Leviticus 11:1-47; Mark 5:21-34; Psalms 38:19-22; Proverbs 13:4
NT: “Now a woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse. Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing. For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I’ll be made well.” Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But he was looking around to see who had done this. The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”” (Mark 5:25-34 CSB)
What a beautiful example of saving faith. This woman had suffered from hemorrhaging for 12 years. Not only was it a nuisance – it continuously sapped her of life and rendered her ceremonially unclean. She was hindered in every way. Over the course of 12 years, she had spent everything she had to find a cure to no avail. She was completely broke and without hope… until she heard of Jesus. She believed that He was able to heal her. Because of her state, I imagine she probably thought that Jesus wouldn’t have time for her – that he had more important people to speak to… more pressing things to do. So she sought to just secretly touch His outer garment… if she could just touch something that was touching Him… not touch Him directly and cause a scene, she would be healed. So while a crowd was pressing on Him, pushing Him along, crying out to Him, she pressed through the crowd and touched the hem of his robe. Instantly she was healed. Hundreds of people were pressing into Jesus… bumping into Him… probably even grabbing on to Him, yet this woman’s inconspicuous brush of His robe caused power to go out from Him. What made the difference? Her faith. She didn’t have faith in faith. She had faith in Jesus and His ability to heal. Jesus stopped in His tracks, and the woman who thought she wasn’t important enough for an encounter with Jesus was now looking into His eyes, receiving these words, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed.” We don’t have to make a big show or stoke ourselves up – all we need to do is have faith in Jesus… in who He is… in what He is able to do… in what He has already done, and come to Him. Faith in Him will save us.
Psalms: “But my enemies are vigorous and powerful; many hate me for no reason. Those who repay evil for good attack me for pursuing good. Lord, do not abandon me; my God, do not be far from me. Hurry to help me, my Lord, my salvation.” (Psalms 38:19-22 CSB)
King David, with enemies surrounding him and pressing him on every side, knew where His salvation came from. His trust – his faith was in the Lord. As long as he was with the Lord – by the Lord’s side, he knew that he would be saved. So he kept his relationship with the Lord clean through confession and repentance, and trusted completely in the Lord for his salvation.
Jamie Hicks 