A women suffering from bleeding for 12 years had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary she became worse. Having heard about Jesus she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His robe. For she said,"If I can just touch His robes I'll be made well!" Instantly her flow of blood ceased and she sensed in her body that she was cured of her affliction. At once Jesus realized in Himself that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and said" who touched My robes?" his disciples said to Him "You see the crowed pressing against You and You say, 'Who touched me?'" So He was looking around to see who had done this. Then the woman knowing what had happened to her came with fear and trembling fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth, "daughter" He said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from you affliction.
This is an amazing story of pure faith. in the opening lines of the story we are told of a woman with a medical condition that has plagued her for 12 years!!! we thing it is rough when we have a 24 hour cold. this women had non-stop bleeding for 12 years. she had gone to doctors to see treatment but the Bible tells us that the doctors could do nothing for her and her condition continued to spiral down. this woman however had heard about Jesus and the works that He does. She knew that even just the touch of his robe would be able to cure her. Do we have that kind of faith? do we have a faith as strong to do something because it was told to us?
someone had obviously told this woman about jesus for she had the foreknowledge of him. she believed everything this person had told her about him. she believed in the miracles that jesus had been doing throughout the land. from what is told this woman had never met jesus face to face prior to this moment. she believed without any physical evidence before her that jesus was who he proclaimed to be.
far too many times we ask god for signs to let us know what he is doing in our life or where we should go to follow him. do not get me wrong it is vital to distinguish between the latest heart jerking moment that we have and a passion that God has put on our hearts. by the same token when jesus says go we do not need to question whether or not it is god's will, we just need to go.
Next we see that Jesus actually recognizes the woman. Jesus felt his divine power pass from him knowing that someone of faith had touched him. this shows that christ provides for us.
Jesus then turns around and begins to search out the woman. this shows that jesus also fervently searches for us and wants to get to know us. Jesus was on his way to heal a dying girl and he stops in the middle of the crowd to find this woman that had touched his robes. jesus wants to know us personally and wants to know our deepest concerns and the things that plague us day and night. we must have the attitude of the woman though.
we see the woman know that she must confess that it was she who touched jesus' robe. she did so with 'fear and trembling' because she had just felt the power of God. when we approach god it should be with the attitude of fear. not a fear of "god can kill me for all that i have done", but a fear of "god you are all powerful and can change any situation". far too many times we see god as a mean kid with a magnify glass just waiting to burn us to hell. while god did send jesus to judge us for what we have done, God sent him as the savior from the world as well. we can run to our heavenly father's arms and find rest from the trials of this world. he is there to correct us when we are wrong and to comfort us with everything around us is falling apart.
Jesus says to the woman, "go be at peace and be free from your affliction". Jesus saw the faith in the woman. Jesus blessed her for her faith. She had exhausted every other resource available to her at the time. She turned to jesus and was healed from her wound. do not read this the wrong way; we should not exhaust every other resource and then turn to jesus. jesus should be our first choice always!!!!! we now have the holy spirit living inside us. He lives in us to be with us. when trials come we should first turn to the one who has done it all and has overcome death itself! we should do nothing under our own strength. we fail doing things ourselves. we need jesus everyday in order ever hope to take another step in becoming more like jesus.
God today give us a faith that needs no physical evidence to know who you are. god give us peace to know that you know who we are and everyday you seek to know us on a personal level. god let us be fearfully respectful in our approach to you and let us always be reminded of the wretches we are, and how great a gift you have given to us. god let us always seek to be more like you each day and with each step we take. amen
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