Jesus Restores and Forgives

BY Kaitie Stoddard

Is there a more independent person than a toddler on a mission? I think not. It can be almost comical as a parent to observe toddlers struggling with chubby hands, grunting with all their might, to open a box of blocks unassisted. All the while, they have loving caregivers waiting ready if they would only ask for help.

If I’m honest, I can sometimes act like a stubborn toddler—too proud to admit I can’t do it in my own power. In the blink of an eye, I can whip up a seven-point plan to fix any problem in my life and leave my heavenly Father completely out of the equation. Can you relate? Just by watching a toddler, we can see humanity’s tendency toward pride. It’s the sin that every man and woman battles since the beginning when Adam and Eve ignored God’s best and chose to reach for the fruit and operate in their own strength. Maybe you have your sights set on getting a new job, conquering a health goal, or improving a relationship. Hopefully you’re bringing all your desires before the Lord, asking for His will and His help. But if you struggle in this area, you are certainly not alone. 

In our reading today, we see how Jesus restored to life a young ruler’s daughter, healed a woman with a bleeding issue, and healed two blind men. While the healings are certainly miraculous, what I find most interesting are the interactions Jesus had leading up to His works. We see in these instances the condition of each person’s heart even before we see Jesus responding. We see they had humility—people admitting they needed Jesus’s help. We see they had faith—people who believed Jesus had the power to heal them. Just as the psalmist wrote, “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God” (Psalm 51:17).

God loves when we come to Him in humility, asking for His help. Sometimes we can get it all mixed up, believing we need to be perfect before we approach God—thinking that a good Christian has it all together. That could not be further from the truth! When my toddler finally turns to me, saying “mama help please” and shoving the box of blocks in my lap, my heart explodes with joy. I feel needed, trusted, and loved.

God wants the same kind of relationship with us, but He will never force His love on us. Instead, He waits patiently for us to realize again and again that we cannot live a fulfilled and healed life without Him. But the moment we are ready to turn to our heavenly Father, He welcomes us home with open arms. 

Let’s embrace our identity as daughters of the one true healer. We can never save ourselves, but if we put our faith in Jesus, He cannot wait to rescue us.