Your Faith Has Made You Well

6-7-26

Hoonah-Hadley

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Call to Worship Psalm 33:1-12

Daily Verse Matthew 9:22

Your Faith Has Made You Well

“But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her, He said, ‘Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.’” It has long since occurred to me that God’s word is for all people regardless of time, geographical location or race. When you fill out an application that ask what your “race” is, it seems the “human” race is the correct response. There are some folks that listen to the sermon and take notes. Others may read it. A few sleep through it. Most, probably click on the garbage bin and send it off to the land fill where some poor, hungry soul will pick it up and taste and see that the Lord is good. Some of God’s word is palatable, some is not, we tend to take the good and say, “no thank you” to the bad. In 1804 President Thomas Jefferson re-wrote the bible, cut and pasted what is now known as the “Jefferson Bible”. What actually happened may have got lost in the shuffle, but truth be told, we kind of do that, don’t we? God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love, that’s the God most people want. But, He is also a jealous, wrathful, unquenchable fire. No thank you. Here comes the free will argument. In its simplicity, you say yes to Christ, you receive His love, you say no, it’s His wrath. Listen to Isaiah 45:7 “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity: I, the Lord, do all these things.” Jesus was walking through a crowd when that woman touched the hem of His garment. She wasn’t even allowed to be there because of her “issue”. Jesus didn’t heal everybody. Can you reach out and touch His garment? Just a little faith will do.

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How much is a little? Matt. 17:20 “So Jesus said to them, ‘…if you have faith as a mustard seed…nothing will be impossible for you.’” How big is a mustard seed? Not big at all, actually very small, which is mostly why Jesus used it as an example. But it is considered in part, a spice. Maybe He meant we need to spice up our faith just a little. Either way, Jesus says, a little faith goes a long way. Let’s make a few observations before they get lost again to the mustard seed. “And suddenly, a woman…came from behind…” Jesus was actually on another mission, this woman came out of nowhere. In other words, there was not a whole lot of time or thought that went into this transaction. Don’t think you need to get your ducks in a row before approaching Jesus. Now is good. Suddenly will do. In Lukes account, she “spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any…” Twelve years she had this issue, she spend all she had, herein the proverbial quote, “when you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.” This is often the case, it takes coming to the end of our resources, literally to the end of ourselves, to see Jesus. Story time! One Sunday afternoon at the prison bible study, tucked in the little 10x12 room with a dozen or so inmates, the preacher told the men, “We’re here to let God have His way with us. If you feel compelled, speak up.” And so this fellow did, he told his story. Never been in church, never opened the bible, never put a nickel in the offering plate. Was shot 17 times in a drive by shooting on the southside of Pittsburgh. Laying on the concrete bleeding to death, the kind soul that shot him came up to finish the job. “Dear Lord” he said. The fellow stuck the gun to his head, pulled the trigger and the gun jammed. When there is no hope left in sight, on that stormy, stormy night, the faith of a mustard seed will do. “For she said to herself…” God knows our thoughts, the words before we speak them.

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Talking to yourself under dire straits with a little mustard may suddenly prove profitable. Isaiah 30:19 “…how gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you.” Jeremiah 29:13-14 “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” By faith we understand, Hebrews 11:1-3 actually defines faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand…” The bible is saturated with “faith”, “faithful”, “faithfully”, “faithfulness”, even “faithless”. Listen to Psalm 101 highlights, “…The deeds of faithless men I hate…My eyes will be on the faithful of the land…” Only 8 verses, wow! What a chapter. You want God in His undiluted sternness, read Psalm 101, massive, volcanic! It takes a whole bible to make a whole child of God. We don’t want to suggest any one verse or chapter is above the others, but, we could say Hebrews 11 is completely dedicated to faith. You want a definition, you want examples, Hebrews chapter 11. “By faith Abel offered to God…By faith Enoch…By faith Noah…By faith Abraham…By faith Sarah…By faith Isaac…By faith Jacob…By faith Joseph…By faith Moses…By faith the walls of Jericho fell down…” Vs. 6 “But without faith it is impossible to please God, for those who come to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” This would be a perfect place and time to wander off into Romans 10:17 and Psalm 1. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God…Blessed is the one who meditates on His word day and night, they shall be like trees planted by streams of water…in all that they do they prosper.” He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. So, what do you say, let’s collect our reward. Won’t you join me in seeking Him. Diligence has its reward.

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In Luke’s account of our lesson, this Jarius, whose daughter was dying, “fell down at Jesus feet and begged Him.” Then the woman with the issue who could not be healed by anyone, “she came trembling; and falling down before Him.” In both cases, there is a sincere desperation of coming to Christ. Praying on your knees is a sign of humility, reverence and surrender. Daniel did it, Moses and Aaron did it, Ezekiel did it, Jesus himself did it, and countless others for thousands of years have gotten on their knees at the end of themselves, with faith, in humility, and gave it all to Christ. In other words, their plea matches their posture. Who can know the heart? Jeremiah 17:10 “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind.” If we said it once, we’ve said it a million times, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time, and you can fool God none of the time. True healing comes only through Christ and in our lesson, it comes when their plea matches their posture. In the Levitical law if you touched someone unclean, you became unclean. This woman with the issue of blood for 12 years was unclean, she had a problem. Matthew chapter 9 we have opposites, contrast, the tale of two tapes. We have the Pharisees who thought they were on the inside, and we have Jarius and the woman with the issue who thought they were on the outside. Jesus turns things inside out. Those who appear to be on the inside find themselves outside, and those who are obviously on the outside are brought inside with a touch and a prayer. Jesus touches the untouchable. Her cure came not from touch, but from trust. Her touch brought together two elements, faith and Jesus. She came privately, she left publicly. She came sick, she left well. She came broken, she left whole. Jesus is in the healing business, it’s what He does. In need of healing? Reach out your hand and touch Him with faith. Amen.