Saturday, September 4, 2021

Pentecost 16; Proper 18B

 

Mark 7:31-37
Jesus who has done all things well

Grant merciful Lord, to Your faithful people pardon and peace that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve You with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen



In this morning’s Gospel Mark assures us that there is absolutely no reason to doubt any of God’s promises or wonder about the sufficiency of His plans for us. Why?  Because His promises are all based on the One whose word and work are totally reliable. He has always delivered on what He has promised.

He has perfectly met all our needs. Mark convinces us to count on Jesus Christ because He has done all things well.

I.       “He has done all things well says Mark. This is there definitive conclusion of the men who brought their deaf and speech-impaired from to Jesus for healing. It might sound strange the way Mark put it in the original Greek text but he writes it this way to bring out the emphasis of these friend’s exclamation “Well (Kalosall things He has done!” A standard of excellence has been stamped on everything Jesus has done.

A.    Jesus does everything well. Christ always does what is exactly appropriate, just, right and totally sufficient for the situation. James uses the same word in our Epistle lesson to describe how rich men are seated in church in a way that is thought to be precisely commensurate with their social standing.  This is the same word the Savior will use in the parable to describe the house that stood on the cross and withstood the flood.

Everything that Jesus does is done in just the right way, the best way, - the perfectly sufficient and appropriate way.  The friends of the man who was healed praise the Savior’s action which is all inclusive. Literally everything Jesus has done meets the standard of perfection.

B.   These men were eyewitnesses of Jesus perfect healing of their friend in a way that was totally adequate and just for him.  They observed Christ’s deep compassion for their friend and His penetrating understanding of the man’s need. They watched as Jesus sensitively led their friend away from the confusion and sensation of the crowds so he could focus his full attention on the Healer.

They marveled when they saw the personal, reassuring, intimate touch Jesus gave to their friend’s ears and tongue.  And their exuberant exaltation of Jesus could be contained no longer when their friend, so long imprisoned by his impediments, was set free for the joys of hearing and speaking. No wonder they couldn’t contain their testimony about the Lord, even though He requested their silence. Who wouldn’t want to tell the world?  He has done all things well!

II.    These friends certainty about Jesus’ work can be ours as well. Remember what they said, “He has done all things well.”  This statement is all-inclusive. It means that everything Christ has also done for us and continues to do is done well – just right, perfectly appropriate, totally sufficient for you. His Word and work can be counted on to the fullest.  We need have no doubt or suspicion about anything Christ provides. He does everything well.

A.    When He promises that He and His Father will provide for our every need. It’s guaranteed. We can be absolutely certain that we shall have food clothing and shelter that are just fright for us according to the individual plans God has for our lives.

The same compassion, penetrating understanding and dynamic power, which brought healing to the impaired man, still characterize the way Jesus meets human needs today.

B.   And what of Christ’s promise of forgiveness for our sin? Nothing could be more certain. We may cast aside any doubt, fear or anxieties we have about the Savior not providing for us. The forgiveness of sin won by Christ at Calvary has the soundest warranty in the world. It never runs out. It’s written in blood – His blood, shed for all our sins. There are no exceptions to this warranty. Whoever we are, whatever we have done, however guilty we might feel, we may be certain that Christ lived, died, and rose –perfectly – for you. His life and death perfectly met all of God’s strict standards.

The forgiveness He offers is just, right, perfectly adequate, and totally sufficient for you. You can depend on it.

We may live with a certain amount of doubt and skepticism about the quality and reliability of goods and services provided for us today. But we have absolute confidence and trust in the goods and services God has provided in Christ Jesus. We know we can count on Jesus Christ. He has done all things well.

Words-825

Passive Sentences-13%

Readability – 70.0%

Reading Level – 7.2

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