Healed by Jesus 預覽

A Piece of Clothing

In Mark 5, we come across Jesus doing two things at once—raising the dead and healing the sick. She was the daughter of a Jewish synagogue leader, Jairus, who was a highly respected man in society. Yet, this desperate father fell to his knees and begged Jesus to heal his precious daughter. When Jesus saw this, He went with the man at once. 

What’s interesting about this story is that Jesus was on His way to the more pressing issue of healing a dying girl when He was “interrupted.” Crowds of people were following Him and all around Him. Yet, something unexpected happened that drew Jesus’s attention away from His intended purpose—He felt His power leave. 

His disciples were dumbfounded when He asked who touched Him, because there were so many people pressing in on Him. But Jesus was adamant to find the person. When He asked who touched His clothes, the woman quickly fell at His feet and told Him everything. She explained that she’d been bleeding for 12 years, and she’d done everything she knew to do and everything her income would allow to find a solution. She was unsuccessful, and her condition rendered her too much of an outcast for anyone to really help her. Until she found Jesus.

The instant healing ended an excruciating and alienating 12-year battle for this woman...just like that. She didn’t have to ask Jesus to command her disease to leave or beg Him to touch her body so the blood would dry up. She didn’t have to make an appointment with the Messiah to have a miraculous procedure or do a miracle regimen of herbs to be well. She’d heard what Jesus had done and figured just touching His garment would be sufficient. So she did. And it was. 

What’s amazing about this story is that Jesus didn’t technically do anything to heal her. Yes, His power healed her, but He didn’t speak healing or touch her body. She came to Him. She believed His touch could heal her, even if it was just a piece of His clothing.

Do we have this kind of faith when it comes to our need for healing? Whether we’re sick for 12 days or 12 years, do we believe that one small touch from Jesus has the power to heal us? This woman waited so long for a cure and at the absolute right time, she got hers. 

May we be encouraged to not lose hope. Let’s not be stagnant in our waiting, but instead, wait with anticipation that our Jesus is working in us until the time He brings healing.