Year 2 Day 46

Year 2 Day 46

Pray (ACts)

Read - Mark 1:29-34

Message - Alan Burke
Last year we were told "STAY AT HOME, PROTECT THE NHS, SAVE LIVES”, that was the tagline which was explained to us like this…“the single most important action you can take is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives”. Since then the NHS has rarely been out of the news, we have seen the tremendous work of those in the NHS doing all that they could to help people not only from a pandemic but from many different illness. Imagine how different the past year would have been without a National Health Service, actually imagine how different many our lives would be without a National Health Service. 

It was very different in the days of Jesus. We are told here how as soon as they left the synagogue Jesus goes with his disciples to the home of Peter and Andrew and Simons mother in law is ailing with fever. With no NHS, no doctors to call on, this is bad news. We are not told of her ailments, given a diagnosis of what is wrong with her, instead the focus is once more is on Jesus, this time on his ability to heal, in how he has compassion. All it takes for Simons mother in law to be healed is the person touch of Jesus, and she is restored to health. So dramatic is the healing that she leaves her bed and began to wait on them. From lying in her bed to waiting on them this is a complete transformation, once more Jesus had shown his authority this time it was over the illness that this woman had. 

The News about Jesus had spread quickly over the whole region (28) and now that is seen as many that evening come out to Jesus to be healed. His ability to cast out the evil spirit awakened in them hope in their own helplessness. One by one Jesus healed them in his compassion, for he cared and drove out the evil spirits. It would have been late in the evening and yet Jesus doesn’t turn them away for the compassion and power of Jesus is open to all who respond to him. It is open to all today who respond to his call or have responded.

This once more shows his authority and also shows his compassion, Jesus has the power to bring cleansing and healing and this is good news indeed, for the cleansing that we all need to is be cleansed from our sin. In all of us sin is a greater disease than any illness that we can ever be afflicted with and Jesus has the power to cleanse us from it, for “the death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” (Rom 6:10). Jesus died because he took our sin upon himself, but his resurrection demonstrates that he has defeated both sin and death. We must repent and believe the gospel (1:15) to be cleansed from sin and it is a glorious gospel of good news for sinners like you and I. 

Pray (acTS)

Sing

WSC
Q56 What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
The reason annexed to the third commandment is, That however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment. (1 Sam. 2:12,17,22,29, 1 Sam. 3:13, Deut. 28:58–59)
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