Gentle Rain

By Richard

In Mark 6: 1-4 we read that in his hometown the packed synagogue is in one breath amazed at Jesus’ teaching and in the next cutting him down. “He’s just a local boy…who does he think he is!” It reminds me of the way Jesus tends to turn us “on” or to turn us “off”. I think that one of the reasons that miracles are given sparingly is that they are as much the means for our condemnation as well as for our salvation. Using a local illustration! In Spain after the hot dry summer the earth is dry and hard. Heavy rains tend to run off and cause massive floods. Light rains are much better because they sink in and prepare the ground to absorb more water. The earth could only handle Jesus’ ministry for 3 years before they said, “Enough, our boy from Galilee has got to go!” Why isn’t it pouring God on earth? Because of our hardness of heart and tendency to put out the light! But don’t get me wrong, if you stop for a moment you might catch the gentle rain; of his Spirit, the beauty of creation and those followers who are bringing Christ’s love to the dry earth. The gentle rain is falling, and so why not open your heart and let it sink in.