922 Ministries - The CORE & St. Peter Lutheran

Welcome back to our series. Jesus Can. Life so hits us, it so challenges us that when we can't to find in Christ a faith that can. How blessed are we to know that in Christ we are more than conquerors. And if you've been with us for the last couple weeks, you've seen how that's played out.

We've had an opportunity to walk and through Matthew's gospel where we've seen Jesus calm the storm, rebuke it like it was some demonic force, and it was just silent and calm. We've seen with Pastor Michael this last week, if you were here with us, how Jesus has the power not only to heal the paralytic, but to forgive sins. Today we continue on in Matthew chapter nine, where we're going to see Jesus encounter two very, very desperate people, and he's going to do what the world can't. He's going to say things when the world is silent and he's going to perform his miracles and power, and we get to be ambassadors of such hope which settles in our hearts. So before we jump into Matthew chapter nine, verses 18, and following, why don't we open up with prayer that the Lord would bless us with faith to believe that in Jesus we can.

Let's pray.

Sanctify us by the truth, o Lord. Yes, claim us, set us apart for your holy purposes. Preserve us, redeem us, rescue us, give us the victory. And just speaking the truth. Your word is truth.

Amen.

As I reflect on nearly 20 years of ministry, there have been occasions where I've been tongue-tied, which, if you know me, is kind of interesting. Usually I have a lot to say, and I don't know, maybe we pastors, we do have the gift of what I say, the gift of gab. I mean, we can talk all day if you want. And that's usually how it goes for me. In fact, so much, not just from the pulpit, but just in my everyday life and my sense of humor.

I love to see people at ease. And so I feel like if I talk more, I'll eventually say something silly and maybe people will laugh that I have been given the nickname white noise because I just keep talking and talking and talking. And it's true. I'll own that. But there are times when, again, I get tongue-tied.

And I'm guessing that since you're human, you've experienced moments like that, too. In worst case scenarios, in rock bottom moments, for example, when a couple comes to my office with good news and horrific news at the same time, I'm often tongue-tied, surely, by nature, I am. By the wisdom of the world, I am. When they announce that they're expecting their first child, only to be qualified by the test results and the ultrasound, where the doctors aren't finding any development in the brain, just a brain stem, the doctors are encouraging them to terminate the pregnancy. And then if they don't, if the child would survive, it will be lifelong care for this individual that will be nonverbal and really non-active.

And their reason is kind of life. Is that for that child or for you? What do you say? It's kind of our question that we're wrestling with as we open up to our text. What do you say?

What do you say when that woman calls and it's the hundredth time and there will be plenty more, and she doesn't know what to do, but she's always in pain, from her knees to her hips to her heart to her kidneys, and she's anxious and she's worried about so many things, and rightly so, because this world has been brutal. She's worried about her loved ones and she can barely make it out the door. And when she does, it's just to see another doctor get another pill that won't make a difference anyway. So what do you say? What do you say to that elderly man who was vibrant through his 70s into his 80s, go outside and chop wood and could make a 20 year old look like they're elderly?

What do you say to him when for nearly a decade, he's been in hospice care, hospice care, which is only supposed to last maybe six months, and he's bound to his chair and to his bed, and he can only live vicariously through the birds that line up at his bird feeder outside? What do you say to someone when there's no end in sight and there's no remedy, no solution? What do you say to that mother that you visit in a maternity ward where they're supposed to just be celebration and the bringing forth of life, but she's there two months too early, her water is already broken, and the doctors aren't giving her any amount of hope that this child might survive, but they give it hours or days before the delivery and they're preparing her to begin the grieving process. What do you say when she's waiting there bedridden, hour after hour, maybe day after day turned into week after week? What do you say?

What do you. What do you say to a young woman who married to a man 27, 27 years of age, who falls over from a heart attack? What do you say to this widow of two little boys, three and four, who really won't ever get to know their dad, tongue-tied? What do you say? And now you're probably in your mind running through all the scenarios you've already faced, or maybe are afraid of facing, but will come where someone breaks the bad news to you, the devastating news of some illness that will not go away or some loss of a loved one that you will not get over.

And are you wondering, what would you say? What did you say? Were you silent? Well, like science would suggest we should be, the world would say we should be. Reason would say we should be.

In a world that's conquered by pain and suffering and sorrow and death, what do we say? Praise God. Good news, friends. In Jesus, there is so much to say, so much hope that we have. And this is where Matthew begins as an eyewitness account to prove so, to show us Jesus, who can do so much more than anyone in the world can.

