Reaching out… -- Matthew 9:18-26
Reaching out… -- Matthew 9:18-26
By Pastor Lee Hemen
October 6, 2019
How would you respond to someone you did not know needing help that you knew you could easily give? Be careful how you respond because you may be challenged sooner than you think. Here in this passage we discover Jesus going about his ministry and he is asked to respond to one request and while doing so he is interrupted and must decided what to do next. Certainly we are not Jesus but as his disciples we may be asked to respond to situations that could challenge our faith, our integrity, or our character as a Christian.
In the following passage we find Jesus responding to someone who is well established and with means and while doing so he is interrupted by a woman of little social value or influence. How he responds teaches us how we are to respond to others around us, let’s discover what happens when Jesus is in the act of reaching out…
READ: Matthew 9:18-26
What if the person you were asked to help was a politician you did not agree with? Jesus is faced with just such a decision and we discover that…
I. We should respond to those who reach out! (Vv. 18-19)
While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
1. Jesus had just been questioned about the fasting practices of his disciples and the argument is nothing new. I’ve heard it rephrased when folks accuse me of not being the “Christian” they think I should be: “I thought you were a Christian?” But immediately following his confrontation with the followers of John the Baptist Jesus has to respond to his latest challenge. We discover that “While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.’” Matthew’s account is more of a Reader’s Digest condensed version whereas Luke tells a more detailed description. We learn from Luke that the ruler’s name is Jarius and he was “a ruler of the synagogue”. He comes and falls at Jesus’ feet begging and pleading with Jesus to come and heal his daughter. Before he could have been one of those who distrusted Jesus and sought to have him convicted of blasphemy but now he saw Jesus as his daughter’s only hope. Never forget that many of those we come into contact with that reach out to us might be doing so because of Jesus in our lives and they sense we are their only hope. Jarius had come to realize Jesus was his hope and Jesus saw this and “got up and went with him, and so did his disciples”. God places people in our lives for a reason. Jarius was there at that moment because the crowd, the disciples, and now those of us who are willing to listen and understand the simple truth that we should respond to those who reach out!
EXAMPLE: I was amazed at how people at Disneyland spent more time on their cell phones than spending time with their families. Do you realize that all the selfies you take, the text messages you write, or the games you play will mean nothing in a few years? They are stolen moments of your time that you have allowed yourself to be robbed of that you can never gain back. What is more important, meeting a specific need or taking another selfie? We should respond to those who reach out!
When you are in the midst of doing something important it can be irritating to be interrupted, but did you realize that God often disrupts our lives? And here we discover that…
II. We should reach out to the immediate need before us! (Vv. 20-22)
Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.
1. Carpe diem, a phrase that comes from the Roman poet Horace, means literally “Pluck the day”, though it’s usually translated as “Seize the day”. It comes from the notion of picking a blossom, piece of fruit, or a grape. You pluck the day and make it yours. We often forget that God has given us each day we live and here in Matthew’s account we discover that while Jesus is headed to Jarius’ house “a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve year came up behind [Jesus] and touched the hem of his cloak”! She plucked the moment. Again, Luke being more descriptive relates that the crowds were so large that they were “crushing” Jesus and that her need was out of desperation. No one had been able to cure her. No one. Luke writes that “She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.” Matthew adds her thoughts for doing so because she needed to gain her courage, being a woman – who is sick – daring to touch a Rabbi, a man in public. “She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’” Wow, can you imagine the moment? I wonder if we realize the courage of those who come to us for prayer, for answers, for kindness or counsel and not realize it. Jesus has the moment within his grasp to pluck. Luke relates that Jesus stops and asks, “Who touched me?” Matthew writes that “Jesus turned and saw her.” Peter the pragmatist sarcastically responds exactly like many us do, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you!” Jesus knew because the Spirit had been stirred within him and had “gone out” of him and he wanted to see if the woman had the faith to admit it, and she does! Luke says that “Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.” Jesus relieves her fears, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.” Perhaps we need to seize the moment God gives us and pluck the fruit within our grasp? We should reach out to the immediate need before us!
EXAMPLE: Recently at Disneyland my wife and I decided that we would take the time to let those who work there know that we appreciated them. It was amazing to see how it brightened the day of these workers. They are underpaid, often unappreciated, and serve a public that can be dismissive and derisive. We would find a ride operator, a person who collected the 3D glasses, or a food vendor and let them know that we not only appreciated their willingness to do their job but how they did it. Janitors smiled, ride attendants had renewed enthusiasm, and all were sincerely appreciative. We discovered that we should reach out to the immediate need before us!
