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So let’s take a look at some of the people that Jesus ministered to, and think about how He must have made them feel. In doing so, you may see something about your own situation, and realize how He can also touch your life. Or you may think of someone you know in these situations, and you may realize that, if you can minister to them with love and concern the way Jesus did, you may be used of God to change their lives.
1. People without Hope (Future). John 8:1-11 tells us the story of a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. There was no doubt that she was guilty, and the Pharisees brought her before Jesus to see what He had to say about her. According to the Law of Moses, this woman was to be stoned, and the religious leaders had every right to condemn her there on the spot and take her life from her. But they decided to use this incident to test Jesus and see how He would handle the situation. Would He act according to the law, or would He let her go? In either case, they thought they could use this as a trap. But Jesus taught about a greater law…He taught that the law of love prevails against all other laws…Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. So what would He do in this situation?
Now, as we can see, this woman was totally without hope. At any moment she could have been condemned to death by stoning, and this man Jesus… He seemed totally unconcerned as the Pharisees made these accusations against her. How frightened she must have been, as she trembled and sobbed uncontrollably. Then…she saw Him stand up…He turned to the Pharisees. She must’ve thought this was it for her…her last moments alive on this earth as she tried to brace herself for what was to come. But then she heard the words, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (verse 7) She closed her eyes and held her breath. “This is it”, she must’ve thought. But then she heard the shuffling of feet. They were leaving! Every last one of them walked away, all except Jesus. As He looked at her and pushed the hair away from her face, He said, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” And she replied, “No one, Lord.” Then Jesus spoke to her with such gentleness, words that would set her free and give her hope for a bright future, one filled with joy…“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Such love as she had never experienced before...such compassion. From that very moment as she walked away, I believe her life was different, full of hope. He truly brings hope to the hopeless.
2. People without Desire (Passion). The Apostle Luke shares a story in the 5th chapter: “Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” (verses 17-20) Jesus knew the hearts of the Pharisees and he also knew the hearts of the friends of this paralyzed man. Notice, the scripture doesn’t say anything about the paralytic’s faith. But it was an opportunity to show the glory of God through the ignorance of the Pharisees.
Knowing the doubts of the Pharisees, Jesus continued His conversation, “But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Rise up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins He said to the man who was paralyzed, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today!” (vs 22-26)
I believe Jesus healed him for two reasons. (1) He honored the faith of the man’s friends. They were so determined to see results in their friend’s life that they went to extreme measures to make that happen. When they got to the house and saw the crowds, they could have given up and gone home, but no, they went further in their quest to see their friend’s life changed. They knew they had the right person Who could do it, and they were not leaving that day without an answer.
Have you ever had such a strong prayer burden for someone that you could not ignore it? Have you ever interceded for a person until you “broke through” in order to see the needed results in their lives? Sometimes it’s not enough to just say a little prayer and go on. Sometimes we must “go the extra mile” and keep on interceding as long as needed. That’s what these friends did. They kept on until they saw results in their friend’s life. God honors persistent prayer.
The second reason I believe He healed the man that day was to allow the people and the Pharisees see the glory of God. We need to be careful when we do our good deeds. We need to be constantly aware of, not only what we do, but why do we do it. If we are not serving in order to bring glory and honor to God, then we are deceiving ourselves. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Sometimes a person is not capable of having enough faith for themselves, and it is important that we stand in the gap and intercede on their behalf. Also, notice that after the miracle was done, the paralytic got up, picked up his bed and went his way…glorifying God. Faith had been birthed in his heart and he gave all the glory to God for what He had done. He went away a new person.
3. People without Motivation (Drive). In chapter 5 of the book of John, the disciple also describes an encounter Jesus had with a man who had no idea what He was capable of when he was asked a very important question. Verses 1-7 explain the situation: “After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
Have you ever known anybody who just goes through the motions? They show up to church because that’s what they have done all their lives, they go to work because that’s what people are supposed to do, they eat dinner at the same time every day, they watch the same TV programs, they move through the same routine…day, after day, after day. Nothing ever changes, no drive, no ambition, no motivation. That’s how I see this man who met Jesus at the Pool of Bethesda that day. He had been in this condition for 38 years, and the only reason he was even at the pool that day was because it’s what he always did. He knew the routine. He had experienced the same failure year after year. He even had his excuse all ready when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be well. He didn’t get excited and shout, “Yes!! I do want to get well!!” No, instead he recited the reason why it just wouldn’t work for him… “I don’t have anybody to help me, and somebody is always faster than I am.” That’s all he had to say…no drive, no ambition, no motivation. Makes you want to ask, “Then why are you here?” doesn’t it?
