Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: Imagine having the complete undivided attention of Jesus. Not a distracted glance, not a hurried word, but eyes that look deep into your soul and a heart moved with genuine compassion for exactly what you're facing. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll continues his study in Mark 1 where one doorway gets shadowed by a whole city, the sick, the suffering, the broken. And Jesus meets them one by one, never rushing, never overlooking a single soul. What does it mean to be truly seen by the Savior? Chuck titled today's message a page from Jesus's journey.

Chuck Swindoll: Our reading today in the Scriptures is in the first chapter of the Gospel by Mark. If you will locate that, please. We'll begin reading at verse 29 of Mark chapter 1. Mark 1:29 And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. And he came to her and raised her up. Taking her by the hand and the fever left her and she waited on them. When evening came after the sun had set, they began bringing to him all who were ill and those who were demonized.

And the whole city had gathered at the door and he healed many who were ill with various diseases and cast out many demons. And he was not permitting the demons to speak because they knew who he was. In the early morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went away to a secluded place and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for him. They found him and said everyone is looking for you. He said to them let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby so that I may preach there also, for that is what I came for.

And he went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee preaching and casting out the demons.

Bill Meyer: You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into the Gospel according to Mark, be sure to purchase a copy of our Searching the Scriptures Bible Study workbooks by going to insight.org/offer. Chuck titled today's message a page from Jesus's journal.

Chuck Swindoll: There's something fascinating, even captivating, about reading the words of another person's journal. This is especially true if they've already gone on before us. And one of the things left in their legacy or their own words and always in their own handwriting, you can enter into their world as you read those words and sometimes you can feel like you're a part of the threads woven into the fabric of their lives as they live them out in yesteryear. I'm having that experience right now as I am working my way through the 769-page book written by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize winning author.

Her book is titled No Ordinary Time. What's fascinating is that it is the account of life behind the scenes in the White House mainly during the Second World War years. I I I was only a lad then and so my world was all together different from the world of of course the president and the First Lady and and the cabinet and those who surrounded that that difficult time in our nation's history. It's fascinating and even captivating to read accounts where the president is in the midst of a serious decision he must make not wanting us to go into war, but feeling the compulsion pushed upon him from the European theater as Hitler was making his move across Europe.

As one country after another has fallen. And when I read of that and and feel the emotion of his being caught on the horns of a dilemma, I I remember how idyllic and innocent and simple my childhood was. Living out my life running barefoot in the streets of Houston, playing sandlot football at the end of our of our street in our residential area. I had no idea of the decisions being made and the actions being taken there in Washington and in places around there. Knew nothing of the struggle between Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the book tells of the struggle and doesn't hide that from the reader.

I and then all of a sudden out of the blue on that on that dreadful day of infamy, the 7th of December 1941 which came and left with hardly a notice on my part as a little boy. But it changed everything for our nation. Cuz now we are no longer able to hold back and sit back. We're now sandwiched between two world powers whose hope is ultimately to dominate even our country as well as others. The imperial Japanese forces on one side and the Nazi forces on the other and the submarines in the Atlantic and the Pacific and now are as they put it back then our boys go to war.

And I thought as I sat early in the morning reading this how great of my parents to to carry the burden of a nation and not to concern their children with it. While we prayed for our boys and while we cared for those, I had no idea of the emotional drain that was going on among our leaders and among our commanding officers and those brave men and women who wore the uniform. When I began to work my way through the Gospel by Mark, I I feel as though I am reading over the shoulder of the Savior.

And it's magnificent when I tear a page from his journal and and and see what occurred in almost a a a non-stop moment-by-moment fashion. I I find myself woven into the fabric of that life as well. But not by experience, only through spiritual lessons that can be applied from the sacred text. Last time we were together the the the page in the journal took us to the the synagogue in Capernaum and you'll remember that. We we all watched as Jesus held his congregation and rapt attention teaching as no one had ever taught before. And they contrasted his teaching with the teaching of the tedious and dull words of the scribes.

No one ever taught like Jesus taught and in the midst of the teaching there is this man who is victimized with the presence of multiple demons inside him. And the demons speak through his vocal cords and Jesus addresses the demon and rebukes the demon and casts the demons out. The people are just well we read in verse 27 they're amazed so that they debated among themselves saying what is this? What is this a new teaching with authority and in the command of those who are demonic and supernatural. He even has authority over them. Our sermon ended but the the journal continues on and takes us now into one scene after another.

I began to count just a little simple connective particle and and and I stopped about number 14 or 15. And he did this and from there they went there and immediately this occurred and that evening then and early the next morning and that day Peter came. It's just one scene after it's a it it's a page from his journal. And if we're not careful it'll sort of run its way by in a in in in a blur and we'll we'll miss the significance. I don't want us to do that. So today let's take a little different approach.

I provided you with an outline I'd like you to follow. It's in your worship folder and the outline gives us lines from the journal if you will. In Capernaum he entered the synagogue. We were there last time verses 21 to 28. And immediately after coming out of the synagogue 29 to 31 so we go from the synagogue into a home happens to be Peter's home. We'll get there in a moment. And when evening came after the sun had set, we see what happens in 32 through 34. In the early morning while it was still dark 35 through 38 we see Jesus as he seeks solitude and is alone with the Father.