Interruptions can either be seen by us as inconvenient or a blessing. Each day and each moment in life either will mature us or irritate us and the choice is ours to make. Here we learn that…
III. We may have to overcome hurdles in reaching out! (Vv. 23-26)
When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
1. And now, as they say, the rest of the story: Jesus continues to where he was going in the first place; you remember the ruler’s house! Luke shares the starkness of the moment when “While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler.” And news he brings is not good: “‘Your daughter is dead,’ he said. ‘Don't bother the teacher anymore.’” However Luke continues and relates “Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.’” You see God knows our lives. He knows our coming and going, our joys and sorrows. He knew Jarius’ fears and the love he had for his daughter. Does this mean God will heal everyone miraculously who asks? No because God knows who we are and in this knowing understands what we need at the moment; and Jarius, the disciples, and the crowd needed something different than what we or others might need. They needed to know who Jesus is, so “When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, ‘Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.’” Jesus knew they did not believe. Luke writes that “They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.” Matthew relates that they laughed as well. It was a scoffing, disbelieving, derisive laughter. But Jesus would have none of it and “After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.” The crushing crowds, the fearful father, and the ill-mannered mourners did not stop Jesus from reaching out to a little girl who needed his ministry. What stops you from reaching out to those around you in need? But when we do like Jesus we see that “News of this spread through all that region.” And isn’t this what it is all about? We learn here that we may have to overcome hurdles in reaching out!
EXAMPLE: We had walked over ten miles in the hot California sun but we had a good time. We were now heading home to our hotel room to rest and relax and perhaps take a dip in the hotel pool. I noticed several Disneyland cast members walking beside us, weary and tired, heading to their bus to take them to their cars so they too could head home. I turned to a group of them and related, “Ladies, thank you so much for making our time at Disneyland enjoyable.” They kind of looked up and replied, “You’re welcome.” But I continued, “Ladies, I know you may not get a lot of thanks but it is because of folks like you who are willing to put up with people like us and do it with charm, kindness, and a willingness to make out time enjoyable – please I sincerely want to say, ‘Thank you’!” They all smiled, walked a bit straighter, and replied, “You’re very welcome and thank you.” We may have to overcome hurdles in reaching out!
Conclusion:
We should respond to those who reach out! We should reach out to the immediate need before us! We may have to overcome hurdles in reaching out!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
October 6, 2019
How would you respond to someone you did not know needing help that you knew you could easily give? Be careful how you respond because you may be challenged sooner than you think. Here in this passage we discover Jesus going about his ministry and he is asked to respond to one request and while doing so he is interrupted and must decided what to do next. Certainly we are not Jesus but as his disciples we may be asked to respond to situations that could challenge our faith, our integrity, or our character as a Christian.
In the following passage we find Jesus responding to someone who is well established and with means and while doing so he is interrupted by a woman of little social value or influence. How he responds teaches us how we are to respond to others around us, let’s discover what happens when Jesus is in the act of reaching out…
READ: Matthew 9:18-26
What if the person you were asked to help was a politician you did not agree with? Jesus is faced with just such a decision and we discover that…
I. We should respond to those who reach out! (Vv. 18-19)
While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
1. Jesus had just been questioned about the fasting practices of his disciples and the argument is nothing new. I’ve heard it rephrased when folks accuse me of not being the “Christian” they think I should be: “I thought you were a Christian?” But immediately following his confrontation with the followers of John the Baptist Jesus has to respond to his latest challenge. We discover that “While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.’” Matthew’s account is more of a Reader’s Digest condensed version whereas Luke tells a more detailed description. We learn from Luke that the ruler’s name is Jarius and he was “a ruler of the synagogue”. He comes and falls at Jesus’ feet begging and pleading with Jesus to come and heal his daughter. Before he could have been one of those who distrusted Jesus and sought to have him convicted of blasphemy but now he saw Jesus as his daughter’s only hope. Never forget that many of those we come into contact with that reach out to us might be doing so because of Jesus in our lives and they sense we are their only hope. Jarius had come to realize Jesus was his hope and Jesus saw this and “got up and went with him, and so did his disciples”. God places people in our lives for a reason. Jarius was there at that moment because the crowd, the disciples, and now those of us who are willing to listen and understand the simple truth that we should respond to those who reach out!
EXAMPLE: I was amazed at how people at Disneyland spent more time on their cell phones than spending time with their families. Do you realize that all the selfies you take, the text messages you write, or the games you play will mean nothing in a few years? They are stolen moments of your time that you have allowed yourself to be robbed of that you can never gain back. What is more important, meeting a specific need or taking another selfie? We should respond to those who reach out!
