Sellers Hickman – NorthStar Church Blog

Digging Deeper: Do You Want to be Restored?

Sellers Hickman on April 12, 2024

¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

John 21:15-17 (ESV)

DO YOU WANT TO BE RESTORED?

The story goes beyond what we covered on Sunday, but it was too good not to highlight. After breakfast, Jesus had a conversation with a still drenched Peter. I wonder if Peter was willing to jump out of the boat and swim as fast as he could to try and amend the mistakes he made before Jesus was crucified. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told Peter that he would deny Jesus three time before the day was over. Peter adamantly denied this and then tried to prove it by cutting a guard’s ear off as they arrested Jesus. Three times Peter was asked about his association with Jesus, and he protested every accusation.

He knew where Jesus was heading. He knew that Jesus had been arrested and would soon be beaten at the least. Peter’s denials maybe came from a place of fear of the unknown; but, nevertheless, he denied Christ three times.

When you jump back in our passage for this week it makes you wonder about Peter’s motives for swimming like Michael Phelps. Regardless of why he did it, he now is sitting with Jesus and a pivotal conversation takes place. Jesus publicly begins to restore Peter. He asks him three separate times “Do you love me?” It probably sounded like a broken record, but Jesus was trying to make a point. As many times as you denied me, I want to restore you.

Jesus could have asked Peter if he was sorry or he would promise to never deny him again, but instead he focuses in on the heart. Do you love me? Jesus knew that Peter’s life, decisions, and obedience would all be an overflow of his love for God.

This interaction between Jesus and Peter is a profound display of grace and restoration. Despite Peter’s failures and denials, Jesus meets him with love and offers him a chance to prove his commitment to Jesus. It’s a reminder for us that no matter how many times we stumble, Jesus is always ready to welcome us back with open arms and restore us to a place of closeness with Him.

I’ll leave you this week with a quote from Pastor Bruce Frank. “What you do when you sin tells everything about how you understand the good news of Jesus. Provision has been made your sin, so to run from healing and grace is foolishness. You either run from God in shame or run to God in repentance.”

Where will you choose to run today?

Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

Digging Deeper: Come and Have Breakfast

Sellers Hickman on April 11, 2024

⁹When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

John 21:9-14 (ESV)

COME AND HAVE BREAKFAST

Jesus begins to have breakfast with his disciples, with whom he has shared life with for multiple years. They have had countless meals together, but the last recorded meal between the disciples and Jesus was the Last Supper. What a turn of events to remember Jesus telling them using the bread and wine that His body would be torn and that His blood would be poured out. And now, here they are a few weeks later, sharing fish and bread. Do they flashback to the feeding of the 5,000 or the Last Supper?

Throughout Scripture the phrase “come and _______” carries massive implications. Jesus extends many invitations: come and see (John 1:39), come and rest (Matthew 11:28-29), come and inherit (Matthew 25:34-36), and finally, in our passage today, come and have breakfast. (Personally, I know which of the above I would choose! Who wouldn’t want to share an All-Star Special with Jesus?)

Why is Jesus so caught up with the invitation ‘to come’? Because He is a relational God. Jesus came to the earth so we could come to God. These examples are just his direct commands to come to him. There are many more examples of calling each disciple, inviting the little children, and bringing in the outcast. None of the disciples questioned who this man was. They all knew by this point that it was Jesus resurrected.

Jesus is calling you today as well. Maybe you need the invitation to just come and dine with Him. Friend, there is a feast waiting for you in Heaven. Maybe you are looking for the invitation to come and inherit the kingdom. All you must do is put your trust in Jesus and turn from your sins and you will have an inheritance that this world could not touch. Maybe you are drawn to the invitation of rest. This isn’t an invitation to take a nap, but to allow Jesus to carry the burdens in life that you were not created to carry. Or, maybe today you are reading this and have not put your faith in Jesus. I would urge you to come and see. The disciples in John 1 who are given this original invitation, they would come to know that they “have found the Messiah” (John 1:40). Their seeing led to believing… and then the other invitations to “come” were open to them as well.

Digging Deeper: Do You Run to Jesus?

Sellers Hickman on April 10, 2024

⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

John 21:7-8 (ESV)

DO YOU RUN TO JESUS?

