Introduction

Hello, everyone. We are studying the Gospel of Mark. It is a most interesting book. Why? Because many people say that Mark was, in effect, Peter’s godson. Peter kept him by his side, and he became Peter’s secretary. But later, Mark followed Paul as well.

It is very interesting how Mark wrote this book. Many say that the Gospel of Mark reads like Peter’s sermon notes. Others say no, because its theological outlook is very similar to Paul’s. If Mark wrote this Gospel during the years when he followed Paul, then he must have been influenced by Paul. If he wrote it during the years when he followed Peter, then what he wrote must have been Peter’s sermon notes.

But in any case, the theology in it is very interesting. Though it is a short Gospel, what it records is excellent.

Now we come to Mark chapter 1. The theme is “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” In this chapter, Mark sets out the outline of the whole book. He explains how the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, began.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ Was Foretold by All the Prophets

The gospel of Jesus Christ did not suddenly appear out of nowhere. Things that suddenly appear, with no prophecy beforehand and no testimony afterwards, are dangerous. They have no source. Let me read it to you:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’” (Mark 1:1-3)

The words, “as it is written in Isaiah the prophet,” are very interesting. In fact, it was not Isaiah alone, but all the prophets. If you abstract the Old Testament, you will find that it points to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, must have been foretold by all the prophets. This is a most powerful statement. The gospel of Jesus Christ was foretold by all the prophets. It did not suddenly emerge from nowhere.

For more than a thousand years, we have heard the prophecies of Isaiah, Moses, Samuel, and all the prophets. They all pointed to one thing: the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It also tells us that the Jesus Christ of the Old Testament and the New Testament is, in fact, one complete system.

It also shows that Jesus Christ was not a sudden appearance. He was God’s greatest plan. From the time man was created and fell, God had prepared a great redemption. This is what all the prophets pointed to. Therefore, the gospel of Jesus Christ was foretold by all the prophets.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. (Mark 1:4-6)

And he preached, saying: “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8)

John the Baptist caused a great stir in his day. Among all the Israelites, there was no one who did not know that he was a prophet. He preached a baptism of repentance, yet he said, “I baptize you with water, but the One coming after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Look at what he said. Then he added, “He is mightier than I. I am not worthy even to stoop down and untie His sandal strap.” Therefore, when Jesus Christ came, He did not come without preparation. John the Baptist had gone before Him, preparing the way and making the path straight. This is what it means: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.”

Had John the Baptist not prophesied, there would not have been the twelve disciples who came later. Those disciples of John the Baptist could not have come to follow Jesus Christ. John the Baptist prophesied concerning Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and heaven opened. This was no small matter.

In other words, not only had all the prophets prophesied about this, but John the Baptist, the greatest prophet of that generation, also testified to it. So all Judea, the people of Jerusalem, the dignitaries, the common people, the officers, and the soldiers all ran to him. They received John’s baptism, hoping that their sins would be forgiven.

Then he said, “I baptize you with water, but the One who comes after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” What a marvellous statement. Thus, the one who prepared the way for Jesus Christ was John the Baptist.

You must understand this clearly. A prophet who suddenly appears, with no one to testify for him except himself, presents a problem. So we must not believe things that suddenly emerge from we know not where. If there is neither the prophecy of earlier prophets nor a contemporary prophet to prepare the way, then the matter is doubtful.

Therefore, read the Bible well. We do not like to invent stories for ourselves. What we invent has neither source nor inheritance. It suddenly appears. You must be careful with such things. Even if they appear powerful, you must still be careful.

The Testimony of the Holy Spirit and the Heavenly Father

At the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He had the testimony of the Holy Spirit and the Heavenly Father. Let me read it to you:

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9-11)

Many came to John to be baptized. After they were baptized, that was the end of it. Nothing happened. But when Jesus Christ came to be baptized, heaven opened. Then John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit. I do not know exactly how he saw it, but he saw heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descending upon Him.