When you are in the midst of doing something important it can be irritating to be interrupted, but did you realize that God often disrupts our lives? And here we discover that…
II. We should reach out to the immediate need before us! (Vv. 20-22)
Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.
1. Carpe diem, a phrase that comes from the Roman poet Horace, means literally “Pluck the day”, though it’s usually translated as “Seize the day”. It comes from the notion of picking a blossom, piece of fruit, or a grape. You pluck the day and make it yours. We often forget that God has given us each day we live and here in Matthew’s account we discover that while Jesus is headed to Jarius’ house “a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve year came up behind [Jesus] and touched the hem of his cloak”! She plucked the moment. Again, Luke being more descriptive relates that the crowds were so large that they were “crushing” Jesus and that her need was out of desperation. No one had been able to cure her. No one. Luke writes that “She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.” Matthew adds her thoughts for doing so because she needed to gain her courage, being a woman – who is sick – daring to touch a Rabbi, a man in public. “She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’” Wow, can you imagine the moment? I wonder if we realize the courage of those who come to us for prayer, for answers, for kindness or counsel and not realize it. Jesus has the moment within his grasp to pluck. Luke relates that Jesus stops and asks, “Who touched me?” Matthew writes that “Jesus turned and saw her.” Peter the pragmatist sarcastically responds exactly like many us do, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you!” Jesus knew because the Spirit had been stirred within him and had “gone out” of him and he wanted to see if the woman had the faith to admit it, and she does! Luke says that “Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.” Jesus relieves her fears, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.” Perhaps we need to seize the moment God gives us and pluck the fruit within our grasp? We should reach out to the immediate need before us!
EXAMPLE: Recently at Disneyland my wife and I decided that we would take the time to let those who work there know that we appreciated them. It was amazing to see how it brightened the day of these workers. They are underpaid, often unappreciated, and serve a public that can be dismissive and derisive. We would find a ride operator, a person who collected the 3D glasses, or a food vendor and let them know that we not only appreciated their willingness to do their job but how they did it. Janitors smiled, ride attendants had renewed enthusiasm, and all were sincerely appreciative. We discovered that we should reach out to the immediate need before us!
Interruptions can either be seen by us as inconvenient or a blessing. Each day and each moment in life either will mature us or irritate us and the choice is ours to make. Here we learn that…
III. We may have to overcome hurdles in reaching out! (Vv. 23-26)
When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
1. And now, as they say, the rest of the story: Jesus continues to where he was going in the first place; you remember the ruler’s house! Luke shares the starkness of the moment when “While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler.” And news he brings is not good: “‘Your daughter is dead,’ he said. ‘Don't bother the teacher anymore.’” However Luke continues and relates “Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.’” You see God knows our lives. He knows our coming and going, our joys and sorrows. He knew Jarius’ fears and the love he had for his daughter. Does this mean God will heal everyone miraculously who asks? No because God knows who we are and in this knowing understands what we need at the moment; and Jarius, the disciples, and the crowd needed something different than what we or others might need. They needed to know who Jesus is, so “When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, ‘Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.’” Jesus knew they did not believe. Luke writes that “They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.” Matthew relates that they laughed as well. It was a scoffing, disbelieving, derisive laughter. But Jesus would have none of it and “After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.” The crushing crowds, the fearful father, and the ill-mannered mourners did not stop Jesus from reaching out to a little girl who needed his ministry. What stops you from reaching out to those around you in need? But when we do like Jesus we see that “News of this spread through all that region.” And isn’t this what it is all about? We learn here that we may have to overcome hurdles in reaching out!
EXAMPLE: We had walked over ten miles in the hot California sun but we had a good time. We were now heading home to our hotel room to rest and relax and perhaps take a dip in the hotel pool. I noticed several Disneyland cast members walking beside us, weary and tired, heading to their bus to take them to their cars so they too could head home. I turned to a group of them and related, “Ladies, thank you so much for making our time at Disneyland enjoyable.” They kind of looked up and replied, “You’re welcome.” But I continued, “Ladies, I know you may not get a lot of thanks but it is because of folks like you who are willing to put up with people like us and do it with charm, kindness, and a willingness to make out time enjoyable – please I sincerely want to say, ‘Thank you’!” They all smiled, walked a bit straighter, and replied, “You’re very welcome and thank you.” We may have to overcome hurdles in reaching out!
Conclusion:
We should respond to those who reach out! We should reach out to the immediate need before us! We may have to overcome hurdles in reaching out!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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