Mark 5:27-29 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.
It’s one of the most remarkable healing stories in the
New Testament. An elderly lady, completely unassisted and acting alone, secretly
touches Christ’s robe and instantly she is healed of a chronic illness which
has impoverished her. It’s a desperate act of a woman who has spent everything
she owned to cure her blood disease. Jesus is her one last great hope, but she
is so demeaned by her illness that she cannot bring herself to publicly ask for
His help. She is ashamed of the disease which condemns her to being constantly ritually
unclean by her religion. All that she wants to do is to be cured and go on her
way. No one notices her; no one can help her with her plight. She is all alone
in the midst of the people who are crowding Jesus. She is isolated from any act
of compassion or kindness from her own community.
But her act of faith does not go unnoticed. For some
strange reason, Jesus feels His divine power being drained from Him by her act
of faith. He knows that someone has touched Him seeking healing. He has felt
God’s power being channeled out of His own body. Perhaps it felt like an electric
current passing through Him to her. Perhaps she felt a wave of energy coming
out of Christ to her. Whatever the case and however it occurred, one thing was
certain: Jesus knew.
The woman is scared out of her wits when she is
discovered. She has tried to avoid public shame by keeping her disease a
secret. Now she is being exposed as someone who has stolen God’s gift from Jesus.
She fears humiliation and punishment, but instead she receives mercy, grace,
and encouragement from Christ. He is not angry that she has taken something
holy from Him; instead, He is glad that her faith in Him has made her well. He does
not chide or condemn; instead, Jesus praises and blesses her. He has restored
her to God’s favor, as well as the community. He has given her back her life by
commending her faith. Christ has blessed her with a new beginning.
Perhaps you are seeking a blessing from God, a hurt to be
healed, a situation to be sorted, or something painful to be resolved. Maybe
you don’t know how to put your request into words; perhaps you cannot even
voice a prayer. As Jesus would often say, “Fear not! I am with you.” Allow His
Spirit to enter you; permit His comfort to support you; let His love sustain
you. He has God’s power to protect you, direct you, and even correct you
because He totally accepts you. Your faith in Him can make you well; your
belief in Him can grant you a new beginning. Take it, receive it, and be
renewed.
Questions
for personal reflection
What would I like Jesus to do for me? What would He
like me to do for Him?
Prayer: Lord
Jesus, heal us of all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul. In Your
Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor
of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask
questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s image is one of
John’s latest Blue Christmas Candle drawings, simply called “Blue Christmas.”
If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link:
Blue
Christmas.
