It's the Little Things

A woman reaches out and touches Jesus. A man kneels and asks for his help.

Could you imagine someone chiding the woman for interrupting Jesus’ conversation with a ruler? We don’t know that anyone did and a different gospel’s account of this story tells us she was quite discreet about touching Jesus. But we could probably imagine such a classist and sexist rebuke.

We also might imagine the notion that Jesus would favor the poor & unknown over the wealthy & powerful. But Jesus didn’t come for people groups. He came for the suffering of humanity.

Today’s passage shows us this in very quick detail in less than ten verses.

(Blessed Sunday to you. May you and those with whom you gather today know the Word who is Christ.)

Matthew 9:18-26

While Jesus was speaking to them, a ruler came and knelt in front of him, saying, “My daughter has just died. But come and place your hand on her, and she’ll live.” So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. Then a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the hem of his clothes. She thought, If I only touch his robe I’ll be healed.

When Jesus turned and saw her, he said, “Be encouraged, daughter. Your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that time on.

When Jesus went into the ruler’s house, he saw the flute players and the distressed crowd. He said, “Go away, because the little girl isn’t dead but is asleep”; but they laughed at him. After he had sent the crowd away, Jesus went in and touched her hand, and the little girl rose up. News about this spread throughout that whole region.

Prayer

God,

Thank you for the morning dew. My slippers are all wet because of it, but other than that, its presence and being are somehow quite noticeable to me today.

I know science can tell me that the dew’s saturation of my lawn, windows, and now slippers is the result of certain temperature and humidity levels. But nature seems to tell me it’s way more meaningful than that. What it does to aid the transmission in the benefits of soil composition. What it does to provide water to fungi and plants of all sizes. What it does in providing trees and bugs and birds and animals way up higher where the ground water cannot.

God make my efforts like the dew. Sure, sometimes I’m annoying. But in the end, make my little contribution mean something in small corners here and there.

By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.