Mark the Gospel writer frequently expressed immediacy in his accounts of Jesus and his ministry. In this shortest of the four Gospels, Mark uses the word immediately 12 times, more than any of the other three. His Gospel is one of action, suddenness, and surprisingly fast, dramatic outcomes.
This got me thinking about my own experience of God’s timing. Do I experience many “immediately-s” in my walk with Jesus? Do you?
I’d like to examine some of these accounts in Mark and categorize them. Let’s explore them to find applications to our own lives. We may learn about responding immediately to Jesus, or perhaps the kinds of circumstances that might cause God to respond immediately to us when we approach him in prayer. I’ll provide some commentary for each category.
Healing
Divine healing by Jesus is the context in Mark most often associated with the word immediately.
- The disciples immediately called for Jesus when they learned that Peter’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and he healed her. She got right up and started serving them. (1:30)
- Jesus was approached by a leper asking if Jesus was willing to cleanse him. He reached out his hand and touched the man…Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed (1:41-42).
- While surrounded by a horde of followers, Jesus sensed that someone in the crowd had touched him and that power had flowed out of him. When a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years stepped forward, she informed Jesus that when she touched the hem of his robe, immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering (5:29).
- Jesus followed a Jewish leader named Jairus to his home where his daughter lay dying. After clearing the room of mourners, Jesus commanded the girl to get up, and immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around…At this they were completely astonished (5:42).
- The disciples brought a blind beggar to Jesus who had been crying out to Jesus, pleading for his mercy. “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road (10:52).
I understand that reading about these immediate healings may bring pain and frustration to believers who have been praying for God’s healing for a long time and have yet to be healed. I don’t have an easy answer for why sometimes healings happen instantaneously, sometimes healings take a long time to fully manifest, and sometimes people die of illnesses and injuries that are not healed.
I’ve heard it often said that when a believer dies after a prolonged illness, they experience their complete healing after death. There is no pain, disease, or death in Christ’s kingdom beyond this mortal life.
I do know and trust God in several other things:
1) He is sovereign and knows the outcome of all things from the beginning.
2) Whether he heals us immediately or not, he can work in our lives in other powerful ways despite our infirmities, and even because of them.
3) He hears and responds to our prayers, whether or not we understand what he is doing while we suffer and wait.
4) Sometimes he does heal immediately, as in these stories, so it is never wrong to pray for a miracle.
Deliverance
There are two instances of immediately in Mark’s vivid account of the deliverance of a young boy.
- A distraught father sought deliverance for his son from demonic possession, and Jesus’s disciples were not able to deliver. Jesus stepped in and when the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth (9:20).
This shows us that-
- Demons can manifest in startling, disturbing ways; attacks can come violently and suddenly.
- Demons immediately become frantic in the presence of Jesus Christ
- Jesus is not intimidated or rushed by the manifestation of demonic activity. He does his work of deliverance in his distinct way and timing.
The second immediately moves us into another category:
Conviction
- Jesus asks the father of the boy about the duration and symptoms of the demonic activity, and after describing them, the father says, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. Jesus famously responded, “If you can?…“Everything is possible for one who believes.” Here it comes:
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (22-24).
Sometimes when Jesus speaks a profound truth, in our lives and circumstances, the Holy Spirit brings immediate conviction of unbelief. This is a gift. If we respond humbly as this man does, he may lift us to a higher level of faith in him.
- Another of Mark’s accounts could fit in this category of conviction, but in a very different way. Peter was skulking around, watching what would happen to Jesus after his arrest. As he waited, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, just as Jesus had predicted he would. Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept. (14:72).
Poor, confused, frightened Peter. He must have regretted that moment for the rest of his life. But, after Jesus was resurrected, Jesus met with Peter personally to restore him and call him to a place of faithful leadership. I’ll bet he never denied knowing Jesus again.
Discernment
Jesus immediately knows what is in the hearts and minds of people before they even speak a word. One example that represents many others is found in Mark 2:8
- Jesus had just healed a crippled man, also forgiving his sins. The Pharisees were outraged that Jesus claimed the authority to forgive sins. Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?
I’ve always found this aspect of Jesus’s ministry fascinating. It certainly saved a lot of time. He knew the attitudes and motives of people before they spoke a word. He still does, as he works with us in our lives and ministries. Because of the Holy Spirit within us, we can receive crucial information without being told. This can bring greater impact to our words and actions.
Comfort and care for his disciples
In this final category, two accounts in Mark illustrate the immediacy with which Jesus considered the needs of his disciples, placing their needs above his own.
- Jesus and the 12 disciples had just miraculously fed more than 5000 souls with a small amount of bread and fish. After dinner, it was time for the crowd to disperse. Instead of telling his 12 disciples to send the crowd home, immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd (6:45).
Jesus had just poured himself out all day teaching the crowds, after which he created a way for all of them to eat. He would have been justified in escaping the cleanup and crowd control himself, but he gave them the disciples the first opportunity to break free of the crowds and rest.
- Just a few verses later, Jesus was walking on the water toward the boat where his disciples were struggling to row in a heavy wind. They thought he was a ghost and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (6:50).
Jesus knows when we are afraid. He wants us to grow in faith and trust him more, but as we are growing, he will come near to encourage and calm us.
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In conclusion, we’ve seen that Jesus could miraculously heal people with a variety of problems and symptoms, and sometimes this was astonishingly sudden. He can still do this today, but even if he doesn’t, it doesn’t mean that he can’t. It is always sound and wise to continue to pray for the sick. Likewise, he can bring sudden deliverance to those possessed or oppressed by the devil.
When we read or hear the spoken words of Jesus, a sense of conviction can strike us very suddenly, moving us to respond in ways that lead to the growth of our faith. The Holy Spirit can also give us sudden, supernatural discernment to help us minister in strength, refute heresies, and tear down strongholds, as Jesus did.
Finally, we can always count on the fact that Jesus is aware of what we need, physically and emotionally. If he says to rest, we should rest; if he says move, we should move; if he says not to be afraid, we should no longer be afraid.
And the biggest lesson for me, is that we should respond to him immediately.
What resonates most for you in this study?
