Yesterday morning I was thinking about the woman who was healed by touching Jesus’ robe (see Luke 8:40-47; Matt 9:18-26; or Mark 5:22-43). This is such an interesting story and one that obviously is significant as it is found in all three of the synoptic Gospels. I have reflected on this story several times through the years, and everytime I spend some time thinking about it I see another facet. Yesterday the thing that caught my attention was how this woman’s faith ended up causing a whole faith movement.
Here is the account found in Matthew’s Gospel - Matthew 9:20-22 NIV:
[20] “Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. [21] She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
[22] Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.”
The other two accounts take a bit more time with this miracle, but the facts are quite simple, this woman touched just His cloak and was healed. Previously people tried to touch Jesus (see Luke 6:19), but this woman only touched His cloak. There are religious reasons she didn’t want to touch him, as it would have made Jesus ceremonially unclean, but it is my conjecture that this instance became well known and now people just wanted to touch Jesus’ garments.
Matthew later adds the following note - Matthew 14:34-36 NIrV:
[34] “They crossed over the lake and landed at Gennesaret. [35] The men who lived there recognized Jesus. So they sent a message all over the nearby countryside. People brought all those who were sick to Jesus. [36] They begged him to let those who were sick just touch the edge of his clothes. And all who touched his clothes were healed.”
Later in Acts when Paul visits Ephesus, we find an expansion of this principle in that just Paul’s handkerchief was needed to bring healing to a person - Acts 19:11-12 NIV:
[11] “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, [12] so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.”
It is so interesting to me how a simple act or story can spur faith in people and this can result in their healing. One could say that the testimony of this woman’s healing spurred a whole new ministry model for healing. Two ministries that I follow to some extent see similar things, not so much with cloth or clothes but in the releasing of testimonies that then result in similar healings. In the ministries of Bethel Redding (I'll Johnson) and Global Awakening (Randy Clark) they have countless cases where they have seen people healed just by listening to someone’s testimony, and I think we see a similar thing here, where people heard about the woman, took the step of faith and were healed when they touched Jesus clothes, or Paul’s apron or handkerchief.
God is so amazing in how He will bless and release healing just through the hearing of a story or testimony, often for very similar situations or circumstances. It seems that the Lord has no issue with “Copycat” faith, and is happy to bless and heal people through similar acts of faith.
The thing that really got me thinking was how this relates to the healing ministry of Jesus, and how it seemed He never healed the same condition the same way twice. Clearly Jesus ministered to each individual uniquely, but if we study His healing of blind people, it seemed that He used a different technique every time. We might relate this to His unique approach to each person, but I also think He was making sure His followers understood that they needed to constantly turn to the Father for specific direction, not just do the same thing every time, for then their faith would be in the act, not in the Father’s ability to heal!
This individualistic approach seems opposite of the healing of the woman who touched His cloak, and the following impact on their ministry model. This is where we must understand that God is bigger than our logic, than the way we think He should act! He is God and He does what He wants to do, or as the Psalmist says - Psalm 115:3 NIV: “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.”
This morning I am encouraged that God is God, that He loves to heal His people, and He will not be limited by what makes sense to us! He can heal through a hanky, through an apron, through a testimony, whatever He wants to do! I am grateful that He is constantly moving and constantly interacting with us in new and unique ways!
I am encouraged that He wants us to expect Him to move and do the miraculous, even in our very midst! Let us speak of His wonders, of our interactions with God that others might hear and believe, and be healed!
Amen and Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment