David Bahn – Reflections

Light from the Word and through the lens

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In 1968 Jerry Snell opened a door in the hallway outside our first hour chemistry class. He invited me into what I discovered was a darkroom. Soon I was on the school newspaper and annual staff as a photographer. Later I learned that Jerry was a Lutheran who was planning to become a pastor. A few years later I was not only a Lutheran, but I was heading off to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, too. Jerry followed a year later and served as a pastor in Missouri until his untimely heart attack and death. I thank God for Jerry and enjoy photography still today – not to mention rejoicing in having served as a Lutheran pastor in congregations in Utah, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas. I’ve retired now and serve part time as a Congregational Support Specialist for the Texas District of the LCMS. I also provide coaching and leadership training through various PLI cohorts and with individual congregations and organizations. David Bahn is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Diane, father and grandfather. He is an avid amateur photographer. His photo website is “Flowers by God Photos by David” He also publishes a devotional blog DavidBahn-Reflections.com. He and Diane live in Cypress Texas and enjoy visiting their grandchildren who live in the United States and Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1979, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1991. Diane, his wife, is now retired from PLI (PLIleadership.org). They have offered presentations on Marriage and Ministry Partnership, Leadership, Changing Your Congregation’s Culture, and Missional Living. They look are working with PLI International training pastors and wives of the ELVD Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. David’s personal mission statement is “Leading people to realize Jesus’ calling and plans for their lives.”

  • When the Gospel Comes Back Home

    Jesus left that place and went to his hometown. His disciples followed him. 2 When the day of rest—a holy day came, he began to teach in the synagogue. He amazed many who heard him. They asked, “Where did this man get these ideas? Who gave him this kind of wisdom and the ability to do such great miracles? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they took offense at him.

    4 But Jesus told them, “The only place a prophet isn’t honored is in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” 5 He couldn’t work any miracles there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and cure them. 6 Their unbelief amazed him. – Mark 6:1-6

    Red and Black Insect on White Flowers | Austin, Texas | October 2020

    I receive a weekly email from Caspari, an evangelical resource and education center for training, discipleship, and academic research and study. Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians work together to strengthen and support the movement of Jewish believers in Jesus in Israel.

    Each week they send a brief summary of articles of interest to Christians who see the deep roots of Judaism in the Christian faith, and want to share the Good News of Jesus with Jewish people in Israel. This week they reported on four articles about missionary activities. Each of them highlighted opposition to such activity.

    [You may see the summaries below this post.]

    Somehow, since the death and resurrection of Jesus, his message of grace and truth has gone around the world. People call Jesus Lord on every continent of the earth. The message of his salvation is confessed by people from every tribe, language, ethnic group, and race.

    That which started from Jerusalem has spread to the uttermost parts of the earth! (cf. Acts 1:8) When Diane and I prepared for our mission trip to China we read a book about the spread and growth of the faith all around the world…all the way “Back to Jerusalem.”

    The message of Jesus has gone from east to west and it is now the hope of Chinese believers that they will carry the message through Asia all the way to Jerusalem. They look for the day when Jesus will be acknowledged to be Messiah by many Jewish people. After all, Jesus was a Jew.

    Jesus’ homegrown credentials are of no value to the people of his home town. They will have nothing of his message. They reject his claim to be the Son of God, the embodiment of the Reign and Rule of God, the Messiah. So sad.

    In the economy of God, and according to his plan for the salvation of all people, the message had to move out of Jerusalem, out of Capernaum, out of Galilee. It had to go to other peoples, tribes, nations, and lands. And so it has. Jesus would do no miracle there. He would leave his home town and go to other villages, preaching the reign and rule of God.

    It is never God’s hope that any people would be lost. And so the message continues to be shared by those who believe in him and look forward to the day when people from every nation, from “all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10)

    Summaries from the Caspari Media Review email (October 11, 2020)

    The first article reported that missionary materials were distributed in the Haredi neighborhood of Kiryat Sanz. Yad L’Achim received many complaints, and some offered to join Yad L’Achim as volunteers in response to the missionary activity.

    The second article recounted the story of Australian missionary Andrew Lewis, who was forced to leave his home in the south of Israel after protests were held there against him. Lewis was fined after being caught putting up missionary posters in playgrounds via his children. The article said that Lewis writes, prints, and distributes his own missionary materials. Nine years ago, he sent booklets to over one million Israeli homes, as well as New Testaments to every Knesset member.

