Tuesday, April 8, 2008

"How To Touch Jesus"

"How To Touch Jesus"
Luke 8:40-54

If you want to learn how to touch Jesus, it’s a good idea to study those who did. Just like the disciples asked Jesus to "teach us to pray", it’s okay for us to ask Jesus to "teach us how to touch you."
VS 40
People gladly received Him,(welcomed Him gladly),
they were all waiting,(and looking for Him).
RECEIVED HIM WITH JOY
SPIRIT OF EXPECTATION
2 Tim.4:8 "He will come to those who long for His appearing."
VS 41
Jairus- A ruler,(man of importance and power).
A ruler of the synagogue,(the church who was trying to discredit Jesus).
HE FELL DOWN AT JESUS’ FEET. Though a ruler, he humbled himself, falling at the feet of Jesus.
HE BESOUGHT HIM/BEGGED HIM. That He would come into his house.
Jairus, is putting himself, his reputation and his job in jeopardy here. He is going to be criticized and ridiculed by the people he associates with, the religious people, for coming to Jesus.
What is so important to Jairus, that he is willing to risk it all ? What makes this religious leader fall down and beg at the feet of Jesus?
What makes a person not care about their status, or what others might say?
What is making Jairus forget everything else and focus on Jesus?
Nothing meant a thing to him. All he knew was, that he had heard about this man named Jesus. He had heard that Jesus could do the miraculous. Jairus had heard that Jesus had healed the sick.
Jairus didn’t care who saw him and he didn’t care who heard him. He was at the feet of Jesus begging Him to come into his house, and heal his dying daughter.
If we could step back in time, and be right there looking at and listening to Jairus, I wonder how he sounded?
Do you think he sounded non-chalant?
Jesus, if you want to do this, you can do this, whatever. Just do what you want to do. No biggie.
NO, I tell you i can hear desperation in his voice.
I can feel pain in his cries. I can see his chest and back heaving as he lay at Jesus’ feet, begging Him to come to his house. HIS DAUGHTERS LIFE IS ON THE LINE! HE IS IN DESPERATION MODE! THIS IS HIS LAST AND ONLY HOPE TO SAVE HER!
VS 42
He had one, only daughter.
Notice how the scripture seemingly repeats the same fact about Jairus’ daughter. Naturally if you had one daughter, it would be your only daughter. But I believe it’s written that way to show Jairus’ love for his one and only baby girl. Jairus’ daughter was young, around 12 years old, still living at home. She had been living a wonderful life, for the past 12 years.
Jairus’ one and only 12 year old daughter was lying at home....dying.
Now we know why Jairus is coming to Jesus.
Now we know why he is willing to risk it all.
Now we know why nothing else in Jairus’ world mattered to him at this moment.
No one could help him, his friends, his religion, his status, his job, his money or his possessions could help.
AS JESUS WENT
Jesus was on His way with Jairus to his house. I can picture them trying to speedily get there, with Jairus tugging at Jesus to get Him to go faster. But as Jesus went, the bible tells us that something was keeping them from going as fast as Jairus would like. The people began to throng Him. The people pressed together around Him, and according to the Amplified Bible, was almost suffocating Him.
Can’t you almost feel the panic in Jairus’ heart and mind. Here he had come to Jesus, and Jesus was going with him, they were both trying to get to his place, but they were stuck. They could hardly move. I’m sure Jairus was starting to feel frantic at this point.
And then for some strange reason we just leave Jairus for the next six verses. His story gets put on the back burner to simmer as another story starts to unfold.
VS 43
And a woman, (not a girl), having an issue of blood, (unclean, couldn’t even go to the synagogue), 12 years.
I find it interesting that 12 years is mentioned twice in these two verses. Jairus’ daughter had been living the exact amount of time, that this woman had been dying.
This woman has been slowly dying, bleeding to death, over the past 12 years. She had spent everything she had, she had gone to the best doctors, and nobody could help her.
If you look into it, it’s amazing all that this lady could not do in her state of uncleanness. You may remember when i spoke on "The Filthy Rag Syndrome", some of the things she wasn’t permitted to do.
After verse 43 gives us a brief glimpse into this womans life and her condition, verse 44 tells us what she does.
Now remember the scene. Jesus and Jairus was thronged and packed in by the multitude of people surrounding them.
VS 44
And in verse 44 we read that this sick, bleeding, unclean woman, pressed through the crowd. Remember she is not allowed to touch anyone. Like a leper, she should be saying "unclean, unclean".
But this little lady, pressed through the packed crowd, came up behind Jesus, and touched the border, or fringe, of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood ceased.
