Freedom, Purpose, & Identity At Hand
A couple of weeks ago I did a bible study on the woman with the issue of blood. I was amazed by this miracle story sandwiched in the healing story of Jairus’s daughter. There are so many jaw dropping facts about Jesus & the woman with the issue of blood in this short story.
Bible study Luke 8:43-48 The woman with the issue of blood.
A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe(hem) of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” - Luke 8:43-48 NLT
Interesting information that captured my attention in this passage:
She was lonely, desperate, and hurting. Emotionally, physically, and socially she was an outcast to society and was not accepted because of her condition.
She must have incredible faith to believe only the touch of the hem of Jesus would make her better. She didn’t want a big scene; she just wanted a tiny touch. She was hiding amongst the crowd because she knew she was an outcast of society.
She felt unworthy of Jesus' attention or felt like it was not worth her stopping or making a fuss. She might have felt unseen for years and this didn’t want to be seen. But Jesus saw her and wanted to acknowledge her.
I think it paints a beautiful picture that despite the big life missions Jesus had to do in his ministry he always had time to make people feel whole, seen or acknowledged. He knew who needed his love and who needed to be wrapped in grace. This tells me Jesus had great compassion and love for the broken and the lost.
When I think of this story, I see a gracious, loving Jesus who is all knowing, kind, gentle and merciful. He is not reproaching or angry at the woman with the issue of blood but instead he is deeply moved by the woman’s faith.
Desperate yet little acts of faith moved Jesus’ heart. Sometimes we can be at the end of our ropes like the woman of the blood condition with no more money to spend to sustain our dysfunction / illness / whatever is causing our problem. Yet having a little faith as little as a mustard seed can move mountains, I think this is demonstrated here that a tiny touch healed her completely.
Also, maybe the woman didn’t want to make a fuss in fear that her miracle would not happen, and she could not face another public shaming moment that’s why she hid in the crowd. She feared people because they had rejected her for so long. She just wanted to be loved but love was not given to her.
Jesus calls her "daughter” because she needed to be embraced like a daughter, someone who is cared for and knows her Daddy is taking care of her. Who knows maybe she could have been a 50-year-old lady and there’s Jesus, a 30-year-old man telling her “Daughter your faith has healed you”. What an odd thing it would have been right? But Jesus in all his humanity and deity loved the lady regardless of her age, disease or socio-economic status. He just loved her because it was something much deeper than just the issue of bleeding. It was deep earnest longing for emotional love and embrace. Identity.
She is now healed and there is this moment when she is acknowledged publicly by Jesus himself even if it’s a moment she is acknowledged by God and re-given her identity and title in society. Jesus takes the time to lift her up in-front of the crowd, pick her up as special, treasured, loved, worthy and healed. For this she is mentioned 3 times in the bible because of her incredible faith.
We don't know much of what happened later whether she celebrated or was still in shock. She was fearful that Jesus might be angry at her, yet God was not, instead he praised her faith. Jesus was deeply companionate, loving and understanding of people's hurt.
The result of her faith was a complete and instantaneous healing. “Suddenly” it all shifted. Maybe she might have been sceptical after 12 years, I would not blame her; she was really at the end of herself. Jesus meets her and there’s this beautiful exchange of love and grace.