Both Old and New Testaments provide many examples of miraculous healings. One of the names for God in the Bible is Jehovah Rophe meaning ‘the God Who Heals.’ The translation from the Hebrew means ‘to completely make whole, to thoroughly mend and repair.’ The God of the Bible cannot only heal physical disease but also personal sadness, mental anxiety and emotional wounds and the pain from our sins. To be healed is to be restored to wholeness. Psalm 147:3 says: ‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.’ God declares in Exodus 15:26 ‘For I am the Lord who heals you.’ Isaiah 53:5 speaking of all that Jesus would conquer at the cross says: ‘He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.’
The ministry of healing is central to Christianity and was key to its advance in the early church as it is today in many places around the world where Christianity is growing so rapidly (Acts 5:15-16). Healing the sick was an outstanding feature of the earthly ministry of Jesus. Sometimes the healings were on such a large scale that the gospel writers simply give an overview report (Matthew 15:30-31; Matthew 4:23). The all-powerful healing ministry is of Jesus is one of the signs that the Kingdom of God has come to earth (Matthew 11:4-5). We learn some key lessons about healing from the story of the lady who suffered with chronic haemorrhaging of blood:
1. Jesus heals people in desperate need
a. She had been sick a long time (Mark 5:25)
b. She had found no help from human sources (Mark 5:26)
c. She was getting worse (Mark 5:26; Luke 7:12-13)
2. Jesus heals when people reach out to Him in faith (Mark 9:24; Mark 6:5-6; Matthew 13:58; Mark 5:27-28, 34; Mark 10:47-52)
3. Jesus heals by releasing His power (Mark 5:29-30; Luke 6:19)
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Are you in desperate need for Jesus to heal you? The lady in this story was not just ill: she had an incurable condition that made her life a complete misery and excluded her from social contact. She had been sick a long time (Mark 5:25), plus she had found no help from human sources (Mark 5:26). Maybe you can also identify with this. Maybe you have been to all sorts of doctors and specialists, whether in public or private healthcare, but no one has been able to help you. That was the state this lady was in. She was now sick and poor because she had used up all her money trying to get better but actually she was getting worse (Mark 5:26). Yet it was in this moment of extreme pain and despair that ‘she heard about Jesus.’ And there was something about Jesus that gave her hope. She thought that Jesus could help her when no one and nothing else could. And she was right because Jesus not only healed people, but He specialised in helping the most vulnerable.
There are twenty-two stories of healing recorded in the gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke. Of these twenty-two, fifteen of these healing accounts tell stories of Jesus' ministry to the marginalized - women, lepers, the demonised, beggars, and those who were discriminated against. Jesus had great compassion for those who had no one to help them (Luke 7:12-13). Today the Lord’s love reaches out to everyone but particularly to those who are in desperate situations. He sees you in your great and ongoing pain. He sees you when you are all alone. He knows when you are out of earthly options. His heart goes out to you as you struggle to get comfortable or even breathe. Jesus suffered and He knows how to draw near to us in our suffering.
Is this a time where you need to reach out to Jesus in faith? God can heal even when we have little faith. Sometimes we are like the Father of the troubled boy who said to Jesus in Mark 9:24: 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!' But what is clear is that healings take place where there is faith and not doubt. When Jesus went back to his hometown of Nazareth, the people who had seen him grow up were critical and cynical and as a result he couldn't do many miracles there (Mark 6:5-6; Matthew 13:58). So, if you want to see more of the miraculous today you must play your part in repenting of unbelief and helping to create a culture of faith. This lady in our story had certainly had many problems but she also had a lot of faith (Mark 5:27-28). She just focussed her faith on Jesus and refused to be discouraged or distracted. Although it seemed impossible because of the big crowds to get near to Jesus, she was determined to reach out to Him. She truly believed that if she could just touch even Jesus' garment she would be healed. And so this weak lady who felt so inwardly drained, pushed through to do just that and Jesus confirmed the link between her faith and her healing (Mark 5:34). Blind Bartimaeus also persevered in faith for healing even when people told him to shut up (Mark 10:47-52).
Do you need to connect with the healing power of Jesus today? The moment this lady touched Jesus, she connected with the power source of God (Mark 5:29) and Jesus knew that someone had connected with Him (Mark 5:30). The power of God is released when we connect with Him through faith (Luke 6:19). As a song by Godfrey Birthill says: 'Just one touch from the King / Changes everything.' God changed everything for this woman and He can change everything for you too. You can be healed today and He can use you to bring healing to others. For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
