Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. [Mark 5.21-29]
For all of us who have ever wished we could just touch the hem of Jesus' robe...
Let's consider what John said about Jesus:
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. [John 1.14]
And then, let's consider what the writer of Hebrews said about God's Word:
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. [Hebrews 4.12]
Here then is what we MUST understand from these two passages:
God's Word and Jesus are synonymous.
With this in mind... Do we then wish to touch the hem of Jesus' robe? We do have this opportunity every minute of every day... We have God's written Word which is synonymous with His Living Word that we might "touch" Him any time we want to! And, it is in this 'want-to' where we find our great disconnect...
In today's One Year Chronological Bible reading we see another important fact about encountering God's Word:
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. [Mark 5.18]
The formerly demon-possessed man begged to be with Jesus, the Word. The demoniac's want-to had been changed. That attitude is much different than what is demonstrated by most so-called believers today who find it a struggle to 'make time' to read the Bible. Jesus actually spoke to that condition:
Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” [John 8.47]
The woman who encountered Jesus' touch in Mark 5.21-29 had to finally come to the end of her resources before coming to Jesus. In her case, the woman had realized the futility of medicine abandoning it and turning instead to Jesus. She effectively broke ties with the idol of medicine in order to receive miraculous healing from God. God's Word had no impact on the woman until she turned to Him in earnest - turning only to Jesus, giving up on the idol of medicine, trusting her entire life and well-being to the Word of God. She actually did what Jesus later demanded of all who would be His followers:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]
Additionally, there was an obvious and distinct feeling of God's Word actually working. Of the woman it was said, "...and she could feel in her body that she had been healed." And of Jesus it was said, "Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him..." (Mark 5.30). So, without question, both parties involved in this healing "felt" something. This is a far cry from what occurs in most "healing ministries" today where nothing is felt by anyone excusing the lack of anything happening by calling it "faith." Yes, people get all emotional, but emotions and Biblical faith are two entirely different things!
There are two schools of thought when nothing is felt regarding healing: One group insists that miraculous healing is not for today (as in ever) and the other group insists that miraculous healing is not for today (as in at that moment). In indicting contrast to both of these Pharisee-like variations, Jesus never left a miracle undone.
We are left then with the choice to believe what God's Word says, or make up our own experience-based, Pharisee-like conclusions. If we believe God's Word for what it actually says, must desire and intentionally turn to God's Word prioritizing Him above all else, and we must bring no idols to that party! Few, if any today, meet these qualifications. But Pharisee-like religion screams cheap, unaccountable "grace" in demonic, soul-damning disagreement with what God's written and living Word says. And, yes, it is that serious...
“For many are called, but few are chosen.” [Matthew 22.14]
The "call" is indeed undeserved grace. The "chosen" are those who, in unmistakable, undivided faith, follow Jesus, the Living Word of God on His terms:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]
We cannot make our own rules. We must touch the hem of Jesus' robe - we MUST touch God's Word and be touched by God's Word in a way that is felt.
Father, may we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. May this experience be felt! So be it.
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