God had told John beforehand, “The One upon whom you see the Holy Spirit descending is the Messiah prepared by God. He is the Son of God, the Christ, the Saviour.” The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus. In fact, Jesus Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit without measure. This is how the gospel of Jesus Christ began.

Not only did the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus Christ, but a voice also came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” People like to testify for themselves. But Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit and the Heavenly Father testifying for Him.

Later, Jesus Christ was crucified and rose from the dead. With great power, He proved even more clearly that He was the Son of the living God. This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the path we must take is to imitate Jesus Christ, to become sons of God, and to become people who please God.

The Gospel of Victory Over the Devil’s Temptation

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. (Mark 1:12-13)

The Gospel of Mark does not record the conversation between the devil and Jesus Christ. But the other Gospels state clearly that Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil for forty days, and in the end He prevailed. Therefore, this is a gospel of victory. Jesus Christ has opened for us a path of victory.

I earnestly hope that all of you will know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a gospel of defeat. It is a gospel of victory, victorious over the devil’s temptations. Once we believe in Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, as with Jesus Christ, will surely lead us through the path of temptation.

The devil’s temptation tests whether, after all is said and done, you can overcome. To overcome, you need only rely on a few words. The first is: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” You must remember this statement.

The second is even more significant: “I will serve God alone.” I will not serve the glory and wealth of this world. I will not serve the devil. I will not serve this world or be lured by it. I will serve God. This is profound and difficult, because Jesus Christ came into this world to fulfil His Mingding.

The third is: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Jesus Christ overcame the devil by these three words. You too must overcome the devil by these three words: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” This is a most powerful word.

Some time ago, many brothers and sisters, in the process of receiving deliverance, encountered many lies of the devil. The devil’s lies entered their minds as though a USB drive had been inserted and files copied directly into them. It was frightening. Many do not know this, but every one of us will face such temptations. Try it and see.

Man does not live by food, work, and such things. Man lives by every word that proceeds from God’s mouth. Then the devil will use God’s words to tempt you, and you say, “You shall not tempt your God.” Then the devil will lure you to worship him, and you say, “I will serve my God alone.” This is the key to victory.

Overcoming the devil’s temptations works. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and His gospel is a gospel of victory. This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the beginning of victory.

The Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Gospel of Repentance

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

Victory is good. But some say, “Why can I not see victory?” The reason is simple. The gospel of the kingdom of heaven is a gospel of repentance. If you live by the logic system of this world, how can you overcome? If you refuse to repent, then you will suffer. No matter how good the gospel is, what has it to do with you? The gospel of the kingdom of heaven is a gospel of repentance.

Let me tell you: Mark was a gifted young man. During the days of Jesus Christ, he came seeking Jesus Christ. But because his family was too wealthy, he went away sorrowful. To follow Jesus came at too great a cost. He asked Jesus, “How can I enter the kingdom of God?” Jesus answered well. He said, “Sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and then come and follow Me.”

Mark thought to himself, “If I follow You and sell all my possessions to give to others, what will I eat? What will I drink?” It sounded rather extreme. So he went away sorrowful. Yet, on the one hand, Mark saw Jesus Christ cleanse lepers, make the blind see, make the lame walk, and perform miracles that no one else could perform. On the other hand, he thought, “To follow Jesus, I must leave behind everything I have. This is too difficult.”

This was a conflict between two kingdoms and two systems of logic. On one side stood the great power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. On the other stood the entanglements of this world. Thus, Mark wrote of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, the gospel of repentance. It is an entirely different value system.

By the time Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark, he had understood it. If Jesus had said to him then, “Sell all that you have and follow Me,” he would probably have had few doubts. But at that time, he could not make the turn. Why? Because people think: Can one truly live by every word that proceeds from God’s mouth? Can that feed me? I may lose my job. My boss spoke to me a few days ago and asked me to leave. How then shall I live?

