We Believe That We Must Try To: Reach the unreachable, Touch the Untouchable, Heal the Brokenhearted

Reach the Unreachable

Jesus repeatedly taught that his mission was to seek and save those considered lost or beyond help by society. 

Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:12-14): Jesus tells a parable about a shepherd who leaves his 99 sheep to search for the one that has strayed. He concludes, "In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost".

Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24): After invited guests make excuses not to attend a feast, the host sends his servant out to bring in the poor, crippled, blind, and lame, representing those on the fringes of society.

Mission to the Gentiles: In John 10:16, Jesus says, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also." This foreshadows the gospel reaching beyond the Jewish people to all nations, a mission he later gave to his disciples (Matthew 28:19).

"With God, all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26): Jesus affirmed that nothing, including the salvation of those deemed "unreachable" by human standards, is impossible for God. 

Touch The Untouchable

During his ministry, Jesus consistently reached out to people who were social outcasts and ritually unclean, demonstrating radical compassion that broke the cultural and religious norms of his day. 

Healing the Leper (Matthew 8:1-4): Lepers were considered the "untouchables" of ancient society and were required by law to live in isolation. When a leper approaches Jesus asking to be made clean, Jesus does something shocking: he reaches out and touches him, healing him instantly. This symbolic act was a powerful display of his willingness to embrace the ostracized.

The woman with the bleeding disorder (Matthew 9:20-22): A woman who was considered ceremonially unclean for 12 years touched the hem of Jesus's cloak, and he turned to acknowledge her. In doing so, he affirmed her dignity and healed her, demonstrating that faith overcomes ritual barriers. 

Heal The Brokenhearted

Jesus claimed a prophetic role as the one who would bring comfort and healing to those who are suffering emotionally and spiritually. 

Fulfilling prophecy (Luke 4:18): In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from the book of Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free". The phrase "to heal the brokenhearted" is included in this passage from Isaiah 61, and Jesus's ministry was a fulfillment of this promise.

"Come to me, all you who are weary" (Matthew 11:28): Jesus invited those burdened by life's difficulties to find rest in him, saying, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." This promise is an invitation to emotional and spiritual restoration.

Assurance of peace (John 14:27): He also promised his disciples a special kind of comfort, stating, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"