I’ve known people like that, haven’t you? You try to suggest a possible solution for their problem, and they think of a million reasons why it won’t work. No matter how many people it has worked for before them, there is no way possible that there can be a solution for their problems. They prefer to stay in their misery than to try to find a solution to their dilemma. So they go on, year after year after year, in the same condition they have always been in…no victory, no joy, no peace in their lives. Nothing but defeat!
But Jesus… Did you get what I just said? But Jesus… I’m so glad He was there that day, because the next verse and a half says it all…“Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.” (verses 8-9a)
He can take a broken life, full of pain and sorrow, and He can make it whole again. He can mend whatever it is that has you discouraged and down-hearted, and lift you up to a place of joy and peace. He can give you motivation and purpose for being. But Jesus… Won’t you let Him speak healing to your situation today? Isn’t it time to stop looking at your situation and start looking to Jesus?
4. People without Peace (Life in turmoil). In the 8th chapter of Luke, we read a small snippet about one of the most faithful followers of Jesus…a woman named Mary Magdalene. Before she met Jesus, her life was in turmoil, and in the first three verses of this chapter, we can only imagine what a difference He made. Luke 8:1-3 tells us, “Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.”
We aren’t given a lot of information in these verses, but from other instances that are written in the Bible, we can only imagine what Mary Magdalene’s life was like before Jesus set her free. We can imagine that she was out of control, compulsive and driven by these demons, and that everything in her life was in complete turmoil. As we read other accounts of demon possession, we see that they were living among the tombs, cutting themselves, throwing themselves in the fire. We don’t know exactly how these demons affected Mary Magdalene, but we do know that the person we see in scripture as she is following Jesus, ministering to Him and serving Him was nothing like the person that Jesus met when He cast out those demons. She had been set free and her life was full of peace and grace.
I know a lot of people whose lives are in utter turmoil. They may not be demon-possessed, but they are certainly lacking peace in their lives, and they run to and fro trying to make some kind of sense out of senseless situations. Those are the kind of lives that Jesus specializes in speaking peace to. He desires that we cast our cares upon Him and allow Him to control the circumstances of our lives. He did it for Mary Magdalene, and He will do it for you…if you will allow Him to. Won’t you trust Him to bring peace to that situation that has been so difficult for you to deal with?
5. People without Purpose (Feelings of Uselessness). After his denial of Christ, the Disciple Peter must have had extreme feelings of uselessness and unworthiness. Even though he was the only one to have the courage to follow Jesus in the first place, as soon as that rooster crowed, and he realized what he had done, how worthless Peter must have felt. I can imagine that he felt like he was a complete failure. Just when his friend had needed him the most, and just when he could have stood up for Jesus and declared His innocence, that’s the very moment when he denied that he ever even knew Him. How could he ever live with himself, and how could he explain to his friends what he had done? Life had no purpose, no meaning.
Psalm 34:18 tells us, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” And that’s exactly what Jesus did with Peter. Watch his countenance lift as he receives the message from the women who had been to the tomb that morning that the angel spoken to them, “But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” (Mark 16:7) Did you get that? “…go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee…” Why did He specify Peter? Do you think Jesus knew that Peter had lost his purpose and was feeling useless and alone? Do you think that Jesus wanted Peter to know how precious and important he was to Him?
If your heart is broken, and you have lost your way, know that Jesus is near to those who have a broken heart. All you need to do is go to Him and tell Him how sorry you are for what you have done. If you are the one who was misused, take you heartache to Jesus. He specializes in healing the broken hearted. And just as He restored Peter to a place of honor, and gave him boldness in preaching the gospel, He will also restore you. Trust Him.
6. People without a Vision (Dream). In the 5th chapter of Luke, we find an interesting story. Beginning at the first verse, we see Jesus at the Lake of Gennesaret teaching. After a while, the crowd grew so large, and they pressed in so closely that Jesus felt he needed to reposition himself so that He would be in a better position to speak to so many people. There He saw two boats left at the shore by some fishermen who were mending their nets from their night’s work of fishing. So He asked the owner of one of the boats (Peter) to move the boat out a little from the shore so that He would be heard better by the crowd. Then, after He finished teaching, He asked Peter to take the boat out into the deep water for a catch. Peter objected, telling the Lord they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing, but because of his obedience to the Lord, Peter called his partners and did as Jesus had said.
