Faith Daily | 20 January 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p 528

Almighty God,

by whose grace alone we are accepted

and called to your service:

strengthen us by your Holy Spirit

and make us worthy of our calling;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Mark 3: 7-12

7 Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; 8hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. 9He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; 10for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. 11Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!’ 12But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: John Vickers

Mark’s approach in his Gospel is factual and brief, recording scene after scene of Jesus’ life almost like a video recording.

In these particular verses he pauses and gives a snap picture. News about the miracles and the message brought by Christ had spread throughout Judea and Sumeria.

To such an extent in an era of little or no medical cures, that desperate people, including Gentiles from Tyre and Sidon had gathered in huge crowds to see and hear Him and seek to be healed of their ailments. In the Jewish religion, to be sick or diseased was to be cast out of society as it was proof of God’s disapproval. These were desperate people seeking healing.

The crowds threatened to crush him as they sought to touch Him. Consequently He seeks refuge by preaching from a boat standing a little offshore, to the crowds gathered on the hills leading down to the sea of Galilee. Having stood on those very hills overlooking the sea of Galilee, the acoustics are indeed superlative. Jesus continues healing the sick and expelling demons who, in terror, recognise Him for who He truly is, the Son of God. Revelation reveals the reason for their terror in unequivocal terms. Yet despite all the signs and wonders Jesus delivers, His message of Hope, God’s openly declaring of Him as the Son (chapter 1), triumphing over Satan in the desert, and demons repeatedly acknowledging Him as the Son of God, the Chosen and Holy One,( - i.e. the supernatural world absolutely acknowledges who He is), no human being in Mark’s gospel recognises and acknowledges Him as the Son of God until Mark 15:39 - and then it is by a Roman soldier. Such is the depravity of mankind that despite day after day of signs and wonders, for three years, they could not recognise Him for who He really was, the Son of God. This acknowledgement is clearly affirmed in the Gospel of Christ (Revelation) chapter 5.

So we worship Him for whom we know He is the Son of God. The Christ, the Messiah, the Holy and Chosen one who, chose to die for us as redemption for our sins and reconciled us with the Father. He is coming soon in power and glory, not as the sacrificial lamb, but as a King and every knee shall bow as a consequence of Grace alone by Faith alone through Christ alone.

FINAL PRAYER: Hymn “Man more than man” TiS 355 Valerie Dunn

Man more than man,

completely fulfilled,

unique in his love

and yet he was killed.

Hung on the cross

of envy and pride,

and scorned by the crowds

so lonely he died.

Even today

we crucify still,

and drive in the nails

of apathy’s will.

But he arose

he shattered the dark,

and brilliantly lights

the depths of our hearts.

Living with us,

he penetrates pain,

our death he defeats

and rises again.

Celebrate now

the one who is risen,

and joyfully sing

the hope we are given.

Amen.