In 1939, 10 years into the Great Depression, the film "The Wizard of Oz" was released. In the film, young Dorothy, standing against a colorless Kansas landscape, sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It became the signature song for the film. The actress who played the part, Judy Garland, sang the song for a nation that had been suffering from a lack of realized dreams. She sang with a hopefulness that suggested that perhaps soon the national, and international, economic nightmare might soon be over. "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."
She sang, and people believed that young and innocent voice, hoping along with her that soon they’d wake up in a place "where troubles melt like lemon drops, way above the chimney tops…"
Now fast forward nearly 60 years. At one of her concerts, the singer Tori Amos returns to the stage for an encore. To everyone’s surprise and delight, she begins singing, "Somewhere, over the rainbow…"
But this version is a far cry from the original. Amos sings much of the song almost in a whisper, as if discouraged and drained by the harshness of life. For Amos, the song is a lament: "Somewhere, over the rainbow, blue birds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow, why oh why can’t I?" And her song too finds a place in people’s hearts, people who, like her, are looking for something, looking for a reason to hope.
There is, in each one of us, a deep thirst of the soul, expressed in the search for hope, help and meaning. And followers of Jesus Christ need to ask, ’Are we listening to the laments of our neighbors? Do we hear that deep thirst in the comments and cries of popular movies, of hit songs, of friends at school and neighbors at home?’
Jesus was listening. He heard the voice and heart cries of people who were on the search for hope. And he responded to them with compassion, healing and hope. It was his ministry. It’s why Jesus came.
Jesus came to invite lost people home. He came for sinners. We can find his mission summarized in various places in the Gospels. In John 3:16, Jesus said "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Jesus came to offer hope and a future. Later on, in John chapter 10, Jesus said, "I have come that my people may have life, and have it to the full." In the gospel of Luke, chapter 5, he said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
So we find Jesus ministering to people, in a variety of ways. He had a teaching ministry. He often taught out in the open. He taught the crowds that gathered around him while he was traveling from place to place. He stopped traveling in order to teach dozens or thousands. From the Sermon on the Mount to the lessons he taught while standing on a boat a little ways offshore, Jesus brought God’s good news of forgiveness and the call to follow to all who were willing to listen.
He also taught in more formal settings like the synagogues, such as he did on the Sabbath day in our Bible reading. Jesus did this on a regular basis. In those settings he would open the Scriptures, the Hebrew Bible, what most of us today know as the Old Testament. And he would explain with authority how the good news of God started with the law and the prophets, and came to fulfillment in him.
In the Bible passage for today, we also see something of the healing ministry of Jesus. First, Peter’s mother in law was healed. She had a fever, and at that time a fever could be quite serious. We ought not think to ourselves that Jesus was doing little more than a courtesy by curing her of the common cold. Many deadly illnesses, both ancient and contemporary, start out as a serious fever. Perhaps Peter’s mother—in—law had malaria. That would explain why she was unable to work. Whatever the cause, Jesus brought the cure. He took her by the hand, raised her up, and the fever left her. Immediately, she served Jesus—because that’s what true gratitude looks like.
Word must have gotten out, because crowds came to see him that evening. They came right after sunset. In that time, there were strict religious laws about unnecessary travel, a form of work that was forbidden on the Sabbath. And the Jewish Sabbath went from sundown on the day before to sundown on the Sabbath day. So Mark’s way of telling us what happened informs us that people came as soon as they could. A lot of people. Mark says all the sick and demon possessed came that night to see Jesus—or to be seen by him. And there were also a lot of people who wanted to see what he would do and how he would do it. The whole town came out—perhaps 2,000 people. Imagine having that kind of crowd right outside your door!
They must have been looking for something. They must have believed that they’d found something. Today, we’d call them seekers. Jesus was surrounded by people looking for some hope, a better future. Singers of songs, listeners of stories, and chasers of dreams. Our world too is filled with people like that. The kind of people that flocked to Jesus, to see him, to hear him, to touch him, to know him.
What a blessing it is then to all seeking, hungering people, that Jesus has disciples in this world—followers who look to him for guidance. We look to the pages and stories of the Bible to learn what it means to be like Jesus. We come to the text for today, with the understanding that we are to do as Jesus did, to live as he taught us to live. So it seems we too ought to offer hope and healing.
But how do we do that? We aren’t miracle workers, certainly not in the same way that Jesus was. Not many of us can gather a crowd around our house and cast out the demons and diseases of a whole town. For us, it’s a struggle just to maintain the kind of compassion, patience and kindness that keeps us in ministry and away from cynicism. So how can we do what Jesus did?
We need the same crucial ingredient that Jesus had. Jesus received all he needed for ministry in his close relationship with the Father. And that in and of itself took some effort. He got away from the crowds that sought him out. Remember, the morning after his busy evening of healing and touching and casting out demons, he didn’t sleep in. No, he went out early. Very early—Mark wants to emphasize the point. He says specifically that Jesus went out while it was still dark, before anyone else was up. Mark is telling us that Jesus’ behavior surprised them. It was unusual.
In fact, Jesus left the town, and went out to, literally, the wilderness. Now, we ought to understand, Jesus didn’t go out to the wilderness. That is, he didn’t return to the vast, arid desert area where, many years before, the nation of Israel had wandered after leaving Egypt. No, that area is in the southern part of Israel, and Capernaum, where Jesus was, is in the north. Jesus left the city, left the places where people might find him. But Mark uses the word ‘wilderness’ to remind us of the time when Jesus was tempted by Satan, before he began his ministry—and where he spent time in prayer and was strengthened. The reference also recalls Israel’s time learning to rely on God, away from Egypt. Jesus got away, to connect with God, connecting with his Father.
And this was not the only time. Mark especially emphasizes Jesus’ connecting with his Father in prayer, when he is busy, or tired, or under stress, or seeking direction. Later, we are told that after feeding 5,000 people with 3 loaves of bread and 2 fish, dismissing the crowds, and sending the disciples away in a fishing boat, Jesus went up to a mountaintop alone to pray. And when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, preparing for his arrest, he told his disciples that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death. So he prayed. It’s what Jesus did when he found himself immersed deep in the hard struggle of ministry.
That morning the disciples found him. They got up a while later, and saw that he’d already left the house. So they went looking. And they found him in prayer. Really, they interrupted him. They exclaimed, with just the slightest hint of disapproval, "Everyone is looking for you." Everyone was out looking for Jesus because of his powerful ministry, and because they were thirsty for spiritual drink, because they desired healing and because they were seekers.
The disciples didn’t seem to approve of sneaking away for devotions. They certainly didn’t understand it. Why not? Well, in the first place because Capernaum was a step up from their tiny hometown, a fishing village by the sea of Galilee by the name of Bethsaida. Capernaum represented opportunity, the big time. People are looking for him, they want him to do it again, they want to sit and listen and watch. These miracles are a great tool for public relations, for gathering a crowd, a following, for starting a movement.
That’s a ministry growth strategy we can easily understand. Because we’re not so different I’m guessing you’re a lot like me—I hope for, and pray for miracles. Not for my sake, of course, but for God’s sake, for the benefit of the kingdom of God. It’s often so clear to us—what Jesus ought to do, how Jesus ought to live.
But Jesus doesn’t stay put in Capernaum, the city of his success. No, Jesus emerged from the time he spent in conversation and consultation with the Father, and moved on with a renewed clarity of mission. He would not stop to ride the wave of popularity, no matter how eagerly the people of that city were seeking him out, for more spectacular miracles or better sermons. Never mind that everyone was looking for him. He told the disciples it was time to move on. "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." It’s worth noting that Jesus comes to this conclusion after an early morning visit alone with his Father in prayer. "Let us go so that I can preach in other places. That is why I have come."
Here is the crucial point. This is at the heart of what I’m saying today. If you remember anything as you walk away from the radio or power down your ipod, it is my hope and prayer that you remember at least this, the essential starting point for applying the teachings of discipleship in your own life is spending time with your heavenly Father.
To encourage and exhort one another to be more like Jesus is not enough. In fact, on our own, we cannot do what Jesus did. We don’t have it in us. We might be able to try for awhile, but ultimately, we don’t have the stamina, perseverance, patience or power that’s needed. We simply cannot do what Jesus did without knowing who he knew. Jesus spent time with his Father. He did it often, and he did it well. And it is the first part of being a disciple in action—you must have a personal connection to God through prayer. Without it you’re not going to go anywhere, or accomplish much of anything.
One of my hobbies is woodworking, and so I enjoy escaping to my basement workshop every now and then to work on a project, or to do some handiwork around the house. One of the tools I use regularly is my cordless drill. It’s very helpful because it’s strong enough to drill into concrete, but I don’t have to drag around an extension cord. I put it to some hard use, but after a while it’s obvious when the battery needs to be taken out and recharged. It doesn’t matter how badly I want to keep working or how necessary it is to keep drilling, when that battery needs to be recharged I have to take it out and set it on the charger for a little ‘quiet time’ away from the hard work. It’s got to sit for a while, reconnected to the electrical outlet in the wall and recharged. In fact, if I keep going, pushing the battery when I know it’s running out of juice, I can permanently damage it, so that when it does recharge it won’t come back as strong as before.
