The Savior was on His way to the house of Jairus. He had asked Jesus -- begged Jesus -- to come to his house. Jairus had a young daughter at the point of death. Something else happened on the way. (Mark 5 and Luke 8)
As usual Christ was surrounded by the multitudes. They seemed to throng Him everywhere He went. There was a lady in the crowd. She had suffered from a "flow of blood" (a hemorrhage) for 12 years. The woman had seen many doctors and none could help her. She saw the man moving down the street. That must be the man they call Jesus. She had heard about all the wonderful things He had done.
Oh how she wished she could get close to Him. Perhaps Jesus would have mercy on her. Perhaps He would heal her as He had healed so many others.
Can you imagine 12 years of bleeding? I can't even begin to! How weak and tired she must have felt. Think about what her life must have been like. Her condition probably left her unable to do any kind of normal activities.
Not only was this poor woman physically ill, but under Jewish law she was considered unclean. Leviticus chapters 12 through 15 give instructions regarding uncleanness. For one thing an unclean person was not allowed to worship in the temple. That means she was not able to participate in one of the defining activities of Jewish life. How isolated she must have felt!
So here she was watching Jesus walk through the town. The crowd was thick around Him. She was probably weak from her illness; but somehow she found the strength to push through the multitude.
I can only imagine what her thoughts might have been in those moments. She had to get to Jesus. She just knew He would heal her if only she could speak to Him. Perhaps the closer she got the more difficult it was to maneuver. I'm sure others wanted to be close to Him too.
Finally she thought, "if I touch even His garments, I will be made well." She had that much faith. She knew Jesus had the power to heal her -- even if she couldn't get close enough to ask Him personally. Touching His clothes would be enough - and she wouldn't impede His progress.
Oh how she yearned for healing! Finally, she was close enough - not to speak to Him. Jesus would never hear her over the others who swarmed around Him. But He was within her reach so she reached out and touched his garments. Immediately she was healed!! She knew it instantly. She could feel it. Can you imagine the relief she must have felt?
Jesus knew it too. He felt the power leave His body. He asked "Who touched my clothes?" Jesus being the Son of God already knew who had touched Him. He wasn't asking because He didn't know. Christ was asking to give her an opening to approach Him.
The poor woman was afraid. She knew she had been unclean when she touched His clothes. She probably feared a reproach from the Savior; after all she was unclean and had dared to touch Him.
She came trembling and fell before Him confessing all. She told Jesus the whole story -- right there in front of everyone -- including the fact she was now healed. The harsh words she half expected to hear never came. Instead Christ told her to "Be of good cheer. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace" (Luke 8:48 NKJV).
Her faith had made her well! What beautiful words for her to hear!! See it all boils down to this. She heard about Christ. She believed in His power to heal. But what she believed would not do her one whit of good if she simply stood there and watched Him walk on by. She knew that.
So what did she do? She sought Him out. She went to Him. No matter how many people were between them - no matter how weak she was -- or how frightened she might have been - she had to go to Jesus. She knew she had to act on her beliefs and she did. She made it to Him! It was not easy - but it was oh so worth it!!
Jesus didn't promise the way would be easy. Actually He said it would be pretty tough. But He did promise to be with us if we only followed Him - obeyed Him. We have to remember faith is an action word. The poor woman who had been sick for 12 years had to act on her faith. So do we.
So many verses come to my mind right now; but I know I can't go on forever. I leave you with two passages.
Hebrews 11:6 - "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who to in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it?"
(Matthew 7:13-14)
We have to be seeking -- we have to look to find.
What are we looking for ?
Christ above all things,
Robin Whitley
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