MAY 21st 2020

THURSDAY 21st MAY 2020

Good morning friends, and there is the promise of sunny day ahead, which always lightens my spirit.

We continue to look at the ways Jesus heals.

Jesus said, “God’s Spirit is on me;

he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor..........”.

Over the years I’ve had different thought on who the “poor” are that Jesus has come to bring the “good news” to. For, there are different ways of being impoverished.

One healing account found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s gospels tell of a woman who is in poor shape, physically emotionally and spiritually. I can direct you to read Mark’s account, at chapter 2:25-34.

We hear of a woman who has been ill for 12 years. She is poor financially, for we read, “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.”

She is poor emotionally, and spiritually, for her condition has been deemed “unclean” and so must exercise social isolation from people, including family, and her place of worship. Here then we find a woman who has found herself living in an enforced state of lockdown.

Sound familiar??

And yet, and yet..............there is a force which is greater than that which can reach into her impoverished being. There is one within her reach, who will reach out to her and set her free. And the one who said he has come “to bring good news to the poor, to set the prisoners free “is close at hand.

The Sprint of God has called to her weakened spirit to take a risk, a leap of faith, ‘ When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought,

“If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

She must have felt elated, suddenly after all these years of anguish, she was felt well in her body.

But, these were more to come, for Jesus has a holistic approach to healing.

Something we always have to keep in our minds.

He knew someone had touched his garment, and wanted to know who is was.

There were lots of people crowding round him, yet he sensed that inner healing was also needed.

And so............... Jesus kept looking around to see who had touched him. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

And so, set free from poverty of body, mind and spirit, this daughter goes to live out her life in peace.

I wonder if your life feels a little impoverished at the moment. Social distancing, from family and friends, not being able to gather together to worship, perhaps you are worried about health issues your own or other folks, maybe you find that your body, mind and spirit are out of kilter.............

Perhaps this is the day to come to Jesus, to touch base with him, to let him tend to you with all the riches of his of his grace and love.

There’s a wee chorus I learned years ago,................let it be our prayer today.

Lord Jesus Christ, lover of all, trail wide the hem of your garment.

Bring healing, bring peace.