15/03/12

Be Little No More

Mark 5:42, 43 - And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.


When Jesus bought the daughter of the synagogue official back to life there was a very interesting comment He made. It is written that 'He charged them straitly that no man should know it'.

What is that Jesus did not want people to know? Was it that He bought the girl to life? No for that would have caused them to hide the girl all her remaining life. To understand what we need to compare this account in both the records or Mark and Luke.

Luke records her as the official's only daughter and Mark and as his little daughter, but both confirm in their records that she was of twelve years of age, why her age unlike in other cases the age was not given.

When Jesus spoke to the girl He said 'Talitha Cumi' which when interpreted means 'little girl raise up'. Talitha was a term used for a young girl. When Jesus instructed them not to let anyone know it was not about bringing the girl back to life but it was the term that He used to the girl.

In the Jewish canons and as a custom followed by the Jews it is recorded that a girl when twelve years old is no longer a girl but is a young woman and thus has to be referred to as young woman.

We see time and again Jesus was against customs and traditions. Over here too He showed He was not agreeable to the understanding and belief of the Jewish traditions. He did not want the Jews at that time to know His views but the Spirit of God make it a point to record this in the Gospels like each and every unique and important miracle or healing that is recorded amongst the thousands and thousands which Jesus did. Jesus telling them against traditions at that time was not important for they had not received the understanding of God's Word. All that the Jews did or claimed as following the Torah or the Word of God was and is contrary to their claim. They did and do only traditions and therefore were recorded as followers of Moses' Laws and not the Lord's Law.

Today's message is to all those spiritual Tali and Talitha 'boy and girl' to grow up and no longer be little but have the Word of God in them and do not follow traditions and customs. It is not that traditions are bad or wrong but one needs to understand traditions are only for the little ones and the ignorant. If one reads everywhere the Lord tells them to do a tradition or a custom the Lord specifies it was to be a witness to the little one of Israel or the heathen among them.

There are some who insist on giving great importance to traditions. Look into their lives and you will find no spiritual maturity, no relationship with the Lord, no power of the Holy Spirit working in them. They try to hide this by twisting the Word of God and forcing people to follow their understanding.

Get out from among them, be no longer Tali or Talitha but Cumi in the Spirit of God, grow in spiritual maturity and become Sons of God.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You came to make Sons of us. Inheritance is not given unto little children but only unto sons. Lord there are those whom You call wolves in sheep clothing, who do not want us to inherit the Kingdom of God. They want to see us destroyed by stopping our spiritual growth. Lord, we pray that all those who read this message will experience Cumi in the Spirit; they will reap the fruits of this message and will no longer be little but mature into spiritual Sons...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Matthew 15:1-3
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Galatians 1:13-16
13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?


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