Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:48)
In the Star Wars movies, “The Force” is, in science-fiction terms, a spiritual entity or “energy field” that enables people to do incredible things.
Star Wars director George Lucas said, “I put the Force in the movie in order to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people—more a belief in God than a belief in any particular religious system. I wanted to make it so that young people would begin to ask questions about the mystery.”
He continued, “Not having enough interest in the mysteries of life to ask the question, ‘Is there a God or is there not a God?’—this is for me the worst thing that can happen. I think you should have an opinion about that.”
He went on to say, “Or you should be saying, ‘I’m looking. I’m very curious about this and am going to continue to look until I can find an answer, and if I can’t find an answer then I’ll die trying.’”
While we commend him for encouraging people to think about faith, we would prefer a more focused search—like the woman in today’s Scripture. Desperate to find a cure, she pursued Jesus with a laserlike focus and was not satisfied until she at least touched the hem of his garment. That focus, that specific faith, made all the difference. It brought her healing and peace.
Pursue faith in Jesus with a laserlike focus.
Ron McClung is a recently retired minister in The Wesleyan Church. He and his wife, Carol, live in Michigan and look forward to spending time with their two sons, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
