Those in darkness and defeat;

God has clothed me with His Spirit —

Saving work is now complete.

I bring good news to the suff’ring,

To the prisoner and the poor;

Days of poverty are over;

Captives you shall be no more.

Prison doors have swung wide open;

Blinded eyes will see again.

Healing for the lame and broken—

There’s an end to all their pain.

God has sent me to the grieving:

Now ‘tis time to dance and sing.

Jubilee has burst upon them;

Enemies are scattering.

Take this message to my people,

Those who mourn in Israel,

Beauty He will give for ashes,

Sorrow turned to joy as well.

Heaviness has gone forever;

Praise will well up in its place,

For my people have been pardoned;

Gone their shame and their disgrace.

Planted once more in His garden,

Rooted in His love secure,

They will show the world His splendour

For His promises are sure.

They will rebuild ancient ruins —

Cities long ago destroyed

Once again will ring with laughter;

Joy shall fill the empty void.

Foreigners will be your servants,

Feeding flock and ploughing field;

They’ll no longer be your masters;

Now to you they’ll have to yield.

Priests of God will be your title,

Ministers who worship Him.

You’ll receive the nations’ treasures,

Wealth and riches giv’n by them.

Shame, dishonour now forgotten,

No more grinding poverty,

God will give the double portion —

Every year is Jubilee!

I, the Lord, delight in justice;

Robbery and wrong I hate;

Suffering will be rewarded,

Joy and peace to those who wait.

Once again I’ll call my people

To a lasting covenant;

Their descendants will be honoured;

They will always be content.

Let me share my gladness with you,

God has given happiness;

He has clothed me with salvation,

Robed me with His righteousness.

Like a bridegroom dressed and ready

In his splendid wedding suit, Like a bride with gems resplendent,

I am clothed from head to foot.

God will show His awesome justice

To the nations of the earth.

Praise will rise and swell around Him —

Every man will sing His worth.

Like a garden in the springtime,

Young plants growing everywhere,

So God’s righteousness will blossom,

Wrapping all in loving care.

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa.

(88)

Jesus returned to his friends who were waiting for him in the village square. “Master, have you eaten anything?” asked Simon, offering him some fresh bread and dried fish. Munching on the crusty bread, they made their way down the main street toward the market place.

The villagers were setting up their stalls in preparation for the day’s business. There were tables of fruit and vegetables, baskets of dried fish and fresh bread, round yellow cheeses and skins of goat’s milk for sale. Early shoppers were milling around, examining and smelling the delicious produce and haggling over the prices.

“Sam,” called a rosy-cheeked old lady to her husband, “come and check out these apples for me.” Sam came waddling up to the table and picked up a shiny red apple. “Mmm, Joanna, these smell delicious,” he cooed to his wife. “Thank you, Sarah, we’ll take six,” he said to the stall owner. Sarah picked out six rosy apples which she packed into Joanna’s basket and took the money with a smile.

At one end of the market place stood the hated tax booth where the tax collectors collected taxes from the shoppers as they passed by. Everyone had to pay taxes to the Roman government. The tax collectors were Jews working for the Roman government. They had a bad name for being dishonest. They charged more tax than the Roman law required and pocketed the extra money.

Matthew rubbed his hands together. “I’ve already made a lot of money this morning,” he said with a smirk. He put his hand into his pouch and jingled the coins. “I don’t care if the people hate me,” he thought. “At least I have plenty of money to live on.” He noticed a small group of men walking towards him, led by a man dressed in a seamless robe. The man walked up to him and looked into his eyes. Matthew saw such kindness and love in those deep brown eyes that his heart melted. He felt dirty inside.

“Who is this man?” he wondered. “Why does he make me feel so unclean?” He felt the stolen money burning in his money bag. A few moments ago he didn’t care that he had stolen from his own people. Now he cared. “What’s happening to me?” he puzzled. Turning away from the stranger’s gaze, he looked at the floor. “I wish this man would go away,” he thought in desperation.

Jesus watched Matthew for a moment. Then he said to him, “Matthew, follow me.” It was a kindly invitation, and Matthew gasped. “Does he really want me?” he thought. “Doesn’t he know what kind of man I am? Doesn’t he know what I have done?”

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa.

(65)

If you want to, there’s always a way around God’s commands so that you will not be inconvenienced or that you will be able to do what you want. In this instance Jesus was saying that the Pharisees made disobedience look “holy” by giving to God what should have been used to take care of needy parents. I say “you” on purpose because it is easy to dump guilt on other people and not look at ourselves and ask whether we are doing the same thing!

