I’ve read the story of the bleeding woman in Mark 5:25-34 a lot of times already. And my faith also gets a huge boost each time I read it.
Story goes like this. The woman has been bleeding for 12 years. Imagine, bleeding for 12 years? Day and night she’d endure the bleeding. Blood all over her bed, bedroom when she stands up and blood dripping down her legs and feet. She had to endure the loss of blood, regular bouts of anemia causing dizziness when she stands up or tries to walk, perhaps loss of appetite also.
Mark, the Gospel author also mentioned that she had suffered a great deal even though she was under the care of many doctors. We go to doctors usually to know why we get sick, get diagnosed, and hopefully, be given the right medication so we could recover.
But here, the woman’s condition only grew worse (verse 26). That’s not just sad. That’s really, really bad! I presume she used to be wealthy and lived a decent life. But when sickness struck her, she eventually withered financially and her life was never the same again.
However, life didn’t end tragically for this woman. She had a slim opportunity to get well because Jesus was in town.
I say slim, because verse 25 says the crowd was pressing hard on Jesus. You know, people, who brought their sick relatives and friends and family members were also there to ask for Christ to touch them so they get healed instantly.
The problem was this woman was bleeding. She’s weak, and the thought of getting crushed by the mad rush of the crowd might only get her killed.
Yet, she was hopeful. And in faith, that this is God’s divine opportunity for her to get well.
Check out verses 27-29.
27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. 29 Immediately, her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.”
That’s simply amazing! In her act of faith, what was once an imposing giant of sickness suddenly went down in a loud thud when she reached Jesus’ cloak. She got healed in the process!
Maybe she thought she did something terrible as well, because when she saw Jesus looking around to find who touched Him, she trembled in fear (verse 33).
But then, she mustered the courage she had and told Jesus the truth. And here was Christ’s response.
34 Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in preace and be freed from your suffering.”
Jesus commended her for her stubborn faith. Bucking the maddening crowd, overcoming her fears and withstanding the many what ifs that was bugging her before she decided to touch Jesus’ cloak.
Maybe you’re also “bleeding” right now. You’re in a situation where your financial challenges, challenges in your work, career or business, make you “bleed” spiritually.
You’re not alone. Everyone goes through seasons like that.
But you can choose to act with a stubborn faith. A faith that refuses to accept the status quo but willingly declares, I’ll trust Jesus.
Go ahead, touch His cloak in prayer. Touch His cloak by declaring God’s precious promises from the Bible.
Jesus isn’t going to give you a cold-shoulder treatment. He hears and most of all, He answers people who have stubborn faith.
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