Scripture - Matthew 9:20-22 

"Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. "Daughter, take courage" he said...

Meditation

The story of this woman is told in 3 of the 4 gospels and in each account, she is not named. She is known only by her issue- that she has  been bleeding for 12 years. We see this often in Scripture- stories are told of people known only by their issue- blind man, leper, adulterer, deaf, dumb, possessed. Perhaps you sometimes feel this way- that you are walking through life and are known only by your issue. Something you've done, something that's been done to you. Something that haunts you, separates you. 

We learn a bit more about this particular woman in Mark and Luke's version of the story- that she had spent all she had on treatment, but still was unwell. This woman had been suffering for a long time, was labeled by her issue, and was spent. She had nothing left. By all accounts, this woman was exhausted and desperate. Sometimes miraculous things happen when we reach this point in our life, when, out of absolute exhaustion and desperation we lift our heads and gaze at our Creator and cry for help. 

How does Jesus respond to her? He says, "Daughter, take courage!" Jesus says to her- give me your fear and I will give you my courage. Take courage. Leave fear behind. But not only that- he gives her a name. 

Daughter. 

This name gives her value. It gives her dignity. It gives her worth. Matthew, Luke and Mark all referred to this woman as "suffering, spent, scared". We all have these words- words we use to describe ourselves our words we think describe how others view us: scared, anxious, depressed, bitter, sad, broken, single, angry, barren, scarred, not enough, not whole, not beautiful, inadequate, overwhelmed, not good enough, dumb, fearful, weird, different, too much, too little. But in those moments when we are completely spent, exhausted and desperate and just lift our arm to reach for the edge of Jesus' cloak, we will hear a different name, a different voice. We will hear Jesus, and he will call us "daughter". All of the words we feel DESCRIBE us fall away, and we are left with a word that DEFINES us. This woman was not her issue- you are not your issue. You are a person with a soul and identity- a daughter of God. Take heart, take courage. 

Prayer

"Father, today I give over to you all of the ways I feel I am not enough (name them!). I bring to you all of my issues- big and small- and place them on your alter. Today, Father, I am reaching to touch the edge of your cloak. Help me to hear your words to this woman in my own heart, help me to know deep in my heart that I am your daughter. I believe in you, I believe you are my Father and that you created me and know me. Help me today to live as a joy-filled, healed, and renewed daughter."

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Scripture: Matthew 9:20-22

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his (Jesus') cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has made you well". And at that moment, the woman was healed. 

Meditation

I know- this may look familiar to you! This is the same scripture passage I used for the last meditation. Sometimes different things stand out to us when we read Scripture. The Lord uses Scripture to speak in different ways to us and we hear and read things differently depending on what is happening in our life.

These verses contained 2 phrases which stood out to me and Joanna Lewis (the awesome graphic artist who helped design the images for these meditations!) when we were putting together this series. The first, "Daughter, take courage" we looked at last week. Today, we are focusing on "your faith has made you well". I want to take a quick look at this courageous woman's thoughts and actions and what must have been moving in her heart that day...

She had probably heard that Jesus was visiting where she lived. She had likely heard of his reputation as a healer, as a restorer. She had been sick for so long. She had been waiting for a healing miracle for so long. I can imagine something stirring in her heart- a heart  that perhaps had been hardened, damaged, left feeling hopeless from years of unsuccessful treatments and medicine. But something does stir- she knows if she can just get close to him she will be healed. She has complete confidence this will happen. So she shows up (sometimes the hardest thing to do!). She is jostled in the crowd of people wanting to see Jesus. She is weak and feeble from being ill for so long. But the stirring in her heart does not go away and she reaches through the people, thinking 'if I can just touch the hem of his clothes'. 

I cannot tell you many times during prayer I have found myself desperately thinking of this woman and crying out, 'Jesus, if I could but touch the hem of your garment'. It can be hard to keep faith that the Lord will provide, will heal, will restore. It can be easy to lose hope, to give up or to let your heart be hardened to the Lord because you feel he hasn't provided. It can be easy for our trust in the Lord to begin to wain when, over time, we feel our prayers go unanswered or that we have had to wait too long. In times of hopelessness, distrust, abandonment, sickness, or loneliness, let us not forget this woman. 

What have you been trusting, waiting, searching for from the Lord? Whatever it is- do not give up! Weeks, months or maybe even years have passed, but just like this woman, keep on praying! Keep seeking! Keep asking! Keep reaching for Jesus! God is faithful and HE WILL PROVIDE. 

Let us never forget the words he said to his daughter that day: 

your faith has made you well. 

Sisters- let's rise up this morning, take courage, and go through our day remembering that the Lord is near to all who call out to Him.  Prayer

Heavenly Father, may I have faith like this woman. Help me to be completely confident in your provision and will. Help me to be completely peaceful in knowing your care and love for me is very, very strong. I love you Lord, strengthen my faith today. Let me be a light to those around me.

[illustrations by Joanna Lewis]

This article by Mary Rose first appeared in The Lovely Commission, a new publishing venture and brand of Kairos North America. It is is run by Molly Kilpatrick and Mary Rose Jordan and a team of contributors from various Christian communities in North America and beyond. Together they are working to build a culture of radical love, femininity, modesty of heart, mind, and body amongst young women.