152 of 365 - To Know but not Know

And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” Mark 3:11
 
​Woven in a healing story told in Mark chapter 3 we get a glimpse into many of the wildly different reactions from those who came in contact with Jesus.

The religious leaders watch Jesus closely. They know ABOUT Jesus, but they don’t KNOW Jesus. They stalk Him this Sabbath day, fully believing He will heal the man with the withered hand. We sometimes doubt Jesus will meet our needs or the needs of others, but these religious leaders anticipate it. They are certain He could and would heal this man, but instead of that drawing them closer to Him, they try to use it as a trap. Their net to catch Him? “Working” on the Sabbath.  They accuse Him of doing forbidden labor (healing a man) on the Sabbath as they indignantly storm out of the synagogue plotting His destruction. Rather than seeing the Messiah they have been preparing for and waiting for, they see someone standing in the way of their esteemed positions of power.

Then we encounter the crowds. They follow in enormous masses. They are seeking the miracle; the healing. They too believe He can and will heal if they can just get close enough to touch Him. They follow Jesus for what He can do for them, not who He can be to them. This type of following won’t last long, as they move on to the next quick fix in their lives, never developing a relationship with the healer.

In the midst of the crowds seeking healing are unclean spirits. They know more than any others who Jesus is and what He came to do. They fall down before Him and cry out, “You are the Son of God.” They are the first to acknowledge who He is. But they have no desire to follow Him…they just want Him to leave them alone to their suffering and tormenting. They are content in their evil existence.
 
To be continued…
 
Question: Think about the first three examples of people groups and their reactions to Jesus. Where do you see these examples today?