- Pastor Jacob Marchitell
An issue of blood
Jesus heals the woman with an issue of blood. Sermon from July 5th 2020
Mark 5:21-32
Today is Sunday July 5th
A few quick announcements before we get started
This Friday I will be having Surgery to replace my ACL with hopefully some kind of cyborg robot apparatus, so next Sunday ill probably be preaching from a chair or something.
I havent really worked it out yet
Also, if you happen to talk to my lovely wife today, make sure to wish her a happy anniversary.
6years of marriage she has put up with me, and im hoping she continues to for the next 60.
The last announcement, is to let everyone know that we have put a pause on the weekly bible study worksheet and devotion, while were working on the new Vision and Mission statements for the Church in the coming weeks.
We’ll be sure to post it all on Facebook
Website
And there will be flyers for you to take home place on your fridge, to remind you of “Who we are as a Church”
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Now today, being the first Sunday of the Month, is the day when Christ Community joins together for Holy Communion.
It is a day when Christians the world over all join together as one.
When we do this, were reminding ourselves of the billions of Christians who have gone before us----
Who have lived and died in the same ways as us---
who have fought against temptations and sin-----
who have stood against tyranny and oppression ----
who were looked down at and cast aside by this world----
Entire generations of believers have gone before us, paving the way for us to practice our faith in public, and dying in that battle---
When we partake of Communion together, it can remind us of all who have fought this fight before us, and who are now enjoying eternal happiness and joy at the side of our King.
But the reason we partake of Communion together, is because OF that King, and His words to us.
He gave us this instruction, telling us to remember Him
To remember the life He lived, perfect and flawless in every sense of the Word
To remember His words
His kind and loving words
His sharp and divisive words
To remember His actions
His prayers
His rest
His miracles
But more than all that, to remember His death and resurrection
We partake of Communion together, because Jesus Christ is God, and He lived a perfect life, died to atone for the sins of all who believe, and then was raised to life on the 3rd day.
When you take this Communion, remember Him, but not only that, examine your heart.
Do you believe that He was God and the only way to Heaven?
Do you believe that He died and rose again?
Do you believe what Scripture teaches?
Because if we ignore what Scripture teaches, and partake of Communion anyways, we will be doing so for selfish feel good reasons, and will be bringing judgement upon ourselves.
So Id like all of you who wish to accurately remember the life and death of Jesus Christ, to hear the words of:
1st Corinthians 11:23-26
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ---------- (Partake together)
In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (Partake together)
Amen.
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We are on the Second week of our Sermon Series about the Miracles of Jesus
Each week we’ll be taking a look at a different miracle that Jesus performed, and why it all matters.
Last week we talked about Jesus turning water into wine.
Seeing how it played out, helped us to understand that we need the Holy Spirit living within us, to make us new and clean-----and no matter how many ceremonies or rituals we go through, nothing on the outside can ever clean our soul.
Thank God, that God can turn the water of our actions, into the wine of faith in Him.
Today, we’ll be looking at the miracle of Jesus healing the woman with an issue of blood.
This can be found in the first three of the Gospels
Matthew, Mark, and Luke
But we’ll be looking at the story from the Gospel of Mark, and mentioning some of the other points of view from the other Gospels as well.
So if you have your Bibles with you today, you can turn the page or open the app to:
Mark 5:21-34
One interesting thing about this miracle, is that it is sandwiched right in the middle of Jesus going to do something else.
The story starts with Jesus on His way to see a little girl, and then He’s interrupted by what we’ll be talking about this morning.
Mark 5:21-34
“21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 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.”
( → → Opening Prayer ← ← )
One thing thats going to become apparent, the more and more we read and talk and study these miracles, is that when Jesus acted in these ways, it was for more than just the immediate physical reactions.
When Jesus turned water into wine, yes He was “saving the day” by making sure the wedding party had their wine------
Yes He was showing that He could command and manipulate the molecular structure of creation
But He was also giving us a real world physical analogy of what happens when we believe in Him----while simultaneously proving His divinity
One of the verses I mentioned last week, and ill mention it again this morning, and ill probably mention almost every Sermon of this Series---- is:
John 20:30-31
“30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
The miracles that Jesus performed, gave the people back then, and then us who read them now, not only evidence of His divinity, but also a glimpse into what it means to have “life in His name”.
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So, here we are, Jesus is on His way to heal the daughter of a man named Jairus.
It doesnt say it here in Mark, but in the Gospel of Luke, it says that this little girl was only 12yrs old.
(We will be talking about this girl, next week, but today were just going to focus on the interruption.)
So Jesus is on His way to see a 12yr old little girl, who is on her death bed.
She sick from some unnamed disease, and is about to die.
