Ephesians 6 is a familiar passage.  “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” (Ephesians 6: 10-11).  It’s common place to see small children running from their kids program with a shield of faith and a belt of truth in decorated paper plates and construction paper. Cute, right? There is nothing wrong with teaching biblical truths to children at a level they can grasp.

BUT….

The armour described in Ephesians 6 is for a serious battle.  A real battle.  Yet, an invisible one. 

Could it be that many are woefully unprepared to fight?  In a physical war, we prepare troops by training and give them powerful weapons and intelligence.  They all have specific jobs and work together to keep each other safe.  And still tragedy  strikes. 

What about this invisible battle with eternal consequences?  Are we trained, skilled in our weaponry, and working together to secure our safety, listening to our Intelligence, and working under the authority of the Almighty?

Suit up.

In Mark 5, Jesus heals in response to faith. Please excuse my paraphrase as I highlight the dialogue.

Remember that Jarius’s little girl is dying and he approaches Jesus asking him to heal her. And while they are on their way a woman who had been suffering for 12 years went through the crowd where she did not belong and wanted to touch Jesus’ robe so that she would be healed.  She said, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”  After she touched him, Jesus said, “Who touched my robe?”  The disciples thought it was a crazy question for anyone to ask since there were people all around him: “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”  Jesus replied to the woman after she confessed, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” Then the messenger from Jairus’s house came and said that the girl had died,  but  Jesus’s repsonse to Jarius  “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

This woman was on the fringes. An outcast and suffering for years and years. Certainly, she’d given up on her condition ever leaving her on natural terms.  I love that she pressed into the crowd and just wanted the fringe of Christ’s garment. She understood that it would be enough. What faith.  What acknowledgement of the power of Christ. By faith, she was healed from such a chronic impossible existence.

Then there is Jarius.  Asking for a miracle.  And asking Christ to rescue his daughter quickly.  It seemed that Jesus was too late.  But, Christ replied “have faith” and the girl lived again.

The degree of healing we  are requesting, how impossible it seems, and the duration of our suffering is irrelevant to Christ’s ability to heal.  Jesus said, “Just have faith.”  Are we willing to  reach for the fringes of his robe?