St Matthew, Chapter 9, verses:24-26, Christ restores Life.

Our paragraph topic is: (Christ raises the ruler's daughter to life) Part 2.  

Christ has arrived at the house of the ruler to see his daughter.  When he arrives he finds mourners and flute players and a din of noise by the crowds that has gathered in preparation for the burial of the child.  He speaks, first to death, saying, "Begone," then to the people, saying, the girl is sleeping and not dead.  The crowd scorns him and ridicules him with their laughter.  But all are cleared from the house and the house becomes quiet.  Christ now enters the house and takes the hand of the girl.  With his simple touch she awakes and arises from the dead.

St Matthew tells us this miracle in such a quiet way to show the simplicity of how it was done.  First Christ comes to the scene and notices the crowds that had gathered.  The word had spread about Christ and many knew of the miracles that he had performed.  Here was a young girl that had died and the crowd knew that fact.  But Christ comes and makes the announcement that the girl is not dead but simply sleeping.  What does he do?  He dispels the rumors that will spread as a result of his performing this miracle.  He gives the crowd an explanation as to what seems like a simple process that is easily understood by the people.  The girl is just sleeping.  He dispels the idea that she is dead and he is there to bring her back from the dead.  Such words would have created a great panic and fear throughout the country that a man could restore life to the dead.  In making this statement the anxiety in the crowd is eased even to the point of laughter.  

The dead girl came to life and the rumors spread.  The word of this miracle spread throughout the district and one can only imagine what spin was placed on this word that caught every ear that heard it.  Christ was the talk of the town.  People from far and wide heard of him.  Rulers, kings, administrators, generals, business leaders, entrepreneurs, everyone would have heard the news of his miracles and the things that he performed.  Christ did not seek fame.  Christ did not seek fortune.  Yet they followed him.  Christ only sought to do the will of his father in heaven.

St Matthew tells us this simple story to show the humility of Christ.  No fanfare, no press, no flashing lights did he desire.  He went about doing the will of God.  Many scoffed and laughed.  Many doubted and scorned him.  Many doubted his words and still do today.  If Christ reached out his hand to touch you today, will you allow him to restore you to life? 

St Matthew, Chapter 9, verses:23-24, Christ restores Life.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ raises the ruler's daughter to life) Part 1. 

Christ now arrives at the rulers house.  He has seen the woman with the hemorrhage and cured her.  The ruler has asked Christ to come to his house.  In the previous verses the ruler told Christ that his daughter has just died.  He asks Christ to come to his house saying,  "But come and lay thy hand upon her, and she will return to life."    St Matthew writes nothing about the faith of the father.  He tells us nothing about how the father came to the conclusion that Christ could restore life.  He only tells us that the ruler came to Christ, made this statement, and Christ decided to follow the ruler to his house.  

Now up to this point in the Gospel of Matthew, Christ has not performed such a miracle as restoring life to a person that is dead.  He has healed the sick,  cleansed the leper, cured a paralytic, made whole a woman with issues of blood, cast out demons, and various other miracles.  But he has not, up to this point, brought someone back to life that has been declared dead.  So the fact that the ruler makes a statement of belief is noticeable.  The ruler tells Christ that if he would lay his hand upon his daughter he knows that she will return to life.  This statement is not stated with doubt.  It is not stated with fear.  It is stated with certainty, the knowledge of certain outcome without disbelief.  So Christ went with him.  And strangely enough his disciples went also, as Matthew relates to us.  They, knowing what miracles Christ had performed, wanted to see this one.  They wanted to know that he could give life to the dead.  They wanted to see what would happen.

When Christ arrived at the house of the ruler, he found mourners and flute players proclaiming the death of the child.  He found the funeral directors ready to take her away.  He found the family and friends of the child weeping because of her death.  He found Death and his minions present at the site.  They, knowing the physical signs of death knew that she was dead.  But the giver of life arrived and he wanted them gone.  So Christ says to them, "Begone."   He spoke to the demons of Death first, casting them away from the bedside of the child.  Then he speaks to the mourners saying,  "The girl is asleep, not dead."