Then a woman, who has been menstruating non stop for 12years, interrupts Him, grabs onto His robe, and is healed.
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Now the first thing I want to bring to your attention, has to do with the timing of all of this.
When we read the Gospels, it may seem to us that Jesus just walks around and does stuff.
That He just wakes up, does things, walks somewhere else, and does different things.
We know, however, that this isnt the case.
We can read numerous times where Jesus says “my time has not yet come” or “my hour has not yet arrived”.
Jesus didnt just aimlessly wander around, doing good deeds.
Everything He did, was intentional, on purpose, with divine specific forethought
There was no “spur of the moment” actions, or unplanned happenstances, with Jesus.
So when we read that this woman came up and interrupted Him while He was on the way to do something else, but He still took the time to speak to her -------- and even heal her ------- we can draw truth out of it, that applies to our life.
And that truth is this-------- I dont want any of you thinking, if you're here in person, or watching or listening at home------don’t ever think that God does not have time for you.
You see we all base our life on the amount of time we have in our day and in our week, to get done the things we want to accomplish.
Yes we know that things pop up---
We know that uncertainty arises and then we plan for it.----
Some of us, I know there was a time in my life where this applied to me----- I didnt plan anything.
I just let life happen to me, and I reacted to it.
I let important moments slip by because I was preoccupied with something else
And I focused on things that didnt matter, all the while life was happening around me.
We all have experienced times like these.
We all have been doing something immensely important, only to be interrupted by something else
When a child interrupts us and we scold them
When a spouse isnt on time
When we ourselves cant fulfill the duties we set out to fulfill, and we feel like failures because of the interruptions and time management
Now there is an entire Sermon about that subject, and I dont want to get sidetracked
But what I want you to hear, is that it is not like this with God.
God has time for you
It may seem on the surface that we can interrupt Him-----but its not like that from His perspective.
God has time for you
Your prayers
Your concerns
Your worries and doubts
Your fears
God has time for you
Your issues are not a burden to Him
No matter how big or small
He doesnt groan when you approach Him with an issue or a problem
He doesnt get angry when you bring Him a sin you swore you wouldnt fall to again
He doesnt have a limited amount of patience----
He doesnt have a list of so many things that He can pay attention to, and anything else that may pop up or demand His attention needs to be placed on the back burner until He can rest and take a break and get His attention back in line and can wrap His mind and His heart around the next task-----
The God whom we worship can attend to billions of swirling galaxies, with the exact same amount of attention, care and concern, as He does towards every prayer of everyone who believes in Him.
He doesnt pay more attention to some people than He does to others.
He doesnt pay more attention to the Pope than He does to the newly born again prostitute
He doesnt refuse to be interrupted when a Pastor is praying to Him, but when its a prisoner He kind of lets His mind wander.
God has time for you.
Take your cares and concerns to Him
Take your wants and needs
No matter how big or how small
No matter what else you think God is doing in your life,
your family’s life
your Church’s life
whatever you think God is doing in this world, at this moment-----
If you think God is too busy to hear your prayer for help because He’s concentrating on the Corona virus---
If you think God is too busy to hear you because there are riots throughout our country---
Or because another family you know is experiencing life changing problems----
Or because youve been taught there there is a certain protocol to ensuring that God can hear you----
Whatever the reason may be to think that God doesnt have time for you-----throw it away
If you have a need----- take it to Him.
Hit your Bible
Hit your knees
Hit the pews of your Church
And say, out loud with your mouth: “Jesus, I need you. I have these issues in my life, that I cant deal with, theyve been plaguing me for too long, and I need you. Please help me God. I cant deal with this on my own.”
God can be on His way to someone who is on the verge of dying, and He will be there for you if you “interrupt” Him
He will take the time to hear your needs
And speak into the parts of your life that need His intervention.
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You see, that woman that had this issue for 12 years, needed so much more than just a Doctor.
Yes she needed physical healing
After a decade long blood flow, she would be weak and frail
Her skin would have lost its tone and luster and have been thin to the point of being bruised and cut easily----
Her muscles would be weakened to the point that she had no physical strength
Her hair thin and falling out
Her bones weak and easily bruised or broken
All the vital nutrients that her blood should have carried throughout her body…..had been spilling out of her for 12 years
This woman needed medical attention
A specialist
A world renown Doctor that specializes in obgyn issues
She needed the top of the field, multiples doctorate holding, medical team
And we read in the verse that she sought medical attention, but it only made it worse.
She was without hope in her physical body-----but thats not all.
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You see, the religious leaders back then, would take a situation like this, and instead of thinking that she had some genetic issue, or cancer, or some other problem within her body------- they believed she had some secret sin in her life that would cause this sort of problem.
