God's grace

The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." And he strictly ordered them not to make him known. And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. - Mark 3:6‭-‬19 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Greater plan

The religious leaders saw Jesus as a threat. So how did He respond? Jesus withdrew. For outsiders looking in, it looks like Jesus is ducking from the leaders. Jesus wasn't withdrawing out of fear, but a matter of timing. It wasn't yet time. Jesus heals this man and then moved to silence him. Why? 

So today and now, we want Jesus to confront this virus and end it right now. We know Jesus is powerful and He can stop it. But Jesus has a bigger plan. 

What can God be up to?

Here's some possibilities:

God could be growing us in appreciating community.

God could be driving us to greater reliance on Him

God could be removing us from the church buildings so we would do God's work out in the neighborhood

Greater need

People are reacting in different ways to this. The young and carefree could be ignoring the public health recommendations. They aren't going to get sick and die, but rather they are endangering others. The fearful are hoarding supplies to the detriment of those who truly need them. 

The crowds around Jesus knew that He could heal. The demons knew the power of Jesus. But Jesus had a different healing in mind. He was here to meet our spiritual sickness. He was here to meet our eternal need for salvation.

So, here's some more spiritual speculation on this global pandemic:

Maybe God is using this time to plough the ground for spiritual planting. During this time, when the fittest among us are revealed as frail and fully human. Celebrities are falling sick. Government authorities seen almost powerless in the face of this virus. When the stock market is in free fall and our retirement accounts along with them. Perhaps in this dark time, God's work and the hope that we have in Jesus shines the brightest. May God advance His Kingdom. May we pray for it.

Greater grace

We have a greater grace in Jesus. May this drive us to meet our neighbors in their need rather than self preservation. Now that sports and other leisure activities have ground to a halt, perhaps we can use this time & energy to devote to helping those in need around us... and in so doing, spread the gospel in word and deed. Our names are written in the book of Life, we should be the best citizens of this city because it would reflect our eternal citizenship in heaven.

Application

Support children needs

Support local small businesses

Support the elderly & vulnerable