Your Faith Has Made You Well

Luke 8:48 - "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."


What a powerful statement! Jesus proclaimed this to a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years. She had gone to many doctors and spent all she had hoping for a cure. No one could help.


She had heard about this Man named Jesus who spoke and people were miraculously healed. With no more than a touch He healed others. Out of sheer frustration she sought Him perhaps considering this her last opportunity.


Imagine--in those days a person was considered unclean if they had certain diseases, including a hemorrhage such as this woman. She might have lived alone, walked the streets calling out "unclean" when she had to leave her home. She might not have had many friends. Perhaps her family or whatever friends were sympathetic to her issue got her the necessities she needed. She was trapped in her own house and body. What a prison sentence. She might even have suffered from depression thinking this was to be her entire life.


Yet she boldly sought out Jesus. She probably covered herself so she could not be recognized and some say she crept low on the ground from behind the crowd just to touch the hem of His garment. She believed with her whole heart this was all she needed to do to be healed. She believed.


Just as aside, rabbinical priests would wear a piece of apparel called a tallit, a shawl draped around their shoulders. On all four corners were several woven threads called tzit-tzits. The Hebrew word tzitz means wings. Jesus (who is also called our Great High Priest) would have worn such a tallit. It is said that to touch just one of these tzit-tzits would bring healing. This woman would have known this. She would have known what Malachi 4:2 stated: that their Messiah to come would come with healing in His wings!


She went unnoticed as all others crowded around Him for healing or just out of curiosity. She approached Jesus and reached out to touch the hem of His garment...the tzit-tzit. When she did the flow of blood ceased. Did you notice...she heard about this Man who healed, she sought Him after hearing about Him and she acted on her belief and reached out to Him. 


Jesus did not see her but knew something had happened. He said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." (verse 46) He was not angry, but she was fearful. What she had done in secret could be tragic, perhaps meant death. She feared but confessed it was she who touched Him...and that she was healed!


Jesus, with probably a compassionate smile replied, "...your faith has made you well." What a day for this woman. She was no longer captive to her body and disease. She was finally free. Jesus had healed her...because she believed. Her faith alone...


We can all be in some form of captivity before we know Christ. It's that one thing we don't like about ourselves or our lives. Maybe it's drugs, alcohol, food or anger,, resentment, fear, insecurity, pride. I had my form of captivity. I didn't like my it but couldn't do anything myself to do anything about it. 


As the pastor who preached April 18, 1999 said in so many words, "Let me tell you, you cannot heal yourself, but I know One who can and His name is Jesus Christ." And that was the beginning of my healing. All I did was acknowledge that desire for healing and call out to Jesus. Like the woman in this story, we can reach out or up and receive the hand of the One who heals, the One who does having healing in His wings.


I believe raising our hands might be symbolic, both in reaching for that healing and also praising God for that healing. Jesus reaches down from heaven to the hand truly in need and truly desiring and takes hold of it.


Will you consider what healing you need and do as this woman and countless others? Call out and reach out--in faith--to Jesus. Then watch for the miracle. Now this does not mean asking for something you think you "have to have." I remember as a child praying to God to let me awake with thin legs!! Yes...I admit I did. It never happened...


There's another story, too, about Peter. When Jesus empowered His disciples after His resurrection, it was reported that people would take the sick on cots or pallets into the streets believing that just Peter's shadow being cast upon them would make them well. (Acts 5:15-16) Of course, it had nothing to do with Peter but the power of God working through him. Imagine!


I believe some of our illness comes as part of our sin issue. I would be remiss to mention this. We are born into it and we live in it until we allow Jesus to bring our healing. The beginning of our healing is our ability to admit we are sinners, then acknowledge Jesus. Our sins are forgiven and healing begins. It brings new life on earth and life everlasting in heaven.


Psalm 103:2-3 - Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases...