Who Touched Me?

    And Jesus said, "Who touched me?"  Luke 8:45a 

     How many people touch you in a day? Is it too many or not enough? How many are deliberate and how many are inconsequential? On the flip side, how many times do you touch someone else? Do you think about it or is it mindless? How much does it really matter? Think about it for a minute.

     I’ve been thinking about it a lot the last few weeks. Since I read the words “who touched me?” I have been haunted by this seemingly insignificant woman who wanted so desperately just to t-o-u-c-h Jesus. She didn’t want to speak to Him. She didn’t dare dream He would touch her. She didn’t even expect His attention. She just wanted the faintest brush of the edge of his clothes. There is something about this that breaks my heart. The scripture tells us there were so many people who crowded around Jesus clambering for His attention that He often missed sleep and skipped meals to attend to them. What was there about this woman that made her stop at just touching the hem of his cloak? Was this just great faith? Was it a feeling of unworthiness? Or was there something else?

    This question has haunted me. Who was this woman? We don’t know much about her. We don’t even know her name, but she was a real woman – a desperate woman – a hurting woman. I have been so haunted by her and her story that I have found myself trying to visualize her. We know that she was a woman in an era when women were governed by a different set of rules and regulations. It would not have been acceptable for her to initiate a conversation with Jesus. She would have had to have had a man bring her into His presence, but she appears to be all alone in these scriptures. Why? Contrast this with the lame man whose friends carried him to Jesus and lowered him through a hole in roof to get him front and center. Where were this woman’s friends? Contrast her to the father a few verses later who came and pleaded with Jesus to come and heal his daughter. Where was her family? Perhaps this is one of the things that breaks my heart the most. She appears to be all alone. Based on the Jewish laws of her time her affliction would naturally have cut her off from society for the 12 years prior to this incident. She would have been considered unclean and, therefore, expected to keep herself isolated. Her very affliction probably meant she may not have had children. We don’t know her age. I am no Biblical scholar by any stretch. These are merely my observations, but the woman I see in my imagination is a physically ill woman who has lived a life of seclusion and loneliness for over a decade. She is, therefore, desperate not only for physical healing but for physical contact. To me touching the hem of Jesus’ cloak was a pitiful sign that she did not feel she was worthy of doing more, but to her it was probably glorious. It may have been the most physical contact she had had in longer than she could remember.

     And then the unbelievable happened. Jesus stopped. And I imagine her heart did, too.

    “Who touched me?” he asked. Can you imagine the fear that must have flooded her soul in that second? She needn’t have worried, however, for Jesus wasn’t motivated to ridicule or shame her. On the contrary, He wanted to publicly and openly acknowledge to her and to all who were there that she was not an insignificant outcast but a beautiful, precious, valuable daughter of the King. Can you see His strong but gentle hand reach down and help her up as He healed her both physically and spiritually, changing her life forever? Can you just feel the emotions that ran through her - from desperate misery to abject fear and humiliation to indescribable joy with one touch? What power! What love!

     What an amazing story this nameless woman has, but as real as she was, there is nothing I can do for her now. So what relevance can these verses possibly have for me? Oh, because it is here, in the application, that I find the true source of my pain. The woman may not be here with us any longer, but the precept most definitely is. There are people around us we come in contact with everyday who, for whatever reason, feel they are unworthy of God’s attention much less His love. Why? Too often I am afraid it is because they have violated society’s little man-made rules for acceptance, and they have locked themselves away in a self-imposed life of isolation. I have become convicted that, as a child of God, it is my responsibility to be that hand that reaches down to them and shows them that they truly are worthy and valuable in the eyes of God – to show them His unconditional love and acceptance. God does not care the color of their skin. He does not care what mistakes they may have made in their past. He does not care if they live in poverty or wealth. He died for everyone – that ALL should have life and have it abundantly.

Lord, open my heart that I may sense those who are hurting and isolated. Lord, open my eyes that I might see those who are reaching out to touch the hem of your garment. Give me compassion, wisdom, and boldness.

                                                   Amen

Led Astray or Wise Today?

