Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Mark 9:20-22 provides heart-rending detail about a demon-possessed boy: “And when they brought him unto Him: and when he saw Him, straightway the spirit [demon] tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And He asked his father, ‘How long is it ago since this came unto him?’ And he said, ‘Of a child. And oftimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.’” Certainly Jesus was aware of this boy’s story; being fully God, He is omniscient. His question of the father, then, was to provide background for those who were observing and, more importantly, to give this suffering man an opportunity to pour out his heart and to grow in his faith. His focus on Jesus’ “compassion” tells us that he had heard of His kindness and concern. Whenever we read of Jesus’ miracles, we are impressed by His omnipotence and by His authentication of His absolute claim to be the promised Messiah. However, we should also be overwhelmed by His constant compassion. Let us remember that “His compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:22b).