When I began preparing for this Mother’s Day Sermon, I petitioned the Lord to give me a word that would serve as an edification for such an awesome task as that of motherhood. Setting the parameters of the subject I wanted to preach, I went into meditation and heard the Holy Spirit ministering. I began at the beginning for the title of mother, going to Eve. I looked at Eve, and the reason God understood there was a need for man not to be alone so he made Adam a helpmate. I even tarried a while looking at how even the serpent understood the strengths of a woman, knowing that she had the ability to convince her mate to eat of the tree of knowledge. With Eve being the mother of human kind I became excited about using the first mom as my subject. As I continued in prayer, the Lord poured into my senses Sarah and Elizabeth, two women made mothers at an old age. Surely this would give encouragement to those who were waiting patiently to have children, and offer reassurance to those of us struggling to raise children in a society that appears to be bent on destroying their minds and spirits. The story of these two women who went through the ordeal of labor pains all in order to fulfill a prophecy. Both worthy candidates for such an auspicious occasion as today. Then I felt led to look at Naomi who not only served as a mother to her sons, but also to her son’s spouses. Sending yet again the message of the importance of love. Undergirding the meaningfulness of family. Embracing the significance of faithfulness. But the Lord had me to continue in my quest. Of course I went and looked at Mary, the mother of our salvation provider. The one who even after finding out she would bear a child only to see him persecuted and killed - trusted God enough to allow him to use her. After looking at these scriptures and these women the Lord made me continue on my journey. Being excited in my spirit because I knew that each one of these women the Lord had directed me to would indeed be excellent women to preach upon on such a glorious day of celebration of mothers. Now imagine my amazement and bewilderment when he sent me to the chosen scripture. About the woman with an issue of blood! Now, look, here a woman who had been hemorrhaging.... on her dreaded cycle for twelve years. Now first of all, there is no way she could have been married suffering from twelve years of pms. Women we already know that men almost have to move into the next country during this mood swaying period each month. If she had a female ailment of this type, chances are she did not have any children. So I asked God, "what type of Mother’s day sermon can I preach using a childless woman."
The Lord told me to look at each of the women in the bible he had led me to. Eve - though she did serve as the mother of all human race, she had issues with obedience. Naomi, though she did allow her daughter in laws to follow her after the death of her sons, she had issues dealing with the loss of her sons and her spouse. Even Sarah and Elizabeth, though they had faith, that had to deal with the issue of being barren for years, than with the issue of raising a child at such a seasoned age. Yes even Mary had issues to deal with. Being the mother of the Messiah could not have been an easy task. Imagine the ridicule she endured carrying a child out of wedlock. How she was mocked by the other women in town. Then as this child grew older, I imagine Jesus understanding and realizing who his father was, may have been a handful to mother - since he could raise the dead and heal the sick, she may have dealt with the issue of empty nest syndrome early on in her motherhood. Than it hit me, Each of these women had something in common with this woman with and issue of blood. Yes they all had cycles, and probably each suffered a level of pms. However it wasn’t the actual ailment that gave them a common denomenator. The connecting factor was that they each had issues that had to be dealt with! And the only thing that could deal with each of there issues was GOD!
Turn to somebody and say Neighbor, It’s time to deal with those issues!
Look what it says here this woman with an issue of blood. She had been bleeding for twelve years. Exhausted her funds going to various doctors. No one knew what caused the cycle to be ever flowing. Nobody knew how to stop it. Now those of us of the female persuassion know that this monthy occurance is anything but pleasant. Cramps, messy, uncomfortable, irratible, and painful period of time. A lot of times we don’t want to be around anybody, talk to anybody, or look at anybody. Imagine if we had our cycle everyday - every minute - every second for twelve years. This woman could not have been a happy camper. She had been poked and prodded by physicians. Due to her condition, and common practice of the era - she was not to be associated with others because she was considered unclean. Most likely she was weak and low in iron. She probably didn’t smell too good and was tender and sore. She had some ISSUES! Pain, poverty, insecurities, loneliness. One who was considered polluted, untouchable, unlovable. How many woman today because of their issues feel unlovable, unforgivable, unuseable, unreachable? How long have we dealt with our issues of faithless spouses, nerve racking children, overbearing work loads. How many years have we dealt with our issues of unhappiness, depressions , addictions, and obsessions. Issues of low self esteem, no self esteem, uncertainty, perplexities. This woman had dealt with her issues for twelve long years, and suddenly one morning she decided, "I am going to turn it over to Jesus!"
