Quotes

"Every parable that Jesus ever told is an absolute miracle of divine wisdom, and every miracle that Jesus every performed is a parable of divine truth and divine power."   

This is a quote I heard in a sermon last night.  The speaker was teaching on Mark 3:1-8

Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.  3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.  5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.  7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.

The speaker went on to say that in the parables and stories we need to look for where we "fit in."

I've known that the miraculous healings of Jesus pointed to a bigger picture.  Jesus physically healed those who believed in Him, those who had faith.  But the real healing, the healing He longed for them to have was the healing of their hearts.  

In this miracle we see a prime example.  The man with the deformed (or withered, as some versions put it) hand was willing to believe and obey Jesus.  Jesus told him, "Come and stand in front of everyone."   The man came forth.  Jesus then told him, "Hold our your hand."  Again the man obeyed.  It was in this faith and obedience that the man found his restoration.  The man found truth and power in the person of Jesus.  He found healing and restoration, not just for his hand but for his soul.

Conversely, the enemies of Jesus, (the Scribes and the Pharisees) found fault.  The found a reason for more hatred and more jealously and more motive to get rid of Him.  Their hardened hearts could not see the truth in front of them  They walked away unchanged, still withered of soul.  

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

Proverbs 2

My son, if you receive my words,

And treasure my commands within you,

2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,

And apply your heart to understanding;

3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,

And lift up your voice for understanding,

4 If you seek her as silver,

And search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,

And find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

8 He guards the paths of justice,

And preserves the way of His saints.

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,

Equity and every good path.

10 When wisdom enters your heart,

And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

11 Discretion will preserve you;

Understanding will keep you,

12 To deliver you from the way of evil,

From the man who speaks perverse things,

13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness

To walk in the ways of darkness;

14 Who rejoice in doing evil,

And delight in the perversity of the wicked;

15 Whose ways are crooked,

And who are devious in their paths;

16 To deliver you from the immoral woman,

From the seductress who flatters with her words,

17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth,

And forgets the covenant of her God.

18 For her house leads down to death,

And her paths to the dead;

19 None who go to her return,

Nor do they regain the paths of life—

20 So you may walk in the way of goodness,

And keep to the paths of righteousness.

21 For the upright will dwell in the land,

And the blameless will remain in it;

22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,

And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

In every act of Jesus', every story, parable, word,  miracle...all of His life here is truth, power and wisdom for us.  We are instructed to seek, to come to Him! It is God's pleasure to reveal Himself to us.   And we are instructed to obey Him.  When we do, we find healing for our lives, our souls and hope (solid, assured and definite) for our eternity.   Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.   

As you read through the Gospels, the whole Bible, look for ways to apply it, maybe there's a principle, or a parallel, instruction or warning.  The Lord wants us to look beyond the surface and dig deeply into Him.  He wants to heal our withered parts, our deformities and our lostness.  Don't be afraid to come before Him when He calls.  

Lord, You truly are our truth, healer, savior, power and life.  Let us search for You with all our hearts.  Share with us Your will, Your wisdom, Your truth and Your heart as we read Your Word.  Only You have the words of life.  Only You can heal the deformities of our souls.  And as You do this, we will be walking sermons of hope and deliverance drawing others to You.  We love You and need You each moment of each day.  Thank You.  It's in You we pray and have hope Jesus.  Amen. 

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.