We turn over today to the Gospel of Mark. Much of Mark is identical to Matthew though Mark includes a lot less material than Matthew. In the material that Mark does include though, he sometimes gives more details than Matthew. Here, Mark expands on Jesus’ early ministry and the many miraculous deeds he did. Why did Jesus perform miracles? It is clear that Jesus did not perform miracles to pull a crowd. He would often tell people not to tell others what he had done precisely to avoid gaining a popular following. Admiring spectators are of no use to God’s purpose. The important thing about Jesus’ mighty deeds was not that he was breaking natural laws. That was not the point. Jesus’ mighty deeds were signs of the Kingdom. When Jesus announced, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” he was saying that God’s rule was breaking into the world and that his purpose was prevailing over that of the forces of evil and corruption. It would have been meaningless to say this and not demonstrate it. It would be like me telling my kids that we have tickets to see a film and then not actually going to the cinema. If you are going to announce the good news that God has opened the doors of his Kingdom so that we can be reconciled to him and restored, then you better be ready to prove it. If positive change is now possible then let that be evident in you. Changed people change people. Show people the power of God by allowing God to change you.
Ask God to transform your life and make you an agent of his transformation in the lives of others.
Read Mark 1:21-2:12
