Jesus Wants To Listen To Your Story Too.

Do you know Jesus wants to listen to your story? You might feel you don’t look the part- not Christian enough, not prayerful enough, or whatever the case may be, but He wants you to know that you matter to Him. It’s easy to assume that you need some qualifications to have Jesus listen to your prayers or even be concerned for you. Fortunately, He is not concerned about your work. He is most concerned about you, your heart, spirit, soul, mind, and body. Do you feel you don’t fit in the church? Maybe you don’t look the part. Either way, Jesus sees you. 

• Let’s look at the Bible to drive this point home. 
• Why am I telling you all this? 
• Conclusion

Let’s look at the Bible to drive this point home.

After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met him at the seaside. One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, “My dear daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live.” Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him. A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus.

She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with. At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” His disciples said, “What are you talking about?

With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!” But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.” Mark 5:21‭-‬34 MSG

In this passage, we see the story of a woman who had battled an infirmity for 12 years. This problem had persisted so much so that it says she spent all she had on doctors. Aside from the finances, she had lost a sense of community and identity.

• She lost community because the law clearly stated that anyone who was on her period was deemed unclean for 7 days. And anyone who came near or touched her was unclean. And for one to be clean again, they had to go through some ritual. With that being said, you can see how hard it was for her and for the surrounding people. It did not matter how much they loved her, the law stipulated that they had to stay away from her.
• She lost her identity because she was no longer known by her name but by her condition-the woman with the issue of blood. To this day, we don’t know her name, yet it is definite that she had one. Have you gone through something that has been going on for so long that people associate you with it? She must have had other things going on for her, too. But that very thing became her identity. It was what people could use to identify her. What names have people given you? Have people used your situation to define you because it has been going on for so long?

Are you dealing with the same thing? You know that’s not all you are, but because that’s what society has labeled you, you take it on as your identity. That is not what Jesus has in store for you. 

Anyway, back to the story. The woman got sick of being labeled that and decided it was time for her to get her healing. Mind you, her going meant that she had to break protocol because she could not be around people. She had to conceal her identity. There is no way she would have exposed herself because people would have avoided her or maybe even forced her to go back- who knows? Either way, she had to hide her identity for fear of criticism, and let’s not forget the cancel culture too. And not only that, she came from behind.

Let me ask you this: have you had to conceal your struggles because you do not want to face a backlash? Are you afraid of revealing what’s bothering you? What secrets are you keeping that is consuming you and preventing you from being made whole? 

Back to it again. After the woman concealed herself, she went to Jesus to receive her healing. Notice that she didn’t present herself to Jesus, but went for the hem of His garment. She came from behind. Did you know that you have access to everything that Jesus died for you to have?

Look at the contrast between Jairus and the woman. Jairus was not afraid to ask for healing for his daughter. In fact, he was willing to interrupt Jesus’s schedule for the sake of his daughter. He knew who he was and what he had access to, and was not afraid to go for what he knew he could get. In contrast, the woman was so broken that all she wanted was to come from behind to receive her healing. She did not even think she could receive wholeness, as her focus was physical healing.

Are you struggling to believe that Jesus died for you too and cares about you too? Do you know that He wants you to interrupt His schedule even when you don’t think you deserve it? Have you allowed shame, guilt, condemnation, and low self-esteem to have you go for crumbs when you have access to the buffet? Does this story resonate with you?

 Today, I want to remind you that Jesus wants to listen to your story because He cares. You are not an after-thought to Him. That is why in Psalms 139, the Bible clearly reminds us that God intricately crafted you and me when we were in our mother’s womb. Not only that, the Bible also tells us that God holds us in the palms of His hand. Imagine that! You matter to God so much that He has thoughts and a plan for you. This is clear because God says in the book of Jeremiah, that His plans for you are good and with an expected end. Always remember that it is because of His love that He wants to listen to your story. You are not a bother to Him.

The woman, after touching the hem of Jesus’ garment, was instantly healed. She noticed it immediately. Jesus, on the other hand, felt power leave Him, and He scanned around to see who had touched Him. Imagine what the woman must have felt. All she wanted to do was get her healing and fade to the background. Unfortunately, that was not Jesus’ plan for her. He stopped to acknowledge that something had happened.

Let me ask you this, after receiving your healing, would you have been so quick to tell your miracle if Jesus called you out? She must have been embarrassed, thinking that she had done something wrong. Culture said you couldn’t touch anyone if you are unclean yet here she was having touched His garment and Him noticing it. She must have thought that she was done for. 

But notice what Jesus said to her, 

Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, because you dared to believe, your faith has healed you. Go with peace in your heart, and be free from your suffering!” Mark 5:34 TPT https://bible.com/bible/1849/mrk.5.34.TPT

Jesus’ aim was to validate her and set her free from that false identity. The woman received her healing and Jesus made her whole. And Jesus also reassured her that her story mattered. Jesus wants to listen to your story too just like He listened to hers.

Why am I telling you all this?

Jesus wants to make you whole today. You might have battled a certain situation for years. But Jesus wants you to know that there is so much more for you. You don’t have to settle for the bare minimum when you can have it all. He doesn’t want you to stay in shame and bondage and allow other people’s labels to define you. Jesus does not want you to live like a second-class citizen. Did you know He died for you too? He came to redeem you too. And not only that, He loves you so much and wants to see you walk in the fullness He has for you. Jesus wants to listen to your story. And He wants you to know that as you open up to Him and tell Him your story you will experience His redeeming power. Your past is redeemable.

What secrets are you hiding? Will you bring it all to Him? The world might count you out because you don’t look the part. But He does not care about all that. He sees you and is concerned for you. Even when you don’t feel like you deserve it, He wants you to know that you can have it. There is no cap on what you can have when you are in Him. In fact it is clear that there is no shortage of whatever it is you want. Are you in need of healing? Deliverance? Whatever it is, He wants to do it for you. And the best part is He will do exceedingly, abundantly more than you could ever ask for.

Jesus took time out to validate the woman and listen to all she had to say because the Bible says she told Him everything. Jesus wants you to tell Him everything. You don’t have to filter your word when you are talking to Him. Bare your soul out, He will keenly listen to everything you have to say. And listening is only the beginning. After that, He will heal you, make you whole then repackage you and reintroduce you to the world as a new creation.

Conclusion

It does not matter if you are as confident as Jairus or timid as the woman. Either way, Jesus wants you to know that He sees you as you are. He knows everything that is bothering you. He knows you don’t have it in you to come to Him from the front, but all you want is to get that backstage miracle. Either way, He wants you to know He is not like everyone else. He is not only your Savior but your friend too. He wants to do the big things but is also concerned about the small things too. Jesus wants to be involved in every detail of your life. Jesus wants to listen to your story. It does not have to be something serious. He cares about every detail of your life. Decide today to be open and vulnerable with Him.

Just because the world has counted you out, doesn’t mean that Jesus has to. Even when everyone else leaves you, Jesus never will. He is with you and for you always. Let the fact that Jesus will never leave you sink in deep in your soul. And let it encourage you to press in and turn to Him. Let Him see the good, bad and ugly. Don’t pretend because Jesus will only heal what you bring to Him. And He is redemption so He will restore your identity. Jesus has time for you. Jesus wants to listen to your story too. Don’t diminish yourself. You matter to Him.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. ¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! ¹⁸ Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.