She had an issue. She was known by her issue. The “woman with the issue of blood.”
How would you like to be known by your issue?
- The woman with the issue of trust.
- The man with the issue of pornography.
- The woman with the issue of envy.
- The man with the issue of anger.
- The woman with the issue of addiction.
- The man with the issue of pride.
- The woman with the issue of shame.
- The man with the issue of greed.
You get the idea. The KJV version refers to her as a “woman with an issue of blood” – meaning “flow,” as in blood issuing forth – but it’s a good word for her situation – she had an issue! Thank God we are not known by our issues!
Sadly, this woman was – to her community, her family. She has had an issue for 12 years and has spent all her money on doctors – to no avail.
Word came to her that Jesus of Nazareth had landed on the shore of her town. Crowds made their way to greet the itinerant vagabond healer. Hope stirred in her heart.
Dare she take the risk? Her condition made her ceremonially unclean. She was relegated to solitude, to quarantine. Braving the crowds was a risk. Touching His garment was unthinkable. But maybe….?
The crowds pressed on, and then stopped.
Jairus, the synagogue leader, asked Jesus to come to his house and heal his beloved daughter. Would He?
Kind Jesus. Of course He said “yes.” Would she miss her chance?
Jairus’ daughter? Wait! She remembered when the baby girl was born. Could it be 12 years already? The same year her bleeding began. She remembered the joy in the synagogue and in Jairus’ family. The thrill of a promise fulfilled almost dampened her personal pain. Almost.
She couldn’t attend the festivities then, or in the 12 years since. Now Jairus was drawing the crowd’s attention again. And Jesus’ too. Jairus, with the power to have her stoned to death. Dare she take the risk of even being there in public, much less touching The Healer’s hem?
She lowered herself within the crowd, hoping to remain unseen, and stretched her trembling hand to His garment.
…
NOT The End….
I’ll be sharing a sermon about this woman, our own issues, and God’s plan in all of it on Sat. March 13 @ 5:30pm, and I invite you to join me at High Mountain Church via Facebook Live: facebook.com/HighMountainChurch
