TEXT: Mark 5:21-34

SUBJECT: Meeting the Lord #6: Woman with the Issue of Blood

Today's story takes place in Galilee, where our Lord did most of His early work. A man named Jairus approaches Him, seeking a favor. His daughter is gravely ill, but if the Lord would come and "lay [His] hands on her", she would "life". Great faith the man has--a faith born of desperation. The Lord agrees and off He goes, to raise the girl from her sick bed.

But on the way there, He is met by someone as desperate as the worried father. Her name we don't know, but we know what's wrong with her. She has an "issue of blood". It has ailed her for twelve years; she's spent everything she has on doctors, but instead of healing her, they only made her worse.

What to do? Turn to "The Great Physician". He is able to heal her, she believes--and willing too. The problem is, He's booked solid. He's on a house call at the moment; and other patients are hanging all over Him. Yet reach Him she must: "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well".

She sets her jaw and begins to push her way through the crowd. It's not easy; she climbs over some and crawls under others. At last she's got Him. Touching the hem of His garment, she is made well.

Our Lord knows someone touched Him; He wants to know who. The disciples think He's crazy: "You see the multitude thronging You and You say, "Who touched Me?" All kinds of people had touched Him, of course. But He doesn't mean it that way; He wants to know who touched Him in faith. At first, no one admits to it.

The woman is nervous. Has she misjudged her Man? Maybe He doesn't do "freebies". At last, she fesses up to what she has done. Is the Lord unhappy with her? Not at all. "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction".

She did. And she was. What the best doctors could not do with all their treatments, Jesus Christ does with a single touch.

That's the story. What does it mean? Two things should be said in passing.

The story proves that our Lord is the Promised Messiah. When He came--the prophets knew--He would "Take our infirmities and bear our sicknesses". He did just that. "Jesus, therefore, "is the Christ, the Son of God". Deep down, even the Pharisees knew that: "No man can do the miracles that You are doing, unless God is with Him".

The story also suggests that "meekness and quietness" are not the only traits God approves of in ladies. The sick woman is many things, but retiring is not one of them. In her we see boldness, too, courage and fortitude. You know, the Bible has a way of messing up our systems. No sooner do we create one, than along comes a verse to ruin it! The godly woman, everyone knows, stays home. Yet the lady in Proverbs sells real estate. The pious sister keeps quiet in public. Yet the first person to speak up for Christ is Anna. Should sisters-in-Christ be "meek and quiet"? Of course they should. But not only that. It is "for freedom that Christ has made them free". We should respect His will.

These are true doctrines, of course; and needful lessons. But neither is Mark's "big idea". What is it? This: Faith in Christ brings a blessing. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record these event. And each ends with the same punchline: "Your faith has made you well".

Faith in Christ brought this lady physical healing. And not her alone. It did the same for the blind, for lepers, for the lame, the deaf, and many others. Our Lord went about "doing good" said Peter, "and healing all who were oppressed by the devil". Often, the healing came in response to faith.

This was not true of our Lord only, but of the Apostles too. At Lystra, Paul spied a crippled man who "had faith to be healed". And he was healed.

Is this healing limited to the Apostolic Age? James 5:15 seems to imply it isn't. "The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up".

Some people are nervous about this, but stupidly so. Haven't you been sick? Didn't you pray for healing? Didn't God heal you in answer to prayer? That is "faith healing".

Our Lord does not promise to heal everyone who prays in faith. Paul did...and didn't get it. This doesn't mean he had no faith or that his prayer wasn't heard. Our Lord did hear Him and gave him something better than good health: "My grace is sufficient for you".

Faith in Christ is submissive to Christ. We pray for healing, but humbly: "Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done".

Healing is not promised to everyone who asks in faith. But some things are, the best of which is "justification". To "justify" means "to declare righteous". It refers to the act of God wherein He pardons our sin and imputes the righteousness of Christ to our accounts.

How is the blessing obtained? Not through good works, deep contrition, or agonizing prayers; not through Bible reading, church going or speaking in tongues. Justification is by grace alone, in Christ alone...and through faith alone!

This means: If you believe in Christ, you can be saved right now. Before you "Pray the sinner's prayer" or do anything at all for God.

It also means: If you believe in Christ, you can know that you are saved. The lack of assurance is a big problem among God's people; I talk to many who struggle with it. "Why don't you think you're saved?" I ask. Nearly everyone says something like this: "I do too many bad things or not enough good things". I reply: "How many bad things can you do and still be saved?" Or, "How many good things must you do to be saved?" The answer is always the same: "Huh?" They don't know; of course they don't know. They can't know!

For justification is not by the number of good works done or bad works not done. "The just shall live by faith". If you believe in Jesus Christ, sincerely believe in Him, you can know that you are saved. You must know it. "Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life".

Thus, the forgiveness of sin and acceptance with God can be had--right now--to everyone who believes in Christ.

If we become Christians by faith, how do you suppose we live the Christian life? Paul knows, Galatians 2:20. We pursue holiness in faith. We mortify our sins in faith. We study in faith. We pray in faith. We love in faith. We witness in faith. We grow old in faith. We die in faith.

Sanctification is not self-help. It is living by faith in Christ. When we do, we won't be disappointed. The Lord who healed the woman's body will heal our souls. And in the same way: By faith. "Lord I believe; help Thou my unbelief".

Why does faith achieve these results? There is nothing powerful in the faith itself. The power is in the object of faith. If "faith" healed the sick woman, she could have exercised it in the comfort of her own home. But her faith did not heal her; Christ healed her. "He felt power had gone out of Him". The healing virtue was His. She but received it through faith.

In the same way, we don't save ourselves by our faith, for faith is not the Savior. Our Lord is the Savior. He saves us through faith as we "empty vessels" receive "His fullness".

Living in faith, therefore, is confident living and joyful living because it is living in Christ. And "In Him we are complete".