Mark 7:31-37
Don’t
you just love press conferences that really announce nothing of substance. Lots
of music, flashy lights, impressive backdrop, and then the talking head enters
and uses too many words to fill a balloon with hot air. I think press
conferences used to have substance. It seems just an excuse to get a sound bite
captured for the 24 hour news cycle.
And
it often seems as though those who give these conferences haven’t really
thought through the second and third order effects of this great new thing
being announced, at least the politicians don’t seem to worry about the ‘what’s
next’ of these projects. I think they feel that the sound of their voice will
magically make things happen.
This
seeking of the limelight is one of the big things wrong with this world. The
leaders need more and more of this attention, this power to keep them going. It
is almost as if it were the oxygen they breathe. And shame on us for giving
them oxygen!
Jesus
was a very different type of person. Without even speaking of His Divinity, we
can speak about the way He did things. He often didn’t want publicity. He
wanted something other than crowds. If you look at the contents of chapters six
and seven of Mark you see Jesus trying to pull aside with His disciples, but He
keeps getting interrupted by people with needs, needs which He alone has the
ability to meet.
Jesus
moves from one non-Jewish territory to another, from Tyre to Decapolis. He
leaves the seaport and goes across Galilee to the East and ends up on the other
side of the Jordan River. There was a group of ten cities there. There was not
a large Jewish influence in this area. But Jesus goes there with His disciples
trying to stay under the radar, avoid notice and publicity.
But
Jesus is not without witness there. If you remember, Jesus cast out a whole
crowd of demons from a man who lived in the tombs. Jesus sent him back to his
home, to this ten city region. His job was to simply tell people what Jesus had
done for him. I think he was successful!
Some
people hear that Jesus is in town and they bring a man to Him who needs help.
He can neither hear nor speak. In our publicity driven society this would have
meant a press conference with an announcement: I am going to heal this man!
Cameras flash and video loops are created of Jesus touches, spits and groans.
But
Jesus pulls the man aside. He wants to avoid publicity. His resurrection and
His power flowing through His followers after Pentecost will be enough. The
changed lives will speak more than any news conference. Results, lasting
results, demonstrate the Truth of His message.
If
only we could get what is promised in the news conferences! Or maybe it is a
good thing we don’t get it!