The Role of the Church in the Community

Jesus Ministered to Their Needs

Lesson #9 for August 27, 2016

Scriptures: [Mark 2:1-12; 5:22-43; 10:46-52; John 5:1-9; Psalm 139:1-13; Acts 9:36-42][1].

1.    This lesson will give us multiple examples of how Jesus and His disciples as well as others in more modern times have reached out to the poor, the needy, and the helpless to meet their needs.

He [Jesus] went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. There were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for He had passed through them and healed all their sick. His work gave evidence of His divine anointing. Love, mercy, and compassion were revealed in every act of [12] His life; His heart went out in tender sympathy to the children of men. He took man’s nature, that He might reach man’s wants. The poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach Him. Even little children were attracted to Him. They loved to climb upon His knees and gaze into the pensive face, benignant with love.—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ 11.2-12.0. [Bold type and content in brackets are added.]

A retired Seventh-day Adventist woman in an African country did not wish to stop ministering in retirement. Her community needed healing because of the ravages of HIV/AIDS. The most urgent need was that AIDS orphans didn’t have adequate nutrition. In 2002, she and her church started feeding the children in the community a solid meal six days a week. They started with 50 children and, as of 2012, were serving 300 children per day. That led them to start a preschool, and now 45 of those children are attending. Other services include distributing clothing from ADRA, sharing vegetables and maize from a garden that they maintain, and taking care of the sick. They started a skills-development program for women, who teach one another skills that help them earn a living. This demonstration of the love of Jesus spawned a new church. There were five members in the beginning, and, as of 2012, 160 were attending. God provided means for building an orphanage and a new church building in 2012.—Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Sabbath, August 20, 2016.

2.    What would happen today if Jesus or one of His messengers walked into a hospital like Loma Linda University Health and healed everyone there? How would it be reported on social media and television that day or in the newspapers the next day? How do you think the community would respond?

3.    How would you compare the story of the African woman and how she and others have reached out to care for widows and especially orphans with the story of Jesus? Was Jesus ministering to the needy in that situation?

4.    What kind of a project could a Seventh-day Adventist church in the more developed world carry out that would bring similar results? What would be the response?

5.    For many of us in the 21st century, our lives are full of hustle and bustle. Depending on the kind of work we do, some of us experience interruptions again and again. Sometimes, there are interruptions to an interruption!

6.    Read [Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43][2]. In this sequence, Jesus was interrupted from His busy teaching to heal a young girl who was about to die and then did die. He was further interrupted on His way to help her by a woman with a severe bleeding problem. Are interruptions a problem?

7.    In 2016, what kind of examples could you think of that would match this one from the ministry of Jesus? We, of course, could never raise someone from the dead; but, how often are we interrupted and given an opportunity to minister to the needs of another?

8.    When we are interrupted at our work, is our initial response annoyance? Or, do we see interruptions also as opportunities to minister to the needs of others? Are there times when just because we are annoyed at being interrupted, we refuse to minister to the needs of a truly needy person?

9.    Read [Mark 10:46-52; John 5:1-9][3]. These passages tell us about two disabled men who were helped by Jesus. The story recorded in John 5 came early in the ministry of Jesus; the story of blind Bartimaeus came at the very end. In John 5, Jesus was walking around Jerusalem alone early in His ministry. In the story of blind Bartimaeus recorded in Mark 10, Jesus was traveling in the crowd that was going up to Jerusalem, expecting to crown Jesus as King of the Jews one week before His crucifixion. What kind of faith did these men have?

10.    Why do some modern versions omit John 5:3b-4? Is that a result of higher criticism? How did those verses get in the Bible in the first place? Those verses are not present in the earliest manuscripts; they found their way into later manuscripts. Who do you think wrote them? Why? How did they get into the later manuscripts and end up in the King James Version? Should we cut them out of our Bibles? There is no way that God would be responsible for such an arrangement at the pool. If God had been responsible, He would have arranged for some way to reach out to the most needy and not just to those who could get into the pool the quickest. The quickest people would almost always be those who were the least sick. In the text of John, someone probably wrote a note in the margin of the text so that people who were not familiar with the situation at the pool in Jerusalem and did not understand why people would be gathered there would understand. Later, when most Christians had never been to Jerusalem, someone decided that those words should be included in the text so that future generations would also understand. Does that worry you?