    The third article reported an old story about a bus driver who had been filmed preaching to his passengers and had been fired from his job.

    The fourth article was about Michael Beener, who is said to run a missionary center in Sderot. Beener was accused of exploiting the security situation in order to appeal to Christians abroad for donations. Beener has reportedly taken groups of Jewish immigrants on trips around the country, and some have been baptized in the Jordan River.

  • Who Needs Jesus?

    Jesus left that place and went to his hometown. His disciples followed him. 2 When the day of rest—a holy day came, he began to teach in the synagogue. He amazed many who heard him. They asked, “Where did this man get these ideas? Who gave him this kind of wisdom and the ability to do such great miracles? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they took offense at him. – Mark 6:1-3

    Looking Back Toward the Sun | Austin, Texas | October 2020

    I was invited back home a few years ago. It was a celebration of the anniversary of the Lutheran Chapel of Hope at Southeast Missouri State University. I am happy to say that my return home did not trigger the kind of response Jesus received when he returned home. 

    But going back home was quite different for Jesus than it was for me. I can easily be ignored. People don’t have to comment on my lack of credentials. But Jesus is the Son of God. He is not just a carpenter, and the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. He’s not just his sisters’ big brother. 

    And the harder the people of Jesus’ hometown object, the more it becomes clear that they “doth protest too much.” You don’t need to discredit someone who has no impact. You don’t need to undercut someone that everyone is ignoring. 

    Obviously, however, everyone is not ignoring Jesus. He is healing diseases. He is teaching, confronting, forgiving, and proclaiming the presence of the reign and rule of God. He is having an impact. People are noticing him. He is a force to be reckoned with. He is the kind of person – if you don’t agree with him, or doubt his truthfulness – that must be silenced, discredited, or stopped. 

    The reputation of the Church, and the witness of Christians’ lifestyle are only part of the reason that people reject Jesus. The real issue is often an unwillingness to acknowledge Jesus as the embodiment of God’s reign and rule. His person and his teaching mean something. If he is the Son of God, he must be honored, acknowledged, and obeyed. If he is God’s Son, he will mess with your life. 

    If you are content with your life as it is, Jesus isn’t for you. If you’re your own boss, Jesus isn’t for you. If you don’t need a Savior, Jesus isn’t for you. If you need no prayer power, Jesus isn’t for you. If you have life all figured out, Jesus isn’t for you. 

    But if you don’t have all the answers, recognize your need for a Savior, yearn for power to attend your prayers, yearn for a better tomorrow, Jesus has a word for you. And he will disrupt and bless your life. 

    But Jesus told them, “The only place a prophet isn’t honored is in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” 5 He couldn’t work any miracles there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and cure them. 6 Their unbelief amazed him.

    Then Jesus went around to the villages and taught.

    7 He called the twelve apostles, sent them out two by two, and gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing along on the trip except a walking stick. They were not to take any food, a traveling bag, or money in their pockets. 9 They could wear sandals but could not take along a change of clothes.

    10 He told them, “Whenever you go into a home, stay there until you’re ready to leave that place. 11 Wherever people don’t welcome you or listen to you, leave and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them.”

    12 So the apostles went and told people that they should turn to God and change the way they think and act. 13 They also forced many demons out of people and poured oil on many who were sick to cure them. – Mark 6:4-13

  • Today’s Psalms

    Psalm 11:4

    The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven;
    His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.

    Psalm 41:1-2

    How blessed is he who considers the helpless;
    The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble.
    The LORD will protect him and keep him alive,
    And he shall be called blessed upon the earth;
    And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies.

    Psalm 71:1-6

    In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
    Let me never be ashamed.
    In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    Incline Your ear to me and save me.
    Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come;
    You have given commandment to save me,
    For You are my rock and my fortress.
    Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
    Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man,
    For You are my hope;
    O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.
    By You I have been sustained from my birth;
    You are He who took me from my mother’s womb;
    My praise is continually of You.

    Psalm 101:1

    I will sing of lovingkindness and justice,
    To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.

    Psalm 131

    O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
    Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
    Or in things too difficult for me.
    Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
    Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
    My soul is like a weaned child within me.
    O Israel, hope in the LORD
    From this time forth and forever.

  • Just have faith

    While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

    36 But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

    37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”

    40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. 43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat. – Mark 5:35-43

    Prayer Garden Flowers | St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas | September 2020

    A high wire acrobat gathers a crowd and walks a few feet out over a deep chasm. He returns and asks the crowd, “Do you believe I can go all the way across and back?” 

