religion – Melanie Stevenson

March 25, 2025April 15, 2025

Missing the Miracle in Their Midst

Isn’t it tragic that when Jesus healed a man with a shriveled hand, the Pharisees failed to see the glory of God in their midst? So focused on their religious rule-keeping, they missed the miracle that Jesus performed before their eyes. They could have been astounded in awe, could have bowed down and worshipped him, but they not only missed the miracle, they missed the Messiah.

In case you need it, here’s a quick refresher of the story:

“On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.” (Luke 6:6-10)

Jesus defies the religious rules to heal a man’s withered hand on a Sunday, his love superseding all man-made laws in favor of healing mankind. Imagine, right before their eyes a shriveled hand becomes whole. Instead of praising Jesus and worshipping in wonder the God who made them and remade this man, the Pharisees stood before the Maker of Heaven and Earth finding fault and seeking to accuse him.

So full to the brim on religion that they couldn’t see God in their midst. They missed the very thing that they were upholding, the very One who could have set them free, by being blinded and bound by rule-following. Tragically, their religion left no room for compassion or loving action and made no space for healing to wholeness, or even God himself.

They missed the miracle and the Messiah.

How many times do we miss the miracle in our midst, miss the very presence of Jesus because we are busy and burdened upholding religion instead of resting in the reality of relationship with Jesus? How often do we miss the miraculous, everyday gifts God lays at our feet, even his very presence, by our rigidity, stubbornness, or pride?

When we come to Jesus, or when he comes to us, it isn’t with a set of prescribed rules to follow, but with unconditional love and forgiveness and an invitation to a life of wholeness. It’s not a list of regimented behaviors to gain God’s favor or forgiveness. Far from religion, or a brand of rule-keeping redemption, it’s the free gift of a spacious life of freedom with God.

God’s love is not earned by keeping a set of rules, but by the simple act of confessing our sin and receiving his forgiveness through Jesus His Son, sent to save all humanity—not the select few perfect rule keepers (as if that were possible). This also is a miracle… something only God can do. We cannot save ourselves through habitual rule abiding or being a good person (also impossible), but merely by simple child-like faith.

Picture life with Jesus as a child being swung in the air by his father, heels kicking high into the sky. A father gently taking the wide-eyed child’s hand and patiently speaking to her, telling her things too wonderful to fathom. A father teaching his son side by side, moment by moment, showing him how to live. A father bending to look the child full in the face and saying, “I love you no matter what.” A child forgiven for their wrongs and rebellion over and over again. And a fearful or bewildered child held throughout life’s storms. A father who never abandons his kids.

I ask myself, how many times have I missed Jesus in my midst? Too rushed, too full of fret or regret, too caught up in how things should be to see the miracle before me—his presence with me. How many times have I failed to see the many ways he is miraculously working things for my good and his glory even when they appear hopeless? How many times have I wanted Jesus to follow my rules and do things on my prescribed timeline?

How often have I missed his still small voice that beckons me to enter his rest, to embrace his peace, to abide in his loving presence, and be comforted in his ever-open-to-receive-me arms of love? To join hands with the miracle-maker who shows me a spacious way aside from petty religious rules.

What would it look like for us to link arms with the One who can repair withered hands, hearts, and lives? The One who brings the dead back to full life? The One who died to give us life everlasting?

Jesus is not only within reach; he is within your very midst.

“Come to me , all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28

To ponder:

In what ways am I choosing religion over Christ?
Is there a withered part of my life that I can hold out to Christ for healing?
Have I trusted Jesus for my salvation, or al I still trying to follow the rules?

My Novella, “Where My Heart Belongs” is a Selah finalist!

Click Here to find out more about “Where My Heart Belongs”

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020

Our Easter

This Easter is unlike any Easter I have experienced in my lifetime. Most people living at this point in history have never had their lives disrupted by a pandemic and had to celebrate without loved ones. Many I know have lived comfortable, predictable, safe lives. Now, many of us are figuring out first-hand what it feels like to not feel in control (we were never really in control) and not feel safe.

It’s not comfortable. It’s not easy. And we aren’t accustomed to it.

We still managed our Easter egg hunt.

Our boys

Despite how difficult the COVID-19 adjustment has been, I am inspired by the myriad of ways those around me are helping others during this crisis. Some of you are making meals for the sick, some are shopping for neighbors, family, or friends in need, others are keeping us well-informed. Some are sending encouraging text messages or emails, others are setting up prayer meetings or zoom calls, and others are checking in on their friends on the daily.

Our medical staff is using their training to care for and heal the sick, and the teachers have pivoted to teach and support our children online. Neighboring children are writing colorful chalk messages of hope on the pavements. My son’s in-laws are making fabric masks and helping collect items for the food bank.

As unique as we are wired, we will also uniquely go through this time. We will use our various giftings in individual ways, and it will be marvelous to witness humanity rising to the call. But let’s also remind ourselves that just because one person isn’t doing what you’re doing, or what I’m doing, it doesn’t mean they aren’t doing what they should be—or need to be—doing right now.

Easter Sunday hike

Easter Sunday Hike to say a socially-distanced Happy Easter to our neighbors (Konnor took the ATV).

