Just a day or so ago I heard a reference made to the woman with the issue of blood. You know her.
She’s mentioned in the Gospels as having suffered for 12 years with a blood condition, most likely something akin to a hemorrhage. She’d exhausted all of her resources going to doctor after doctor, desperate for some relief, but no one could help her. Then she heard that Jesus was coming to her town.
She had to know that multitudes of people would be trying to see Him, and she knew that because of her condition she was deemed unclean and probably unworthy of speaking to the Master. But this woman had a plan. She thought that if she could just get close enough to touch the hem of his garment she could be healed.
So, as you probably know, she pulled herself together to go see Jesus. I imagine her doing all she could to look her best, she knew that she was going to be in the presence of royalty. Once she got in the area where Jesus was, she struggled through the crowd to touch His hem. Most in the crowd were likely bigger and stronger than she was but, again, she was a woman with a plan.
And her mission was accomplished. She was able to touch the hem of His garment and right away her body was made whole.
The Bible states that her touch was so powerful that it caused Jesus to ask His disciples, “Who touched me?” It was only then that the woman made herself known to Jesus and He told her that her faith had made her whole.
As I heard this story recently, three questions came to my mind. I’ll share them with you here:
What’s MY Issue?
I grew up going to Sunday School and church, so I’ve heard this story all of my life. But just recently the word “issue” stood out to me. Because we all have our issues, don’t we?
While this woman’s issue was physical and dealt specifically with a blood problem, other issues might be diabetes, or heart disease, or some other physical malady. And, not all issues are physical. Some are mental, spiritual, or emotional.
I suffer with an issue of impatience. As much as I try (which isn’t very much, truth be told), I cannot help but get annoyed when I think someone is asking an unnecessary question or taking way too long to get something I need done. Like this woman, I need help. But the good news is that the same Jesus who helped this woman thousands of years ago can help me, too. He can help you, as well.
Who’s In MY Crowd?
This woman had to deal with a crowd to get to her desired healing, and we don’t see anything recorded that suggests that there was anyone in the crowd who tried to help her. Rather, we’re led to believe that the size of the crowd hindered her and made it difficult for her to reach Jesus.
Are there people in your crowd who are making it hard for you to reach your goals? Check your crowd and push out of the way anyone who hinders your ability to get rid of your issue and embrace your destiny.
How Powerful Is MY “Touch”?
We know that it wasn’t really the touch of the garment that made this woman whole, but it was faith that got the job done. Could my faith, could your faith do the same thing? Is it strong enough to allow you to trust God to tackle your issues?
The Bible stories we’ve heard all of our lives often take on new meanings as we get older and experience more of what life has to offer. What messages do you find in this familiar story that you can apply to your life?
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