She would have been considered “unclean”
And as a result of this:
She wasnt allowed to work
To buy or sell
To be around her family
If she touched her children, her children would be unclean
If she touched her husband, her husband would be unclean
If she touched a chair, the chair would be unclean
She wasnt even allowed to go to the synagogue and hear from God
No sacrifices to pay for her sins
No offering
This 12 year long issue of blood in her life, had cut her off from friends, family, and God.
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So here she is:
Homeless
Jobless
Cut off from everything and everyone in her life, including God
She’s been sick and bleeding for 12 years, and every human effort has made it worse.
She is hopeless
Shes tried everything she can think, and nothing has helped
There is no light at the end of her tunnel
There is no hope that tomorrow may bring something better
Every day, of every week, of every month, of every year, for 12 long years-----
She has woken up ---
Wiped the blood from her legs ---
Wrapped herself in rags, and then set out to beg for food-----knowing that everyone around her would be afraid to come close or touch her
Her reputation of being unclean and dirty has preceded her
The people in town know who she is
They see her begging, they see the thinness of her skin and the weakness of her body caused by years of blood loss
And everything in her life has failed to give her hope
So I would like to ask each of you hearing this this morning?
Where does your hope come from?
Has life hurt you?
Has life beaten you ----- pushed you down ---- broken you?
Have you clawed your way back out of the pit but the ghost of your pain is still there every day?
Do you hold tightly to your own ability and strength, even though your strength has failed you?
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Have you been told that you are unworthy?
Unlovable?
unclean?
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Have you been told that going to Church is for the nice, polite, well put together, holy, righteous, people who only make good choices and who don’t have any skeletons in their closet?
Have you been told that because of your choices, or because of your past ----- that you can’t hear from God?
Well I want to tell you, that that is a bunch of garbage.
So throw it out of your mind.
Mark 2:17 says:
“...It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus calls the broken
The abused
The loner
The loser
He calls to save the people that society said were unsavable
Those with no hope and no peace
If you believe yourself to be “just fine” before a holy God----
Then Mark 2:17 says that Jesus doesnt call you
If you believe that deep down you're a good person, and when you're standing before the white hot throne of eternal judgement, God will just see that and everything will be ok because you're ok------
Then Mark 2:17 says that Jesus does not call you
But if you are someone who hates their sin----
Someone who has been trampled under the foot of the strong and powerful of this society----
Someone who has been looked down upon and cast aside-----
Someone who is:
Tormented by their past
Tormented by their own choices and the held down by the choices others made towards them
Then Mark 2:17 says that Jesus is calling you-----so how will you answer?
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Jesus came for the woman who had been bleeding for 12years, because all the efforts of humanity to make her “clean”------- to help her get right before God, had failed her.
Jesus Christ came to Earth to save sinners, and He performed miracles to prove it.
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You see that is why there were so many people around Him in those verses that we read.
In this same story told from Luke’s perspective, it says:
“As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.”
The word “crushed” in Greek, means “strangle”
There were so many people, trying to see and interact with Jesus, that they were shoulder to shoulder, front to back, side to side, crushing in on all sides, strangling Him.
You see, these people had heard about Him------
Theyve heard the stories----
They’ve heard the rumors that He’s turned water into wine
Healed sick people
Cast out demons
They have even heard that He spoke to a thunderstorm, and nature itself followed His instructions
This is the context in which the woman of our story reaches out to Jesus
She has tried everything to get better.and nothing has helped
But now, maybe this man can help
Maybe these stories…...are true
“But-----im unclean-----how can I get to him?”
“Theres so many people, look at the crowd, he’ll never hear me”
“Maybe----maybe-----maybe if I just touch His clothes, ill be healed.”
“I could even come up from behind----and grab the tassels on His robe.”
Not face Him----
Sneak in through back----
Out of sight of all the polite nice people who may be around Him----
Because me?-----im unclean, im undeserving, I shouldnt be here”
“Ill sneak in behind Him, and grab one of the tassels on His robe”
You see, the word used in english that we read, where she touched His cloak, can also mean “grasped” in the greek.
She reached out, and grasped his cloak.
Can you see it?
Can you imagine the scene?
People-----shoulder to shoulder surrounding Jesus as He was on His way to do some literal life saving work -------
---------and this sick unclean beggar, sneaks in behind him,
---------covering her face for fear of the mob,
---------pushing her way through them all, making all of them unclean,
and she reaches out and clutches on to one of the tassels of His robe.
