(Preparation: cut out enough pages from a old copy of the phone book yellow pages that everyone can get a page folded up in the bulletin. Make sure that you include advertisements for Plumbers, Electricians, Jewelers, and Movers. )
Let me begin by telling you that I had one of the hardest weeks. Every thing that could go wrong seemed to go wrong. Monday the water pipes busted in the parsonage. There was water every where. Our house was like Noah’s ark. Becca’s Crib started to float. And to top it all off I didn’t know any plumbers and if I did know them I didn’t know how to get a hold of them. The water is still running out there. Can anyone here give me some help about how to find a good plumber. (The congregation will hopefully catch on and offer you names from the phone book pages)
Because the water was so bad, it messed up my electricity, blew out all the circuts so we are sitting in the dark out at the house any one know any good electricians?
Then it was the 6 anniversary of Sharon and I’s first date and I wanted to get her a diamond ring, but I couldn’t find a jeweler. Does anyone know a good jeweler.?
How did you all know to find these persons so quickly? I forgot all about looking in the phone book. And you know when problems arise in our lives we often fail to look in this book (hold up Bible). You would be surprised but this book has someone to call on when there are problems in your life too.
There’s someone in this book that you can call who can anchor your storm. Somebody who can teach you to fish for men and women. Somebody who can lift the load of guilt off the sinners heart. Somebody who that put a sword in your hand when your fighting temptation. Somebody who can lift you up when you’ve fallen. Somebody who can hire us as co-workers in the coming of his kingdom. You can call somebody who can give a death row pardon. Somebody who will set a lamp of forgiveness and reconciliation in the window for the prodigal Son to come home too. There is somebody who can open the gates of hell.
He’s name is Jesus. His name is Jesus! His name is Jesus! And like the phone company says All you have to do is reach out and touch him. But I want you to know that Jesus is also in the touching business.
Today’s Scripture lesson is Matthew 9:18-26, but right before that in Matthew 9:9-12 Jesus reaches out and touches somebody.
The problem here is that Jesus is doing what? What is going on that has the Pharisees upset?
Why is Jesus hanging out with obvious sinners, the disreputable outcasts of proper Jewish society. The text begins with Jesus encountering Matthew, a tax collector. Matthew's profession was a despised one. Not only were tax collectors suspected of taking more than they were due, strict Jews held that they and many other banking-type professionals were in violation of Torah laws. Further, Matthew was being by the Romans to persecute his own people. In our own period of American Slavery he would be like the slave who was elevated to field boss. He received the right to whip his own people. To every one else the tax collector is unworthy and unwelcome. But look at what Jesus does. First, Jesus speaks openly and directly to Matthew, inviting him to "follow me." In verse 10, Jesus is depicted at dinner with an entire roomful of Matthew-types -- "tax collectors and sinners." And Jesus is not preaching before these outcasts or lecturing them on the hell and brimstone that they will suffer for their sinfulness. These unlikely associates -- Jesus, disciples, sinners -- are specifically described as "reclining" at table together. They clearly are a group gathered in fellowship. Jesus is literally a "friend of sinners."
The Pharisees, those paragons of righteousness, are appalled at Jesus' behavior -- and question his disciples about it. Jesus' response in verse 12 explains to the reader why he keeps this company. Jesus describes himself as a "physician" and sinners as those who are "sick" and thus the ones in need of the physician's healing presence.
It is Jesus' reference to himself as "physician" that sets the stage for today’s gospel lesson. You see Jesus is a doctor who’s not afraid to reach out and touch you.
Jesus moves from the tax collectors and sinners and it says that a rich ruler comes about his daughter and we know from the gospel of Mark and Luke that this man’s name is Juris, and his a very influential person in the synagogue. And I can imagine myself standing there beside Jesus listening. Juris runs up and panting says “Jesus I need your help Lord, it my daughter. I would think to myself. Hey buddy Juris, no problem, you came to the right place Jesus can healer. And then Juris says she is dead, but all you have to do is come and lay your hands on her. Yeah, Jesus can do anything- Uh Juris did you say she was dead?
I might have tried to calm him down and led him away. I might have tried to explain to Juris “It’s to late she’s dead already.” What can Jesus do now? But Jesus never thought twice about it he immediately made his way to Juris’s daughter.
