St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church of Watertown, WI

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Epiphany 5 February 5, 2006 Mark 1:32-39

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

I was at the air port the other day—when I saw two dogs. They were not bomb sniffing German Shepherd police dogs. These dogs were calico! They didn’t even look real—with different patches of fur all different colors—kind of like a patch work quilt. Both of these dogs had short noses, perky ears, compact bodies and big paws. They were wearing little blaze orange vests that said “Rescue Dog!” Another passenger—eating a snack--came near the dogs. You could see the instinct take over—something that smells really good—good to eat—and it’s right there. If I wag my tail—the dog thought—maybe, just maybe I could have a snack. The master said, “No! Lie down!” Boom, like all the air had been let out of her legs—the dog hit the floor—and didn’t move! I walked over—and asked the lady in charge of the dogs—what kind were they? Australian Shepherds, she said. Who do they rescue, I asked. Anyone—anywhere! God bless your work, I said. Anyone—anywhere! That’s who Jesus came to save. Anyone—anywhere! Jesus came to die for anyone—anywhere! If you go to the air port in California—you see people from everywhere. Eskimos! When was the last time you saw an Eskimo in Watertown? There are people from China and Japan and Korea—people from Viet Nam and Cambodia—people from the former Soviet Union—people from Tibet and Mongolia and India and Indonesia. People from around the world. How many of these people know that Jesus came to rescue them from their sins? People in Watertown—who see steeples and cemeteries every time they leave their homes—are they looking for Jesus?

Are You Looking For Jesus?

1. To heal your body

2. To protect you from the devil

3. To preach the Gospel

As we catch up with the Lord Jesus today—he is in the city of Capernaum. Jesus was in the Synagogue—the Bible school—the place where faithful people would come on the Sabbath to hear the Scriptures read and explained—and sometimes even debated! They have a rule in Israel—once a Synagogue—always a Synagogue. We don’t have that rule in Watertown. That’s why where St. Luke’s used to be on 4^th Street—it’s not a church any more. But in Capernaum—you can still find the Synagogue—because what once was—still is. It’s not very big. It’s made of the creamy stone that’s everywhere. It’s where you would expect to find Jesus on the Sabbath—in his Father’s house—by God’s Word! That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. Before Jesus died on the cross—fulfilling all Old Testament Ceremonial Law—Saturday—the Sabbath was a day set apart. It was a literal day of rest—a shadow of the ultimate spiritual rest that Jesus came to win. The day of rest ended when the sun went down. So—ceremonially correct—people waited until sunset—before bringing to Jesus people who were sick. There is sickness in this world—because of sin! Every part of us is flawed—fatally flawed because of sin. Our hands are flawed. And so there is arthritis. I used to visit a little grandpa who lived out in the Kettle Moraine Forest. He used to walk with two canes. You could literally hear his knees squeak with every step he took—his bones grinding together. I remember the hands of my uncles—who worked in factories—before many of the safety features were built into punch presses. Just once they would be distracted—just once they would look away and their fingers would be smashed beyond repair. Shake hands with grandpas who spent their life farming—and you will find hands with fingers or more missing—from trying to reach quickly into a corn picker or a harvester or thrasher that’s jammed up. Trying to quickly pull something out—and the unbuttoned sleeve of their flannel shirt gets caught and the corn picker makes no distinction between corn stalks and people’s hands. It would be easy to multiply examples. Our feet—with all their little bones—ankles twisted—toe nails ingrown. Go to the doctor and they check your blood pressure. They poke you in the arm and take little test tubes of blood from your arm. They listen to your heart beat. They put their stethoscope to your back and say—take a deep breath! Do you have chest pains? Do you have trouble swallowing? How are you sleeping? Have you had your eyes checked? If they hit your knee with their funny little hammer does your foot pop up? Answer yes to any question—and it causes a whole series of more questions. You are reminded again and again—people are very breakable! Sometimes the part that is broken is on the inside—your heart, your attitude, your emotions, your feelings. Sometimes a person can feel happy—so happy you are euphoric! You feel like a person in a musical—like singing in the rain. Like people should drop what they are doing and sing in four part harmony and dance together down the sidewalk and out into the street! And then sometimes it feels like you are Ernie going down the bathtub drain—and there’s nothing you can do to stop. All you can do is wait to hit bottom—but you never do. You just keep going down and down and down. How scary is that? Sometimes what’s broken is our self control. A person can become addicted to almost anything. You can become addicted to drugs or alcohol or tobacco or pornography. It’s like a monster inside your heart. And it makes you feel like you have lost control! Only Jesus can fix all these painful hurts in your body, your heart, your mind, your emotions, your soul. God’s Word says Jesus understands when we are tempted—because he was tempted in every way—just like we are. Except Jesus never ever sinned. Then Jesus died for all the times we do. This simple powerful profound Gospel is both the reason and the strength for us—to overcome temptation. To be healed by grace alone—on the outside and most importantly on the inside!

