Last Resort
October 30th, 2008
Scripture:
“Because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."Mark 5:28
Observation:
The word has gotten out about Jesus and His teaching, compassion and power to heal. A woman who has had an issue of blood for 12 years suffered through the treatments of many doctors and spent all her money is now destitute and without hope. Mark leaves out the social impact that an issue of blood has on an individual. Lepers will be her new neighbors outside the city limits. This woman moves into a crowd with a death sentence from the doctors and a death sentence if this crowd finds out she is unclean. We read the words that are uttered in her heart, “If I touch Him, I will be made well.”
Application:
Can you relate to this woman? Her story is not too far removed from where we were before we met Christ. We came to him spiritually destitute, without hope and in need of a healing savior. You may not have viewed yourself as such, but scripture tells us Romans 3:10-12 there is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. The wonderful response of Jesus knows the heart of the one who has reached out in faith, picks them out of the crowd and embraces them for all eternity.
Prayer:
Father, Help us remember the place where we reached out and touched you for the first time. Let us rejoice in the fact that you saw us in our need and had the spiritual sensitivity to heal us in our lostness.
— Kenny Hardin, congregational care pastor