Just come to Jesus!

Mat 9:18-26

18 As he finished saying this, a local official appeared, bowed politely, and said, "My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live." 19 Jesus got up and went with him, his disciples following along. 20 Just then a woman who had haemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. 21 She was thinking to herself, "If I can just put a finger on his robe, I'll get well." Jesus turned-- caught her at it. Then he reassured her: "Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you're well." 22 The woman was well from then on 23 By now they had arrived at the house of the town official, and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbours bringing in casseroles. 24 Jesus was abrupt: "Clear out! This girl isn't dead. She's sleeping." They told him he didn't know what he was talking about. 25 But when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl's hand, and pulled her to her feet-- alive. 26 The news was soon out, and travelled throughout the region.

Food for the soul!

What strikes us in this story is Jesus' readiness to help those who need him.

The man and the woman came to Jesus in their earnest. As official, the man must have come to Jesus forced by the circumstances of his dead daughter. And when he came, Jesus did not ask questions, but immediately started off. The same with the woman. Unclean as she was, she came and touched Jesus. Jesus did not rebuke her, but kindly said, "Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you're well."

There is a double lesson here. It means that we do not have to wait until we are clean to come to Jesus; we may come to him exactly as we are. And it means that we have no right to criticize others whose motives we suspect, whose faith we question, and whose theology we believe to be mistaken. It is not how we come to Christ that matters; it is that we should come at all, for he is willing to accept us as we are, and able to make us what we ought to be.

It means that it does not matter how we come to Christ, if only we come. No matter how inadequately and how imperfectly we come, his love and his arms are open to receive us all, men and women. And when we do come, all come to a standstill; all stop, only we matter for Jesus. This is what Jesus did when the man came in need; Jesus left what he was doing and went immediately to help. The same happened with the woman, when she came and touched Jesus. All at once Jesus halted; and for the moment it seemed that for him no one but that woman and nothing but her need mattered. 

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Isaiah 55:1-3

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.