For My Tuesday Three, I decided to share three of my favorite people from the Bible and why I like them. You may be surprised to find that Jesus is not on this short list, but that is just because He is too obvious. All of the Bible is about Jesus; He is the Word.
My favorite person in the Bible is the apostle John. In his Gospel, John refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20). This might seem kind of arrogant, but I don’t think it is arrogance that made John refer to himself this way. I think it was because John understood on a deep level how much Jesus loved him and how much Jesus loved everyone. He truly understood and accepted that love. This is what I love about John.
My second favorite person in the Bible is King David. In Acts, Luke referred to David as “a man after God’s own heart.” (Acts 13:22). It was David’s humility and contrite heart that earned him this description. He was not perfect – he had committed murder and adultery – but he repented of his sin and sought God’s mercy. David was the author of many of my favorite Psalms of praise and confession. He truly understood the proper attitude we should all have towards God. This is what I love about King David.
My third favorite person in the Bible has no name. She is the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ robe because she had faith that this simple touch would heal her from her infirmity. (Matthew 9:20). When she touched Jesus’ cloak she was healed and He knew immediately what had happened. Even though she had been bleeding for 12 years and otherwise had lost all hope, this desperate woman did not confront Jesus and demand that He heal her. She understood that He was the source of all power and healing, and that a mere touch would be enough. This is what I love about this nameless woman. One other thing I love about the story of this woman is that she is not named, and so her need can easily represent the need for spiritual healing that we all have.
These three people represent love, humility, and faith – three characteristics that are important for my Christian walk.