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Be Encouraged
Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
(Matthew 9:22; see also: Mark 5:34, Luke 8:48)
Fellas, excuse me for a moment while I ask the female readers a question.
Can you imagine experiencing your monthly menstrual cycle for twelve years straight?! Like me, I’m guessing you would be willing to try anything to make it stop. And I’m guessing the woman in this story that is shared in all three of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) did try anything—doctors, shamans, magicians, and probably a whole lot of prayer. Yet, there she was, bleeding for twelve years.
This story appears in all three Gospels in the early days of Jesus’s ministry, so I’m assuming this woman had only recently heard of Jesus’s healing power. But since she had been suffering through countless fake healers or well-meaning humans who did not have the power to help her, she knew the real thing when she encountered it. That’s why a crowd of people getting in between her and Jesus wasn’t an obstacle for her. She knew the healing power was there and all she had to do was touch the fringe of Jesus’s robe to receive it.
The stunning part of this story is not so much that this woman was so bold (any of us would have done the same), but the way Jesus responded to her. First, he knew the healing energy had left him, but he did not know who the recipient was—in other words, he didn’t do anything to make the healing happen. Then, when the woman did identify herself to him, Jesus took no credit for the healing, but rather said, “Your faith has made you well.” And then off he went to the next task.
Why didn’t everyone reach out to touch him at that point in the story? I would think that would be the first response of those around Jesus after hearing him say those words. Or would it? How many people can profess faith that strong? Or how many people feel worthy of receiving such a gift of healing? That woman was desperate. Her willingness to believe in what she had heard of Jesus was all she had left. Must we be that desperate to have faith? Or does it simply matter in whom we place our faith?
Meditation/Writing Prompt
Meditate on the word “Faith” for fifteen minutes.
Spend another fifteen minutes writing about what thoughts and feelings arose during your meditation. If nothing surfaced, write a prayer asking God to open your heart to faith in his amazing healing power.
In gratitude & peace,
Jessica L. Morris
If you are interested in reading more like this devotion, you can purchase my most recent book, Sonbathing: Basking in the Word of God (an interactive devotional on 100 sayings of Jesus) online at: https://jessicalmorris.com/books-2/.
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