At certain seasons the waters of this pool were agitated, and it was commonly believed that this was the result of supernatural power, and that whoever first after the troubling of the pool stepped into the waters, would be healed of whatever disease he had. Hundreds of sufferers visited the place; but so great was the crowd when the water was troubled that they rushed forward, trampling underfoot men, women, and children, weaker than themselves. Many could not get near the pool.—Ellen G. White, the Desire of Ages 201.2; MH 81.2; see also 2SP 157.1. [Bold type is added.]

11.    In dealing with people’s needs, Jesus often asked them to express their needs. Blind Bartimaeus said, “I want to see.” The man at the pool of Bethesda/Bethzatha said: “Sir, I have no one here to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am trying to get in, somebody else gets there first.” (GNB) By asking these disabled ones to articulate their needs, was Jesus encouraging them to express their faith? In any case, Jesus was listening. Do we need to be more specific in our prayer requests?

12.    Why is it so hard for many of us to stop and listen? Listening is a way of saying that you care. Many people can be helped immensely by just finding someone who is willing to listen. When you go to the doctor’s office, you expect him/her to listen to your problems. If we show a real interest in people and their needs and as far as possible assist them, we will make new friends. Why is it so much easier for most of us to speak than to listen? Do we need to learn to become better listeners? Is listening a natural talent? Or, a learned skill?

To these our friends who expect soon to go from us to other lands, I wish to say: Remember that you can break down the severest opposition by taking a personal interest in the people whom you meet. Christ took a personal interest in men and women while He lived on this earth. Wherever He went He was a medical missionary. We are to go about doing good, even as He did. We are instructed to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the sorrowing.—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, November 11, 1902, par. 5; Welfare Ministry 162.2.

13.    There are a number of passages in Scripture suggesting that Jesus knew people’s needs before they even opened their mouths. See [Mark 2:8; John 4:18[4]]. Psalm 139:1-13[5] tells us that God knows everything about us from the time we are conceived until we die and even thereafter. Is that even possible?

14.    Read Mark 2:1-12[6]. What did Jesus know about this young man? How was Jesus involved in his healing? Jesus had inspired faith in this young man even while he was still at home. He had drawn him and encouraged him to bring his case to Jesus. He brought conviction to his conscience. When he repented of his sins, believing in the power of Jesus to make him whole, he felt the blessings of Jesus in his heart. (See Desire of Ages 216.1.)

The palsied man was entirely helpless, and, seeing no prospect of aid from any quarter, he had sunk into despair. Then he heard of the wonderful works of Jesus. He was told that others as sinful and helpless as he had been healed; even lepers had been cleansed. And the friends who reported these things encouraged him to believe that he too might be cured if he could be carried to Jesus. But his hope fell when he remembered how the disease had been brought upon him. He feared that the pure Physician would not tolerate him in His presence.

Yet it was not physical restoration he [the paralytic] desired so much as relief from the burden of sin. If he could see Jesus, and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with Heaven, he would be content to live or die, according to God’s will.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages 267.3-4. [Content in brackets is added.]

15.    Coming forth from spending time in the evenings and early mornings in prayer with His Father, Jesus was aware of the needs of the people He was going to meet each day. Could we do that in our day? How should we relate to “spiritual healers” including those on television in our day?

16.    Around us are people who are hurting in many ways. Many do not realize even their greatest needs. Do we crave the assurance of salvation and the knowledge that God loves us? Is that because we do not trust God’s Word? Or, just because we are humans?

17.    Read Acts 9:36-42[7]. Compare Mark 10:8[8]. In this passage we read of Tabitha/Dorcas and the way she ministered, especially to the widows in Joppa. We do not know exactly what happened to Dorcas; but, we are told that, as a result, she died. The Christians in the area, realizing that Peter was nearby, rushed to him for assistance. The widows, especially, felt the tremendous loss that would be theirs if Dorcas was gone. How do the people in your town, village, or city feel about the presence of you and your church?

18.    The Bible makes it clear that we have a special responsibility to those who are fellow believers. (See Acts 2:42-47[9].)

19.    And what about people’s spiritual needs? Are there members of the SDA Church who still need to be taught the full truth about God and His love for us? Do we fully understand why Jesus had to die and what He is doing now in the heavenly sanctuary? Do we understand clearly why there has been such a long delay since the Great Disappointment in 1844? Do we still mistakenly believe that Jesus has to plead with His Father to get Him to forgive us?

Are there people in our churches who have unanswered questions, serious doubts, or a faltering faith because no one has helped them understand the teachings of the Bible?

20.    Read [John 13:34-35; John 15:12[10]]. What is implied by these verses? Is it really true that if Christians loved each other as Jesus loved us, the whole world would notice? Is it an impossible challenge to love as Jesus loved? What is the relationship between your church and your community? Is it possible to really love without knowing anything about Christ?

