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THE KING’S BUSINESS
th e n -is th is th a t ev en th e w in d a n d th e sea obey H im ? ” T h e re can be b u t on e a n sw e r to th a t q u estio n , th e D iv in e M arl, th e Son o f God. Saturday, June 12. Mark 5:1-14. G erasa w as a city in a h a lf h eath en te rri to ry . G od w as d ish o n o red th ere , a n d th ere w e m ig h t ex p ect to find th e D ev il d o in g h is w o rst to to rm e n t a n d debase. T o g e t a com p lete p ictu re o f th e d e g rad a tio n an d m isery o f th is m an , w e h av e to go to all th re e n a rra tiv e s. B u t in o u r p re se n t stu d y w e w ill confine o u rselv es to M a rk ’s ac count. H e tells u s th a t “n o m an h ad stre n g th to tam e h im .” B u t Je su s had. I t d o es n o t do to co n clu d e becau se n o m an can tam e som e v ictim o f th e D ev il th a t th e re fo re h e can n o t be tam ed . T h e re is m o re p o w er in a w o rd o f Je su s th a n in* m en ’s chains o r blow s. W h a t a stra n g e com m in g lin g th e re is o f th e h um an a n d d e m o n ia c al: it w as th e d em o n w ith in th e m an th a t en ab led h im to reco g n ize in Je su s th e “ S o n o f th e M o st H ig h G od” ; it w as th e h um an n eed an d lo n g in g th a t led him to Jesu s. I t w as th e d em o n w ith in ag ain th a t led to th e aw fu l c ry o f ra g e a n d d e sp a ir (v . 7 ), T h e m an ’s so u l w as in an u tte r an d h opeless co n fu sio n o f im pulses co n ten d in g n ow h eav enw ard s,) n ow h ell- w ard s. Je su s h a d ask ed th e m an h is n am e (v . 9 ) , b u t h e w as so com p letely u n d e r th e c o n tro l o f th e d em o n s th a t he h a d lo st h is p erso n al co n scio u sn ess a n d an sw e red fo r them . T h e dem o n s a n d h im self h a d be com e so com pletely identified in h is co n sc io u sn e ss-th a t th ey w e re h e a n d h e w as they. I f Je su s co u ld save a soul in w hom th e ru in w as so com plete, o f w h om need w e d e sp a ir? W e find h e re n o n e o f th e h a u g h ty a n d alm o st n o b le p rid e th a t M ilto n p ictu res in th e fallen angels. In d eed , w e find n o th in g b u t cow erin g an d con tem p tib le m alice; d riv in g a p o o r w eak m o rta l to slow se lf-d estru ctio n , b u t sh iv erin g w ith fe a r in th e p resen ce Of th e S o n o f G od (v . 10),. T h a t is th e re a l D evil. I t is w o rth y o f n o te th a t an evil sp irit can n o t e n te r ev en in to
ju s t th e rig h t tim e to reap th e g ra in , an d th e m om en t it is ripe, H e p u tte th in H is sickle (v . 2 9 ). Friday, June 11. Mark 4:35-41 T h e tru e h u m an ity an d th e re a l D eity of Je su s a re b o th b ro u g h t o u t in a m arv elo u s w ay in th ese v erses. H is e x h au stio n w as so com p lete th a t it w a s alm o st n ecessary to c a rry H im to th e b o at (v . 3 6 ). H e im m e d iately fell asleep on a pillow a t ,th e ste rn o f th e boat. H e w as so th o ro u g h ly d e v o ted to th e w o rk th a t th è F a th e r Set H im to do th q f H e h a d to ta k e H is sleep w h en H e could. S o u tte r w as H is ’ e x h au stio n th a t th e fierce tu m u lt o f th e sto rm w as n o t sufficient to aw ak en H im . I t w as a terrific sto rm , th e w av es d a sh ed o v er th e side o f th e b o at so th a t it w as filling, an d a p p aren tly in m om e n tary d a n g er o f sink-i ing, b u t th e re w as n o te a l d an g er. N o b o at can go d ow n th a t h a s Je su s o n b o ard . N o te th e c o n tra st b etw een th e calm slum b er o f Je su s an d th e w ild e x citem en t o f th e crew . T h e re is a to n e o f com p lain t in th e d isci p les’ appeal to Je su s in th e ir e x tre m ity : it seem ed to th em as if H e w ere re g ard less of th e ir p eril. H e reb u k ed th e disciples b efo re H e reb u k ed th e sto rm (M a tt. 8 :2 6 ). I t m u st h av e so u n d ed lik e a stra n g e q u estio n H e p u t to th em , “W h y a re ye fe arfu l ?” T h e re seem ed to b e e n o u g h to m ak e an y on e fe arfu l w itlf th e w av es d ash in g in to an d o v er th e b o at a n d th e M a ste r a p p aren tly u n h eed in g , b u t th e re w as n o sufficient re a son fo r th em to be fearfu l. T h e re is n ev er a sufficient re aso n fo r th e disciple o f C h rist bein g fe arfu l (cf. Jo h n 14:1, 2 7 ). T h é w hole tro u b le w as “N o fa ith .” N o w Je su s rises in H is m a je sty as S o n o f G o d ; H is voice o f reb u k e a n d com m an d rin g s o u t u p o n th e h o w lin g w ind, a n d in stan tly th ere is “a g re a t calm .” H o w m an y a tem p est h as H is voice stille d ! B u t n ow th e d is ciples a re m o re a fra id th a n ev er. A m o m en t ago th ey w ere a fra id o f th e sto rm , n ow th ey a re a fra id o f O n e w h o is ev i d en tly a su p e rn a tu ra l being. T h e y a sk a q u estio n o f trem en d o u s im p o rtan ce, “W h o
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