In what ways do we weasel out of doing God’s commands by redefining truth to suit ourselves? There is something very subtle about “religious” thinking that we have to be careful about. Jesus makes it clear here that it is more important to take care of parents than to “give to God”. God sets as much store on looking after other people’s needs as He does on honouring and worshipping Him. To do the one and neglect the other is equally unacceptable to Him.

According to John in his first letter, the two are so closely intertwined that we cannot do the one without the other. We express our love and obedience to God by doing practical acts of caring like clothing and feeding the poor. From Jesus’ perspective whatever we do for the least of people, we are doing for Him. Mother Teresa called the poorest of the poor, “Jesus in a disturbing disguise.”

How would we respond to people differently if we were aware that they were representatives of Jesus in disturbing disguise? How clearly do we see His face behind the person who draws out contempt in us?

It is important to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence in our everyday lives and in our changing circumstances so that we are not thrown off balance when unexpected things happen to us. We also need to focus on seeing His face in the faces of the people around us, especially in those with whom we can find no connection. This means that we deny ourselves and do something to help the other person even if we don’t feel any responsibility towards him or her.

Jesus explained how He would judge the nations when He comes in His glory; not by looking at our ‘religious’ activities but by the way we took care of, or did not take care of, needy people. They matter to Him. They must matter to us.

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa. (67)

Suspended like a scarecrow on a broomstick!

Of what value to the watching mob?

An object of contempt,

To be mocked, laughed at,

Scorned, spat upon, and jeered.

“He save others. Why does He not save Himself?”

“I’m thirsty!”

“Give Him sour wine.

That will lift His spirit!”

A shattered body hangs beside Him,

Bloodied too by cruel whip and tearing nails;

Swollen lips, cracked and caked with blood and spittle,

Whisper obscenities between rasping breaths;

“You so-called Messiah!

Show us this power of yours.

Wave your magic wand and make these butchers disappear!”

“Silence!” croaks another voice,

Then he whispers, “Master, remember me.”

Jesus turns His head,

For a moment catches his eye,

Glazed, sightless, near to death,

Only a blurred vision of Mercy wrapped in broken flesh.

“Son!” He hears the whisper

Meant for his ears alone, “Today…with me…in Paradise.”

One sinks into oblivion,

Remembered only for his wicked deeds,

His blood staining the ground at his feet,

Payment for his own debt,

Sealing his doom.

Another breathes his last,

Vainly fighting for a final breath on broken legs

To plead for mercy;

His blood too stains the ground,

But it is innocent blood,

Cleansed by blood spilt from the veins of a perfect substitute –

Forgiven!

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa. (83)

The news travelled fast. It wasn’t long before the crowds began to gather from all over. Some came from the nearby villages and others from all over Galilee. They carried sick children in their arms, paralysed people on blankets, leading the deaf and dumb, and the demon possessed. An elderly woman steered her blind husband around rocks and stones along the path. They were all in a hurry to meet this man who could heal.

People were pushing and shoving to get near Jesus. “Make way,” yelled a short, fat man as he huffed and puffed to get his ailing wife to him. “Hey, stop pushing,” shouted a young man who was trying to shield his wife and crying baby. “What about me?” wailed a ragged beggar whose body was covered with sores. “Ugh!” grunted a middle aged man dressed in fine clothes. “Get away from me, you filthy man.” He moved away in disgust as the beggar elbowed his way past him through the crowd.

The disciples tried to control the milling crowd but they gave up and retreated to the edge as Jesus held up his hand for attention. “Please be patient,” he called, and the people calmed down. Moving quietly among them, he laid his hands on them, one by one.

The baby stopped crying and was soon fast asleep in his mother’s arms. The fat man’s wife danced around in delight when her stiff knees began to bend. The blind man stood blinking in the bright sunlight. He gazed around in wonder at the things he hadn’t seen in years. A paralysed man jumped up off his sleeping mat with tears running down his face. Wild with joy, he ran up and down and waved his arms in the air. “I’m healed, I’m healed,” he yelled. “Look at me, I’m healed,” he kept shouting, much to everyone’s amusement.

Finally the last sick person had been attended to and the people had slowly left just as the sun sank behind the hills. Jesus was exhausted and hungry. He had eaten nothing all day. Opening the lunch pack his wife had sent, Simon urged him, “Come Jesus, have some bread and cheese. You must be starving.” The others sat on the grass munching contentedly as Jesus broke a piece from a small round loaf and bit hungrily into it. It tasted good!

