Blood Test - The Woman With A Bleeding Problem - The One Year Women in Christian History Devotional

Mark 5:24-34

Cramps. Bloating. Backaches. Headaches. Irritability. Bleeding. Once a month, most women experience these symptoms to varying degrees, and none of them ever look forward to it. Imagine experiencing them every day for twelve years without relief, no matter how many doctors you saw or remedies you tried.

It would be awful, but people would probably be sympathetic and treat you kindly. During Jesus’ time, however, Jewish law considered anyone who was menstruating to be unclean, and anyone who touched a woman during that time would become unclean too.

The Gospels tell the story of a woman who touched Jesus in a crowd, believing she would be healed from twelve years of bleeding and suffering. The Bible does not name her, but later church traditions call her Veronica. For twelve years, she probably had been told not to touch anyone or let anyone touch her. Culturally, she would make Jesus unclean by touching him. Despite that, this woman said to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed” (Mark 5:28). She was right.

In a crowd where many people were bumping up against Jesus, she not only took the chance of contaminating Jesus when she touched him, but she also took the chance of contaminating others if they accidentally bumped up against her.

Jesus told this woman that her faith had healed her—and nowadays she’s usually held up as an example of faith. Her faith is impressive, but so is her courage. She had the courage to risk going against what was culturally acceptable in order to seek after Jesus. She put aside her fear of what other people of faith would say about her, or do to her, because of what they thought she was doing wrong. She knew she needed Jesus and did what she had to do to get to him.

Sometimes you need to do the same. Have the courage to put aside what others are saying so that you can get to Jesus. Flout convention. Break some rules. But have a real experience with Jesus where you can lay your needs before him and let his healing energy flow.

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

Deuteronomy 31:6