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9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. 23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.26 News of this spread through all that region. (Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 NIV Bible)
I remember growing up during a time that afternoons were spent outside, at least in my neighborhood. Some homes had porches, others set up chairs, and people took time to visit and get to know their neighbors. There was, for the most part, no air conditioning, and for a time, our home had no television and no phone. The "reaching out" was our making time and the effort to know one another. Then air conditioning became more available, so did televisions, and so did phones. People moved inside. Then, porches were gone, and along came rear decks. Decks allowed for people to go further "inside," and away from others. And churches began to build and focus on fellowship halls, where the very name implied "We're inside people," and the fellowship hall allowed us to be further removed from others, read outsiders and the unwanted.
The ministry of Jesus, even today, is one or should be one of reaching out. Effective discipleship is uncomfortable ventures beyond our comfort zones into the places where the needs are, as modeled by Our Lord. Jesus went beyond the norm and the accepable. Jesus visited and then called a tax collector to join His team! Hint: Tax collectors were hated men, and one of those gets a "Follow me, " from Jesus and Matthew becomes an insider of the Team. Then, to make matters even worse, Jesus goes to Matthew's home and has dinner there. Hint: It's bad enough visiting "one," then to go inside his home to eat, and then even worse, other tax collectors and sinners come and eat with Jesus! No bueno as far as the Pharisees were concerned. "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" was the question posed to the disciples. Jesus heard this and answers, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick, but learn what this really means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to the righteous but sinners."
The scene shifts to a real need among the righteous, a leader fo the synagogue, who comes and kneels before Jesus and pleads, "My daughter has just died. But come and put Your hand on her, and she will live." He had eyes and ears, and he had heard that Jesus was doing some marvelous and miraculous things, and he believed enough to ask Jesus to help raise his daughter from the dead. Jesus gets up to help, as do His disciples, but here comes a woman who had suffered uncontrolled bleeding for twelve years, whose faith drove to believe that if only she can touch Jesus' garment, she will be healed. So she touches the hem of His garment, and in this version of the miracle, Jesus turns to her and says that her faith had made her whole, healed from this long-term affliction. And she was. Jesus reaches the leader's house where a crowd had gathered and declares that the dead girl was only sleeping, which brings laughter. The crowd is driven outside, and He goes to the girl and takes her hand, and this was enough to resurrect her, and she got up. This causes the news to spread through all that region of what this man, the Son of God, was doing in their midst.
Jesus still reaches out and makes whole all those who ask and trust. The wholeness varies from person to person, but she or he who seek to be forgiven, are. And those who seek healing of an illness or ailment can reach out and can be made well. Those who are afraid and seek a place in which to hide, find just that. And some find the first steps towards a life that is better than the one they have, for now they can walk with He who is the light of the world and can shine light on the darknesses of life. Whatever your need, come to the Lord. And once you have received that which you seek, then reach out to others and share what you have learned.
PRAYER: Awesome Lord, You know my need and hurts; I turn to You in faith and hope, and I pray Your will be done for me and that I would in turn reach out to more; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Come to the Lord, then take the Lord to those in need.
Receive my blessings of joy and love,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