When they were satisfied, Jesus stood up and gestured towards the town. “You men can go home tonight. I’ll see you in the morning.” Then he turned and walked towards the hills surrounding the lake. The disciples watched him disappearing into the distance. They stood up and headed back towards the village of Capernaum…

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa. (59)

His sightless eyes had never seen

The light of day, for he had been,

In darkness, this his daily load.

His beggar’s voice engaged their ear,

For Jesus and His faithful men

Had heard his urgent call and then,

With kindness and with love, drew near.

“Why is he thus?” they questioned Him;

“Why must this poor man suffer so?”

“Please tell us, we would like to know;

If it was his or parent’s sin?”

The Master answered, “Question’s wrong;

Don’t look for reasons for his plight,

“Tis time for God to give him sight

‘Cause praises all to Him belong.”

When troubles come, and suffering,

We look inside to find the cause;

We want to blame, but we must pause,

For God is done with punishing.

A better plan He has in this,

A golden opportunity,

To show His love for you and me;

How beautiful, how glorious!

God puts His glory on display

When Satan tries to do us in,

By causing pain and suffering,

That is God plan and that’s His way.

So ask no longer, “God, why me?”

Let’s rather ask, “What can He do

To show His love and grace to you?”

His splendour show for all to see. 

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa. (92)

“But he answered them, ‘give them something to eat.’ Mark 6:35-37 (NIV).

The disciples were irritated with Jesus. After a busy time, He had planned to spend the day with them out in the country. A crowd arrived and, instead of sending them away, He taught and ministered to them the whole day. By the time evening came, the disciples had had enough. They asked Jesus to send the people away to get food. Jesus refused. Instead, He said to them, “You feed them.” What were they supposed to do? It was late, there were no villages nearby and they did not have enough money to feed such a huge crowd. Jesus had a plan.

We learn some important things about Jesus from this story.

He did not mind interruptions. He did not think about Himself. The people did not irritate Him. He saw their need and did what He could to help them. Not even His weariness or His plan to spent time with His disciples stopped Him from treating them with compassion.

He refused to send the people away hungry. If he did that, He would be telling them that God was not interested in their physical need. He did not want them to find some other source for their need. He had come to reveal God as their Father. Sending them away, as they disciples wanted Him to do, would have given them the wrong message. “Go and find help somewhere else. God does not care about you.”

He had absolute confidence in the character of His Father. He did not have to ask God what to do. He knew that His Father would back up His plan. He took what He had, five barley loaves and two fish, thanked God for them and broke them into pieces to feed the people. As the disciples handed out the bread and fish, everyone had enough to eat and there was enough left over to fill twelve baskets. The boy who gave his lunch went home with much more that when he left.

Jesus had so much confidence in His Father’s love for the people and His power to meet the people’s needs that He didn’t have to ask God to anything. He knew that His Father would do a miracle to provide enough food for everyone.

Jesus says to us, as He said to His disciples, “Follow me.” When we watch Him, we learn to live like He did, with so much confidence in the Father that we don’t have to panic when we are in need. Jesus did not do magic but He trusted His Father to do a miracle. When we give away what we have, He multiples it and gives it back to satisfy our needs.

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa.

(60)

These words of Jesus cut right across the practices of man-made religion. Why did God give the Jews dietary laws in the first place? The nation of Israel was formed and brought up of Egypt – a pagan nation which did not have an understanding of ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ foods, i.e., foods which were good for the body, or health risks because they were unhealthy or not prepared properly.

God built His health laws into His religious system to ensure that the people would obey them for their own sake. But, as in all religious systems, they began to interpret the forbidding of eating certain foods as religious taboos, and they built an entire religious system on these taboos. This became part of the heavy religious yoke they were wearing that weighed them down.

Jesus exposed their foolish thinking and lifted the yoke in one sentence. “It’s not what goes in that pollutes but what comes out of the “belly” – the inner being.” How does this work? What one eats has no effect upon one’s spirit unless it is the expression of the “yetzer harah” (the greedy person who does not care about other people) as in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The evil and corruption of sin is already in the heart, and the mouth becomes the instrument which reveals what is already inside.

Surely this makes a whole lot more sense than believing that what a person puts in his mouth defiles him. It is only the foolishness of men’s hearts and the blindness caused by sin that distorts the understanding, producing a senseless belief that something as ordinary as food can somehow pollute a person’s soul.

By declaring all food clean, Jesus pulled the rug from under the Pharisees’ feet. Much of their ammunition against Him and His disciples was based on their food taboos and their scrupulous washing of hands and cooking utensils. Jesus made it clear that human need was more important than food and Sabbath rules, and the Pharisees hated Him for exposing their hypocrisy.

