18 While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.
23 When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region.
One thing I love to do when reading the bible is look at the "small stories". The ones that are put in there that we normally just breeze by. The big story here appears to be the rulers daughter that just died, so why then did the Lord chose to preserve this story of the other woman? Why did he want us to read a couple verses about a woman we don't even have a name for?
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. -Ephesians 2:8-9
One thing is that in this moment the ruler is being reminded through Jesus's interaction with this woman that it is by faith we are healed. I'm sure the ruler was probably in a hurry to get Jesus to his daughter, but what a sweet reminder in the midst of his troubles that Christ is in control, he is our healer, and all we need to do is believe in Jesus as our Savior. In the same way God's faithfulness and healing in our lives can serve as an example and reminder to others who are also going through unbearable times. Our troubles are often times our biggest opportunities to give witness to others about our faith, and give an example of God's power, love, peace, and healing.
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. -Romans 5:3-5
Now to the woman who was bleeding. Think about this, you've been bleeding for twelve years...TWELVE YEARS...and Jesus walks by you, what would you say or ask him? I'm sure that the woman wondered why she had to suffer so much or for so long, and maybe even before this moment she had cried out to God asking him (please note this is just me thinking, the bible doesn't say what she did before this). Maybe the woman had been angry with God previously, maybe she had felt God wasn't with her or that he wasn't good, but in this moment face to face with Jesus Christ she didn't ask him any of that. She doesn't appear mad, she hadn't given up on God, and she wasn't even yelling for him to save her. She simply BELIEVED and TRUSTED in Jesus as her SAVIOR and thought to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus then turns to her and says, "Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed at that moment!
I don't know about you, but this is just awesome to me. I love this...
I'd like to believe that God preserved this story for us to read thousands of years later and specifically as women to see him call us DAUGHTER. We are His! A lot of the bible speaks in a more masculine tone, so I love even more when I find passages that almost call out the ladies. How comforting, "Take heart daughter, your faith has healed you."
“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” -2 Corinthians 6:17-18
Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. -Romans 8:17
There are times in my life when I've wondered if God was hearing my prayers. I've wondered if he could see me suffering when things have hurt so much, and then also felt like somethings weren't really a big enough deal to even pray about compared to what others were going through. This passage reminds me that God hears us, he knows our thoughts, he knows our hearts, and big or small he is present and cares. Jesus was headed to bring to life someone that had died, that's a pretty big deal, but he did not ignore the woman who was bleeding and, without words, desired Christ to heal her. How incredible is that! How reassuring! God is never too busy, He is always present, and always up to something amazing.
Lastly, I can be incredibly impatient. If I am really transparent I wonder how long the Lord would like me to remain single/not married, especially when I see people all around me in the next phase of their life. Then I look at this passage and get excited that God is sovereign, things happen perfectly in his timing, and for his glory. God's glory is shown through this woman who suffered for twelve years. So much so that I've now, thousands of years later, written this blog about a woman who I don't even have a name for. I pray that my life would be one that people could look at and see not my goodness, and not that people would know my name, but that they would see how Christ has healed and redeemed me. More than anything I pray that faithfulness, like this woman, would mark my life, and that HIS glory and HIS name would be magnified.
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart, and wait for the LORD." -Psalm 27:14
"It is by faith that we are made well. Even in the face of seemingly hopeless circumstances and after years of suffering, there is no problem difficult for God."
