Faith applied for healing
Over the next 5 sessions we are going to look at a snap shot (cameo) of faith in various areas of life. The purpose of these short teachings to inspire you to use your own faith in these areas.
A simple working definition of faith can be 'simply doing what God tells you to do' or else 'trusting God'.
Our Focus is to find examples of biblical faith which we might learn from, in the areas of health, finance, family, neighbours and what to do when our faith fails us.
1. Health: The woman who touched the hem [1] of Jesus’ garment
Luke 8:42b (ESV) But as he went the people thronged him.
43 And a woman having an issue of blood [2] twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians neither could be healed of any,
44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
45 And Jesus said, who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, who touched me?
46 And Jesus said, somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue gone out of me.
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what because she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made you whole; go in peace.
This woman was ritually unclean and so was anything she sat on. The social consequences of her uncleanness meant she was a social outcast just like a leper.
Narrative- the woman was afraid to speak to Jesus, trying to keep her herself hidden, touch was a point of contact for her faith with his authority.
There was instantaneous healing.
The meaning of the hem see {2} below.
Jesus perceived 'virtue' had gone out of him.
Jesus asks 'Who touched me'? The woman self identifies.
Jesus blesses her publicly thus not only healing her but also restoring her status status-by pronouncing her to be no longer unclean or a social outcast. What a healer!
[1] Hem (tassel) of garment-Tsi-Tsit (Numbers 15:38 c.f. Deuteronomy 22:12) blue and white fringes representing the law of God. Reminder/Warning to the Jews to do all the law of God.
[2] Leviticus 15:25 (ESV) If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean.
Do you need to touch the hem of Jesus' garment today by faith? We can draw virtue as healing power by faith today. Jesus never refused to heal anyone nor was he unable to heal anyone (although he prayed for one man's eyes twice).
Amen
Prayer
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