5^th Sunday after the Epiphany – February 8, 2009

Mark 1:29-39 – As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

What do you do when you hurt? Often times our natural tendency is to withdraw into ourselves rather than reaching out for help. Or perhaps we lash out at others, like a wounded animal. Even on those occasions when we reach out for help, we often find ourselves reaching out for things which do not give lasting comfort or can’t give help at all. Today, our Gospel lesson reveals Jesus as the Great Physician who has both compassion and the power to help. For this reason, let us confidently turn to Jesus first in every trouble.

It really is an amazing section of Scripture that lay open before us this morning. Yet, I’m guessing that there is a good chance that when I read these words, amazing wasn’t the first word that came to your mind. Oh, it’s not that we deny what is written here, it’s just that we have heard it all before. In fact, both the Gospel writers Matthew and Luke also record this miracle; and how many times don’t we hear that Jesus traveled throughout Galilee diving out demons and healing the sick. Now, add to that the fact that we live in a visual age in which seeing is believing, coupled with all the pain and sickness and sorrow that we see in the world and in our own families, and there is some skepticism as well. Yes, as Christians, we sometimes have the tendency to read right over words like these very quickly, and that is a shame, because then we read right past the marvelous truth that is recorded here.

That marvelous truth is very simply this: Jesus has absolute power over sickness. Yes, it really is that simple. Just look, and not just with your eyes, but with your eyes of faith. What do we see? Well, we see Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever. Not just some low grade fever, but a serious fever. Luke, the physician, calls it a “high fever” (Luke 4:38). In fact, it was serious enough that the disciples bothered to bother Jesus by asking him to help her – and help her he did! He went to her, took her hand, rebuked the fever, and it left her. Just like that! No medicine! No old school remedies! No waiting for her to get her strength back! The sickness had to obey the true Son of God. Immediately it left her! Immediately she had her strength back as she got up and served not just her family members but her guests as well. When was the last time you went from being seriously sick one minute to feeling perfectly fine the next? Talk about mighty power! Talk about someone who can help! Talk about reason to confidently turn to Jesus first in every trouble! Because you see, even though nearly 2,000 years have passed since Jesus healed these people in Capernaum, he still has the same almighty power to heal physical diseases today.

If that isn’t amazing enough, our gracious Savior demonstrates his power again. “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus…demon-possessed…and Jesus…drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.”

Now, we could discuss at length the frequency of demon possession in our world today. Asking questions like: does it still happen and what does it look like? However, it is and should be sufficient for us to know that the devil still “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He will use whatever way he can to try and destroy us. One of those ways he used was demon possession, especially during the time Jesus was on earth carrying out God’s plan of salvation. And God’s Word tells us that these demons were powerful. We read of one demon-possessed man who “had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him” (Mark 5:4). Of a demon-possessed boy we are told “He often falls into the fire or into the water” (Matthew 17:15). Yes, Scripture tells us the demons are powerful…but Scripture also tells us Jesus is more powerful.

Satan’s crony’s are no match for Jesus. Just look, and not just with your eyes, but with your eyes of faith. With just the words of his mouth Jesus drives them out. No hocus-pocus, no magic formula, no chant, or sweat, or tears. He commands them; they listen, because they cannot disobey the true Son of God. In fact, so powerful and so mighty is Jesus that he forbids them from speaking and they have to listen. When was the last time you were able to do that? Teachers, do your students always listen? Parents, do your children always obey? Married men and women, do your spouses always follow through? No. Yet, so superior is Jesus that the demons could not even say a word.

What confidence this gives us Christians! Surely, God’s appointed weapon against Satan, Jesus’ Word, is still as powerful today as it was then. Jesus’ Word still has the same power against temptation, against Satan’s attacks, against Satan’s allies: the world and our sinful flesh. We can confidently turn to Jesus! As Martin Luther so beautifully put it, “Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us, We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow’r us. This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done! One little word can fell him.”