If you’ve been with us over the past few weeks, we have highlighted John’s playful relationship with Peter. In this verse, John (the disciple whom Jesus loved) gets another “one up” on Peter. Peter cut the guard’s ear off, Peter ran to the tomb (but John beat him in the race), and now they are looking at this man on the shore, and John wants us to know that he was the first to recognize Jesus. One more humble brag from the author of this gospel.

Here is where the story turns for Peter. He is always quick to speak, act, or react. In true Peter fashion, he sees all the fish in the boat and knows that it will take a while to get them into the boat and get back to shore, so he jumps in and swims to Jesus! The passage doesn’t tell us what Peter and Jesus talked about, but we know that Peter got extra time with his Lord.

Recalling the state he saw Jesus in weeks ago as he hung on the cross, Peter wanted as much time with Jesus because he knew that he had lost him a few weeks ago. For you, would you be willing to jump in? Do we look at Jesus the same way? Are we willing to inconvenience ourselves, our comfort, and our schedule to spend time with our Savior?

I pray that this past week since Easter has been filled with joy and a new perspective about Jesus. Peter’s time with Jesus had become much more valuable knowing that he had lost him. Jesus cannot be taken from us, but we should have the same joy and excitement to be with Him every day as much as we are on Resurrection Sunday!

As we reflect on Peter’s eagerness to be with Jesus, let’s consider our own eagerness to spend time with Him. May we be like Peter, ready to leap into the presence of our Lord at any opportunity, recognizing the immeasurable value of communion with Him in our daily lives.

Digging Deeper: Illogical Obedience

Sellers Hickman on April 9, 2024

⁴Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

John 21:4-6 (ESV)

ILLOGICAL OBEDIENCE

These men are skilled fishermen. They have grown up on the water, making their living catching fish. They know every nuance of the trade; from the way the currents move to the subtle signs of a potential catch. Yet, for some reason, they followed this man’s advice. Simply by following him, they went from catching zero fish to not being able to haul all of the fish in.

This is a call back to when Jesus called the first set of disciples in Luke 5. Jesus asks if they have found any fish and they respond with a short “no.” I bet it was said with a cutting tone. “Who is this guy asking about our fish? Who does he think he is?” I almost hear Peter in this moment echoing his words in Luke 5:5, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!” You can hear the exhaustion in his voice, still feeling the emotions of all he had been through the past few weeks as he experienced his rabbi being crucified.

I wonder how reluctant they were to drop their net on the other side? “Sure, we’ll give it a shot, but nothing will come of it! Let’s just drop it in to show him there aren’t any fish.”

Sometimes the commands of Jesus make very little sense in the world we live in. With the pressure to get ahead by any means necessary, to do whatever makes your heart happy, and to prioritize ourselves over anything or anybody else, it can seem as if the commands of Jesus would set us back. Why is obedience important? We must remember that God is not just our Savior, but also our Creator. He designed us and knows how our body best thrives within the parameters of his design.

Proverbs 3:5-8 speaks to the wisdom of trusting the Lord:

⁵“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
⁷Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.”

Friends, my hope for you today is this: that we would seek God with all that we have and would see that He is worth it! That we would trust Him even above our own desires. Let’s lean on His wisdom, even when it seems counterintuitive, knowing that His ways lead to true fulfillment and life to the fullest.

Digging Deeper: What Do You Do with Disappointment?

Sellers Hickman on April 8, 2024

¹After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ²Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

John 21:1-3 (ESV)

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH DISAPPOINTMENT?

We all face disappoint, don’t we? Think back to the Easter message… Mary Magdalene’s dreams were shattered, but in the garden, Jesus appeared to her. She wasn’t the only one at the tomb that day. John had seen enough; he believed. Peter, on the other hand, left the tomb that day unsure of what to do with his crucified rabbi.

After appearing to Mary Magdalene, Jesus appears to all the disciples in the room they were hiding inside. He appeared again to Thomas so that he might believe since he wasn’t in the room the first time. Up to this point, all the disciples had laid eyes on their resurrected rabbi; but how did they respond to seeing this risen Savior? Peter… he goes fishing. Not the reaction you’d expect. If I saw a dead person walking, I am finding a camera crew, putting my lucky numbers into the lottery, or preparing for the Walking Dead.

Why did Peter go fishing? I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty, but I believe there are two possible reasons: Either he is resorting back to his comfort and what was familiar, or he is unsure what his life will look like, so he gets to work to make a living.

