The High Cost of Healing

by David Scott Robertson

(Mark 1:40 NIV) A man with leprosy came to him [Jesus] and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

(Mark 1:41 NIV) Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"

(Mark 1:42 NIV) Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

In our present day society quality healthcare is expensive.
In the United States healthcare is a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
Physicians, surgeons, nurses, hospitals, pharmacists, wellness and disease prevention organizations, health clubs, weight loss clinics, home health care, emergency services, insurance companies, research and development industries, and a host of other players all contribute to the economic infrastructure of modern day medicine.

Many people these days sacrifice their health in pursuit of wealth.
Later in life, priorities change, and they spend their wealth trying to regain their health.

What do you suppose it would cost - at current healthcare pricing - to restore a man from a terminal condition back to radiant health?
The price tag could escalate into the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.
That's presupposing that the medical technology even existed to save his life let alone provide for a high quality of life.

What would a man pay to save his life?
The life of his wife or child?
Probably all that he had.

But what about the physician?
What would it cost him to administer the life saving procedure?
Does a doctor normally and personally bear the cost of the healing process?
Does the cost of the Band-Aid, the medication, the surgery suite, come out of his pocket instead of being passed along to each of his patients along with his profit margin?

Of course not!
Although we tend to gripe about the high cost of healing
We don't stop going to the doctor just because he's making a living.

But turn your attention to a different kind of physician,
A very great Physician,
Who operated His practice quite differently that any healthcare system that ever existed.

The Healer's name was Jesus.
And He personally bore the high cost of healing for all His patients.

In our opening scripture,
The healthcare solution that was provided to the leper cost him absolutely nothing,
However it was not without cost.
It cost Jesus the ability to even enter a town.

(Mark 1:43 NIV) Jesus sent him [the ex-leper] away at once with a strong warning:

(Mark 1:44 NIV) "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

(Mark 1:45 NIV) Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

By reaching out to this leper,
Jesus was, in effect, waving goodbye to a more comfortable life on this earth.

It was as if He were exchanging places with the leper, who was a social outcast.
In those days, lepers could not openly enter the city
But were forced to dwell outside the city in deserted places because of their contagious disease.

The healed leper could not leave the deserted places and re-enter society.
However, this one act of compassion on the part of Christ
Meant that, at least in that region, Jesus was forced to relocate to places less comfortable.
The high cost of healing.

In the lonely places,
What did Jesus do with it rained without a roof over His head?
What about when it was cold?
How was food preparation different in the lonely places?
Granted, dwellings in the time of Christ were far from what they are today
But they did grant some conveniences and at least offered protection from the elements.

Think about all the comforts of staying in a friend's home
Versus camping out in the woods.
The high cost of healing.

Even though Jesus was explicit and emphatic and sternly warned (Mark 1:43) many He healed not to tell anyone, their first act of newfound health was to disobey Christ - for they were not as strong as He and simply could not contain the joy of their healing.

Because of this, we read scenes like this:

Standing room only
(Mark 2:1 NIV) A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.
(Mark 2:2 NIV) So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.

The multitudes throng Christ
(Mark 5:22 KJV) And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
(Mark 5:23 KJV) And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
(Mark 5:24 KJV) And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

Jesus on the move constantly
(Mark 1:36 NIV) Simon and his companions went to look for him,
(Mark 1:37 NIV) and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"
(Mark 1:38 NIV) Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

Jesus knew very well the high cost of healing…and did it anyway.

And that brings it back to us, the followers of Jesus Christ who to this day are continuing His ministry on the earth.

(Mark 16:17 NIV) And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

(Mark 16:18 NIV) they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

What will you and I do when presented with the high cost of serving Christ?
Will we do it anyway?

DSR
11/25/02

Immediately

by David Scott Robertson

I was reading the first chapter of the gospel of Mark
And a recurring word kept popping up – “immediately” - eight times in forty-five verses.

I thought to myself,
There’s something there, what is it?

Why does there seem to be an accelerated shift in spiritual momentum?
Let’s take a quick look at these eight verses and see if we can discover some principles…

1. Mark 1:9-11 (NKJV)
It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. [10] And IMMEDIATELY, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. [11] Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." [emphasis mine]

To fulfill all righteousness, Jesus was baptized in water.
John the Baptist had protested to Christ that it was the Lord who should be baptizing him,
But Jesus insisted that it be so.
So it was and the results were nothing short of spectacular!

