Ninety-Nine And A Half Won’t Do! Part 9 – Even If I Have To Get Dirty

42 For he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As [Jesus] went, the people pressed together around Him [almost suffocating Him].
43 And a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed by anyone,
44 Came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood ceased.
45 And Jesus said, Who is it who touched Me? When all were denying it, Peter and those who were with him said, Master, the multitudes surround You and press You on every side!
46 But Jesus said, Someone did touch Me; for I perceived that [healing] power has gone forth from Me.
47 And when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling, and, falling down before Him, she declared in the presence of all the people for what reason she had touched Him and how she had been instantly cured.
48 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your confidence and trust in Me) has made you well! Go (enter) into peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being).

Luke 8:42-48 AMPC

The text above involves another often talked about miracle performed by Jesus, but equally misunderstood for its true implications and applicability to our lives. To fully understand the magnitude of this text, we must re-visit the Levitical law that dictated how the people in the passage, to include Jesus conducted their lives in regards to women who were actively bleeding, or were cleansing from previously bleeding/discharging:

• 19 And if a woman has a discharge, her [regular] discharge of blood of her body, she shall be in her impurity or separation for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.
• 20 And everything that she lies on in her separation shall be unclean; everything also that she sits on shall be unclean.
• 21 And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening.
• 22 Whoever touches anything she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening.
• 23 And if her flow has stained her bed or anything on which she sat, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening.
• 24 And if any man lie with her and her impurity be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.
• 25 And if a woman has an issue of blood for many days, not during the time of her separation, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her [regular] impurity, all the days of the issue of her uncleanness she shall be as in the days of her impurity; she shall be unclean. [Matt. 9:20.]
• 26 Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be as the bed of her impurity, and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as in her impurity.
• 27 And whoever touches those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening.

Above are the statutes and ordinances as laid out in the Levitical law that conducted how Jewish women and men were to operate when living with these issues, and when coming into contact with people with these issues. We don’t learn what caused this woman’s condition, which doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but we’re introduced to her in a very pivotal moment in her life. This woman was operating at 99.5%. I know that many of you would say that is rather high, and unlikely given her circumstance, but hear me out. She had been living with this condition for 12 years, she understood the Levitical law and its requirements, she had most likely adopted a way of life that she had grown accustomed to with not being allowed in the synagogue, living outside the village, announcing herself and status whenever she came near people, and most likely the lack of companionship. We can become comfortable living dysfunctional. We can become comfortable and/or safe living within the box that people place, and confine us to. She had most likely become known to her community and nearby communities for her condition, and had possibly become content with her condition, believing that it was her burden to carry for the duration of her life. Much like many people today who struggle with different sins and have been relegated to the fringe of church communities, or even put out because other believers chose condemnation over compassion, or abandonment over discipleship; I believe the woman in the passage above had possibly lost hope until she heard of a new teacher who was healing people of all types of issues using touch, or word. I believe that she’d heard of a new teacher who rebuked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Mosaic law, and even spoke of a new covenant that was being introduced that was available to anyone who believed. I believe it was this that caused the woman to go against the law and walk amongst the crowd that was following Jesus in hopes of receiving or witnessing a miracle, without announcing her presence and condition. Allow me to paint a picture that I believe occurred in that moment. I believe the woman saw the crowd as it was following Jesus and people were pressing closer to him in hopes of being touched and delivered from their sin. I believe that she thought she may never be able to overpower the group to get close to Jesus. It was faith mixed with desperation that I believe allowed her to drop down to the ground and crawl towards Jesus, believing that she could be healed simply by touching the fringe of his robe. Previously I’ve written about the faith that she expressed by believing that she would be healed if she touched what was touching him. This time I want to show how she went from 99.5 to 100. The woman was willing to lose sight of Jesus for a moment, in order to draw near to him. Think about that. In a crowd of people, most people would prioritize establishing and maintaining a clear line of sight on whomever they are watching or intending to reach. This woman goes against logic and instead chooses to let go of seeing Jesus, to focus on his voice in an effort to draw near to him. This woman was able to overcome the resistance and opposition of the crowd, and not be deterred by what she saw, to instead focus on, and be lead by the voice of Jesus to be set free. Earlier I mentioned people being removed from the community and condemned by others in the body of Christ. This passage is a template for some to return to Jesus, not by taking your eyes off of Christ, but rather, to not be discouraged or defeated by the optics of a path to Jesus, and instead to focus on tuning our ear to his voice which leads us to him and in the way of the path that he has set for us. I believe it was because of the life that she had to live prior to encountering Jesus that enabled her to reach Jesus in spite of the circumstances, and maintain a level of faith that allowed her to receive a miracle even after the obstacles she’d faced on the route. The road from 99.5 to 100 in this parable is two-fold; can you overcome the crowd to reach Jesus, and can your faith survive the journey.

Reflection Time

Do you find it hard to press towards Jesus when life is hard? How do you feel that the crowd, or your community view you? How do you view yourself; are you a child of God, or are you identified by your struggles? Spend some time sitting with God, reading his word, listening to praise and worship music, and praying. Limit the voices in your ears, and what you focus your attention, and develop some unwavering faith like the woman in the passage.