April 4, 2025
Underestimating
Friends, no doubt we are all familiar with the Gospel that gives us sort of a two-for-one.
In Mark's Gospel (5:21-43), the healing of the daughter of a synagogue official and, seemingly, while that is playing out, we are interrupted by the healing of a woman who was afflicted with hemorrhaging for twelve years.
As I read this Gospel earlier this week, two reactions came to me. First, I take these healings in stride. Second, I do not adopt what God is doing here to my life.
First, 'taking something in stride' is an idiom that means to deal calmly with a difficult or unexpected situation. Reading the Gospel is not 'difficult' for me, but I let it all too often become humdrum. The healing that Jesus does time and time again in the Gospels must affect me, must affect us in the truest sense, today. Affect as in this can be done for me, but it begs the question, Do I believe that? Do I have faith?
The woman who touched the hem of Jesus' cloak: Do we literally know that we can touch and be healed just as this woman was? Do we believe that those who are afflicted, spiritually or physically, can be healed by Jesus touching them? In short, can what Jesus did then be done today? Can Jesus work through any one of us so that a touch can heal us? He can.
I have long thought that the problem with my faith is that I underestimate God and friends, that is a ridiculous statement, but a true one.
We are all "wired" with all that goes on in our world. We are busy, to the point that letting Jesus act is a real challenge. In this Gospel Jesus yet again explains all we need in a succinct statement: "Do not be afraid; just have faith."
Faith. Faith in God in all things. The belief that we can bring anything to Him and He can do the impossible precisely as He did in this 2-for1 Gospel. It's our lack of faith that gets in the way.
Let us try to remember this: What Jesus says is!
This song by Chris Tomlin, "Is He Worthy," may help us remember what He can do and what we owe Him, but remember, in God's eyes, we are all worthy of what He bestows on us.
Does the Father truly love us?(He does)Does the Spirit move among us?(He does)And does Jesus, our Messiah hold forever those He loves?(He does)Does our God intend to dwell again with us?(He does) (from Is He Worthy)
Let us not underestimate God. He can do all things.
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