And finally verse 39 he went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee. It's one scene after another after another. You're sort of moved along almost while watching a movie as the scenes unfold, Mark giving us just the snapshots along the way of the significant events that happened during the hours of that day. Look for example as we move beyond where we were last time and let's see where he immediately after they came out of the synagogue. So what do we have? You'll recall it's the Sabbath. It's the Saturday, the sacred day among the Jews. On the Sabbath you can carry no burdens.

You can do no work. All food is prepared the previous day and eaten on the Sabbath. No cooking occurs during the Sabbath. So all of this happens on the Sabbath day in the synagogue and Jesus leaving there goes to Peter's home. You read it here. We read they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew and with James and John. I would imagine, if you will allow me a little imagination here, they were probably hungry just as you are after church. And you leave church and you go out, go your way.

Most of us get in our cars and we drive either to a place to eat or we go home and and before long one of us I'm always one to say I'm starving. Cynthia's learned it can be a little dangerous if I keep she keeps me in that condition very long. So usually our meal is pretty well prepared or if we go to some place. I'm not too patient. I'm starving, so maybe they're starving. They maybe had fried chicken. I don't know what they had. We're not told what they ate. We're just told that they came into the house, but there's no meal.

There's no one serving anybody anything to eat. And we've got five hungry men, Jesus and Simon and Andrew and James and John and who knows maybe friends came along with them. But now they encounter someone who is sick. Verse 30. Simon's mother-in-law. What does that tell us? Quite likely as to this very day families lived together. And when the sons or daughters married they simply would add on or up to the house so the house would become larger. The mother-in-law, the father, the daughter, the daughter, all of those people are all living in this place and the mother-in-law who probably helps serve on a regular occasion, knowing there'd be a group coming is not there to serve.

She's laid aside. She's sick. When you read Luke 4 which is in keeping with Mark chapter 1, you'll read Dr. Luke's words. It's always interesting when you read of sickness, fevers and other things, you get a medical doctor's point of view. And here in Luke 4 if you were to take the time you would see that she has a high fever. The term that Luke uses for fever this high fever is the original root word for fire. We would say she's burning up with a fever. So it isn't just a mild case of a sore throat or a mild flu.

This woman's sick. She's very sick. She's burning up with a fever and in first century days people died of a high fever. And she's very sick and Luke tells us more than Mark. Luke says standing over her he rebuked the fever. It's an interesting thing. It's a disease but he treats it as though it is a living organism. For Jesus it is. He is Lord over the dying, the disabled as well as the disabled. He is just as able to to rebuke the wind and the waves and they all still they all die down and the and and the sea becomes a slick surface with no ripples because he rebuked the wind and the wind.

They they follow his command. Here he rebukes the germs within the woman. He rebukes the fever and immediately we read the fever left her and she waited on them. I don't want you to miss something when the when the miracle is authentic there's no waiting period. May I say there's no exchange of money. This is no healing line done by a showman. This is in a private home. Unexpected spontaneously a miracle is performed. I met a man just before our first morning worship service began whose who's been married a number of years and the last half dozen or so his wife has had Alzheimer's and he's he's a caregiver.

My heart went out to him immediately as it does to anyone who serves alongside a loved one who's laid aside like that and the the curtain is slowly being drawn and as he put it she's no longer home, no longer there. And I thought as tears came to his eyes and I threw my arms around him and thanked him for visiting with us today. I thought wouldn't it be great just to say Jesus come here. Would you go home with this man? Would you just rebuke the Alzheimer's disease and bring her back? Oh he would have.

Not because I asked him, but because he is filled with compassion. He rebukes the fever and she waited on him. Another sign of a miracle is that there is an immediate full recovery. There's no waiting period. Alleged faith healers today promise the person in line that later you'll be healed. Nonsense. When there is a healing, the healing is now. And it is total, thorough, immediate. She's up and she has no sense of fever and she's waiting on them. But let's learn the lesson. I've left you a little space here for a lesson following each one of these.

The lesson following verses 29 through 31 is this. Out of compassion he brought healing. If you don't mind I'd like you to write it down. You'll need it later if not today, you'll need it before too long in your life. Out of compassion he brought healing. He helped instinctively because he is supremely and sincerely compassionate. I love that about the Savior. He didn't interest to increase his prestige. He didn't show interest there. He he ministered to her because he cared. Paul Tournier physician wrote my patients very often say to me I admire you for the patients with which you listen to everything I tell you.

Tournier responds it's not patients at all but interest. If you have a competent physician and you go with an illness or disability or a disease and you talk to your physician about it, your physician is is either standing or sitting on the edge of her seat or his seat listening. Not so you'll be impressed but because he cares. There cannot be a proper diagnosis if there isn't a proper analysis. And that takes listening, caring. People in need take time. I'll say more about this in a moment. But let's make sure as we mature in our growth in Christ that our compassion deepens.

