It never stops to amaze me that one can read a portion of scripture many times, then one day, the scene opens. It is as one is eyewitness to the event, experience the emotions, the passion, intrigue of human interactions, and even the spaces between the verses becomes information. Of these portions, where YESHUA handles in such tender yet decisive manner the situation where a human is in great need, possibly fearing a dark and burdensome future where the route is marked out between two unscalable cliffs and the only direction is forward, possibly sinking deeper into difficulty, darkness, despair, fear, depression, being a slave of overwhelming circumstances.
In YESHUA's time down here, there were several people that had very specific problems, which they addressed in a very specific manner.
1. For each it was an impasse, insurmountable, unsolvable set of circumstances about which no human, at that time, could do anything about it. The future was carved into granite.
2. Everyone else with a fraction of compassion, stopping for a few seconds to think, would acknowledge for these individuals, their deep predicament.
3. They were of sufficient honesty, wisdom insight acknowledged their situation, from experience of thousands before and around them, there was no way out. It was their unbearable burden until death.
4. They were discouraged, desperate, in prison with a brutal, cruel, ruthless, repressive, ironhanded, inhuman relentless guard having no mercy, not a second of reprieve.
5. They know they had the hope of a slow flake in a fiery furnace to get out of their painful prison.
6. There was a ray of light, a faint whisper of hope, a Man that they heard that helped others in also in a strait and quandary.
7. There was yet additional impediments in their way to this man, meaning they had to exert effort to face the precipices of their world to get to Him. For two it was the mosaic law - the leper and the woman with the flow, the other faced a societal barrier, being a despised and rejected outsider - the woman with the demon-possessed daughter, the other had personal and societal hindrances, having to stoop down from the place of honour and respect and bowing before a despised and rejected man of his own peers - Jairus. Yet another was a burden and a shame, to his non-Jewish fellowmen – controlled by demons so that no-one could tame him. Another was a despised and rejected yet used and abused one. Most probably by the very ones that heaped the most verbal and abuse on her.
8. They acknowledged His superiority and power and were convinced (what faith is) of His ability to let them out of their prison.
9. Each of these assailed these challenging hindrances with force which could have potentially humiliating and devastating results, would they be rejected by Him – but their desperation forced them to their knees before His feet.
10. He, being the Good Shepherd, also broke taboos, and the law, to help these desperate people - touching a leper, a corpse, allowing a castaway to touch His clothes, a women with a shady reputation touch His feet, having mercy on a despised and untouchable foreigner.
10. Each were granted their deepest desire to be released and freed from a relentless merciless taskmaster, and they could continue with a normal life. The leper in Mat 8 was touched by YESHUA, an act of unimaginable compassion under these circumstances. The woman with the flow was unclean, as the leper was, and touching Him would cause YESHUA to be unclean… Yet the Man, when she was exposed, turned, and said her trust and conviction of His ability to heal, saved her from the disease that she suffered with. Jairus’ agony in Mat 8 for his sick daughter made him scale the prejudice precipice of his peers’ rejection of YESHUA. Casting his position and honour aside he fell at YESHUA’s feet, begging for help. The woman in Ma 15 from a nation that were at war with Israel for many years, a despised goyim (non-Jew), when YESHUA gave her the cold shoulder and insulted her by equating her to a little dog, fell at his feet and in desperation called “Lord help me”. Her request was granted, she was commended for her mega trust and conviction of His ability. This commendation was done twice, both to foreigners. The prostitute in Lu 7 washed His feet with her tears and dried it with her hair, kissed His feet and anointed them. The burden was like a mountain that wanted to drive her to destruction, but the weight was lifted, and she was forgiven. Desperation can drive a man, realising his plight of uncleanness, to go to great lengths to obtain reprieve, even disobeying the law of Lev 13:45. But desperation, conviction and trust made this man in Ma 8 to fall before His feet, and he received from YESHUA a gesture of compassion that he did not receive from a healthy person since the curse appeared on his body, being a castaway since then. Note that even the screaming and writhing demons in Mr 5 could not prevent Legion to run and fell on his knees before YESHUA. Just paying deep respect and obeisance, paying homage to this Healer, no words spoken his side, was enough. At least 7000 demons had to leave…
This is the lesson, to have a prayer been heard – YHWH resists, i.e., range, draw up to battle, against the proud (overweening estimate of one’s means or merits, despising others) and give grace (that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm) to the humble (lowly in spirit).
It may be, that even following the above examples to the T, that YHWH do not answer when and how expected. Paul’s request was not granted, as the trouble was keeping him low. But know this, YHWH WILL hear and respond, in His time and in His way.
Trust Him. Be convinced of who He says He is. Keep close to Him. Submit to Him. Bow to Him. Throw your cares down, before Him. Yes, this IS what the Bible says. Obviously very circumspectly.
And keep on reminding yourself, even if all the satan’s hordes would focus their focus and attack on you, all at once, then they nor anything can separate you from the love of YESHUA, the Anointed One.