What have I learned from preaching through The Book of Mark these last few months?  Glad you asked.  I have learned that Jesus is in fact a friend of hurting people.  He is sensitive to their needs and acts to heal them of their diseases and graciously delivers them from their demons.  I believe He is still in the healing and deliverance business today.  I also learned that Jesus has a tendency of placing Himself just out of reach of some people just to see if they are desperate enough to make the effort to close the distance and get to him.  As examples of this desperation, we have the man whose friends tore off a roof and an unclean woman who pressed through a crowd to get to Him.

Many people today want Jesus to make it easy for them to believe; they want positive proof of His ability.  My answer to them is that we already have proof of who Jesus is and what He can do in the Word of God.  Now it is time for them to close the gap by making a faith effort to break through the barriers of doubt that separate them from their encounter with Christ.  May the Lord help them to break through.  Maybe I am talking to you.  How about it, are you desperate enough for a change?