Reaching Out

The Bible contains many stories of people who reached out to Jesus, but in doing so risked public opposition or accusation of breaking the law. For example, there were the friends of the paralysed man who tore off the roof to bring him to Jesus, the ten lepers, considered outcasts, who risked their lives by showing themselves in public, and the despised tax collector Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus.

There was the thief on the cross who cried out, “Remember me when You enter Your kingdom,” and there was the blind beggar who refused to be silenced by the crowd, and cried louder and louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Each of these people refused to be drowned by their circumstances. Like Peter, they cried out to Jesus. ‘But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”’ (Matthew 14:30).

Each of these people faced hurdles and barriers that could have kept them from reaching out. They reached out for Him, and found there no shame in doing so. They chose to fix their eyes on Jesus and overcome fear, shame, and public opinion. They reached out in faith, and their lives were forever changed.

There was a woman who had had a bleeding condition for twelve years. She spent everything she had on doctors, but rather than being cured she got worse. According to Jewish law, she was considered unclean, and she wasn’t supposed to be in public, let alone touch anyone. Anything she came into contact with would have been considered unclean.

But she was desperate for healing and breakthrough and, although her condition had put walls of legal restrictions around her, she refused to stay inside them. She pushed through the crowd thinking, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.” That’s what drove her above all. She had her eyes on Jesus, and she was ready to sacrifice everything to reach out to what mattered the most.

When she finally edged her way close to Jesus and touched the hem of His cloak, Jesus responded. ‘At once Jesus realised that power had gone out from him. He turned round in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”’ (Mark 5:30).

‘Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering”’ (Mark 5:33-34).

She knew the power in touch, since her touch had once made things unclean. But this time, her faith-filled touch brought healing and made her clean.

Each of these stories reveals the same truth. All these people took some action by faith. Their faith motivated them to reach out to Jesus, and this faith moved Jesus to bring healing to them

In our own circumstances, whatever brokenness, pain, rejection, or sin, we carry, may we also reach out in faith to Jesus.