One of the beautiful things about Scripture is that there is always something to discover. A story that you’ve heard many times can capture your heart as you read it once again. A passage informs your faith in new ways as you realize the depth of the words. God’s Word is living and active and therefore it’s impact on our life is too.
This happened to me when I read the familiar stories in Luke 8. For those unfamiliar to the passage, it is a recount of many of Jesus’ most famous miracles – the calming of the storm on the sea, the healing of the bleeding woman, and the raising of Jarius’ daughter from the dead. Interwoven amidst these stories, Jesus teaches the disciples about reaping and sowing, and the future account that everyone will give at the throne room of God. It’s a passage that’s chock full of richness. Yet, it was three little words that captured my attention – “Go in peace.”
These words are spoken by Jesus after He heals the woman who was bleeding. Yet several verses before, we see the disciples experiencing anything but peace. It fact the disciples are in a state of turmoil because their boat is rocking back and forth and the fear that they are soon going to be giving that account to their Maker. When Jesus responds to the disciples’ request to wake up, He admonishes them for their lack of faith. It can seem odd – a potentially capsizing boat sees like something worthy of concern – yet Jesus knows that in fearing death, the disciples exhibited a lack of faith. If they were trusting God for their eternity, they certainly could trust Him with the troubles of the moment.
Later in the passage, when the woman is healed and told to “go in peace” we realize that it is her faith that Jesus commends. In fact, her faith which prompts her healing, allows someone who has been marginalized for years, to walk away filled with divine contentment.
She’s filled with peace.
The disciples were filled with fear.
The difference – she had faith, they did not.
It’s not what we would expect. The disciples had been studying at Jesus’ feet; if anyone should have faith in Him, it would be the people who had a front-row seat to His instructions and His power. Yet they lacked it. Instead it was a woman, who had been margingalized for years and was a societal outcast, who was the example of faith. The disciples should have had peace – they were on the boat with the Creator of the World – yet it was the disregarded woman who was granted it. Why? Because it’s faith that brings God’s peace.
So if the storms of life are causing us to despair, maybe instead of asking God to take them away, we need to ask Him for the type of faith that touches just His hem, knowing that alone is enough to change our lives. Maybe we need to ask Him for the type of faith that produces peace.
Share your thoughts…how have you seen faith produce peace?
