God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
Mark 5:24-34
From the Sermon Series: “Ten Cultural Myths that Drive America”
We are in the final stages of our sermon series, “Ten Cultural Myths that Drive America.” It is taken from the first six chapters of Mark. We discovered that Jesus’ worldview goes against the grain of much in mainstream America. We are highlighting different slogans or aphorisms that are imbedded into the American psyche. They reinforce our cultural philosophies. Specifically we have looked at:
• Might Makes Right (Mark 1:1-12) –we saw Christ’s counter-cultural ethic of serving humanity rather than working from a position coercion and manipulation.
• Image is Everything (Mark 1:32-39) – Jesus rejects this Western value. Jesus had the crowds eating out of his has but walked away from the populace specifically because their ambitions did not coincide with those of the Heavenly Father’s.
• Shop ‘till You Drop (Mark 2:13-17) - Jesus reminds us that there are better ways to find meaning in life than materialism.
• Rules are Made to be Broken (Mark 2:18 – 3:6 -) Jesus rebukes and challenges the worldview which says the ends justify means. Jesus says there is no place to bend or violate God’s eternal law. Period.
• Live and Let Live (Mark 3:1-6) Jesus challenges the individualism that dictates so much of the American lifestyle choices and offers us an alternative; community.
• Good Things Come to Those Who … Wait (Mark 4:1-20) Jesus calls us to task and challenges us not to delay when it comes to the maintenance of the soul.
• If It Feels Good, Do It … Wait (Mark 5:1-20) Jesus offers a solution to the “feel good” philosophy and quest for sensual gratification that drives our culture.
In coming weeks we will look at other slogans that have become embedded into our value system; other idioms that define us and motivate us as a people. We will look at:
• Stand Up For Your Rights - Mark 5:17, 6:1-6
• When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do – Mark 6:15-29
But today we will look at Mark 5:24-30
24So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, ’Who touched me?’ "
32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
NOTE: While Pastor Ken was talking, someone was handing him large boxes from off-stage. They all had the word “Impossible” on them. Pastor Ken was building a large (and tall) wall with these random sized boxes.
Some of you know that while I lived in Oklahoma I was in law enforcement. I was a part-time deputy sheriff. That’s a long story for another day. While I was in academy they drilled a few skills into us so deeply that they became instinct … they were tactical survival skills. Even after academy they were rehearsed and rehashed routinely.
One of the things that they never tired of talking to you about (and rightly so) was the danger of “tunnel vision.” When your in a high speed chase, or your life is threatened, or danger emerges, you tend to focus your whole being on the immediate threat. That’s problematic because if another threat is nearby you may never see it coming.
Tunnel vision (or “target fixation”) limits your alternatives and your perception of threat.
“Impossibilities. “
“Problems.”
Have you ever thought about the possibility that when a problem emerges in your life that you might have “tunnel vision”? I think it is a very real cause of many people’s defeat.
Have you ever felt as if God has forgotten all about you? Have you ever prayed and it seemed as if nothing GOOD was happening?
Think of how this story could have ended up if the lady in question had operated like that.
Twelve years is a long time. Twelve years ago I was thin and had two children in elementary school. A lot can happen in twelve years … a person can become conditioned to accept about any human anomaly within a twelve year period of time.
She bled for twelve years. She had exhausted her resources and her options during that twelve years. She was as good as defeated … right?
What would have happened if she had only focused on the problem?
What would have happened if she had succumbed to tunnel vision and abandoned all hope?
The reasons to give up were … endless. And the more reasons she could come up with the bigger the wall between her and her rescue would become.
But this woman understood something that it took Police Academy to teach me …
The alternative to tunnel vision is to remain aware of your surroundings and your options. When the pressure is on it can be hard to do and you may have to rely on your partner to help keep you remain alert; but it will save your life.
Look at this wall. Does it resemble your life? Maybe it used to be just a couple of “problem blocks” that had the word “Impossible” on them but, after a while they all added up (you kept piling them on and focusing just on them) and now you, like me, have a wall you can’t look over!
Guess what … our Gospel story is your “partner” today. If you are here and you have become fixated on your impossible situation this story is here to keep you in check and challenge you to look around for other options.
That’s what the woman did. Rather than live behind a wall of impossibilities she chose to look over the wall … and she saw “Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).
As your partner who is preventing you from falling into the danger of tunnel vision, she is now whispering to you … “Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of your faith” (Hebrews 12:2). She is whispering his name and character to you; “Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” If you’ll listen to her she can help you remain aware of your surroundings and avoid tunnel vision.
I hope you are hearing her.
NOTE: At this point Pastor Ken began dismantling the wall box by box.
So what did she see in the Jesus that made the difference? Well, Mark tells us, 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."
SHE SAW SOMEONE WITH A SOLUTION THAT SURPASSED SOCIETY’S SOLUTIONS.
• Jesus did not have solutions … HE WAS THE SOLUTION!
SHE SAW SOMEONE WHO COULD WORK OUTSIDE OF RELIGION’S ESTABLISHED PARAMETERS.
• Apparently the healer can be a healer anywhere you are … not just when you meet a specific set of criteria.
SHE SAW SOMEONE WORTH THE EFFORT …. WORTH RISKING HUMILIATION AND FURTHER REJECTION TO TOUCH.
• Up to now she had lurked in the shadows
• Confession and public awareness were her enemies – life was humiliating
• But Jesus was worth the risks.
The root word used in our story for “touch” is “HAPTO” … it means “to cling” “to fasten.” This woman didn’t merely brush against Jesus … she was clinging to him. She was fastening herself to him. The result was wonderful … 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
A better translation is "Daughter, your faith has SAVED you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
Conclusion:
The world you live in tells you that “God helps those who help themselves.” We use other clichés too; we talk about the “work ethic” and we say “Don’t just stand there, do something.” Our world tells you that it all depends on you … “You make your own luck.”
But what about the “big issues?”
• What about your soul?
• What about the things that are out of your control?
What then? Your situation is not hopeless, and God has not forgotten all about you.
You have a couple of choices:
1. You can live behind the walls that tunnel-vision create. You can curse the darkness and resolve to live in defeat and despair.
2. You can listen to the whispers of this woman and become aware of the other option … Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Our God lives for dead issues. He invites you to come; to cling, to fasten yourself to Him today.
Only then will you hear the words … “Your faith has SAVED you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
He who has ears to hear
Let him hear
