“And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” (Mark 5:36b)
Let’s look more deeply at the woman with the issue of blood whom Jesus encountered on the way to the house of Jairus to tend to his dying daughter. This unnamed woman was an outcast among the people, her neighbors, and relatives. Leviticus 15 tells us that any object or thing she touched would be unclean as well as any person she touched or touched her so it is doubtful that anyone would risk touching her. She would be shunned and ostracized. She could not go out in a crowd. No one would come to offer her a hand to help her. If they met her on the street they would have treated her like a leper by crying out “Unclean!” avoiding all contact with her. She could not go to the Temple or synagogue, she could not even be around people. She was as unclean as a leper. Therefore she must have been moved by great desperation to go out into a crowd to seek out Jesus. If anyone had recognized her they would have increased her shame by revealing her in public.
For 12 years she had endured shame, abuse, and isolation. She had never been touched by anyone in that whole time, never felt a caress or hug from a loved one. She was probably deeply depressed and filled with despair. This would have made her desperate enough to risk going out in the crowd, to risk going to Jesus. If anyone recognized her it would mean total disaster. She would be shamed and everyone there would be unclean. But she figured in a crowd she could move undetected. After all, all eyes would be on Jesus, not her. She figured she can get in and out unnoticed if all she did was lightly touch the hem of His robe. In such a crowd everyone jostling one another and pushing, not even He would notice.
This woman was powerless over her condition just as we are powerless over our sin. She was filled with shame as we all ought to be over our own sinfulness. She was in a really sad state, until she found out about Jesus. He was the hope she longed for because all who had promised relief and hope had failed her.
Christ has mercy and compassion on the weak, those the world rejects. Jesus loves and accepts those who are despised and rejected by everyone. He loves you and me just the way we are, even when we are sinful, selfish, and disobedient. He will not criticize us. He will convict us of our sins, not coddle us in them or approve of them. He will show us what we need to change and then He will work to effect that change. We must trust Him for in the midst of our grief, fear, pain, helplessness, whatever, we are powerless. This applies to any crisis you can think of: the loss of a loved one, a dreadful and debilitating illness, a horrible accident, terrorism, the loss of a job, confrontations with difficult and cruel people. No matter what the problem, small or great, we can turn to Jesus.
Will He will take away the problem or change the situation as He did with this woman? We can always ask Him for this without fear. But the answer is up to Him. Certainly He will change us as we pray. He will help us overcome sin and provide us with the strength and wisdom to endure. He will take us through the pain and the crisis. And even though in this life we will have no end of suffering and crises and problems, we will have the assurance of peace and victory and rest in eternity for we have the assurance of His promise of eternal life and peace.