Contributor:
Chad Roberts
Mark 5 is an intriguing chapter in the Bible as it highlights Jesus’ ability to heal and perform miracles. Beginning with verse 21, Jesus encounters an important man with an important job. His name is Jairus and he was the ruler of the synagogue. What the Bible says of Jairus is that he fell at Jesus’ feet and implored Him “earnestly.” That causes me to pause and ask myself how often I feel my deep need for Jesus? Am I at His feet daily imploring Him to help me? Jairus tells Jesus about his daughter who is about to die and Jesus leaves to go with him to their home.
While they were walking, Mark tells us more…much more. There was a woman who had suffered for 12 years. Mark tells us she had been sick for 12 years and not only had she suffered physically for that time period, but that she had spent all of her money on physicians. No matter what she did, they could not cure her. As a matter of fact, the Bible says she grew worse with her blood disease.
While Jairus was an important man with an important job, the Bible does not tell us anything about this woman, we don’t even know her name. From what we can tell in the text, she was alone. She didn’t have anyone help her get to Jesus or to press through the crowd. So while the Bible doesn’t tell us that much about her, what it does reveal is quite remarkable. We see her determination to get to Jesus and we see her remarkable faith!
Can you imagine what it took for her to fight through the crowd? Think how easy it must have been to stay home. I’m sure she was weak in her body and probably anemic from the continuous loss of blood. I’m sure she constantly battled depression. How many reading this article have suffered for sometime with an illness? I’m sure you know well the depression sickness can bring.
I’m amazed that this woman didn’t stay home. Instead she pressed her way to see Jesus. Verse 27 says, “She had heard the reports about Jesus…” The Bible goes on to say that when she touched His garment, “…Immediately the flow of blood dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.”
How many times do you think she prayed and asked the Lord to heal her? What made this day different? What could make the difference in your life? If you are suffering from sickness, no doubt you have asked the Lord many times to touch you and heal you. So what makes the difference?
Over and over in Scripture we see God responding to desperation, and we see it clearly in Mark 5. When Jairus comes to Jesus, he came “earnestly.” When the woman with the blood disease came, she was out of options. She had spent all she had and was growing worse. I have found in my own praying that it is the effectual, fervent prayers that seem to move God’s heart and hand. When you pray for healing, do you pray out of desperation?
When I say desperation, I don’t mean emotionalism. What mean is this…Healing begins where our ability ends. I think God gives doctors, medicines, technologies and much more to help our physical bodies. But as a pastor, I have seen many doctors shake their heads and say, “We don’t know what else to do.” There is nothing more fearful than standing amidst all the medicines and technologies and doctors don’t know what else to do.
This is when Christians need to know how to press their way to Christ. We do this through prayer. The Bible reassures us time and time again that God responds to the cries of His people. The purpose of this devotional is to challenge you by asking this question, Are you praying half hearted prayers concerning healing or are you crying out to the Lord and seeking Him, “earnestly?” That could make all the difference in the world. So I want to encourage you, trust Jesus with your healing.
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