My predecessor in my current job spoke in chapel this morning on Mark 7:31-36 -- one instance when Jesus healed someone. I want to credit Larry with the thoughts that follow. While not his exact words, what he said this morning stimulated my thinking on this.
As Jesus went about his day-to-day activities, he traveled through the region of the Decapolis where some people brought a deaf and mute man to him for healing. What Larry said this morning focused my attention on verse 34 where it says that Jesus ...looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh...." The word, sigh, in Greek (stenazo sten-ad'-zo) means to sigh, murmur, pray inaudibly:-- with grief, groan. Larry's interpretation was that Jesus knew that it was not God's perfect will that this man be unable to communicate clearly.
The things that are going on in Kenya and many other parts of the world are not in God's perfect will. That's not what he wants for His creation. It happens because of the rotten choices that people make. I wonder ... God is sighing over the situation in Kenya. There are a huge number of people, believers and non-believers, who are sighing over that situation. Jesus didn't just sigh over the plight of the man, he took action. Many believers are taking action. I can't just sigh over the situation in Kenya (or Zimbabwe or Dafur or wherever) either. I wonder what action I should take?
Run well, y'all,
Bob
2 comments:
Being aware is a start. So many are not. My wife met a lady from Malawi today and merely knowing where that little country is and something about it made her day.
Sighing is not a bad thing. It shows empathy and grief.
Action follows...contributions, prayers, writing blogs, raising awareness. All of these qualify.
Is it enough? No. Is it better than apathy? Oh yes.
Thanks.
You're right -- sighing is a start. And the sighing indicated by the Greek word in Mark 7 is the right kind of sigh that can motivate one to action.
Interesting that you mention Malawi. According to at least one way to figure income shows that Malawi is the poorest country in the world.
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