For those who do not understand his words, he spoke as if the girl was not dead.  Christ spoke as if she was merely taking a nap.  And in his view she was doing just that.  He spoke to Death and told it to begone.  He spoke to Death and told it to leave the girl untouched.  He spoke to Death and banished it from taking the soul of the girl.  He spoke to the crowd and told them that the girl was sleeping.  He spoke to the ways of the people and told them that they did not understand.  He spoke to the possessed hearts of the people and told them to take their unbelief and leave.  The people in the crowd were blind to what was about to happen.  The word had spread about Christ and the miracles that he performed, but they were blind.  The crowd did not know him.  So when he spoke to their unbelieving blinded hearts, they laughed.  They ridiculed him.  They scoffed at him.  They made fun of him.  They spoke as though he was crazy.  Yet they did not know the giver of life was among them.

Christ wants to come to us today to restore life.  He wants to come to us today to bring anew that which has been taken away.  He wants to speak to death and say, "Begone."   Yet we do not believe.  Yet we do not know him.  Yet we laugh at him.  Yet we doubt him.  Yet we scoff and ridicule his name.  Many have said that he does not exist.  Many believe in no God at all, calling themselves atheist.  Many use science as a means to explain away and rationalize that there is no God.  Many laugh and proclaim that those who do believe are fools and idiots.  Yet he came to restore life.   Yet he came to give life to those who are asleep.  What reason do you have for not accepting the life that Christ gives? 

St Matthew, Chapter 9, verse:22, The tassel of his cloak.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The woman with a hemorrhage) Part 2.  

The woman with the issue of blood has just touched the tassel of Jesus' cloak.  She is fearful.  She is doubtful.  She is afraid.  She believes that she will be healed but she is unsure.  She has taken a bold step to come forward and touch his garment.  Now that the act is completed Christ turns and looks at her.  He says to her, " Take courage, daughter; thy faith has saved thee."   

She looks in his eyes and knows that she is healed.  She looks at Christ and immediately her heart is filled with joy.  She looks at Jesus and she is at peace from the fear that gripped her from her actions.  St Matthew tells us that, from that moment she was restored to health.   From that moment she was healed.  From that moment she was made whole again.  From that moment her flow of blood stopped.

Like the paralytic, Christ told the women to take courage.  He told her to not open the door to fear but to open the door to courage.  It was her belief that moved her to take action.  It was her faith that led her to believe that she could be healed.  Her was the news of Christ coming to her village that gave her hope.  It was the good news of his miracles that gave birth to the possibility that her time had come to be healed.  Having believed, she took action.  Having believed, she dressed herself and went out to seek the one who could complete her healing.  Having believed, she boldly walked among the crowd, not discerning who she touched, or who touched her, because she knew that this was her time to be healed.  She took action.  She acted upon her faith.  She trusted in the word that came to her about Christ and what he could do for her.

The people who carried the paralytic to Christ did the same thing.  They heard the good news.  They heard that Christ was coming to their town. They heard that he was in their village.  They heard that he was staying at the house where they took the paralytic.  They knew that somehow they had to get him to Christ.  Despite all of the crowds they persevered.  Despite all the people they found a way.  Despite all the obstacles that climbed the rooftops.  Despite all the challenges they tore away the roof of the house.  Despite all the cost they lowered the paralytic to Christ for him to be cured.  And there the paralytic lay, looking at Christ wondering if he would be cured.  And there the paralytic lay, looking up at Christ with doubt and fear in his heart, not knowing if his friends had done something wrong to get him to Christ.  And there the paralytic lay, looking at Christ wondering if he would be forgiven of his sins that led him to become paralyzed.    And Christ said, " Take courage son; thy sins are forgiven thee."  

St Matthew has given us a model of faith to follow.  Christ has told us to take courage when we are in despair.  Christ has told us to take courage when we are in doubt.  Christ has told us to take courage when we come to him for forgiveness.  He has told us to take courage when we come to him believing that we will be healed.  Why do we doubt?  Why do we fear?  We do not know that we will be healed.  We do not know that we will be forgiven.  We do not know what Christ will do for us when we seek his help.  But here, in these verses, he tells the paralytic and the woman with the hemorrhage to take courage.  He tells us today to take courage.  Do not be afraid.  Do not fear.  For he is a loving God and wants to heal us.  He is a loving God and wants to make us whole.  He is a loving God and wants to help us in our hour of need.  So come, to the throne f grace with courage, knowing that he will provide for us in our needs.  Can you take courage today and stand up for Christ?  Can you take courage today and walk in the knowledge that Christ will heal you?  Can you take courage today and not let fear come into your heart no matter what situation you face today?