By faith comes true wholeness

“Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given –and you will receive even more.” (Mark 4:24)

I am encouraged when I read this passage a while ago because little by little I encounter them personally. In verse 11 of the same chapter, Jesus said, “you are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God…”

For instance, Jesus revealed a new insight in the story of a woman who was bleeding for twelve years.

“A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 she had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought, “if I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘who touched my robe?” (Mark 5:25-30)

Situations inflict us with pain, and so it is bleeding until now. Our emotional hemorrhage could come from broken relationships or disappointments from our own self. Often disregarded, we often end up giving everything to somebody that might help us. “…Over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better.”(Verse 26)

For years we could have spent our life on relationships that don’t work. Similarly, we could be desiring change and starting something new but still ended up futile. Through the process of finding cure, the person whom we put hope to heal us walked out of our life. On a job setting, after realizing that we are not enjoying we decided to quit. Our cycle of defeat will continue because the root of bitterness is not properly dealt with.

Then there comes a time when we have enough seeking for help, when self-pity turned to compromised acceptance, that the Healer will come.

“…she had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched his robe.”(Verse 27)

Eager to be healed, the woman grabbed her one-shot deal, intensified hope and faith raged on, “For she thought, ‘if I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”(Verse 28)

Realizations come in your process when you’ll get tired of trying to be whole, but still, broken. I imagine her running towards Jesus, determined, “I’m done with frustration. I’m done with depression. It’s no use trying to patch this gushing blood out of me. This is my last chance to be healed. I may have failed many times before, but today I’ll leave them behind. I don’t care if it took me a dozen year enduring this sickness. But no one can rob me off this time; I’ll put my faith to Jesus. Even if I have to go pass through that crowd considering my own pain, I’ll do it. I’ll touch him with my heart and with all my faith.

“Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.” (Mark 5:29)

Then the woman, out of weeping and groaning, extracted the best worship no one has done. The grace of God flowed out to her, healing her physical body, fixing whole her life. For there in the sanctuary of the Lord, we can find abundance of grace flowing like a river. Healing is freely given.

Yes, people may have used you before then leaving your pain worse, but Jesus is the Healer. Maybe one person in your life cost you your heart or your present condition cost you your life as a whole, but Jesus is standing in that crowd, waiting for your touch.

Leave your pain behind and press in towards Jesus. It may sound another waste of time, but trust Jesus this time. People failed healing us because “…human effort accomplishes nothing.”(John 6:63) Jesus Christ, the restorer of the broken, is ready to heal us from all kinds of bleeding. A broken heart and a contrite heart, He will not despise.

Jesus never changes. He healed the bleeding woman before, and He will heal you too, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterdaya, today, and forever.” (Hebrew 13:8)