As we read this story, remember, no one knows whats going on with this woman. Jesus, Jairus, the disciples, the crowd, no one knows what this little lady is up to. As she fights her way closer to Jesus, as she pressed her way between the people, there is a faith building up, there is a desire just to touch the hem of his garment.
I don’t have any money left, the doctors took it all, and i’m no better.
But i’ve heard about a man. This man named Jesus.
I’ve heard that He can heal.
I’ve heard that He can do the impossible,
that He can work miracles.
I know i’m unclean, and not worthy to touch Him, but if I can just get close enough to fall at His feet and touch his garment.....
I’ve got to do it! It’s my only hope! It’s my last chance!
I may have nothing to offer, but i’m not giving up!
I may be weak , but i’m still pressing.
The border, hem or fringe of the garment was blue.
Border of blue symbolizes Heaven.
The pharisees made their borders wide to appear to be more spiritual than others.
How many of you know, that when you touch heaven, when you plug into the power of God, SOMETHING HAPPENS !
VS 45
Jesus does something peculiar here. He and Jairus, are on their way to Jairus’ house, but they are slowed down by the crowding people pressing them, and all of a sudden
Jesus said "WHO touched me ?"
All denied.
Isn’t me, Isn’t me, Isn’t me, I didn’t touch you, Not me, Nope, Don’t look at me, Wasn’t me.
Finally, Peter, and all those with him, said "Master, you gotta be kidding, the multitudes surround you, and throng you, and press you on every side, and you’re saying "Who touched me?" C’mon now.
VS 46
Jesus said "SOMEBODY TOUCHED ME, somebody did touch me, for i perceive that virtue/power is gone out of me, has gone forth from me."
Virtue=Power
WHOEVER TOUCHED ME, RECEIVED IT !
You know it and He knows it, when contact is made.
The Lord likes to touch and be touched.
VS 47
When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared in the presence of all the people, for what reason she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately, instantly healed.
VS 48
And Jesus said to her,"Daughter, be of good comfort,
YOUR FAITH, (your confidence and your trust in Me),
hath made thee whole, go in peace."
And just like that, the story shifts from her, back to Jairus.
VS 49
While Jesus was still speaking to the lady, someone from Jairus’ house , came and whispered to Jairus, "Your daughter is dead."
"Don’t weary and trouble Jesus anymore."
Can you imagine Jairus? His heart sank. He was without hope. He had lost his one and only daughter, while Jesus was on His way to his house. You can feel the sadness and hopelessness rising within Jairus. He had just seen Jesus heal a dying lady, just when he had been given hope, it was taken away. His daughter was dead. Then he was told to stop troubling Jesus, your wearying Him, your just being a bother.
VS 50
But when Jesus heard the sad news that was told to Jairus, he turned to him, looked him in he eye, and said "FEAR NOT, BELIEVE ONLY, and she shall be made whole."
Jesus had just told the lady with the issue, that her faith had made her whole. Now He’s telling Jairus to believe only, not to be afraid, and his dead daughter would be whole also. I’m sure Jairus at this point is going out of his mind, he is so conflicted, and Jesus calmly and compassionately tries to get Jairus to focus. I don’t know if Jairus felt like, what else do I have to lose, but he and Jesus keep walking.
The amplified reads "Do not be seized with alarm or struck with fear, simply believe, (in me as able to do this), and she shall be made well."
And when Jesus came to the house, everyone was weeping, and bewailing her.
Which is normal, she had just died. That’s the proper response.
VS 52
But Jesus had no time for explaining, He just told them all to "Stop weeping, stop your crying, she’s not dead, shes’s just sleeping."
VS 53
Do what? Is this man insane?
They began to laugh Jesus to scorn,
because they knew that she was dead.
VS 54
Jesus put them all out. Jesus has no use for doubt.
GET THE DOUBT, OUTTA THE HOUSE!
GET THE DOUBT OUT!
Jesus grasped her by the hand, and called, saying,
"Child, Arise."
How do you touch Jesus?
With faith and feeling .
We have not a high priest that cannot be touched by the feelings of our infirmity. Heb 4:15
(Blind Bartimaeus)
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16
.....if haply they might feel after Him.... Acts 17:27
Not praising and praying and worshipping with our heads and throats, but with our inner-most being, our guts, our hearts and souls.
(Hannah)
If you can’t feel it, you aren’t doing it right.
You should feel it in the pit of your stomach, and you should feel it in your heart.


David Munn

1 comment:

Wyonna Smith said...

really good stuff, David. You had me crying