Title: Temptation Man (Mark 5:21-43)
Contents
Title Temptation Man / Scripture Mark 5:21-43 / Space Daebok Church
*** Introduction
The world we live in is truly glamorous, and the scientific civilization is showing its extreme development, enticing people to rely on science. Now the world has finished cloning plants and animals, and we have come to the point where we can clone humans.
As science advances, two distinct phenomena are emerging. They are the scientists who believe in science thoroughly and the anti-scientific revivalism that tries to return to primitive life. However, most people live in between the two without much thought.
So what about faith? As such, scientism and revivalism are both temptations to promote an unworthy life for Christians. This is because the phenomena of the world do not come from God, but are in the realm of Satan's power that opposes God. The saints of God will never take anything from the world. Let's look at the next verse.
- John 15:19, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own, but the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." / 1 John 5:19 , “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the evil one”/ 1 John 4:5, “Because we are of the world, we speak of the world, and the world listens to them.”
Are you also following the things of the world without thinking?
Satan tempts God's people by mobilizing not only science, but also all phenomena in the world, such as religion, culture, art, academics, and the environment. God has already commanded us to beware of this fact.
In Luke 21:8,
“Be careful not to be deceived. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The hour is near.’ But do not follow them.”
In 1 Timothy 4:1,
“But the Holy Spirit has clearly said, ‘In the latter days some will turn away from the faith and turn to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.’”
Satan's delusions are seemingly plausible, but in reality they are reduced to a life of slavery, a life of fear, suffering and desperation.
In today's text, we can meet people trapped in the same fear of life and death. There are two different beliefs here. One is the faith of a young girl who is in danger of death and the people around her, and the other is the faith of a woman who bears the pain of life and death at the same time.
All of them have entered a new way of life through meeting Jesus, and they have a completely different life that cannot be found in the world. However, it shows that there were seducing men who interfered with their new life.
In the West Indies, there is a tree called Manchanil. The shape of the tree is very attractive and the wood is said to be particularly beautiful. This tree produces apple-like fruits, which are very appetizing to look at and have a very fragrant smell.
But the day you eat it, you die instantly. The juice of the fruit is toxic enough to cause blisters and sometimes severe pain when it comes in contact with the skin. Therefore, it is said that the natives dip their arrowheads in the juice of this fruit to kill them when fighting them.
Temptation is characterized by beautiful, fragrant, edible, craving, and urge to try. You see numerous advertisements on television, in newspapers, in magazines, and on the Internet. These advertisements are flashy because they are a means of publicly enticing people. And just like a moth sees a light and rushes to it, the advertisement makes them rush to see my prize.
But do not forget that the bigger the trap, the stronger the temptation light.
The Lord teaches us how to overcome temptations and temptations that come through the text.
1. It is coming to the Lord.
While Jesus was teaching people on the Sea of Galilee, Jairus, the leader of the synagogue, was at Jesus' feet, pleading for something. He is desperately seeking the life of his sick and dying young daughter.
It would not have been so easy for Jairus to publicly plead with the Lord. This is because they were hated by the Pharisees and the priests. However, I came to the Lord because the issue I was facing was serious and urgent.
Very well done. Just by coming to the Lord, you have already accomplished half of it. Why? Because Jesus Christ is life. Didn't the Lord cry out? “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Here comes the first Temptation Man. It reminds me of all kinds of excuses not to seek the Lord. Social status, commands and taboos, one's will to power, distrust, public attention, etc. Jairus made it through this gate well.
If you have a problem, seek the Lord immediately. And tell the truth and ask for help. All you need to do is to boldly ignore the sound of temptation and lay down the bundle of life to the Lord. And then wait for the disposition of the Lord. How do you wait? Here is the most important point.
2. It is absolute trust in what the Lord is doing.
Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, came to Jesus through the first gate. And he laid down on the Lord the burden of life that he could never bear. Very well done. Jesus accepted Jairus' request and went to the house of the ruler of the synagogue.
Something unexpected happened along the way. Jesus suddenly stopped walking toward the synagogue leader's house, looked around, and said, "Who touched my clothes?" People were puzzled. Right now, there are a lot of people pushing and pushing around Jesus, and where is one or two people who touched his clothes?
The synagogue leader was upset. In a time when the hour is urgent, Jesus is playing a different game. Now, Jairus's heart was focused solely on saving his daughter. But will other things catch your eye? But Jesus stayed and had an encounter with another sick man.
In the meantime, what I was afraid of happened. The news came from the house of the synagogue leader. “Your daughter just died, and Jesus is no longer needed, so give up and return home quickly.”
Here comes the second Temptation Man. The second temptation was so powerful that there seemed to be no way out. With the death of her daughter, the purpose of inviting Jesus was lost. Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, was speechless.
Jesus immediately knew that the crisis of faith had come to Jairus, and he shut the mouth of the synagogue leader. “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”
From then on, Jairus appears at the place where Jesus raises his dead daughter. The Lord did not allow anyone except Peter, James, and John, and the child's parents, to come to the scene of the miracle.
Look at verses 38-40 of the text. This removes anything that could create an environment of distrust. It also shows that the Lord's power is extremely limited.
To wait for the Lord's disposition is to be sure of what the Lord is doing and only obey. Obedience is obedience, even if it does not follow the rules of the world and is far from one's own thoughts. After hearing the Lord's words, “Do not be afraid, just believe,” Jairus silently follows the Lord until his daughter comes back to life.
Do you believe in the Lord and obey the Lord, but do you not follow your own thoughts and the principles of the world?
3. Don't be impatient and trust until the end.
What does it mean for a woman with a hemorrhage who silently intervenes between the Lord and Jairus?
It means trust and persevere until the end. In other words, even if there are obstacles along the way in following the Lord, do not be impatient and trust the Lord until the end. Even Christians, there are many prayers that go unanswered. There are many reasons, but in many cases, the response is delayed or you give up halfway because of something completely different that you do not understand.
The Lord said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who actively occupy it. Thousands of people pushing and being pushed by Jesus bumped into him, grabbed his clothes and touched him, but none of them experienced the power. Only the bleeding woman who had faith and actively touched the hem of Jesus' robe experienced the power of the Lord.
Matthew 11:12 says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
He also said that eternal life can be obtained through patience. In Mark 13:13 it says, “And you will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”
Let's summarize the words.
Temptations always follow the path of faith. They hesitate to come to the Lord because of their social status and face. There is also a tempting man who promotes disbelief that everything is over because he is already dead. As such, when you try to do something in faith, it is this temptation man that will surely follow you.
Let us trust in the Lord, obey Him, and be patient. Let us trust and obey the Lord even if it does not match the worldly principles, circumstances, and circumstances, or even if it does not fit our thoughts and plans. Then the Lord who raised Jairus' daughter will do all our work in the good will of the Lord.
In the name of the Lord, I pray that you will overcome the temptations that come every moment in your life with trust in the Lord and live a life that experiences the power of the Lord.