Monday October 12, 2020

Today’s Reading: Mark 5:24-34

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Mark 5:34

Reflection: As Jesus is on His way to heal an official’s daughter, He is followed by a large crowd. Among the crowd is a woman who has been bleeding for 12 years. The woman is poor, having spent all her money on doctors who are unable to cure her. According to the Law, her condition also made her unclean. Not only does her condition keep her from participating in any of Israel’s worship, festivals, or ceremonies, it also keeps her from being able to function within society. As an unclean woman, she is completely ostracized. By the time she comes to Jesus, she is desperate for help, but perhaps does not want to shamelessly approach Him in public with her illness. So she touches Jesus’ cloak and is miraculously is healed. Even with people surrounding Him, Jesus knows what she has done, and asks the crowd who touched Him. In fear, the woman falls at His feet, confessing what had happened. But Jesus reassures the woman, blessing her and declaring in front of the crowd that her faith in Him is what has healed her.

Nothing is too great to bring to Jesus. The unnamed woman is experiencing complete poverty. She is financially poor and she is poor in health. She is also socially poor because she is unclean. Perhaps the woman did not approach Jesus in public because anyone who was known to touch her would also be considered unclean. Regardless, Jesus is not affected by her disease. Instead, the woman is affected by Jesus. When she touches Jesus, He does not become unclean, but the woman is made clean. By His Power, Jesus takes on and takes away the worst of what has consumed this woman’s life. Just as the woman comes to Jesus in a state of desperation, so too are we able to come to Jesus in need. For by His power, He saves her. By His power, He saves us too.

Jesus bears what burdens us and rescues us from it. We see His Power when we act in faith in Him. The woman rightly places her faith in Jesus to heal her. The touch of His cloak does not make her well, but the act of faith in Jesus’ ability does. His miraculous removal of earthly disease points to His ability to meet the more devastating, spiritual disease of sin. When we come to Him in complete faith, He heals and restores us completely, even from sin. Have you been made well by His Power? Know that in need, in desperation, in faith, you can come to Jesus with the assurance that He will save you.

Prayer: Lord God, You are so compassionate and loving. Thank You for bearing my burden of sin and saving me from it. Thank You for restoring me completely through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for the proof of Your Saving Power as is shown in the Gospels and experienced in my life. Please help me to continue living out of thankfulness for the freedom You have so graciously given to me. In Your Holy Name I pray, AMEN.

Thru the Bible in a year (credit: Biblestudytools.com: Mark 5:21-43; 2 Samuel 14; Daniel 8