Some of You Need to Hear This

For those who need to hear this:

Devotional for today Matthew 9:18-26

We read about a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years. She sneaks in-between the crowd to touch the hem/edge of Jesus' garment. She does this because she believes that even if she touches Him, even in the most smallest way, she will be healed. But the other reason she does this is to be undetected. You see in that culture a woman's menstrual made her "unclean" and in fact she was suppose to separated from the town's people until she was "clean" again. This is a law we read in the Old Testament's book of Leviticus 15. Never should an unclean thing touch or even be near a clean thing, but she wanted to be healed. She wanted to go unnoticed as to not cause a scene. She had faith Christ could heal her, but she didn't  know how much He would love her.

We read however that Jesus feels the power leave from within Him and He addresses her-which was probably the one thing she didn't want from Him. For by the law if something unclean intentional or unintentionally touched a clean thing on the low end the spectrum both items were unclean and had to go through a ritual to be re-cleansed or on the high end of the spectrum the unclean thing would be put to death.

But note Jesus doesn't say anything about the law. Jesus doesn't condemn her. He is the only "clean"  thing that can never be contaminated. He calls her daughter. He declares her forgiven.

***
A lot of you don't go to church because you're afraid God's going to send a lightening bolt down on you once you walk in or that the building is going to catch on fire. You think these outrageous thoughts because, "How could God love and accept someone like me?" You recognize the enormous holiness of which you are entering. You acknowledge the fact that God is so much more deserving of anything we could ever offer and yet how could we ever be clean enough to enter His presence?

We read just previous to this woman being healed that Jesus was eating at a houseful of "tax collectors and sinners." The religious people scuffed at Him, but He responded: "It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick." Verse 12

For sinners like me, I want to tell you that God came for people exactly like you.

Jesus is not ashamed of you.

In fact He calls you out of your hiding, calls you out from the crowd, out from the places that are dark, lonesome, and seemed to have been forgotten.

He calls you and names you:
daughter, brother, mother, friend...

There is no condemnation in Jesus.

And His holy place is not contained in four walls, but with His people. People like you and me-the sinners, whom by His sanctification makes into saints.

Everyday you awaken you're given God's grace and are within His presence: for He is everywhere. On the hilltop He can meet you, in the valley He can meet you, in the jail cell He can meet you, and the bathrooms He can meet you, in your bedroom He can meet you, on the street He can meet you, in churches, in buses, in camps, in high-rises, and in shacks, in mud huts, in concerts, in seminaries, in all places you can meet find Him. (Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29:13)

The next thing I want to say is this-
there are those who are coming to Jesus, but oh so tentatively. You believe in His goodness, His mercy, His forgiveness, but you're also keeping an arms length away because you're afraid of what He might do to you if you give Him more than just your immediate need.

Is that true of you today?

Are you afraid of experiencing all of who God is because you're afraid He will be angry at the dark parts of your heart? Are you afraid that coming to Him fully because of what He might ask you to do next?

Later in the gospels we read that little children are coming to hang out with Jesus. The disciples though try to shew them away. Jesus stops the disciples and says, "Let the children come to me, because the kingdom is made of people like this." (Matthew 19:13-15)

Children are so free spirited and sometimes crazy; yet, here is Jesus welcoming even them with opened arms.

Come like a child, let Him heal and pray over you for He is gentle at heart and kind in spirit (Matthew 11:25-30). Like the prophet Isaiah said, "let all who are thirsty come." (Isaiah 55)

Be bold like the woman and I encourage you to keep coming to Jesus!

Yet do know at some point He is going to address you. Do not fear, little one, because the parts you were trying to hide He already knows & sees yet still calls you to be with Him (John 4: 1-26).

Note the woman in our story of Matthew 9 wasn't fully healed, at least spiritually healed, until Jesus SPOKE to her. Don't just take your physical body to God, take all of who you are. Let the Living Water speak to you.

What will He say?

I have no doubt it'll be like the psalmist has said in Psalm 119:97-104

"Father God,

You are my healer. You see and know me. I praise your holy name. I thank you for being the one I can always come to. I thank you that I'm able to because of what Jesus has done for me. Lord, forgive me and make me clean. Thank you for dwelling with me and loving me. Holy Spirit, speak for your servant is listening.

In Jesus' name, let it be so."