Jesus doesn’t just heal us and leave. He takes our hand and helps us back onto our feet.
I have recently been participating in a Bible study on the Gospel of Mark. I always enjoy reading the Gospels because they show Jesus doing what He does, healing the sick, casting out demons, questioning the self-righteous and challenging the people who think they have all of the answers, not to mention dying to save all of humanity and then rising from the dead defeating death for good. The Gospels tell a story that even Hollywood couldn’t dream up; only God Himself could weave such an intricate story.
I also find reading the Gospels to be a bit of a treasure hunt. Every time I read one, I find a different gem to carry with me. This time, I found it in some of His healings.
In Mark 1:31, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law who is sick in bed with a fever. The text says: “So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.”
In Mark 5:41: In the case of Jairus’ daughter, “He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!” (which means little girl, get up!) Technically, this was more than just a healing because the child was dead, but she got up.
When I got to the part about Jesus casting out of a demon in Mark 9:26-27, “The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet and he stood up,” a new gem caught my attention.
In three different instances, Jesus not only performed a miracle, but he reached for the person’s hand and helped them back onto their feet.
He didn’t leave them where they were, flat on their backs, to figure out what to do next. He reached for their hands and helped them up onto their feet, presumably to get back to living, doing whatever they were called to do. Peter’s mother-in-law got busy serving everyone around her and Jesus told them to give the little girl something to eat.
When Jesus heals, he doesn’t turn and walk away. He reaches for our hand, pulls us to our feet, no matter how deep the hole is we may find ourselves in, and He invites us to get back to life serving Him. We are all called to make some kind of difference or we wouldn’t be here. We all have the opportunity to reach for His hand and learn what that calling is. He will always help us up. The Gospel of Mark reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