler.net.