On That Day!

Just this morning, I was typing up a "message" that the Lord placed upon my heart and I wanted to share (It got 'lost' in cyber-space, so here goes round 2). What the Lord did, as I sought His consolation in my life, was remind me of a passage of Scripture that I wrote on a few years ago. He very lovingly reminded me, that it was not something "new" that I needed from Him, but to return to Him and to something He has shown me before. I am probably the only one out there, striving to walk with Christ, that is very hard-headed at times, but none-the-less, I will share.

I entitled the writing "On that day" because these three words appear in the 35th verse of Mark 4. I have always been taught, and firmly believe, that every word in Scripture has importance and is there for a reason. During my quiet time several years ago, these words really struck me, and I had to determine the reason I thought they were included. As I mentioned the Lord took me back to that place this morning.

The events of "that day" were incredibly important in the ministry of Jesus, but I believe more important in the lives of the disciples and for us today. Jesus had the disciples with Him that day, He was teaching to the multitudes, He had been healing, He had declared that those who do His will were considered His "relatives" (Mark 3:31-35). He began to teach the multitudes in parables, and explain the purposes of these parables. We might say that Jesus was in His "zone", His ministry was flourishing and among all the multitudes, there was the twelve.

Again, this was a very monumental day in the ministry of Jesus! In Mark 4:10, something interesting happens: He takes the twelve and they retreat into privacy. It is here that He begins to reveal the great mysteries of the Kingdom of God to them. He would not allow Himself to everyone in this manner, but as they began to ask Him questions, He began to answer. His statement here is amazing "To you has been given the secret of the Kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that 'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven'" (vv.11-12).

There are many implications within the text, but I want to stick to the fact that these guys, "On that day", were specifically chosen to have revealed to them "the secret of the Kingdom of God." Man, these guys had arrived! These guys, if they were in 21st century America, would have some big jets with "Secret of the Kingdom One" or "Raised From the Dead One" or something. They would be selling millions of books, sold out arenas, they may even have their own solid gold toilet seats. In the following verses, Jesus even goes into much greater detail, with amazing patience and explains so much to them. Surely they have arrived!

Well, I believe Jesus wanted us to very specifically see all of what went on and the incredibly amazing significance of what all He revealed to them "on that day", because evening was coming! The second half of Mark 4:35 says "when evening had come, he said to them, let us cross to the other side." And by verse 37 they were in the middle of a terrible storm! No need to worry right, these are the jet flying, TBN speaking, sold-out arena guys right? Nope! These are the "we just had the very secret of the Kingdom of God revealed to us and we are absolutely faithless and scared to death guys."

In verse 37, waves were "breaking into the boat", ever felt that way? I sure have! The irony of it all is that Jesus is sound asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat. The guys start going nuts, full of fear they wake him up, perhaps not so gently, and said to Him, "Master, do you not care that we are perishing?" and Jesus just looks up and calms the storm. He looks at them and sees that they are full of fear and asks them "why?". Then they looked at one another and said "who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?" Oh the doubt, ever been there? Man I sure have!

However, the beauty of it all is found in Mark 5:1: "They came to the other side of the sea." Jesus never left them. He did not throw them overboard for being idiots. He did not make them sit on the back row because of the sins of doubt, fear, and disbelief. It says "they came", they continued with Him in the plan and purpose that He had. He did not lead them off on a retreat to the Cove for a week-long seminar to regroup, He led them right into the face of a demon-possessed man!

So, I must recognize, that though I so often want to put the twelve on a holy-roller-apostle-only crowd, they blew it within hours of having the very mystery of the Kingdom of God revealed to them by God Himself. How often I find my own self having a refreshing time with the Lord, or some special revelation from Him that makes me "feel" so special and then by night fall I am fearful, faithless, and full of doubt. Well, I am in pretty good company. Jesus never gave up on them and man, I sure did need to be encouraged today, that He never gives up on me.

Often I joke that Jesus is in the business of turning chicken poop into chicken salad. I know that sounds a little rough and a bit redneck, but isn't it the truth! Jesus has always been attracted to and worked with the "rag-tag" bunch, so what makes me so special that He shouldn't want to put up with me too? No matter what the day may have brought, night may be coming! Or night could be passing by and a new dawn is on the horizon! Either way, He has chosen us to reveal great mysteries of the Kingdom of God and He will get us through to the other side!