Jesus Came for the Brokenhearted

In review of Luke 4:18 Jesus tells me “He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted” (NKJV).

Today’s verse is part of Luke 4:18, where Jesus reads from Isaiah and tells the people that he is the one who will fulfill this. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see,

Jesus was proclaiming himself as the one who would bring this Good News to pass, but he would do so in a way that people were not yet able to grasp.

The phrase “broken heart” comes from the Bible and is thousands of years old. In Psalm 69:20, David said: “Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless” (NIV).

David wrote about it centuries ago, but doctors say it’s a medical reality. When you go through a traumatic event, your brain releases chemicals to deal with it, and some of those chemicals actually weaken the tissue of the heart. It’s called broken heart syndrome.

Here are some of the most common ways our hearts get broken:

. We get disappointed because things don’t turn out as we’ve planned.

. We’re rejected by someone we love or someone we think loves us.

. We resent others by holding on to past hurts.

But here’s some amazing news. It doesn’t matter what you call a broken heart or how you got it; Jesus can help. In fact, in Jesus’ very first sermon, he says it’s one of the reasons he came.

Whether you’ve been let down by disappointment, rejection, or resentment, Jesus came to heal my heart. Jesus said about the Father, “He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted” (Luke 4:18 NKJV).

When I’m hurt, God wants to help. The Bible says in Psalm 147:3, “[God] heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds” (The Message).

I’m never closer to God than when I’m hurting. He’s here to help. Will I let him?

In summary, the Spirit of the Lord is upon Jesus, he was sent to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captive shall be released and that the blind shall see. The most common ways our hearts can get broken are: being disappointed because things don't turn out as we planned, we are rejected by someone we love or though loved us, or resent others by holding onto past hurts. Jesus came to heal my heart. I'm never closer to God than when I'm hurting. He's here to help me, if I let him.

This is an extension to what I learned in Brad’s message this past weekend, we tend to think that “God helps those who help themselves”. This is not in the Bible. Jesus died for the powerless. He reached out to us. God helps those who can not help themselves!

This morning Father I thank you for this reminder. I pray that you will give me wisdom and guidance for my day. Help me with my responsibilities, help me be a good leader, and help me to interact well with others and to be of assistance. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, amen.