Not because she’s positive He can help ---
Not because she’s sat down with the Scriptures and studied and researched and came to a scholarly conclusion ---
Not because she heard a good Sermon, and was invited to come to the front of the Church and say a memorized little prayer
She reached out to God because there was nothing left in her life. This was her only option at peace and freedom
So ill ask each of you, what is there in your life preventing you from going to God?
Do you think:
“Oh these issue that im facing, theyre not that bad, I can handle these kinds of things on my own.
----God, you just sit there and watch, while I handle all these things on my own, and if I need you----ill say a prayer or something.”
Or maybe its:
“You know God, these things in my life are kind of hard, kind of tough. Im not sure if I can handle it, but I know you're there to help me through.”
Or:
“I am strong, even though ive failed and fallen before, I myself picked myself up, proved all the haters wrong, and I am ready to face whatever challenge comes at me because of how strong and confident I am in myself.”
Or are you like this woman?
“God my life is nothing. I need you in every area of my life. I need you God, I cant handle these things on my own, I cant handle my life, my family, my children, my job
Theres an issue in my life that has been there as long as I can remember…...and its never gone away, it fact, its gotten worse the more Ive tried to make it go away
I need you Father
I need you to breath
to think
to live
to eat
to love
to behave
I need you in every area of my life,
Help me God, help me
Please heavenly Father I need a miracle
Ive hit rock bottom
I dont know who I am
I dont know where to turn
I dont know what to do
How to live
Please God please God help me
And He will respond with the words of:
Isiah 42:3
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”
If you come to Him low and alone, He will not push you further away
If you come to Him broken and hurt, He will not break you further
It is the undeserving who He calls----
The lost----
The broken----
He is there for those whose wells have run dry and is calling to you telling you that with Him there is an inexhaustible spring of life and freedom and eternal joy
And if you repent of your sins and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, He will wash you as white as snow
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Will you push through crowds to see Him?
Or wait on the sidelines?
Will you leave behind the things that haven’t worked to help you?
Or hold on to the last bit of self reliance?
Will you give everything in your life-------- your thoughts, actions, feelings, sexuality, emotions, family, children, job, career, skills, abilities, hobbies, clothing, and beliefs-----to God?
Or do you want to remain the same, as long as you're the one in control?
Because:
Faith in God is either everything in your life, or its nothing at all. There is no middle ground.
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Because you see, that’s what separated the woman in our story, from everyone else that was pressing against Him.
When she reached out and touched him and was healed, the disciples told Him “there are people pressing against you on all sides”
All of these people were pressing against Him-----
All of them were touching Him----
Grabbing Him---
Pulling at Him---
But she was the one with faith
They came to see miracles----
She came because her life had fallen apart---
So Id like ask you all this morning:
Do you want the show of a miracle?
Or the eternal life of salvation?
Did you go to Jesus because you wanted to be in His audience?
Or to be in His family?
Did you go to Jesus because your parents did?
Because it’s a nice tradition that makes you feel happy?
Did you go to Jesus because you spent the time to study and think and do your research and its the most logical explanation for reality?
Did you go to Jesus because the way your emotions swell and swirl everytime you hear that one Worship Song?
Or did you go to Jesus because nothing in this life can give you hope, and His death and resurrection is the only thing in all of reality that can give your life purpose and direction?
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When that woman went to Him----
Yes she was healed
Jesus performed an act that defies all human understanding and ability
He acted supernaturally and healed her
Stopped the flow of her blood
Sealed the broken vessels within her womb
Gave her the ability to be pregnant again
To create a family
To give birth and hold her baby within her arms
Jesus healed her physical body
But He did so much more
Because of Him, she was now clean
Because of Him, she could now hold a husband
Hug a friend
embrace a child
Because of Him, she could now go to God without fear or rejection
She could pray to Him
Hear from Him
In fact----this is the only instance in all of Scripture where Jesus calls someone “daughter”
Because of Jesus Christ, this woman was now a daughter of God and could stand as someone who is innocent and clean before God
Her faith had saved her, and it is only through faith that we can be saved.
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So in closing, I would like to ask each of you who hear these words this morning:
What is your faith in?
Because if it is in anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ, you will be left with nothing but sorrow and sadness.
So go to Him---
Press through the crowds
Ignore what this world tells you about Him
Ignore them if they say God isnt for you
Ignore those who say you are unworthy and unloved
Fight against the current of this world and see the person of Jesus Christ
See the God of all creation standing at the side of the hurt and the broken
See Him care for the weak and the vulnerable
See Him comfort the widow and the orphan
See Him parent the fatherless and the motherless
Fight against what this world says is right and acceptable, open the pages of a Bible, and see the God of all creation.
Go to Him and He will never turn you away
Repent of your sins and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for the Kingdom of God is near
( → → Closing Prayer ← ← )