Sunday, 2 February 2020

two stories and ours


Two stories
two women
connected by illness
and need

two stories
two healings
lives changed
restored to community
and family

two stories
one interrupting the other
the poor woman
slowed Jesus coming to the leader’s daughter
as she is healed
the girl dies

two stories
showing desperation
vulnerability
hope
faith

two stories
in both
Jesus says yes
yes to life
yes to renewal
yes to hope.

What about our story?
Where is Jesus in it?

In the story of the woman bleeding, we have someone who is isolated. She is ritually unclean and everything and anyone she touched, or who touched here, also became unclean.
A note: Something important to note is that being unclean does not means you are sinful.
Sin leads to being unclean, but not everything that makes you unclean is sinful. [i]

She has tried everything
she has faith that this time
just touching the robe that Jesus is wearing
will be enough
she hoped to not be found out
healed without taking any of his time
healed without people knowing she was there
Jesus noticed
with all the people in the crowd jostling around him
Jesus noticed
noticed the power that healed her
power from within him
move from his body
she was healed
without Jesus willing it or speaking it
she was healed by her faith
and is called Daughter.

The daughter of Jairus is unwell
she lived the life of a leader’s child
but now is close to death
Jairus risks his reputation asking Jesus to come
then on the way
an interruption
that cost the life of his daughter
Jairus gives up
Jesus did not
the child lives.


in this world not everyone is healed
dead people rarely come back to life
lives are changed by Jesus
changed from hopeless to having a purpose in life
changed from isolated to being a daughter,
a child,
a member of a family

what about your story
when have you had faith to reach out to Jesus
to ask boldly
or quietly
when have you been desperate and tried everything only to find that faith is what sustains in the chronic pain and the crisis moments of life
when has a touch from Jesus been just what was needed

I pray that you are living with faith that is stronger than fear.

What do you need form Jesus today?





[i] Luther Seminary Love to tell the story podcast

No comments:

Post a Comment