Neither of these responses are inherently wrong; but, after walking with Jesus and listening to his teaching for three years, why would anybody revert to fishing? In John 20:21 Jesus sends the disciples out to share the good news of what he’s done, but Peter hangs his “gone fishing” sign on the door.

When you face disappointment, do you return to old habits or question God’s goodness? These are typical reactions. We may return to old sin habits, activities that aren’t helpful for our walk, or to try to muster all of our strength to be self-reliant and forget God.

Peter tried to take a hard moment in his life and fix it all with his hands when Jesus had already fixed the situation! Just last chapter, Jesus encourages them to Live Sent and breathes on them the Holy Spirit. There is no better solution than this!

It’s easy to sit on this side of Scripture and think “Peter, get it together! How could this be your response?” But think back in your life; how have you reacted when face with difficult moments? When life’s disappointments hit, do you return to your old ways of seeking comfort and relying on yourself?

I know that this can easily be my response, but it shouldn’t be so.

A famous pastor who faced many hardships in his life, Charles Spurgeon, once said this: “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.” Life can always bring difficulties, but I pray that the response of our church is to recognize that the waves of hardship should encourage us to cling closer to the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.

Digging Deeper: Whatever It Takes

Sellers Hickman on January 26, 2024

2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ²And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. ³And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. ⁵And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? ⁹Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” ¹²And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Mark 2:1-12 (ESV)

WHATEVER IT TAKES

As we bring this week to a close… Let me ask you, who are you in the story? There are four people we can consider (excluding Jesus); the scribes, the homeowner, the friends, and the paralyzed man.

The Scribes. They loved to follow all the rules of religion. They loved to keep a close eye to make sure everyone stayed in line. They loved to question others’ actions and intentions. They were in the wrong here, but most likely it started from a place of love and concern. They wanted to keep the Law as perfectly as possible out of their love for God and they wanted others to do the same.

In our lives it is easy to fall into this same category. We have seen how good the Lord is and we want others to experience that, but there is a fine line between loving submission and legalistic obedience. If you have found yourself in this place recently, ask God to soften your heart to him, his word, and his working around you.

The Homeowner. Though they are not mentioned in the story, somebody owned this home. Whether they were in the room watching the scene play out or out of the house for ten minutes for a quick Publix run, their house was ruined. Was this a hot season and the sun was beating down through the gaping hole? Was rain on the horizon? We don’t know how they reacted, but there had to be some type of reaction.

This is the same for our lives. If the Lord is moving around us, we can control how we react. Are we filled with awe with what God has done, or filled with anger due to inconvenience? As NorthStar enters a new season, how will you react when confronted with inconvenience? Begin praying today that you will see the inconveniences as tangible evidence for the Lord moving.

The Friends. It’s interesting, we assume that these men are friends with the paralytic, but the text just calls them men. Imagine how burdened they must have been for this man to be willing to do all these things. They believed in the power of Jesus that much! Jesus even says so himself.

The real question we must wrestle with is do we have this much faith? Do you believe that Jesus can do for your friends, family members, and co-workers the same that he can do for the paralytic? I pray that these characters are where you find yourself today. If so, would you begin to create a prayer list for those around you who don’t know Jesus, and as you do, pray that God would do a miracle in their life in forgiving their sins?

The Paralyzed Man. We come to the final person in this story: the man who reaped all the benefits. He had very little to offer in this story. He didn’t bring himself to Jesus, the men did. His faith didn’t heal him, theirs did. We don’t even have any of his words recorded. All we see is his obedience to Jesus.

Friends, this is us. Before Christ, we were paralyzed by our sin without hope. Luckily, Jesus came so that we could be healed spiritually and all we must do is get up and walk. If you have trusted in Jesus before, remember this was you and that outside of the good news of Jesus you would still be there. If you have not trusted in Jesus before, today you choose to get up and walk. Follow the man who can do what we could not do: take our spiritual death and in turn give us spiritual life.

Honestly, we can go through different seasons as different characters, but we should always be reminded that we once were the paralyzed man. And because of that we should be the friends who are willing to do Whatever It Takes to get others to Jesus.

Digging Deeper: Jesus Does the Impossible – Again

Sellers Hickman on January 25, 2024

⁹Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” ¹²And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Mark 2:9-12 (ESV)

JESUS DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE – AGAIN!

