Jesus said, "Take heart" several times in the New Testament. Specifically, He said in Matthew 9:2, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." In Matthew 9:22 He said, "Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you." And then again in John 16:33, Jesus commands, "Take heart! I have overcome the world."
Take heart:
- Your sins are forgiven.
- Your faith has healed you.
- I have overcome the world.
Three commands, straight from the voice of Jesus, are messages we need to hear, don't we?
So what is the context of Jesus' "take heart" theme. Each time Jesus gave the directive to "take heart" He wanted to encourage. He wanted to impart hope. He said these things so that we may have peace.
Could it be, too, that He said these things because He knew that, right now, you need encouragement, your heart has sunk into despair, or you have lost hope? Jesus reminds all of us that we not only can get our hearts back, but we can take it back through Him.
What is interesting about this statement "take heart" is that it is a complete sentence with a verb and a noun in just two words. Breaking it down, "take" is an action verb. The word "take" means to lay hold of something. It means to reach for and to grasp. The word "heart" has a double meaning: (1) the body's organ that pumps blood through the circulatory system, and (2) the central or innermost part of something. In both situations, "heart" gives life. So when meaning is applied to Jesus' words "take heart" it means to reach for and grasp the central point and get life. In the Collins Dictionary, to "take heart" means you are to be encouraged and made to feel optimistic by what you are taking ahold of. It means to be comforted, to cheer up, and to perk up.
In all three of these stories, real people were on a mission to get something they needed. They were disheartened. Take, for instance, the man who was paralyzed, and his friends brought him to Jesus to be healed. The man was both healed and forgiven. Remember the woman who was trying to touch Jesus so she would be healed, because nothing else had worked in the past. Or how about the time when Jesus was giving a warning about the end of time, and He wanted to let the people know they could find peace in Him. They didn't need to worry.
Has your heart and hope fallen into despair?
Are you seeking forgiveness?
Do you need healing, whether it is physical, spiritual, or emotional?
Are you worrying about something today, or are you worried about the future?
Take heart. Let's say it again. TAKE HEART!
Let Jesus' words cheer you up right now. Be comforted by them. Be encouraged. "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord," Psalm 31:24. You can count on the fact that strength and perkiness for this day is yours!
