What a crazy (cray-cray in street lingo) week. An 18-year-old, crying on a witness stand in a Wisconsin courtroom, claims he was the victim after shooting three people and killing two of them at a protest. The judge told the prosecution that they could not call those who were shot “victims”. Cray-cray.
In another part of the planet, three men in Georgia went on trial for killing a black jogger while making a citizen’s arrests. The defense attorney of the three men said in the court room, “We don't want any more black pastors coming in here.” Cray-cray.
I saved the best cray-cray for last. This week Sen. Ted Cruz landed a jab on the sore arm of Big Bird who took the COVID-19 vaccination and tweeted: “I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it’ll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy.” To which, Cruz tweeted, “Government propaganda…for your 5-year-old!” This comes as Covid-19 was the 6th leading cause of death among kids aged 5 to 14 in September. Covid has already killed 759 million. Cray-cray-CRAY-cray.
Personally, you might be in a cray-cray crazy time right now where your bad news that couldn’t possibly get worse, has. It was a crazy, desperate time in Mark, chapter 5. Three people had their backs against the wall, facing the worse possible news; they were looking for some good news. They found a crazy pastor—Christ—who inspired them to fight cray-cray with cray-cray faith.
In haunting times, have cray-cray faith in a merciful Christ—the Son of God. In 5:1-20, Christ had an encounter in a graveyard with a haunted Geresene demoniac who wasn’t insane, but someone tormented by an unclean spirit who just wanted some mercy. He found it in Jesus when He casts the unclean spirit out of him. In key verse 18, we see the man, now in his right mind, respond to the mercy of Jesus by begging to follow him.
18 And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was entreating Him that he might accompany Him. Mark 5:18
Now, the real crazies in this story were the herdsmen who were more concerned about their hams than the haunted man. Jesus sent those demon spirits into a herd of swine. They ran off a cliff. Jesus messed up the towns people bacon business. They wanted Jesus out of town. They had misplaced, crazy priorities, but not the delivered man. His priority was Jesus, so much so, despite Jesus urging him to keep quiet, he ran throughout Decapolis, a region of ten gentile cities, telling how he had found mercy.
When Jesus has set you free, you can’t keep quiet. So, Church, don’t keep quiet. Be crazy enough to tell people you’re crazy about a merciful Jesus who has shown mercy to you even; who delivered you from the worse in you like the Geresene man.
In hurting times, have crazy faith in a sensitive Christ—the Son of God. We meet a hurting woman in verses 25-34. She had been constantly bleeding for twelve years. The doctors told her there was nothing more they could do to heal her. Then here came the bad: she was out of money. She was sick and broke; her last chance was Christ. A crowd of people surrounding Jesus stood in the way. But that pushy woman pushed through and touched him. Jesus noticed, right away, power going out of him into her. He said to her:
“Your faith has made you whole” Mark 5:34.
The real crazies here were the disciples who underestimated the sensitivity of Jesus, who was sensitive enough to feel the woman and her infirmities despite all those people around him. The disciples asked Jesus: How can you ask in all these people: Who touched you? The disciples didn’t get it, that Jesus is just that sensitive to be in touch with the hurting no matter how large the crowd. Jesus feels us according to Hebrews 4:15:
We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one tempted just like we are… Hebrews 4:15:
Is there anyone who feels that no one is feeling your hurts? Jesus does. Church, you need to respond like that, too. Touch someone with your testimony about a cray-cray crazy sensitive Jesus who felt your hurts and answered your prayers.
Lastly, in hopeless times, have crazy faith in a powerful Christ—the Son of God-- who has sovereignty over death. In verses 35-43, we find Jarius, a father who thinks his sick daughter is now dead. Jesus arrived at Jarius’ house after Jesus first attended to the woman with the issue of blood. The crowd thought it was all over because, in their minds, He was too late. But there is no “CP” time in “JC” time because He is never late. When He entered the home, He whispered in the sleeping girl’s ear:
And taking the child by the hand, He said to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"). Mark 5:41
The crazy ones here that day were those who laughed at the Son of God when he called death sleep—this same Son of God who made the blind to see; who made the lame to walk; who fed five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. It’s no wonder that death is but a nap to him.
Don’t laugh at faith in desperate times. Do what the daughter did. Let your walking do your faith talking. Don’t believe the worse news from the world that is quick to pronounce death over your situation. Don’t believe them when they say your marriage belongs in a morgue. Have cray-cray faith. Don’t believe them when they say your career is comatose. Have cray-cray faith. When your health diagnosis is dire, believe God and the doctors who sent them.
In crazy times, when a shooter cries victim; when preachers are forbidden, and Big Bird is the bad guy, fight cray-cray with cray-cray faith where mercy, sensitivity and power can be found
Comentarios