If Only…

Luke 8:43  A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure.

Don’t get me started on doctors! I’ve been to all kinds of them. I’ve seen serious physicians, who have an office and everything. I’ve been looked at by healers who could fix me if I had enough money. I even went to one guy who killed a bird and scattered its blood all over my feet. Weird, since it’s not my feet that are messed up.

For twelve long years I have been dealing with this constant bleeding. Nothing stops it, nothing. I try my best to hide my condition because people will start shouting “Unclean, the woman is unclean!” It is humiliating. It’s not my fault! So I keep moving from town to town, hoping to find a cure, or at least find a place where they will accept me.

I heard about this guy named Jesus, who supposedly can heal. There are rumors that he even raised someone from the dead. If that is true, maybe he can help me. I don’t know, though, I have been disappointed so many times.

I heard the crowd before I saw it. It must be Jesus; nobody gets that excited about anything around here. Then I saw him. He was walking through the crowd, and people were pressing all around him. If the crowd wasn’t following him, I’m not sure you would think anything about him.

Then I saw his face. Something about his eyes told me everything I need to know. I started pressing through the crowd, pushing people out of the way. I had to get to him! There was no way to stop him, the crowd said he was going to heal a Jewish leader's daughter. No way I can stop him from that mission. If only I could just touch his robe… No, that’s silly! What can a robe do? Surely, he’s not that special.

In desperation, I reached forward and touched the fringe of his robe… Right away, two things happened: the bleeding and Jesus both stopped at the same time.

Jesus looked into the crowd, “Who touched me? I felt power go out of me.” See, I messed up again. He knows I am unclean, and he is going to be really upset at me. I couldn’t deny it, so I fell to my knees and whispered through my sobbing, “It was me, Lord, I am the one…”

He looked right at me and said tenderly, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Today’s Readings: Ezra 2,3; Luke 8

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