Maybe there are some of you like that are like me. Perhaps we think that there are things that have gone on too long for Jesus to do anything about it. It’s to late now to take it to Jesus. It’s over.
A man has been invited to church and he says “Oh my if I walked into a church the roof would fall in. It’s been to long since I’ve gone.
A alcoholic is has given up. It’s to late to quite now. I have nothing to live for. I waited to long. Nothing can save me now.
A marriage is over. It’s too late now. We can’t even talk there’s nothing God can do for me now.
We might think like that but not Juris, and not the women who had been bleeding for 12 years. 12 years!!! Can you imagine! I think that I might have just given up after 12 years, but she was certain if only I can reach out and touch him. She knew that by religious law she was deemed unclean because of her minstrel blood. A unclean woman was untouchable. And she Knew that. She also knew that no woman could touch the hem or fringe of a devote mans prayer shawl. But that is exactly what she does and as a result she is healed.
And look at what Jesus does he says daughter thy faith has made thee whole. As Christians we know that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith is such an important part of our relationship with God. It is faith that enables this women to reach out and touch Jesus. Even though the world tells her it’s to late, she’s going to reach out and touch Jesus anyway. Even though the world tells her she’s not the kind of person who can do, she’s going to reach out and touch Jesus anyway. Even though the world tells her she’s not worthy, shes going to reach out and touch Jesus anyway. That’s the way we have to be sometimes. Sometimes we have to just reach out and touch God. We might not know exactly the right words to say, we might feel as if we are unworthy of God’s love, but we’ve got to reach out to him. There are many here how have been looking for God. Searching to find out more about God, and I want to tell you that your on the right track. Coming to church and finding out more puts you on the right track. But even if your on the right track you’ll end up getting run over if all you do is sit there. There comes a time when we have to be like the woman and we have to reach out and touch God.
Answer me this if your water pipes busted and I told you that I knew a plumber you could count on and I gave you his pager number would you call him. If you keys got locked in your car and you didn’t have a spare and I had the number of a lock smith would you call him. Of course you would and you would trust that when you called they would come.
The faith of the women with the issue of blood is contrasted by the crowd at Juris’s house. Jesus comes in to heal the daughter and the crowd starts to laugh at Jesus. They laugh and scorn him, and look at what Jesus’ response is he puts them out. He tells them to get out. They are playing the funeral music, but all they are is in the way. They are making way for death but Jesus is shoving in life. They are humming the song “No body knows the trouble I’ve seen”, but Jesus is shouting “Trouble don’t last always”.
When Karen was pregnant with her second child, a seemingly normal pregnancy, her 3-year-old son Michael began a relationship with his unborn sister by singing to her every night. Night after night, he would sing his new sister a song. When it came time for Karen to give birth to the baby, there was trouble during the delivery. Michael's baby sister was in serious condition by the time she was finally born. The infant was immediately rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care unit. As the days crawled by, the infant grew weaker. The pediatric specialist told the family that it looked very grave for the little girl and began to prepare them for her expected death. During the stay in the intensive care unit, Michael asked continually about seeing his little sister. He wanted to "sing" to her. At the beginning of the second week, they dressed Michael in an oversized scrub suit and took him into the unit to see his sister. The medical personnel got angry because the 3-year-old was in the unit. Michael was asked to leave. His mom protested, however, and said, "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister." Michael made his way over to the bassinet that held his sick little sister. He began to sing this song "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray.
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you". (Do you remember how the song ends?) "Please don't take my sunshine away."
Woman's Day magazine called it the "miracle of a brother's song." The doctor just called it a miracle! Karen called it a miracle of God's love. The next day, when they thought they might be planning a funeral, they took Michael's sister home. She had responded immediately to the familiar voice of her bother.
Will you let God sing you back to life today? Will you listen for that familiar voice that was speaking to you before you were born? Will you have the faith to reach out and touch God, will allow God to reach out and touch you. And once you've heard the music ....
Will you now sing other people back to life and faith? There's a world out there dying because they haven't heard the music of God's love for them. Will you sing?
Sing the Song “Reach Out and Touch somebodies hand make this world a better place if you can.”
(Not all of this material is my own. Please forgive that I have forgotten some of my sources, I just wanted to share)