    “Yes!” they yell.

    After doing so, He asks, “Do you believe I can push this wheelbarrow across and back?”

    “Yes!” they yell again.

    After doing so, He asks, “Do you believe I can push this wheelbarrow across and back with someone in it?”

    One more time the cheer goes up: “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

    “OK,” he says, Who will get into the wheelbarrow while I push it across?”

    Then there was silent. 

    While it’s true: faith’s strength is in its object (see Monday’s post), it’s also true that having an object for your faith without putting your faith into play is futile. A trapeze artist who has strong faith in a strong and sturdy net, but who refuses to fly through the air is no trapeze artist. James says that faith without works is dead. I say that a worthy object of faith, be it God’s promises, Jesus’ victory over sin and death, or God’s word, and never relying on that foundation, is no faith. It’s “the demons believe and shudder in fear” non-faith. 

    When confronted with the news that his daughter had died, Jesus simply says, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Faith replaces fear. Faith emboldens hearts. Faith sustains us when times are challenging. And sometimes we simply must engage our faith. We must take the promises of God and the gifts of Jesus and apply them to our lives. We must believe.

    Challenges to doing that come in the face of illness, temptation, guilt, and shame. It’s one thing to live in grace, with the confidence of our eternal salvation centering our hearts on a daily basis, when the rhythms of life are predictable and good. That is true faith.  We can have that kind of faith in our sleep. It’s quite another to call on God’s promises intentionally when we are in urgent need of answered prayers, or when we face temptation or dark nights of the soul. 

    But this call of Jesus is so powerfully strong and pointed, that we should actually take it to heart intentionally. Perhaps these words of Jesus to Jairus are words we need to hear. This command is a command we need to obey. 

    What are you facing this day to which Jesus would say, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”? Let him take you by the hand and lift you up and give you life, hope, courage, and an even stronger faith through it all. 

  • Don’t laugh!

    While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

    36 But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

    37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”

    40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. 43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat. – Mark 5:35-43

    Gulls & a Boat | Galveston, Texas | August 2020

    “Don’t laugh! Don’t laugh…don’t laugh…” I would do that to our sons when they were little. It worked every time. They couldn’t keep a straight face even in the face of their anger, frustration, or disappointment with me. They didn’t want to laugh, but my command to silence them worked wonders. They would inevitably laugh. It was a good moment. 

    It seems quite clear, however, that the people who laugh at Jesus are laughing in derision. They are expressing supreme disbelief in his grasp of the situation, and rejecting any idea that he would be able to raise this 12-year-old from the dead. She’s dead. They know it. Don’t be silly, Jesus, saying she’s asleep. Ha ha!

    But the joke is on the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan delights in death. He is happy when people die. He is very willing for people to stay dead. This little girl? Let her stay dead. Only problem with all that is Jesus is the Author and Lord of life. Only God determines who lives and who dies. Only God determines the boundaries of life and times of death and life. 

    So laugh on Satan. Sneer. Bare your teeth. Hiss and threaten. Laugh at Jesus while you may. You’ll have time to do that for these moments. And there will also come a time when you laugh for three days straight. But that laughter will come to an end. Your laughter will be turned to tears. Your joy into despair, Satan. You might foolishly express your continued disregard for Jesus. You may object. But you will not win.

    I don’t imagine that the mourners who laughed at Jesus were intending to ridicule Jesus. I don’t think they wanted the girl to stay dead. I suspect they simply didn’t imagine that Jesus really knew what he was talking about. Or that he could actually reverse the course of death. 

    But he could. And he did. The girl was asleep insofar as he was concerned. And so he took her by the hand and raised her up. Jesus is concerned about life, death, sleep and waking. Don’t laugh at his words or promises. Believe!

  • Give her something to eat.

    While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

    36 But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

    37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”

    40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. 43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat. – Mark 5:35-43

    Clouds, Sunbeams, & Gulls | Galveston, Texas | August 2020

    The everyday rhythms of rest, work, eat, sleep are clearly recorded in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. Whether it is the picture we get of Jesus asleep in the boat during a storm (certainly clear evidence of Jesus physical exhaustion), his feeding of the 5000, or his travels from place to place preaching the Kingdom of God and manifesting its presence in signs and wonders: Jesus was a real person, living a real life. 

