WHAT DOES JESUS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT 2020?

Kelly Clarkson said on a recent episode of The Voice, “2020 has been a trash can!” She’s not the only one claiming 2020 has been a disaster. You don’t need me to tell you about the global pandemic, systemic racism, wildfires, hurricanes, and a doozy of an election year. Scroll through your social media feed. Click on your most trusted news source. Eavesdrop on the people near you. Oh wait, we shouldn’t be close enough to be able to eavesdrop, should we? A friend recently mentioned she just wanted to hear some good news, any good news. I understand what she meant. And yes, this year has been fraught with turmoil. But there is good news. His name is Jesus.

Jesus words to us in Mark 5

And as far as news goes, Jesus tells us:
Your faith has made you well. Mark 5:34
Go in peace. Mark 5:34
Your suffering is over. Mark 5:34
Don’t be afraid. Mark 5:36
Just have faith. Mark 5:36
Little girl, get up! Mark 5:41

And that’s on one page of the Bible in only a span of six verses. ​​

I know phrases like, “Just have faith,” can sound trite when we’re in the midst of a real-life crisis. But can we look at these words in their original context a minute?

There was a woman who’d been hemorrhaging for twelve entire years. This is the woman Jesus tells, “Your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” 

Her crisis sounds pretty real to me. She was losing blood, for years. Bleeding in her day and age made you “unclean” and since she always was, she was always “unclean” and thus a social outcast. Imagine being quarantined for twelve years. I thought two weeks was rough. She’d spent all her money trying to get medical help and none of it worked. She was at the end of her rope. But she reached out to Jesus. That was it. Reached out to Him, stretched out her hand and she was instantly healed. He offered her peace and ended her suffering. Are we reaching out to Jesus in our trials...or just complaining?

Okay, want more?
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To the man whose daughter had just died--unimaginable, Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, just have faith.” Simple, but not easy. In fact, harder than I can fathom. But then Jesus goes to the man’s house, walks in the little girl’s room, takes her hand, and says, “Talitha koum (little girl, get up!). And. She. Does. She was dead. But she stands up, walks around, and Jesus even makes sure she gets a snack. So, if you feel exhausted and simply done, but Jesus asked you to get up--would you?

Our God? He’s a God of miracles. He’s a God of healing. He’s the Prince of Peace. And that is super good news. Not just in a trite, make a cute phrase on a mug or social media post way, but in the midst of tragedy He will step in and change your life kind of way.

I’m fully aware that the Bible was written thousands of years ago. But I’m also fully aware that God carefully curated the historic events, people, and occurrences that made it to the pages of Scripture. And these two (the woman and the girl), are here so we know, when we’ve been struggling for over a decade, when we seem to be out of options, when the thing most dear to us seems to be gone, Jesus can flood our lives with peace, joy, and hope. All we have to do is reach out and get up.
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Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. Colossians 1:27 MSG

The leaves in my town. If the leaves are this glorious--can you fathom God's glory?

No matter what’s going on in your world, in the world. Christ is in you. Right now. Today. Amidst the chaos, the shutdowns, the election. The Prince of Peace. The One who brought a little girl back to life. The One who was raised back to life. The One who Created the World. The One who died for you. He’s in you, with you, closer than your breath. You get to shine God’s glory. Right where you are—in your office, on your next social media post, when you wake your kids up in the morning, as you stand in line at your favorite coffee shop, or help your spouse find their keys. As you try to figure out online schooling or Zoom, as you’re quarantining, planning a Thanksgiving that’s smaller than you’d hoped, God’s glory—the kind that raises the dead and heals chronic ailments and is the embodiment of peace—that’s in you. Inhale it deeply. Exhale the gunk of the world straight into that garbage can.
 
In the midst of bad news and biased news and erroneous news there is very very good news. And His name is Jesus. The world might be calling 2020 rubbish. But Jesus is calling it yet another opportunity to love you more than you can imagine.
 
 
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