This is painful, because people do not know how abundant and glorious it is to live by every word that proceeds from God’s mouth. It is not a life of poverty. It is the path of a son of God. How can it be poor? Yet people in this world think, “Others have a hundred billion; I do not even have a hundred million. So I shall first set myself a small target: earn a hundred million.” But a hundred million is pure fantasy when you do not even have ten million, or one million. Yet are you not still living reasonably well?

If you observe and study the affairs of this world, do you think having so much money is good? What will you do with all that money? In the end, many die miserably, drawing a tragic conclusion to their lives. This is the kingdom of this world. The kingdom of this world and the kingdom of heaven will certainly have different endings.

For example, if we have food and drink today, that is good enough. Tomorrow has its own concerns. The worries of one day are enough for that day. If you look carefully at God’s word, you will see that God has never regarded the things of this present life as important. It is we who take this present life too seriously, and so we live miserable lives. The gospel of the kingdom of heaven has an entirely different system of logic from that of the world. If people are to walk the path of the kingdom of heaven, they must repent of the deep-rooted worldly values within them.

The Gospel of Catching Men as Fish

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. (Mark 1:16-20)

When I had just believed in Jesus, I read about this “gospel of catching men as fish.” After reading it, I wondered: Jesus called them to follow Him, and they simply followed? What about their wives, children, fathers, and mothers? It was interesting. I kept thinking: how could they leave everything behind and follow Jesus? It seemed incredible.

Let me tell you: there are many things that people desire in their hearts. Some desire to achieve the small target of earning a hundred million. Some desire to become highly successful businessmen. Some think, “Every day I sit in a fishing boat, catch fish, and sell them at the fish market. It smells terribly fishy.”

Have you ever been to a fish market? I have been to a gigantic fish market. They brought fish in by the truckload. I said, “I want to buy one fish.” They said, “Go away!” Nobody went there to buy one fish. They went there to buy wholesale.

The fish market has a strong smell, a stench of fish. I wondered, why are fish so attractive? Because fish can be sold for money. A truckload of fish corresponds to a truckload of money. How much does fish cost per pound? Some cost fifteen dollars, some twenty dollars, and some a hundred dollars. Different types of fish fetch different prices.

Peter and the others were fishing, but they were thinking in their hearts, “Am I going to live like this for the rest of my life? What is the point? No. This cannot be.” Simon and his brother Andrew were fishing there. The two brothers said to each other, “Are we going to live like this all our lives?”

Brothers and sisters, think about it. Perhaps you are two sisters, or two brothers. Every day you go to work and return home. If you work in a bank, you count money every day. If you work as someone’s accountant in a clothing business, you count clothes every day. Do you want to live like this for the rest of your life? No.

John the Baptist was baptizing in the Jordan. Peter, Andrew, James, and John went to John the Baptist to be baptized, and they became his disciples. John the Baptist preached the gospel of repentance. They asked, “We are willing to repent, but what comes after repentance?” Then Jesus came that day, and John the Baptist said, “The Holy Spirit has descended upon Him. He is the Son of God. He is the Messiah. He is the Christ!”

These four men spent their days fishing. After fishing, they sat by the shore, had a little barbecue, drank a little wine, and said, “John the Baptist says that Jesus is the Son of God, and He will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.” They understood only vaguely, but they were unwilling to settle for their lot. Like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, the two brothers sat there and said, “If one day we become rich and honoured, let us not forget one another.”

Then they said, “Were those kings, princes, generals, and officials born to such positions? Was I born only to fish and farm? No. Are kings and generals born with a special seed?” These men sat around talking: “Are kings and generals born with a special seed? If we become rich and honoured, let us not forget one another.”

After they said this, Jesus walked by and said, “Come, follow Me. From now on, you will catch men as fish.” Catching men was good. Catching fish was also good, but catching men was better. You could command one hundred thousand troops, two hundred thousand troops, even eight hundred thousand troops. They were dreaming, thinking, “He tells me to catch men as fish. Is catching fish better, or catching men? Of course, catching men is better. With able men and strong generals under me, I can command the winds and clouds.”

