Mark 5:24-34 records the story of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She touches the cloak of Jesus and is immediately healed. Jesus knows that power has gone out from him and that something has happened.
This is an incredibly interesting account. There are several surprises.
First, Jesus heals inadvertantly. Jesus didn't know who or what happened. All he knew was that power had gone out from him.
And the question that begs to be asked is what caused this healing? And the answer that the Gospel suggests to us is the faith of the woman. And this goes with the emphasis of faith in the rest of the chapter. Jesus himself tells us, "Daughter, your faith has healed you" (v.34).
The second surprise is that there were hundreds of people who came in contact with Jesus. Jesus was walking in the midst of a crowd who was pressing in on him. When Jesus asks, "Who touched my clothes?" his disciples respond, "You see the people crowding against you, and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'"
In essence they are saying, "What, you crazy? Look at all these people. Hundreds of people touched you.
Although hundreds of people touched Jesus only one was healed.
How come only one person was healed when hundreds of other people touched him?
And the most important question is how can we be touched by Jesus in such a way where healing and transformation can take place?
This coming Sunday, millions of Americans will go to church. While Jesus is present and many people will be in close proximity with Jesus, only those who come in faith, expecting Jesus to work a miracle will experience a miracle.
As you prepare to worship this Sunday, go expecting Jesus to touch your life and to transform you. And see what he does. I'd love to hear from you how God blessed your life this weekend.
Be blessed and be a blessing on the Lord's Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment