Monday, 2/23/2015

“The measure of a man is what he does with power.” ~ Plato

NUMBERS 8-10

God gives further instructions regarding setting up the lamps, setting apart the Levites, the passover, the cloud above the tabernacle and the silver trumpets.  After two years God commands Moses to move out...they traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the desert of Paran.

35Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

“Rise up, Lord!

May your enemies be scattered;

may your foes flee before you.”

36Whenever it came to rest, he said,

“Return, Lord,

to the countless thousands of Israel.” (10:35-36)

MARK 5:1-20

Jesus goes across the lake to the area of the Gerasanes.  There he encounters a man possessed with legions of demons.  He lives among the tombs and cannot be restrained, howling and screaming and cutting himself with rocks.  Upon seeing Jesus he runs to him falls down and the spirits beg to not be sent out of the Region.  Jesus allows them to leave the man and go into a herd of pigs.  The pigs then run down the embankment and drown themselves in the sea.

18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis^b how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

JOURNAL

It must have been quite a scene, and I can only imagine the Disciples reaction to the crazy man running toward Jesus.  Day by day Jesus power and authority is being revealed.  This to me would have been the ultimate confirmation.  Not only is he able to heal and demonstrate his goodness, but to see demonic forces surrender to his presence, would be overwhelming.

Again, it is through action that Jesus is living out his ministry.  He is going to people, not requiring people to come to him.  Yet Jesus' power is used only to do good and in obedience. The awesome things that he could have done, yet didn't, remind me that power must be surrendered in love and obedience to God. 

6Who, being in very nature^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature^b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)