Faith of a Sick Woman

PRAYER PRACTICE

Lectio – Read today’s passage through once. Then spend some time praying and asking God to show you what you need to pay attention to in the text. Read it again. Now ask God to help you see what this text, and the part that has stood out, may mean for you. Don’t expect to get a clear word every time but always be ready to really hear from God through His Word.

DAILY READING

Mark 5:24-34

REFLECTION

The Whole Truth
by Katie Borden

Today, we are not just reading the story of a woman who was in need of miraculous healing in her physical body by the power and presence of Jesus.
We are reading the story of a woman who was probably an outcast in her community because of her physical condition, and who likely experienced great shame as a result of her circumstances.

And we see Jesus reach out to her to provide for her in her deepest need—Jesus removes her shame and provides her with a restoration of her honor; he graces her with a healing and a freedom in her body and her soul.

Try to imagine, if you can, what I perceive to be the depth of this woman’s fear of being “found out” by Jesus—the text tells us that she came up to him from behind to touch his garment to be healed. She did not approach him eye-to-eye. I imagine that, desperate to receive healing but likely fearing further ostracization from her community if she were discovered, she could not bring herself to meet his face. We subconsciously understand the shame she was experiencing—we often use phrases like “I couldn’t face up to my wrongdoing” or “I couldn’t face her” when expressing our deep shame. And this shame often keeps us in hiding, weighed down by the crushing burden of our fear of being found out.

So what does Jesus do? He beautifully forces her hand, in a loving way that only Jesus can, so that she meets him directly (the text tells us she fell down at his feet) and “trembling with fear, told him the whole truth” (Mk. 5:33).

This woman who had been essentially hiding in shame for years has been given the opportunity to speak the truth about what has caused her pain. She is free to be honest about her condition. She is free to express her need for Jesus. And she is healed.

So what about me? What about you? Where are the places that Jesus desires our honesty? If we are deeply honest, can we name the places of fear or shame in our lives that Jesus wants to heal? Spend some time in conversation with the Lord about these things today. Speak honestly with him face-to-face, even if you too are “trembling with fear”. You’ll find that he is abounding in mercy and love. Thanks be to God.