Close your eyes for a moment. I want you to picture a woman, a woman who has been ill for twelve years. She has suffered from this illness of pain, a pain only a woman can truly understand. In her pain she has gone to doctors, she has asked for help, and there is nothing or no one to help her.Through her pain, she not only has a bleeding disorder, but she cannot bare children. See, not only is this heartbreaking for any woman, but within her deep pain there is more that we often to not see.
Within her disorder, she is unclean. She is untouchable. She is alone. People mock her, while others stare in disbelief, afraid she is contagious. She must stay away from all others. Can you see her life before your eyes? Can you feel her pain? More than having this disorder, I think the real pain would be in not having another to support you, to encourage you, and to love you through your illness.
This woman was not known by her name, but known as the woman with the bleeding disorder. She was humble before God and others. And I bet she most wanted to be accepted.
In her pain she sought out One who she believed in. She knew He was coming through town, and she knew she had to see Jesus. This was a woman of great faith, and in her faith, she thought, "If I can just touch Him."
As Jesus came through town, this woman was there waiting, pushing her way through. I can see the tears in her eyes. If only she can touch her Savior. If only. As she moves closer to Him she is able to touch His cloak. When she does Jesus knows someone touched Him. He knew who she was before she ever reached out to Him. As Jesus cries out, "Who touched Me?" She is there, scared and lonely. She speaks up and shares with Him. She tries to tell Him all she wanted was to touch Him, to feel Him, and to be healed.
Can you imagine carrying this burden alone for twelve years? Can you imagine how much she just hurt inside, and she carried it all alone. She was the woman no one wanted near them. She was a caste away.
But Jesus comes to her. He listens. He not only reaches out to her, but He says, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." At the moment that she touched Jesus her bleeding was stopped. At that moment she touched Him, she not only felt her Savior, but He felt her faith.
Sometimes we can feel like this woman. Shunned for whatever others do not want to see or accept about us. We can go through such agony with pain outside and in, that all we want is to touch Jesus.
Sometimes our pain is so deep, and so wearisome that we don't know what to do. But here in this story that we find in Mark 5:25-34 we see what great faith can do. We see what just reaching out to Jesus can do. I imagine in that one moment she felt all the love she had been missing for twelve years. I imagine she felt all the acceptance she had so desperately needed in just one touch.
Jesus is there for us. When we reach out to Jesus, He will forever meet us where we are. When we reach out to Him, we will feel His love in return. Can you see this story? Can you see the woman as she walks away? She has been healed. She has been loved. She has been accepted. And isn't that really what we all desire? We can find all those and more when we reach out to Jesus.
We can read this story and gain hope, faith, and belief in Jesus. Hope in that He is always there. Faith in that He will restore us. And belief in the fact that everything is possible with Jesus. See, the faith was not in her touch. The touch came from her faith. And through the touch Jesus brought healing. What a picture of love for us to carry away with us.
Wherever you are today my friend, Jesus is there for you. He knows and sees your pain. He too feels your hurt. He wants to meet you. Will you walk out to meet Him today? If you do, it will be the day you walk away healed from all, accepted for who you are, and loved by One who carries the greatest love of all.
