You and I live in a broken world. It ain’t right. The world around us is trying to drag us down with it by telling us that we are not enough, that we are losers, that we are not loved, that we really are worthless. And too many times we believe the world.
So many of us have been diagnosed with a situation that we’ll have the rest of our lives, like my wife, who is deathly allergic to fire ant bites. In 2017 while teaching her fifth grade kids a science lesson outside, she got bitten by fire ants and then taken to the ER because her throat was closing up. She now carries an epipen. She’s stuck with that allergy for life.
We are stuck with sin too. But Jesus is the one thing that can heal us, make us right, help us regain our sense of worth.
Like the story of the healed leper in Matthew 8:1-4, we are in need of Jesus. Leprosy is a horrific disease. I’ve seen it first hand while living in Africa. If you have the disease, you’ll loose your fingers and toes, then a nose maybe your ears. It is a slow way to die. And in Jewish culture, Jesus’ culture, a leper was outside culture and society. They were banished. A leper could not interact in society, with their family…they couldn’t even go to worship. They lived outside the city far from any normalcy.
Maybe you feel like that. You feel isolated and alone, banished from a life you thought you were promised. You are caught up in a life of addiction or adultery. You’ve hurt people your whole life and lied about others to get your way. You have not been loving to your spouse and continually play the blame game. You’re an absentee parent for your children. Satan whispers in your ear that you are pathetic and you believe him.
But Jesus is the remedy for what’s going on in your life!! He can set things right again. Your mess is NOT bigger than God’s miracle. Saying “yes” to Jesus means you’re willing to let go of the script the world has given you and embrace life with Jesus, letting him lead you in every aspect of your life.
Maybe you’re like the woman in Luke 13:10-13 who had been bent over double for eighteen years. Jesus sees her, calls her over, and transforms her life forever. His healing allows the sun on her face again and now she’s looking directly into the face of the Son of God.
You and I have a habit of hanging on to our burdens. Although we’ve been forgiven, we insist keeping them on our back…all those poor decisions we’ve made along the way, bending us over and weighing us down. Jesus has told us, “Come to me all of you who are tired and worn out and I’ll give you rest.” Jesus is calling you over because he wants to take your burden and remind you that you can once more stand up straight.
And know, it will not be perfect the day after you say “yes” to Jesus. Paul, one of the most profound Christians of all time, tells us that very idea in Philippians 3:12-14. “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” Following Jesus is a process that sharpens over time and a life.
Wherever you find yourself, outside community or bend over with burden, know you have a Savor in Jesus who is waiting with open arms to welcome you home. He is our remedy. He has loved us, lifted us, forgiven us, healed us, shed light upon us…He’s there for you right now! Embrace Jesus and find life to be so much more! Blessings on your journey!