A Story of Faith

Her medical condition was a cruel dictator. It told her where to spend her money, it dictated her identity and labelled her as unclean, unacceptable. Day after day this oppressive ruler drove her to find the elusive cure she saw as her only hope for a life free from the twelve-year authoritarian regime she found herself under. Her worsening hemorrhaging made her lonely, outcast, poor, and untouched. She was suffering greatly - until the day she touched the hem of His garment. ¹

A woman touching a rabbi would have been a bold move - a move of great faith. And her faith didn't go unnoticed. In the middle of a pressing crowd Jesus made clear what had happened here,

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." ²

With words of assurance and encouragement, Jesus released this woman from the dictator that had ruled over her for twelve long years.

But I don't believe that this woman's story ended here. In fact, later in Jesus' ministry, we something very similar happen in the lives of the sick in the town of Gennesaret,

People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. ³

Given that Gennesaret was located several miles from Capernaum, it is likely that the townspeople of Gennesaret had heard about Jesus healing the woman at Capernaum with the issue of blood, and how she was healed. I can hear the conversations that might have occurred: "She just touched the hem of his garment and she was healed!", "What if I touch the hem of his garment?", "I'm well, I'm well! I just touched the hem of his garment and I am well!"

But there is more to this story of faith than the resulting miracles.

Speaking of the works performed by Jesus, John the apostle writes in the gospel that bears his name,

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. ⁴

Without a doubt, miracles beautify broken lives; but more importantly, true miracles are signs meant to point us to Jesus, to belief in the One with whom all things are possible, the One who is the source of what is truly life. This is what ultimately matters because while healing or deliverance will give us reprieve in this life, the life found in Jesus is life itself: "ζωὴ αἰώνιος" - eternal life.

As a believer, your faith rests in the Faithful One, not in your faith. ⁵ ⁶ As you live out of this truth and reliance upon Him, may your life of faith be a life that encourages and inspires others in their life of faith. May what Jesus has done in your life may be the fan that causes the flame of a flickering candle to turn into a bright light. Your story of faith is needed.

Consider what Paul the apostle wrote to Timothy, his son in the faith,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁷

May this be true of you as well and may your story encourage the faith of others.

References

¹ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭- She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

² Mark 5:34

³ Matthew 14:35-36

⁴ John‬ ‭20‬:‭31‬

⁵ Galatians 2:16 - yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

⁶ Philippians 3:9 - and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.

⁷ 2 Timothy 4:7