Bible Study - Mk. 10:52 – The Faith of Stanley Reimer

The Faith of Stanley Reimer : 

The Faith of Stanley Reimer Look out fear! Here come faith! Adapted from: Chicken Soup for the Christian Family Soul Copyrighted material that appears in this article is included under the provisions of the Fair Use Clause of the National Copyright Act, which allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing.

Every Sunday : 

Every Sunday Every Sunday morning I see a very special person sitting about ten rows back on the right side of the church. His name is Stanley Reimer, and he’s an elder on our church board. I’ll never forget the day when I received the tragic news that Stanley had had a heart attack. Stan was a chemist with a large company, and the news was that he had a 22 minute cardiac arrest. That was a considerable amount of time when oxygen did not reach the brain. And if Stan survived, he would probably be a vegetable all of his life. They managed to get him breathing again, but he was in a death coma. He was placed in the intensive care unit, but remained in a coma.

Neurosurgeon : 

Neurosurgeon There was no sign of life other than the breathing. The neurosurgeon told Stan’s wife that there was no hope. “If he keeps breathing, he’ll be a vegetable all his life. He’ll never even close his eyes. They’ll be open in a death stare as you see him now. Totally, a vegetable.

What Will I Say? : 

What Will I Say? I rushed to the hospital as soon as I could, praying the whole time. “God, what will I say? What will I say to his wife?” And then I remembered what I was taught in the theological seminary: Someday, as a pastor, you may be talking to someone in a death coma. When that happens, only think life! Only talk life! If you’re ever at the bedside of a presumably dying patient, and he’s in a coma so deep that no response is indicated, talk life! He may lack the power to move his lips or manifest a physical indication that he is hearing, but his subconscious may hear! And you must not place a negative thought in his mind!

Intensive- Care Unit : 

Intensive- Care Unit I went into the intensive- care unit where he was lying, and there was Billie, his wife. Tears were streaming down her face. Stan, my once outgoing friend looked like a statue. He couldn’t move – dead from all practical appearances – but he was breathing. His eyes were wide open. I put my arm around Billie and prayed with her.

News : 

News Then I took hold of his hand and softly said, “Stanley, I know you can’t talk. I know you can’t respond, but I know that deep down within you, you can hear me. I’m pastor Bob. I’ve just come from church where everyone is praying for you. And Stanley, I’ve got news for you. You had a bad heart attack, but you are going to recover. You are going to live, and it’s going to be a long battle. It’s going to be hard, but you’re going to make it!

Understanding : 

Understanding And at that point I had one of the most moving experiences of my life. A tear rolled out of my friend’s eye. He understood! No smile, no quiver of a lip, but a tear rolled out of his eye. The doctors couldn’t believe it! That was over a year ago and today Stanley is able to speak in full sentences, he can hear and his faculties are becoming normalized. A miracle? Do you remember what Matthew said in Chapter 19?

Faith : 

Faith Mt. 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mt. 17:20 For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Bartimaeus’ had this kind of faith. Mk. 10:52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.