Freedom Fridays

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and our Freedom Friday’s series! Grab your coffee and your strand of faith because I’m certain you will tie a couple of knots in your SOF as you relate with Jennifer’s words from her heart to yours!

My post last week made me think of the story of the woman with the issue of internal bleeding found in Mark5:24–34 and Luke 8:42–48. I decided to research her and discovered much about her freedom journey.

First of all, she had a bleeding condition that had continued for twelve years. Could you even begin to imagine? She had spent all her money on treatments from many doctors, but still she continued to bleed, and even worse than before! (See Mark 5:25–26).

To make matters even worse, Jewish Law declared her to be ceremonially unclean due to her bleeding issue (Leviticus 15:25-27). This meant that she would not have been permitted to enter the temple for Jewish religious ceremonies. Why? Because according to the law, anything or anyone she touched became unclean. So she was physically ill, and I can only imagine how she felt spiritually and emotionally. Because of her illness she was in isolation which is a form of persecution. Talk about all kinds of bondage?!

I share that so you understand the significance of her walking around in a huge crowd making her way toward Jesus. See, the fact that she was in the crowd pressing around Jesus means that each person who bumped into her would have become unclean, including Jesus! (The punishment for being unclean from an issue of blood was a sacrifice of a lamb)

She was desperate for a miracle. “When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’” (Mark 5:27–28)  Oh, to have a faith like that!

As soon as the woman touches the hem of His robe, her bleeding stops and she knows she’s been healed. Jesus does what no doctor in twelve years had been able to do; He heals her!

But let’s get a bit deeper into the story.

Jesus responds, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30). The disciples were skeptical, but Jesus knew that healing power had gone out of Him.

After the woman comes forward and explains herself, Jesus clears up any misconceptions about her healing, saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:34)

Her desire to be free from her affliction helped her push past the social, personal, emotional, spiritual and financial constraints.  She knew that Jesus would heal her and Jesus acted on her faith.  She had suffered twelve years of isolation – away from family and friends – and now she could walk beside them.

How many of us feel like this?  Isolated because of what has happened to us.  We don’t want to come forward because it might be embarrassing or make us feel vulnerable.  We don’t have to suffer in silence; we do need to take a risk.  Risk can bring healing into our lives, and help us to walk in freedom.

For me it wasn’t an issue of blood – it was rape, molestation, infidelity, drugs….the list could go on.  Freedom was taking a step towards Jesus and finding the healing that my isolated soul craved. 

What do you need healing from?  What has had you isolated?  Press into Jesus…He can feel you in a crowded room.

Jennifer