on the walk

Our final sermon in our series on Luke was this week. You can find the whole series here. This week we encountered two miracles wrapped up into one story. Our text was Luke 8:40-56. It is a wonderful story with two great miracles wrapped into one story. I hope to reflect on the sermon itself in a following post, but first a reflection on the miracle.

I think that one of the profound issues simmering in this story, is the issue of access. Luke introduces us to to characters. Each needs access to Jesus. Jairus is the kind of person who is used to access. He has access to the halls of social power. He has access to the synagogue. He has access to the temple. He has access to political leadership, and he clearly comes to Jesus expecting access. He approaches this access with great humility(as he would his access to the temple) but nevertheless he falls and pleads his case directly with Jesus.

In contrast, the woman had no access. Ben does a good job describing how her disease would render her permanently unclean and cut her off from her family and from her faith. We are so used to being able to pray to God and study scripture on our own it is hard for us to understand that impact that her physical state would have on her access to God. But the simplest way to think about it is that because of her illness she would not be able to worship God. She would not be able to offer sacrifice for her sin. She would be cut off from the blessing of forgiveness. She had no access and she knows it. She does not confront Jesus and present a request. Instead she comes up from behind and in secret touches him.  Clearly it was her plan to sneak away without comment.  She had no access and she knew it.  She has no access and she knows it.

And yet, Christ gives her access.  Notice how the event itself interprets and highlights the significance of the miracle.  Her encounter begins by sneaking up behind Jesus to touch and sneak away, and now she is called to his face.  She is called to him.  Can you picture the crowd parting, just as it must have for Jairus?  She is named daughter.  Who has more access than a child.  This is what this healing has done for her.  this transformation is a picture of what Christ has done for her.  Imagine her glee; in seven days, she will be declared clean and able to worship God.  She will be able to bring her sacrifice into the temple and declare God’s praise.

There is more to learn from this encounter, but this one truth is enough.  The rules of the universe have changed.  In Christ, all people have access to God. That is good news.

on the walk

-Ethan

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