Jesus Heals the Woman with Blood Issue

What can we know about this woman from these passages?

• She was suffering from menstruating bleeding issue for 12 years.
• She had spent all she had to get cured. (Luke 8: 43 (KJV) – “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any.”)
• She did not give up in spite of suffering from 12 years. In Jesus, she saw hope of being healed.
• She was instantly healed. She felt and knew that she was healed.
• She made a public confession of her healing and faith in Jesus Christ.

Why did she not go directly to Jesus for healing?

• According to the Jewish law, man who touches a menstruating woman becomes ceremonially unclean. (Levi 15: 19-28) In that regard, she would have been ‘untouchable’ for 12 years.
• She might have feared that Jesus would avoid healing her.
• She did not doubt that Jesus had a power to heal her.
• The nature of her disease may also be the reason. In an eastern culture, women issues are never spoken of in public.
• Perhaps, past failures were in her mind. So, she decided to take more secretive way. If she did not get healed, no one would have known that she even tried.
• She thought to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Did Jesus know who touched him?

• It is unclear whether Jesus knew who touched him or not.  There are two opinions about it.
• First one says that Jesus knew who touched him. But he wanted her to come forward and profess her faith and healing. Jesus being God must know who touched him.
• The second opinion is that he really did not know who touched him. From his conversation with Peter, it seems likely that he knew that power had gone out from him, but not sure how. I believe that Jesus was not pretending there, He really did not know, and that does not affect him being God. There were other things, he did not know. (Mark 13:32 Jesus’ second coming).

Lost in the Crowd:

• Even when she was healed, she did not come forward immediately. She thought that she could go unnoticed, get lost in the crowd.
• But Jesus noticed, he felt that the power had gone out of him. And he was persistent to know who that person was.
• We all have a tendency to act in a way that we can go unnoticed; we can slip in the crowd. We do not want to profess it publicly. Often we hear that our faith is personal. Yes, it is a personal decision, but we also need to acknowledge it to others.
• In case of this woman, she came trembling at Jesus’ feet, but then she went on to tell everyone, ‘why’ she touched him and how she was instantly healed. (Notice that Jesus only asked ‘who’ touched him and not ‘why’!)

What was so significant about her action? What makes her faith so special?

• Unshakable: She had a single focus that if she touches his cloak, she will be healed. She did not let the circumstances or doubts shake her faith.
• Unbelievable: Her faith was truly unbelievable. She believed what was not there. But that is the very definition of faith. (Hebrew 11:1)
• Unreasonable: In some ways, it was unreasonable. One cannot reason it in itself. Only in the light of the object of faith, it makes sense.
• Faith at its core is a simple trust and belief in a person. It is a childlike faith that moves the mountain.
• Jesus wanted to instill this kind of faith in his disciples (who often failed to exercise such faith). He often rebuked them for being “of little faith”.
• Even after receiving the healing, she showed extraordinary courage to come forward and share everything in presence of all people.
• Jesus praised her for her amazing faith and blessed her; it was a powerful testimony of God’s power and faith of a person at work.
• Testimony of healing can have powerful impact on people, especially those who do not know Jesus.
• “One miracle is equivalent to one thousand sermons.” – Angus Buchan (Faith like Potatoes).

Life Applications and Reflections:

• Jesus knows us; he knows our personal struggles, weakness, sickness. We can hide it from others, but He notices us and seeks out for us.
• We need to respond to him, we must be willing to acknowledge Him in the presence of others. We must be willing to share with others.
• The extraordinary faith is a simple, unwavering, childlike faith in Him.
• Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
• Are you willing to put your trust in Him? You may be going through any physical, emotional, spiritual pain or sickness; He can heal you if you just believe in Him.
• “Where is your faith?”

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A Heart for God - Charles F. Stanley

A Heart for God

Charles F. Stanley

Scripture: Acts 13:16-23

I. Introduction: How would you like to be remembered? Saints such as Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, and Paul have inspired believers throughout the ages. Each of them, although imperfect, is an amazing example of what the Lord can do through hearts that are truly committed to Him. Do you want to be like them—a person who honors God wholeheartedly?

II. We have an excellent example to follow.
The Bible says that King David followed God with all his heart (Acts 13:22-23). At the core of everything he did was a desire to exalt the Lord. The Father wants our paths to be governed by His plans, our interests to be defined by His purposes, and our love to motivate us to obey Him without reservation. When we pursue God’s heart, we find life at its best and a legacy worth leaving to those who come after us.

III. How can we know if we are following God with all our heart?

A. The priority of our life is our personal relationship with the Lord.
A person after God’s heart makes his or her relationship with Him a top priority.David had an overwhelming love and respect for Scripture because it taught him how to draw closer to the Father (Ps. 119:15-16, 105). He often sought God in prayer for strength, wisdom, and the Father’s wonderful presence (Ps. 5:3, 63:6-8).

B. We place our trust in the Lord when facing trials and difficulties.
David trusted in God no matter what hardship he faced. While the rest of Israel’s warriors cowered before Goliath’s terrifying nine-foot frame, David was outraged by how the Philistine dishonored God’s name (1 Sam. 17:45-46). Throughout his life, he endured extraordinary challenges with great confidence that the Lord would help him. Because of David’s faith and leadership, Israel prospered in a manner unsurpassed to this day.

C. We have a strong, passionate desire to obey God.
As a man after God’s heart, David delighted in accomplishing the Lord’s will. His obedience wasn’t motivated by the fear of sin’s consequences. Rather, it was David’s trust and love for God that led him to submit wholly to the Lord. On two occasions, David had the opportunity to kill Saul and take the throne of Israel. Yet he preferred to be obedient to God than to be the king (1 Sam. 24:6).

D. We demonstrate a spirit of humility.
This future king also shows us that a person with a heart for God is humble. David had many reasons to be proud—he was a handsome man, a skilled musician, the Lord’s anointed ruler, a triumphant warrior, and a national hero. Yet in 2 Samuel 7:18, David said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?”

E. We demonstrate the spirit of a servant.
When he was young, David accepted his father’s authority and obediently tended sheep. As a worker in Saul’s household, David offered his very best to the king, including his musical talents and skills as a military leader. Finally, David served the people of Israel wholeheartedly as their king. In each instance, he was a dedicated, faithful servant of God.

IV. Conclusion: Do you desire to mirror God’s heart and to influence those around you for good? You would be wise to follow David’s example. Make your relationship with the Lord a top priority, and trust and obey Him in everything. When you succeed, remember that all you are and have is a gift from God. Then you will show the world that your heart belongs exclusively to Him.

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