Let's make sure it's sincere not just posing as if we care. And by the way those who are ill always know the difference. They can tell. When evening came verse 32 the journal continues. When evening came after the sun had set, now why would Mark add that? Before we even get into what happened, why would he do that? Why would he add that detail? Because the Sabbath is over. Remember we said earlier on the Sabbath you can't carry burdens. But now that the Sabbath is passed, not only can meals be cooked, not only can work be done but you can take in your arms the one you love who can't walk anymore and you can bring that person to the door of where Jesus is ministering.

That's exactly what happens. When evening came after the sun had set, they began bringing to him all who were ill, those who were demon possessed. The word is really demonized. The person may be demon oppressed, the person may have a demon or demons within him. The Greek term is demonized, is the word and it is the idea of being demonized in whatever level of demonism. And in this case there are people fighting with unclean spirits. And they have heard in the synagogue he took care of the man who was living with an unclean spirit and maybe the loved one says come with us.

Come with us. We know someone who can relieve you, who can bring healing to your soul, who can release you from the grip. And what a chaotic scene it must have been. Look at verse 33. The whole city had gathered at the door. The whole village of Capernaum he had once been in a synagogue. And now he is in the home of Peter and Peter's family and the others are there and and and they began to hear the noise outside through the afternoon and then by evening there's a cacophony of sound. It is all over and they push the door open and there is far as the eye can see there are people in need all around the area.

And he healed many who were ill with various disease and cast out many demons and was not permitting the demons to speak because they knew who he was. He didn't need demons to be his evangelists. He muzzled them just like before. They knew who he was. They knew their days were numbered. They know doom is ahead of them. That's why Satan is on the march hoping to bring with them as many people as possible to a lake of fire prepared for the devil and his demons. But Jesus says to them you be silent. Don't speak and they did not speak.

With deliberateness and with determination he pressed through the crowd and helped this person and that one and this one and that one. And her loved one and her her mother and this man's father and this one's son, this one's daughter. It must have been magnificent. He didn't come for the purpose merely to heal and to impress people. He came to preach the good news of the truth. But this corroborated that he was not simply another spokesman. He was from God. And he was able to heal at will under the power of the spirit who filled him.

Lesson learned here, don't miss it, write it down. With faithfulness he met the needs of the broken. With faithfulness he met the needs of the broken. Earlier it was compassion. Now he faithfully is working through the crowd looking one after another in the eye. It must have been a an eye contact like no one had ever seen before as he looked deeply into their lives. Sometime you meet individuals that when they look you in the eye you feel as if they're looking into your soul. Jesus is like that. Penetrating sight and he touched this person.

He spoke to that one. He rebuked this demon. He did this ministry and they have never seen anything like it. Where do we find him within a matter of hours? Well first of all he's got to get some sleep. So between verses 34 and 35 he finds a place in the home where he can lie down. He's resting. But I love the beginning of 35 in the early morning while it was still dark. Jesus got up left the house and went away to a secluded place and was praying there. Isn't that magnificent? Remember he is the theanthropic person.

He is the God-man, undiminished deity at the same time true humanity. Deity never gets tired, but humanity can be exhausted. Deity never needs sleep. Humanity needs rest. And in his humanity he is exhausted from the day before. However he has the wisdom, he has the discipline to rise early in the morning. And he gets along with the father and there he prays.

Bill Meyer: What a picture of the Savior exhausted from a day of pouring himself out. From his deep compassion he brought healing. With faithfulness he met the needs of the broken. And in solitude he found the strength to keep going. You're listening to Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll. Maybe today you needed that reminder that the one who cared for the crowds cares just as deeply for you. Stay with us because there's more to this snapshot of Jesus that Chuck wants to show us. Well it's October 20th and we're beginning to turn our attention to the fall season including Thanksgiving and Christmas.

To help you make the most of the holidays this year, we have a creative resource designed just for your family, hoping the next few weeks will become rich with spiritual meaning. I'm referring to a devotional that's published exclusively by Insight for Living. Everlasting Light is a 25-day Advent devotional that invites you to step out of your busy schedule and into a prayerful rhythm of waiting, reflection and preparation. This includes Scripture to anchor your heart, a quote from Chuck Swindoll to shape your thinking, and pastoral reflections from our own Carlos Sassoeta to carry into your day.

This hard cover devotional is ready today, so you'll receive it in plenty of time for Advent. Ask for the book called Everlasting Light when you include a contribution to support the ministry of Insight for Living. Call us at 800 772 8888. I'm sure your heart is heavy as mine is about the tension prevailing here at home and around the world. Do we need any more convincing that our troubled world needs the love and compassion of Jesus? This only amplifies the need to shine the everlasting light of God's love through Insight for Living. You can partner with us right now by going to insight.org/donate or call 800 772 8888.

And when you give, remember to request the 25-day Advent devotional called Everlasting Light. I'm Bill Meyer. Be sure to join us again when Chuck Swindoll reveals what he calls a page from the personal journal of Jesus tomorrow on Insight for Living. The preceding message a page from Jesus's journal was copyrighted in 2010 and 2026 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2026 by Charles R. Swindoll Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.