Jesus has overthrown Satan, for “[Jesus] too shared in [our] humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). What was promised in the Garden, that Jesus would crush Satan’s head, took place when Jesus rose from the grave. It was confirmed when, alive, he descended into hell to proclaim his victory. Jesus walked right into enemy territory, and the enemy could do nothing to him. Satan could not claim him. Satan had no power over him. And now, we share in our Lord’s victory through faith and therefore need not fear the devil’s power over us. That brings us to our final point this morning: that we can confidently turn to Jesus in every trouble because he has power over sin.

Jesus performed many great miracles, but he did not come as only a miracle worker. Jesus healed many sick people, but he did not come as only a healer. Jesus cast out many demons, but he did not come as only an exorcist. These miracles had a greater purpose behind them. They were meant to underscore what Jesus had come to do – to destroy sin; to buy back the world from their sins; to seek and to save what was lost. It was the message of forgiveness through his work as the Messiah that was most important.

This is so important to understand because we are sinners. In fact, the very reason we become infected with disease, catch the common cold and come down with the flu, have cancer, back pain, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis, and oh so many other ailments and infirmities is because of sin. Please, don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that you have one of these ailments or have gotten sick this past year because God is punishing you for a specific sin. No, what God reveals to us is that when we are afflicted and inflicted with sicknesses and other infirmities, it is evidence that we are sinners living in a sinful world. Much like the fact that we will some day die proves that we are sinners, the fact that we get sick, have mental problems, and fall into temptations are all symptoms of a greater problem, sin. And sin is terrible. Not only does it cause us to endure terrible pain and horrible sickness, it tries to rob us of peace with God. Not only does it cause us memory loss and brittle bones, it tries to rob us of any confidence. In fact, sin is so serious, that if it isn’t paid for, it will drag us down into an eternity in hell.

You see, that is why Jesus had to come to destroy sin. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12). With these words Jesus is saying that it was for people exactly like us, people sick with sin and sick with all the effects of sin that he came to this earth. And so he came, the only Son of God, taking upon himself our infirmities and carrying our sorrows. He came, down from heaven, to bear our sin and carry our guilt. He came, the sinless substitute, to stand in the place of us miserable sinners. He became one of us, a true man, and lived under the law, yet remained true God so that he could perfectly live a holy life in our place. He became one of us, a true man, so that he could die on the cross, yet remained true God so that he could pay the penalty of our sin. On that cross, God piled the mountains of our sin and guilt and our disease and sickness upon Jesus. And there he paid for them all. There God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, and by his death we have been forgiven.

But was he successful? Is our sin paid for? Or are we sickness filled hell bound sinners. Well, just look, and not just with your eyes, but with your eyes of faith. Disease is a result of sin. If, therefore, sickness was to be removed, the cause of sickness above all things had to be taken away. In bearing the sin of the world, Jesus at the same time bore all the consequences of sin, sicknesses included. And in healing diseases, he has given indisputable testimony that he was able to bear and remove the cause of disease, sin. So yes, he was successful! Yes, our sin is paid for! Yes, Jesus is worthy of our confidence!

So are you bothered by chronic pain? Struggling with the effects of a disease? Troubled with a frail body? Confidently turn to Jesus, he has the power over disease. Are you harassed by Satan’s ploys? Are temptations wearing you thin? Confidently turn to Jesus, he has the power over the devil. Is the guilt of your sin driving you crazy? Do you wonder how God could ever forgive you? Is there a sin you just can’t seem to overcome? Are you afraid of death and hell? If so, confess your sin to Jesus, he has power over sin.

It may not be his will to take away your pain, or your sickness, or your disease. But it is his will to make all things work for the good of those who love him. He may not at this time remove that certain temptation from you. But he will give you the strength through his word to overcome that temptation and strengthen your faith. And as we come, sincerely confessing our sins to Jesus, trusting in him as our Savior, we can be confident that we have the forgiveness of sins he promised that he won for us on the cross. This in turn, puts all our troubles in perspective, because we know that through faith in the forgiveness of sins Jesus won, there is a heaven waiting for us.

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry Ev’rything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry Ev’rything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged – Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness – Take it to the Lord in prayer.

So go, dear Christian friend, confident in your Savior Jesus for the answer, the help, and the strength in every trouble. Amen.