“Have you been led astray, too?” The Pharisees mocked. “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

     We had what has become a rare treat at the Kelley family household Easter weekend. The ENTIRE family was around the dinner table at one time, sharing the meal, laughing, enjoying each other’s company. I have come to cherish these times because they are few and far between since the kids all left home. As it has a tendency to do when we all get together, the conversation eventually turned to the “remember when” game. This is always particularly amusing – and often educational – for me. Amusing because each sibling tries so hard to get one up on the others but also because, with all the hilarious stories they tell on one another, they never come close to all the memories that flood my heart – some funny and some poignant.

     I don’t know what made me remember this particular story about Kyle, but it came to mind again this week as I was reading our passages for the First 15 in John. Kyle, our oldest child, is a grown man married to the beautiful, young Becca Piedra Kelley. As a young child, however, he spent all of his time either with his family, at church, or with his church family. There were certain things of the world to which he had never been exposed simply because the people in his life did not participate in them. One of these was cursing.

     One day I went to pick Kyle up after school when he was in second grade. I knew as soon as he headed for the car that something was wrong. He slammed the car door shut, slouched down in the seat, and declared, “Mom, you’ve got to teach ‘em all to me!”

     “Teach you all of what?” He was a straight A student! My mind searched frantically for what could possibly be giving him so much trouble.

     “You’ve got to teach me all the bad words!” he sobbed.

     “What are you talking about, Kyle? We don’t say bad words. You don’t need to know the bad words because you aren’t going to use them.” What in the world had happened?!

     “Mom, you have to! That way I will know all the words NOT to say!” he begged with tears streaming down his face.

     You see the boys at the lunch table had been using foul language while they were eating. They knew to stop when the lunch monitor walked by, but Kyle didn’t know this was one of the words mom and dad called “a bad word” so he got caught saying it loud and clear. He was right. How could he avoid doing the wrong thing if he didn’t have a clear definition of what that was? It didn’t do any good for us to set a boundary and then expect him to go out and find the coordinates on his own. Poor kid! My heart broke for him! He had tried so hard to do the right thing, and, of course, nobody believed him when he told them he didn’t know that was a bad word.

     Rules are important in life. Without them we have chaos and confusion. Without them we are all searching in the dark for the “true boundary” of what is right. Praise God, however, He didn’t leave us floundering around trying to define good and evil. He gave us the Ten Commandments as our plumb line so we would know His expectations – so we could understand the true definition of sin. Without them we wouldn’t be able to find our way to the salvation He is offering us. The Pharisees took this perfect idea and added their own human twist to it and made life into a ritualistic list of do’s and don’ts that were impossible to follow. Their power-hungry quest took the attention away from God’s glory and put it all on them. Then they sat back and called people “fools” if they chose not to follow them.

     Now, I don’t remember sitting down and giving Kyle a list of all the words we never wanted to hear him say. We did, however, give him guidance on how to be more discerning. We also let him know when in doubt, don’t, and come home and ask mom and dad. He wouldn’t get into trouble for doing that. Too often I think we look the Ten Commandments as God’s way of putting us into a rigid little “religious” box when, in fact, they are there to help us be more discerning and lead us into an honest relationship with God where we can openly draw on His wisdom to make wise choices. And we all have to make choices. The Pharisees and religious leaders made the choice not to follow God’s Commandments, and that choice led them away from Him. The crowd in this passage chose to follow Jesus even though it brought them ridicule, and it led them to the cross. The Pharisees accused them of being led astray. The Pharisees needed to learn the same lesson Kyle learned – being led astray is a matter of determining Who you are going to follow. I say kudos to the “fools” in this passage who chose to follow Jesus and not the Pharisees and religious leaders of the time. And I say kudos to Kyle, too, for having the courage to stand up and choose, not only as a 2nd grader, but all through his 26 years to follow the One who will not lead him astray. I love you Kyle! I am proud of the godly, young man you have become! May we all be as diligent to make that wise choice even in the face of adversity!

Lord, thank you for giving us boundaries that lead us to you. Thank you for being there to help us make wise choices because on our own we are so inadequate to meet life’s challenges. Thank you for my wonderful family and the times we share together. I praise you for your provision. I praise you for your patience. I praise you for your love. May your will ever be done in our lives.

                                                    Amen

Who Do You Say That I Am?

