30th June 2013

The reading is from Matthew 9; 18-26 and looks at the response of Jesus in the face of human desperation to reach out touch and look for healing and hope from the incident of the death of a child and someone at their wits end after 12 years of chronic illness. The reasons why they came to Jesus as an object of their faith may have been based more on superstition than faith, with mixed motives and that their theology about God’s nature may have been confused but that (as Jesus himself noted) the women had faith. The talk reminds us not to turn way from helping those that come however distorted their reasons. No one need be lost in a crowd with Jesus but is possible to jostle with Jesus in the crowd and be unchanged. Jesus has the power to touch and transform lives from whatever starting point people come as they reach out in faith.
Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website.