You Come First

The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me." John 5:7

He was never first.

Every time he made strides to be the first one, someone beats him by a mile. His sickness has dragged him to the bottom of the pole. For thirty eight years, he was there. It might have encompassed his teens years where he was to be strong bodied and strong willed. It might have slowed his twenty something years where he must have been enjoying life as a bull, being a young man. Notice no wife was with him during this time, and this might have pulled his chances of marrying the woman who caught his heart since some best man won her heart over him because of his health.

Suddenly he comes first.

He comes first for Jesus. No lines to stand up to. No calling of rosters. What he can’t do, Jesus did. He can’t hop into the pool, the Source of living waters came to him. Remember, Jesus ask him if he wanted to get well, and get well he did. He did not need to line up like at the DMV or at the bank. His resume, which was filed down over the years, was not even looked up by Jesus.

This is what Jesus gives you. You line up to all these distractions or less noble things, yet he puts you on the top of his priority list. If you think he is ignoring you as you are in a tight hole in your life, think again. He will enable you. He will heal you. Jesus will go up to you and tells you, you matter to him. Tired of being at the last of the order? Weary of taking chances with zero possibilities? For him, no one comes second or third or at the cellar.

For Jesus, you come first.

Ripple

Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. Luke 5:29

It's unstoppable and contagious.

Levi heard Jesus' invitation and followed him. He left his post. He left everything.

At the next scene, Luke tells us that Jesus and Levi having dinner. But they were not alone. They are with a large crowd of tax collectors and others. Imagine a large table for a large crowd.

Jesus called one sinful man. One sinful man who left everything for him. Next minute, a large crowd is eating with him. What is this?

It's like a tiny water drop in the ocean creating a wave, not just an ordinary wave, but a huge wave enough to put a liner in one direction. Like a puff in the wind developing into a typhoon ready to swarm and blow a city. It cascades. It rippled.

These large crowd may have heard about Jesus. News may have reach them about his teachings, his healing touch and his invitation. Or they heard about their long time colleague Levi just resigned, left everything and offered his life on earth in following Jesus. They may be curious on how a man like Levi gets an invitation despite his life as a public knowledge.

I say the large crowd heard both. They heard about the Master and the follower. They got hold of the invitation and the response, how Jesus welcomes a sinner and how a sinner can become a saint. They may have realized no sin can separate Jesus' love and the sinner.

May you be like Levi, hear and heed Jesus' call to follow and leave everything for him. Let the people hear about Jesus and your changed life. That you, who is like a tiny drop of water or a puff in the air, may create that huge wave and that gusty wind.

Let it ripple.

The Opening

And (immediately) the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. Mark 7:35

He wanted his ears opened. His friends wanted his ears opened.

But they couldn’t do it.

What they couldn’t do, Jesus did.

We wonder why his friends have to bring in the guy. The guy can walk. He can wave his hands to Jesus to get his attention. Instead, his friends brought him to him. Maybe frustration has caught him. Not hearing people and being able to communicate is a hard thing to do, a hard life to live. His father wants to tell him he is there for him, yet he does not hear it. His mother tells him how much she loves him, all falling on closed ears. Try one day without talking and avoiding sound waves pass your ears.

Frustration. And he is not alone.

You have traveled that dead end. You got nowhere to go. It’s closed.

A health issue is lingering in your body for several years now. Doctors have the answers but your body does not respond.

Or unemployment is blocking all your plans for your family and children’s future. You have the resume’ but employment does not resume soon.

You got a ministry which hit a great road block. You look at your resources, you look at what you can do, and deep inside you know Jesus what will do.

Don’t fret in your corner. Come to the Opener. If you can’t, allow your friends to bring you to him. Open whatever is closed to him. Let Jesus touch you.

Experience Jesus. Experience the opening.

Enduring His Coming

But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner's fire, or like the fuller's lye. Malachi 3:2

So, who will endure his coming?

Simeon. A man of the Holy Spirit. Righteous. Devout. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him (Luke 2:25). He came to the temple being led by the Holy Spirit to gaze upon his coming. Simeon's canticle still reverberates in the present times. His words to Mary prophesied the plan of salvation. And when he saw his coming, he blessed God.

Anna. She is 84 and she stays in the temple 24/7. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer (Luke 2:37). She praises her God non-stop. She exalts his name each second. She sings songs of God's glory each minute. And when she saw his coming, she gave thanks to God.

Can we endure his coming?

Yes. By being Simeon and Anna.

Doctor Luke's prescription covers it all. Righteousness. Devoted. Allowing the Holy Spirit be upon you. Proclaim God's salvation. Worship night and day. Prayers. Fasting. Bless and thank God.

Resolute

He was amazed at their lack of faith. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching. Mark 6:6

Speaking about being resolute.

Jesus was amazed, not on how people believed in him, but in the way these people lacked faith.

People who knew where he was from questioned him. "Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Mark 6:2b.

People who may know him more believed less. People who know his roots did not believe in his fruits. "Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him." Mark 6:3b.

And yet, Jesus did not waiver in his call to spread the word of God. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching. Mark 6:6b. After having an audience who are very discouraging, his courage to go around to teach is inspiring. For Jesus, no matter what happened in the past will not surely affect the present. For Jesus, the results of the past does not necessarily define the present. For Jesus, his response to the call is more important than the response of the people.

May we be like Jesus in being resolute.

After giving a talk to a classroom where students where inattentive and did not listen to you, you move on to the next. Even when the members of your church do not respond to the call to serve the poor, you still come and give your time. You are still in the race even when the persons who were with you from the beginning have stopped and bowed out. You continue to write and blog about Jesus and his offer of salvation even when the blog's hits are all time low.

Jesus is amazed at their lack of faith. You can amaze Jesus with your action of faith.

Keep on keeping on.

Be resolute.