I find these things interesting from the first three chapters of Mark.
Mark 1:37,38~
The disciples said to Jesus, "Everyone is looking for you."
They spoke this because He had gone off to get alone after spending the previous evening with the "whole city" which had gathered together at the door of Simon and Andrew's home. He healed many while there and cast out demons. And they wanted more of what He had for them.
But Jesus said to the disciples,"Let's go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."
He was bent on fulfilling the purpose of God in His life rather than fulfilling the needs of the people. The needs we will always have with us. I wonder if the people became more interested in His miracles-what He could do for them, then in what He had to say to them.
Mark 2:1b, 2-"...it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them."
I am quite sure that when it is heard that Jesus is in our "house", the multitudes will come. Mark 7:24b says, "...and He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden."
Mark 3:1-5-Jesus healed a man in the synagogue who had a withered hand and the religious leaders were upset that He broke the law about not working on the Sabbath. Jesus looked around at them with anger and was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and healed him anyway.
Two things: I hope He never has to look at me with anger because He is grieved at the hardness of my heart.
And to be angry and grieved at the hardness of hearts is a Christ-like anger.
Mark 3:7-12-A great multitude of people-probably thousands-had followed Jesus, so He got into a little boat and pushed off from the shore because He was in imminent danger of being crushed. People were pressing in just to touch Him because He was healing so many. Unclean spirits were falling down in front of Him, declaring Him to be the Son of God but He told them to stop talking.
To say it was a chaotic scene would be an understatement. They literally had to rescue Jesus or He may have been crushed before His time.(Not that God would have allowed that which He didn't of course.) People were pushing. Blind eyes were seeing. Crutches were flying through the air. People with demons were falling down declaring with shrieks who He was. Jesus was telling the demons to 'Be Quiet!'
It was not a polite little crowd.
No one was saying, "Well, if He doesn't get to me today,
there's always tomorrow."
They needed Him then.
Right now.
They were willing to expose their need.
Their desperation.
Their demon possession.
What would happen if we were so desperate to be free from our sickness and sin that we would do anything to be near Jesus?
Would He ever be in danger of being crushed by us?
I am not talking about just a public setting.
What about at your place at home when you are alone
and you recognize your desperate need for a Savior to set you free
from cancelled sin?
Will you press in?
Will I?
No wonder after that scene along the shore,
Jesus went up to the mountain and
Called To Him
Those He Himself Wanted
And They Came To Him.
(I love those last dozen words.
I take them personally.)
Then He appointed twelve of them
and gave them power and authority
to help Him all with all His work
of preaching, healing, and casting out demons.
And after He called them,
they went into a house
and the multitude came again
and the disciples and Jesus couldn't even eat bread,
the house was so packed and they were so busy.
And thus they began to adjust
to their new normal
in a big hurry.
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