Yielded

"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." Matthew 13:15......."The only thing that Jesus can't heal is that which we won't yield to Him." Kim Meeder

Isn't it a tragedy that what should be the center of healing and wholeness in a lost culture, the church, too often isn't? There are many reasons for this and not all of them are due to the failure of the church. Certainly there are parts of His Church that suffer from spiritual weakness brought about by compromise, cowardice, or the presence of unrepentant lives and leadership. Yet even in healthy churches, the pews can be filled with lives and souls in desperate need of healing that can only come through Jesus Christ. Yet though they come to church, they don't actually come to Him, and so they leave the same as they came in. Worse really, as they likely resisted yet another appeal from His heart to "come and be healed."

I want to look at two reasons for this, though I know there are more. The first is detailed by Jesus Himself as He looked upon the very lives of those He came to save. They would not come because to come meant that they would have to yield, surrender to His Lordship and way. We see this worked out daily in people's lives. They carry around with them deep emotional wounds. Wounds that manifest themselves in a myriad of ways; anger, bitterness, unforgiveness. These emotions can then show themselves in their inflicting emotional and physical abuse on others. Families come into our fellowships every week that look fine on the surface, but underneath lay all manner of brokenness. They are in the presence of the Healer, but they remain in their wounded state. It is often said that though Jesus healed many, there were so many more that were never healed. I've often wondered if at least part of the reason for that is that they wouldn't come to Him in the first place?

The second reason is found in something else Meeder said, and that is we must cease focusing on all that hurts in our lives, and begin to focus on the One who heals. This may be the even greater reason so many remain in their brokenness. All they can see is the events and people who caused their woundedness, as well as the resulting pain. They never see Jesus. They may fully believe that He is a Healer, but they cannot believe that He can and will heal them. Their pain blocks out His face and His hand.

Too many of us are as the cripple at the pool of Bethsaida, in his state for decades. He wanted healing, but could never focus on the healing waters of the pool. All he could see were all the obstacles to getting into that pool. Then, finally, he saw Jesus, and was made whole. Where are we like him? Where do we go on with the brokenness in our lives, our homes, our relationships, all because we don't see His face, or receive the touch of His hand? The only thing He cannot heal is that which we won't yield to Him. Let us, in all things, yield to Him....and be made whole.

Blessings,

Pastor O