Be a door...

When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. Mark 2:1-4 nasu

I am continually surprised by Mark. For instance, today's passage. I have taught the story of the man who was let down through the roof to Y'shua countless times. It is one of our basic Sunday School and Children's Church stories. I really did not expect to see anything new in this reading. I may have even mentioned that sad detail in my prayers for open eyes before reading the passage.

...and many were gathered together, that that there was no longer room, not even near the door...

The apostle John lets us know that Y'shua is the door, I get that. He is the only way to the Kingdom (John 10:9). I also understand that Y'shua stands at the door and knocks, desiring that we answer. I sort of get that. But in this passage four friends bring someone who is unable to come to Y'shua and stop at nothing to get him to Y'shua. But what is the point? Is it their faith? (their "amen" or standing firm on the Word?). 

Here is the place where knowing a tiny bit of Hebrew throws open a window on the passage. There were four friends. There is nothing coincidental or casual about Scripture. Four friends is very specific. Four is the number of the Hebrew letter Dalet. Dalet is symbolic of a door. Read that again, The four friends are symbolic of a door. They made a way to get the paralytic to Y'shua. Dalet is also symbolic of a choice to enter into hope. 

We cannot "save" anyone, but we can be the door that Salvation (Y'shua) uses. We know the firm hope that the Almighty is for our life. We know the hope that the hopeless have no vision of. We are to make a way for the hopeless and helpless to come to Y'shua, the door, the way to the Kingdom of God. Be that door, don't let anything from this earth keep you from being the door to hope! 

Mrs. Hagerty

August 19, 2016

Why don't we know his name? Mark 1:10-45

Mark 1:40-45

And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere. NASU

Par ici et par la

Why don't we know "the Leper's" name? The first time I read this passage I was moved to tears with the realization that we are often known by our labels, not by our name. For instance, we may have been a liar, but in Y'shua (a.k.a Jesus) we are cleansed from that label. Now we are know as a child of the Almighty! Once we were a drug-addict, an alcoholic, a thief, adulterer.... or any other label but once we encounter Y'shua and are cleansed, we become "a child of the Almighty". That is what being born again is all about.

I am pretty sure that is what happened to this man. In case you have not seen my earlier posts on the book of Mark, I will remind you that I believe the word "immediately" is mistranslated. It should be translated from the Hebrew word YASHAR meaning, upright in relationship to YHVH (the LORD). The Leprosy left him (he was cleansed) putting him in a right relationship to the Almighty, Next, Y'shua sent him on his Way in a right relationship to the Almighty with a command.

• See that you say nothing to anyone; 
• but go, show yourself to the priest 
• and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.

In Greek, the first part of the command is for him to "slink away" to go on his Way in secret. He is not to SHOW himself to ANYONE, not a single soul! (the Greek repeats "anyone" as emphasis that he is not to show himself to ANYONE) ...until he gets to Jerusalem where he is to show himself to the priest. Why the priest? He is to be Torah observant in making the offering to the priest that Moses commanded. Leviticus 14 He had the privilege of being a "Christian" witness to the priest. That was his purpose in life. I do not think that anyone since the gentile Naaman 2 Kings 5:1-14 had been cured of Leprosy, and being a Syrian, he was sent on his Way instead of to the priest. This would have been HUGE if the man had obeyed! But our un-named man disobeyed. He told EVERYONE instead of no one. There is no indication that he even started on The Way to Jerusalem.

Is that important? Was the compassion of Y'shua wasted on this man? No! He was restored. In all likelihood, his family was also restored. The people of Galilee knew that Y'shua is the only hope for the hopeless. But that is not what he was told to do as one who is Upright in his relationship to the Almighty. We never learn his name or anything he ever did for the Almighty except for making Y'shua's ministry difficult.

What has he asked you to do? Have you done it?

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you 

• to do justice, 
• to love kindness, 
• and to walk humbly with your God?         Micah 6:8

Mrs. Hagerty, August 13, 2016

The Power of Love (Amy Carmichael)

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16 nasu

What I specially want to bring you is this: young children and all who do not know our Lord have only one way of knowing how loving He is. They look at us. If there be any flaw in our love, if we fail them at any point, we make it just so much the harder for them to see, to know, to apprehend, His love. Do not let us fail our children. "Love through me, Love of God".

Miss Amy Carmichael

Edges of His Ways,

August 4

Photo: Jenny e il Piccolo...

Love Through Me by Amy Carmichael

Isaac Gautschi Photography

Love through me, Love of God,
     There is no love in me;
O Fire of love, light Thou the love
     That burns perpetually.

Flow through me, Peace of God,
     Calm river flow until
No wind can blow, no current stir
     A ripple of self-will

Shine through me, Joy of God,
     Make me like thy clear air
That Thou dost pour Thy colours through,
     As though it were not there.

O blessed Love of God,
     That all may taste and see
How good Thou art, once more I pray,
     Love through me, even me.

Miss Amy Carmichael
Edges of His Ways
August 1