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. Demon-possessed! How horrible is that! For an evil angel to have a hold on your body or soul or both would be horrible beyond words! The fact is—in the battle for souls there are only two sides. Those who are on Jesus’ side—and those who are prisoners of war of the devil. During Jesus public ministry—when the holy sinless Son of God was walking with sandals on his feet on the creamy stones and soil of Israel—there were many people who were possessed by demons. It’s almost as if—the more obvious God’s love—the more obvious the devil’s murderous hate! Sometimes demon possession was exceedingly gross and hurtful. Mark chapter 5 says there was a man who lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones… Mark 5:3-5 The physician Luke records, A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for his is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” Luke 9:38-40 Sometimes the presence of the devil and his horrible demons is gross and obvious. But the devil doesn’t need to be so obvious. If Jesus is not in our heart—then surely the devil is. If Jesus is not in our heart—it doesn’t matter if we are as pretty as a Barbie doll. It doesn’t matter if we are as sweet as a grandma who bakes brownies for orphans. It doesn’t matter if we are all washed and powdered and perfumed—so we smell like French vanilla! All that matters is that Jesus is in our heart. Jesus said—if the demon in our heart is thrown out—but our heart and soul remain empty—without being filled by faith and his forgiving love! Then our heart is like an apartment—with the carpet cleaned and the windows washed and all the light bulbs changed. New demons will move in—and the final state of that person will be even worse—if that were possible! When we live close to Jesus—closely connected to his Word and Lord’s Supper—we don’t need to be afraid of the devil. Jesus came and died on the cross—crushing the serpent satan’s head! That was God’s promise to Adam and Eve. That is the fulfillment of Good Friday and Easter!

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Jesus made time for quiet private prayer. Jesus made time to be alone—away from stress and pressure to pray—to talk to his Heavenly Father. How healthy is our prayer life? When we pray for those who are sick or having operations—plus new born babies plus weddings and anniversaries plus people who mourn the loss of a spouse or a brother plus a prayer for those serving in the military or anything else—do we pray with concentration and great earnestness? Or do we wonder to our self—when will this be over? When we have that little prayer after the confession of sins—before the Bible readings—are we already to the “who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God”—part and woops! We didn’t catch what it was—that one spiritual blessing we were asking for? Do we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus…” And then proceed to have family arguments—oblivious to the fact that Jesus is sitting at the table beside us? Do we pray at breakfast time—or aren’t we awake? Do we pray at lunch time—at work—or would we be embarrassed? Do we say, “Now I lay me down to sleep”—each night—or are we too tired—and yet toss and turn—unable to fall asleep either? Do we pray for spiritual blessings—or are we caught up in the things and stuff of this world—the aches and pains of this world—instead of the spiritual dangers all around us? Do we grumble and complain about the people who make our life difficult—or do we pray that Jesus would work a powerful change in their heart and their life? Do we pray continually?

Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. Jesus made Capernaum kind of his headquarters in the north—in Galilee—as he went from village to village—from farm to farm—preaching law and gospel. You could think this would have resulted in people everywhere coming to saving faith! Jesus would preach perfect sermons with powerful applications. Jesus would teach perfect Bible classes with profound discussions. Jesus would be the perfect Counselor when people were having marriage problems—always giving flawless advice to husbands and wives—and practical encouragement. Jesus would make perfect hospital visits—not just encouraging and praying—but able to cleanse lepers and even raise the dead! You would think—people would believe in Jesus with all their heart. And yet the sad thing is—Jesus said, “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.” Luke 10:13-15 People looked for Jesus—not to hear the sermons he preached—but to have their headaches and stomach aches go away—to have 5 barley loaves and 2 small fishes turned into a feast with leftovers! People looked for Jesus to give them heaven on earth—when Jesus came to show them the way to forever Heaven above! Jesus called people to take up their cross—not their pillow to follow him. And that’s not what most people wanted to hear!

We went to a nice restaurant in San Jose the other day. A place where they sell pizookies! Do you know what that is--a pizookie? They are very good. They are a cookie—the size of a deep dish pizza—served with a big scoop of ice cream in the middle. You just break off big thick pieces and dip them in the ice cream and eat them—pizookies! Well, they had this deal the other day—if you came to the restaurant on Wednesday and ordered a pizookie--$5 would go to hurricane Katrina relief! Well, how difficult would that be? To eat a giant cookie—so you could help people in New Orleans? A dirty job—but somebody’s got to do it? Think what it cost Jesus to save us! It cost him a lifetime without sin—a death bearing all our guilt and shame. Jesus washed away all our sins—that we might be his disciples—his students, followers and imitators—trusting in him to keep us safe in this life and the next. Amen!

To God alone all glory!

Rev. Anthony E. Schultz