Read:
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had; yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
~Mark 5:24-34 (NIV) (Also referenced in Luke 8:43-48 & Matthew 9:20-22)
Consider:
There are so many characters in The Bible that we can read about and relate with easily. Not many of us however, have been bleeding for 12 years, spent all we had to be healed or suffered in the ways that this woman has. Yet, there is so much for us to learn from her story.
Her story takes place smack dab in the middle of someone else’s story. In fact, Jesus was on his way to heal a very sick little girl, the only child of Jairus, a synagogue leader. The woman (that doesn’t even have a name in scripture but whom is often referred to as “the Bleeding Woman”) is almost like an interruption to this other more important story.
We don’t know all the thoughts running through her head but scripture does tell us she thought to herself, “if I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” I have to wonder if that was what she finally talked herself into. There must have been an internal struggle going on in her mind. “Should I go up to him? He looks like he’s in a rush… I’m not important… He’s with that synagogue leader… Will he notice me? Should I just ask… I’ll just touch him… No one even has to know…” It probably happened quickly too… kind of one of those “ahhhh, what do I do?” moments in her life. Fortunately, she went for it and was healed.
We probably all need to be a little bit more like her and just go for it…
To trust God and all of His promises and go before Him in our time of need and believe that he will meet us right where we are, because He will.
We learn so much about Jesus in this passage as well. He was on his way somewhere. He had places to go and people to heal, particularly, a 12 year-old girl on her deathbed, but Jesus takes the time to seek this woman out after she stepped out in faith for healing. He could’ve just kept going knowing what had happened, but he stops, he addresses her, and he gives her the message to take heart and be free. He wants her to know that he sees her and that she is just as important as the little girl he is on his way to heal. I can only imagine the frustration and irritation that His disciples and especially Jairus might have been feeling, but not Jesus. He showed compassion, empathy and love for this woman. He truly cared for her, the woman whom doesn’t even get a name in Scripture, is deeply seen by our Savior.
As women, sometimes we find ourselves feeling alone, broken and unseen. The good news is that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and He sees us. He feels it when we reach out for Him and He is ready to meet us where we are if we are willing to have the faith to do it.
Breathe:
Breathe in His love…exhale all that has brought you suffering…
Pray:
Lord, thank you for being approachable. Thank you for seeing me and being willing to meet me right where I am. I pray that my faith in you would be strengthened and that I would be willing to step out in faith and call on you, just like this woman did. I pray for “a peace that surpasses all understanding to guard our hearts and minds in you.”
Today’s post was written by Amanda Sanders.
Amanda has been married to her high school sweet heart Matt for 11 years. Together they have three kids ages 8, 6 and 3. In this season of life, Amanda spends most of her time drinking coffee, teaching children, doing laundry and repeating herself. Occasionally, she has some time for working out, reading for leisure and writing. You can find her on Sunday mornings worshiping at our Real Life UCF campus.
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