Mark 5:25-34

25A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse-- 27after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28For she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." 29Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?"31And His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'' 32And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

Although this is a familiar passage, I think it is a good reminder of how intentional Christ acted here on earth. Even His miracles point to a higher purpose, picturing His own actions as Lord. The woman in the crowd suffering from a bleeding disease would have been considered unclean within Jewish society. Such a curse would have prevented her from worship in the temple and fellowship with God's people. She was denied the right to participate in one of the most important aspects of culture- that being the act of coming together with her people to worship Jehovah.

Similarly, before we are justified through Christ, we are unable to have full communion and fellowship with the Lord. Our sin prevents our worship with the Creator as we are unclean with sin. Like the woman, we seek the help of outside sources spending time and money where we will not find help. We look to our own strength and the wisdom of the world for answers. However our own actions will not satisfy our healing and restoration to fellowship with the Lord. We must come before Him humbly, on our knees in faith, knowing that when we are drawn to Him, Christ provides healing and salvation.

Jesus chose not to ignore the woman rather taking the time to note her faith. He will also acknowledge us before the Father as our Mediator and the Savior of our sins. Because of His work on the cross, we are no longer unclean. How marvelous this miracle of Jesus to not only do a wonderful thing in the life of a suffering woman, but to also show a picture of His remarkable work of salvation in the lives of suffering humanity!