Passage: Mark 5

The woman with the issue of blood was totally rejected by everyone in her family, in her city, in her country. But one person acknowledged her and that was the only one that mattered.

There is only one person who matters.

Don’t waste your energy and time trying to gain the attention of everyone in this world. If Jesus pays attention to you and acknowledges you, you will become someone. This woman’s story was written in the Bible because Jesus acknowledged her. She was healed because Jesus acknowledged her. She got Jesus’ attention. Stop worrying about getting everyone else’s attention. Just focus on getting Jesus’ attention and your life will be successful. Your heart will be full.

She was hopeless. She couldn’t share her life with anyone. She was totally isolated from society. She tried everything in her power to be healed, but couldn’t find healing. Everyone in society ignored her, but Jesus paid attention to her.

People are mainly concerned with themselves. They pay attention to when they are hungry, what they want to do during their day, how they look, what they wear, all those things. Humans are very selfish; we mainly (and sometimes only) pay attention to ourselves. But God pays attention to those who seek Him.

God pays attention to His children. People forget about God, but He doesn’t forget about them.

This woman believed that if she could touch His garment, that she could be healed and saved. She drew closer and closer. The crowd was around her, but not paying attention to her. She knew that she had to get closer to Jesus. There were so many people, but it didn’t matter. She had to get to Jesus.

Do you have that desire? Do you feel that compelling desire to get closer to Jesus? If you have the same kind of desire as this woman did, you will meet Jesus. Your life will be totally different.

Mark 5:29-31
29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?'”

When this woman touched Jesus, He knew who touched Him but He asked, “Who touched Me?” The disciples thought that He was asking because the thick crowd was jostling Him. They thought it was an accident, but Jesus knew that it wasn’t an accident.

Proverbs 8:17
17 I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Jesus could feel her seeking Him with all her heart, with desperation. That’s why Jesus turned back and asked who touched Him. There were a lot of people around Him, but she touched His heart with her desperation. When you pray and seek Jesus with desperation, He will feel it and speak to you.

You can give all kinds of prayers that will not touch the heart of Jesus. But when you pray in desperation, Jesus will feel that prayer. He felt her touch, felt her heart. He took the time to acknowledge this woman who had been forgotten and ignored by everyone around her. Why? He knew her desperation. He knew how much she sought after Him.

Jesus knows your needs. He knows who you are. But He won’t take time to stop and acknowledge you until you desperately seek Him.

She had been sick for a long time so she had very little strength. She used all of her strength and power to see Jesus. She pushed through to make it happen.

Why did Jesus take the time to acknowledge this woman? To give her true freedom. Jesus wanted to make sure everyone knew that she wasn’t unclean anymore.

When Jesus asked who touched Him, she trembled with fear. She thought that she was in trouble. She was afraid of punishment for touching Jesus, for coming in among the crowd.

Jesus spoke to her to let her knew that she wasn’t unclean anymore, that she was free from the curse of her sickness, and that she was saved. He wanted to praise her faith. Jesus wanted her to be set free from every type of fear. He wanted her to be accepted in society. Jesus opened the door for her through His acknowledgment of her. He restored her body and her life.

Mark 5:30-34
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?'”
32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

He called her “daughter.” He accepted her as His child. He was basically saying, “Everyone listen, this is My daughter. She is healed. You must accept her.” When you experience God, you are connected with God. Jesus wanted her to know that she was connected with Him, that she was His daughter.

When Jesus called her “daughter” He restored her life. He gave her true salvation and freedom.

God bless you,
Pastor Sun East

More in this series: Take hold of Jesus’ garment