The Hope of Healing is a Healing Hope, Mark 5:25-34
Eric A. Snyder, Minister
Farwell Church of Christ
Sept 30, 2001
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it
was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though they were a very large mammal their throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
The teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was
impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah"
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him."
Faith is a big part of the human experience
There were countless examples of people who had faith one woman in particular
Then and now
The reality is that Jesus was a healer
And though Faith healing seems to only be the business of millionaire minister’s, and has been given a poor name It still happens today.
Now please don’t misunderstand me.
I don’t believe it happens in a show, I don’t believe that Televangelists heal people.
They have become the laughingstock of the Christian movement and to some degree given us all a black eye.
They have made us skeptical through their scandalous behavior.
But I also know of people who have prayed and they have been found clean of cancer.
That’s what’s going on here in this verse
People are coming to see the great healer
But on woman wants to be quietly healed
Read Mark 5:24-34
So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 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. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, ’Who touched me?’" 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
Pray
1.Faith in Jesus brings Hope (what we believe)
3 stages of personal faith
1. Belief
People refuse to believe that which they don’t want to believe, in spite of evidence. When explorers first went to Australia they found a mammal which laid eggs; spent some time in water, some on land; had a broad, flat tail, webbed feet, and a bill similar to a duck. Upon their return to England, they told the populace of this, and all felt it was a hoax. They returned to Australia and found a pelt from this animal and took it back to England, but the people still felt it was a hoax. In spite of the evidence, they disbelieved because they didn’t want to believe. cf. J. McDowell, Answers to tough questions, under "miracles"
We know the facts
We know of people who know the facts about Jesus
But it is not enough to just believe
That’s not the question Jesus asks
Jesus got his disciples together and asked them
Who do you say I am
2. Acceptance
Many people believe in Jesus Crucifixion But people, That is not the question.
What He wants to Know is do you accept this as a source of truth and power for your life?
and it is my conviction that there are many who Believe in the historical fact. But it makes no difference at all in their lives
My degree is in Christian education
I have a passion for teaching
The problem is that we sometimes think that education is an answer to everything
Go to the city and tell a kid that drugs are bad
What would they say, “I didn’t know that”
The truth is that people usually know what is self destructive
They only continue in self destructive behavior because they are seeking an escape. Anything to dull the painful reality that they live in.
Well the message today is the same as it was in Jesus’ day
Faith brings Hope.
Hope of something certain, something better
If you want to have complete faith you have to do more than believe, you have to accept,
That’s why Jesus said "If you confess me before men I will") But that’s not the whole story either you need
3 . Assurance
Little boy "I’m the greatest hitter in the world"
We can be assured of this “Jesus is Lord”
“Jesus is in control”
It is easy to be sure of ourselves
But how easy is it to be sure of someone else?
we need to have assurance that God will deliver
That is what gives us hope .
Hope is
What brought the woman to Jesus, she Believed in Him
What brought her to the edge of the garment
That which tells us there will be a better tomorrow
What compels us to face our lives
What kept Jesus on the Cross
All that makes a difference in our lives
Several years ago a survivor of the Holocaust named Ernie Marx spoke in southern Indiana to some high school students. He told of one of the things that stood out in his memory.
"The Germans wouldn’t let us took up at the sky. Because if you looked up, that gave you hope. We were not supposed to have hope. I saw many children bloodied beyond belief. Their only crime was they looked up."
Hope is a powerful factor of our lives.
Jesus is life
Jesus is a way our
Jesus brings us Hope
Jesus brings Healing
II. Faith in Jesus brings Healing
3. Specific ways Jesus Heals us
1 . Personally
He heals your emptiness
He heals your anxiety
He heals your low self image
I want you to look at this text and picture this woman
She’s broke, the doctor’s couldn’t help, A woman of faith
But a woman who felt embarrassed, she walked in the shadows
So empty a poor self image.
I want you to see what Jesus does, First the healing
Then he says Who touched my clothes
Peter. Jesus “let me explain something to you
This is a mob mobs push and shove and poke and you want to know who touched you.
"Jesus you don’t shop at Hudson’s You get touched all the time"
Jesus said “I felt power go out of me
Then I want you to watch this
The woman comes forward
Now I’m not sure why Jesus called attention to her but I know
That this was part of the healing
He had healed her physically
But when he calls attention to her He heals her personally
In that single act of acknowledging her Jesus is saying
You are somebody important to me
You thought you could hide in a crowd
But I want to tell you that you matter to me
You thought you were nobody
You felt like nobody cared
But Jesus is saying “I care”
And even if you come to me hidden in a crowd I will give you my time and attention.
2. Socially
Jesus heals the woman socially.
In her coming forward she is saying
“I have lived at the back of society for too long”
I am somebody because of Jesus
I have something to offer
And I will be heard
Jesus plan for the church is to heal you socially as well
If society has rejected you. Then Jesus message is the same.
You matter.
That’s why Church gatherings are so important. Because they give us an opportunity to spend time together and encourage each other.
But there is another aspect of this social healing in the church
It is summed up in the answer to this question
What do you contribute to the church?
There are so many things that do get done and there are so many more things that need to get done and I know a lot of people that don’t Lead a group, plan a dinner, join a ministry team
Simply because you feel inadequate, and you think that your contribution is not valuable or recognized.
And this morning Jesus has picked you out of the crowd and said You have something to offer. Your contribution is valid.
And thank you for doing your part.
3. Spiritually
Whatever you believed Jesus wants to clear it up
We are full of doctrines of our own creation
Who do you think God is we mesh mingle and twist until we come up with a set of beliefs that suit us
But when Jesus heals he cuts the garbage
Jesus Said I am the way
In other words all of what you believe can be summed up in one word
Jesus
III. Faith brings out Honesty
This woman came clean before the savior
And when Jesus heals you, you have no choice to but to tell them all that has happened.
Conc.: What about you
