Jesus and the Crowd

Toni Belin Ingram
Mark 3:7-19a
7Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11Whenever the evil[a] spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
13Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14He appointed twelve—designating them apostles[b]—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons. 16These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); 18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Why do we really want to know Jesus? Is it for the many blessings, healings and miracles Jesus can provide for us? The text seems so crazy to me to realize that those who came to be healed and cured from all the diseases and concerns that they had would almost crush Jesus trying to get what they wanted from him. At the same time the unclean spirits would bow down to Jesus and the unclean spirits would obey Jesus.

It is though we are so busy trying to use Jesus as our healer and our miracle worker that we quickly show up where we believe Jesus might be, like on a Lenten Fast. We show up, we read and we stop eating, but are we really bowing down and obeying or are we simply bum rushing Jesus to get what we need?

I pray that we do not use this time to determine whether or not tofu and soy can really replace chicken and milk, or that we get so caught up in what constitutes fruit and veggies. I pray that we truly engage the texts and the prayers to really journey to the heart of God.

Let us Pray: Dear Lord have mercy on us. Forgive us for bum rushing you . Heal us of our frailties and our sicknesses and diseases. While you heal us merciful God, give us the heart to take this journey to be in your midst. Give us the wherewithal to seek you first in all that we do. Give us the determination to gain the power to heal and cast out demons in your name. Give us the courage to speak truth to power, to sing about hope and love and peace, to spread your Good News. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Toni Belin Ingram, Pastor
Greater Smith Chapel AME Church
Atlanta, Georgia