Everything she tried, ended in failure and disappointment. There was no money left. She spent it all trying to find a cure. We don’t know her name, but this woman had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had no close friends, no one to share her burden with, nor could she foster any meaningful relationships in her condition. Under Old Testament Law, her malady labeled her “unclean.” Thus, she would have been a social outcast from her people.
All she wanted was to be healed.
But no matter what she tried, where she went, or who she paid for a remedy to cure her physical condition, it all ended in failure after failure; disappointment upon disappointment.
During her entire twelve year health journey, she never got better, but rather grew worse each and every day. At this point, it wasn’t just the physical challenges, but the mental anguish and emotional turmoil would have also weighed heavy on her as well.
The Roman Emperor Tiberius
Tiberius would have been ruling at that time. Roman Emperors commanded the respect that their people would have given to the gods. In fact, there was a great city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, still there today, named Tiberius to remind the people who was the most powerful man in the world.
Yet with all his power and authority, even if he wanted to, Tiberius didn’t have the kind of power, authority or jurisdiction to heal this woman of her disease.
With nothing left at her disposal, no money, no place to go, no one left to turn to, and nothing to show for her efforts, it would have been a very dark and despairing time in her life.
But then she heard about this teacher.
He had been healing every kind of sickness and disease among the people. He was making His way through town. Crowds were pressing in all around Him. She heard it was a man named, Jesus!
With a renewed hope and determination, she thought to herself, . . .
† “If I can just touch the hem of His robe, I will be healed.”
Matthew 9:21
She wasn’t suppose to be there moving among the crowds of people. She was ritually unclean. But it all changed the moment her hand came in contact with the hem of His robe.
† Immediately aware that power had gone forth from Him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You; how can You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” He looked all around to see who had done it.
Mark 5:30-32 NRSV
Something was different about this woman’s touch, and Jesus knew it.
When she touched Him, Jesus immediately felt power go out from Him. It gave her the healing she had been looking for the last twelve years of her life.
In that moment, every failure and disappointment in her life came in contact with the goodness of God!
What made her touch different from everyone else who was pressing in on Jesus?
She believed wholeheartedly that if she touched the hem of His robe, it would not end in failure or disappointment, but that in fact, she would be made well. And her belief paid off.
Jesus felt power go out from Him. There was a surge. A transfer of divine power took place the moment she made contact. And it changed her life forever!
What happens when you run out of power?
If you’re anything like me, you probably have batteries around your home; Duracells, Energizers, 9 volts, AA’s, AAA’s, lithium batteries for all your electronic devices, toys and remotes.
Most of us need some kind of power supply to survive on this planet. The batteries we go through remind us we live from power source to power source.
Batteries are a great reminder that . . .
Without power things go dead. Without power we cease to live!
The woman who was suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years was slowly dying. Like a battery, her power supply was dwindling away. Every negative or bad experience in her health journey, every failure, every disappointment was slowing draining her life, until she came in contact with the goodness of God!
Another thing about batteries is that they generally have two terminals, positive and negative, through which power flows.
The lesson a good battery helps us to understand is that . . .
Without the experience of both positive and negative coming together, there is no transfer of life-giving power.
Before the foundation of the world, God knew we would need His goodness to touch the negative things we would ever experience in life; every failure and disappointment. Our sin would need His sacrifice and forgiveness. Our shame would need His love and mercy. Every regret would need and desire a second chance, a fresh start, a new beginning found only in Christ alone!
A life filled with failure and disappointment, without God’s goodness, is a life that is slowly dying and will only end in tragedy. And your life is not meant to end in tragedy.
Let me encourage you today:
God wants to touch your life! He wants to touch every hurt, every pain, every loss, every failure and every disappointment with His goodness.
† How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You; which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You in the sight of everyone!
Psalms 31:19
If you don’t know Jesus, follow Him today!
If you do know Him, deepen your faith by taking refuge in Him. Bring every hurt, every pain, every loss, every failure and every disappointment under His authority and dominion. As you reach to touch the hem of His robe in prayer, believe Him to touch your life with His goodness and mercy.
When we seek to make Jesus Christ, Lord over every area of our lives, we can expect Him in His goodness to touch every area of our lives with the life-giving power of His Holy Spirit!
Let me PRAY for you!
Lord Jesus, You are good and your mercy endures forever! In this moment, we bring every hurt, every pain, every loss, every failure and every disappointment before Your throne.
In your grace, bring them all under your authority and dominion. Let not our lives be shaped by our failures and disappointments alone, but rather by Your great goodness which You have stored up for those who fear You; which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You in the sight of everyone. In Your mighty name, we pray. Amen!