In the first set of miracle stories Jesus healed people that were forced to the edge of Jewish society. In the second set Jesus challenged and defeated the power of evil. In this third set Jesus knocks down boundaries to make room for the Kingdom of God.
Israel was bound up with their beliefs about what was holy or unholy, what was clean or unclean. As Jesus pushes against these boundaries he is always doing the unexpected. He is not afraid of death, and touches the dead girl and restores her life. He is not afraid of blood, and commends the woman for her faith. He is not afraid of anything and brings healing and release from the powers of darkness to those coming to him in faith.
Two questions are confronting me after today’s reading. First, there were two very separate and distinct responses to Jesus’ actions. Some opposed Jesus for removing the boundaries. Others spread the news of Jesus’ mighty works. If I had been there, I wonder, in which camp would I have been?
Second, I wonder, how many times have I missed an opportunity to help Jesus remove boundaries? I wonder how many more opportunities I will miss.
What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do or remember about this passage.
Does God want you to change anything in your life?
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