One of the highlights of being female is dealing with monthly flows from puberty until menopause. Imagine if someone has to deal with the same flow for twelve years? That will be a challenging and unpleasant situation. But, that was a story of a woman in the Bible. The woman identified mainly as “the woman with the issue of blood” had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her (Luke 8:43). The physicians tried their best but the issue of blood persisted. Imagine the stress, frustration and anxiety this condition will bring upon the woman. In Leviticus (15:19), the Israelites were given regulations which include this, “When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening.” What about a woman with a flow of blood for twelve years? She will be rejected because no one wants to be unclean because of her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. (Luke 8:44) If she were married, her husband could have issued a certificate of divorce, her children would have avoided her and she was most likely declared unclean by society. Who will take this shame and ridicule away from her? Her daily cry would have been, “help me” and she would have practically avoided social gatherings so that she is not driven away from people. But, on that day, as Jesus was on his way to heal Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:42-44), the crowds almost crushed Jesus because there were so many people. In the midst of this, “a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.” Mark’s account adds extra details (Mark 5:27-29): when the woman heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. The woman trusted that a touch of Jesus’ cloak could heal her. No wonder she did not care about the crowds, the possibility of being crushed, the shame and rejection should people recognize her, the fear of being told by others that ‘you cannot get closer’. She gave her best approach to ensuring that she touched the cloak of Jesus and immediately her bleeding stopped. It was so sudden that she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. That must have been super exciting. What was Jesus’ reaction? Mark 5:30-34 records this: “At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” I believe there were other people in the crowd who had their own challenges, but this woman’s story is so significant because all odds were against her but she gathered courage and trusted that all she needs is a touch of Jesus’ cloak. She went back home as a healed woman. Her miracle changed her state from rejection to acceptance. I believe many in her community heard her testimony and believed in Jesus. The woman with the issue of blood left home dealing with an unusual sickness, but she touched the cloak of Jesus and was made whole. Today, I pray that any issue giving us sleeplessness will receive a touch of the Lord. Trust in Him for the life changing miracles. Say it with me; “Oh Lord, I trust you for my life changing miracles.”
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