Only days earlier, they had been dreaming. Then Jesus walked by, and John said, “He is the Messiah. He will lead us to overthrow the Roman Empire and establish the greatest kingdom of Israel. He will be greater than David.” So they followed Jesus.

Therefore, I tell you: a person should have some small dream, some small target. If that small target is merely a hundred million, it is rather low. What can a hundred million do? A person should have a small target: to catch men as fish.

In Chinese Mingding Doctrine, when we gain people, we do not gain them in order to slaughter them like sheep and consume them. We do not take all their money and put it into our own pockets. If you take all their money for yourself, can that be right? That is not catching men as fish. That is catching money.

In God’s kingdom, people are kings and princes. Beyond kings, there are more kings. All are sons of God. Some say, “I am content just to clean up in heaven.” But there is no such position in heaven. In heaven, all are sons of God. Jesus Christ wants to bring many sons of God into God’s kingdom. This is catching men as fish.

Building the church is not about collecting money from brothers and sisters. It is about becoming a blessing to many through the gospel of Jesus Christ. This may sound somewhat abstract, but it is indeed our small target: to catch men as fish. Not to catch people and slaughter them, but to enable them to live out the likeness of God’s children.

Some people have their dreams in this world. Then following Jesus Christ will bring a great collision. It is a process of demolition. People live in this world wanting to prosper, to catch some fish and make some money. If you talk to them about Mingding, they will have none of it.

Let me say something blunt: “Whoever wants to leave our church, I will never stop him.” God has called us to come out of the kingdom of this world and replace the logic system of the world with God’s logic system. God has not called us merely to catch fish, sell them, and muddle through life. He has called us to see that the power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead is also at work in us.

In this collision, some have torn down the logic system of this world. Others still cling stubbornly to it. They want only to catch fish and make money. I think this is meaningless. If you think it is meaningful, then go that way.

Though the path of the gospel of Jesus Christ is full of challenges—perhaps passing five barriers and slaying six generals, perhaps subduing many demons and overcoming many devils—it is a path of gaining people. Brothers and sisters, if you can walk with us on this path of the kingdom of heaven and hold fast to the dream of the kingdom, then we will surely be able to continue on this path.

If you only want to live your daily life, God may see you through in eternity. It will be hard for you to continue, and then you will abandon God. In fact, God never abandons us. We abandon God. In this process, we have tried many methods to change our worldly logic system into the logic system of the kingdom of heaven. But the results have not been good, because there are too many attachments.

When people have hope in this world and everything goes well, they have faith. But when things do not go well, when faith is needed most, they lose faith. Look carefully: who can live in victory without being tempted? Who can overcome without going through hardship? Only those who overcome can gain people.

The Gospel with Authority to Command Unclean Spirits

The gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is a gospel of authority. It is a gospel with authority to command unclean spirits.

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:21-24)

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. (Mark 1:25-28)

What an excellent passage. Let me tell you: if a person wants to overcome, he must first receive authority from God. If a person wants to live a blessed life in this world, he must be able to overcome demons. What is blessing? God’s presence is blessing. The presence of demons is a curse. Some people only want to catch fish, but one thing is certain: if you gain demons, you will certainly not overcome. If you do not overcome, you will live in the destruction brought by demons.

Years ago, when I read this passage, I thought, “God, I also want this kind of authority.” Later, I discovered that the gospel of Jesus Christ truly is a gospel of authority, with authority to command unclean spirits. Try it and see. You do not need to be an exceptionally devout believer, nor do you need to understand very much. But casting out demons certainly works. When you command demons to retreat in the name of Jesus Christ, many illnesses are healed.

