Faith on the Fringe

Yesterday I was reading the Bible and came across an extremely powerful story about a sick woman who had great faith in Jesus. When I read the story, it really hit home for me. I've heard this story many times but yesterday God used it to speak to me deeply. I've been praying every day for God's phyical healing for three people-- one of which I will never know if they've been healed or not (see my post God is Love).

It has been an interesting season focusing on this marvelous aspect of God; that He is our Healer. He heals all parts of an individual: the body, mind, and spirit. He is in all things and is above all things. And while I pray all of the time for His healing of these areas for people I care about I know that His will is going to be done; He is in control.

I will admit that just by knowing Him it still doesn't mean I struggle with my faith. It's frustrating to read His truths and have felt His love... yet still struggle.

Therefore, I do not feel like it was a coincidence that I read this story when I did. God needed to reassure me of His great power and to never doubt Him...

If you aren't familiar with this story or are, I think it is important to give the context: Jesus was asked by a leader of the local synagogue to come and heal his twelve year old daughter who was dying. Jesus went with the man to the home where the deathly ill daughter was resting-- as a result, a huge crowd followed Him. As Jesus and the huge crowd (that "thronged" behind Him) were walking to the home a wonderful miracle occurred.

Mark 5:25-29: And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors through the years and has spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she was worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched the fringe of His robe. For she thought to herself, "If I can just touch His clothing, I will be healed." Immediately, the bleeding stopped, and she could feel that she had been healed!

Isn't that amazing? This woman was so desperate for healing and believed that Jesus was the true Healer. She didn't ask for anything or wait until she could feel His hands... all she wanted was the fringe of His robe. That is faith without a doubt. That is the kind of faith I want to have.

I also love how in this story it says, "Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from Him..." (Mark 5:30). All because that woman touched the fringe of His robe. The word fringe is synonymous with edge, border, skirt and rim. All she did was BARELY touch a piece of Jesus and received all of that healing power.

That same power healed the little girl, in the story, who had passed away before Jesus got to the home. Interestingly, she was twelve years old. For every year of that little girl's life that woman bled. Can you imagine? And Jesus healed them both. And I should note, they were immediately healed. Pain was gone in an instant.

This whole story makes me view God's healing powers in a whole new light. It also shows me the power of faith in Him. My prayer is that I will cling on to the fringe too...

_________

*I do not know who painted that beautiful scene of the woman touching Jesus' clothes. If I did I would properly give them credit. I found this picture on a Google search.