It’s the same with our ministry hearts. We cannot keep going and going on our own strength without doing damage, perhaps to ourselves, perhaps to others with whom we minister, or perhaps to our relationship with God. Time with God seeking his comfort, guidance, counsel and renewal is like healthy food to a star athlete. It’s gives us energy. And if the Bible reading for today’s message is any indicator, time with God can also be like marching orders for a soldier. We can also receive direction, and clarity for our calling, through prayer and listening. Keep in mind how Jesus got up from his knees that morning with a clear sense of the need to move on to other places, to other people who needed to hear the message his Father had given him to preach.
Jesus rose from prayer and re—entered ministry. He put mission into action. Mark tells us he went on and met a man suffering from leprosy, a terrible disease of the flesh that was eventually fatal. This man’s body was covered with open sores. Walking, moving, just being awake would be very painful for him. The pain he experienced and the damage done to muscles and nerves had left him unable to function normally. He was physically crippled.
But more than that, his disease made him a social outcast. The ancient laws of holiness and purity, laid out in the Old Testament, required that he and others like him stayed away from the rest of the community. He could not have normal relations with family or friends, he likely lived alone on the outskirts of his hometown, begging for food and support.
Being an outcast also meant he could not join with God’s people in worship. He could not go to the temple to offer sacrifices, to be a part of public worship, or participate in any of the great annual festivals that were a part of the annual rhythms of religious and communal life. He was also a spiritual outcast.
So he comes to Jesus, comes closer than he’s really supposed to, and gets down on his knees, and begs, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." By the sound of his feeble request, he’s not very confident. He had no question that Jesus was able to heal him. The Lord’s reputation had spread, and this man with a terrible disease had heard and taken the news of Jesus’ ministry to heart. But he’d also been hurt by the religious regulations, and cast out of his world. Would Jesus want to reach out to an exile like him? He did not know the heart of Jesus.
In response to his plea, Jesus showed his compassion, for he had connected with his Father. Jesus knew what he was to do, he knew his mission in the world. He had the energy and direction he needed to be doing all that his Father wanted him to do. All he needed he received for himself and his work in prayer, in that intimate, regular time spent with his Father.
Jesus gave him full restoration. He touches the man with leprosy, in itself a somewhat scandalous act. In the eyes of those who were watching, Jesus risked himself. In that day, to touch and unclean person was to make yourself unclean. And we know from other accounts of Jesus healing ministry, there was really no need to touch the man. A number of times, Jesus healed people of their diseases, even raised people from the dead, without touching or even meeting those who needed his help. All it took was just a word and his willingness. But in this case, Jesus decided to go beyond just healing, and touch the man. Perhaps this was his first human contact in years.
So Jesus healed the leper physically. His sores were gone, his skin restored. But Jesus also specifically sent him off to present himself to the priest. He was sent that he might also receive spiritual restoration—he would soon rejoin the worshipping community. And that would also bring social restoration—he would also soon rejoin society; be again a part of his family and his circle of friends. Jesus healed and restored the whole person, and did so again and again, out of the strength and direction he received through his connection to the Father.
And in the ministry of Jesus Christ, we come to understand better what it means for us to follow him, to be his disciples. If we are disciples, his mission is our mission: we too are to bring hope and healing to the lost, the lonely, and the disconnected. We are to reach out to all those who are hurting, all those who are far from God. Jesus did that all the time. And we are to live as Jesus lived.
It is my prayer for you that the Holy Spirit would open your eyes to see those within your circle or your area of influence who are in need of the kind of encouragement that you can bring. I pray that you would be moved to follow Jesus into doing something that perhaps you’ve never done before.
But as we eagerly enter in and break new personal ministry ground, we also need to assess ourselves against that essential starting point for mission: a personal relationship with God, nourished in prayer. It is what Jesus himself needed, and sought out in the course of his time of ministry among us on earth.
May such a relationship be for us too a source of guidance we need as we sort through our mission, as well may it be a wellspring of energy, excitement and enthusiasm for that calling.
Everett Vander Horst
Everett Vander Horst is the senior pastor at Shawnee Park Christian Reformed Church, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He and his wife Christa have been married for 14 years, and have 3 children: Laura (10), Eric (7) and Jason (5). A Canadian, Everett grew up on a dairy farm in southwestern Ontario. After graduating from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1996, he and Christa moved to British Columbia where Everett was ordained as pastor in the Telkwa Christian Reformed Church. They took the call to Shawnee Park CRC in 2001. When he is not pastoring, Everett enjoys digital photography, fishing as well as building toys and furniture in his basement woodshop.
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