What’s in your blood?
And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. (Luke 8:43-44)
She had run out of options, but unlike those who were poor by the pool, she had money when she started. The man by the pool had an infirmity (ailment) that was not unto death, but no one could heal this woman. The words, “no hope” from the doctors were pulling the strength out of her more than the issue of blood itself.
No matter how hard she tried or what she did, her situation did not get better. It got worse. She tried to make the right connections with the right people. She traveled all over to specialists in the field of medicine looking for the best to help her with her personal need. This woman even spent (exhausted) all her resources, strength, and energy looking for any type of relief or remedy for her situation. As a result of her issue, she had no contact with anyone.
A woman was considered unclean while she was having her cycle. Usually a cycle lasts four to seven days, but what do you do when your problem doesn’t go away for twelve years? According to the law in Leviticus 15:19, anything or anyone touched by a woman in this condition, was considered unclean for seven days. This was almost worse than leprosy. At least there were others just like them in the leprosy camps.
This woman had a different type of blood flow. She was stuck in a repeating cycle for years because her issues never stopped flowing. It was preventing her from being able to produce.
Has that ever happened to you? As soon as one thing was settled, something else happened. You couldn’t rest, because you were continuously dealing with issues! You were either losing blood relatives, or the bills were overwhelming you because you couldn’t pay them. So, you had to have your credit cards, school, house, and car loans consolidated into one big debt. Your entire world seemed like it was falling apart. You needed help, but there seemed to be nothing left to do or nowhere to go to break the revolving cycle.
After all the years, this woman with the issue of blood still had faith when she heard Jesus was coming to her town. She had nothing left to give or lose. Her faith came by hearing that the Word of God was coming. The woman waited and entered into the crowd, yet her intentions were private and personal. She went in corporately yet worshipped privately. The woman was on an individual mission to touch Jesus for herself. She was so focused with her faith set in motion, that before she knew it, she was in the press with the crowd.
In her final dash in the race, she saw the finish line. She had it locked in view. Her body was saying, “No, you’re too tired,” but her mind said, “You can make it, you’re too close to give up now.” With every ounce of strength left in her body, she pressed to reach for Him. She silently slipped out of the shadows and onto the scene, barely catching the fringe of His garment as He passed by. It was enough to receive a fringe benefit!
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. (Psalms 68:19)
A fringe benefit is an incidental benefit awarded to someone. An incident is something that happened by chance but is connected with something more important. (Jesus would call it grace!)
And Jesus said, “Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” (Luke 8:46-48)
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