Your Faith Has Made You Well
Matthew 9:22
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.
Matthew 9:22
If only Jesus would say that to us, “Your faith has made you well.”
One of the hardest parts of being a pastor is the simple reality of the Awful Truth: Some of God’s most faithful people suffer greatly and regularly.
If faith were the only necessary ingredient, then some of you would no longer be limping, have lost loved ones to cancer, and be reconciled with your children. If faith were the only necessary ingredient, then you would be well.
We have to wrestle with unanswered prayers as people of God, and we can only imagine what it would have been like for this woman whom Jesus has healed. Verse 20 tells us “a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him.” I imagine this woman had prayed every prayer she could imagine, how done every sacrifice she was supposed to, and visited every doctor who had a reputation. She was desperate, at the end of her row, and yet still had faith/hope. She had experienced unanswered prayers for over a decade, yet she persisted in finding Jesus, breaking through the crowd, and touching the hem of his robe.
And she did.
And she was healed.
But you or your loved one may not be. So let’s respond to the big question, “Why do some prayers of faithful people go unanswered?” For this, I turn to Pete Greig
God’s World. Some prayers aren’t answered because it’s just the way that God has made the world to work.
God’s War. There is an enemy. Some prayers aren’t answered because Satan is opposing the will of God.
God’s Will. “God’s silence is not the same as God’s absence.” If you’ve ever listened to the song “Unanswered Prayers,” this is the plot of the song.1
I still struggle with the Awful Truth, but I also remember the Beautiful Promise, “And be sure of this: I am with you always.”
Love,
Aaron
P.S. On Fridays, I send out “Red Letters to a Weary Soul,” as we are walking through the statements of Jesus and finding encouragement. I’d love for you to become a paid subscriber and join us on the journey.