     As I was reading John 6 this morning, I was struck by a thought that has left me convicted. I just want to leave you with a little bit of food for thought this morning.
     In John 6 the disciples are caught in a storm while out sailing. Jesus walks across the water toward the boat in the midst of the storm, but the disciples do not recognize Him. They think He is a ghost. Really? A ghost? Grown men and their first thought is that a ghost is coming to get them? But I digress. My point is this…have you noticed that with all the miracles they have witnessed and all the quality time they spent with Jesus they acted like they didn’t know Him and what He could do sometimes? It is human, no doubt. I am not casting stones, just making an observation. Now contrast that to all the times Jesus cast demons out of people. The demons immediately knew who He was. They knew His power. They knew what He was about and who was going to be the victor. They didn’t question. They pleaded with Him to leave them alone!
     I am not going to stand in judgment of the disciples. I am, however, going to try and use this to look at my own reactions to Him and learn. Do I recognize Him and His works in my life without question, without doubt, without reservation? Or does He have to constantly reassure me. Do I have such a close relationship with Him that I recognize Him without hesitation? I should walk so closely with Him that I am familiar with His presence and know what He is about. The demons don’t have a relationship with Him, but they recognized who He was!

Lord, I want to know you! I want to walk with you. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your patience.

Then Your Light Will Shine Out in the Darkness

No, this is the kind of fasting I want. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help…. Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry; and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.

Isaiah 58:6-7, 9b-10

     I really never had heard much about fasting for Lent until I moved to the South. I never had given fasting in general much thought to tell you the truth. My concept of fasting was that of a kind of starvation “diet” for a duration of time, and I like to eat way too much for that to gain my attention for long! ;o) In the past few years, I have come to realize that it is much more than that. It is giving up something – not necessarily food – that is important to you as a sacrifice, and this sacrifice in turn serves as a reminder to pray and seek God. Typically, the thing you fast is something that may either have become more important to you than God or at least rivals for your attention. At least this is my understanding. I have heard of people who have fasted everything from chocolate (ouch!) to talking to soft drinks to television. The idea is that fasting should be an honored time of growth and introspection between you and God. It is a time of humility and penance. There is no room for piety and pride. It is not a show to put on for others. Yet I can’t help but wonder if it hasn’t become – for some anyway – just SOMETHING you do this time year – like eating turkey for Thanksgiving or making New Year’s Resolutions in January. Fasting in and of itself can be a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but I have to admit I truly struggled with Lent this year. I never could decide what to fast. I kept asking myself, “Why am I doing this? Is it just because everyone else is? Is there anything to be gained from that?” Then a friend I grew up with wrote an interesting blog that really spoke to me. In it he included Isaiah 58:1-7 where God is rebuking the Israelites for piously going through the motions of fasting and then wondering why God wasn’t honoring it. Well, duh, we think. But He had something really interesting to say in the following verses that we need to pay close attention to. He told them:
    
This is the kind of fasting I want:
     1. Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
     2. lighten the burden of those who work for you.
     3. Let the oppressed go free, and
     4. remove the chains that bind people.
     5. Share your food with the hungry, and
     6. give shelter to the homeless.
     7. Give clothes to those who need them, and
     8. do not hide from relatives who need your help.

A few verses later He continues:
     9. Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
   10. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors
   11. Feed the hungry, and
  12. help those in trouble.

     I think He was telling them “Look, your pious rituals don’t mean anything to me. I would rather see you DOING acts of service for people who are in need. I would rather see you TELLING the Good News that will free people from their bondage.”
     My friend, Danny Wiley, who is now a preacher in South Carolina, shared that he was feeling led to do just that for Lent this year. DO instead of sacrifice. Certainly there is a place for fasting if it is done correctly, but it is so easy to reach a point in our busy lives where we just DO church. It is Sunday morning so we get up and go to church because we are supposed to. We take communion because we are supposed to. We sing the hymns because we are supposed to … say grace because we are supposed to … All of these actions are good things to do, but what are we missing out on because we have become so busy we just mindlessly go through the motions? What would happen in our lives – in the lives of our church – in the lives of our community – in the lives of our families - if we woke up and once again became truly invested in our relationship with God? How powerful could I, as a child of God, be if I wholeheartedly and sincerely committed my heart and soul to Him daily in EVERYTHING I do?
     Now, I am not sitting here judging everyone who is currently fasting for Lent - quite the contrary. My goal is to share with you what God has shown me during my journey thus far. And because I don’t want anyone to get hung up on this particular issue and not be able to focus on the message, I am not going to share whether or not I chose to fast this year. I am, however, going to share that I have committed to follow God’s directive to GO, SERVE, and TELL, knowing that I must also invest all of my heart and energy in a deeper relationship with God. I have also laid claim to His promise that by doing so, He will be there with me, guiding me every step of the way!

