“A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 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. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5.24-34
Do you remember your first love? The feeling of saying “I love you” for the first time to someone outside your family? Maybe it was a youthful fling that lasted only weeks or months, but the freshness and newness was something that you will never forget.
When I think of the woman reaching out and touching the cloak of Jesus and believing that if she did she would be healed — I think of that feeling of first love. It was innocent, a little naive and full of faith.
The woman, no name given, who reached out to touched the cloak of Christ believed. It was her faith that made her well, this is what Jesus said. It wasn’t something he did. She reached out and touched the Source of all power and from her simple touch, she was made well immediately.
The unknown woman who extended her hand to touch Jesus’ cloak had faith. According to Jesus, it was her faith that brought about her healing, not something he did. By reaching out and touching the ultimate source of power, she was instantly healed.
It’s interesting how Jesus felt the power go out from him and that he turned and said to a mob around him — “Who touched me?” Either he didn’t know immediately who it was (which I doubt) or he wanted the woman to own up to her actions. Perhaps a part of her healing was to recognize her sickness and confess her need for redemption.
Like this woman, we too have access to the Source of all power. We can go repeatedly to the well by faith to receiving healing and wholeness. This person did not wait for permission, she saw Christ and knew in her heart that Jesus could bring healing.
How do you need healing? How can Christ bring healing to your life? He is not far away. Come to him, by faith, and seek the restoration only he can offer.
“O Lord God, it is a new day. The sun is shining, the new year is upon us, your Spirit is near. Thank you for your gift of healing and for this woman’s gift of faith in this passage. Thank you that we have access to you and can strength and help in our time of need. I love you Lord and praise your name. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen