In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (I John 4:10-11, NKJV)
Although the ministry of Jesus drew large crowds, He often interrupted what He was doing to minister to just one person. He wasn’t afraid to touch the ones society often overlooked or marginalized—the poor, the infirm, the untouchables, the tormented, and those burdened by guilt and shame.
Some of our best-known Bible stories tell of Jesus interacting with those society would consider unimportant or without worth. Yet, He showed compassion and mercy regardless of a person’s station in life. He made time for them. Let’s look at just a few of those He ministered to one-on-one.
A Determined Woman
A woman with a bleeding disorder (Mark 5) had suffered for twelve years with this infirmity. She was exhausted—emotionally, physically, and financially. Although ceremonially unclean due to her condition, desperation caused her to press through the crowd to find Jesus. She resolutely reached out to touch the edge of His garment. He could have rebuked her or ignored her, but He did neither. Instead, Jesus acknowledged her faith, a desperate, determined faith that brought wholeness.
A Grieving Mother
As Jesus, His disciples, and a crowd of followers entered the city of Nain, a funeral procession approached (Luke 7). The deceased was the only son of a widow. Filled with compassion for her situation, He took time to speak to the mother and to restore her son to life. Jesus could have just kept walking, but He didn’t.
A Deaf Man
Mark 7 tells the story of a deaf man who was also unable to speak. When the man came to Jesus, the Lord took him aside from the multitude rather than ministering to him publicly. First, Jesus put His fingers in the man’s ears. Then He spit on His finger and touched the man’s tongue. By taking the man aside and ministering to him alone, the Lord showed that every person has value in His sight. No one is too insignificant to receive the Master’s touch.
Do We Care?
Thinking about the many types of people Jesus ministered to while on earth, I began to wonder about those I pass each day. Am I willing to interrupt my schedule to reach out to someone in need? Or do I draw back from those who seem to live on the edge of society? Do I show compassion toward the lost, the broken, the lonely, and the hopeless? Or do I turn away so I won’t have to pass near them? Do I value each soul as Jesus did?
Isaiah 61:1 foretells of the coming Messiah. The Lord did not come for only the healthy and happy, those who seemingly “have it all together.” He came for those worn down by life—the weary, the broken, and those held captive by sin. He sees their condition and is moved with compassion. They are His creation, and He loves each of them, no matter how low they have fallen.
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1, ESV)
Be encouraged. The Lord loves us and values each of us. He does not offer hope and healing only the elite, the talented, the poised and beautiful. Regardless of our social standing, our wealth or our poverty, our abilities or disabilities, He cares. He made us in His image, and our soul has eternal value. He loves us; He cares!
Devotion by Mary Loudermilk
