Jesus and Mental Health (Mark 5:14-20)
Gary McManus, 02/10/2019Part of the Jesus Came to Restore series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Mark 5:14-20
Pastors suicides in California.
Successful Pastors’ suicides in California.
These Pastors had families.
This state’s statistics: of the 4,421 injury
deaths (and this covers a span of recent years)
363 died from homicide but 941 died by suicide.
From the Herald Bulletin’s Editorial on Wednesday. . .
about 10 percent of high school-aged students
said they attempted suicide in the previous 12 months.
ANYONE. . even Christian leaders can have mental
health problems. Does the Bible talk about that?
It does.
Suicides are a very complex problem—maybe more than
one mental health issue. There is the brain itself,
chemicals in the brain, the transmission and reception
of those chemicals, the way the person deals with anger,
loneliness, maximum stress, and hopelessness.
Are there drugs and/or alcohol involved?
Are the options as limited as they appear to the
suicidal person? And what about God? and Jesus?
(See Mark 5:15, Luke 8:35)
Christians believe that what they are saying to the
suffering is completely and thoroughly Christian
and even Biblical. Is it?
1. “Anxiety is a sin.”
2. “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.”
3. “Give it to God.”
4. “You’ve been bad and you are being punished.”
5. “You are in spiritual warfare.”
6. “If you were really a person of faith,
you wouldn’t have this.”
7. “If you trusted God you wouldn’t need medication, etc.”
8. Are you giving it to God and then taking it back?
9. Silence. . .don’t talk, denial—you’re fine—you’re normal.
Wrong responses.
None of these responses can be put in the loving responses category.
(See Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, Mark 12:31.)
And what about the brain itself?
“A very severely injured brain CAN be rehabilitated”
--Neuroscientist Theresa Pape
See authors Susan Blauner, http://thereseborchard.com/
Jesus quoted Isaiah, chapter 61. . .
Would any Christian say those very same
things mentioned above to someone who
has had a stroke. . .or. . .cancer?
Jesus said,. . .it is not this man’s sin or his parent’s
sin that he is in this condition. . .(John 9:3)
The disciples asked Jesus, “why could WE
not heal this boy?”(Mark 9:28-29)
And the Apostle Paul who said. . .I prayed to the
Lord three times to be delivered of my condition
(2 Corinthians 12:8)
(See book of Job.)
Talk ABOUT God or talk TO God?
Talk to SOMEONE? A therapist? Doctor?
Some people resist medication. . .
At DCC in prayers for healing—we pray
that the treatment be EFFECTIVE. . .
(Mark 9:28-29)
Jesus talked about things people didn’t want
to talk about. Jesus told people things that
astonished them. Jesus spoke to people that
the Pharisees wouldn’t even walk up to.
Jesus spoke with and touched lepers.
Jesus rebuked demons.
Jesus didn’t just talk about compassion,
Jesus had compassion.
Jesus didn’t just talk about love, Jesus was love.
And who do we want to be? Who are we?
(John 13:34-35) Amen.
http://www.breakpoint.org/2018/09/breakpoint-a-pastors-suicide/
Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
---|---|---|
« There is a Better Way | None | Love Yourself » |