Amy Sherman describes three styles a church can use in serving its community. The first style, the settler style, focuses on meeting the needs of the community around your church. The woman with the HIV/AIDS ministry chose her nearby community as her “Joppa.”

The second, the gardener style means developing ministry ties with neighborhoods outside your church’s immediate area, as gardeners view their gardens as an extension of their homes. Sometimes several churches partner to operate a community service center outside of each of their communities.

In one city, several churches ran a health food store—out of which a new church started.

The third, the shepherd style is serving one targeted population rather than a specific geographic neighborhood.—Adapted from Ronald J. Sider et al., Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2002), p. 146. (As quoted in Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Wednesday, August 23.) [Italic type is in the original.]

21.    Seven churches of different denominations have partnered together to run a large pantry at the Community Health Center where I work. It serves thousands of people every week. Do you think that would be an effective outreach?

22.    Does your church have a clearly defined mission to your community? You may not feel comfortable leading out in such an adventure; but, you can contribute in one way or another. How do you determine what is the right outreach for your church? Here are some suggestions: (1) Input from biblical and Spirit of Prophecy principles, (2) Knowledge of community needs, and (3) Input from the congregation. You can do community surveys, participate in brainstorming sessions, or just look around the community to see what needs you can discover. Would God show each one of us, or a group of us, what He wants us to do?

23.    Read Luke 14:25-35[11]. Are we prepared to make the commitment necessary to truly be disciples of Jesus? How many people in the 21st century are willing to make Jesus their first priority? Does God really expect us to love Him more than we love father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters? Could we love Jesus more than we love ourselves?

24.    In this statement made by Jesus some time before the Passover week in which He was crucified, He said: “Those who do not carry their own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciples.” (Luke 14:27, GNB) What do you think His followers thought He was talking about when He mentioned the cross?

25.    One thing that must be considered when taking on a project is: Do we have the necessary means, talents, time, and commitment to finish it? Should we start off with a smaller project? Success breeds success. If you have success in a small project, you may feel comfortable taking on something a little bit larger.

26.    The commitment that is being suggested in [Luke 14:25-34 and Matthew 10:37-38][12] seems like a lot to us. But, remember that God is planning to give us eternal life in an environment of bliss. So, is such an effort now too much to ask? Look at the Adventist pioneers!

27.    What kind of planning and preparation does one need in order to launch a project?

28.    Read Acts 17:16-34[13]. Does it sound like Paul’s efforts in Athens were a waste of time? How did Paul go about finding what approach he should take in speaking to the Athenians? Notice that he was even aware of some of their most famous poets.

He who taught the people the way to secure peace and happiness was just as thoughtful of their temporal necessities as of their spiritual need.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages 365.4.

29.    So, if we are going to strive to be like Jesus, we must reach out to other people in their needs. And what is the ultimate goal? Wouldn’t it be to provide the greatest salvation and happiness that we possibly can?

30.    Why do you think Jesus spent so much time meeting people’s physical needs? Shouldn’t He have spent all of His brief time trying to spread the gospel?

The Lord Jesus is our example. He came to the world as a servant of mankind. He went from city to city, from village to village, teaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing the sick. Christ spent more time in healing than in teaching.

As our example, Christ linked closely together the work of healing and teaching, and in this our day they should not be separated. In our schools and sanitariums, nurses should be trained to go out as medical missionary evangelists. They should unite the teaching of the gospel of Christ with the work of healing.—Ellen G. White, The Gospel Herald, May 1, 1908, par. 4; RH, September 10, 1908, par. 4; Special Testimonies Series B, 08 22.1.

During His ministry Jesus devoted more time to healing the sick than to preaching.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages 350.3. [Bold type is added.]

31.    We as the Seventh-day Adventist Church have invested an unbelievable amount of effort, time, and money in healthcare institutions and educational institutions. Are these premier ways to spread the gospel? Are we too much involved in these areas of outreach?

32.    Many of us have been going to the same church and going through the same routines in our worship for years. If our ideas of God have not changed in the last year by real growth, are we worshiping a static “idol”? Should we be praying to God and asking Him to open our eyes to hidden needs? While recognizing the need for professional help for those who have serious problems with anxiety or depression, what could we do to help people who are depressed, discouraged, or lonely? What is the connection between people’s physical needs and their spiritual needs? Christianity has been noted from its beginning in the ways it is reaching out to the poor and needy. Look, for example, at this story.

