I have been meditating on the idea of faith recently. One particular story in the life of Christ has specifically caught my attention. The story is recorded in three of the gospels, but I have been reading from Mark’s account.
Mark 5 tells the story of Christ’s interaction with a woman who has had a major problem with internal bleeding. She had suffered from it for twelve years. She had been to see many doctors but her problem had only gotten worse. Having spent all her money on doctors her situation seemed hopeless. (Sounds very similar to the ones to whom Isaiah is calling in Isaiah 55)
This particular day she recognized Jesus; one who could heal her from her infirmity. However, because of the nature of her sickness, according to the Mosaic law she was considered to be unclean. And any whom she touched also would be considered unclean. Yet, in spite of the looming circumstances she continually told herself that if only she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed.
Fighting through the crowd, the woman managed to come close enough to Him to touch His hem. Immediately, she sensed that she had been healed. Rather than the unclean defiling the clean, the pure one had cleansed the impure. (Matthew’s account of this story is told in Matthew 9:20. Surprisingly enough, at the beginning of the chapter Christ is eating with Matthew, the publicans and sinners. Christ tells the critical Pharisees that those who are healthy do not need a physician, but those who are sick. Then He told them to learn what he was saying. Immediately He gives them a lesson of faith and an incredible demonstration of God’s power.)
Christ sensed in Himself that power from Him had gone out. He immediately turned around and asked who had touched Him. Walking in the middle of a crowd of people, Christ’s disciples thought that it was ridiculous for Him to ask who had touched Him. (This has been the difficult yet wonderful part for me.) Many people had been pressing on Him. Many bodies and hand brushed up against Him, and many people made contact with Him. The crowd pressed on him. (It would be similar to the few experiences I have had in NYC where I had to keep my hands continually on my wallet and other valuables because of the many people that were crowded around me during rush hour.) But among the Many who had made contact with Him, only one had truly touched Him.
How often people claim to have had an encounter with Jesus. On September 11, the whole United States was praying (or so they thought.) But how many were just brushing Him rather than touching Him. Every weekend many go to church and pray, but they are just moving past Him or crowding Him but never truly touching Him in faith. Augustine said, “multitudes still come similarly close to Christ in the means of grace, but all to no purpose, being only sucked into the crowd.”
So, when I pray, as I live, I must remember my desperate need. I must recognize that I am bankrupt. I have no resources of my own. I am completely dependent on Him. And just as the woman, I must fall down and confess to Him the truth of my situation and the truth that He is God. My helpless, hopeless, resourceless state is the theater of His glory (borrowed slightly from Calvin.)
this is “grace at work”
Very true, Frick! God has recently been showing that to me in my life. I find that far too many times I am content to be right with God as opposed to desire God and have a passion for him…or to touch Him.
jblaha
August 3rd, 2007