Luke 8:43-48. We are losing our sense of "we"
I was trying to remember the time the Doctor told me I have a diseases, that will take my life. I have been trying to put myself in the place of love ones that recently have experienced theses set of emotions that no one can really understand. This week was the worst for me...I felt the pain of the woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhaging. Can you imaging her pain and emotions, Luke 8:43-48. We are losing our sense of "we", to learn to respect diversity, to learn to allow differences to touch us. I would give anything for someone to understand every emotion, as I drove from that Doctor's office to a nearby park, paging through my Bible. For twelve years not one of those Doctor gave her empathy, Can you imagine what it would be like to have a vaginal hemorrhage for twelve years? Can you imagine what it would be like, on top of having a flow of blood for twelve years, on top of that, can you imagine what it is like to feel, to be considered to be, to believe that you are unclean? I want us to take a full minute in silence to imagine ourselves being considered by others and considering ourselves unclean, not wanted.
This meant it was her responsibility not to contaminate others. And we know that, she felt this way because the text says that when she had to identify herself as the one who touched Jesus she "came in fear and trembling." Can you imagine the state of mind of this person? Being overwhelm can't explain define her state of being. Can you imagine the kind of remedies the Doctors suggested? she had to be financially ruined, twelve years of seeing doctors would certainly push me to go against the grain, against any grain!
There is something about suffering that we have to go beyond the oppressing ....just one touch of Jesus, lets us know he carries us through this cancer, lupus, MS, hemorrhaging, etc. What gave her confidence at this moment, what gave her strength, what gave her courage, was that she had not given up, that she still believed enough in herself to struggle, that Jesus got her.
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In the book of Job, we read Job’s children were having a party. And Job was right to be worried. Job’s children were not ready to meet God. They did not know that they would die.
The servant’s news was terrible. Job’s sons died. Job’s daughters died. His servants died. Only the four servants in Job 1:14-19 were still alive. Satan was very cruel to Job. Job did not realize that Satan caused Job’s troubles. Job thought that God had caused these troubles.
The sad news upset him greatly. But Job was not angry with God. Instead, Job praised God. On that day, Job’s sons and daughters died. But Job still praised God. The thing is Job thought Satan had causes all these troubles and the death of his children, but it was God. just like us soon as something bad happens to us, we right away think Satan is behind it. Sometimes God allows the devil to test us. At these times, God is still protecting us. God will help us.
When we have troubles, we should still trust God. We should continue to respect God. And we should praise God in every situation.