There are many religions today that do things to the body which they think will make their souls clean, like washing, and eating or not eating certain foods. Nothing can wash our hearts clean but the forgiveness Jesus bought by His own blood. God demanded our lives as the payment for our debt of sin. Because we are already polluted, giving our lives will only pay for our sin.

Because Jesus lived a pure and unpolluted life of perfect obedience to His Father. His death as though He were a sinner, is enough to atone for the sin of the whole world. Only the blood He shed on the cross can cleanse our hearts and make us acceptable to God. 

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa.

(67)

How did Jesus manage to keep up a schedule like His? Interrupted by a huge crowd when He was trying to get some “me time”, He put aside His own needs and taught the people all day. After feeding them and sending them away, He prayed all night, and then walked a distance on the water to catch up with His disciples. Then He was met by another crowd clamouring for attention, and many for healing. It seems that He moved around in that area from village to village and town to town, healing and preaching day after day.

There is another reference to His “talith” (His garment) in this passage. “They begged Him to let them even touch the hem of His cloak (the tassels of His talith) and all who touched Him were healed” (Vs 56). What was the significance of this? Malachi 4:2 – “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will with healing in its wings.” Were the people aware of the powerful imagery of Messiah in this prophecy? The tassels on His talith symbolised God’s name, God’s nature, God’s word and God’s presence.

The “kanaph” – the corners of the talith – are translated as the “wings” which held the tassels. To touch the “hem of his garment” implied that their faith rested in everything the tassels represented. The faith of each person touching Him opened them up to the healing power of the Spirit flowing through Jesus.

In all this frantic activity around Him, how did He experience rest and replenish His strength? He maintained a constant awareness of the Father’s presence and tapped into God by remaining in the Father. And that is what He counsels us to do in the midst of demands, busyness, interruptions and responsibilities. To remain in Him keeps us connected to the source of strength and rest. We become channels that are constantly being replenished, not reservoirs that can run dry with no permanent inlet from God.

In John 15, Jesus used the picture of a vine and its branches to teach His disciples about remaining in Him. A branch does not have to try to stay connected to the vine. It just does unless the gardener cuts it off if it bears no fruit. We are like the branches on a vine. We are in the vine and will remain there if we do not allow anything to separate us from Jesus. He said that obedience to Him keeps us connected to the vine. 

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa. (89)

Simon looked at him in astonishment. “Master,” he protested, “we’ve been fishing all night. There aren’t any fish around here now. It’s no use fishing in the daytime.” His voice trailed away as he saw the look on Jesus’ face. “Okay, Master, I’ll do what you say,” he agreed.

Beckoning to James and John, he called, “Come on guys, we’re going fishing.” Without arguing, they prepared the nets again. “Who is this fellow?” they wondered as they jumped into the boat and pushed out into the deep water. “What does he know about fishing anyway?” Jesus sat in the stern of the boat watching as they hoisted the sail and manoeuvred the boat out into the lake. When they reached the spot, he said to Simon,”Here’s the place, Simon. Let down your nets over there.”

Simon and the other fishermen threw their nets where Jesus had pointed. The water began to boil with fish. In a few minutes the nets were full. They struggled to pull them on board. The lake was alive with flashing silver streaks. “Come and help us,” yelled Simon to the men in the other boat. Soon both crews were almost buried in wriggling fish. The boats were so full that they began to tilt sideways with the weight of the catch.

Simon stopped for a moment and stared at the calm figure sitting in the stern of the boat. Jesus looked up and caught his gaze. In a flash Simon fell on his knees at his feet. “Lord!” he exclaimed, trembling and afraid, “Go away from me. I am too sinful for you even to come near me.” Jesus reached out a hand to him, patted his shoulder and said, “Simon, don’t worry. From now on you will catch men.”

James and John and the other fishermen worked hard to bring the boats to shore without tipping them over and losing the catch. “Hey, watch it there,” shouted John as the little fishing boat tilted over sideways. “Simon, move your weight to the other side.” Simon stood up and the little boat righted itself. “James, quick, lower the sail,” called Simon as they reached the shallow water.

When they reached the shore, they were exhausted and sweating from the effort. Dragging the boats onto the beach, they threw the fish out onto the sand. Jesus stepped ashore and turned to watch the fishermen as they laid their nets out on the beach. Then he set off towards the village of Capernaum.

Without even a word to one another, the tired fishermen left their boats, the wriggling fish on the sand and their dripping nets and followed Jesus…

Luella Campbell

PO Box 1124, King William’s Town, 5600,

Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa. (102)