There was a four-year-old child who sometimes prayed with us. He learned from us. One day, his mother fell ill with a high fever. He led his mother in prayer, quite properly, just as I would lead prayer: “In the name of Jesus, spirit of fever, retreat!” His mother was healed. Let me tell you: fever certainly involves an unclean spirit. Therefore, we have authority to command unclean spirits.

Then the unclean spirit convulsed the man. When many people see someone convulsing, they immediately call an ambulance. But can an ambulance solve the problem of a demon? No. The man cried out loudly, and the demon came out. Everyone thought this was a new doctrine. They had never seen it before. Of course they had never seen it before. Where had they seen Jesus Christ before? Where had they seen the Son of God, so mighty, coming in the flesh, the Word becoming flesh, full of grace and truth? They had not.

Only when Jesus Christ came could such things be done. There was none before Him and none after Him. Moreover, all those who imitate Him also walk on this great road of authority, the road of casting out demons. Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of casting out demons. How good this is. This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If the beginning was like this, and later it is no longer like this, then has it not gone astray? Today many people find it strange: “How can you cast out demons? Is not demon-casting in Christianity heresy?” People have forgotten that this was how the gospel of Jesus Christ began. Later, they changed it into something else. We must change that something else back to what it was in the beginning. What should it be? It should be like Jesus Christ.

Therefore, not daring to cast out demons is a terrible thing. If you do not dare to cast out demons, you have departed from the beginning of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ began this way, and it must remain this way. Let me tell you: the most detestable thing is to turn the gospel with authority to command unclean spirits into a powerless gospel, a set of religious rules. Then people spend all day saying, “This is heresy; that is heresy.” I think you are the heretic.

This is detestable. If you cannot cast out even one demon, then when sickness comes, you follow worldly logic completely. There is no logic of the kingdom of heaven at all. Yet you think you are great and orthodox. Before demons, you are useless.

The Gospel of Healing the Sick

Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. (Mark 1:29-34)

Is sickness related to demons? Mark states it very plainly. Many were sick. Jesus healed many who had various diseases, and He cast out many demons. In other words, sickness and demons cannot be separated.

In the process of casting out demons, we discovered that fever is the “demon of fever,” lower back pain is the “demon of lower back pain.” Whether these are truly the names of demons, I do not know. But casting them out this way works very well. Say, “Demon of lower back pain, retreat,” and the back pain is healed. This means that lower back pain is closely connected to demons.

When we feel distressed and depressed, that is the “demon of depression.” When we are discouraged within, that is the “demon of discouragement.” When we are afraid within, that is the “demon of fear.” This is very powerful. The names I give demons are quite useful. I do not know other names. If someone has lower back pain, then I cast out the “demon of lower back pain.”

I do not concern myself with whether this conforms precisely to the Bible. What concerns me is that the gospel we believe is a gospel that heals the sick. Therefore, many who come among us are truly healed. Some receive the gospel and think it is good, but they refuse to change their inner logic system.

In fact, many among us have left the church. More have left than remained. Those who left had cast out demons and healed the sick. Can you understand this? I am perplexed. I cannot understand it.

This gospel of healing the sick—if someone does not believe in the Lord, or ceases to believe halfway through, what a pity that is. This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It began this way, and it must remain this way. Some say, “We need a Reformation. Let us go back to Martin Luther.” Why go back to Martin Luther? Did Martin Luther write the Bible? No. Then should we not return to the beginning of Jesus Christ? Certainly. Should we return to the Apostle Paul? Yes.

Let me tell you: human memory is very spiritual. People forget even the things they themselves have done, because the worldly logic system will say, “Where are there demons?” Let me tell you: demons will certainly say, “Where are there demons?” I am deeply moved by this. Healing the sick is such a good gospel. When people are sick, they can seek God and be healed. Some say, “I will seek the hospital.” Then I wish them good luck.

