Expectation - Vision Feb 2022

Luke 8:40-56

Luke 8:47-48
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
If you’ve already watched or listened to the sermon this week, you’ll know this wasn’t where we expected to be. We didn’t expect to be in Luke 8:40-56. I was expecting to speak on vision and strategy, and we’ll get to that. But God drew me in an elder’s prayer meeting to this passage and to one word: Expectation.

And that is our question for this week; what is our expectation of God? At one level expectation is simply another word for faith. The Bible would talk a lot about faith or belief. We know that expectation impacts our experience. If we expect very little, we often get very little. Whether that’s from a person, a TV programme, a holiday, or a meal.

And yet, here in this passage we have two people who come to Jesus with high levels of expectation. Reading about these individuals this week, it would be easy to have a week of feeling slightly guilty.

We could read this passage and say to ourselves; here are two people who had high expectation. They came to Jesus, and he performed a miracle, oh… But what about me? I haven’t seen any miracles. Is that my fault? Do I not have enough faith? Do I not have enough expectation? But that would be a very shallow understanding of this passage.

Yes, here are two people that come to Jesus and see him do a miracle. Here are two people that come with real faith, real expectation. But they are real people.

A father who’s only child is about to die. A man of standing, a synagogue leader. This is not a man who should be pushing through the crowds. This is not a man who should be throwing himself on the floor in front of a young rabbi in the street. Yet he does because he’s desperate. The Scripture says he pleads with Jesus. He begs. Why? Because his child is about to die. He’s in the first stages of grief. We know she was about to die because in the passage she dies.

And then we read about this woman, who unlike the man of high standing (Jairus) isn’t even given a name. A woman who is bleeding. A woman who is ceremonially unclean. A woman of low standing who shouldn’t be there at all. She has to overcome her fear and shame.

These are two real people, going through real challenges just like you and me. How do they overcome their pride, their grief, their shame, and their fear? They see Jesus. They see the image of the invisible God. They experience him. They hear him. They’ve seen him touch the leper, care the poor and lift up the broken. That’s what I want us to focus on this week; real life with Jesus.

Apply

In the midst of our tragedy, challenge, pain, fear, pride, and shame; let’s come to Jesus this week. Let’s look at him in this passage and in other passages of Scripture. Let’s fix our eyes on him. Let’s look to the God of compassion, care and concern.

We might come with a tiny bit of expectation, but we come to an amazing God who understands every part of our lives and meets us in the dirt. He meets us where we are.

We’re not to feel guilty, but we are meant to feel stirred. As we read the Bible, as we pray, as we sing, as we meet with our Life Groups this week; let’s come humbly and honestly before God with expectation that he might move.

Why not ask yourself these questions throughout this week...

1. What would you like God to do  in your life this week?

2. Where do you need Jesus to show up this week?

3. What promises in the Bible help you to be confident that Jesus can and will do these things?

Prayer

Father God,

There’s so much pressure around us right now. We come to you in the midst of it all, knowing that you understand. We ask you to lift our heads to see your power, your glory, your strength, and your Kingdom. Help us to expect more, that you might do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine.

Amen
This Everyday Devotions was written by Simon Elliott, who is the Interim Lead Elder of Everyday Church.

Simon unpacks these themes in more detail in his sermon message this week on our website, YouTube Channel and at our Online Church Services.

This Everyday Devotions has also inspired a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube Channel.

Follow our Everyday Devotions Playlist for some songs to help you worship God in Spirit and truth this week.
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