Matthew 9:21-22: She said to herself, “If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
Hi friend. This story holds a special place in my heart. It’s about a woman who, due to a medical condition, faced continuous bleeding for 12 long years. In her culture, this meant being labeled as unclean. She was treated as unworthy. She was cast aside as sinful. This story, wrapped in grace and mercy, reveals a God who invites her in, sees her, and calls her his own.
One of my favorite things about this passage is in verse 22: “Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said.” Don’t miss that, Jesus turned to look. He could have kept going but instead, he paused, he turned, and he saw. Pause for a moment: when is the last time you let him see you? And to call someone, one labeled unworthy of being called anyone’s friend, a daughter?? This is the Jesus I know: One who calls out our identity. One who is never to busy to see us. To truly see us. And my friend, I can promise you that when we are his daughters and we look at our father, oh does he delight in what he sees.
And my friend, I can promise you that when we are his daughters and we look at our father, oh does he delight in what he sees.
What does it look like to step out into this kind of faith? For us to say: “Jesus, make me well!” Let’s start with this. I can’t imagine this woman’s determination. She was pushing through the crowd edging her out as the world had done for so long. She doesn’t let the hate-filled comments or death-staring looks because of her disease stop her. She knows the power of Jesus. She presses on. Woah, do I want this kind of determination to get to the father. To stop letting the fears, the demands, and the laundry list of to do’s get in the way of me being near enough to touch his robe. How does this play into your story?
Let’s consider how long she waited to see him. I don’t know if it was a last minute leap of faith. Perhaps it was a long-planned journey to meet him after hearing all of the miracles taking place around her. What I do know is that she was filled with faith. The lies of the enemy did not stop her. The comments from her community did not either. Neither did her possible flawed perception of herself, after being told for 12 years that she was unclean. She didn’t stop and say she was unworthy. She didn’t stop and say she was unclean. She didn’t stop and say she was unable. She went towards the King. What does this look like in your story? Maybe things take one big leap of faith, and as Jesus did for this woman, healing takes but a moment. But maybe, more often than not, it requires preparation and a long-planned journey fueled by hope. It may ask you to travel a hard road to get to a place of being made well. We journey through the pain of the past and work through the heartache of forgiveness. We might even sit in quiet desperation, waiting for him to act. But the entire time, even here, do we know that we are walking towards healing and towards our King? Is that enough to propel you forward? Do you know the Savior well enough that you can let him sustain you? (Checkout Hallelujah Even Here by Lydia Laird and Amen by Rita Springer). The timing can be so painful, but healing is there in his right timing.
It is also worth considering that this woman knew in her soul that Jesus would make her clean. She believed that the power emanating from him was enough. We don’t know if she knew his heart, but she knew his power. Today, we know he is Savior. We know he is Lord. And we have an entire book (the Bible) telling us about his heart! His heart, my friend, is for healing. His heart, beloved, is for redemption. His soul, beautiful soul, is for wholeness.
Take a moment to sit with her testimony. Who is the Father to you? Who do you say he is? Will we answer, “You are Lord” full of faith as Peter did? And if we speak it with our mouths, do we also speak it with our actions? Do our lives reflect something worthy to offer our King? Does it say, “You alone reign above it all?”
What do you know about his heart? Have you asked him who he is? Do you know him to be kind? Loving? Gentle? Strong? Fierce? Can you sit at the feet of Jesus as Mary did, instead of running to do the next “Godly” assignment or “responsible” thing? Do you trust in him to be who he says he is and even sit beside him as a friend? Please hear me, these questions aren’t meant for any part in shame! I am not “there” when it comes to these questions. But for us to be willing to ask them, to be willing to open that space in our hearts for exploration, that my friend is healing.
Arguably the biggest blessing of all as children of God is that we get to know the heart of our father. Let me tell you, it is wonderful. I know his heart to be kind. I know his heart to pour out redeeming love. I hear the small voice whispering through the noise. Do I do it perfectly? Absolutely not: no way no how. But thank the Lord that it does not rest upon my shoulders for him to be the father, friend, savior, and healer that I know him to be. It all rests upon him and his perfect faithfulness. The only thing I have to do is approach him.
Absolutely there are obstacles in our way: the enemy lurks, the community’s voices speak loudly, and our own perceptions can hold fast our doubts. It’s a good thing our God is near. He is near to the brokenhearted, those striving to be enough, and those simply wandering around without the soul-satisfying feeling of being known. Our God is ready to turn and call you daughter. He is ready and eager to see you. But you have to let him. Whether you are journeying on a long road or get the immediate answer you were looking for, never has there been a more worthwhile path to healing. No amount of podcasts, to do’s, sermons, or numbing can do what he can do. Wherever you are on this journey of being made well, listen. Our God invites you as you are and is here to make you well. You can accept his hand and walk with him. You can push past the crowd, full of determination, and touch his robe. Even more so, you can cry at his feet, lean on his arm, and let him guide you into the next step of your journey. Oh how is he ready to see you and call you his beautiful daughter.