Mark 5:24 – 34
“And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
This is a big part of the story that we did not have room for in yesterday’s account of Mark, telling us about Jairus's daughter, but this happens as they were going to Jairus' house. All we know about this lady is she believes that Jesus was the only answer to a sickness she had for twelve years, and many physicians had practiced their healing powers on her, and taken all of her resources, and she had suffered much under their care. She did not get better but grew worse each day.
Jesus did not claim to be a doctor, he did practice healing, but He healed many people and the lady had heard reports of these accounts. Listen to her account; “She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.”
If you are a seeker of truth it seems this question would have to enter your mind as it did His disciples, many people have touched Jesus in the crowd. But only this lady did so in faith. I hope you noticed Jesus had to remove those who had no faith so that faith could do its work with Jairus's daughter. For unbelief and doubt has no place with faith. Do you recall John 15:20, “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”
How often have you been in the presence of Jesus and yet did not touch Him with faith? I’m sure each of us has and yet it was not Jesus we were expecting. After Hurricane Katrina our church in the Woodlands had a black family join the church, they were from New Orleans and had lost home, business and the man needed a job, his car had been flooded, and I was not aware of what Jesus was doing with our Church Family. When I got home I wrote the following and sent it to my pastor and friend Larry.
Today I saw Jesus
Today I saw Jesus, He was not what I expected, He showed Himself strong in the life of Rocky, He showed Himself in the love of the family of Crossroads and He showed up at the end of our Church service. At the end of our service, we gave those who desired to follow Jesus the opportunity to do so publicly. And it was there I saw Jesus; a couple and their young granddaughter came before the Church asking to join, they had lost all their earthly possessions in the floods of New Orleans.
Our pastor Larry York began to tell us their story and in telling their story, I saw Jesus. Jesus had put in the hearts of one family to take them in, He had put in the hearts of another family of faith, to buy them a car, and He had put into others members of the family to help find the husband a place of employment; today Jesus showed up at our Church and taught each of us about love.
I read this today; “Where love is, there God is.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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