"Faith Worth Striving For" Luke 8:40-48

Luke 8:40–48 NRSV

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying. As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

INTRODUCTION

THE HOLMAN ILLUSTRATED BIBLE DICTIONARY REMINDS BELIEVERS THAT MIRACLES CAN BE:

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Miracles, Signs, Wonders

Events which unmistakably involve an immediate and powerful action of God designed to reveal His character or purposes.

IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME, GOD SENT JESUS, WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, JESUS, THE LILY OF THE VALLEY......JESUS

THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE, JESUS, THE BRIGHT MORNING STAR AND LIGHT OF THE MORNING.....JESUS, THE LIFTER

OF OUR HEADS.....JESUS, OUR STRONG TOWER......JESUS, THE KING OF GLORY......JESUS, THE PRINCE OF

PEACE......JESUS, OUR MASTER OF MIRACLES.....

CONSIDER FOR A MOMENT, BELOVEDS, ONE LIST OF BIBLE MIRACLES THAT READS THIS WAY:

JESUS - 43 MIRACLES DURING HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JUST 3 YEARS

MOSES - 38 MIRACLES OVER THE LIFETIME OF MOSES

ELISHA - 15 MIRACLES OVER THE LIFETIME OF ELISHA

ELIJAH - 11 MIRACLES OVER THE LIFETIME OF ELIJAH

ST. PETER - THE ROCK ON WHOM JESUS FOUNDED THE CHURCH WE KNOW AS THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 10

MIRACLES....

ST. PAUL - WHO MET JESUS ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD, AND WAS BLINDED BY CHRIST’S BEAUTIFUL LIGHT, 11

MIRACLES.....

AS FAR AS THE BIBLE IS CONCERNED, THIS MORNING, LET’S JUST CALL THIS A SHORT LIST OF MIRACLES....FOR

THERE ARE MANY MORE MIRACLES AND MANY MORE STORIES OF THE MIRACULOUS THAT THE BIBLE CONTAINS.....

THIS MORNING WE TURN TO 2 OF JESUS OWN MIRACLES, BELOVEDS, REMEMBERING THAT WE AGREED:

“WHEN WE AS GOD’S PARTNERS IN MISSION, ADD OUR HUMAN INITIATIVE

TO DIVINE INTERVENTION, WE ARE POSITIONED AND CALLED TO BRING ABOUT MIRACLES OF HEALING AND

HOPE FOR GOD’S PEOPLE.....”

BELOVEDS AS WE GATHER TOGETHER TODAY, WE WANT TO SEE WHAT THESE 2 MIRACLES OF JESUS BEAR IN

COMMON, TO HELP US SEE, FEEL, HEAR, TASTE AND TOUCH OUR NEXT MIRACLE.......

IT WAS ST. ANSELM OF CANTERBURY, WHO GAVE US THIS TREASURE THAT STANDS AT THE HEART OF OUR TEXT

TODAY, THAT STANDS AS A WAY FOR US TO DELVE DEEPER INTO FAITH, DEEPER INTO OUR TRUST AS WE DELVE

DEEPER INTO OUR BELIEFS INTO WHAT JESUS CAN DO ....

ST ANSELM SAID, “I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order that I may

understand; for of this I feel sure, that, if I did not believe, I would not understand.”

THE 1st THING TO NOTICE ABOUT JAIRUS & THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD

THEY UNDERSTOOD SOMETHING ABOUT JESUS AND HIS WONDER WORKING POWER.....THEY BOTH BELIEVED IN

JESUS WONDER WORKING POWER AND BEFORE THEY WENT TO HIM IN DESPERATION, THEY BELIEVED JESUS WAS

ABLE, IF THEY COULD JUST GET HIM TO SOMEHOW BE WILLING........WILLING TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR

SITUATION, WILLING TO SHARE IN THE NEXT MIRACLE EACH OF THEM, BOTH JAIRUS AND THE WOMAN WITH THE

ISSUE OF BLOOD NEEDED......

BETWEEN US AND OUR NEXT MIRACLE BELOVEDS, STANDS SOMETHING IMPORTANT FOR US TO REFLECT ON AND

MANY THINGS THAT WE’LL SEE IN THE LIGHT OF OUR BELIEFS AND IN THE GROUNDING OF OUR FAITH.......

BOTH JAIRUS AND THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD, BELIEVED IN JESUS.....AND KNEW THEIR OWN

DESPERATE SITUATIONS WERE IMPORTANT TO BRING INTO PROXIMITY WITH HIM........

SURE, WE CAN COME TO JESUS ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE DESPERATE......BUT HAVE WE HEARD THE PLEAS OF

FOLKS LIKE ANNE KENNEDY, THE WRITER FOR PATHOS.COM WHO LOOKED OUT OVER AMERICAN CULTURE AND

PROPOSED THIS ABOUT OUR PROBLEM AS BELIEVERS:

What I “love” about American culture now is that everyone believes—even Christians, sadly—that love in its

greatest and weightiest glory is little more than warm feelings of emotional affirmation. It’s possible, of

course, to give those feelings to God and other people, but because they are a limited commodity, stuck in

shipping containers of the coast of California, they must first be lavished upon oneself. Loving anyone else

only ever comes after the greatest love of all—ME.

WILL WE OR CAN WE EVEN DEEPEN OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER, OR LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS WE LOVE

OURSELVES BETTER BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT MIRACLE?

OR IS THE PROBLEM IN AMERICA EVEN DEEPER?

SEE, WHILE I APPRECIATE ANNE KENNEDY’S PROPOSITION......THE TIMES WE’RE LIVING IN AND THE THINGS WE’RE

LIVING THROUGH FEEL MORE LIKE ANNE LAMOTT’S OBSERVATION......LIKE WE’LL ALL COME TO OUR NEXT MIRACLE,

WHATEVER THAT MAY BE MORE LIKE JAIRUS AND THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD THAN WE’D THINK WE’D

EVER BE......DESPERATE, BELOVEDS.....DESPERATE.....LAMOTT OBSERVED THIS SADLY:

IT IS ALL HOPELESS. EVEN FOR A CRABBY OPTIMIST LIKE ME, THINGS COULDN’T BE WORSE. EVERYWHERE

YOU TURN, OUR LIVES AND MARRIAGES AND MORALE AND GOVERNMENT ARE FALLING TO PIECES. SO MANY

FRIENDS HAVE BROKEN CHILDREN. THE PLANET DOES NOT SEEM LONG FOR THIS WORLD. REPENT! OH,

WAIT, NEVER MIND I MEANT HELP! GOD.....HELP!!!!

WHAT I WANTED MY WHOLE LIFE WAS RELIEF FROM PRESSURE, ISOLATION, PEOPLE’S SUFFERING,

INCLUDING MY OWN. THAT IS REALLY ALL I WANT NOW. BESIDES DEALING WITH STANDARD-ISSUE FAMILY

CRISIS, HEARTBREAK, AND MISHEGAS ( A YIDDISH SAYING FOR CRAZINESS AND SENSELESS BEHAVIOR) I

FEEL I CAN’T STAND ONE SINGLE MORE DEATH IN MY LIFE....

WHEN THE MIRACLE FEELS LIKE IT’S JUST GETTING UP IN THE MORNING.....WHEN THE MIRACLE FEELS LIKE IT’S

JUST FINDING THE STRENGTH TO KEEP FACING EACH DAY.....TO TRY AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD AGAINST ALL

ODDS.........EVEN WHEN THE MIRACLE FEELS AS SMALL & SIMPLE AS TAKING YOUR NEXT BREATH..........

DO WE STILL HAVE FAITH TO KEEP LOOKING TOWARDS THE HEAVENS, BELOVEDS?

I LOVE THE GENTLE WAY CAROLINE MYSS REMINDS US:

IN THIS DOMAIN, MIRACLES ABOUND. YOU ARE AS LIKELY TO BE PART OF A MIRACLE AND HELP IT UNFOLD

AS YOU ARE TO RECEIVE ONE. THE POWER OF FAITH CAN TAKE ON THE PHYSICAL WORLD AND TURN

DREAMS INTO REALITY, HEAL ILLNESS IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, AND MAKE EASY EVERYTHING THAT WAS

DIFFICULT.