(1) Immediately the heavens opened
(2) The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus
(3) God the Father spoke, audibly, to His Son Jesus
(4) God affirmed Jesus of His beloved relationship and His exceeding pleasure in Him

The point: Immediate obedience brings the miraculous!

2. Mark 1:12-13 (NKJV)
IMMEDIATELY the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. [13] And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. [emphasis mine]

Consider the scene:
John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, is there,
Jesus is there,
God the Father is there,
God the Holy Spirit is there.
One would think this to be a premier opportunity to inaugurate the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Negative.
Rather than seize the moment to address the crowds the Holy Spirit elects to IMMEDIATELY usher Jesus away into a desolate place.

The point: God knows what He is doing and the correct order to sequence events in our lives to accomplish His purposes.

3. Mark 1:16-18 (NKJV)
And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. [17] Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." [18] They IMMEDIATELY left their nets and followed Him. [emphasis mine]

Here we see Peter and Andrew responding to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him.
At once they left the “for profit” fishing industry and became “non-profit” students in the school of Christ.
Can you imagine them trying to explain this to their wives?
Can’t you just hear Peter’s wife asking him over the supper table “how are we going to pay our taxes?”

The point: The most rewarding sacrifices one will ever make are time, talent, and treasure given with pure motives to the kingdom of God.

4. Mark 1:19-20 (NKJV)
When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. [20] And IMMEDIATELY He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. [emphasis mine]

Jesus didn’t hesitate to call James and John to follow Him and they did not hesitate to follow.
They immediately abandoned the family business on the spot and followed Christ.
The man with whom they had the closest earthly relationship, their father Zebedee, they left standing with other employees to continue the family business.

I wonder, did the boys look to daddy for a nod of approval?
Did Zebedee urge them to go and fulfill their destiny or verbally object?
Had Zebedee and his sons listened to Jesus speak many times before and daydreamed out loud about what it would be like to be one of His close friends?

The point: No earthly relationship can transcend in importance our relationship with God.

5. Mark 1:21-22 (NKJV)
Then they went into Capernaum, and IMMEDIATELY on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. [22] And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. [emphasis mine]

Jesus didn’t waste any time getting about His Father’s business.
He was in touch and in tune with the voice of His Father.

We have already seen that when Jesus was in front of receptive, teachable crowds of people – he was restrained from teaching (at His baptism).

Later in the gospels we will see when Jesus is in front of unreceptive, unteachable crowds of people – he is constrained to teach.

And they will reward His wisdom and authority with thoughts of unbelief, rejection, and murder.

The point: Jesus didn’t allow people to manipulate Him, His obedience to the Father in all things is our example.

6. Mark 1:27-28 (NKJV)
Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." [28] And IMMEDIATELY His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. [emphasis mine]

The point: When we are in the right place (our destiny) at the right time (God’s will), the results will bring glory (fame) to the name of our righteous God.

7. Mark 1:30-31 (NKJV)
But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. [31] So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and IMMEDIATELY the fever left her. And she served them. [emphasis mine]

Simon Peter’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They didn’t hesitate to tell the Master about her at once
And He didn’t hesitate to heal her at once.
And then she didn’t hesitate to get up and serve them at once!

The point: When God impacts our lives the only rational, reasonable response is to get up at once and serve Him!

8. Mark 1:40-42 (NKJV)
Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." [41] Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." [42] As soon as He had spoken, IMMEDIATELY the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. [emphasis mine]

The size of any problem that encounters Jesus Christ is irrelevant.
Whether the issue is relatively minor like a fever or terminal like the scourge of leprosy,
Both and all must bow its knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

The point: This passage proves to me that God cares about everything in our lives, big or small.

In conclusion:
(1.) Jesus didn’t procrastinate in doing God’s will, neither should we.
(2.) The disciples didn’t hesitate to forsake all and follow Him, neither should we.
(3.) The sick didn’t have their hope deferred when Jesus ministered healing to them, neither will we.
(4.) Christ followed the Spirit’s leading into a wilderness or synagogue, we must learn to walk in the Spirit also.
(5.) Immediate obedience brings the miraculous. Remember, partial and delayed obedience is disobedience.
(6.) Obedience is the way to go even if we don’t live to see the manifestation and fruit of that obedience. Faith in God’s is sufficient in those circumstances.