Tap the person next to you and tell them "Turn it Over to Jesus"
Look at what it says; she made her way into town despite the fact that no one wanted her around. Sometimes we have to go where others may not want us to be to be in the place God wants us to be. Sometimes we have to step outside the box of ordinary to obtain the extraordinary blessing God has just for us. That means we have to sometimes separate from those we feel comfortable with. We have to say no to some of the places we used to go. We have to go to the place where God is directing us, even though sometimes we don’t feel welcome. We have to be bold like this woman, and press toward the place God has led us to be to obtain what God has for us.
Here she is, pressing through this crowd, clothes stained, body weary, aches and pains wretching through her body. Pushing to get to the one she knew could set her free of her issues. Yes sometimes you will have to push pass the pain, push through the hardship. Sometimes we have to press past the tears and heartache. Yes it will hurt sometimes. Yes it will be uncomfortable sometimes. Yes it will cause us to leave things behind that we had been clinging to. But our issues are not what God wants us to cling to..... He wants us to cling to him. Believe the words of the hymnist - I will cling to the old rugged cross - the emblem of suffering and shame - because we understand that our suffering can be removed and our shame can be erased because of the cross.
The word said that she reached out and touched the hem of his garment. That means she had to get real low. She was crawling or even prostrate. Totally humble and completely surrendering. In order to get rid of our issues we have to humble ourselves. We have to surrender completely to God. Reach out to the source of our deliverance. Sometimes we have to go like the woman did, all by our selves. Even when friends don’t want to go.... Even when children don’t want to go..... even when spouses don’t want to go..... we have to!
But what always causes my spirit to leap when I read this story, is the fact that out of the multitude of people pawing at Jesus, he knew immediately when this woman had touched him and was healed. He turned and questioned "Who touched me". This amazed his disciples, because they knew that there were thousands surrounding him, and everyone was attempting to just touch him. But Jesus knew that this woman’s touch was different. He recognized it as a person who was tired of where he or she was and was ready to go to the next level. This person who touched him, had humbled themselves, surrendered themselves. And now with faith, believed that the healing was inevitable. Jesus felt this, and when the woman replied, he told her, "your faith has made you whole"
That’s how we release our issues! Have faith in the one who can heal our issues. Be confident enough to believe if we just get in his company we can be healed. Be certain that if we just spend time with him we can be delivered. Be assured that if we just commune with him our issues can be relinquished. That issue of grief can be removed because our communication with the Lord reassures us that weeping may endure for a night but Joy is coming in the morning. That issue of loneliness will be evaporated, because our time we spend with the Lord we have learned that he will never leave us nor forsake us. The issue of confusion will be erased because once we begin to tarry with the Lord, he will give us understanding.
We can let our issues keep us in the place where we are or we can get up and give up our issues to God so that we can get to the places he wants us to go.
Be your issue illness or attitude. Be it addiction or affliction. Be it an habit or hardship. We can give it over to Jesus. Be like the woman, press toward the prize. Be like the woman, have enough faith in God. Believe he is a burden bearer and a heavy load sharer. Have enough faith and believe he can remove it. Believe he can restore you! What is your issue? Are you ready to touch the hem? Are you ready to reach out to him? Are you ready to be restored to him. It’s not impossible, thou there will be times you may feel like it is. And there will be folk that will tell you that it is. I know that this woman with her issue, had been told by her family members that she would never be healed. She may have been ridiculed by her peers. She might have been persecuted by those with power. She may have felt her burden was more than she could bear. She might have felt desperate. I imagine she was despondent. But she was crazy enough to believe if she could just get into the presence of Jesus, everything would be alright. In order to get rid of our issues, we just got to believe we need to get into the presence of Jesus! Have enough faith to believe that Can’t Nobody do me like Jesus, Can’t nobody do me like the Lord.
Yes we may be at a low point, but sometimes we have to get real low before we have sense enough to look up. I don’t know what you issue is, but if you are at the point where the woman with the issue of blood was, you are ready to press toward Jesus. I don’t know what it is you have been dealing with - but we each have an opportunity to be made whole. If you want to be whole - then I dare you to tell three people that "I am going to get to Jesus - because he can handle my issues"
Yes we each can think of mothers that have labored in the vineyard. We each have been affiliated with women of great faith. But just like the woman with an issue, each women, each man, each mother, each father, each sister, each brother, each auntie, each uncle - each had an issue that they had to ask God to remove. Those same persons that you have looked up to, has had as expereince similar to the one you are dealing with. They too had to press through the crowd. They too had to endure taunts. They too had to streatch out a hand of faith and reach out for the hand of deliverance. We each can be healed of our issues.... Just spend sometime in the presence of the Lord. Dare to dwell under his anointing. Request for the Glory to come up on you. Rest upon his awesome ability. Ask Him to deal with you issue!
