DayBreaks for 7/07/15: Leaping Over the Barriers to Faith
Jesus had many fascinating encounters during his short time here on earth. One of the most interesting to me is told in Mark chapter 5:21 and running through the end of the chapter. There are at least two narratives intertwined in those verses: the raising of the little daughter of Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood who reached out to touch Jesus’ robe and was healed.
One of the reasons people often see faith as a religion about God instead of a relationship with God is that they feel they are not worthy of the attention of an Almighty God. “My problems are too small for God to care about.” Or “With all the pain and suffering in this world, why would God care about me?” are often how people give expression to their sense of insignificance.
Have you ever felt that way? I love to gaze up into the vast expanse of a starlit sky, even though it makes me feel so very small and insignificant in the cosmic sense. Even our planet (much larger than I!) is not even a speck of dust in the vast universe.
And yet, this story from Matthew 5 says in no uncertain terms that God is attentive to the heartache and suffering of all persons, no matter how insignificant they may seem in the great scheme of things.
Religion can certainly get in the way of a relationship with God. Faith is not about rules, regulations and religion. It is about human beings reaching out to a God who is already reaching out to us through Jesus, and in doing so, He reaches into the pain and anguish of our lives. The good news for the people in these verses is that ALL the barriers fall away. For the woman, for Jairus and for the little girl – the greatness of God and the good news of Jesus Christ eliminate all obstacles to health and life.
I am so glad that Jesus cares more about our wholeness and our living than he does about the details of religious convention! When I am in anguish and need his Presence, I do not need to worry that I am too great a sinner or that some folks would consider me to be unacceptable. I know that Jesus cared for a woman who was a social reject and for a little girl that was not among the children of his followers. And he cares for me!
© 2015, Galen C. Dalrymple.
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DayBreaks Devotions 