| “Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’” |
| —Mark 3:11 |
“Timing is everything!” Have you heard that phrase? I’m quite certain you have. I also imagine that you’ve experienced a number of times in your life when timing played an important role. Please allow me to share an example.
I have a vivid memory of an incident in third grade. I particularly liked one very special little girl in my class. Because we were seated alphabetically, we were often paired to work together. At such times, she seemed to really like me and often laughed at the funny things I would say to her, as we worked on our assignments.
However, when she would play with a group of other little girls at recess, she would ignore me. No matter what I said, she would act like I didn’t even exist.
One day, when she had a group of other girls around her, out of frustration and impatience with not knowing how she really felt about me, I asked her rather loudly, “Do you like me?”
“No!” she replied. “You’re a fat creep!”
I was devastated. Sure enough, as soon as recess ended, the teacher asked us to form our study groups. I was mortified. How could I possibly work with this girl who had just so strongly rejected me.
When we turned our desks around to begin working, she whispered, “You shouldn’t have asked me that question with the other girls around. It wasn’t the right time.”
“Timing is everything.” That phrase helps explain a somewhat mystifying account recorded in Mark 3:7-12:
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.
Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.
Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”
But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.
Why didn’t Jesus want to acknowledge that He was, indeed, the Son of God? Because His time had not yet come. And, timing is everything.
Well, fortunately we no longer need to conceal the wonderful reality that Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Rose of Sharon, the Lilly of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, the Fairest of Ten Thousand, our Savior, Lord, and King. We can shout from the rooftops that Jesus is Lord of All. This is the Good News that fills the hearts of men, women, boys, and girls with God-breathed love and with great joy. Hallelujah!
Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, January 12, 20157
