How to reach them

I was reading in Mark 9:14-15 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.

As I read this familiar passage, where Jesus heals the boy that the disciples failed to heal, these verses caught my attention. Jesus comes on the scene to find his disciples arguing with the scribes. It is my understanding that the scribes were experts at the Law. So here are Jesus' students, disciples, followers whatever you want to call them - going head to head with the experts in the Law. It had to be heated with "A great multitude" surrounding them.

I am sure much of the argument was because of interpretation. I mean think about how much time has passed since the beginning of the law to now, and how much interpretation there is now - we have experts on everything. One person says sprinkle for baptism, the other says full submission, and there are many others in between. It appears they were arguing because the disciples lacked the miracle working that the crowd wanted that day - whatever it was they were in a heated debate over the technical part of it.

Then in walks Jesus. Didn't say anything, but we read the people caught glimpse of him and immediately were amazed and ran to him. He hadn't done anything, just arrived on the scene and people were amazed. They left the heated debate to run to him.

I thought about how this applies to our lives now. So many times we try to debate with people what the word of God says, what it means, and how it should be applied. I have seen things turn down right ugly as "Christians" try to prove they are right.

But really Jesus is the Word (John 1:14 - the Word became flesh). Just as Jesus came on the scene and people were amazed and ran to him, we should do the same. We need to present the Word, and let the Word stand. The Holy Spirit can bring the revelation to the person, and they will leave the argument and run to God. We don't need to argue it. "Here is what the word of God says......" Then we just need to live as Christ did. The rest of it is God's work.

You notice Jesus didn't join the debate. He simply arrived on the scene. The people were amazed before he did anything. But he still did what was right for him to do - healed the boy.

How many more people would be reach if we just gave them the Word and lived as the Word tells us and showed us to do.