Let me read, then, that text to you as it's highlighted for us in Matthew, chapter nine, verse 18. So we're catching up with Jesus. He's already healed a paralytic, forgiven that man's sins. And there was this uproar, this offense that was taken by the religious leaders of the day. They can't believe that Jesus would have the audacity to say such things, that sins are forgiven.

That's God's work. Well, he's God.

And that he could heal. And he begins to teach more and he's rejected more. And finally, we get to an account where Jesus is going to have opportunity to back up what he's been preaching. Everyone's listening in. And so we find there's a synagogue leader who's in the same town where his headquarters are.

And he came and he knelt before Jesus and said, my daughter has just died, but come and put your hand on her and she will live. Someone, before we jump into the next account, someone who had heard so much about Jesus and heard what he can do and what he had done. And in other gospel accounts, we find there's a little bit more to this story. This man, his name is Jairus, and he's been actually with Jesus for a little bit already. And at first he said, please come with my daughter.

She's about to die. Maybe if you could put your hand on her, she can live. She'll be healed. News has come now as Jesus is walking along, going to Jairah's house, and picture the scene again. We find from another gospel that this crowd of people who are looking for words, that the world can offer some kind of healing in their life for the burdens they're bearing.

They're literally crushing in on him. And he's having a terrible time trying to make it to this man's house to be of some good, to maybe do things that, well, no one else can. Word comes and this man finds out she's dead. Twelve-year-old little girl. So any families in here that have 6th graders, 7th graders, could you imagine?

They say, don't bother the teacher anymore. Like the world. What can we say? What can we do? And that's where Jairus says, my daughter has died.

Come and put your hand on her and she will live.

What will Jesus do? What will he say? Now as that's happening, friends, take a look at what comes next. Just then, a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, as long as Jairus, had a daughter, she came up behind him and she touched the edge of his cloak and she said to herself, if I only touch his cloak, I will be healed again. This woman that was sickly and in those days with a wayward church, she would have been cast out of the community, as good as a leper, already cast out from God's presence, because since her illness couldn't be cured, obviously this is God's curse for her.

For some sin, some shame, some guilt, she has no place. So she had to brave this crowd just as thick as locusts and find her way like a needle threading difficult places. Try to just touch Jesus. She musters her strength and she does it. And she reasons, from what I've heard and perhaps what she's seen, maybe he can heal.

Curious to know what Jesus will say. What will he do? Well, we'll get there, but just for a moment, let's back up. What would the world say? What would you say if Jairus came to you, or if this woman came to you and said, is there any hope?

What can you offer? Because I've been searching and I haven't found anything. Are you any different, Christian? Let me share with you what the world would offer. And when I say the world too, I mean sometimes we speak poorly about the world in the sense of the sinful influence of the world.

Yes. This world is a broken place. There isn't much hope and comfort or wisdom when we're up against a world that is evil and sinful. But God is still at work in preserving the world. And God has given insight even to non believers.

And that's for the preservation of people in his world and has created order while redemption in the news of it, the gospel spreads. So when I say the world, it's in this sense. There's some good things that we can learn and things to say when we're facing rock bottom. I want to share with you, and if you don't take notes, I get it. I'm not much of a notetaker.

I just like to kind of soak it in, and then later I regret. I'm like, what did we talk about? I should have taken notes. If you don't take notes, maybe at this point, maybe you might want to. I'm going to give you eight things from what professional counselors say, from what I've experienced in my own pastoral counseling, things to offer to people who need to hear something.

And when I read to you and share with you these eight things, I want you in your mind also to see. Do you notice something that is glaring, that's standing out, that isn't said at all? First thing, how about we express some empathy?

We're tongue-tied. Devastating news. Having your wits about you. Be ready to read the emotions of the one who's devastated and walk alongside them. To say to a Jairus, I'm a father of four and a 13 year old as well, Jairus, I can't imagine the grief that you're bearing, but I am with you.

I am with you. We'll face this together. To understand, to walk in their shoes, to try to see things through their eyes. Right? How many of us wouldn't want someone to come along and say that?

Please say it. Or how about this? If we're speaking to the woman, show some understanding.

You've been facing this day after day for over a decade. I'm so amazed by your courage and your bravery. Don't think that goes unnoticed. How many of us wouldn't want to hear some encouraging words like that? Or to offer assistance, to say to someone, look, I know I can't carry this burden for you, but I can help make life a little bit easier.

How about I bring over a meal? In fact, I'm not going to take no for an answer. And I won't cook for you. I'm a terrible cook. But I will buy something for you.

I'll bring it over. We'll have some company. I don't want you to be alone. Offer help, whatever you need. I will do my best to be there for you.

