Exercise

Mark was direct, simple, succinct, to the point in his writing style. Read the book of Mark, and the pace that things happen as he follows Christ is breathtaking.

For example, in Mark 1 and 2, he gives us “a day in the life” of Jesus over a few verses. Jesus preaches at the synagogue, then heads to Peter’s house where he heals his mom of a fever, and, at evening, the “whole city was gathered at the door” of the house. They brought the sick “with various diseases” and demons, and Jesus healed. Apparently, Jesus got a bit of sleep, and the next morning he was up early, “having risen a long while before daylight,” and he went to a place by himself to pray. The disciples find Jesus, and He says that they need to go to the next town to preach. Catch all that? That was a day through the eyes of Mark.

For me, Mark’s writing cuts to the chase. His writing seems to emphasize the main thing that is going on, the main thing that he wants you to catch. So, in the passages above, you see the picture of a life devoted fully to others, from preaching to healing to praying. The picture emphasizes the life of Jesus being one hundred percent about others. No selfish motives or ambition. Simply loving others. Relentlessly. Mark definitely crystalizes certain themes for the reader, and, perhaps, no picture offers more clarity than the image of the faith of those that came to Jesus.

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”  Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. Mark 1:40-1

Mark’s description is self-explanatory. The man had an awful, uncurable disease. He knew his only hope was Jesus, and he knew Jesus could make him clean, “if he was willing.” The leper came to Christ in complete desperation. Jesus was moved to compassion and healed the man. The man humbled himself, came to Jesus in faith, and he was healed.

This story flows immediately to the next story.

And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Mark 2:2-5, 11-12

A man is paralyzed, and Jesus was preaching in town. The man couldn’t get to Jesus on his own, so he had four faithful friends who would stop at nothing to help him. The crowds were too big to get their friend to Jesus, so they made it happen, digging through the roof! That is relentless faith. Again, Jesus “saw their faith” and responded. The man ended up walking away.

Mark’s point – faith. The faith of those that needed help. They recognized that there was nothing that they could do for their current situation. Their only hope, only life line, only path to take, was the one to Christ. The recognition of hopelessness, the desperation, was the fuel for their faith fire.

Notice the humility of those that went to Christ. They knew that they could not control the situation. They knew that they could not help matters by trying harder. They knew that there was nothing in them that could make their situation better. They humbly came to Him.

But, here is the thing with faith. You can’t just try harder to have faith. It just is. It is a gift. Grace.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

You can’t grant yourself faith, it is given as a gift of grace. But, you can grow your faith. And the way to do this is the same thing you do to grow your muscles, you exercise it. Bible reading, praying, serving others, giving to others are all ways to exercise your faith. In the stories above, those that were healed or witnessed the healings, no doubt, walked away with greater faith in Jesus than they had before. The same is true for us. When we humbly, in faith, go to Him, we walk away with greater faith. And, just like muscles, if you don’t exercise, you don’t grow.

Selfishness, lack of humility, fight exercise. If one is “good,” no need for exercise. If one recognizes the grace that has been given, they will be compelled to exercise.

There is no greater gift than the grace offered through faith. Don’t take it for granted today. Exercise it.

Impact others. Live generously.

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