Think about it for a moment. Here are Peter and his friends, having spent the night out on the sea. They had worked hard all night, throwing the nets, and gathering them up…over and over again…and then they returned home in the morning with nothing to show for their efforts. They had to be tired and worn and didn’t really think a whole lot of this fishing business at the moment. And I really don’t think this was the first time that Peter and his companions had spent a hard night of work with nothing to show for it. What kind of life was this? It was nothing you could depend on, and yet, what else was there? They had to make a living, and they didn’t know anything else to do. They were stuck in this rut for the rest of their lives. They couldn’t see beyond where they were, and nothing in their lives seemed to be going anywhere. The most they could hope for was a good catch to pay their bills and provide for their families. I am sure that on this particular morning, they couldn’t see past the failure of a “fishless night”. They just needed some rest.
But, after He finished speaking to the crowds…this Man, Jesus, the One Who spoke with such authority…told Peter to take the boats out into the deep. How could he argue with someone such as this? His response was one of submission, “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” (verse 5) Had it been anyone else, he would have probably refused. But there was just something different about Jesus. So, he called his companions and instructed them to go out to the deep waters. Verses 6-7 records it this way, “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”
I’m sure that a spark of vision, a dream if you will, began to grow in the hearts of Peter and James and John and all the rest of those fishermen that day. Jesus had a plan for their lives. Scripture tells us, “And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” (verses 10b-11)
Jesus had a plan for the lives of Peter, James and John that day, but He also has a plan for your life…a specific plan. He knows you better than you know yourself, and if you will let Him, He will lead you to go into places and doing things that you never imagined. He wants better for your life, and He knows how to get you there. But the hardest thing for us to do is to give up our “comfort zone”, to commit to doing things that we have never done before. For Peter, James and John, they were just rugged fishermen, but Jesus promised they would become “fishers of men”. He promised that He would use them in ways they never dreamed of before in their lives. And He makes that same promise to you, if you will forsake all and follow Him, just as these disciples did. Will you do that? Will you forsake all to follow Jesus? If you will, I promise, you will never be sorry.
7. People without Eternal Life (Salvation). He came to Jesus in the dark of night, but he had a question in his heart that only the Master could answer. Once again, the Apostle John shares the story. In the third chapter, verses 1-3, he wrote these words, “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus is describing a whole new concept here to a man who was very learned in the scriptures. As a Pharisee, Nicodemus was familiar with the writings of the biblical patriarchs and the prophets. Nicodemus had spent his life teaching and enforcing the Word of God…but this man Jesus was using a term that was totally unfamiliar to him. But somehow Nicodemus sensed He was different; He was real, and something told him that the messages Jesus spoke came directly from God.
And, as the two men talked that dark night, I believe that Nicodemus went away a changed man. He didn’t fully understand this “new-birth” concept, but he was definitely experiencing a Peace and a Presence he had never known before. And he also knew in his heart that he had just spent the evening with the Son of God.
But, if you have never met this Jesus, the One who touches lives and makes them whole, you do not know the reality of the life changing power of the Savior of the World. You may think you have lived a life that is too bad, and it’s too late for Him to save you. Or you may think that you are okay just the way you are and you don’t need a Savior. But the truth is that one day, we will all face eternity, and what hope will you have then? Philippians 2:9-11 tell us, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” We will all meet Him, sooner or later, but He longs to know you now. And He longs to give you reason to have hope and desire and motivation, and direction, and purpose, and vision. And He desires to give you abundant life; both now and for all eternity. Won’t you invite Him to be you Savior and Lord?
If your answer is yes, then you can pray and invite Him into your life. Acknowledge to Him that you are a sinner and pray a simple prayer something like this:
Dear God,
I know that I am a sinner, and I have repeatedly hurt You and sinned against You. It’s my fault that our relationship is broken and I am sorry. I’m so thankful that You loved me enough that You sent Your Son to pay the price for my sin, and that even while I was still a sinner Christ died for me. Thank You Jesus, for taking my sin upon Yourself and dying on the cross for me, and then rising from the dead on the third day, that I might have eternal life. I ask You to forgive me for my sins and come into my life and live with me forever. Please change me and make me into what You created me to be and become my Savior and my Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
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