Or how about encourage self compassion? When we're so devastated by something, so burdened by something, and we have other responsibilities like work or kids to take care of or loved ones to serve. But we ourselves are in desperate need of help. We often can beat ourselves up, feel ashamed and guilty that we can't manage, even though no one can manage with burdens like this, like Jairus or this woman, to be able to encourage them to say, don't beat yourself up. It is amazing that you are doing what you're doing.

And by the way, it's okay to cry. It's okay to be overwhelmed, to be anxious, to be worried. You can do that with me. I get it. I understand.

In fact, I'm surprised that I don't see it more with you. Please, please let it out. And you can cry and you can shout. You can be angry with God. You can deny it all.

You can do that with me. It's okay. It's okay. It's expected. If you feel lost, we all get lost.

It's okay. How many of us wouldn't want to hear someone give us permission to just cry when we're devastated? We can do that. Say that, or celebrate the small victories. Hey, you got up today.

Praise God. Another hour, another day, another week, another holiday, another year. That's a victory. Keep persevering. You are inspiring.

Or share positive thoughts. Your outlook on life, your optimism, the hope that you keep again that doesn't go unnoticed and reinforce their value again. So consumed by some heartache that, honestly, will we ever get over? When it's a loved one, when we're up against something and there is no solution, and it's so debilitating to encourage them. You know, when I see you, I don't see that.

I don't see this illness. I don't see this loss defining you. I see so much more. You're a beautiful person. I thought you should know that perhaps the greatest thing that we can do, and this is, I say to myself, white noise, right?

Stop talking. Just offer a listening ear. And do this after the sympathy cards end. Do this after people forget and they've moved on with life, when this grieving person can never move on, they can manage, they can have a new life, but they're always aching. They're always with a scar to say, hey, can I get some coffee with you?

It's on me. How are you doing? Just listen. Those are beautiful things to offer someone. I pray that we're able to say it.

But did you notice one thing that was glaringly absent? Something that was not said. And you will not find professional counselors encouraging you to say it. Do you notice that we did not offer any remedy or any solution for the loss, for the grieving, or for that illness that lasts and lasts, and there is no cure because we can't, according to science or reason or the best of medicine or what the world offers, suggest there's a cure when there's not, no hope for a resurrection, because death reigns in this world. Don't be surprised if somebody who's hurting after we do these amazing eight different things.

If they tell you, stop talking, don't offer me platitudes. Don't act like somehow I'll manage. Don't act like you can really help. No one recovers from this when people, and they will say such things. When they say such things, what are we to do?

Well, from a worldly point of view, we must remain silent because they're right. But praise God and Jesus, we can say something because we know someone who makes all the difference. Friends, jesus says, more, and I'm going to share with you again from our text where he does and how he handles such situations, where there is no hope in this world. Matthew, chapter nine, verse 22. So going along, and as he's crushed in by the crowd and this woman reaches out and has touched him again, Iris is still there, desperate himself.

Jesus turned to this woman, saw her, and Mark tells us, actually, jesus says, tell me your story. What have you been through? And she goes on and on and on, and she tells him everything. Jesus employs some of the things that we talked about with the eight ideas, listening ear. He sees her and he says, take heart, daughter.

And that word, daughter there, that's a special word of a father to a precious child. And it's restoration. It means, you belong with me. And it's such a beautiful gospel term because, remember, she was cast out from the church because of her illness. Jesus says, you're a daughter of the God most high whom I serve, my father.

You are my daughter. And then he says this, your faith has healed you. And the woman was healed. At that moment, her problem was addressed. There was a remedy.

There was a solution. And so what do we learn from this? Well, two things. What we can say. The first thing, we can say all the comfort in the world.

Those eight things, Jesus employed those things, too.

But when the world stops talking and they need more, say more, we can say, well, take a look again at Jesus'words. All the comfort in the world. But we can say, daughter, you are loved by the Lord. And I know one who can heal, just as he healed those in the past. He is still with us today.

And he can heal. And as we pray, he promises to listen to our prayers and he can do the impossible. And if he wants you healed, he will heal you. And if you're not healed, here's the beauty of this gospel message. That must mean he has something better in store.

Either way, he will strengthen you. Either way, healing will come in the end. If not, now, you have all the hope to communicate to people who are desperate for it. So you get to say, jesus is big with healing. And again, something the world won't say.

And that's what we need when we're up against things that doctors can't cure. We need the healing hand of Jesus, and it's there for all of us, that scarred hand of Jesus. And there's more. As we say, jesus is big with healing, and that woman was healed in that moment. We now set our thoughts to how the account continues.

Remember Jairus? He's grieving the loss, this news of the loss of his daughter. And so he continues to journey with him. It says when Jesus entered the synagogue leader's house, so some time had passed. As they had walked along and freed themselves from the crowd, he saw this noisy crowd, people playing pipes.

