believe
i wrote this a few nights ago and sent it to a friend:
"i picked up my bible and a book of daily meditations by john piper. tonight's meditation was about children, and how a persons interaction with children is a direct display of their relationship with christ. jesus welcomed children into his presence, interacted with him, and blessed them. he said that anyone who welcomed a child in his name, was welcoming him. i thought this was very fitting for me, since i realized recently that i cannot escape the kids, but that's not the point of this email. piper listed 10 reasons why we should welcome children and gave each a biblical backing. for one of them, was the mentioning of jesus healing a child. to go along with it, he listed the story of jesus healing a dead girl. i didn't know the story, so i read it (mark 5:11-43) and it really touched me. that's what this email is about.
the story starts out with jesus getting off of a boat and entering a group of people. a rabbi so full of distress, falls onto his knees in front of jesus, a man to which most rabbis would not bow down to. jewish priests believed jesus was a fake, out to get their power, out to steal their security. but this rabbi, jairus, was down on his knees, desperate, in front of jesus because his precious daughter was dying and no medicine could save her. jesus was his last hope. he asked jesus, "please, come put your hands on her so she will be healed, and live." (23) jesus agreed.
soon the crowd followed them, for it was rare to see a high priest walking with jesus. these people were commoners, no one special, "thronging" (26) jesus. picture nyc around christmas time. people are bumping into him left and right. among those is a woman with a sickness. she's been sick for 12 years, spent all of her money on treatments which havent worked. at this point, shes poor and probably thinks she will never be healed. this is her life. she is considered a plague in society. she is probably depressed, probably has lost friendships, has probably been written off as good as dead. but "when this woman heard about jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his coat." (27) this woman has never seen jesus. she has no personal relationship with him as we do. she has never witnessed any of his works, probably doesn't know much about his ministry, only that he heals. when nothing else has worked, this woman thinks, "if i can just touch his clothes, i'll be healed." she doesn't ask for any words, she doesn't ask for him to love her, she believes just touching his clothes will work when 12 years of medicine and all her finances have failed. she has blind faith. walking by faith and not by sight.
this woman does touch his clothes. she instantly feels a healing. and jesus feels it too. he asks, who has touched my clothes? the woman is trembling, shaking, because she knows what has happened. she is a poor woman who doesn't deserve to speak to a rabbi, to be in his presence, but this man has changed her life. he has healed when all else has failed. she tells jesus what she did, and he blesses her, tells her that she has been made well because she believed, to go in peace, which means, the deal is sealed. she is completely healed, she doesn't need to worry about this sickness ever again. in this instance, jesus did not preform any big act. he didn't lift a finger. this woman's faith, has healed her. her seeking and acting by faith has changed her life and christ blesses her for her actions.
jesus reaches the house of the rabbi. they are too late, the daughter has died. at this point, everyone is in extreme mourning. families and towns were close. people are intimately involved with their neighbors. the father of the girl who has just heard this news has probably just fell apart inside. he is too late. he has failed his daughter.
when jesus tells the mourners not to fear, the girl is not dead, but "sleeping," he is mocked. people laugh, there is not faith in him. jesus kicks out the unbelievers. he rids these people from the girls life. they will not bear her or her family any good fruit if they did not hope for the girl when the "last resort" came. jesus tells the father, "don't be afraid, just believe." (36) jesus does not ask the man for anything else, just faith in him. thats it. he doesn't ask him to do anything for him, there's no, 'fast for 30 days' or any 'give up smoking' or 'be more deserving of what i'm about to do' here. it's blind faith again. this rabbi is like the sick woman, probably hasnt seen jesus work, and probably hasn't ever considered in believing in him until now. but how can this man believe that jesus can heal his daughter? she's already dead. this is impossible.
jesus took his 3 disciples and the girls parents into the bedroom where the girl was sleeping. jesus simply takes hold of the girls hand and says to her, "talitha, cumi" (41) this literally means, "little girl, i say to you, arise." immediately the girl stand up and begins to walk. the bible says everyone in the room was completely amazed. (42) the mother and father are probably still crying. there are probably no words for them to say to express their complete awe or their complete joy that their precious daughter is alive once again. they have been given a second chance. their baby has been restored. their 12 year old little girl, their talitha, is alive. she once was dead, but now she's alive.
this miracle has occurred because the father did have faith in jesus. sometimes we feel we need to whole heartedly believe, beyond a doubt, that jesus is real, that he's present, and that here is a miracle he's going to perform. but this is not true. how could this woman, who suffered and had hopes for new treatment after new treatment whole heartedly believe that touching a mans robe would bring the healing she's seeking? how could a man whose daughter is dead, 100% believe that this so called miracle worker criminal heal his dead child? they both thought it was already too late for them. these people has faith, a mustard seeds worth of faith, but that's all we need. in mathew 17:20, god speaks that we can move mountains with faith the size of a mustard seed. he says that nothing will be impossible for you.
remember, you may be asleep, but you are not dead- there is the father, waiting to hold your hand and say, "talitha, arise" you may have suffered years, but nothing is impossible. things may be hard to believe in, but even if you can spare an inch of faith, jesus can repay in miles of miracles. your small faith can move mountains. offer what you can to the lord and pay no attention to those who doubt or mock you for this little faith. beautiful things come from little seeds. all jesus asks of you is to believe."
