THE PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: WEDNESDAY, 1ST MARCH, 2023 

       

TOPIC: THE PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST

TEXT: MARK 2:1-23

1. And again He entered Capernaum after [some] days, and it was heard that He was in the house.

2. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive [them,] not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.

3. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four [men.]

4. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

5.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

6.  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,

7.  "Why does this [Man] speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

8.  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?

9.  "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, '[Your] sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?

10.  "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic,

11.  "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

12.  Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw [anything] like this!"

13.  Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.

14.  As He passed by, He saw Levi the [son] of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him.

15.  Now it happened, as He was dining in [Levi's] house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.

16.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How [is it] that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"

17.  When Jesus heard [it,] He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call [the] righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

18.  The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

19.  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

20.  "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.

21.  "No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.

22.  "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

23.  Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.

MESSAGE: 

Today’s reading narrates what Jesus did and peoples response when He visited many places.  When Jesus is present "in the house", His gracious words impacts faith upon men’s hearts to believe that all things are possible with God. The four men in our text demonstrated faith by breaking through the roof to lay the man sick with palsy before Jesus. The sick man was forgiven and healed. His visit to the house of Levi brought the gospel to tax collectors and sinners. Unfortunately while the presence of Jesus brought the gospel and healing, the Scribes were engrossed with faultfinding and criticisms. Do you act like the Scribes in the presence of Jesus during bible studies, prayers, programs and church services? Your motive in the presence of Jesus will determine what you will get from God.

 

When Jesus is "in the house," no sinner is neglected; for the conversion of one notorious sinner could be a gateway to the conversion of others.  Levi would have felt so unworthy, when Jesus said "follow Me." What a lowly Saviour, coming after sinners! Excited, Levi hosted Jesus and many publicans and sinners in his house.  Can God count on you, a vessel through whom men can touch the reality of Christ’s saving power?. Are you lowly? Do you have passion for souls that you can reach out to notorious sinners? 

 

PRAYER: 

Lord, make me a carrier of Your presence, that Christ be magnified in my life.