A Pause to Ponder God's Word
"There is Jesus"

She is left unnamed in the account. We know little about her. A woman who had suffered for twelve years from bleeding. She had spent everything in her attempts to be freed from this infirmity, but to no avail. Luke, the physician, in his gospel chapter 8 bluntly states the fact that "no one could heal her." (verse 43) Though Luke does not specifically mention it, we also know that she was a social outcast for such an infirmity made her unclean. She was alone and helpless.

The story does not end here. Jesus came to her town. As He walked down the roadway the crowds pressed in about Him. Hope welled up in the woman when she saw Jesus. With tenacious faith the woman made her way through the crowd. No easy task for an outcast who is weakened from losing blood. She believed that if she could just touch Jesus she could be healed. She got close enough to Jesus to reach out and touch the hem of His coat. She did not want to bother Him. She was a penniless outcast wanting only to be made well. She reached out and touched His coat and instantly she was healed.

She attempted to slip away unnoticed, but this would not happen. Jesus stopped. Look around and inquired about who had touched Him. The others did not understand His question, for in such a crowd Jesus had been touched many times by many people. The woman understood. She realized that "she could not go unnoticed." She answered His question by falling before Him trembling, with delight and fear. She told Him what she had done. Jesus' response to her went well beyond the infirmity. He spoke wholeness and restoration. He addressed her as, "daughter" and gave her His peace.

Luke takes great care in detailing his account of this miracle. He carefully points out that the woman had spent everything and that no one could help her. As we read this miracle account we recognize ourselves in this woman, for this is how we all stand before Christ. We come having spent and accumulated things attempting to find a sense of wholeness, only to be left empty. We seek out people to help us, but there are none. We are helpless in our sin and hopelessly lost. We are spent emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

When all is spent, there is Jesus. When no one can help, there is Jesus. When we think we are unnoticed, Jesus notices. He alone has the power to heal and make whole. He is ready to speak wholeness and newness to anyone who comes to Him. He promises not to turn away anyone who comes to Him. He is ready to make us His own. Jesus has come to us in our plight, even as He did for this woman. We, like her, need only to reach out and touch Jesus by faith to be made new in Him.

Let us with tenacious faith, reach out and grab a hold of Jesus as He passes by us. Let us then forsake all and follow, walking in His Light and Life!

Keep Close To Jesus
Pastor Gerry


A Pause To Ponder God's Word is written and distributed by Gerald Whetstone, Ordained Elder and teacher in the Church of the Nazarene. These devotionals may be transmitted, duplicated, used in part or in entirety without permission for nonprofit purposes only. Responses welcome. To Subscribe Click Here.
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