Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Jonah Sage's sermon from Mark 8:22-30.
Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Jonah Sage's sermon from Mark 8:22-30.
Bobby: Welcome to the Midweek Checkup. My name is Bobby Gilles, and I’m joined by Lindsey Blair. This past Sunday, Pastor Jonah Sage preached from Mark eight, verses twenty-two through thirty to begin our Advent sermon series.
Lindsey: Jonah began by saying that the Light of the World draws near to overcome our darkness. But if you missed the sermon or need help remembering, you’re in the right spot for the Midweek Checkup
Bobby: Jonah began by reminding us that Jesus came to bring renovation of the heart and the clearest picture of what that means in the gospel of Mark is Jesus bringing sight to the blind. The mission of Jesus, the light of the world, is to draw near and overcome our darkness. The political situation in Israel blinded the disciples to the mission of Jesus. All they could imagine was a political kingdom of God marked by rebellion from Rome, violence, and government authority.
Lindsey: The pressures of an American Advent have a way of creating season's blindness. And we cannot open our eyes ourselves. We have to be willing to see ourselves amongst the disciples, and cultivate an openness to the possibility that we are just as blind as they were. Notice that the blind man in Luke Eight didn't go to Jesus himself. He was brought to Jesus. Someone else believed on this man's behalf. Perhaps we need to be open to realizing that help must come from outside ourselves.
Bobby: Jesus does two weird things in this passage. He spits on and touches the man’s eyes, then asks if it worked. The man says, “Sort of - people are fuzzy.” Sometimes, improvement can feel like the problem is solved. But Jesus isn’t content with “better.” He touched him again and completely healed him. Are we willing to admit how confused and needy we actually are? Are you willing to acknowledge the lingering darkness in your life? Advent is the journey from darkness to light.
Lindsey: God is inviting us to accept that healing is a gradual process. Renovation of the heart is often slow work. Often, like the case here, our sight is restored in stages. And God is inviting us to become a people of profound hope. We acknowledge the darkness that lingers because it fills us with hope that the ultimately healing will be ours when the light of Christ comes again. We are not alone in the darkness.
Bobby: Jesus, the light of the world, draws near to overcome our darkness with his light. Join us this Sunday for the Second Sunday of Advent, where we will finish Mark 8 in our service and also discuss Isaiah 40 in Bible Fellowship.