Middle of Your Mess
“The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and he healed them.“
Matthew 21:14 (NIV)
I can say with confidence that if someone you love suffers with mental health your life has experienced periods of chaos or messy circumstances. These times may seem like everything around you needs a good straightening out. The same mess may even show up again after it has already been cleaned up once.
During Holy Week every year I love to read the familiar stories written in the gospels about what Jesus endured during this time over 2000 years ago. It is always amazing to see new details in these familiar stories. That is a beautiful experience when reading God’s written word - it can speak to us in new ways when we open our hearts to hearing from the author, God himself.
Did you remember that Jesus actually cleaned the temple twice, not just once? It is recorded in John 2:13-17, just after His first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. Later in His ministry a similar “cleaning” of the temple is performed and that record is found in Matthew 21:12-17.
I found a little gem tucked in the story of Matthew that pointed out something new about how Jesus loves us. Verse 14 of Matthew 21 is in the middle of Jesus cleansing the temple again. “The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.” This reminded me that Jesus has been healing and ministering to the sick in the middle of their messes and chaos for thousands of years.
So, the next time you find yourself in the middle of a mess related to mental health, invite Jesus in and ask Him for healing. Just be sure to keep your eyes open because it may be tucked in and easy to overlook.
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