Blessings Out of Brokenness: Brokenness Cultivates Great Faith

Matthew 15:21-28

Surprise gets our attention. Jesus had a conversation with an unnamed Canaanite woman that was surprising. This woman had come to Jesus on the behalf of her suffering daughter. And the initial response of Jesus to the woman seems rather distant and even a bit dismissive. Yet He was purposefully drawing out of the woman an expression of faith that was stunning. Jesus called it, “great faith.” In this passage we are going to see how the disposition of healthy internal brokenness cultivates “great faith.” Though the term, brokenness, is not explicitly mentioned in this episode, the qualities of healthy brokenness are magnificently evident in this woman. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and that it is through the instrument of faith that we access the grace God wants us to receive and enjoy (Ephesians 2:8). So in this passage, we want to give attention to the link between biblical “brokenness” and faith.

Pastor Tim Haugen

Blessings Out of Brokenness: Brokenness Prompts Grateful Love

Luke 7:36-50

The inward disposition of brokenness is counter-intuitive. And yet out of the soil of that inward disposition can flow a beauty that is compelling. A high profile religious leader once invited Jesus into home, but during that visit the host offered to Jesus none of the courtesies that a host of that day might offer. However, a woman who was an uninvited guest to that party offered to Jesus an extravagance of kindness. What was the difference? The contrast between the two characters helps to illustrate a meaningful link between inward brokenness and what we might call, “grateful love.” What can we learn from this New Testament story, and how could it impact the way we see and relate to Jesus in 2017?

Pastor Tim Haugen