“Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.” Mark 3.7-12
I wasn’t alive in the early 1960’s but can only imagine the craziness of Beatlemania. When John, Paul, Ringo and George of the Beatles rock group made their way to America the world went wild. Everywhere they went thousands of screaming people tried to have a look at and hear this group of rockstars. (If you were too young to remember Beatlemania here’s a little history reminder – https://www.history.com/news/beatlemania-sweeps-the-united-states-50-years-ago.)
Jesus’ entry on the scene of America in the 1960’s was not unlike Beatlemania. People were vying for his time and attention. They were pressing in on every side. From the rich to the poor, the sick and the healthy, religious and secular, Jew and Greek, people wanted to get near Jesus. The crowds he was drawing were coming from all over the region and the known world.
But Jesus was ready for it — he asked his disciples to prepare a boat that the might teach from the shore and so that people would not crush him. But just as the mass of humanity could not keep away from Jesus, so the demons who were possessing or taunting these humans would fall down before him. And they would cry out “You are the Son of God.” Consider the amount of spiritual chaos happening in the heavens. All of creation, both in the physical and the spiritual, we’re turning their attention toward Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man.
It makes me ask this question — “Do I give my time attention to Jesus? Do I beg for his healing? Do I press in so that I might just have a glimpse? Am I as desperate for an encounter with Christ as those in first century Judea? And what about the demons? Have we ignored or silenced them so they do not speak out? Where have they gone? Aren’t they still attaching themselves to the sins of humanity?
Christ is King. His entry into this world was earth shattering. People then and people now desire his presence and his healing grace of salvation and redemption. Why not run to him today? Cling to the cross. Find hope, truth and love in his arms. Because he cares for you.
“O Lord God, your popularity does not wane. Your love does not end. Thank you for saving us and for allowing us to find peace and rest in your arms. Thank you for being God in the flesh and coming to earth so we might find abundant and eternal life. Come now, Holy Spirit, make your way into my heart. Keep me free from temptation so I might glorify you and make way for you to work. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen