Levitical
Law re: Issue of Blood (Lev. 15:25-27)
“If a woman
have an issue of blood…she shall be unclean.”
Mark
5:25-34
THE
WOMAN
There was
a woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years.
Let me clarify that for you: for
twelve years this woman suffered a chronic illness. Her condition was desperate for medical
reasons and social consequences. She was
probably shunned because she was considered “unclean”. If the ailment started at puberty, it would
have prevented her from being married.
If it started after marriage, it would probably led to divorce;
“relations” were prohibited under her circumstances (Lev. 18:19) and
childlessness often led to divorce in that era.
The stigma of childlessness carried ostracism from those around her
because people in first century Judaism still saw bareness as a curse from
God. Imagine the frustration and
struggle of being unable to earn an income, yet not having a husband to support
her. Her life must have been unbearable!
Desperation
drives many of us to a faith not to be stopped.
She had heard of Jesus, she knew she must see him, and she was
determined to not let anything stop her.
CROWDS,
NOISE AND CONFUSION
Mark 5
states that the people “thronged” Jesus.
This is not just a little crowd, but a crowd so thick that you are literally
squished together.
When I
lived in Jamaica as a missionary I had to get used to that kind of “squishing”
every day. If you wanted to go from one
town to another you had to take a “bus” which often was a VW van where the
driver would squeeze in as many people as possible. (I remember sitting with more than 20 people
one time in a VW van!) Of course every
time he stopped we would all have to get out just to let one or two people out
at their stop. These rides often only
cost one dollar Jamaican whereas if we took the official bus (government
sanctioned bus) it would have cost us 15-20 dollars Jamaican. Paying just one dollar was worth the
discomfort of being squished.
It was
noisy in the buses too, with everybody talking at once you had to shout real
loud just to make sure the driver stopped at your stop. I can imagine that with so many people
“thronging” Jesus it must have been quite noisy and confusing when the woman
approached the crowd. Into this
confusion came our determined woman.
Her uncleanness did not stop her.
The crowd did not stop her.
The noise and confusion did not stop
her.
THE
ACT OF FAITH
Somehow
she pressed and squeezed her way through to reach him. People pushing each other to get close to
Jesus, loud shouting, wanting Jesus’ attention, pressing against Him, touching
Him – she pressed through it all. She
stretched her hand out as she said, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be
whole!” She touched his garment, just
his garment, and her issue of blood dried up and she was healed.
Jesus
said, “Who touched my clothes”
His
disciples must have thought he was nuts!
All those people pressing against them and Him, grabbing, touching and
He wanted to know WHO touched Him? He
looked around to see who had touched his garments; for He had sensed His
healing power was used.
The
woman, knowing he healed her, came trembling and confessed to him and all the
people the reason she had touched Him.
There were some who probably judged her, a few might have taken a step
back or two due to her uncleanness, but Jesus did not. Jesus acknowledged her act as an act of
faith. By not rebuking her He also
demonstrated that the healing had come by God’s power and that He was not
ashamed to be identified with her.
YOUR
ACT OF FAITH
Jesus
is passing by today as you read this article.
He is here right now. There is a
great throng of feelings, emotions, and predetermined ideas that are blocking
your path to Him. It will not take
much. Will you not become
determined? Will you not reach out just
now? Your worst evils will be healed,
your greatest burdens lifted. Just touch
even the hem of His garment!
