Feeling Abandoned?
With all the unfair, unjust, complex, and challenging things that can happen to us, have you ever felt like Jesus abandoned you? It seems He forgot about you or failed to help you. He was silent when you needed Him the most. The passage for this week, Mark 7:31-37, has helped me understand more about these feelings we can experience.
?
Mark 7:31-37
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee, and into the region of the Decapolis. There, some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!"). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
?
Jesus performed an incredible miracle yet commanded the people not to tell anyone. What an opposite! Why not tell people about the good news? If more people understood what Jesus could do, wouldn't that mean He could help more people? Why would Jesus ask them to not tell anyone? What problem did Jesus reveal with His request?
?
The problem occurred when some people brought Jesus a man who was deaf and mute and begged Him to heal the man. However, if Jesus healed the man, it would create excitement and bring out more crowds of people who would follow Him. More crowds and more attention would make it more difficult for Jesus to teach.
?
Jesus knew what to do. He had the solution to the problem. He revealed His love, empathy, and compassion for the deaf man who could hardly talk. The solution was to heal him, even though doing so would cause excitement, making it more difficult for Him to teach. In putting others before His comfort and ease, Jesus revealed His commitment to help people. Jesus could not refuse to help the suffering man, even though He knew it would cause more difficulties for Him. So, He commanded the people present to keep this event to themselves, which they did not do. In healing the man and asking people not to tell anyone, Jesus reveals His love for the suffering man and His desire to help as many people as possible.
?
At one time or another, we can all feel let down and even abandoned by Jesus. When things go wrong, even horribly wrong, we can wonder why Jesus didn't intervene. Sometimes, we can feel like the runt of the litter, the last one at the trough. Life can be difficult; we can suffer and see no end.
?
Today's passage gives us a little window into Jesus' thinking. He seeks to put us first. He loves us and wants what is best for us. He is committed to us and will not leave or abandon us. His priorities lead Him to give us the help we need. Helping us may not mean things work out the way we had hoped, but He can help us endure bad news and frustrating challenges. If we try to evaluate our relationship with Jesus based on the good and bad things that happen to us, we will always have a reason to doubt His love for us.
?
We need to ask for His help to understand that His love for us endures even though adverse events and issues will impact our lives. Even though we may not have our problem removed as Jesus intervenes as Jesus did with the suffering man, we can trust in Him. Jesus did not promise us that we would never suffer, never be disappointed and that we won't have to endure heartbreak or failure. However, this passage reveals how His love far outweighs any bad things that can happen to us. The greatest challenge we face is to not evaluate Jesus' love for us based on the bad things that can happen in our lives.
?
My Prayer - "Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me so much. When you saw this deaf, mute man suffering, you could not sit by and do nothing. You healed Him because you loved Him. You asked those present not to tell people because it would arouse the prejudice and hatred of the religious leaders and make teaching the people more difficult. You did not let this man continue in His suffering to make your life easier. You healed him, knowing what would happen. You asked those present to cooperate with you. Unfortunately, they did not. Please help me to cooperate with you. I may not understand all the issues and outcomes I face, but help me to trust you. Help me to let your love lift me above the challenges and heartbreak life throws at me. Help me to focus on the solutions you offer me in your Word, in Jesus' name, Amen."