Bleeding but Reaching
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Luke 8:42-48
Can you see her standing there? Can you see the woman standing off to the side…a place she had been subjected to due to her physical condition? She would have been considered “unclean” during her time and because of this label, she was not to touch or be touched by anyone. How lonely she must have felt…how broken…how unworthy… that is until he came into view.
We all, at some point this side of heaven, have stood where she stood. Some are standing there now. Some of you reading this don’t have to picture her standing there because you are wearing her sandals. You don’t have to imagine how she felt, because you already feel the weighted cloak of pain on your shoulders, with the sting of a label on your back.
Scripture says that no one had been able to heal this bleeding woman, no doubt she had heard this cold reminder time and time again as she was rejected by her community. And yet, this brave soul took one look at her Savior and reached for him. How did Jesus respond? He called her “daughter.” He didn’t say “woman” or even call her by name…Jesus called what the world rejected, “daughter.”
For 200 weeks we have been reaching for more of Jesus, reaching for more of his perfect peace, his tender grace, reaching for more of his unconditional love. And just as it took courage for the woman to push past the crowds, push past the lies, push past the shame… it takes courage to reach today.
Is there something you need to move past so you can reach him?
It may not be physical bodies standing between you and the robes of Jesus, it may be shame, or any number of lies this world has you believing about yourself.
What the world called unclean, Jesus called daughter.
Darkness would love for you to forget this detail in the story…please don’t.
If you feel rejected — reach.
If you feel unworthy — reach.
If you feel unloveable — reach.
If you feel broken — reach.
The world will give you reasons to not reach for Jesus and then it will give you so much to reach for instead of Jesus. Don’t fall prey to this scheme. Recognize your need for a Savior and then reach for him only.
In closing out the 200th Reach, I thought it would be neat to quote some of the final words from the first Reach:
What do we reach for? It’s such an important question.
No matter the circumstances of our life—wisdom reaches for His robe. That wisdom-reach speaks of our faith and His ability, our need and His healing, our surrender and His saving. The arrogant do not reach. Neither do the pride-filled nor the bitter. The broken reach. The ones who realize they are “bleeding” reach. Then what?
After He heals what bleeds inside us, are we finished reaching? Or are we wise enough to realize we want more of what HE gives. We do not know what the healed woman did next in her life. Did she do MORE because she had been given MORE?
May we remember to reach for Jesus, not only in our current circumstance — but as we wake and fill our lungs with the God-given, God-breathed air. May we rise and reach for him for he is our Lord; apart from which we have no good thing. Psalm 16:2
Thank you for tuning into this week’s Reach and if you have a moment, please check out this short clip from The Chosen series. I hope it blesses you as much as it did me.
