Title When Things Don't Prosper
Contents
* When things are not going well / Mark 5:21-24. 35-43
***Introduction
Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, “Rejoice in the days of prosperity, and think in the days of trouble. God put these two things side by side, so that man could not fathom the future, so that he did not know it.” In other words, there are times in life when things work out the way we want them to, and there are times when things don't work out and difficulties arise, like a broken nose even if we fall backward. No one is always doing well, and no one is living in difficulties all the time. He said that these two opposing circumstances are the work of God.
What do you do when things don't go your way? More than 6 million sleeping pills are consumed per day in the United States. It is said that there are many people who take sleeping pills because they can't sleep after thinking about this and that. Where would it be in the US? In Korea, a phenomenon that has increased rapidly these days is that there are many people who complain of symptoms of mental illness. Adapting to a diversified society is not easy. There are economic and social problems, children's problems, self-fulfillment problems, human relationships, etc. There are too many factors for conflict. So, stress-related diseases are on the rise.
People try a number of ways to get out of this problem. I try to solve it by immersing myself in something, such as alcohol and tobacco, drugs, leisure sports, or something. However, these actions do not solve the problem, but only bring more problems. So, what should we do when things do not work out well in our lives, and when trials and difficulties arise in our lives? Ecclesiastes says, “In the days of trouble, think.” How can we solve this problem?
In the text of the text, we see a family in trouble. That family is the family of the synagogue leader. Let's take a brief look at the synagogue. As a result of God's discipline, the Jews went into captivity in Babylon and were scattered throughout the world. The Jews who could not attend the temple worship gathered and formed a small community. This is the synagogue. In the synagogue, not only worship services but also the overall management of Jewish life. As the head of the synagogue, the synagogue leader was a respected person who led the meetings and was responsible for the maintenance of the synagogue building.
A disaster struck the family of this synagogue leader. His beloved daughter fell ill and died. What will God say to us through the story of a synagogue leader who met such an urgent situation and another unfortunate woman with a blood clot who suddenly intervened in the middle of this incident? In verse 36, Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, only believe.” Through these words, the Lord is teaching the attitude of faith that God's people should take when things do not prosper and hardships come.
1. When things are not going well, hold on to the Lord even more.
You should always hold on to the Lord, but when things are difficult or when things are not going well, draw closer to the Lord.
While Jesus was teaching the people in Capernaum in Galilee, a man fell at His feet. He was a synagogue leader, a man named Jairus, who pleaded with him to spare his young daughter, who was sick and dying. Falling down at your feet is the greatest expression of respect. Moreover, as a synagogue leader, it would not have been so easy for him to kneel down and plead with Jesus in public in front of a large crowd. This is because they were hated by the Pharisees and the priests.
However, this act of the synagogue leader was not a superficial way to save his daughter. His belief in the healing miracles of Jesus and his kneeling pleading as a synagogue leader in front of many people show that his actions are based on solid faith. Jesus knew his true faith and granted his hope. Without faith, you cannot experience the power of the Lord. So, in verse 34, Jesus said to the woman with the bleeding, “Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace. May you be free from your sickness and be well.” And in verse 36, he said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”
Ladies and gentlemen, when things do not go as planned and difficulties arise, hold on to the Lord even more firmly. Do not try to appeal to the world, to solve it by carnal pleasures or in any other way, or to escape. Let us trust and rely on the Lord who gives us eternal life, makes us children, and leads us to the kingdom of God. This is the only sure way. Let's hold on to the Lord without being conscious of worldly status, face, or people's eyes. That is the path we prosper.
2. When things are not going well, only listen to the voice of the Lord.
It was when the ruler of the synagogue was heading to the house with Jesus, where his sick daughter was waiting. 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, but will there be one or two people who have 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 was meeting a woman with a hemorrhage. But in the meantime, something I was afraid of happened. The news came from the house of the synagogue leader. They said, "Your daughter just died, and Jesus doesn't have to come anymore."
Perhaps the leader of the synagogue felt dark before him and felt like giving up, saying, ‘It’s over.’ Jesus knew that the crisis of faith had come to Jairus, the leader of the synagogue, and encouraged him not to lose his faith. “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” Jairus didn't say anything. That is, he trusted the Lord.
Jesus did not allow anyone except Peter, James, John, and the child's parents to come to the scene of the miracle. Look at verses 38-40 of the text. “When we went to the house of the synagogue leader together, and saw the commotion and the weeping and weeping of the people, he went in and said to them, ‘Why are you sobbing and weeping? This child is not dead, but is sleeping.’ And they laughed at them.” It speaks of people creating an environment of distrust. Only the three disciples and the child's parents were invited by Jesus to the scene of the miracle. This is to firmly cut off the unbelieving environment, and to show that God's power is allowed to be extremely limited.
People, when things are not going well, when a crisis strikes, don't listen to the world's loud noises and sounds that promote distrust. Rather, close the door to the world. We must listen only to the voice of the Lord. When Hezekiah heard that he was going to die under God's discipline for his transgression, he shut all the doors of the world and turned his face to the wall. Isaiah 38:2-3. “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘O Lord, I beg you, remember that I have walked in your presence in truth and with all my heart, and did what was good in your sight,’ and wept bitterly.” At that time, God saw his tears and gave him grace, allowing him to live another 15 years.
Do you believe in the Lord and obey the Lord, but do you not follow your own thoughts and the principles of the world? The people of the world will give you advice based on their experiences and the logic of the world. But the authority of all things in the world does not belong to man, but to God. Therefore, when things are not going well, when difficulties arise, and when you feel that troubles are piled up on top of each other, turn your face to the Lord. Do not listen to the voice of the world, but to the voice of the Lord. The world only adds to the negative view.
The Israelites sent 12 spies to the land of Canaan. Ten of them saw the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey, not seeing the good and only the negative. They reported, “We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we must have looked like them.” But Joshua and Caleb both saw the same thing as the other ten, but they saw the promise of God. So he said, “They are our food.”
When you look at the world, you see only negative things. Let's see the Lord who is our strength and listen to His voice. All problems in life have the key to solving them in our God. Isaiah 45:11. “Ask me of the future, saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, the Maker of Israel. And do not forget that he said, “Ask me about the work of my sons and the work of my hands.”
3. Rely on the Lord until the end when things are not going well.
We must consider that there were many obstacles in the way the synagogue leader was going with Jesus. Being with the Lord does not mean that everything will go smoothly. There are still obstacles and trials and trials that compel you to give up. But if you truly want to make your dreams come true, you must not give up. Never give up under any circumstances. Jairus, the leader of the synagogue, trusted and trusted and followed the Lord until his daughter was raised to life.
It is the same when we follow the Lord. In order to make our wishes come true, we must have active and persevering faith. In following the Lord, even if there are obstacles along the way, do not be impatient and trust the Lord until the end. Even Christians, there are many prayers that go unanswered. There are various reasons, but in many cases, there are many believers who give up because of delay in answering or something completely different that they do not understand.
The Lord said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who actively occupy it. He also said that eternal life can be obtained through patience. 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.” will be hated by them, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”
Let's summarize the words.
While we live in this world, not only good things and prosperity happen. Sometimes things go awry, difficult problems pop up, and there are a lot of things that don't work out. When you are prosperous, you will be more grateful and happy, but when you are not prosperous and you face difficulties, it is time to draw closer to the Lord. Let us not listen to the voice of the world, but to the word and voice of the Lord. And let's not forget that we have to persevere to the end and run the race of faith until our wishes come true. If we depend on the Lord, He will do it, and He will give us praise and glory.