Lord, I give you my heart completely and unconditionally. I want to have a deeper, more intimate relationship with you. I don’t just want to go through the motions of “doing” the Christian walk. I want to live my life so that my light will shine out in the darkness as bright as the sun. This can only happen if I am reflecting You, Lord. Open my heart to your Words. Open my eyes to the needs of the people around me. Open my ears to the silent cries of those who are hurting. I am afraid I fail in this area way too often. Help me to slow down and listen to Your voice. Help me not to see as the world sees or hear as the world hears but to be genuine and faithful at all times. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your grace and for your unconditional love. Thank you for your patience and for your guidance in a very confusing world.

Hey, Goofball, Listen Up!

  “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to Him.” Mark 9:7b

   What is it about slapstick comedy that intrigues us so much? Whether it was Laurel tripping Hardy; Larry slapping Mo; or Jethro Gibs popping Tony Denozo on the back of the head, we get a kick out of it. Under normal circumstances their actions wouldn’t be socially acceptable yet we’ll pay good money or make sure we DVR NCIS for the opportunity to watch their outlandish antics. Now, I’m not a huge fan of this genre of comedy, but as I read Mark 9: 1-10, my imagination ran away with a slap stick scenario that I’ve got to share with you – even at the risk of being called sacrilegious.

     Can’t you imagine the disciples got up every morning wondering what Jesus was going to do next? Every day brought something more spectacular than before. One day they watched as He healed a leper and made a blind man see. The next He cast out demons, walked on the water, and raised someone from the dead. Their reactions were not always what we would expect from 12 men who dropped everything at a moment’s notice to follow a man they had never met, but let’s cut them a little slack. There wasn’t really any precedent for how one reacts to seeing an actual person walk on the water. Red Sea part, yes – Noah’s ark, yes - walk on the water – no. They were definitely learning all about faith up close and personal!

     And then just about the time they thought they had seen everything, Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain so they could be alone. The next thing they knew Jesus was glowing, wearing a dazzling, white robe and talking to Elijah and Moses. Elijah and Moses!? Ok, these guys disappeared from the scene hundreds of years before Peter, James and John entered the picture! You got to love Peter. He really didn’t know what to say or how to react, but can’t you almost feel his desire to do the right thing here? Jesus had been teaching them lesson after lesson, and I’m sure Peter wanted to make sure he handled this situation right. He was terrified and felt the need to DO something so, true to his nature, he reacted impulsively. He suggested they build a memorial to all three of these great men right there. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with that suggestion – except for one thing. This was Peter’s idea, not God’s. It had nothing to do with why they were there. Peter was focused in the wrong place. This dark cloud all of a sudden overshadows them and a voice speaks to them from the cloud.

“This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to Him.” Mark 9:7b

     Now here is where my imagination kicked into overdrive. I get this mental image of this huge hand reaching down and slapping Peter on the back of the head, and the voice saying,

“Hey, goofball, listen up! This is my Son!”

     Now we know that God doesn’t reach down and pop us on the back of the head to get our attention. That is not my point. (Though the mental image is kind of funny, you have to admit. But I digress….) My point is I can learn a lot from Peter here. First, I need to listen. If I am too busy shooting off my mouth with the first thing that comes to mind, I miss God’s message. Second, even a good deed may not be the right one. I have to listen to God’s direction and do what fits into His plan for my life. Otherwise I am going to lose focus and get way off task. Third, Jesus is God’s Son. There are so many voices in the world today vying for my attention, but the only one I need to listen to is His. “Listen up!” God said. “This is my Son!”

    

Lord, sometimes I think things might be easier if you would just pop me in the back of the head when I lose focus or start to make a bad decision. But, alas, there is no hand. You have done something even better. You have given me Your Holy Spirit to live with me always and guide my every move, my every decision. Help me learn from Peter. Help me remember there are times it is important that I just stop and listen. When the time for action comes, give me the discernment to know and help me act wisely and boldly in a way that brings you honor and glory.