Devotions
Rev Gav
Clean
Luke 8.43-48
A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.
"Who touched me?" Jesus asked.
Everyone denied it, and Peter said, "Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you."
But Jesus said, "Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me." When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
Reflect
This story in Luke’s gospel is a story within a story. Jesus was on his way to visit the house of Jairus because Jairus’ daughter, aged 12, was dying. On the way, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, touched his cloak, and was instantly healed. Jesus stopped in his tracks and asked who had touched him. The woman was too scared to come forward, but knowing she was going to be found out, eventually admitted that it was her. Jesus then spoke to her these comforting and reassuring words, “Daughter, go in peace, your faith has made you well.”
Before we go on, it is probably worth noting that Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old and that the woman had been bleeding for twelce years. It seems that Luke includes this specific detail for a reason, in the same way that, for example, Jesus chose twelve disciples because there were twelve tribes of Israel. We know that there is often other symbolism behind the miracles of Jesus — that these miracles are a sign of something bigger, and in this case, I wonder if the twelve years signifies God’s healing of the twelve tribes of Israel — the whole Jewish nation? Anyway, back to the story.
Like me, you might be wondering why the woman was afraid to come forward? The reason was because she had committed a religious crime. In a culture before the invention of disinfectants and soap, there were a whole heap of purity laws that helped maintain public health. Touching a corpse or someone with internal bleeding made you ‘unclean’, therefore when this woman touched Jesus, according to the law, she was making Jesus unclean. The poor woman was anxious and worried that she would be reprimanded for what she had done, and this made Jesus’ words to her even more powerful. He stopped and insisted that she came forward, not to berate her but to look into her eyes, reassure her, and show her that she was loved. Jesus had, once again, crossed social and religious boundaries to help transform a life.
Like the woman in the story, some people — despite being desperate for a touch from God — do not feel worthy to approach God. Some feel that they need to be ‘clean’ before they can approach God, that somehow God will not accept them until they get their act together, however, nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is the one who makes us clean!
Our culture is different to that of the woman that approached Jesus. Today, our bodies do not make us ‘unclean’, but you will probably still be in a place of uncleanliness. I do not mean that you will not have washed, although that might also be true! I mean that you will have stuffed up or messed up. You will have thought, said, or done things that make you ‘unclean’. No, you are not worthy to come to God and you never will be! But… that is why Jesus came to you! When you do approach God, you will find acceptance, compassion, and love. Like the woman in our story, God will look into your eyes, reassure you, and show you that you are loved.
Today, spend a moment trusting in God and welcoming God’s presence in your life.
Think
Why was it important for the woman to know that it was her faith that had made her well?
Photo by Aurélia Dubois on Unsplash
Pray
Holy God
You know me inside out
and you know me
better than I know myself.
Forgive my mess ups
and the times I have
turned away from you.
I want you to be at
the centre of my life
and so I reach out to you.
This day and for ever.
and then