DSR
11/18/02

The Forty Liars

by David Scott Robertson

"The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot" (Acts 23:12-13).

The Apostle Paul - what a guy.
Depending upon who you asked in the Book of Acts,
He was either a mighty man of faith in Jesus
Or he was not fit to live.

Paul started revivals and riots wherever he went.
He was a man of great compassion and even greater controversy.

Today, the politically correct crowd
Struggles with the "J"- word (J-esus).
In Acts chapters 21-23, the politically correct (Jewish) crowd
Struggled with the "G" - word (G-entiles, Acts 22:21-22).

In this thought about God, I'd like to focus briefly not on the Apostle Paul,
But on the forty to fifty men who "bound themselves" [what an apt description] with an oath neither to eat or drink until they had killed Paul (Acts 23:12).

I will henceforth refer to this group collectively as "the forty liars."

Why?
Because their extreme zeal,
Fueled by extreme emotion,
Led them to extreme stupidity.

What they really wanted to be were "the forty heroes."
If their conspiracy to kill Paul had succeeded,
I may be writing about "the forty murderers."
Of course, in their righteous indignation,
They thought they were doing God a service by ridding the earth of heretics like Paul.

"Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here." (Acts 23:15 NIV)

These vigilantes boastfully and foolishly
Bound themselves with an oath that swelled into a "great oath."

"They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, 'We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul.'" (Acts 23:14 NKJV)

But there was one factor the forty liars didn't count on - the Jesus Factor.

"The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." (Acts 23:11 NIV).

The forty liars were about to discover that if Jesus Christ wants to cheer you up no man can take you down!

The Lord had arranged for Paul's nephew to eavesdrop on the wicked plan:

"But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul." (Acts 23:16 NIV)

Subsequently the Roman commander, Claudia Lysias,
Unknowingly cooperating with the purposes of God,
Ordered a daring rescue to safely remove Paul out of harm's way.

Now here is where we see "forty or more" men,
One by one,
Become liars.

I don't read anywhere in the scriptures
Where these men continued their hunger strike.
I don't read in the text about men so desperate to drink and eat food
That they form a special operations commando force to pursue Paul,
Engage in combat with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen (Acts 23:23) to kill Paul and fulfill their vow.

How it rather happened, I suppose, was that at some point
Each man realized the impossibility and futility
Of fulfilling the rash vow he had foolishly made.

And the moment, the very moment, that they took a swallow of water,
Or put one morsel of food to their mouth,
They automatically became a liar - and added this to their sins.

They had broken their vow.
They had went back on their word.
They had permanently soiled their reputation.
They were now, from this point forward,
Completely, utterly untrustworthy.

I don't know, but it is possible that the forty liars may have assembled together,
As a whole or in smaller groups,
And somehow rationalized and justified
Why they should not, in fact, die of starvation.
They may have even discussed it over a meal.
Perhaps they even prayed the traditional Jewish prayer over the food:

"Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread to the earth."

But no matter what they said,
Or what they did,
It did not alter the fact that they were liars all the same.

They had broken the Law of Moses.
They had violated the 9th commandment (Exodus 20:9).

Ironically, the only escape for the forty liars from condemnation
Was to embrace the very truth of Jesus' forgiveness of sin
Whom Paul the prisoner preached.

And that is the one thing that we have in common with the forty liars.
We all have need of Jesus.

"…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Rom 3:23 NIV)

Murder.
Lying.
Sexual immorality.
Willful disobedience.
Passive indifference.
All are sin.
Under the law, all sin required the death penalty.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:23 NIV)

Let us not fall into the same condemnation as the devil, who is the father of all lies (John 8:44).

If you have found yourself foolishly and rashly compromising your integrity through ignorant words that have come out of your own mouth,
I counsel you to heed what God advises in the wisdom literature found in Proverbs:

"…if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
"then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!
"Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.
"Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler." (Proverbs 6:2-5 NIV)

Moreover,

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
"for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:19-20 NIV).

DSR
11/11/02