In 1902, Harry and Maude Miller graduated as medical doctors from what is today Loma Linda University. They both felt an irresistible calling to go as medical missionaries to China.

Both were elite graduates and faced the lure of fame and fortune in the United States. But they were ready to leave it all behind to live and work among China’s poor. Dr. Harry Miller ended up devoting 50 years of his life in China, and he became deeply loved by the people of that vast country.

Dr. Miller was friend and physician to General Chiang Kai-Shek, leader of the Republic of China, and his wife, Mao. But he also, at times, lived among the poor in a “beggar’s den”—a hut open to mosquitoes and lice. He cared for the aristocracy and also knelt by the beds of the poor. He performed highly skilled surgery but also spent countless hours working on a viable formula for soy milk—because he was concerned about babies dying from allergies and malnutrition.—Adult Teacher’s Sabbath School Bible Study Guide 120.

33.    The Bible tells us that each of us has been given at least one spiritual gift. Have we sought out ways to use our spiritual gift(s)?

34.    When people are recognizing their personal needs, they are most open to help. A loving touch can transform a life.

35.    Think of all the things that Jesus did to help us. (Matthew 8:17; 9:35; Isaiah 53:4)[14]

36.    While it is clear that the book of Matthew is not primarily organized chronologically, it is interesting to note that as soon as Jesus had finished giving the Sermon on the Mount, He set about in a flurry of activity, healing the following people (See Adult Teacher’s Sabbath School Bible Study Guide 121.):

1.    A leper (Matthew 8:3[15])

2.    The centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:13[16])

3.    Peter’s mother-in-law (Matthew 8:15[17])

4.    Demon-possessed people including the men/man beside the lake in Gadara (See Matthew 8:16,28-34; compare Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39.)[18]

5.    A paralyzed man (Matthew 9:1-7)[19]

6.    The hemorrhaging woman (Matthew 9:22)[20]

7.    A ruler’s daughter (Jairus’s daughter) (See Matthew 9:25; compare Mark 5:21-42.)[21]

8.    Two blind men (Matthew 9:29-30)[22]

9.    A mute man (Matthew 9:33)[23]

37.    According to Mark and Luke, these miracles were scattered over some time; but, Matthew put them all together. Why do you suppose that he did that? And remember that in the midst of this list as recorded in Matthew 8:23-27[24], He saved a boatload of disciples who were about to drown during the storm!

38.    The motto of Loma Linda University is “To Make Man Whole.” Would that be an appropriate model for the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Does God ask us to meet people’s needs physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually?

39.    The time when it is easiest to help somebody and make the biggest impact on their lives is when they feel the greatest need. How do we discover when and where people are hurting and needing the most?

40.    When blind Bartimaeus started calling out to Jesus, the disciples tried to silence him. But, what was Jesus’s response? He stopped, took time out of His busy schedule, and healed the man. Is it any surprise that he followed Jesus, praising God. (Luke 18:43, NIV)

41.    Do we find that serving others brings us great joy? If not, why not? If we truly love others as we love ourselves, wouldn’t service be an automatic response? Look around your community. What are the greatest needs in your community? Which of those needs is most amenable to some activity that you or your church could become involved in?

1-Mark 2:1 A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home. 2 So many people came together that there was no room left, not even out in front of the door. Jesus was preaching the message to them 3 when four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus. 4 Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they let the man down, lying on his mat. 5 Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My son, your sins are forgiven." 6 Some teachers of the Law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 "How does he dare talk like this? This is blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!" 8 At once Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, "Why do you think such things? 9 Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'? 10 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, 11 "I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!" 12 While they all watched, the man got up, picked up his mat, and hurried away. They were all completely amazed and praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

5:22 Jairus, an official of the local synagogue, arrived, and when he saw Jesus, he threw himself down at his feet 23 and begged him earnestly, "My little daughter is very sick. Please come and place your hands on her, so that she will get well and live!" 24 Then Jesus started off with him. So many people were going along with Jesus that they were crowding him from every side. 25 There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve years, 26 even though she had been treated by many doctors. She had spent all her money, but instead of getting better she got worse all the time. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came in the crowd behind him, 28 saying to herself, "If I just touch his clothes, I will get well." 29 She touched his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once; and she had the feeling inside herself that she was healed of her trouble. 30 At once Jesus knew that power had gone out of him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 His disciples answered, "You see how the people are crowding you; why do you ask who touched you?" 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 The woman realized what had happened to her, so she came, trembling with fear, knelt at his feet, and told him the whole truth. 34 Jesus said to her, "My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble." 35 While Jesus was saying this, some messengers came from Jairus' house and told him, "Your daughter has died. Why bother the Teacher any longer?" 36 Jesus paid no attention to what they said, but told him, "Don't be afraid, only believe." 37 Then he did not let anyone else go on with him except Peter and James and his brother John. 38 They arrived at Jairus' house, where Jesus saw the confusion and heard all the loud crying and wailing. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this confusion? Why are you crying? The child is not dead - she is only sleeping!" 40 They started making fun of him, so he put them all out, took the child's father and mother and his three disciples, and went into the room where the child was lying. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, ["Talitha, koum,"] which means, "Little girl, I tell you to get up!" 42 She got up at once and started walking around. (She was twelve years old.) When this happened, they were completely amazed. 43 But Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone, and he said, "Give her something to eat."