In 2015 the world was taken by storm with the biggest question of the decade. Is the viral photo of the dress black and blue, or white and gold? You know you sat around the dinner table, turning the brightness up and down on your phone, debating your loved ones. It was incredibly controversial! What’s funny about the debate is that there was an actual answer. The photo was deceiving, but the dress was in reality black and blue (personally, I still see white and gold).

Knowing the hard-heartedness of the scribes, Jesus asked a controversial question in Mark 3. Which is easier, forgiving a man’s sins or making a paralyzed man walk? The scribes had already made their answer clear in verse 7. Only God can forgive sins. They most likely had seen other miracles, magic tricks, or faith healers in that day do some incredible things. Think back to Exodus. God is causing these ten plagues and using Moses to tell Pharaoh what was going to happen. Twice, magicians of that day were able to copy God to discredit Moses.

These scribes knew the harder option was to forgive the man’s sins. Jesus knew this too, but how can you prove somebody’s sins have been forgiven? Jesus tells them that he is going to heal the man so they can know that his sins have also been forgiven.

Immediately the paralyzed man gets up and walks out of the house. The text doesn’t necessarily say this, but I picture this paralyzed man dancing out of the room like the old man in the Six Flags commercials. Jesus was able to heal both the man physically and spiritually.

Isn’t it crazy that we can sometimes doubt God’s ability to work in our own lives? We read passages like this and get so excited watching the scene play out in our head, but then when difficulties in our lives come, we fold quickly. Friends, if Jesus has done the hardest task in forgiving your sin, he can also heal any mess that you are in. That does not mean that he will get rid of all of your problems, and you will live a pain-free life. If God cares for your biggest problem (sin) then he also cares for the difficulties you face in life.

What is the life circumstance that you are struggling to give to Jesus? Maybe it’s a past mistake that the shame of it still haunts you daily. Maybe it’s a current circumstance physically, relationally, or financially. I’m not sure what it is for you today, but God knows. He wants to see you through it, but only if you’ll freely give it to him. Jesus was willing to do Whatever It Takes for you to live in this freedom, so let’s walk in it!

Take a minute and pray to God, surrendering your circumstance. Allow him to work in that area of your life today! Doing that won’t absolve you of all responsibility, but it will free you to take steps toward what God has for you.

Digging Deeper: Cynicism Hardens Hearts

Sellers Hickman on January 24, 2024

⁶Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?

Mark 2:6-8 (ESV)

CYNICISM HARDENS HEARTS

Have you ever given your all to something, just for others to not approve? Maybe it was the group project in high school or the home renovation during lockdown. You put in hard work, sweat, tears, money… all for somebody to critique your work. It can be a dejecting feeling.

In this story the friends worked so hard to get this man to Jesus. Climbing the roof, tying rope to a stretcher, lifting him up, tearing off sticks, clay and straw, lowering him down (probably on top of other people), all for the scribes and religious leaders to question what Jesus had done. They had faith that Jesus could heal this man, but Jesus did the harder thing and forgave his sins.

This made the scribes angry and Jesus (being omniscient) knew that in their hearts they were questioning him… so he called them out. They accused Jesus of blasphemy. They saw the faith of others, but instead of encouraging them in their own belief, they questioned Jesus and his intentions.

It’s easy to read a story like this and want to assume the friend role. You may think “I’m willing to do Whatever It Takes to get my friends to Jesus,” but unfortunately most of us play the role of the scribes. When our family member who seems “too far gone” begins to trust in Jesus, do we cheer them on or call them out? When we know our co-worker had a crazy weekend making bad choices, but raises their hand or comes down front on a Sunday, do we see their past sin, or do we see the power of the Savior?

Today we are marked by cynicism. The world has made us hard. We choose to blame it on our personalities, our wiring, our enneagram number, or so many other things. I wonder if the biggest miracle that day didn’t happen. For Jesus, giving a man the ability to walk was easy. Forgiving the sins of a heart that was ready to receive God’s grace was easy. I wonder if the biggest miracle was missed that day: breaking through the cynical, hardened hearts of the scribes.

For you today, will you ask God to soften your heart? Whether it’s to the relationships around you, the circumstances you’re going through, or the way you view God himself… we need soft hearts to hear clearly from God.

