Following Jesus: Into healing
Passage: Matthew 9:18-26 and Romans 6:3 Preacher: Melissa Lochhead
What an honor it was, on Mother's Day, to hear Melissa share about two remarkable women in Matthew 9 whose stories were forever changed by Jesus. These encounters speak to all of us who've ever felt unseen, untouchable, or beyond hope.
One woman, quietly desperate after twelve years of suffering, reached out anonymously, carrying deep shame. Another, a young girl just twelve years old, was already given up for dead. Yet, when Jesus entered their stories, everything changed. He was not intimidated or repelled by brokenness or shame; rather, His very presence reversed contamination, bringing wholeness and new life.
Melissa spoke about how often we keep hidden the parts of ourselves we fear are too messy, too painful, or too shameful. But Jesus gently calls us out from hiding, inviting our whole, authentic selves into His presence. True healing begins when we have the courage to be fully seen and fully known.
She also highlighted and honored the beautiful, often overlooked way women's bodies uniquely reflect the creative, life-giving nature of God. The monthly cycles and rhythms that women experience are not reasons for shame or concealment. Instead, they echo the powerful rhythm of death and resurrection woven into creation itself. Every human life is intimately tied to this process, a testament to how women uniquely bear the image of God, reflecting His capacity for nurturing and giving life.
Following Jesus calls us into this rhythm of dying to ourselves so that new life can spring forth. Yes, it means letting go of pride, comfort, and control, but what we gain is infinitely richer: deep healing, profound acceptance, and the powerful, contagious love of Jesus. Her invitation was clear. Bring your whole self, exactly as you are, and discover the fullness of His transformative presence.
And she went one step further. Don't just bring your need to Jesus. Be brave enough to share it with someone else too. Because when we risk being known and loved as we truly are, that is where healing begins. That is where hope is born.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What part of your story have you kept hidden out of shame or fear - and what might it look like to bring that part into the presence of Jesus?
How does the idea that Jesus meets us in our shame and brings healing, not rejection, change how you see your own brokenness?
What can we learn from the way Jesus honoured the experience and dignity of the women He encountered. How might we follow His example in how we see and care for others?
Melissa reminded us that following Jesus means entering a rhythm of death and resurrection: dying to pride, comfort, or control so that new life can grow. Where in your life might Jesus be inviting you to let go of something in order to make space for His healing, love, or transformation?
Who is a safe person you could share your need with this week and what would it take to risk being known and loved as you truly are?