10:46 They came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!" 48 Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man. "Cheer up!" they said. "Get up, he is calling you." 50 So he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. "Teacher," the blind man answered, "I want to see again." 52 "Go," Jesus told him, "your faith has made you well." At once he was able to see and followed Jesus on the road.

John 5:1 After this, Jesus went to Jerusalem for a religious festival. 2 Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool with five porches; in Hebrew it is called Bethzatha. 3 A large crowd of sick people were lying on the porches - the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. 5 A man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 Jesus saw him lying there, and he knew that the man had been sick for such a long time; so he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" 7 The sick man answered, "Sir, I don't have anyone here to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am trying to get in, somebody else gets there first." 8 Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk." 9 Immediately the man got well; he picked up his mat and started walking. The day this happened was a Sabbath,

Psalm 139:1 Lord, you have examined me and you know me. 2 You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts. 3 You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions. 4 Even before I speak, you already know what I will say. 5 You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power. 6 Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding. 7 Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence? 8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there. 9 If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, 10 you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me or the light around me to turn into night, 12 but even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to you. 13 You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb.

Acts 9:36 In Joppa there was a woman named Tabitha, who was a believer. (Her name in Greek is Dorcas, meaning "a deer.") She spent all her time doing good and helping the poor. 37 At that time she got sick and died. Her body was washed and laid in a room upstairs. 38 Joppa was not very far from Lydda, and when the believers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him with the message, "Please hurry and come to us." 39 So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, he was taken to the room upstairs, where all the widows crowded around him, crying and showing him all the shirts and coats that Dorcas had made while she was alive. 40 Peter put them all out of the room, and knelt down and prayed; then he turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 Peter reached over and helped her get up. Then he called all the believers, including the widows, and presented her alive to them. 42 The news about this spread all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

2-Matthew 9:18 While Jesus was saying this, a Jewish official came to him, knelt down before him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and place your hands on her, and she will live." 19 So Jesus got up and followed him, and his disciples went along with him. 20 A woman who had suffered from severe bleeding for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, "If only I touch his cloak, I will get well." 22 Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, my daughter! Your faith has made you well." At that very moment the woman became well. 23 Then Jesus went into the official's house. When he saw the musicians for the funeral and the people all stirred up, 24 he said, "Get out, everybody! The little girl is not dead - she is only sleeping!" Then they all started making fun of him. 25 But as soon as the people had been put out, Jesus went into the girl's room and took hold of her hand, and she got up. 26 The news about this spread all over that part of the country.

Mark 5:22 Jairus, an official of the local synagogue, arrived, and when he saw Jesus, he threw himself down at his feet 23 and begged him earnestly, "My little daughter is very sick. Please come and place your hands on her, so that she will get well and live!" 24 Then Jesus started off with him. So many people were going along with Jesus that they were crowding him from every side. 25 There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve years, 26 even though she had been treated by many doctors. She had spent all her money, but instead of getting better she got worse all the time. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came in the crowd behind him, 28 saying to herself, "If I just touch his clothes, I will get well." 29 She touched his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once; and she had the feeling inside herself that she was healed of her trouble. 30 At once Jesus knew that power had gone out of him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 His disciples answered, "You see how the people are crowding you; why do you ask who touched you?" 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 The woman realized what had happened to her, so she came, trembling with fear, knelt at his feet, and told him the whole truth. 34 Jesus said to her, "My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble." 35 While Jesus was saying this, some messengers came from Jairus' house and told him, "Your daughter has died. Why bother the Teacher any longer?" 36 Jesus paid no attention to what they said, but told him, "Don't be afraid, only believe." 37 Then he did not let anyone else go on with him except Peter and James and his brother John. 38 They arrived at Jairus' house, where Jesus saw the confusion and heard all the loud crying and wailing. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this confusion? Why are you crying? The child is not dead - she is only sleeping!" 40 They started making fun of him, so he put them all out, took the child's father and mother and his three disciples, and went into the room where the child was lying. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, ["Talitha, koum,"] which means, "Little girl, I tell you to get up!" 42 She got up at once and started walking around. (She was twelve years old.) When this happened, they were completely amazed. 43 But Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone, and he said, "Give her something to eat."

