Sermon: 2/7/21

Let the words my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen

Isaiah was speaking to the Judeans that were held in captivity in Babylon. They wanted to be free of the oppression caused by this captivity. After being there for years, it is in this 40th chapter that Isaiah attempts to comfort those in exile. “Have you not known? Have you not heard?” Sounds like a teacher I once had. He was trying to get them to remember just who their God was.

Have you not seen what I see? Isaiah was challenging his fellow Judeans. Our God is above all the other gods who our adversaries worship. The God we worship created everything. God is above all human rulers. God is above all other gods. The Lord does not grow faint or get tired. He gives power to us the weak. He strengthens the powerless. The young shall run and the old shall walk and not get tired.

We look around us on this Sunday. It sounds like Isaiah is speaking directly to us. And maybe he is. In a world of pessimism and division and hatred, who do we look to? We Christians say God is with us. If that is so, then God is for us! We look around and where do we see him? Is he comforting, or is he frightening? How is God with us? How do you see God? If you see God, how do you interpret what you see; how do you interpret the activity of God?

So, what does our gospel reading say? Remember, we’re still in the first chapter. Mark writes with urgency. He uses the word immediately more than any other gospel writer. After driving out the unclean spirit from the man who entered the synagogue on the sab- bath, he went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.

Simon’s mother-in-law was there in bed with a fever. As we know a fever is a sign of infection, and infections were very dangerous during these times. But Jesus went in, took her by the hand and lifted her up. The fever left her. And what did she do next? Right, she began to serve the men! You may ask, this woman has been deathly ill, let her rest. Why should she be serving these men? Either one of two things—she was so completely healed that she didn’t need any more rest, of she’s like our mamas. This is my house and I’m going to fix supper!

After sunset, that is when the sabbath was over, the people brought all who were sick or possessed for Jesus to heal. We read that he cured many. Does that mean he cured everyone? But he did not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

If this is not interesting enough, Jesus got up early the next morning while it was still dark and went to a deserted place and prayed. The disciples went to look for him and when they found him, they told him that everyone was searching for him. It was like a tent meeting, we have this crowd worked up and the need some attention.

But look at what he said: “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” Two things: proclaiming the message was more important than the healing. And he said “Let us.”

Jesus didn’t refuse to heal. He responded with compassion when he is confronted by people in need. He doesn’t send them away, but he doesn’t go looking for people to heal. He didn’t want to heal for the fame. That would have gotten in the way of the message. Jesus healed many, but the important thing was the proclamation. He healed their minds. He gave the down-trodden hope; he lifted their hearts. He saved their souls and ours.

Isaiah gave the exiled hope by reminding them of what God had done for them in the past. He would continue to be with them, be for them in the future.

Jesus was telling the people to repent for the kingdom of God is near—repent and believe the good news and therefore our neighbor. Jesus saved us so that we might serve him. We don’t have to serve our neighbor, we get to serve our neighbor in response to God’s love.

Christians live in community, a community of faith. While we may not be in community physically, we can be in community emotionally and spiritually. We need to gather, as we are doing now,; we need to pray; we need to be together with our sisters and brothers; we need to support and encourage one another. The community has to be together to hear God’s words speak to us. This is not to say we can’t be alone at times. There are times we need to be like Jesus, in solitude and in prayer.

Simon’s mother-in-law didn’t have to serve those men. She got to serve them. She like us are healed so that we can serve. The worse thing for us is complacency. If we don’t preach repentance in our daily lives, we will be in more serious trouble. We, you and I have to be point on concerning our role in this pandemic of health and unrest.
So, what is our message in the times we live in? It’s the same as Jesus’ message: The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” The good news? Jesus died for our sins and rose again, giving us the promise of everlasting life! Jesus heals the world. Let us, we’re part of the team. He’ll guide. We’re the hands, the feet, the tongue. We say it; we do it; we live it!