Jesus doesn’t turn us away when we go to Him in faith.

SCRIPTURE | LUKE 8:40-56

CENTRAL TRUTH

The Lord desires to save all people—no matter our cultural status or backgrounds, no matter how unclean our sin has made us. He doesn’t push us away. He stops for us. He draws us in. And when we come in faith, He heals us and saves us from our greatest sickness: our sin.

KEY QUESTION

What does Jesus stopping for both a shunned woman and a Jewish leader help us understand about Him?

KEEP IN MIND

Jesus has all power and authority to heal every sickness, but He doesn’t always heal people physically. Your students may wonder why the Lord didn’t heal someone they begged for Him to heal, someone they loved deeply. They’ve seen Him heal others, so they may feel hurt—like He didn’t hear their prayers or He simply didn’t care. God loves us more than we could ever imagine, and He is going to do what is best for His glory and our good (Rom. 8:28). In fact, Jesus willingly experienced suffering and death to free us from both forever. In the moment, Jesus’s death couldn’t have looked like glory; it couldn’t have looked like what was best for His followers. But what God does is always best for His kingdom and for His people. Students will experience disappointment, grief, and pain, but they can trust the Lord is faithful even then. Because of Jesus, believers have hope that is greater than the disappointment, grief, and pain we experience now.

APPLICATION

Do you ever struggle to be open with God about your problems or fears? Why or why not? 

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: When students are desperate, they often run to what’s powerless for help. They turn to sports or social media, to harmful substances, or to worldly comforts. They may make them feel better or numb their pain, but they’re powerless to save. Instead, students can run to the Lord. He alone is powerful and faithful to save.

FOR THE LEADER: The Lord doesn’t push us away when we run to Him in desperation—with our sin, with our shame, with our struggles. More than ever, students need to hear this truth. Show them how to run to Jesus instead of hiding from Him in shame.