Recognizing Jesus

I miss my sweet neighbor Miss Elli. We would spend hours together sharing our life stories over a cup of pepperment tea. Her stories were particularly interesting to me because many of her tales took place before, during and after the days of World War II, in Germany no less. One particlar story she shared with me happened some time after the war was over. Perhaps a few months after. She and her four siblings had to disperse without much notice during the closing days as the Russian army was fast approaching. Niether knew where the others were. Luckily an older sister had an apartment in the American sector and after months of traveling most joined up at this one siblings apartment. One day as a very young Miss Elli was working, a German soldier started walking towards her with purpose. She told me how this made her nervous because she was at work and what would her bosses think, besides she had no idea who this strange young soldier was. As he approached her he probably could sense her apprehension. And then he uttered the word she thought she would never hear. He said "What, don't you recognize your own brother?" Years of not knowing the fate of the only brother the war had not claimed left her elated. How he had changed. Her very own brother and she did not recognize him. Is this the way we can be in our own spiritual walk. Where first we were intimatly aware of Christ presence, but through years of no relationship or perhaps very minimal relationship we barely recognize our Lord and Savior even when he is right in front of us. As Paul would say "God forbid!" This weeks lesson takes us back to the gospel of Mark were we are again walking with Christ as he begins to minister to the sick, lame and demon possessed. Our scripture for this weeks lesson in Mark 5:1-20. Read through this entire passage this week and come prepared for some interesting discussion..