Brave Women in the Bible, The Woman With the Hemorrhage for 12 years

She doesn’t have a name but she was very brave and full of faith. This women mentioned in both Matthew and Luke Gospels overcame unbelievable odds to be healed by Jesus. The story begins when Jarius a synagogue official approaches Jesus and askes him to come to his home and heal his dying daughter, (Luke chapter 8:40-49) Jesus agrees to go with him. Luke describes a crowd of people followed Jesus and in the crowd a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel of his outer robe. Jesus, feeling his power of healing leave him, said “Who touched Me?” While the crowd was denying it Peter said, “Master the people are crowding and pushing against you!” When the woman saw she had not escaped Jesus noticing her she came before him trembling and told him why she touched him. Jesus replied “Daughter, your faith (your personal trust and confidence in me) has made you well. Go in peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being.)” (Luke 8:48AMP).

It isn’t as simple as it sounds. She didn’t just happen to be in the crowd. This women was suffering and she had a plan. First of all it says in both accounts that she had been hemorrhaging for 12 years. There are many things that could have caused this but Luke said she had spent all her money on physicians and could not be healed. This was bad in the Jewish culture. As long as she was hemorrhaging she was considered unclean. That meant according to the laws found in Leviticus chapter 12 she had to stay outside the “camp” could not enter the synagogue to worship. She should yell unclean when anyone approached her because if they touched her they would become unclean and would have to perform other rituals to be “clean” again. She definitely was not supposed to be in a crowd.  So we have to assume she was there intentionally to see Jesus and be healed.

Its also interesting where she touched him. She touched the tassel on his outer robe. Jewish men wore outer robes with tassels on each corner and there was a blue thread that ran through the tassel. This thread was there to remind the wearer of the commandments of God and represent the wearer’s “Holiness.” (Numbers 15:38-40) Being unclean the woman could not be holy. She touched the “Holiness” of Jesus and became clean. Now don’t mistake me Jesus healed her not the tassel. But I think the tassel is a good representation of how Jesus heals.

This woman bravely broke the Jewish cultural rules in order to get to Jesus to receive her healing. Jesus instead of reprimanding her for not following the old laws instead rewarded her not only with healing but also by praising the faith she had in him.

He had many reasons to be upset at her, to reprimand her. She had broken old testament law and social laws. She had surprised him. She had interrupted him on his way to heal Jarius’s daughter. But Jesus showed her love. He wasn’t upset or angry or frustrated that it was taking longer to get to his destination. He just loved on her.

I have personally struggled a lot with healing. The healing of my back and nerve damage has been a slow painful process. It will be 3 years next month since I ruptured my S5 disk. A week ago I fell and broke my right kneecap. Same leg as the nerve damage in my foot. I feel like I just took a huge step backwards in my healing process. My back is sore from the fall, my nerve pain is a little more intense than normal, its been deflating to say the least. There have been many times on this journey I’ve told myself. If I knew Jesus was walking around a city in USA I’d spend any amount of money to get to him to touch the tassel on his outer robe. And its only been 3 years, I can’t imagine how I’ll feel in 12. But Jesus continues to show me his love, he continues to heal me, slowly. I know he is always with me and is more familiar with pain than I am.

If you need healed of something today, don’t give up on your healing. Have faith. Press into that faith. Whether your sick with Covid 19, cancer, parkinsons, depression, anxiety or a broken knee cap Jesus can and will heal you. If you’re in need of healing I’d like to pray for you today.

Dear Sweet Jesus,

I pray for your divine touch on the life of my friend. I pray for your healing over their body, mind and spirit. I believe that you died on the cross to save me from my sins. I confess that you are Lord of all. I believe that I am healed by your stripes and covered in your blood. Thank you for your healing, your touch and your wisdom. Please lead my friend into my next steps to receive healing whether that be divinely though you or though the capable hands of many medical friends and their wisdom. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.