October 20, 2024, Sapporo Baptist Church Sunday Service
“Opening Your Heart to Christ” Mark 5:18-20, John 9:1-3 Pastor Shunichi Sasaki
The Bible shows many people whose lives were changed after meeting Jesus Christ. This is true even in our current times. Meeting Jesus Christ can change a person’s life. Encounters can have a significant impact on our lives, sometimes even determining the course of our lives. There is no greater encounter than meeting Jesus.
In Mark 5, there is a story of a man possessed by evil spirits. He is one of those whose life was changed after meeting Jesus Christ. This happened when Jesus and his disciples went to the region of the Gerasenes, located southeast of the Sea of Galilee, on the east side of the Jordan River, in what is now Jordan, an area called Decapolis. Since pigs were being raised there, it was not a region inhabited by Jews but by Gentiles. The man possessed by the evil spirits was likely a Gentile.
We do not know how this man came to be possessed by evil spirits and live in a graveyard. However, we can assume that he wanted to change his situation but could not do so on his own. Jesus came and saved him from that state. The man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus did not allow it. Jesus said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” The man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.
Thinking about it, how did the author of the Gospel know about the man’s actions after he left Jesus? It is said that Mark wrote this Gospel based on Peter’s memories, as they had a teacher-disciple relationship. If so, how did Peter know about the man’s actions? We can only imagine. Perhaps he met the man directly or heard from others. During Jesus’ time, only Jews were recognized as disciples. However, in the era of Paul and Peter’s ministry, we see Gentile workers like Luke. It is possible that this man also worked as one of disciples. But we do not know for sure.
What is certain is that this man, freed from the evil spirits, opened his heart to Jesus. To open one’s heart means to trust and welcome someone with a friendly feeling. This man joyfully welcomed Jesus as his Lord, and his life was changed. If we open our hearts to Jesus and welcome Him into our hearts, our lives will be changed.
In John 9, we also see a story of a man whose life was changed after meeting Jesus. He was blind. In those days, unlike now, being blind meant having no choice but to beg to survive. Jesus and his disciples came to him. The disciples asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
The disciples’ question was insensitive and lacking in compassion. But there was a reason for their question. At that time, it was commonly believed that illness was a result of sin. People thought that such misfortunes happened as a punishment for one’s own, their parents’, or ancestors’ sins. While it cannot be said that illness and sin are entirely unrelated, this belief was too extreme. Such prejudices about illness caused suffering.
However, Jesus had a different perspective. Jesus’ view was filled with truth, love, and hope. Jesus answered the disciples’ question, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” For the blind man, Jesus’ words were something he had never heard before, a completely new perspective.It was a word that affirmed him and gave him hope and comfort. He opened his heart to Jesus and did as Jesus said. Then, his eyes, which had been blind, were opened.
After this, something very difficult happened to him. Because he accepted Jesus, he was expelled from the Jewish community. But he was no longer the same person. Within him, he had been given the courage to face any difficulty for the sake of truth. If you open your heart to Jesus and welcome Him, your life will change. God’s power and works will be abundantly revealed in your weaknesses.
When I was a student, I met an American missionary. That encounter led me to start going to church. I read the Bible. There were many things I didn’t understand. Even so, I decided to open my heart to Jesus and believe. Looking back now, I think it was the best choice I ever made. When I believed in Jesus, I became more cheerful. I worried less. I stopped being troubled. I became more optimistic. My anxieties and fears diminished. Life became easier. If you open your heart to Jesus and welcome Him, your life will change.
However, believing in Jesus does not mean that no problems will arise in life. You will go through various problems and difficulties. But even if such things happen, God gave me the strength and capacity to overcome them. And as a greater blessing, I was given the hope of resurrection from the dead and the promise of living forever as a child of God in His kingdom. I accept this by faith, believing that it will surely happen in the future. It is all thanks to Jesus.
I believe there are many things we can be grateful for because we believe in Jesus. Let’s remember them. We should share with those who know Jesus’ name but don’t know who He truly is that believing in Jesus brings change. There might be people around us who need to hear this. They might not show much interest when we talk about it, or they might even react negatively. But there might also be someone who has been waiting to hear about Jesus.
As Christians, we should always strive to keep our hearts open to Jesus. To open our hearts to Jesus means to trust and welcome Him. If we open our hearts to Christ, God’s works will be abundantly revealed in our lives and in us. Let’s remember this. Now, let us pray.