He Does Not Refuse Us

 Mark 3: 7-12

Crowds Follow Jesus

⁷ Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. ⁸ When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. ⁹ Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. ¹⁰ For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. ¹¹ Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” ¹² But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.

No matter how large the crowds, Jesus  does not refuse to heal and teach them.  What compassion, what indefatigable energy, what love!  Why do we hesitate to "press upon him", as another translation reads?  He will not refuse us. Yes, they saw and believed; we do not see, so maybe believing comes harder to us, but it is still possible.  May we keep this passage before us today and think of it frequently, especially before beginning each of the many tasks that await us. It bears repeating:  he does not refuse us.

Bro. Rene