The Gospel with the Grace of Prayer

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. (Mark 1:35)

At the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, there was prayer. Prayer is no small matter. When we encounter problems, the first thing we do is pray. But some people do not pray ordinarily. Only when they see a great earthquake such as the Wenchuan earthquake do they begin saying, “Let us pray. Rest in peace.” But pray for what? They do not pray in ordinary times.

Let me tell you: those who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ must imitate Jesus Christ and pray well. Where did the power of Jesus Christ come from? Jesus Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit without measure, yet even He persevered in prayer.

Prayer has two effects. First, it gives us power. Praying in tongues gives us power. Second, when we pray with understanding and ask God, we receive revelation and come to know the truth. Therefore, prayer is important.

Years ago, I built a church that did not pray. At the time, I thought it was very good and very great. I thought we could all do without prayer. Later, I even lost my job. Could that end well? At the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the grace of prayer. Prayer is not a sacrifice of time. Prayer is grace. Without prayer as its support, everything mentioned earlier will come to nothing. Prayer is grace. Do not think that prayer merely takes up so much time.

The Gospel of Mingding

But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” (Mark 1:38)

Jesus began His ministry in order to preach. Some call it “coming out of the mountains”; some call it “making one’s debut.” They begin arranging great stages and holding large concerts. That is making one’s debut. Jesus came to preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. He had Mingding: I live for this; I came into this world for this; I am willing to die for this. How good it is to have a gospel of Mingding. This is also a gospel that does not seek fame or profit.

Seeking Neither Fame Nor Profit

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. (Mark 1:40-42)

And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every quarter. (Mark 1:43-45)

Why could Jesus no longer openly enter the city? Because once He entered, there would be crowds everywhere. Simon Peter, Andrew, John, and James, whom Jesus had found, were all thin and frail. They did not look like bodyguards.

A pastor from Singapore went to Taiwan and had to hire bodyguards because he was too famous. Even if one does not seek fame or profit, once one becomes famous, is that good or bad? I do not think it is good. When one enters a city and there are crowds everywhere, then Jesus cannot openly enter the city.

If Jesus did not enter the city, would people stop coming? There were so many needs in this world. He did not want to be a celebrity, but He became one anyway. People came to Him from everywhere. Have you ever seen a leper cleansed? Why could this leper not control himself? He was too excited.

When lepers walked on the road, they cried, “I have an infectious disease. Keep away!” Who would go near a leper? Only lepers would go near lepers. Ordinarily, no one went near them. It was a bitter life.

Jesus was a great celebrity, but this man was a leper. Suppose a leper came to a restaurant entrance. He had not eaten hot dry noodles for many years, and suddenly he wanted some. But the restaurant would not sell to him because he was a leper. He was not allowed in. The hot dry noodles smelled wonderful, and the fragrance drifted over. He could only put his nose forward and smell it. It did not satisfy his hunger. Though smelling it was free, how painful it was after he had smelled it.

Then Jesus came. The leper knelt and said, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus said, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Then he was healed. This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus became famous. Was Jesus powerful before this? After healing the leper, was He more powerful? No. He was just as powerful as before.

If someone had this ability, would he not set up a business, collect money, and make sick people queue up to buy tickets? He could sell courses too. A price of 680,000 would be too low; it would have to be 6.8 million. Give each disciple a fifty percent commission. What a flourishing business that would be. But did Jesus come to do this? He came to gain people. He did not come for money. Whether it was 600,000, 6 million, 60,000, or 6,000, He wanted none of it. He did not lack this money.

As we walk this gospel path, can we hold fast to the beginning of this gospel? This is how the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, began. So it must also be in the end. Even if we cannot fully do it, we must know that this is what the gospel of Jesus Christ is like. It is not what others say it is like. What others say is not the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

From now on, hold fast to the way the gospel of Jesus Christ began. Brothers and sisters, hold fast to it. No matter how difficult it is, hold fast to it. For this is precisely how God requires us to hold fast to faith. Amen.

This concludes our Bible study. May God bless you all.