Sermons:
(see below)
by Rev. Randy L Quinn
The Joy of
Serving, Mark 1:29-39,
by Rev. Thomas Hall
Chameleon for Christ, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 and Mark
1:29-39,
by Rev. John Murray
Strength in
the Desert, Isaiah 40:21-31,
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
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Seeing the Needs of Others
sermon based on Mark 1:29-39
by Rev. Randy L Quinn
A few weeks ago, I spoke about party invitations. Today, we are like the
person who arrives at the party and recognizes the need to help in the
kitchen or to open the door for new guests who are arriving. In today’s
text we hear what it means to see the other guests the way Jesus sees
them. We turn our attention from ourselves to Jesus, from what we value
to what he values.
I remember talking to a man who loved to go to large cities and stand on
a street corner looking up at the buildings around him. If he kept his
focus on one particular spot, it wouldn’t take long before a crowd was
gathering around, trying to see whatever it was that he was trying to
see.
That’s when he would stop looking at the building and begin to watch the
crowds. They had no idea why they were looking at the building, but
often they would find something worth pointing out for others to see!
I want to look at the things Jesus is looking at.
I want to see the things he is seeing.
I want to look so intently at the things he is looking at that others
will stand around and wonder what I’m looking at.
I want to allow Jesus to use my eyes and my energies to address needs in
our world today.
With that in mind, I invite you to imagine what it is that Jesus was
seeing as we read our text for today:
Read Text.
It’s easy to read this text and see the various ways Jesus heals people.
Beginning with last week’s story of Jesus in the synagogue, we realize
he doesn’t care where he is, he will heal those who are near him –
whether it is a man in the synagogue, a woman in her home, people on the
streets, or even in lands far away (Mark 1:26, 31, 34, 39).
Clearly, we can never do what he was able to do. In that sense, this
passage is about him, not us. It conveys his ability to heal, not our
sickness. We are reading about his power, not our weakness.
As we witness the events taking place in the scriptures, we are more
like the disciples than we are Jesus. Still, I wonder what was going on
in their minds?
Here’s what I think was likely to have happened. Jesus and the disciples
leave the synagogue after worship. They go to Peter’s house and find
that his mother-in-law is sick. I suspect Peter’s wife was frantically
trying to do all that she normally did – as well as what her mother
normally did; she was trying to compensate for the absence of her mother
in the kitchen.
If it were our house, I know I would pitch in and try to help, too.
Maybe Peter began to set the table. Maybe Andrew took the kids outside
to play.
But all of those activities help prepare for their own meal. Jesus isn’t
interested in the meal. He’s concerned about the sick woman upstairs. So
he goes to her. He does what we may not be able to do – he heals her.
But what we can do is to express our concern for her, what we can do is
include her in the conversations, what we can do is see the people that
have needs, rather than the activities that need to be done.
But that’s only the beginning. [continue]
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