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On the eve of the 20th century, American essayist and poet Walt Whitman wrote about an ever-expanding urban life swallowing up humanity, its delicate framework already crowded with everyday personal challenges. He contemplated whether he and others should allow life to melt away and settle into despair. What was a person to do?
His poem "O Me! O Life!" begins: "Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring, of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities filled with the foolish . . ." And it concludes: ". . . What good amid these, O me, O life? Answer. That you are here -- that life exists and identity, that the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse" (Leaves of Grass, 1892).
With these words of wisdom in mind, let's focus on a person who elected to leave her life of despair and contribute a verse -- one who moved through a crowd and came forward to share a solitary moment in time with Jesus Christ. Though we don't know her name, she reaches down to our day and with her "contributing verse" touches those who have heeded Christ's invitation of "Follow Me" (Matthew 4:19, emphasis added throughout).
Her story begins as news quickly spreads around Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, that the miracle worker from Nazareth has just come ashore (Mark. 5:21; Luke 8:40). His previous visits are fresh in their minds. A large crowd gathers. What might He do now? Jairus, one of the leaders of the synagogue, scurries towards Jesus and falls at His feet, imploring Him: "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live" (Mark 5:22-23). A procession forms, with the two of them boxed in by the moving throng.
Jairus' urgent plea creates the condition for the unnamed woman to enter the gospel stage and contribute a verse. While everyone is moving forward to Jairus' home, she is steadily moving step-by-step from the rear towards the One from Nazareth. Scripture introduces her as suffering from ongoing bleeding, beyond the regular menstrual cycle, for 12 years (verse 25). She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors, and had spent all she had. Yet instead of getting better, she "grew worse" (verse 26).
What's the story behind the story? As explained in William Barclay's The New Daily Study Bible commentaries (2017): "The shame of the woman was that ceremonially she was unclean (Leviticus 15:19-33). Her issue of blood had cut her off from life" (The Gospel of Luke, p. 134). It "shut her off from the worship of God and the fellowship of her friends" (The Gospel of Mark, p. 149). Whatever she touched or touched her was considered polluted and unclean. So she was treated as an "untouchable."
Is it any wonder, then, that she was not as open as Jairus? "Here I am!" -- no! Scripture describes how she steadily maneuvered through the crowd to be behind Jesus (Matthew 9:20; Mark 5:27; Luke 8:44). Due to her untouchable status, she sought to obtain divine intervention discreetly. Moving forward, "she thought to herself, 'If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed'" (Mark 5:28, New Living Translation).
Her focus was to touch the "fringe of his robe" (Matthew 9:20; Luke 8:44, NLT). The fringe refers to tassels worn by the Jews on the corners of their outer garment to remind them they were chosen of God and belonged to Him (Numbers 15:38; Deuteronomy 22:12). How much more this man sent by God, perhaps the Messiah Himself?
Amazingly, when she touched Him the bleeding immediately stopped. However, there is another twist and turn on this stage in Capernaum.
The woman is not only healed through the touch, but Jesus is immediately impacted by it as well. He knows at once that power has gone out from Him. He turns around in the crowd, asking: "'Who touched my clothes?' His disciples said to him, 'You see the crowd pressing against you and you say, 'Who touched me?'
"But he looked around to see who had done it. Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth" (Mark 5:30-33, New English Translation). Luke 8:47 adds, "In the presence of all of the people, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed" (NET).
At this moment, it's as if Christ pulls down the curtain on the surrounding crowd, and He and the unnamed woman are alone. His undivided attention is on her. It's a God moment -- a sweet moment of companionship. Jesus was not only touched from behind, but His heart is touched by her gift to Him of something so rare in the human condition -- faith! He responds: "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease" (Mark 5:34, NET).
Just then a message comes from Jairus' household informing the anxious father that his daughter is dead and that Jesus no longer needs to come (verse 35). Little did they know or realize -- but they soon would -- that it was time for Jesus to anoint (to touch) a dead body to bring life. Man's endings are but where God begins!
Allow me to share three elements of this story of faith to incorporate in our lives, that we too may "contribute a verse" as we heed Jesus' invitation of "Follow Me."
1. We are never truly lost from God in a crowd.
Psalm 139:1-4 enlightens us: "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether."
Jesus expands upon this psalm's encouragement by reminding us: "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will" (Matthew 10:29). Our Heavenly Father knows our rises and falls and is resolute about what He has in store for us -- yet in His timing and ways towards His perfect will, beyond our human moments.
2. When in doubt, be like the woman on a mission in moving towards Christ in faith.
Don't let the crowd or your crowded emotions get between you and the Source of all good things. Take a breath and move forward with the knowing pace of what is shared in the next element to focus on.
3. We worship a God who touches us and is touched by us.
Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Man, came to earth so that our Heavenly Father through Him might touch humanity and in turn might be touched by us.
Remember how the ailing woman came from behind to touch Jesus? Keep that thought in mind as we are invited to appear before the risen Christ in Hebrew 4:14-15: "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize [be touched -- King James Version] with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."
Please note: There is a point of contact and impression created as we humbly but confidently press upon Him in prayer. The invitation is for us to come before or in front of Him as He continues to reach out and touch us with His love for us. Even in our spiritual imperfection in moments of our humanity, He nonetheless says, "Follow Me."
Remember also until next time: We exist and have identity in Christ! (Galatians 2:20). And be prepared to contribute a verse!
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Keywords: faith God's touch
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