December 26 2024

Thursday December 26

Jesus Cares About You!

Luke 8:40-48

40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45 And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' " 46 But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. 48 And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

We need to remember the setting of this story of the woman who was healed of her physical ailment that she had for now over twelve years. She had gone to the local physicians and literally spent all her money on them, and they could not heal her. She was at end of her resources and hope of ever becoming any better, and now she is desperate, and she must have been elated to hear that Jesus was back in town. Is it possible that He can heal her? She must have believed that He could!

So, this unnamed woman goes looking for Jesus and finds Him surrounded by a huge crowd of people. She must have struggled and fought her way through the crowd to even get close to Jesus. It seems everyone wants to be next to Him. At the same time another desperate man, by the name of Jairus, has approached Jesus. He is the ruler of the local synagogue, an esteemed member of the community and well known by everyone. I can imagine as he made his way to Jesus the crowd immediately parted and stepped aside and made a path for him to approach the Master.

Luke says that he “fell at the feet of Jesus and begged Him to come to his house”. He humbled himself and pleaded with Jesus to come and heal his twelve-year-old daughter who is about to die. Did you notice that Jairus came to the right Person, and he came in the right way. He was both humble and desperate! How interesting that at the same time, this sick woman who is at the end of her hope is seeking to get to Jesus!

I’ve observed over the years that it is the despair and hopelessness of over whelming problems and difficulties of desperate sin-sick sinners that bring us humbly to Jesus. I can’t tell you how many times I received a call from a husband or a wife who is heartbroken because they just found out that their spouse is in an affair with someone else and wants a divorce.  It is these types of situations that cause us to humble ourselves and admit we can’t make it on our own!

Maybe that is where you are today. You feel like you have come to the end of your rope. You don’t see any future or hope for the circumstances or situation that you are in. Today, I plead with you to come to Jesus. Come with your helplessness, hopelessness, and brokenness. Come weeping with humility to Jesus and I guarantee you that you will find His grace and mercy, along with His willingness to listen to your plead and to help you.

It appears that there was a whole multitude that was demanding the attention of Jesus, but I remind you that Jesus is interested in the individual that is desperately seeking help. Jesus responds to Jairus and starts to hurriedly follow him to his house where his daughter was dying. But now at the same time this sick diseased woman finally gets close enough and comes up “from behind” Jesus and reaches out to touch the hem of His garment. She is immediately healed, and Jesus stops and asks the question, “Who touched Me”? Peter responds by basically saying, “Goodness, everybody is touching you, why are you asking?” Peter saw the crowd while Jesus is focused on the individual!

This dear woman revealed herself, and she fell at His feet and declared to all the people what her embarrassing condition was, and how at the touch of Jesus she was immediately healed! Jesus told her it was her faith that healed her, not so much as the touch. It was the faith of Jairus that brought him to Jesus.

Today, we can still come to Jesus by faith and find hope and salvation! Today, will you by faith humbly come to Jesus and find the real answer to the deepest need of your life? Jesus cares about you!

God bless!