For 12 agonizing years, this woman bled. She was considered unclean and unworthy. She had spent all of her money going from doctor to doctor, but no one could help her. Because she was considered unclean, she could not touch another person or be touched by them. She had not been given a hug by a friend (if she had any at this point) for 12 years! And then, when she had about given up, she hears of a man who has healed many people. She feels a soft glimmer of hope arise inside.
Maybe. Just maybe this was her chance.
I can imagine her desperately slipping through the crowd to get to Jesus. I just think I could understand what her heart might have been like. She was fearful. She had been pushed aside for so long. She just wanted someone to see her, hear her, and hold her. She wanted so much to be free of her brokenness, endless tears, and sleepless nights. Timidly, she kneels down to touch the hem of His cloak. She's so eager for hope but so terrified of rejection. This was her last chance. If this didn't work, then what? She's playing out possible scenarios in her mind. But in this instant, her faith wins out. She touches his cloak. Immediately, she is healed.
Now, Jesus had tons of people all around Him. At that very moment, He was on His way to heal a young girl - someone's daughter, sister, and friend. And yet, He stops. Even though the woman is physically healed, she is still broken and hurting emotionally and mentally. He cannot let her troubled soul pass on untouched. I can picture Him getting down on His knees. He sees her heart. He hears her story. He holds her close. He frees her like no one else could.
"Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." (Matthew 9:22)
I feel her pain. I am the lost. I am the broken. I need Jesus every day, every hour, every second. I need Him just to keep breathing. My reliance on Jesus must be never ending. Without Him, I am hopeless. Time and time again, He picks me up. He holds me close. He sees me, hears me, and frees me.
I know you feel broken sometimes, too. Maybe you are struggling to hold on and you have no idea how to get through this day. You're a mother with one too many children screaming in the backseat. You're a student who just failed a test. You're a husband struggling to provide. You're a pastor who is burdened by the weight of a congregation of hurting people. You have a past that threatens to destroy you. You feel the guilt from mistakes that you made when you weren't thinking. You carry the weight of terrible things done to you. You have no idea how to move on. I understand. But, just like you, I have no idea how to make it all better.
But, I do know this: We desperately need Jesus. And, He desperately wants to help us.
Lean on Him. It's okay to not have it all figured out. It's okay to struggle. And, if you feel like there is no hope, I've been there. But, you will find your way. You will see the hope. Jesus makes beautiful things out of the dust. Our lives may be broken. But, He is the healer. And, as we experience glimpses of freedom in Christ, we can then show compassion to others. We can show them that even in their brokenness, they are beautiful too.
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