SCW challenged me to show her my preaching style, here it is:
Matthew 19:18-26
“Going to the Unclean of the World”
Last week a woman was stoned to death somewhere in the world, her crime
having been raped.
Last night an underage prostitute was thrown from a moving vehicle, beaten and bloodied, no one stopped to help.
A baby, born premature, hooked on her mumma’s addiction slowly dies in neo-natal because the system has no room.
A grandmother lies alone in a hospice, with no visitors, open sores, emancipated, dying of AIDS she got from tainted blood in the 1980’s.
A teacher who slept with her student is kept in solitaire, no one reaching out to her with love.
On the playground a girl is tormented for having braces, being too smart or overweight.
These are the ones we dub “unclean”, and trust me the list is longer than I have said here. Who is unclean to you? Y’know the ones you see and you cringe, or cross the street? Can’t handle being in the same room as? Make you sick to your stomach, or so wracked with grief you are powerless?
(wait after each question for responses).
Who is our woman bleeding eternally?
Pause.
That is the kicker. The Disciples of Christ, were very much like us, the “can’t” touch those people crowd. Think about the background here. Jesus has just called Levi, a tax collector, to be one of his chosen 12…It would be akin to Batman bringing the Joker to join the Justice League.
Not only that but he is teaching the Pharisee’s and John The Baptist’s followers that they have the wrong idea of when to fast.
When Jesus is interrupted, now this father has chutzpah! I mean interrupting a rabbi, blurting out to him in the midst of teaching “my daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her and she will live.”
It would be like someone bursting in the middle of the church pointing at the Pastor and going, “You pastor to the hospital quick!! We need a resurrection!” The crowd is probably gawking; thinking to touch or be near a dead body makes one unclean. Did Jesus hem and haw—argue, debate, think of what happens next in verse 19 Jesus and the crew just up and follow, no further questions asked.
A simple faith statement springing to action.
What faith statements spring you to action? (Pause and wait for answers, throw in my, I’m God’s fool comment from the Four Fold Blessing).
But this is like the side story of this event, for in Verse 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. She said to herself “If I only touch his cloak I will be healed.”
12 years, while a woman was bleeding they were considered unclean under Levitical Law. Imagine twelve years of no one coming near you, no one touching you, your Husband avoiding your embrace out of fear they will become unclean.
Totally shunned by society. She reaches out and touches, hoping to go unnoticed.
In verse 22 Jesus turns and sees her. Imagine what was running through her mind, what would be running through your mind?
Fear…oh oh…busted…she is getting ready probably to be stoned, but instead Jesus acts like, well, Jesus. “Take heart daughter”, he said,”your faith has healed you.” And the woman was completely healed from that moment.
What would you be feeling?
What would you be thinking?
(Pause for reactions) 12 years of loneliness have ended, and Jesus hasn’t even gotten to his actual call.
Jesus arrives at the house, and the Wake is in full swing—in verse 24 he tells them to scat, why, because she isn’t dead. Now you have seen the girl, heard the doctor pronounce, and this guy comes up and says—na she ain’t dead. What are you thinking? A little doubting Thomas action going on I bet. And then follows up and says, she’s sleeping, how many think you’re talking to a nut job? Let’s see some hands people.
And they do, verse 24 closes with them laughing at him. But they get the crowd out of the house and outside. Jesus takes the girl by the hand and she wakes up…
Okay bearing witness to this outcome how many folks at the wake would think they had too much sacramental wine? Doing the eye rub thing? A double or even triple take?
Two impossible feats—two miraculous outcomes. Christ lived out God’s love and grace. We started talking about horrible things that happen to people and leave them alone, women in our own world that makes them unclean in our eyes. There are a million and one, if not infinite number of excuses, as to why not show Christ’s love to someone.
But there is only one command to show Christ’s love, Matthew 22:39 “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There was no excuses or ways out, no disclaimers only if your neighbour is this-this or this.
As these stories proved—Love everyone like Christ and watch the Miracles.
Go. Love. Experience the Christ Miracle through you.