FAITH WORTH STRIVING FOR IS.....

THE FAITH OF THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD......FOR 12 YEARS THE TEXT TELLS US SHE SUFFERED, SHE

WENT FROM DOCTOR TO DOCTOR, SHE KNEW THE SHAME OF BEING CONSIDERED UNCLEAN, SHE HAD TO FIGHT

AGAINST STIGMA AND ISOLATION, SHE SPENT HER MONEY TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TRYING TO FIND HER WAY

BACK INTO COMMUNITY SOME KIND OF WAY........

The woman had no doubt heard of the miracle working power of Jesus Christ.  She must have thought that there is

no way He could come to me because of the blight that coming in contact with me would give Him.  If I could

secretly touch Him maybe without anyone knowing I would be healed and He would not be contaminated by my

uncleanness.

FAITH WORTH STRIVING FOR IS FAITH LIKE JAIRUS HAD.......KEEP READING THERE IN LUKE’S GOSPEL BELOVEDS,

AND YOU WILL READ LUKE 8: 49-53

Luke 8:49–53 NRSV

While he was still speaking, someone came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.” When Jesus heard this, he replied, “Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.” When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, “Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

BUT JUST WHEN THE WORLD GIVES UP.....JUST WHEN SOME FOLKS BELIEVE YOUR NEXT MIRACLE MIGHT JUST BE

IMPOSSIBLE, IMPROBABLE, UNREACHABLE IF NOT TOTALLY UNIMPORTANT.......WATCH WHAT JESUS DID:

Luke 8:54–56 KJV 1900

And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

FAITH WORTH STRIVING FOR OVERCOMES THE DOUBTS OF OTHERS........IT SHINES WHEN OTHERS DOUBT IT, AS IT

DID IN THE CASE OF JAIRUS’ FAMILY.......

FAITH WORTH STRIVING FOR IS FAITH, FAITH THAT MAKES YOU WELL.....AS IT DID IN THE CASE OF THE WOMAN

WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD FOR THAT WAS JESUS’ RESPONSE TO HER....THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF THIS REASSURING

VERSE:

Luke 8:48 NRSV

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

FAITH WORTH STRIVING FOR REKINDLES AND REAFFIRMS ALL THE GIFTS OF GOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD.....

IT BLESSES AND KEEPS ON BLESSING....THERE’S A CHRISTIAN SONG OF ENCOURAGEMENT WHOSE LYRICS POINT

TO OUR FAITH IN CHRIST SAYING:

Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper Light in the darkness, my God That is who You are

You wipe away all tears, You mend the broken heart You're the answer to it all, Jesus You wipe away all tears, You mend the broken heart You're the answer to it all, to it all Jesus, yeah!

FAITH, CHARLES WESLEY, THE GREAT METHODIST HYMN WRITER WROTE:

FAITH, MIGHTY FAITH, THE PROMISE SEES AND LOOKS TO GOD ALONE, LAUGHS AT IMPOSSIBILITIES AND CRIES, “IT

SHALL BE DONE....”

FAITH WORTH STRIVING FOR IS WAY MAKING FAITH, PROMISE KEEPING FAITH, FAITH THAT DOESN’T GIVE UP ON

YOUR NEXT MIRACLE BEFORE IT COMES TO PASS.....

CONCLUSION

GOD IS IN THE WORKSHOP NOW, GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR NEED.....NOR SKIPPED OVER YOUR TRAVAILS,

AND NEVER, NEVER STOPPED LOVING YOU.......

STRIVE TO KEEP YOUR FAITH IN TACT, NO MATTER WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH AND KEEP NEXT SUNDAY’S

MESSAGE ON YOUR MENU........AND RETURN FOR THE MESSAGE:

PRECIOUS MEMORIES BASED ON Psalm 77:11

Psalm 77:11 NIV

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

AND GIVE GOD YOUR BEST AS YOU CELEBRATE THE ENCOURAGING WORDS OF HELEN KELLER WHO SAID:

WHEN WE DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN, WE NEVER KNOW WHAT MIRACLE IS WROUGHT IN OUR LIFE, OR IN

THE LIFE OF ANOTHER

LET US PRAY..........