the messages of faith are still sticking with me, even a few days later. just thought it would be lj worthy. praying for you all<3
"i picked up my bible and a book of daily meditations by john piper. tonight's meditation was about children, and how a persons interaction with children is a direct display of their relationship with christ. jesus welcomed children into his presence, interacted with him, and blessed them. he said that anyone who welcomed a child in his name, was welcoming him. i thought this was very fitting for me, since i realized recently that i cannot escape the kids, but that's not the point of this email. piper listed 10 reasons why we should welcome children and gave each a biblical backing. for one of them, was the mentioning of jesus healing a child. to go along with it, he listed the story of jesus healing a dead girl. i didn't know the story, so i read it (mark 5:11-43) and it really touched me. that's what this email is about.
the story starts out with jesus getting off of a boat and entering a group of people. a rabbi so full of distress, falls onto his knees in front of jesus, a man to which most rabbis would not bow down to. jewish priests believed jesus was a fake, out to get their power, out to steal their security. but this rabbi, jairus, was down on his knees, desperate, in front of jesus because his precious daughter was dying and no medicine could save her. jesus was his last hope. he asked jesus, "please, come put your hands on her so she will be healed, and live." (23) jesus agreed.
soon the crowd followed them, for it was rare to see a high priest walking with jesus. these people were commoners, no one special, "thronging" (26) jesus. picture nyc around christmas time. people are bumping into him left and right. among those is a woman with a sickness. she's been sick for 12 years, spent all of her money on treatments which havent worked. at this point, shes poor and probably thinks she will never be healed. this is her life. she is considered a plague in society. she is probably depressed, probably has lost friendships, has probably been written off as good as dead. but "when this woman heard about jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his coat." (27) this woman has never seen jesus. she has no personal relationship with him as we do. she has never witnessed any of his works, probably doesn't know much about his ministry, only that he heals. when nothing else has worked, this woman thinks, "if i can just touch his clothes, i'll be healed." she doesn't ask for any words, she doesn't ask for him to love her, she believes just touching his clothes will work when 12 years of medicine and all her finances have failed. she has blind faith. walking by faith and not by sight.
this woman does touch his clothes. she instantly feels a healing. and jesus feels it too. he asks, who has touched my clothes? the woman is trembling, shaking, because she knows what has happened. she is a poor woman who doesn't deserve to speak to a rabbi, to be in his presence, but this man has changed her life. he has healed when all else has failed. she tells jesus what she did, and he blesses her, tells her that she has been made well because she believed, to go in peace, which means, the deal is sealed. she is completely healed, she doesn't need to worry about this sickness ever again. in this instance, jesus did not preform any big act. he didn't lift a finger. this woman's faith, has healed her. her seeking and acting by faith has changed her life and christ blesses her for her actions.
jesus reaches the house of the rabbi. they are too late, the daughter has died. at this point, everyone is in extreme mourning. families and towns were close. people are intimately involved with their neighbors. the father of the girl who has just heard this news has probably just fell apart inside. he is too late. he has failed his daughter.
when jesus tells the mourners not to fear, the girl is not dead, but "sleeping," he is mocked. people laugh, there is not faith in him. jesus kicks out the unbelievers. he rids these people from the girls life. they will not bear her or her family any good fruit if they did not hope for the girl when the "last resort" came. jesus tells the father, "don't be afraid, just believe." (36) jesus does not ask the man for anything else, just faith in him. thats it. he doesn't ask him to do anything for him, there's no, 'fast for 30 days' or any 'give up smoking' or 'be more deserving of what i'm about to do' here. it's blind faith again. this rabbi is like the sick woman, probably hasnt seen jesus work, and probably hasn't ever considered in believing in him until now. but how can this man believe that jesus can heal his daughter? she's already dead. this is impossible.
jesus took his 3 disciples and the girls parents into the bedroom where the girl was sleeping. jesus simply takes hold of the girls hand and says to her, "talitha, cumi" (41) this literally means, "little girl, i say to you, arise." immediately the girl stand up and begins to walk. the bible says everyone in the room was completely amazed. (42) the mother and father are probably still crying. there are probably no words for them to say to express their complete awe or their complete joy that their precious daughter is alive once again. they have been given a second chance. their baby has been restored. their 12 year old little girl, their talitha, is alive. she once was dead, but now she's alive.
this miracle has occurred because the father did have faith in jesus. sometimes we feel we need to whole heartedly believe, beyond a doubt, that jesus is real, that he's present, and that here is a miracle he's going to perform. but this is not true. how could this woman, who suffered and had hopes for new treatment after new treatment whole heartedly believe that touching a mans robe would bring the healing she's seeking? how could a man whose daughter is dead, 100% believe that this so called miracle worker criminal heal his dead child? they both thought it was already too late for them. these people has faith, a mustard seeds worth of faith, but that's all we need. in mathew 17:20, god speaks that we can move mountains with faith the size of a mustard seed. he says that nothing will be impossible for you.
remember, you may be asleep, but you are not dead- there is the father, waiting to hold your hand and say, "talitha, arise" you may have suffered years, but nothing is impossible. things may be hard to believe in, but even if you can spare an inch of faith, jesus can repay in miles of miracles. your small faith can move mountains. offer what you can to the lord and pay no attention to those who doubt or mock you for this little faith. beautiful things come from little seeds. all jesus asks of you is to believe."
the messages of faith are still sticking with me, even a few days later. just thought it would be lj worthy. praying for you all<3