Friday, July 31, 2009

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There is hope And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years. 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. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" . . . Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." — Mark 5:25-30, 33-34. There was an old lady who was in hospital. She was in her 80s. After the doctors were finished prodding her, they said she would need to have an operation. Well this old woman figured that she had had enough. She was not prepared for further medical treatment because she believed that the doctors had done all that they could do for her. She refused the operation. As a matter of fact, her exact words were, "The only one who will operate on me is King Jesus." A day later she slipped into a coma and died several days later. In the above text, we are introduced to another lady. She was not as old as the woman in the illustration, but she too had visited many doctors who were not able to cure her of her illness. We are told that she had spent all of her money seeking medical care, yet, instead of getting better, she grew worse. Medical bills can destroy you financially. This has happened to so many people. I am sure that there are some of you reading this article that have, or have had family members who have had such an experience. You consulted the doctor and his diagnosis was one you did not want to hear. Maybe he said it was cancer or something disabling. This is frightening. You must have another opinion, but in reality the diagnosis is the same. There is no hope for a cure or recovery. However, there is hope. When Jesus comes into the picture there is hope. Granted, you might not get recovery, but Jesus gives you hope. In him you find comfort. You get relief. The old woman in the illustration turned to Jesus for relief. That which she wanted was much more precious than any earthly gift. She got eternal life in paradise with Jesus. The woman in the text was frustrated. Her only glimmer of hope was in Jesus as he stood in the crowd that day. She thought to herself, I might not be able to talk to him, but "if I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. What faith! When this destitute woman touched Jesus, two very important things happened in her life. First she received physical healing immediately. Secondly, her anxiety and frustration, changed. Jesus looked at her and declared, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." She went from being anxious to being peaceful. Jesus is the hope of the world. He is available to all people. It does not matter who you are, or what you might think about yourself. Turn to Jesus when your hopes are dim. He will give you relief. He will comfort you. When you call upon His name, He comes bringing healing, peace, and relief. Reverend Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at The Lutheran Church of Nassau, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas or telephone 323-4107. Thursday, July 2, 2009