Monday, July 18, 2016
Pastor Ysidro preached yesterday about the interesting account in the 8th Chapter of Mark involving a blind man whom Jesus healed. Instead of healing him where he was, the Lord led him by the hand outside the town of Bethsaida. One eternal truth we must never forget is that the Lord never does anything without a purpose and another that is related is that we don’t always know what the purpose is. Here, these truths are typified: We know the Lord had a specific reason to draw him away from the city. Why He did it, on the other hand, of that we are not so sure. There are different angles and theories among bible teachers and scholars about this. Did He lead the blind man out of the town because there were many there who doubted Him and His miracles or was it that He felt they were not worthy to see another miracle because of it? (see Matthew 11:21) Did He lead him out so that the blind man would not be distracted by his friends, family, or the crowd and be able to focus or concentrate better? The only thing we know for sure is that He led him out and healed him outside the city, and that he gave him these instructions once He healed him: “Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.” (verse 26)
Trying to figure out later in the day why the Lord did it this way and the unusual instructions afterward, I was struck with this thought: Our lives don’t end after the Lord does something great in our lives; there are always accompanying words of instruction. To the ten lepers He healed, the instructions were: “Go show yourselves to the priest.” (Luke 17:14) To another blind man whom he healed, the instruction was: “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.”(John 9:7) To the adulterous woman he saved from the religious hypocrites who wanted her stoned, He first reminded her He would not condemn her but added these instructions: “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) To the lame man he healed by the Pool of Bethesda, one who had been an invalid for 38 years and whom He later found in the temple, his instructions were similar to those of the adulterous woman. They were: “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14)
While getting saved is as simple as believing in Christ, it is not always easy for us to determine who really believes and who does not. One good indication, however, is that true believers continue to heed the words of instruction that come after He has saved us. Jesus made these two things very clear: “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15) and“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46) I am sure glad that all of those who receive these blogs are true believers. And of course, I say that by faith.
Memory verse for the week: (Mark 12:30) “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”
