And again He entered into Capernaum after some days, and it was noised that He was in the house. Mark 2:1
There is always an exciting anticipation as a series of Gospel meetings begins in a tent. It’s especially exciting to begin a series in a place where meetings were held many years previously. Initially, a good number of the Christians from the nearest Assemblies are in attendance, as are all their children and a few relatives. A few folks from the community often show up in the early days, and then things settle down as the preachers and the local Christians do their best to urge folks to come and hear the Gospel. As the days and weeks go by, the sense of expectation dwindles, and the meetings grind to a halt eventually with only one or two professions of Salvation. We are disappointed; we would like to have seen more blessing. We are also disappointed that seed sown in past meetings has failed to materialize in fruit this time. How we long for a response like the Lord Jesus received when he paid a return visit to Capernaum!
Huge crowds showed up as soon as it was noised that Jesus was back in town. People remembered His miracles from the previous visit. They heard his preaching and wished to hear more. Some of them actually believed His claims to be the Messiah, and for them, this was a wonderful event. Their expectations were high, and Jesus did not disappoint. But He was not there simply to grab attention or to please the people. He had the Gospel to preach, sick people to heal and comfort, and the will of His Father to fulfill. For Jesus, His return to Capernaum was part of His great plan, and there were precious souls there who needed Him. Just as there are precious souls all around us today who need Him.
We make return visits every day to the places where we are serving our Lord. We frequently encounter family members who need the Gospel, we bump into neighbours and friends every day, and the same goes for people where we work. How many of these people are excited and glad to see us? How many are excited and glad about our testimony for our Lord? We don’t perform miracles and we can’t preach like Jesus did, so we should expect only so much. But if we are faithful, loving, and sincere, we will encounter those who are happy that we are back.
If it was important for Jesus to make return visits, we should too. And we should tell people about Jesus when we do. – Jim MacIntosh