    That’s just one reason I appreciate the touch Mark includes here of Jesus telling the girl’s parents to give her something to eat.

    Some people accuse Christians to be so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. If that is the case, we must repent. For Jesus’ ministry shows that God cares about all of life. He sends the mourners away. He clears the room of all but a few. He heals the girl. Then he tells them to give her something to eat. 

    Practically speaking, if she was quite ill, she may not have had food for a time. And if she is up and walking around, her energy might soon be utterly depleted. This is a practical way of caring for her. It’s real. It’s here and now. It’s what was needed. It was a blessing. 

    Having said all that, Jesus put the people out and sent away the mourners for a reason. I believe it was because his work was not to be confined to this one girl and her relief. He cared for her and her parents, and his care would not stop with them. She would be well. He would continue on. 

    Not too many months later he would express his physical need by crying out, “I thirst!” As his life drained from his body, the fullness of this healing and all the others were taken into his. Demons were sent into the pigs. Our sicknesses were laid on Jesus. He would be denied drink. He would die. But days later he would enjoy a breakfast on the beach with his disciples. 

    He continues to feed the souls of his people on the manna of his grace. He nourishes us with his body and blood under the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. That’s a meal he offers all who come to him in faith.

  • Soft Spots II

    While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

    36 But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

    37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”

    40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. 43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat. – Mark 5:35-43

    Birds & Ship | Galveston, Texas | August 2020

    I have a soft spot for the way Jesus treats this little girl. It is remarkable to me for more than one reason. First Jesus takes her by the hand. It’s obvious that Peter was in the room with Jesus and the others. He sees Jesus’ gesture, and hears his words, “Talitha koum,” and then dictates this to Mark (this is the traditional understanding of how we got Mark’s gospel). Mark is also touched so that he adds the translates the Aramaic for his Greek speaking audience: “Little girl, get up.” 

    Once the girl is healed she is up walking around. Jesus tells them to give her something to eat. This signals both a complete healing and Jesus’ care for her ongoing wellbeing. It may also indicate how sick she really was. Recovered, but in need of sustenance. And life must go on. She has a life ahead of her. 

    It has been pointed out to me by some colleagues that this is one of my most favorite Bible stories. Apparently I reference it often enough that people have drawn that conclusion. Perhaps I’m touched so much by this because of my younger sister who died at the age of eight. Maybe I unconsciously think of Jesus taking her by the hand and saying, “Talitha koum.” 

    It certainly shows Jesus’ care for little ones. It is a visible expression of the reality that they are weak but he is strong. It shows how intimately he is willing to be in our lives. It shows how he will come into the inner rooms of people’s lives. It shows his tenderness toward people in need. It shows how he is willing to keep things quiet and private. 

    There will come a time when Jesus’ soft spots will be full-on on display.  Hands will be riven. Feet will be impaled. His side will be pierced. He will pour forth blood from his heart, hands and feet. And by his stripe we will be healed. The Lord will lay on him the iniquity of us all. For he has a very big soft spot for sinners like you and me. 

  • Soft spots

    While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

    36 But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

    37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”

    40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. 43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat. – Mark 5:35-43

    Ship & Birds | Galveston, Texas | August 2020

    Do you have a soft spot? It is for cute little puppies, newborn babies, or kindergarten girls? Jesus seems to have had a soft spot for little ones. Physically small children. Emotionally small women. Spiritually small men. Crippled beggars. Blind men. Sinful women. He had a soft spot for such as these. 

    In this case it is the daughter of the synagogue ruler. She is sick and in urgent need of Jesus’ help. Her father has begged Jesus to come to his home and heal her. And so he goes. But while he’s on his way he is interrupted by another person for whom he had a soft spot. The bleeding woman who reaches out to touch Jesus’ garment gets his attention. He, afterall, has a soft spot for people in need.

    I’m thinking that when the messengers arrived saying that the daughter had died, the synagogue ruler’s soft spot for Jesus might have been hardened a bit. I might run out of patience with Jesus, the woman who inserted herself into this moment, and perhaps with himself for not seeking Jesus’ help sooner. 

    But when it comes to people in need, an early intrusion of death, or a premature conclusion about the daughter’s health, Jesus has no soft spot. He’s as hard and focused as nails. He will not let his soft spot for bleeding women, or dull disciples, or late fathers get in the way of his gracious healing power. He will not be dissuaded.