3-Mark 10:46 They came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!" 48 Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man. "Cheer up!" they said. "Get up, he is calling you." 50 So he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. "Teacher," the blind man answered, "I want to see again." 52 "Go," Jesus told him, "your faith has made you well." At once he was able to see and followed Jesus on the road.

John 5:1 After this, Jesus went to Jerusalem for a religious festival. 2 Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool with five porches; in Hebrew it is called Bethzatha. 3 A large crowd of sick people were lying on the porches - the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. 5 A man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 Jesus saw him lying there, and he knew that the man had been sick for such a long time; so he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" 7 The sick man answered, "Sir, I don't have anyone here to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am trying to get in, somebody else gets there first." 8 Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk." 9 Immediately the man got well; he picked up his mat and started walking. The day this happened was a Sabbath,

4-Mark 2:8 At once Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, "Why do you think such things?

John 4:18 You have been married to five men, and the man you live with now is not really your husband. You have told me the truth."

5-Psalm 139:1 Lord, you have examined me and you know me.

2 You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.

3 You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.

4 Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.

5 You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.

6 Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.

7 Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence?

8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there.

9 If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west,

10 you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me or the light around me to turn into night,

12 but even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb.

6-Mark 2:1 A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home.

2 So many people came together that there was no room left, not even out in front of the door. Jesus was preaching the message to them

3 when four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus.

4 Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they let the man down, lying on his mat.

5 Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My son, your sins are forgiven."

6 Some teachers of the Law who were sitting there thought to themselves,

7 "How does he dare talk like this? This is blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!"

8 At once Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, "Why do you think such things?

9 Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'?

10 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man,

11 "I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!"

12 While they all watched, the man got up, picked up his mat, and hurried away. They were all completely amazed and praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

7-Acts 9:36 In Joppa there was a woman named Tabitha, who was a believer. (Her name in Greek is Dorcas, meaning "a deer.") She spent all her time doing good and helping the poor.

37 At that time she got sick and died. Her body was washed and laid in a room upstairs.

38 Joppa was not very far from Lydda, and when the believers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him with the message, "Please hurry and come to us."

39 So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, he was taken to the room upstairs, where all the widows crowded around him, crying and showing him all the shirts and coats that Dorcas had made while she was alive.

40 Peter put them all out of the room, and knelt down and prayed; then he turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

41 Peter reached over and helped her get up. Then he called all the believers, including the widows, and presented her alive to them.

42 The news about this spread all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

8-Mark 10:8 and the two will become one.' So they are no longer two, but one.

9-Acts 2:42 They spent their time in learning from the apostles, taking part in the fellowship, and sharing in the fellowship meals and the prayers.

43 Many miracles and wonders were being done through the apostles, and everyone was filled with awe.

44 All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another.

45 They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed.

46 Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts,

47 praising God, and enjoying the good will of all the people. And every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.

10-John 13:34 And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."

John 15:12 My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you.

11-Luke 14:25 Once when large crowds of people were going along with Jesus, he turned and said to them,

26 "Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well.

27 Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples.

28 If one of you is planning to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job.

29 If you don't, you will not be able to finish the tower after laying the foundation; and all who see what happened will make fun of you.

30 "You began to build but can't finish the job!' they will say.

31 If a king goes out with ten thousand men to fight another king who comes against him with twenty thousand men, he will sit down first and decide if he is strong enough to face that other king.

32 If he isn't, he will send messengers to meet the other king to ask for terms of peace while he is still a long way off.

33 In the same way," concluded Jesus, "none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have.

34 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again.

35 It is no good for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown away. Listen, then, if you have ears!"

12-Luke 14:25 Once when large crowds of people were going along with Jesus, he turned and said to them, 26 "Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well. 27 Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples. 28 If one of you is planning to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job. 29 If you don't, you will not be able to finish the tower after laying the foundation; and all who see what happened will make fun of you. 30 "You began to build but can't finish the job!' they will say. 31 If a king goes out with ten thousand men to fight another king who comes against him with twenty thousand men, he will sit down first and decide if he is strong enough to face that other king. 32 If he isn't, he will send messengers to meet the other king to ask for terms of peace while he is still a long way off. 33 In the same way," concluded Jesus, "none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have. 34 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again

Matthew 10:37 "Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples. 38 Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples.

