Tuesday, March 15th, 2022
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” ~Mark 5:34 (NIV)
“I am fully known.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:12b —
Bible Reading: Mark 5:25-43
“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.”
🟪 🔹 🟪 🔹 🟪 🔹 🟪 🔹 🟪 🔹 🟪 🔹 🟪
This particular story of this unnamed woman goes much deeper than the fact she had been stricken with a bleeding disorder for twelve long years. Because of this condition she would have been treated as unclean according to the Levitical laws. Anything and anyone she came in contact with would have also been considered unclean. I can’t even imagine what her life had been like, most likely total isolation. Her dignity had all but disappeared. Her ears had probably forgotten what it was like to hear kindness and most certainly not felt kindness. So this woman, who believed that the man named Jesus could heal her, she devised a plan and executed it. In fact her faith was so strong she believed that simply touching his clothing would heal her. She was very adept at being ignored by people so she easily made her way through the crowd and seized the opportunity to touch Jesus’ garment as he passed by. She did not want to cause a scene or even be noticed, it was risky to touch anyone because of her condition, let alone Jesus. I can imagine what it felt like when Jesus proclaimed, “Who touched my clothes?” She probably froze and made no sudden moves to cause attention, and likely avoided any eye contact whatsoever. The truth is Jesus did know who touched him, so why did he push the issue with the crowd by saying again, “Who touched me?” At this point fear possibly overtook the woman and she falls at Jesus’ feet, likely trembling with trepidation and tells Jesus everything. I’m sure those in the crowd were gasping and I envision some picking up stones to throw at the woman. But at this moment, Jesus did what Jesus does and He says to the woman, “Daughter.” (I’m envisioning a “Hallmark Moment”…cue tears!). Jesus speaks to her endearingly, something she had nearly forgotten. Jesus wanted to know who touch him because not only did he want to heal her physically but also wanted to restore her humanity and dignity. God saw her, not just ugliness and uncleanliness. Jesus verbally commends her faith, He releases her of any culpability and blesses her with peace. The message of Jesus is … LOVE. It is a love that pursues, a love that sees and a love that offers the gift of being seen. Friends, we too can step up and receive God’s gift of belonging to Him.
Challenge Question
- What areas of your life are you trying to hide from God?
Further Study
Leviticus 15:25-30 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Leviticus%2015:25-30&version=NIV
Matthew 9:20-22 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%209:20-22&version=NIV
Luke 8:43-48 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%208:43-48&version=NIV
Friends— this song is my prayer for all of us. Amen.
We may be familiar with many of the names of God. We know him as Elohim and Yahweh. But what about El Roi? That name doesn’t appear to show up in many worship songs. And yet, in today’s day and age, when we feel our most vulnerable, the most invisible, we can find hope and power in the name of God “El Roi.” You can read more about El Roi by clicking the link below.
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/reasons-to-praise-god-as-el-roi.html
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
References:
HOPE SEEKER 
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