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| Mark 1:32-34 - Advancing the Kingdom |
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In the Kingdom of God there is love, grace, peace and freedom with race, gender, health and economic equality for all. The Kingdom is established in Jesus. He is ruling over it and it is advancing.
In the first chapter of Mark the Kingdom of God was manifested in the deliverance of a man (Mark 1:26) and the healing of a woman (Mark 1:31). Jesus not only talked about the Kingdom that was being established in Him, but he also demonstrated this Kingdom through His actions. It was not Jesus’ intention to prove He was the divine Son and the Bearer of the Holy Spirit by His acts of authority and power. He cast out demons because they had no right to be in any part of human life which they sought to destroy. He brought healing out of love for the sufferer. When Jesus saw people suffering, He moved with compassion - a love that compels one to act to relieve the suffering.
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
(Mark 1:32-34 ESV)
The Jewish Sabbath is a weekly day of rest observed from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday. A lot has taken place on this Sabbath day that Mark tells us about in chapter 1 of his gospel. Earlier in the day, Jesus teaches in the Synagogue and casts a demon out of a man who was in attendance there (Mark 1:21-28). After the service, He heals Simon’s mother-in-law in the house of Simon and Andrew who were brothers (Mark 1:29-31). And now, Mark is detailed in telling us that after the Sabbath was over, as marked by sundown, people brought to Jesus those “who were sick or oppressed by demons.”
There are a couple of points here that we must glean from this paragraph of Scripture. First of all, notice that the people who were brought to Him where either “sick or oppressed by demons.” Some in our day have associated illness, especially mental illness, as demonic possession, but this account of Jesus’ life and ministry in Scripture is careful to separate the two. It would be wrong for anyone in our day to attribute a person’s illness, whether it is physical or mental, to demon possession.
I have been in the ministry for over 19 years. I have ministered both within the walls of the church building and outside the walls of church building and beyond the confines of a church service. I have ministered to those in hospitals and prisons. I have ministered to young gang bangers in correctional facilities and the homeless on the streets. I have ministered in America and in third world countries. I have ministered to literally thousands of ill people both mentally and physically, but I can count on one hand those who were possessed by demons that were made obvious through physical manifestations including voice, facial distortions and actions. I was never afraid and the Holy Spirit within me always triumphed over these evil encounters. I tell this to implore you to not associate illness with demon possession. Many precious people have been wounded and hurt because there are those who have taken their illness and proclaimed them to be demon possessed when they were not at all demon possessed. It should not be and it hinders the work of those who are utilizing their life to advance God’s Kingdom with the help of the Holy Spirit who gives them the needed and necessary spiritual discernment.
Secondly in this paragraph of Scripture, notice the advancement of the Kingdom being established through Jesus. The Kingdom is always advanced through point of need ministry and we will see that throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry as we study the Gospels. It started that Sabbath day in the synagogue with the deliverance of the man possessed by a demon (Mark 1:26) and spread to inside a house with the healing of a woman (Mark 1:31) and now Jesus takes it to the streets of the city of Capernaum as people are brought to Him there.
Beloved, ministry is to take place at the point of need. Ministry is not restricted to within the walls of a church building or the confines of a service. The need is the call. When we see a need, and we have the ability to meet that need, we are to minister as unto Jesus.
Jesus said "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
(Matthew 25:31-40 ESV)”
The manifestations of the Kingdom that day started in the Synagogue. An individual was set free from evil. Later that day a woman was healed. At the end of the day the manifestations were so numerous that Mark could not describe them individually.
Beloved, we are to advance the Kingdom in our day. It has already been established in Jesus. He is now ruling over His Kingdom and has called us to follow Him and make His Kingdom known to the world through, not only words, but more importantly actions. In the Kingdom there is love, grace, peace and freedom with race, gender, health and economic equality for all. The need is the call. As we minister at the point of need, we are not only ministering as Jesus did, but we are also ministering as unto Jesus. Advance the Kingdom Beloved. Advance the Kingdom.
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