Be the highlight of God’s day! A study of Mark 3:7-19

by    17th April 2002    0 responses

I’d like to begin by saying that this article is not meant to be an exhaustive study, but merely a written account of some ideas that I have considered. I hope that you enjoy reading this, but also that you might realise things that were previously unknown to you. I believe you will find it helpful at this point to read the passage, but it is not essential since I will be summarising.

The passage is broken up into some very distinct sections, the first of these being verses 7 – 12. This section describes Jesus withdrawing to the lake but being pursued by a very large crowd of people from Galilee. They were following him because of the many wonders and miracles that he had performed, the many acts of healing and the casting out of evil spirits.

The large crowd in itself is something to note. Jesus was a very famous man. Verse 8 describes exactly how far the people were coming from to see him. They came from many different regions and some had probably travelled a long distance just to see him. Remember now, that we are not talking about a time when television and mass media existed, the only way people found out about anything, was from word of mouth. This shows that EVERYONE was talking about Jesus, and I don’t believe that his fame or the interest in him has faded out in the years since.

Why were the crowd following him? Why were they so desperate, not just to see him, but to touch him as well? They chased after him, because they believed in him. He had healed many different people, and this crowd believed that he was able to heal them as well. With passion and zeal, they tried to get near him, thinking if only they could touch him, then they’d be healed of whatever disease afflicted them. And we, as Christians in the 21st century can learn a great deal from this.

We need to follow Jesus with just as much passion and zeal as that crowd of people did. Obviously this is not possible physically, but it is spiritually. We need to be as close to our Lord as we can, because of the sacrifice he made for us and for the love he offers us. Whether you’re a new Christian or an old timer, you need to improve your relationship with God, by more prayer and by spending more time in the Word. He’s with you 24 hours a day, how many hours are you with him?

The second section begins at verse 13 and ends at verse 19. This section describes our Lord choosing the twelve disciples. I think that the main question is why? Why did Jesus choose a set of disciples, what did he need them for? I believe that the answer lies in verses 14 and 15. These two verses describe two reasons for choosing the Twelve – first, that they might be with him, and second, that he might send them out to preach and drive out evil spirits.

The second reason seems fairly obvious. Jesus, a man, couldn’t be everywhere at once. He couldn’t preach the Gospel to everyone and couldn’t heal or help everyone, and he knew that there was only a certain amount of time that he would be on the Earth. I believe that he chose a trusted set of disciples so that he could reach more people with the Good News. Thirteen men (including Jesus) could reach a significant number more than one man working alone.

The first reason however, seems much more interesting to me. Jesus chose a set of apostles so that they might be with him, as well as achieve more. What does this tell you about our good Lord? It tells me that he enjoyed the company of these people, that he was a ‘people person’. It tells me that Jesus loved much and that he wanted, and still wants to develop strong and close relationships with people.

God values the time that you spend with him, those precious few moments everyday. That time that you may consider a chore, is the highlight of God’s day. It seems strange to think of it like that, doesn’t it? But God, that infinite and wonderful being, wants to spend time with little old you. Makes you feel kind of special doesn’t it. Well, you are to him!

God bless you and remember, he wants to spend time with you. If you’ve had a bad day, why not talk it over with him? If you’ve got a problem, why not ask for some help? He is always listening, and always waiting.

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Andy has been a Christian since his teens when he began to develop his relationship with God. He is an Elder in his local church and leads a home group. Andy has a passion for teaching and writing. He lives near Southend, Essex, with his wife. Andy is responsible for writing much of the content on Crossring.

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