Read Mark 3:7-12
What happens when you hear something great is happening? Many of us will drop everything to see for ourselves if it’s “hype worthy.” Here in Mark’s gospel, we see that crowds of people have heard about Jesus. They want to see for themselves, too. They are attracted to Jesus but have no real understanding of who he is.
The miracles people were talking about were examples of God touching people and meeting their needs. People were being healed. Others had their lives restored when evil spirits finally left them alone. Can you imagine keeping quiet about such life-changing experiences?
Despite the growing interest, Jesus was still trying to keep a low profile. We see that by the way he hushed the evil spirits to not be so vocal about his true identity. Have you ever thought it curious how the evil spirits could see the truth and the religious leaders could not? (That’s an entirely different topic for reflection!)
For now, reflect on what Jesus does. Brilliantly, Jesus asked his disciples to have a boat ready to keep him safe from being trampled by the masses. I couldn’t help but imagine Jesus jumping into the boat to make a fast get-away, should the crowd turn into a mob. When people reach the point of desperation, they tend to act in illogical and unsafe ways to compensate. That’s the perfect recipe for a mob to form.
Jesus knew all these things. Do you ever wonder what Jesus felt seeing people coming in droves to be near him? I imagine his heart was full. Perhaps he was even a little amazed.
What was the motivating factor for these seekers? Was it selfish ambition to want to be healed? Was the lure simply curiosity of what Jesus was doing? No matter the reason, these crowds left having seen God at work.
What about you? What is your lure to know more about Jesus? In our churches today, we may see a handful of people coming to be fed by God’s word or churches overflowing with people who know there is more to life. Jesus is that more.
I firmly believe that God has planted in each one of us the desire to connect with him. When we discover that desire, it’s like a flicker turning to a flame. For believers, we can’t get enough of Jesus. The blessings we receive for our devotion are enticing and satisfying.
I want to be part of the crowd rushing to be in Jesus’ presence. Don’t you?
Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for how you have placed in me the desire to be in your presence. I want to know you more each day. Thank you for revealing yourself to me through the words of Scripture. Help me to digest each morsel of truth, helping me to draw closer to you and understand your will for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
