Yesterday,
I started a personal study in the book of Mark. I was immediately struck by the
word "immediately." (See what I did there?) Well, this particular
word was used at least 8 times within the very first chapter of Mark. As I
thought about why this was, I thought about our culture and how we always seem
to want the next thing. I know for myself that I am rarely content in the place
that God has me and am always looking ahead to the next thing. I can so easily
lose sight of the mission that Jesus has called me to as His disciple. I can know
so many truths about God and His Word, yet I can so often neglect to live them
out.
So
as I continued to study Mark 1, there seemed to be a purpose and urgency to
Jesus’ mission while He was on earth that can so often evade us these days.
Aren't we as his disciples called to emulate Jesus' example?
This
purpose started with Jesus calling his disciples by saying, "follow
me!" How did the disciples respond to these words? They
"immediately" left what they were doing and all that they had to
follow Jesus.
When
Jesus went into a synagogue, he "immediately" started teaching.
After
he was done teaching, he "immediately" left and went to the next
house and healed Simon and Andrew's mother's fever.
The
following day, he didn't waste time. It says in verse 35, "And rising very
early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a
desolate place, and there he prayed."
Jesus
was on a mission that was purposeful and urgent. He wasn't messing around. And
the fact is, Jesus is still on a mission today through his disciples. But, can’t
we often mess around and lack the purpose and urgency that we see Jesus display
through the gospels?
I
started asking myself today as I continued into chapter 2 and watched the way
that Jesus had lunch with sinners. When was the last time I had lunch with a
bunch of sinners? When was the last time I heard someone was sick and went over
to their house to just be with them and pray for them? When was the last time I
openly preached the gospel to a group of unsaved people?
If
you and I truly are called to emulate Jesus' example? Then why do we so often
forget the urgency of His mission and so often neglect proclaiming his kingdom
to those around us?
Remember
that story about the men who remove the roof and lowered the paralyzed man down
in front of Jesus? Why did they have to do that? Because, Jesus had opened his
home up to anyone and his house was so full of sinners that no one could enter
through the front door.
Jesus
surrounded himself with people that were in need not only of physical healing, but
also more importantly he surrounded himself with people that were in need of
salvation from their sins.
Jesus
gave up his throne in heaven to surround himself with sinners like you and I.
Why did he "immediately" go from place to place? He wanted as many
people as possible to experience the love of his heavenly Father. That's what we
as His disciples should want as well. We should want other's to experience the
love of the Heavenly Father that we have experienced through Jesus.
A
closing question for you to think about: Are you really willing to give up everything you have, your car, your job,
your house, your family, even your own life for the sake of the gospel?
Jesus
gave up everything so you could have an eternal hope and peace. Are you willing
to give up everything you have in this world so that others can have that
eternal hope and peace as well?
We
as his disciple must fight to never lose sight of the urgency and immediacy of
Jesus' mission.