13-Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting in Athens for Silas and Timothy, he was greatly upset when he noticed how full of idols the city was.

17 So he held discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentiles who worshiped God, and also in the public square every day with the people who happened to come by.

18 Certain Epicurean and Stoic teachers also debated with him. Some of them asked, "What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?" Others answered, "He seems to be talking about foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.

19 So they took Paul, brought him before the city council, the Areopagus, and said, "We would like to know what this new teaching is that you are talking about.

20 Some of the things we hear you say sound strange to us, and we would like to know what they mean.

21 (For all the citizens of Athens and the foreigners who lived there liked to spend all their time telling and hearing the latest new thing.)

22 Paul stood up in front of the city council and said, "I see that in every way you Athenians are very religious.

23 For as I walked through your city and looked at the places where you worship, I found an altar on which is written, "To an Unknown God.' That which you worship, then, even though you do not know it, is what I now proclaim to you.

24 God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.

25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone.

26 From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live.

27 He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us;

28 as someone has said, "In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, "We too are his children.'

29 Since we are God's children, we should not suppose that his nature is anything like an image of gold or silver or stone, shaped by human art and skill.

30 God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways.

31 For he has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man from death!"

32 When they heard Paul speak about a raising from death, some of them made fun of him, but others said, "We want to hear you speak about this again."

33 And so Paul left the meeting.

34 Some men joined him and believed, among whom was Dionysius, a member of the council; there was also a woman named Damaris, and some other people.

14-Matthew 8:17 He did this to make come true what the prophet Isaiah had said, "He himself took our sickness and carried away our diseases."

9:35 Jesus went around visiting all the towns and villages. He taught in the synagogues, preached the Good News about the Kingdom, and healed people with every kind of disease and sickness.

Isaiah 53:4 "But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne. All the while we thought that his suffering was punishment sent by God.

15-Matthew 8:3 Jesus reached out and touched him. "I do want to," he answered. "Be clean!" At once the man was healed of his disease.

16-Matthew 8:13 Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go home, and what you believe will be done for you." And the officer's servant was healed that very moment.

17-Matthew 8:15 He touched her hand; the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

18-Matthew 8:16 When evening came, people brought to Jesus many who had demons in them. Jesus drove out the evil spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.

28 When Jesus came to the territory of Gadara on the other side of the lake, he was met by two men who came out of the burial caves there. These men had demons in them and were so fierce that no one dared travel on that road. 29 At once they screamed, "What do you want with us, you Son of God? Have you come to punish us before the right time?" 30 Not far away there was a large herd of pigs feeding. 31 So the demons begged Jesus, "If you are going to drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs." 32 "Go," Jesus told them; so they left and went off into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned. 33 The men who had been taking care of the pigs ran away and went into the town, where they told the whole story and what had happened to the men with the demons. 34 So everyone from the town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory.

Mark 5:1 Jesus and his disciples arrived on the other side of Lake Galilee, in the territory of Gerasa. 2 As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, he was met by a man who came out of the burial caves there. This man had an evil spirit in him 3 and lived among the tombs. Nobody could keep him tied with chains any more; 4 many times his feet and his hands had been tied, but every time he broke the chains and smashed the irons on his feet. He was too strong for anyone to control him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the tombs and through the hills, screaming and cutting himself with stones. 6 He was some distance away when he saw Jesus; so he ran, fell on his knees before him, 7 and screamed in a loud voice, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God! What do you want with me? For God's sake, I beg you, don't punish me! 8 (He said this because Jesus was saying, "Evil spirit, come out of this man!") 9 So Jesus asked him, "What is your name!" The man answered, "My name is "Mob' - there are so many of us!" 10 And he kept begging Jesus not to send the evil spirits out of that region. 11 There was a large herd of pigs near by, feeding on a hillside. 12 So the spirits begged Jesus, "Send us to the pigs, and let us go into them." 13 He let them go, and the evil spirits went out of the man and entered the pigs. The whole herd - about two thousand pigs in all - rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned. 14 The men who had been taking care of the pigs ran away and spread the news in the town and among the farms. People went out to see what had happened, 15 and when they came to Jesus, they saw the man who used to have the mob of demons in him. He was sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were all afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the man with the demons, and about the pigs. 17 So they asked Jesus to leave their territory. 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had had the demons begged him, "Let me go with you!" 19 But Jesus would not let him. Instead, he told him, "Go back home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how kind he has been to you." 20 So the man left and went all through the Ten Towns, telling what Jesus had done for him. And all who heard it were amazed.

