Short devotion: Return Home

Luke 8:38-39 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. (NIV)

The conclusion of the Gospel story where Jesus heals the demon-possessed man has always intrigued me. The cured man wants to follow Jesus probably because he is so thankful for having regained his senses. After years of being excluded from his own community, he knows he can trust Jesus, so he would like to become a disciple or a servant to help Christ with His ministry.

            In my own life, I felt that same thankfulness when Jesus rescued me from alcoholism. I was enslaved to my addiction and even though I knew that I was harming myself physically, as well as mentally, I could not liberate myself from the chains of compulsion. It took a life changing moment of trusting Jesus completely before I was released from my obsession. I couldn’t have escaped my drinking problem without Christ’s grace and peace. When I understood what Jesus did for me, I just wanted to serve Him like the demoniac.

            Although the healed man wanted to go and serve his Savior, Christ had other plans for him. Jesus told him to go back and share his amazing experience with his own community. The people there were fearful of Jesus because of His almighty power, so Christ gave the man a personal mission and an individual calling to return home to his people as a witness to God’s mercy and grace. Instead of being afraid of Jesus, the cured man could convince them of God’s compassion and love.

            This is a challenge for all of us – to be effective witnesses of Christ’s love to our own people, our own families, our own friends. Whatever goodness that God has wrought in each of us through Christ, we are meant to share it with others and not just keep it to ourselves. We live in a broken world whose madness is creating a lot of fear in our communities. Christ can heal this, too, but only if we are willing to share faith, hope, and love in compassionate ways to repair the damage around us.

Point to ponder: How do I share my faith with my own community?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You came into our lives to heal our broken lives and restore us to God’s love. Encourage us to become personal witnesses of the healing and hope that You bring to the world. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The Best Come-back Ever - Matthew 15:27

Matthew 15:27           “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” (NIV)

            She was an outsider and a foreigner. She had no claim on Jesus and was not part of the Jewish nation. What she had was a daughter whom she dearly loved and like any other parent, she wanted the best for her child who was seriously ill. The Syro-Phoenician woman in today’s Gospel story (Matthew 15:21-28) had heard about Jesus, so when she saw Him, she immediately ran to him, fell on her knees, and asked for healing.

            She did not know what to expect. Christ’s disciples had already tried to send her back to where she came from because her crying and wailing disturbed them. But the woman was persistent and wouldn’t back down. Jesus had the power to help her child, so she kept on battering against the wall of prejudice that was in front of her, in a desperate effort to get Him to respond to her pleas.

            Initially, Jesus says and does nothing and then He points out that His mission is to His own people first. Did she expect Him to give her from the blessings that God intended for the Jews? Or as Jesus put it, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

            And then this foreign woman speaks the best come-back in the whole Bible, “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Her tenacity is relentless and her faith in Christ’s ability is undaunted. Jesus grants her what she may not have been entitled to, the immediate healing of her demon-possessed daughter, which now meant that Christ’s ministry and mission went beyond any borders, any barriers, any walls between nations and ethnic communities.

            It’s called ‘Grace,’ and it happens because Christ comes down among us, breaking down the barriers between Heaven and Earth, as well as bridging the gap between God and humanity. It means we are given an amazing blessing, of which we are not entitled or worthy, but only because God wants to share it, so that we may freely enjoy His love and kingdom forever.

Point to ponder

Am I aware that I am not worthy of God’s grace? How thankful am I to receive this unentitled blessing? How willing am I to share this gift with others, especially those unlike myself?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for healing the Syro-Phoenician woman’s daughter. Thank You for hearing her plea and showing us God’s grace at work. We know that we cannot earn such a sacred blessing, but we are grateful for the bounty of Your love, mercy, and grace in our lives. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s Communion drawings which reminds us of God’s grace. If you would like to view a larger version, click this link: Communion.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can view the church website at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Church Devotion: A Woman's Touch - Mark 5:27-29

Mark 5:27-29            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.

            It’s one of the most remarkable healing stories in the New Testament. An elderly lady, completely unassisted and acting alone, secretly touches Christ’s robe and instantly she is healed of a chronic illness which has impoverished her. It’s a desperate act of a woman who has spent everything she owned to cure her blood disease. Jesus is her one last great hope, but she is so demeaned by her illness that she cannot bring herself to publicly ask for His help. She is ashamed of the disease which condemns her to being constantly ritually unclean by her religion. All that she wants to do is to be cured and go on her way. No one notices her; no one can help her with her plight. She is all alone in the midst of the people who are crowding Jesus. She is isolated from any act of compassion or kindness from her own community.

            But her act of faith does not go unnoticed. For some strange reason, Jesus feels His divine power being drained from Him by her act of faith. He knows that someone has touched Him seeking healing. He has felt God’s power being channeled out of His own body. Perhaps it felt like an electric current passing through Him to her. Perhaps she felt a wave of energy coming out of Christ to her. Whatever the case and however it occurred, one thing was certain: Jesus knew.

            The woman is scared out of her wits when she is discovered. She has tried to avoid public shame by keeping her disease a secret. Now she is being exposed as someone who has stolen God’s gift from Jesus. She fears humiliation and punishment, but instead she receives mercy, grace, and encouragement from Christ. He is not angry that she has taken something holy from Him; instead, He is glad that her faith in Him has made her well. He does not chide or condemn; instead, Jesus praises and blesses her. He has restored her to God’s favor, as well as the community. He has given her back her life by commending her faith. Christ has blessed her with a new beginning.

            Perhaps you are seeking a blessing from God, a hurt to be healed, a situation to be sorted, or something painful to be resolved. Maybe you don’t know how to put your request into words; perhaps you cannot even voice a prayer. As Jesus would often say, “Fear not! I am with you.” Allow His Spirit to enter you; permit His comfort to support you; let His love sustain you. He has God’s power to protect you, direct you, and even correct you because He totally accepts you. Your faith in Him can make you well; your belief in Him can grant you a new beginning. Take it, receive it, and be renewed.

Questions for personal reflection

What would I like Jesus to do for me? What would He like me to do for Him?

Prayer:           Lord Jesus, heal us of all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Blue Christmas Candle drawings, simply called “Blue Christmas.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Blue Christmas.