Digging Deeper: Christian Friends vs. Christian Friendship

Sellers Hickman on January 23, 2024

³And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. ⁵And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 2:3-5 (ESV)

CHRISTIAN FRIENDS VS. CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP

Years ago, a pastor said something that changed the way I view my close relationships: “There is a difference between Christian friends and Christian friendships.” His point is that we can easily surround ourselves with other believers, but Christian friendships play an active role in pushing us closer to Jesus.

In this story we see that there were four men who were not content to just hold the same values as the paralytic. I wonder how the story would have gone if these guys just went to the same church? Or if they just took a second to pray before eating? Or if they expressed the same political views as the paralytic? There is nothing wrong with these things, but I wonder if we have tricked ourselves into becoming content with just having Christian friendships. It’s easier that way, right? If they have the same beliefs as you then there are little to no disagreements. We get along. We smile at each other at church, but that is the extent of our friendship.

I wonder if God wants more out of our relationships. Christian friendships are willing to push each other, even when it is uncomfortable. Christian friendships are there to stand in the gap when life is tough. Christian friendships are willing to do Whatever It Takes to get their friends to Jesus, even tearing off a roof.

The passage we covered this past Sunday hits its focal point in verse 5 when we find out that Jesus didn’t just have compassion for the paralyzed man, but the faith of the friends is what caused this man to find his miracle. It wasn’t the paralytic’s faith, but the friends’ faith. They carried him to Jesus.

Let me ask you, who are you carrying to Jesus? It can be difficult, inconvenient, and uncomfortable, but if your friendship is truly centered on Christ, it is always worth it. I want to challenge you today. Will you commit to carrying somebody to Jesus? Take a minute and pray for a friend, co-worker, or family member who does not know Jesus. Pray that God would use your words and actions to help them find him. This story ends in salvation but even as believers we need a constant reminder of the good news of Jesus. Take time today to encourage a close friend, spouse, or child and see how you can better help them to look like Jesus.

Digging Deeper: People Were Coming to Him

Sellers Hickman on January 22, 2024

⁴⁰And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” ⁴²And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, ⁴⁴and 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, for a proof to them.” ⁴⁵But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

Mark 1:40-2:2 (ESV)

PEOPLE WERE COMING TO HIM

Growing up I loved the Atlanta Braves, and I loved collecting sports memorabilia. I vividly remember my third-grade field trip to watch the Braves play the San Diego Padres. I brought my brother’s glove, a stack of trading cards I received from my Christmas list, a baseball, and a black Sharpie. That day I walked out with 17 autographs, not because the stadium was empty, but because I could squeeze my body between people to get to the front. My dad watched in amazement because of his claustrophobia. Now why did I go to all of that effort? These guys were celebrities! Jeff Francoeur, Adam Laroche, and Braves legend, Ryan Langerhans (for some reason, Chipper wasn’t entertaining 10-year-olds that day).

Before we jump into our passage for the week, we need to understand why the house was full. Why was Jesus so sought after? This is only the second chapter of Mark. Jesus has just begun his public ministry after about 30 years of obscurity. So far Mark has talked of Jesus’ baptism, him being tempted, calling his disciples, and bringing about three miracles (healing a man with an unclean spirit, healing a town from sickness and demonic possession, and cleansing a leper).

I don’t know about you, but just one of those miracles is enough for me to want to fight a crowd at Turner Field for Jesus’ autograph! This house was over the fire code because they wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle in their own lives.

Jesus’ miracles were not just party tricks. They were life changing. Imagine being possessed by a demon, being sick for years, or being isolated from community due to a disease. To us these may just seem like simple Bible stories; but put yourself in their shoes. I would tell everyone I know!

Apparently, I am not alone. Jesus tried everything to remain obscure, but very soon he could not enter a town because people were coming from every quarter to see him. Jesus returned to Capernaum and immediately was surrounded by others looking for their own miracles. He was surrounded by people who were willing to do Whatever It Takes to get healed by Jesus.

For you today, are you willing to get to Jesus no matter the inconvenience? This house was not comfortable. There were a lot of people and no air conditioning. Maybe the line was out the door and Jesus was moving at the speed of the DMV. What if you had another meeting on your calendar for that day? What would be enough to send you away?

I would hate for us today to miss Jesus and the blessing he brings all because it does not fit on our calendar. Maybe today Jesus wants to speak to you. Will you allow yourself a few undistracted minutes to hear from him?