Sometimes, chronic illness can feel all-consuming. It often touches every aspect of your life—what you do, where you go, what you eat, and everything in between. If the illness progresses, it can leave you feeling like you don’t even know who you are anymore. I can’t help but think that the unnamed woman of Mark 5 must have been familiar with these feelings.
The Weight of the Journey
For twelve years, this woman suffered. No doubt she was left exhausted and debilitated. She chased after diagnoses and cures to no avail—a struggle that I, and many others, can deeply relate to. It is the cycle of seeing doctor after doctor with no answers, often trying new treatments that only make things worse.As if her physical condition weren’t enough, the culture around her defined her by her illness. She was ostracized and deemed “unclean,” unable to attend the temple or even touch other people. How lonely she must have felt.
A Life-Changing Encounter
After years of disappointment, she heard of a Rabbi who was able to heal the sick. Hope must have flooded her at the chance to be healthy and whole. She gathered her courage and went to try one last time to find a cure.Her encounter with Jesus provided much more than just physical healing. When she reached out and touched the hem of His garment, she was instantly healed. Jesus could have kept walking, but He didn’t. He stopped and asked who touched Him. He already knew the answer, but He wanted her to step out in faith and courage. He wanted to meet her on a personal level.I believe Jesus wants this for each one of us: to meet us where we are. He invites us to step out in faith and declare our need for Him so He can fully work in our lives.
Redefined as a Daughter
Jesus did not only call her out; He redefined her when He called her “daughter”. For a woman who had been defined as defiled and unworthy, this must have profoundly changed how she saw herself. She was no longer “the sick woman”—she was the daughter of the living God.I believe Jesus wants to do this for all of us (John 10:3). He knows and calls us personally, defining us as His children (1 John 3:1). Even when I feel defined by my illness or by what I *can’t* do, it is amazing that the God of the universe defines me as whole and complete. He looks at us with love, seeing who we are in Christ rather than our brokenness.
Final Thoughts
We are not defined by our illness, our lack of ability, or our means. We are not defined by our past or our failures. We are defined by a God who loves us and calls us to a higher life—to walk worthily of our calling as children of the living God (Colossians 1:10)
More Of Jesus Please 