Devotional:

“42 …As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”” — Luke 8:42-48

This miracle is intertwined in Luke with Jesus bringing Jairus’s 12-year-old daughter back to life which will be tomorrow’s Devotional. I wanted to discuss them separately because they are two significant yet very different miracles. Although it can be a little confusing because Jairus’s daughter was 12 years old, and this lady had been bleeding for 12 years. If you read the entire account from verses 40-56, Jesus was walking to Jairus’s home to heal his daughter, and the woman with the issue of bleeding was in the crowd that was following Him to the house. Jesus had mobs of people around him all the time at this point. Verse 42 even says the people pressed around him. That is important to note as well. This is a beautiful example that Jesus saw everyone as equal, regardless of social class, race, or background.

This woman was miserable. To be constantly bleeding for 12 years wasn’t just an inconvenience on a day at the beach. There were many social and religious implications because of her illness. She was considered ceremonially unclean. She was unable to worship with her faith family, and She was unable to enter the temple. She was not allowed to touch anyone because that would have made them unclean, and she lived completely isolated. Not to mention the physical issues she probably had. Anemia, weakness, hormonal issues, all of these things must have been a heavy burden. She could not be a wife or a mother and was considered defiled, dirty, and unlovable.

This woman spent every dime she had on medicine and attempted many times to find healing. She had tried everything except Jesus. He was her last hope. This was her last hope. So, she comes into the crowd, a risk she was willing to take, and she touches the fringe of his garment, and immediately, her bleeding stops. Jesus, who was getting pushed and shoved by this crowd of people, felt her touch and asked, “who touched me?”. Well, obviously, everyone was touching him because the crowd was pressing in on him, trying to get closer to him. He explains that he felt his power left when the woman touched him. It wasn’t just a touch. It was a touch that resulted in healing. It was a touch of faith, different than the pushing and shoving he felt.

We could use faith like this woman had that day. Sometimes our shame and guilt keep us from coming to Jesus in utter desperation as she did. Sometimes we don’t truly believe that Jesus is who he says he is and always keeps his promises. Sometimes we try to use all our efforts and resources to try to fix ourselves, only to leave us completely empty, out of options and hope. We believe the lies that the world tells us. We aren’t good enough, we don’t deserve to be helped, and we can’t be saved. This is all from the father of lies whispering in our ears, trying to get us to believe we are our illness; we are our sin, we are a mistake, we are a failure.

Jesus tells you, You are not your mistake, you are not your sin, you are not your addiction, you are not your emotions, and you are not your illness.

Jesus told this woman she was not defiled and called her daughter in front of the crowd that day. Imagine 12 years of isolation and judgment, and Jesus, the Son of God, calls her daughter. There is no greater picture of mercy and grace than this. It was only her faith that healed her. She was clean and able to live a life of freedom, not bound by the illness that plagued her.

Do you have faith like that? Do you believe that one prayer, one word, one moment with Jesus can heal something in your life?

What keeps you from having that kind of faith? What keeps you from coming to Jesus in complete desperation for something you have been plagued with?

Do not let the father of lies tell you who you are. You are a son or daughter of the Most High King, and He is always there waiting for you to reach out and receive His blessings.