THE ALL SUFFICIENT SERVANT

Suggested Teaching Objectives:

1.That Jesus is always near ready to help in time of trouble.

2.That our prayer life should be regular.

3.That we must guard against our forgetting of Jesus.

4.That the Word of God must not be altered and that we must obey it in order to please God.

5 That peoples' hearts have to be changed before they can be better and before they can please God.

6 That every person can be saved by faith, and that Jesus desires that they be.

Introduction: Use a story of someone who was insufficient or inadequate to accomplish a task properly. As we have previously learned, Mark depicts Jesus as a servant. He was God, serving man while on earth. When He died on the cross, He rendered the greatest service to man that was ever before performed. His death was Sufficient to pay the ransom price for every mans sins Mark.10:45 & I John 2: l-2. Before His death, He served the people of Palestine and in doing so he showed us that He was and is the all sufficient servant. Our lesson today shows His sufficiency to four different types of people.

vs. 45 - 46. There were seasons when Jesus wanted to turn his mind to prayer and that alone and thus He sent the people and the disciples away. We should have a set time to pray.

vs. 47 - 48. Their toiling is a picture of Christians and/or the Church toiling (laboring) in the midst of the storms of life. Laboring in their own strength and without Him. The wind is controlled by Satan. Ephesians 2:2. Fourth watch meant from 3 to 6 AM. The disciples thought He would pass by them but no, Jesus had just come to help and He's always ready to do that.

vs. 49 - 50. Mortal man is always fearful of supernatural things. God's message to us as christians is "Be of good cheer". In every storm, trial, tribulation of life we should be of good cheer, for our Sufficient Servant is near and wants to help us. Dark clouds always make the sunshine more enjoyable.

vs. 51 - 52. The Sufficient Servant met their needs, and they were amazed. They had forgotten already the miracle He had performed with the loaves. Since we are all individuals that are quick to forget, it is important that we be constantly reminded of Jesus. We can, if we will attend Sunday School and Church regularly and read our Bibles daily.

vs. 53-56. Gennesaret was the plain along the shore south of Capernaum The whole area now knew of Jesus and the people. immediately recognized Him and began bringing those that were sick to Him. The Saviour who had come as a servant was sufficient for the task of healing every Jewish person that touched Him. He is just as sufficient today for both Jew and Gentile. Romans l:16, Psalm 103:3.

These Pharisees and Scribes came from Jerusalem. They had heard of Jesus and as blind leaders of the blind, they intended to refute and confound his testimony.

vs. 1-5. Mark is writing to Gentiles uninformed about Jewish procedure and vocabulary. What could these religious leaders discover by which to ensnare the Lord? His disciples ate with unwashed hands, a trivial accusation. They could find no fault with Jesus Himself or His teaching so they made a hypocritical rebuke of his followers. Some today give excuses for not following Jesus because they find fault with some that do. Bear in mind that the Old Testament has ho restriction whatever concerning washing of hands before meals. The "Tradition of the Elders" had simply added this injunction.

vs. 6 - 7. Quoting Isaiah 29:13, Jesus sharply rebukes His antagonists. They needed to be rebuked for they were placing more importance upon the commandments of men than the commandments or teaching of God.

vs. 8-12. Here Jesus refers to a specific practice and teaching of the Jewish tradition, that of "Corban". If a person had parents that were in need, the Word of God had taught that children should honor them which included caring for their needs in old age.

Vs. 8-12. But the religious rulers taught that if such a person declared they were giving that money to religious purposes then they were free of the obligation of caring for their parents needs.

vs. 13. By this practice and other such like things they made "The Word of God of none effect". It's a dangerous and terrible thing to change the meaning or intent of the Word of God. John 12:48; Revelation 22:18. These religious rulers needed this stern instruction. Every person should be instructed in the way of righteousness and in thus doing, Jesus was being a sufficient servant to them.

vs. 14. The crux of the matter is simply stated: Material food cannot contaminate a man's soul; the human problem is spiritual.

vs. 17-23. Whether one's hands are ceremonially clean or not, the food he eats is transient and so far as his soul is concerned, irrelevant. The spiritual condition of the heart, with all its inherent wickedness is what determines the defiling. Note Jesus clear description of the desperate moral condition of the natural man. Everybody, Pharisees included, need cleansed hearts far more than washed hands. The Sufficient Servant revealed in this incident the real need of every soul: a changed heart. This Jesus came to do and does when a person trusts Him as Saviour. John 3:1-16; II Corinthians 5:17.

vs. 24. Tyre and Sidon were sea coast towns located northwest of Capernaum and on the Mediterranean Sea. This was outside the Jewish region and was inhabited by Gentiles.

vs. 25 - 26. The woman's daughter was demon. possessed and she came to the one she knew could heal her and meet her need. She had no doubt heard of the great things Jesus had already done and she came to Him by faith trusting that He would help her.

vs. 27. The children refer to the Jews (Matthew 8:11,12). Jesus said, "It is not proper to take that which is for the jews and give it to the Gentiles". Remember, He came to the Jews first and offered them the kingdom. When they refused, He turned to individuals of all nations and races. Romans 1:16; Matthew 5:3; 10:5-7; 11:20,28-30. The woman realized that as a Gentile she was not considered a part of the Jews and therefore a stranger from the covenant of promise (Ephesians 2: l2). She was not taken aback when called a dog.

vs. 28 - 29. Though knowing of her unworthiness, she still clung to the hope by faith that He would help her and she said," Why there's enough for me from what the Jews have wasted". Jesus ever ready to reward faith rewarded hers by healing the woman's daughter by remote control. Hebrews 11:6.

vs. 30. Jesus was sufficient for even the heathens need and He is today. I John 2:1,2; Hebrews 7:25.

Conclusion: Jesus is truly a sufficient servant and even today, seated in the heavens, He desires to serve us in times of distress, times of sickness, when we need instruction (II Timothy 2:15; John 7:17) and will save any soul that will come unto Him (John 6:37).