28

Mark 5:25-34

"Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around to the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitudes thronging you, and you say, who touched me?" And he looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came to fall down before Him, and told HIm the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."


This lady is a hero in the pages of this big and beautiful Book. Her short story expresses completely the essence of our faith. True faith.

The man was a rock star. Wherever Jesus went he was surrounded by people. People came from all over and wanted a piece of this somewhat mystery of a man. He claimed He was God's son. He came to earth to find the lost ones and save them. He did things opposite to the way he was supposed to: He healed sick people on the wrong days of the week, He liberated women in a male dominated society, He cast out demons in broad daylight, he set people free all over the place. Men, women and children, especially the children, just wanted to be near Him.

The woman in our story had a life-debilitating disease for twelve years. Twelve years of bleeding. She couldn't have babies (a very big deal in her day), she was in lots of pain and she was dirt poor from all the doctors' fees. She had suffered. She was an outcast-unwelcome in society. But this little lady had faith. Rock star faith. I can see her in her little one room house the morning she woke up and decided to get to Jesus. She slowly got herself dressed and ready. She was already exhausted and her day hadn't even begun. But she was going to be healed. She must be healed. Even if it takes everything in me, she thought. "If I can just touch his clothes..." Her faith pushed through the crowd to get to Jesus. She knew that if she could just touch the hem of his clothes her tired, worn out, depleted body would be healed.

So Jesus is standing in a crowd of people. They are pushed up against Him trying to get to Him... all begging for His attention. And here comes the little lady. She is already a disgrace to those who see her. They all know her condition. I can imagine her being shoved around in the crowd like a little lost child in sea of people. But she wasn't lost. She used every ounce of energy to push through the crowd. To touch Jesus. She touches His jacket and immediately she is healed. No more blood flowed. She knew she was healed. The crazy thing is, immediately Jesus is aware of her touch. He knows that power had come out of him. He knew someone had been healed.

This is what blows me away about faith in Jesus: essentially, her own faith drew out from Jesus her miracle. Jesus was being pushed around by the paparazzi and one person (out of the millions of others pressed up against him) with big faith in the crowd touched him, and she is healed. It seems to me as I read this that in that moment, Jesus didn't decide to heal her. Her faith healed her. It happened because of her faith. In that moment, her faith was more powerful than His decision to heal her. Jesus didn't decide to do it, her faith did. Her faith made her well, just like He told her as He sent her home, completely free and healed, in peace.

Oh, God. Give me faith like that.