    He will go to the man’s house. He will put everyone out of the room. He will heal the daughter. He will instruct her parents to give her something to eat. 

    Soft spots can blind us to the hard realities that surround us all. They can numb us to needs of which we may not be aware. They may capture our attention and distract us from other places where kindness, grace, mercy, and love may also urgently be needed. 

    Jesus, however, takes them all in stride. He attends to the woman. He instructs his disciples. He overrides the cancellation of the servants. He heals the daughter. Where is your soft spot – not for someone else, but in your soul. Jesus is the balm of Gilead which heals and soothes. And sometimes he has a hard word that breaks down our hard hearts and opens them up to his goodness and love. 

  • Trapeze Artist Faith

    Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” – Mark 5:34

    Casting His Net | Galveston, Texas | August 2020

    I like to think of faith in terms of trapeze artists. An experienced high-flyer is swinging from trapeze to trapeze and misses his mark. As he’s falling he is confident that the net below will catch him and prevent a terrible accident. Sadly, however, over the years the net has worn. Some vital parts of the support structure are hanging on only by a thread. In fact, it won’t hold a bowling ball if dropped onto it. Will the intrepid trapeze artist’s faith save him?

    Another trapeze artist is not so confident. Before she went up high, she checked down low. The net was secure. All the support structure members were solid and well anchored. As she climbed the ladder her fear did not subside, but she went ahead. As she stepped toward the swing, the platform gave way and she fell. As she was falling, she hoped the net would catch her. She had enough faith to go up, but had doubts coming down. Would it catch her? Yes. It was solid. It was well-anchored. It was strong. It would hold.

    The strength of faith is in its object. When we believe in God we place our trust in One who is wholly trustworthy. Reliable. Faithful. Faith in the One who lived, died and rose for us is a faith that will be honored. It will hold. For its object is powerful and true.

    Faith’s strength is in God – not the believer. There are times when our faith seems to be the thinnest strand on which hang heavy weights of worry, woe, and fear. But it’s not the faith itself that avails. It’s the one in whom we put our faith. Faith saves because of its object. 

    Faith honors God. It focuses attention away from ourselves and looks for the most noble and praiseworthy aspects of God’s nature. It lays hold of God’s goodness, mercy, love, and grace.

    You can believe as hard as you want in the Great Purple Mother Cricket (a college friend of mine claimed to believe in that). But that faith will not prevail. But if you barely brush against Jesus in faith your whole life can change. 

    And once changed, you’ll find yourself going back again and again to the wellspring of grace, love, hope, healing, mercy, and salvation. In faith. 

    Fuller context of this moment:

    Jesus went with the synagogue ruler, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

    Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

    His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

    But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” – Mark 5:24-34

  • Faith.

    Jesus went with the synagogue ruler, and all the people followed, crowding around him. 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

    30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

    31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

    32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” – Mark 5:18-34 

    Going Fishing | Galveston, Texas | August 2020

    What’s your top-of-the-list word for the Christian life? Hope? Love? Grace? Patience (longsuffering!)? Jesus? Faith? All of these are great words. Martin Luther identified as many as five words that were at the core of his teaching and confession: Faith alone. Grace alone. Christ alone. Scripture alone. For God’s glory alone. These were his top-of-the-list go-to words. 

    Jesus points us to one of these in this passage. Indeed, he makes a point of pointing to this one word again and again in his encounter with various people. A blind man asking Jesus to be given sight (Matthew 9:29). A mother, willing to be considered as a dog, pleading for her sick daughter (Matthew 15:28). A sinful woman who wet Jesus’ feet with her tears and then poured on expensive ointment (Luke 7:50). A one-in-ten leper who returned to thank Jesus for healing him (Luke 17:19). Jesus commends their faith.

    Jesus makes a keen point: It’s not our conscientious religious performance that gains his attention and praise. It’s faith. Typically it’s faith of down-and-out folks that rises to the surface of Jesus’ acknowledgment and admiration. Jesus sees faith. Jesus commends faith. Jesus honors faith. 

    That’s because without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is essential. We may rightly love mercy, seek justice and walk humble with our God (cf. Micah 6:8). But without faith we cannot please God (cf. Hebrews 11:6). 

    So when this woman reaches out and touches Jesus’ garment, she is doing so in faith. It may be desperate. It may be trembling and fearful. It may be only a flicker. But it is faith. And Jesus is touched by people of faith – no matter how light the touch may be.