It wasn’t easy to be a woman in ancient Israel. Unable to hold property or give testimony in a court of law, a woman’s place was in the home, caring for family. Strict guidelines governed every aspect of life, from cooking to cleaning and everything in between. Stricter still the laws that dictated the course of her monthly bleeding. Rules of separateness. A label, unclean. She could not be with her family; she could not care for or feed her own children. Her husband was forbidden to touch her. She could not live in her own house.
Ever since a girl coming of age, she followed the rules. Until one day when the bleeding did not stop at the end of the week. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months, and she spent all she had seeking wellness. Seeking wholeness. Seeking redemption from her suffering, from the label she wore—unclean!
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.
The Talmud has no less than nine cures for chronic bleeding. Among them tonics and tinctures, mystical cures involving strange acts and stranger ingredients.
Carry the ashes of an ostrich egg in a cotton sack worn about the neck.
It did nothing.
Fetch a barley corn from the dung of white female donkey.
There was nothing she was unwilling to try. Nothing she would not do. No price too high, no potential cure too strange. She had done them all, spending all she had. She was left with shame, a pariah in her own community.
What she did that day on the streets of Capernaum was nothing short of heretical. In her unclean state, touching a rabbi was criminal. A cause for disgrace, banishment, and perhaps even death.
He knew what she had done the moment she wriggled through the crushing crowd, grasping at the hem of his tunic. Turning immediately to the startled faces of disciples pressed around him, he sought her.
“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet.
As she fell at his feet, terrified by her own actions, the Rabbi did not scold her. He did not criticize or remind her of the laws she had so heedlessly broken. He smiled and spoke gently.
“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Greek is a language of many layers and subtleties. It was not just peace and healing He gave … the peace that surpasses all we could possibly imagine. It was so much more. The word He used was more than just “peace.”
Go in peace. Be healed. Be … whole.
No longer broken and bleeding, but whole.
Here we are, thousands of years later, reading His words, astonished at her courage. Her brokenness, a foil for His kindness. Her suffering, manifesting His grace.
Maybe your brokenness is on the outside, or maybe it’s in the form of silent bruises on your soul. This world is not our home, and no matter who you are or where you’re from, know this: we’re all broken, we’ll all incomplete.
But there is a God who sees you and He hears you. El Shaddai, the All Sufficient God, is sufficient to bind your wounds. El Roi, the God Who Sees, sees you — your brokenness, your suffering, your pain. Daughter, He offers you not just peace, but wholeness.
Leave a Comment“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NIV
Barbie says
So thankful that I am made whole through the blood He shed on the cross for me. Blessings!
Adelle Gabrielson says
Amen and right backatcha!
Ruth says
So afraid to reach out and touch but so longing
Adelle Gabrielson says
Amazing story, isn’t it? We’ll never know her name, but we’ll never forget her story…
Mary bright adams says
As I head to Vanderbilt tonight to continue my battle with multiple myeloma a blood cancer I have had for six years. This encouraging story that I have read and prayed over for years continues to lift me up to the heavenly realms and reminds me of the power of Christ that is at work within me by the gift of the Holy Spirit. One more day to rejoice in Him and to believe….. He can do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine. Thank you for reminding me of His grace and love. My mind is now focused on Him instead of my treatment and disease. Fear Not!
Adelle Gabrielson says
Mary, grace and peace in abundance to you as you continue this journey! Rest in peace in the knowledge that El Shaddai sees you and hears you!
Tammie says
Praise God for His healing and wholeness! God has used this account in my life before and today this reminder was His birthday gift to me! Trusting in Jesus to help me touch the hem of His robe in complete faith in His healing and love 🙂
Adelle Gabrielson says
Happy and most blessed of birthdays to you! Thanks for stopping by!
Diane Veilleux says
I have heard many sermons on “the woman with the issue of blood”, but non have brought me to tears like this one has. Thank you Jesus for your healing, loving power!
Adelle Gabrielson says
Thank you for those kinds words! Be blessed today!
Amy Grace says
This was an amazing read. Thank you. God has a way of using words as a healing balm. Thank you for writing this.
Adelle Gabrielson says
Thank you for your encouragement! Be blessed today!
Shell says
Wholeness. To be complete, oh so complete, relies on my trust in the touch of the Master. We do seek peace, contentment, purpose – yet we desire wholeness.
Praise to Him who brings it!
Thank you for your insightful words and sharing your gift.
Adelle Gabrielson says
Amen, and thank you!
Kristy says
Thank you again. In every effort to move past all the e-mails, I feel someting tugging me telling me I need to stop for a moment and read yours. Every time, every time it is soooo worth it. It is the Lord speaking to me through you and I am so grateful. No matter what is going on it hits home and I am always crying. Crying through the pain of the reality of knowing that He knows my pain and is speaking to me, to me! Thank you —I thank you!
Adelle Gabrielson says
So glad you listened to that still small voice, and blessed to know how He has blessed you today!
Diana Trautwein says
Adelle!! What fun to see you here. For some reason, I don’t get your posts in my inbox anymore and I thought maybe you were on a long writing break. So glad you’re still working at it.
Adelle Gabrielson says
Hi Diana! I checked your subscription – hopefully you’ll start getting them again! Thanks for stopping by!
Sonia says
This the third time today I’ve been encouraged by this story…if I could only touch the hem of his robe I would be healed.
Adelle Gabrielson says
The third time! Wow! God must really be trying to tell you something! But it wasn’t touching the hem that healed her…it was purely her faith. Her belief that He could. Her own faith is what healed her!
Brandi says
I find myself kneeling in awe swept tears over this story. Her desperation and hope colided with His love and mercy and it humbles me. All of my needs can be met in one reach, one brush of his hem. Thank you for this encouragment!!
Adelle Gabrielson says
Thank YOU for the encouragement you just brought to me! Be blessed today!
Kristy Byers says
Thank you for this story. It is what I needed today.
muchalone says
Love your beautiful account of this story…I often wonder what it would feel like to have that kind of boldness…to have confidence in such a gift and be the whole me that God intended…thank you for sharing this!
Adelle Gabrielson says
I love her fearlessness, too. I love how God keeps telling us story after story of brave, broken people. Gutsy, outrageous people. Thank you for stopping by!
Beth WIlliams says
Adelle,
Sometimes when we have nothing left to lose & we’ve tried everything we know–we just have to reach out to Jesus! He and He alone can heal us and make us whole again!
Great story of courage!
Blessings 🙂
Adelle Gabrielson says
Thank you for taking the time to stop by! Be blessed!
Joyce says
“But there is a God who sees you and He hears you.” <– Oh, how I am so thankful for that!!