It was a funeral service already underway. They did things more quickly back then because when someone died, they had to bury them within days. And as they're all gathered for this funeral service, here comes Jesus. And Jesus says, hey, go away.

The girl's not dead, only asleep. But they laughed at him. And the word there of laugh, it's not, here's the kidder again. I mean, it's not the best time for jokes. This was scandalous.

They were offended. And it would be tantamount to going to a funeral today in a service and telling the organist to stop playing while the body's there in the casket and say, everybody can leave because they're just asleep. Could you imagine that? How offended would you be? And, you know, there would be ushers and the pastor and family members enraged and throwing this person out of the sanctuary.

And we would think, rightly so, because that's what the world says, that's what science says. That's what reason would suggest. When you're dead, you're dead. There's no coming back. But Jesus, with authority, he drives them away, even though they mocked him and he didn't forsake or the parents.

Jairus and his wife of the daughter died. And Mark tells us he brought James and Peter and John together with him into the house. Just the family, the parents and those three. And we read what Jesus can do. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and he took the girl by the hand.

And Mark tells us the word he actually speaks. Imagine this twelve year old girl reaches her for her hand. He looks at her and she's dead. And he says, tala sakum, which in Aramaic means little girl get up.

And she gets up and she's restored back to her parents and they're beside themselves. And the disciples can't believe Jesus can actually raise the dead, although he's always been clear about it and they're so besides themselves. It's kind of funny. In Mark's gospel, Jesus is, hey, could we get her some food? She's been dead.

Well, that's my interpretation. So that's the comfort and encouragement that Jesus gives. That he can look at death and call it but asleep. And to him, and in reality, by him, it is just asleep. What do we learn to say from our lord again?

Two beautiful things we get to say. Never mind the world, when the world is silenced, tongue tied. When science fails, when medicine can't help, when no one can raise the dead in the visitation line, when we go to give love to loved ones, friends, family, we get to hug them, embrace them as they grieve. And we get to whisper, Jesus wins. This isn't the end.

No, death doesn't reign with Christ, never mind the world. I'll give you the gospel truth. And by the way, that's an historical fact. Because Jesus came in this life, because he lived for you, to bring you into relationship with God. Because he washed away all our sins, which brings death all paid in full.

Because he lives. His tomb is still empty. This day. We can stand beside the graveside of a loved one and we can tell our friends and our family, Jesus wins here.

That's so much more helpful than fairy tales, than trying to say something of maybe just hoping they'll come back in another form or, hey, I saw a butterfly here and I think they're with us, or maybe they're looking down on us or, oh, you know, it was sunny today and then it started raining. And that guy's such a trickster. And I'm sure he was up to just playing the old tricks again, which I heard all those things, and God bless people who say such things. They're trying to help, give some encouragement. But we have something better than fairy tales.

We have a historical resurrection from the dead. And that's what Jesus offers, isn't it? So after the crowd had been put outside he went in and he took the girl by the hand, and she got up. That's our future. That's the future for all who don't die but fall asleep in Jesus, even if they die.

So we get to say, in those moments, nothing is bigger than Jesus. Nothing.

The apostle Paul said as much. Again. That guy who wrote about half the New Testament inspired by the Lord God, who once hated Jesus, ridiculed, mocked him, laughed at him, do you know, in coming to faith and seeing the power of the Lord, who can, when all else fails, he wrote this towards the end of his letter to the corinthian people. He said, in the present, where, o death, is your victory? Where, o death, is your sting.

Yes, the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. If you ever hear those words at a graveside, and I hope you do, it is life changing. Because though we grieve, we grieve, unlike the world, we grieve and have hope. So, friends, when you feel like me sometimes and you're tongue tied, remember this account.

Remember what the gospel means. Be bold, say it. Jesus wins, my friend. Jesus wins. One day he will raise the dead, and it will be as it should be.

Even now, he can do all things. May God give us such confidence, such faith that can, when the world can't, to truly believe and to know Jesus can. Amen.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of your love for us written down in this beautiful word. And to see in history that you've intervened. You've given us your only son, and he came for moments like this. When we grieve at a graveside, when we see no hope for a future over illness, we see that Jesus came for this very reason, to give us hope. Yes, hope for the hopeless.

Lord, we're ambassadors of this message that has so penetrated our hearts, where we're able to put our faith in you by your spirit. So then, Lord, give us the confidence to say such things when everyone else falls silent. And then, Lord, may such words bring about life where there is none. And may words bring about hope where hope was lost. And finally, Lord, be glorified.

Because as we point people to you, you come to them, and you can. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.