Luke 8:26 Jesus and his disciples sailed on over to the territory of Gerasa, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 As Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a man from the town who had demons in him. For a long time this man had gone without clothes and would not stay at home, but spent his time in the burial caves. 28 When he saw Jesus, he gave a loud cry, threw himself down at his feet, and shouted, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God! What do you want with me? I beg you, don't punish me!" 29 He said this because Jesus had ordered the evil spirit to go out of him. Many times it had seized him, and even though he was kept a prisoner, his hands and feet tied with chains, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon out into the desert. 30 Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is "Mob,' " he answered - because many demons had gone into him. 31 The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss. 32 There was a large herd of pigs near by, feeding on a hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he let them. 33 They went out of the man and into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned. 34 The men who had been taking care of the pigs saw what happened, so they ran off and spread the news in the town and among the farms. 35 People went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were all afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the man had been cured. 37 Then all the people from that territory asked Jesus to go away, because they were terribly afraid. So Jesus got into the boat and left. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged Jesus, "Let me go with you." But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Go back home and tell what God has done for you." The man went through the town, telling what Jesus had done for him.

19-Matthew 9:1 Jesus got into the boat and went back across the lake to his own town,

2 where some people brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a bed. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the paralyzed man, "Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven."

3 Then some teachers of the Law said to themselves, "This man is speaking blasphemy!"

4 Jesus perceived what they were thinking, and so he said, "Why are you thinking such evil things?

5 Is it easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, "Get up and walk'?

6 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, pick up your bed, and go home!"

7 The man got up and went home.

20-Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, my daughter! Your faith has made you well." At that very moment the woman became well.

21-Matthew 9:25 But as soon as the people had been put out, Jesus went into the girl's room and took hold of her hand, and she got up.

Mark 5:21 Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake. There at the lakeside a large crowd gathered around him. 22 Jairus, an official of the local synagogue, arrived, and when he saw Jesus, he threw himself down at his feet 23 and begged him earnestly, "My little daughter is very sick. Please come and place your hands on her, so that she will get well and live!" 24 Then Jesus started off with him. So many people were going along with Jesus that they were crowding him from every side. 25 There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve years, 26 even though she had been treated by many doctors. She had spent all her money, but instead of getting better she got worse all the time. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came in the crowd behind him, 28 saying to herself, "If I just touch his clothes, I will get well." 29 She touched his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once; and she had the feeling inside herself that she was healed of her trouble. 30 At once Jesus knew that power had gone out of him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 His disciples answered, "You see how the people are crowding you; why do you ask who touched you?" 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 The woman realized what had happened to her, so she came, trembling with fear, knelt at his feet, and told him the whole truth. 34 Jesus said to her, "My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble." 35 While Jesus was saying this, some messengers came from Jairus' house and told him, "Your daughter has died. Why bother the Teacher any longer?" 36 Jesus paid no attention to what they said, but told him, "Don't be afraid, only believe." 37 Then he did not let anyone else go on with him except Peter and James and his brother John. 38 They arrived at Jairus' house, where Jesus saw the confusion and heard all the loud crying and wailing. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this confusion? Why are you crying? The child is not dead - she is only sleeping!" 40 They started making fun of him, so he put them all out, took the child's father and mother and his three disciples, and went into the room where the child was lying. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, ["Talitha, koum,"] which means, "Little girl, I tell you to get up!" 42 She got up at once and started walking around. (She was twelve years old.) When this happened, they were completely amazed.

22-Matthew 9:29 Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Let it happen, then, just as you believe!" -

30 and their sight was restored. Jesus spoke sternly to them, "Don't tell this to anyone!"

23-Matthew 9:33 But as soon as the demon was driven out, the man started talking, and everyone was amazed. "We have never seen anything like this in Israel!" they exclaimed.

24-Matthew 8:23 Jesus got into a boat, and his disciples went with him.

24 Suddenly a fierce storm hit the lake, and the boat was in danger of sinking. But Jesus was asleep.

25 The disciples went to him and woke him up. "Save us, Lord!" they said. "We are about to die!"

26 "Why are you so frightened?" Jesus answered. "What little faith you have!" Then he got up and ordered the winds and the waves to stop, and there was a great calm.

27 Everyone was amazed. "What kind of man is this?" they said. "Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

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