Jesus and Passing Through
Passing through can be filled with joy, expectancy, and memories to be made. One of the best things a grandparent can hear is “We are passing through and wanted to see if we could bring the family by for a visit?” It is a joy to hear from friends who are passing through the area and want to stop in for a meal. When a favorite tour is passing through the area we often say, “That is a show we definitely don’t want to miss.”
Scripture holds many times that Jesus was passing through. When He was passing through fishing villages around the Sea of Galilee, people were healed, taught, fed, and even called to follow Him. When He was passing through the cities, people cried out His name and grabbed the hem of His garment for healing. When He was passing through the area of the Gadarenes, a person filled with evil spirits was freed and a whole herd of pigs died. (In this final week of the Daniel Fast, I must confess that all I thought about was this story. In particular, I thought about how much bacon, ham, sausage, and pork chops were wasted that day.)
When Jesus was passing through on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples were terrified and thought they saw a ghost. There is even an incredible story where Jesus was taken to be thrown off a cliff at Mount Precipice. Jesus simply passed through the crowd, because His time for dying had not yet come. No doubt there were people who missed Jesus passing through their area for various reasons.
"Dinner with Jesus"
This Sunday, we will serve our third course in the “Dinner with Jesus” sermon series. It is filled with tasty morsels upon which we will be invited to feast. We will be invited to find ourselves in the crowds of Jericho. Residents of the city witnessed Jesus passing through on His final ascent to Jerusalem before His crucifixion. In this story, we will encounter a wee little man who does unusual things to catch a glimpse of Jesus. He risks his own life to see the author of life.
Whenever I travel abroad, I am always humbled at the risks some take and the sacrifices they make to be where they can experience worship and the word. A few years ago, I was blessed to travel to Seoul, South Korea. I toured some of the largest churches in the world. In the Korean Methodist Church, everyone gathers for worship and Bible Study every morning at 5AM. (Or 6AM for the less committed followers of Jesus.) I talked with people in worship who had traveled an entire day to get to the two-hour worship service, and would travel an entire day to get home. Honestly, it made me feel guilty for the times I didn’t go because there was something on TV that I wanted to watch instead.
I have traveled great distances at great costs to see and experience concerts, speakers, and sporting events. I don’t know how long your commute is to get here each Sunday, but I do know that Jesus will be passing through. I hope to experience His presence with you and yours.
Opmerkingen