And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell 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 disease".
I recently had a long discussion in the comment section of a post titled "Healing and the Will of God". In it we discussed the role of faith in physical healing. My perspective is that our faith should never be "for" something (like healing) but "in" Someone. Such is the case here for the woman's request for healing was only answered because she believed that Jesus was a healer. Her faith was the conduit but it would have been fruitless if placed in another.
Interesting how Christ felt healing flow from his body. Up to now his healing ministry was a cooperative effort where he was actively involved in the process. In this case his involvement was passive. From the text it appears that he did not even know who touched him. Jesus required her to publicly acknowledge the healing teaching us that we must always return thanks and acknowledge God for whatever thing we are blessed with.
Lord, cause me to always to acknowledge you and to give thanks for your many blessings.
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Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteWhoever that poor woman was, I have felt a kinship with her for many years. I love that she had the faith to be healed and the courage to reach beyond her uncleanness to the one who could make her clean. Having an "issue of blood" for twelve years in that culture was very close to being a leper. But the thing that touches my heart the most is Jesus tenderly calling her "Daughter". Most likely she had not heard much in the way of kind words for years. And had she been married, it's likely her husband had divorced her for being unclean and infertile. Jesus calling her "Daughter", meant she was part of a family again. And to someone who had been alone for 12 years, that would mean everything.
@CR - That may have been the most beautiful comment that I have ever read.
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