|
                  
| |
A Woman and Her Faith
Text: Mark 5:21-34
Introduction:
Have you ever seen a politician work a crowd? I have seen many politicians
that seemingly knew exactly who I was and what I needed.
Recently as the cameras rolled as a nationally known politician was
approached by a street person asking for a quarter. The politician referred
the woman to the campaign manager who gave her a brochure and told her to vote
the politician so she could help the poor.
Jesus perhaps was the very best at meeting people and knowing their needs
Jesus was good at knowing peoples needs because He made himself accessible,
available and flexible so that he could help people.
Discussion:
Jesus was accessible.
He was easy to get to see...
You didn't have to go through secretaries...
In fact His name "Emmanuel" means "God with us"
(Mat 1:22-23 NKJV) So all this was done that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: {23} "Behold,
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,"
which is translated, "God with us."
Jesus was available.
He would get to you, not just get back to you
He would never put you on hold.
He didn't pull out a day timer and say I've got a an hour for you two weeks
from Wednesday
He slept in their homes, ate their meals
He went to their parties and weddings
He was available!
Jesus was flexible.
Mark shows us a Lord that is constantly being interrupted.
In Mark 1, he drove out a demon that interrupted his sermon
In Mark 2 he healed a man lowered on a matte through the hole in the roof,
In Mark 4 he was interrupted during a nap because the apostles were angry
and scared.
Jesus knew when to stop going one direction and start going in another
direction.
We need to have the ability to prioritize!
Jesus knew when to meet what needs of people
Jesus was accessible, available and flexible so that he could meet the needs
of this woman. Here is a woman who was the lowest on the social ladder that
there was. WHY?
She was a woman, poor, old, weak, and sick...not just sick, but a sickness
that was considered unclean.
She couldn't be with other people; she couldn't go to any social and
religious functions.
She had suffered for twelve years and spent every penny that she had trying
to get well.
In verse 27 she heard about Jesus! She believed that Jesus could heal her
A faith that really believes always acts.
(James 2:14-24 NKJV) What does it profit, my brethren,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
{15} If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, {16} and
one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but
you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
{17} Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. {18} But
someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your
faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. {19} You
believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and
tremble! {20} But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without
works is dead? {21} Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he
offered Isaac his son on the altar? {22} Do you see that faith was
working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? {23} And
the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was
accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.
{24} You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
But because of social customs, she couldn't speak to Jesus or address him
publicly, so she touched the hem of his garment. She felt power going into her
body and he felt power leaving his body.
Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" Why?
- He may have wanted to give this woman a chance to express her faith.
- To contrast her attitude with that of the crowd!
- Other people touched Jesus, didn't they?
- The power wasn't in the clothe, but in her faith.
- He wanted to say "this woman has come to me today differently than
all of the rest of you."
Jesus stopped to let the women know that he cared
A politician doesn't do that; he could have been ambivalent to her needs.
She is the only women in the Bible that Jesus called
"daughter,"...and this made her feel as though she was somebody.
Jesus was always stopping to pay some attention to somebody that nobody else
would have paid attention to. Such as Zacchaeus, Bartemaes, the man born
blind, and many others...
Have you ever been made to feel special? I have... My debate coach
So what are we going to do with a story like this?
This is a challenge for us to get in touch with Jesus and his way of doing
things, so that we can be more like him!
It's one thing to follow him in a crowd; it's another thing to follow him to
the cross.
We all must ask ourselves, "Why am I here today?"
God doesn't save crowds, or churches, but he saves people. He saves people
one at a time.
He saves people who reach out and live like she did.
(1 John 4:11-12 NKJV) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also
ought to love one another. {12} No one has seen God at any time. If we
love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
(1 John 3:16-19 NKJV) By this we know love, because He laid
down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren. {17} But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother
in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide
in him? {18} My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue,
but in deed and in truth. {19} And by this we know that we are of the
truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
This is challenge that says we must stay in touch with human needs
As a church we must be meeting the needs of other people who are in a
multitude of needs.
Here at worship it's easy to be a part of the crowd and never feel as though
we have the obligation to meet the needs of those in our community.
Application:
The Application is twofold. First we must put our faith into action.
We must love others in deed
|