Appointments

Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He *said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. They were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” Mark 7: 31-37

In our day-by-day life we – most of us – are accustomed to following a routine of one kind or another.

We get up from our beds. We shuffle off to the kitchen to get the coffee started so we can fully wake up.

We eat breakfast, then do whatever is in our normal routine of activities to get our day started.

Recently, I retired after 26 years serving as Vice President with Master’s International University of Divinity. So, my routine is drastically different than when I had to get up at a certain time, go to the office at a certain time, day after day, for the purpose of serving our Lord by encouraging students to be diligent in their studies.

I find now that I sometimes have some difficulty managing daily life without a set schedule.

My schedule now focuses fully on taking care of what “home things” need to be done, but more purposefully - on preparing sermons. So, my retirement life is not a do-nothing life, but a shift in focus. And I am so thankful that God has granted me this opportunity to continue to serve Him – not retired from doing so.

One thing that most of us encounter in our living is appointments – doctor or other medical or business appointments make up the majority of appointments for most of us – especially for those of us who are in the later stages of life.

Those appointments are an important part of our lives. They serve a purpose – to help make our lives more productive, or for the benefit of others in our families or circle of friends.

Today, I want us to consider the importance and value of those appointments we must keep, but also, I want us to look at the appointment that Jesus had to keep. And notice I said “the” appointment Jesus had to keep – not the appointments.

Jesus never did anything unless there was a purpose behind it

– causing Him to give His all to bring that purpose to life.

And, through His determination to conduct His purpose, we can see that His work tells us how much He loves us.

A moment ago, I mentioned that Jesus had an appointment to keep. And, He actually had only one appointment to keep.

And, in that one appointment – He Grasped the Opportunity to Do Good When the Opportunity came.

So, Jesus had only one appointment. God sent Him into the world to accomplish that one appointment.

The one appointment Jesus had – was an appointment that took Him to the Cross.

And --- He kept His appointment.

Now, we know, as we read through the Gospel accounts – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – we see Jesus doing many miracles and other activities – but these were not appointments as such.

Those were encounters where He engaged in the lives of various people and various physical and spiritual needs.

For instance – His meeting with Nicodemus --- the healing of person with leprosy --- the woman at the well --- the widow’s son.

So many encounters we read of in the pages of the Gospels of the appointments which were not appointments made by the devises of man.

They were appointments designed and accomplished by the Spirit.

And the appointments Jesus attended to had a purpose – a very definite purpose – and that purpose was to introduce to humanity that God had sent His Son into the desperately wicked and dying world ---

--- for the purpose of saving the world from the punishment of the fire of hell.

When we look at all the earthly appointments Jesus kept, we will find this truth:

 that the greatness and the power of His ministry is the sum of many little opportunities that He was willing to accept.

I am sure that, as followers of Jesus, we often miss some of the appointment opportunities that God places in our pathway.

We sometimes are faced with an opportunity for ministry, but we pass it on by.

And our reasons – or excuses – for passing that opportunity by, are many.

But most often we convince ourselves that we are inadequately prepared to do so.

It is easier to say, “I don’t feel comfortable doing that – or we might claim that Brother or Sister Christian would be more effective taking care of that person’s need.

And, in some cases that might actually be true. In that case, it is time to take on the tradition of the strength of the body of Christ and make it a joint effort – going two by two.

This reminds me of an example I read about – actually about Stewardship, but it applies to the ministry of carrying out appointments as well.

It goes like this:

“It’s not what you’d do with a million.

If a million should e’er by your lot.

It’s what you’re doing right now.

With the dollar and a quarter, you’ve got.”

There is an old Proverb that applies here as well:

A situation comes to you:

Your neighbor comes to you asking for whatever it is he needs, and you tell him to come back tomorrow. That old proverb says it differently:

“Say not to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give, when you already have it with you now.” Proverbs 3:28

Another example that Jesus would teach us about acting on the opportunities that are placed in our paths Is this:

Jesus Understood the needs of all of humanity.

He knew the sensitivities of those He encountered who lived with physical difficulties.

Oftentimes, when we are faced with a task that we know we should conduct –

but we may think – I can’t do that – I am not trained to do that – or, even, a flat: that is not something I want to get involved in.

Or the most common excuse heard from church members so often – “That’s the preacher’s job.” I can say I have never heard that said here. At least not in my hearing.

There is more that is wrong with that statement than meets the eye. And that is that Preaching is Not a Job – It is a Calling.

It is in those times that we might say that people just don’t understand what I have been through – and because of the trauma or tragedy I have endured in a similar situation, I can’t do it!

But you know when we have been faced with a trial, any kind of a difficult situation in our lives – and have been able to overcome that trial, we are the absolute best person to come along side a person who is now in that same kind of difficulty.

We can be the answer or the help that person needs because we have experienced the same difficulty or one somewhat similar.

Been There, Done That – and made it through. And you can too.

Because, in the same way that Jesus understood the needs of people, an overcomer will understand the fears, the trauma, and the uncertainty of another person now going through that same difficulty.

Another quality that Jesus possessed is that He Was Considerate and Respectful. 

Mark 7:31-37

When He healed a man who was unable to speak and was deaf, He took the man aside so that the man would not become a spectacle in front of a crowd.

He dealt with people as humans, not as things or a nuisance to society.

He gave them a part in their own healing and in leading them to salvation.

It has been said that ‘God is often more considerate and respectful of us that we are of Him.’

As an aside, here there is something in the account of Jesus’ healing this man who was deaf and unable to speak.

And that is – verse 36: “And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.”

I just imagine if something that phenomenal happened to anyone of us – the first thing we would do is to tell someone about how that happened.

In going out and broadcasting what Jesus had done for him I believe he thought he was doing Jesus a favor by giving Him this positive publicity.

What understanding can we gain from these encounters with Jesus and those who needed healing and strengthening?

Jesus always does all things well.

But, when we look at the earthly life of Jesus and we know how He suffered on the cross for our healing, and for our salvation, we can say that “He does all things well.”

Sometimes people want to characterize Jesus as Someone or Something that He is not.

He is not a Superman or an Action Hero.

He is the only one who can save the world.

Although, in His time on earth He did not attempt to save Himself – his earthly body – but all that He did while on earth was for the salvation of all of humankind.

The only thing that limits Jesus’ work is the continued disobedience of all of humanity.

Jesus saved – and continues to save – others.

He did not save Himself from physical death.

 If he had tried to save Himself – His purpose in having come down from His throne in Heaven – would have been for nothing.

Jesus’ power is limitless. His use of that power while He was still here on earth was always determined by the need of people who came to Him asking for deliverance.

This lesson as recorded here in the Gospel of Mark is this: Jesus said, “Don’t tell anyone.”

But they did.

Today, the command that Jesus left for us – His Church - that command, and the response is different --- He tells us --- “Tell Everyone!”

The question that we must answer is this: “Do We?”