The Plumbline

4-5  Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich; restrain yourself! Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts wings    and flies off into the wild blue yonder. (Proverbs 23:4-5) The more we watch the news these days, check in incessantly on the status of our investments, and listen to the doomsday picture painted by those who analyze the status of our financial institutions, the more we move into a panic mode as it relates to our "financial security".  We begin to envision the worst - because the picture laid out for us by those who have a "big picture" view of the state of things.  Scripture has a lot to say to us about our relationship with our money.  Our passage today reminds us that we can "wear ourselves out" trying  to get rich - and even more so when we are trying to "keep" the riches we have amassed in an economy that is failing. Wealth can really be defined as anything that we have in great quantity that we ha...

18-19 As he finished saying this, a local official appeared, bowed politely, and said, "My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live." Jesus got up and went with him, his disciples following along.   20-22 Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can just put a finger on his robe, I'll get well." Jesus turned—caught her at it. Then he reassured her: "Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you're well." The woman was well from then on. (Matthew 9:18-22) Jesus was on his way to accomplish one healing (that of the dead daughter) when a totally different use of his healing power was called upon (the healing of the woman with the issue of blood).  It is the woman that I wish to focus on this morning.  Not specifically her need, but her faith. Jesus is amongst a crowd - pressed in on every side by onlookers and ...