This is a collective hardship and we will each approach it differently. What appears a looming mountain for one may look like a rolling meadow for another. That might mean that doing a load of laundry and making dinner was what they could do today. If another is highly productive during this time, for them, keeping busy may be their way of coping.

For some, this break may feel like a much-needed vacation—a wonderful improvement from their former harried pace. For others, it may seem like not much has changed. For others, this may stir up feelings of unease and anxiety.

Let’s not judge one another based on our own ideas of what we deem right but accept and help one another. Let’s celebrate the myriad of ways we will traverse through this and the limitless creativity that will be exhibited by our fellow humans in the process. Let’s be kind and patient with each other’s shortcomings, and the ways we find we can—or cannot—cope. Let’s ramp up the love and care for one another and overlook the rest.

Mariana, Kiki and Monty at Cottage — We have been blessed to have my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson with us during this time.

This Easter, and this week, as we care for those around us, I hope we will also take some time to pause and reflect on the One who taught us how to love and who offers hope. One who came to heal us both on the outside but more importantly on the inside. One who gave his life to give us life. Who conquered death and rose from the grave to give us a fresh start. And though the way we celebrate may look a bit different, the reason we do so remains unchanged.

“And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” John 15:13

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020

25 Benefits of Trials

It’s easy to grow fearful in times of uncertainty. It’s easy to lose hope as we suffer through lengthy hardships. Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic remind us how fragile our lives really are.

Like any trial, we often cannot see an end in sight and this one is no exception. When we are staying at home, social-distancing, viewing reports of daily escalating numbers, suffering through mandatory business closures and potential loss of livelihood, we worry we won’t manage.

My mum used to say of trials, “This too shall pass.” And it will. When it does, things won’t be the same. We will have a new framework out of which to operate. I imagine we will have a more thankful mindset, a greater appreciation for others as we joyfully reconnect and fully embrace our renewed freedom. Trials arrive unexpectedly and loom large, but we can move through them with grace, peace, and even joy.

Monty at the cottage — Cuddling my grandson – one of the ways I’m savoring this slowed pace.

Continue reading “25 Benefits of Trials”

April 20, 2019April 20, 2019

A Eulogy for My Best Friend

Jesus_Back_on_The_Cross

This Easter weekend, I’d like to introduce you to someone I’m most fond of. He may be the most misunderstood man who ever lived. But I love him for it, because he’s probably the only man who didn’t care one bit about any of that. And because he didn’t care about what others thought of him, he was unswerving in his life’s purpose.

He didn’t get in the way, like some religious people of his time, and block others from seeing God. He showed up in unlikely places—often with the unpopular—and pointed people to his father. Instead of harsh judgement and criticism, he honoured everyone: men, women, and children, and reached out to those on the outskirts of society who would have appeared unholy, unworthy, and labelled sinners by the “religious”. He showed great compassion and said they were the ones he came to call (see Luke 5:32). He offered healing, grace, love, hope, and peace to anyone who would listen and even offered his very life. He gave all, for all, until his last breath.

He was the most unselfish person the world has ever known. His life was lived for his father’s purposes for the sake of others. Every place he stepped, every action he took, every word he spoke was for another’s benefit. His mission was clear: to show God’s love in a myriad of ways so all could see, hear, and understand his father’s great mercy and love.

The beauty of his unfathomable life is that none of it was typical—nothing you’d expect of a king. That was part of the problem. People found his humanness and humility unfitting. It was difficult to take him seriously and hard to accept that he wouldn’t fit their preconceived idea of God. Those who had spent their whole lives waiting for him, missed him. Those who should have known better, crucified him.

This is how one man explained him:

“He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.” ~ Isaiah 53:3

In the end, even his closest friends scattered. He died utterly alone, and it appeared his thirty-three years on the earth had amounted to nothing. But I adore the way looks are deceiving, and more than that, how his heart-wrenching obedience changed everything. Because he suffered the most horrific death known to humankind, I was offered a second crack at life—a chance to surrender the life I deemed so dear for a new one with him.

He once said: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” ~ Matthew 11:28-30

And there it is, with him I live freely and lightly; the heaviness of all the things I wasn’t meant to carry handed over. My burdens lifted, my sins wiped out, and my mind renewed. All the former things fade in importance for the friendship found in him. And as the load is lifted, love fills the deadened creases of my life. This same love brings with it a breath of freedom and joy, and peace that ignites hope. You can’t describe his beauty. It’s something to behold.

He moves into our tired lives when we let go. But it’s not easy—the letting go. You see it at the cross, this refusal to release. Some hanging on tightly to their position or praise, others hanging on to disbelief, and others to the material things of this world, grasping at anything that seems too precious to leave behind. Because what is known feels safer than launching into the unknown, even if the known is mediocre at best. But all the praise, position, money, best behaviour, or good deeds count for nothing if I reject him.

His radical, life-altering offer is extended to all. No one left behind. No matter where you come from or what you’ve done, you aren’t excluded. His forgiveness is a free, unearned gift, and when you receive it—believe in and trust him—you’re renewed for today and preserved for eternity.

You’re beautifully and unconditionally accepted and adored by the creator of the universe, all because one Easter, over two thousand years ago, Jesus died for you.

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God loves you. There isn’t a thing you can do, or not do, to earn his love. With a simple prayer, you can receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and step into tomorrow with him.