thisischurch.com

Weekly Bible Notes, 9th February 2003

Epiphany 5

Year B, White

First Reading:	Isaiah 40:21-31	Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law
Epistle Reading:	1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Gospel Reading:	Mark 1:29-39
Commentary:	A Constant Battle
Meditation:	A Gift for God
Prayers:	for Sunday and the week ahead

---

Opening Verse of Scripture桰saiah 40:31

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Collect Prayer for the Day桞efore we read we pray

O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: grant to us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen

First Bible Reading  Isaiah 40:21-31

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 

"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. 

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  (This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)

Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 

Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it. 

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)

Gospel Reading: Mark 1:29-39 

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. 

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 

So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. (This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. )

Post Communion Prayer

Go before us, Lord, in all we do with your most gracious favour, and guide us with your continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name, and finally by your mercy receive everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.. Amen

Commentary: A Constant Battle

In the passage from Mark today we read about Simon, this is of course the apostle who would later be named Peter. So we know that Peter was married and that he had to live with his mother-in-law, however we have no evidence that this influenced his decision to leave home and follow Jesus. We know nothing of Peter抯 wife, we just know that on this occasion the unnamed mother-in-law is ill. Jesus cares about her, heals her, her temperature drops and she serves them. It is stated in a very matter of fact manner that the woman is healed so that she can get back to doing what she does, looking after the men. Of course once one healing has been completed, inevitably the word gets round and we are told that in the evening people came and brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. Indeed we are told that the whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. Observance of sabbath law is reflected in the fact that people waited till the evening to bring their sick and deranged to Jesus. The sabbath ended at sunset, so such work was acceptable in the evening.

Inevitably the disciples must have thought with this episode, on the outset of Jesus ministry, that they were on to a good thing. Here was somebody with a real talent and if the healing power of Jesus was exploited in the right way, then there was a way of making a real impression. Imagine sickness being a thing of the past, everybody being made well and the disciples starting off a divine sort of BUPA. But things soon fail to go according to plan. Peter gets up next morning and finds Jesus not at all ready to go and do more healing. Instead Jesus is off by himself and tells them that he must move on to go and preach.

After leaving the town, Jesus went through all of Galilee proclaiming the good news and expelling demons. Recovery from sickness and freedom from demons were visible signs of the inner healing which Jesus proclaimed. Yet he knew that our deepest need is not for health, but for meaning and hope. Healings were not the purpose and Jesus would not spend his time organising things efficiently for maximum healing benefit. We can only imagine how people would have felt when Jesus stopped healing and went off to preach. However I can guess that those people would probably have felt very much like we feel when we seek God抯 healing upon other people or ourselves and they do not get well and it seems that God抯 mind must be on other things.

The visual aids of miracles and healings were carried out to make plain the message that that illness is not something which God brings about, it is contrary to his plan for us. They show that there is present in this world another power which is opposed to God. When Jesus heals, he wages war against the forces of evil which bring to us sickness and ultimately death. The healing miracles are never an end in themselves, they are pictures of what God is like, given to us to help us to discover the really important message, that God cares and wants to liberate us from evil in all of its forms. 

The ministry of Jesus was one of confrontation. We like to be people of peace and we often think of godly people as people of peace. We do well to be reminded that the ministry of Jesus was not a ministry of peace. He brought peace, but he did so by waging a constant battle against evil. The Epistle to the Ephesians Chapter 6: 12 says 態e strong in the Lord and in his mighty power, put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the armour.?/p>

Christians do not live in peace time, we still live in a world in which there is sickness and evil of many kinds. We must be prepared to be the hands of Christ and through us allow him to reach out and touch those whose lives need healing. It is only the compassion of Christ and the holy power of God which can bring wholeness to our broken world. Charles Royden

Meditation: A Gift for God

I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. No, I wouldn't touch a leper for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God. -- Mother Teresa, A Gift for God

Hymns (Hymns & Psalms)

1. Have faith in God 675 (Tune Carlisle) 
2. I will enter his gates 307 & Ascribe greatness 40 (Mission Praise) 
3. Tell out my soul the greatness of the Lord 86 
4. Lord I believe 736
5. 770 - Go forth and tell! O church of God awake!

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead.

Top of Page