Jesus' manifesto
In these days of the global pandemic, there are a lot of broken hearts around the world.
Bereavement of a loved one, loss of employment and income, or having your livelihood taken from you, all these things could break your heart.
Recently, one of the leaders from Teen Challenge let me into secret, which is that most people with addiction problems, have a broken heart.
When your heart is broken by whatever means including the pandemic, you might try and mend it with many different things such as drink, drugs, sex, money etc.
But as you probably know by now, none of these things can really mend your broken heart.
They might make you feel better for a day or two, but the misery of a broken heart will kick back in eventually.
What does the bible say about a broken heart?
The Bible has many verses that can encourage and inspire the broken-hearted.
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).
If your heart is broken today and your spirit is crushed then you need to know this, that God is near to you and wants to save your crushed spirit.
Here is some more good news for those who have a broken heart, whatever the cause.
One day, Jesus stood up in the synagogue and said
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…
Luke 4:18 was then and still is Jesus’ manifesto.
Part of the reason Jesus came to earth was to heal the broken hearted. Jesus can give you a new heart, or he can renew and soften a hard heart.
In the New Testament (in the short book of Philemon), there is a story of one bad boy who had broken a few hearts (let us call him Onie short for Onesimus). Onie had worked for a guy named Phil short for Philemon). One day Onie jumped ship taking some of his boss’s goods. Onie went to another town and soon ended up in jail, where he met Paul the Christian.
To cut a long story short, Onie became a Christian and was soon ready for release.
Paul urged him to go back to his boss’s house and gave him a letter addressed to Phil, who just happened to be a friend of Paul.
In the letter, Paul tells Phil that Onie is a changed man and will be useful to Phil this time round.
Paul tells Phil that he will personally pay any debts (thefts) that Onie owed to his boss.
Paul reminds Phil that he helped Phil himself to become a Christian, so he owes him.
Paul expects Phil to give Onie a fresh start and even to go beyond this and treat him like a brother.
Perhaps some of us can admit to having been a bad boy or a bad girl, and maybe some who will also admit having broken a few hearts?
Did you break you mother and/or your father’s heart?
Or it was a wife or partner or your children’s or other family/friends’ hearts?
Or it was your heart that was broken through abuse, you were treated like a dog or worse?
Maybe it is your heart that needs mended today?
God is always near to the broken hearted. Jesus came to bind up the broken hearted.
Today it is time to stop being a bad boy or a bad girl and come home to Jesus.
Jesus offers you a full and free pardon, though your sins be as scarlet, he can make you white as snow.
God can mend the hearts you broke as well, but the process begins by asking him to forgive you.
Only Jesus can do this.
Jesus came to heal (bind up) the broken hearted so you can accept his offer today and we the church family are here to help you.
If your broken heart has been mended then please pass Jesus' offer to someone you know who needs it.
Amen
Personal prayer
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