Mark 5:25-29
25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 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. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
She was an outcast because of her issue. 12 years she had suffered, gone to all kinds of physicians who took her money and left her disappointed each time. Because of the culture and the laws of her time, she was considered unclean. No one was allowed to touch her, lest they become unclean themselves.
For this reason, she could not interact with people freely, she lived in separation. She was the kind of woman no one wanted to be around, she was not welcome, she was an outcast.
I wonder, did she have a family? A husband? I don’t think so, who would want to live with an unclean woman in the same house? That was her life, a life of shame, hopelessness, and despair. 12 years of no change must have eroded all the hope she had, but then one day all that changed.
She heard something; she heard that Jesus was passing by. The same Jesus she must have heard many stories about. The same one who was going about healing the sick and casting out demons. That ignited something in her heart, something that would not allow her to just sit in seclusion and hope for the best. No, she had to do something, this was her chance and she was not about to let Jesus pass her by.
She took the risk, she came out to mingle with the public, she became part of the crowd, shoving and pushing, not caring that if people knew who she was they would be angry because contact with her had made them unclean. She knew that Jesus would probably not touch her in her condition lest she made Him unclean, but what if she touched the hem of His garment?
That was it, that was her freedom, that was the plan for her to get healed and in faith she went out for it.
Jesus was on another mission, a mission to heal a young girl, Jairus’ daughter. This woman was not the agenda, but her faith interrupted Jesus, and she became part of the agenda, and she got healed! All the other people in the crowd, some even close enough to touch Jesus, were just there to see. They were part of the crowd, nothing driving them to have a personal encounter with the one they were so eager to see and that’s how it ended for them, but not this woman.
Though she had suffered for 12 years, hearing that Jesus was passing by, gave her faith.
Though all her money had been lost to all sorts of physicians who gave her false hope, hearing about Jesus gave her faith to act and she got her healing.
Reflections.
If Jesus was passing by physically today, what would you want him to do for you?
Would you be willing to risk everything just to touch the helm of his garment?
He now lives in you if you are born again, you don’t have to push and shove within the crown to access him. The question is, do you believe he can do for you what you need?
