Come Follow Me with Living Scriptures: Matthew 8; Mark 2-4; Luke 7

VIDEO: Come Follow Me with Living Scriptures: Matthew 8; Mark 2-4; Luke 7

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Come Follow Me (Mar 6-12) Matthew 9–10; Mark 5; Luke 9 | For the One – powered by Happy Scribe

You know, studying the New Testament is like a voyage through the most amazing stories ever told. But what happens when we dive deeper into Christ’s parables and teachings to discover important details and powerful symbols. All aboard as we go below the surface of a few well known stories to find.

Treasures of meaning.

Went to Dacopolis, one of the few cities where he taught with more gentiles than Jews.

They soon met a lone, wild, miserable man possessed with lots of devils. Now, these devils know Jesus and his power and realize they’ve met their match but still plead to be in any precious body instead of being disembodied. Yes, these minions of Satan who’d lost the right to receive a body of their own know what a great gift physical bodies are and want one desperately, not caring what it looks like. So Jesus sends them into a herd of local pigs, freeing this poor man from his great torment. Yay, no bodies.

Oh, no.

Now, let’s dive deeper. We see that Jesus, the Savior, went completely out of his way to show love to the one. And not just anyone, he looks for the ones on the bottom. Jesus shattered hardened traditions of cleanliness to save this man. In Old Testament times, the cleanliness practice of the Israelites had important medical and cultural purposes. But over time, additional requirements crept into the law, and people could be harshly judged according to the new traditions. For Jewish culture at the time, everything in this story represents extreme unclean, going to a Gentile city, helping an outsider living in a graveyard possessed with devils, covered with blood and self inflicted wounds, acting crazy, around 2,000 pigs. Unclean, unclean, unclean. But this was Jesus’ entire purpose and example here. He went to the ends of his world to save this most wretched and filthy of men because this man’s soul is just as pure and godly as any of ours. He was redeemable, and so are we. And guess what? Christ calls him to be the first missionary among the gentiles. And he zealously told everyone how he was saved.

Now, if Jesus would go completely out of his way to redeem this filthy and tormented man, how much more will he reach into the deepest, darkest abyss for you and me if we let him? And how much more can we do for the many drowning souls out there that also need our help? Now, this was no random thing. This was a pure example of the power of his love for the woman. But immediately upon arriving back in Capernaum, crowds rushed Jesus. One is Jairus, a Synagog leader who pleads, My little daughter is near death. Please come and heal her. But while proceeding to Jairus’ home, Jesus stops. Power has left him and he realizes a woman with a blood issue has touched his tunnel and is immediately healed. Now, in this delay, Jairis gets the heartbreaking news that his daughter is now dead. But Jesus presses on to Jairis’ home and miraculously brings her back from the dead. You can see this full story on Living Scripture’s streaming. But as we go deeper, we see that for 12 years, this blood issue would have also made the woman unclean and an outcast. She’d spent all her money to be healed but was actually left worse financially, physically, and socially.

She had nothing left. And being stigmatized as unclean for 12 years is a heartbreaking long time to go without a hug. So though she wasn’t supposed to touch anyone, let alone a crowd of people, she desperately and courageously used all she had left for incredible faith, and turned it into action by literally reaching out to touch him. Yes, Jesus was her only hope. As Jesus asked, Who touched me? Instead of disappearing into the crowd, the woman boldly falls down before him and tells her story. And with love in his eyes, he says, Daughter, thy faith has made thee whole. So regardless of who reaches out to whom, Jesus can redeem those of us at the bottom, making us feel worthy, loved, and wholly healed. And even more important, he doesn’t just heal bodies. He heals hearts, minds, and spirits, too, for every last one of us.

But what about Jairus? Jesus is too late. His daughter is dead. He’s devastated. Jesus tells him, Don’t be afraid, only believe. After announcing that the damsel was sleeping, most of the people mocked Jesus. So Jesus sends the hecklers out and then takes the girl by the hand and says, Damsel, arise. So how does time, or lack of it, or waiting affect our faith? Jesus seemed unhurried on his way to Jairis’ house, even though everyone else was freaking out. Yep, sometimes it’s hard for us clock carrying alarm setting mortals to be on God’s schedule. We may feel like he’s slow to act or that he’s forgotten us, but his love and purposes are eternal. If we can just hang in there, we’ll see his power in our lives. Yes, as we dive deeper into the layers of these stories, we can deeply feel Jesus’s love for each of us. He loves the One. And no matter how much filth and shame we’re stuck in, or if we think time has run out, we can’t sink lower than his love.

Almost 50 years ago, Living scriptures was founded to help everyone better understand and feel the power of God’s Word. Who knew that today’s LineUp online series would touch half a million lives every week? Season 4, The Glorious New Testament, is in production, and you are invited to help us in this great cause by clicking the donation link below. And as our gift to you, anyone donating $10 per month also receives a Living Scripture streaming subscription. For a donation of a $1,000 dollars or more, our artists will give your likeness a cameo in one of our videos. Together, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can make a lasting impact on countless people around the world. From all of us, thank you. And now, go read the scriptures for yourself.

Peace, Be Still

Matthew 8; Mark 2-4; Luke 7 | February 27-March 5

During his life on earth, Jesus performed many miraculous healings. He healed lepers, He restored sight to the blind, He cast out evil spirits, and He even raised the dead.

Jesus showed us through these miracles that He is the Son of God, and He has power over all things.

Though Jesus may not always heal the sickness and sufferings we face in life, He has power to bring us peace. When we face our challenges with faith in Jesus Christ, He gives us strength and a special kind of peace that replaces our fear with calm.

Watch

Read and Discuss

Scripture

Matthew 8:24–27

“And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”

Questions

  • Why were Jesus’ disciples frightened by the storm?
  • How did Jesus calm their fears?
  • What kinds of “storms” might we face in our lives?
  • How can we find peace during life’s storms, or when we are afraid?

Quote

“‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27.) … This peace is of a special kind. With Christ’s peace comes the deep, inner assurance that all things, even our greatest sufferings, will be for our good. … Such peace does not depend on external circumstance but grows as we become one with Christ.”
George S. Tate

View past lessons & resources on our website.

More Resources

Activity

Peace Be Still Game

This fun PEACE, BE STILL GAME will help your children learn how they can find peace during life’s storms through prayer & faith in Jesus Christ.

Treat

“Peace-filled” Boats

Have fun putting these yummy “PEACE-FILLED” BOATS together and filling them with strawberries & whipped cream as a reminder that if we fill our lives with prayer and faith in Jesus Christ, He will fill our souls with peace.

Song

Master, the Tempest is Raging, Hymn #105

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