Rachael Lock - Park City Church, New Plymouth

Do you notice the needy all around you? The lady sleeping on the park bench on your way to
work, the man in the shop doorway with a sign asking for money because he is homeless, the
dirty, yes let’s say it, smelly person on the bus. Do you see them?
 

Would you help them?
 

We would like to say ‘Yes’ but honestly, most of us think they are someone else’s problem, let someone else deal with them, the problem is too big, what can I really do to help, it’s just a drop in the ocean… sound familiar? These are thoughts I have had.
 

I have enough to deal with myself I really don’t need to be taking on someone else’s issues too.

In the bible there is a story about a woman with an issue of blood. What does this have to do with reaching out to those people we would rather ignore? Everything, because Jesus set the most beautiful example of how we are to treat those “unclean” outcasts in our communities.
 

Matthew 9:20-22 NLT – “Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.”

We need to put some context to this part of scripture.
 

This woman was somewhere she shouldn’t have been, in a crowd of people. Being ‘unclean’ she wasn’t allowed near others. If she was to go where other people were, she was required to call out “unclean unclean” so that people could move out of her way so she didn’t touch anybody else.
 

Hold up a minute here. Can you imagine what that would feel like, the shame and humiliation you would feel, being stared at and rejected because of something you didn’t even have control over. This lady didn’t choose to have this affliction, and she had suffered with it for 12 years. Yet, somewhere deep within her she had faith, she had heard the stories of Jesus healing the blind man, the lame man, raising the dead and faith had risen in her.
“If only I could touch his robe, I don’t need to bother Him, He doesn’t need to see me, to talk to me, to acknowledge me, if I could just touch His robe I would be made well.”

As we know Jesus did acknowledge her and not only that, He spoke to her and called her daughter. She went from being on the outside of society to a member of Jesus family, fully publically restored.
This women who everybody else rejected, ignored, pretended not to see was called daughter by Jesus and healed because of her faith.
 

How many people in our everyday lives are we ignoring, rejecting, passing by and leaving in their mess because we can’t be like Jesus and accept them where they are.
 

James 2: 15-16 – “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Goodbye, and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?”
 

Like the woman with the issue of blood, the people in our community that need our help didn’t choose to be where they are. But even if they did, that doesn’t mean we should leave them there.
 

Did God leave you where you were at?
 

Jesus saw this woman, he called her daughter when other people in her community would have called her something else entirely, if they were even to acknowledge her in the first place. Jesus elevated her; he honoured her, calls her daughter and heals her. He saw her where she was and lifted her out of her situation, when he could have just kept walking. He brings her out of the shadows and into the light, fully restored.

He stopped, he turned around, he saw her and he loved her. Do we do that for the needy people in our community? As in every area of our lives, we need to be more like Jesus to the people in our community. We need to have a heart and reach out to the needy. We need to stop and ‘see’ the people God has put in our path to reach out to. Perhaps the people who need our help most don’t fit the picture we have in our minds of how they should look. We need to 'see' through Jesus eyes.
We need to be open to praying that prayer “Jesus, break my heart for what breaks yours…” and then do something about it.

Watch video here

Rachael is the founder and facilitator of Strength and dignity – Women with Purpose. Her heart’s desire is to see a New Zealand based women’s curriculum and website that is accessible and relatable to every woman.

Rachael has written, formatted, dreamed and contributed to this resource to help teach, encourage, equip and release women into all God has called them to be.