Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
January 29th, 2012
Mark 1: 21-28
Dear Friends in Christ,
We begin this morning with a definition of the word Palatable from the Webster dictionary: “Agreeable to the taste; savory, hence, acceptable; pleasing.”
Can we reconcile that word with these words from Jesus in Holy Scripture: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”? (Matt. 7:13,14) Only…a few…find it. Realistically and truthfully, the eternal life and joy Christ offers aren’t that palatable.
Palatable. Examine with me this day….in question form….
“A PALATABLE JESUS?”
The text begins, “They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath (Jesus) entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” (v. 21,22)
Christ wasn’t palatable .He was different…authoritative…divinely so. Christ wasn’t crucified because he was agreeable to the masses. He was crucified because he was disagreeable to the ways of the world and clearly taught that fact! Christ wasn’t crucified because he made religion a matter of individual choice. He hit-hard at man-centered worship and shoddy sentimentalism, and directed people to a Savior who would love them to everlasting life. Christ wasn’t crucified because he appealed to “community standards” or the “popular wants” of the day and PR’d himself into earthly glory. He was hard on the greedy, warned those who sought places of honor, and scolded the religious of the day for shallow worship and sloppy theology.
“And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ (v. 23-25)
So there you are! The very forces of hell itself in the church. It’s quite a glimpse behind the scenes, isn’t it? We dare never forget the activity and power of Satan to overthrow, dupe, and lead people away from the one thing needful.
Satan is working in our world today through human reasoning. We are being taught at an early age to question everything. Faith and trust are words of a bygone era. “There are no absolutes,” Satan shouts and we buy into to it. “How can God be real and loving?” Satan whispers, “Can’t you see all the death and destruction in our world?” “Worship is old and boring and monotonous” Satan utters and people believe the lie.
Satan is leading the world to make Jesus palatable. We’ve actually come to believe that success of the church is measured by numbers and not by faithfulness to the Lord and His Word. It’s easy enough to make lots of “members” if you make Jesus acceptable and pleasing to the human experience. Making disciples of Christ is a totally different proposition. Understanding we are sinners in need of a Savior. Understanding that taking up the cross and following Jesus is not going to be easy. Understanding that living by the Word of God is going to cause you some heartache with the fellow members of our society. Understanding that Christ has overcome Satan and loves you with a never-ending love that had its fulfillment at the cross.
“And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out in a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching and with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.” (v. 26-28)
In this wonderful account of Christ’s love and compassion for a man possessed by an evil spirit we see the very desire of Christ to rescue. And that He does as He has done for us.
Paul writes, “For (Christ) rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:13)
Christ has rescued us…not we have rescued us. Christ destroyed the power of sin and death and Satan. Jesus Christ destroys Satan and all his ways. We don’t sing, “Hell is my home!” No…never…”Heaven is my home!”
Please remember the activity of Satan is not going away until the return of Jesus. As this event draws closer Satan’s activities will dramatically increase. The masses will be dragged away as the gospel is watered down and the man-pleasing Jesus is offered in the name of Christianity.
We live in anticipation of the glory of heaven. Most of the world can’t see beyond the glory of this day. We put our faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. Humanity places its faith in a fallen humanity.
Spurgeon said, “There is real fire in hell, as truly as you have a real body – a fire exactly like that which we have on this earth, except this: that it will not consume though it will torture you…Your body will be prepared in such a way that it will burn forever without being consumed. With your nerves laid raw by the searing flame, yet never desensitized for all its raging fury, and the acrid smoke of the sulphurous fumes searing your lungs and choking your breath, you will cry out for the mercy of death, but it shall never, never, no never give you respite.”
It’s a lot more serious than we thought. Not just the activity of Satan and not just the reality of hell. But the need of each of us with the Holy Spirit’s power to be missionaries where we are to friends and family, co-workers and neighbors. To give them a Jesus who forgives, loves and can save them from this eternal destruction. And not tomorrow. But now.
Amen.
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