Sharon Jaynes
“He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering,’” (Mark 5:34 NIV).
Oh how I love the story of Jesus healing the woman with the issue of blood recorded in Mark 5:21-34. I can so relate to this woman. What woman among us hasn’t felt the wretchedness of rejection, the shame of suffering, and the humility of hopelessness? What woman hasn’t wondered, would God care about the likes of me? And here we have a story of just how much God values and esteems His female image bearers. He singles out one lone woman from a multitude of curious followers, heals her of her affliction with but a touch, and then shines the heavenly spotlight center stage for her to testify about the miraculous transformation.
The woman we meet in Mark, chapter five, has been called, “the woman with the issue of blood.” She was defined by what was wrong with her; I’ve felt that sting as well. For twelve long years, this woman had been bleeding…When we meet her, she is physically, financially, socially and spiritually drained – bankrupt in every way.
In Biblical days, certain situations and conditions rendered a person ceremonially unclean. Leprous people were separated from society and had to shout, “Unclean! Unclean!” when they walked among common folk. Anyone who touched a dead body was considered unclean. And women were considered unclean during their monthly period.
A woman hemorrhaging for twelve years would be considered permanently unclean. If unmarried, she would not be able to marry. If married, her condition would be grounds for divorce. She would be expelled from her home, cut off from her family, and ostracized by her community.
Each doctor’s visit brought a surge of hope and expectation, only to be swept away when the red flow of despair reappeared. The joy of tender youth was now a vague memory, crushed by life’s hardness and the weight of disappointment. The hammer of rejection drove the nails of isolation into the coffin of her tightly secured heart.
Unlike the lame man who was lowered through the roof by four friends and placed at Jesus’ feet, this woman had no one to intercede for her. There was no father pleading for his daughter. There was no husband praying for his wife. There was no master imploring Jesus’ help to heal a servant. When we meet this woman, she is fearful and forgotten. She is all alone – or so it seemed to her.
Sometimes we can feel the same: abandoned by friends, deserted by a spouse, forgotten by family, unseen by society. But she was not forgotten. She was not alone. This Daughter of Abraham was close to God’s heart and foremost on His mind. So God the Father orchestrated His Son’s journey to pass her way.
This woman understood that Jesus was radically different in his approach and appreciation of women. She knew full well that she was overstepping cultural and religious boundaries set out by pious men of her day, but it was a risk she was willing to take.
Two things happened when she touched Jesus. First she was healed. It was measurable. She felt the flow of blood cease. Jesus felt the power of God released.
Secondly, she was revealed. Her courage was cloaked in anonymity trembling in the fear of exposure, but Jesus was not going to allow her to “steal” her healing. He wanted to do more than stop the flow of blood. He wanted to start the flow of ministry. He called her forward to testify, to tell what had just happened to her so that others would believe.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. (Mark 5:34).
A Rabbi did not speak to a woman in public, but once again, Jesus, the liberator, broke the man-made rules for the God-made woman. He did not call her out to embarrass or shame her in any way. He called her center stage to honor her honesty, to commend her courage, and to validate her valor. He did not reprimand her for breaking the religious rules, but praised her great faith.
Once again, Jesus called a woman out from the shadows and placed her center stage. No longer was she a woman in need of a healing touch, but now a believer who had received it and was called on to tell about it.
Let’s Pray
Dear LORD, I am so thankful that Jesus didn’t let this woman slip away with her healing, but called her out to tell what happened. Help me to speak up about the wonderful things You have done and are doing in my life, so others may hear and believe. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
How do you think the crowd responded to her healing?
What does Revelation 12:11 tell us about the power of our personal testimonies?
The Bible doesn’t tell us what happened to the woman after her healing. What do you think happened to her? What do you think she did with the rest of her life? Share your answer and let’s think about that together.
Want More?
Today’s devotion was taken from my book, What God Really Thinks about Women: Finding Your Significance through the Women Jesus Encountered. Check it out at www.sharonjaynes.com. You’ll fall in love with Jesus all over again.
Sharon Jaynes has been encouraging women through ministry for over twenty-five years. From the time she met Christ as a teenager, she fell in love with God’s Word and has had a passion to equip women to live fully and free (John 8:32; John 10:10). Her passion is toencourage, and empower women to walk in courage and confidence as they grasp their true identity as a child of God and a co-heir with Christ.
For ten years Sharon served as Vice President of Proverbs 31 Ministries and co-host for their daily radio feature. She is the author of 17 books with Harvest House, Moody, and Multnomah Publishers (see resource page for details). She has also written numerous magazine articles and devotions for publications such asFocus on the Family, Extraordinary Women, Decision,Crosswalk.com and In Touch. Sharon is a frequent guest on radio and television programs such as Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey, and Focus on the Family.
Besides her own books, she has also been a contributing author in many books such as Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan’s Soul, Stories for the Teens Heart, Stories for the Man’s Heart, and the Women’s Devotional Bible. Her books have been translated into several different languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Korean
Sharon is the co-founder of Girlfriends in God, Inc., a non-denominational ministry that crosses generational, denominational and racial boundaries to bring the Body of Christ together as believers. She, along with her ministry partners, Mary Southerlandand Gwen Smith, provide daily on-line devotions read by approximately 400,000 subscribers and turn-key conferences packages
Now what you really want to know…
That was the official bio, and honestly, it makes me sound a lot more studious and accomplished than I really am. So let me tell you what you really need to know.
I’m just a simple gal raised in eastern North Carolina who loves the beach, drinks too much sweet tea and is still crazy about her husband after thirty-two years. If there was ever a situation where I had to run for my life, I’d just plan on meeting Jesus because I wouldn’t get very far. The treadmill is becoming my new friend, but we’re not all that chummy yet.
I have one grown son that lives 767.5 miles away (yes, I timed it). Being his mom has been one of the greatest joys of my life, but he grew up without my permission. Seriously, he is a creative whipper-snapper whom God has used to teach me many life lessons.
When I write my blogs, women always say, “how did you know exactly what I am going through.” My answer is always the same, “because I’m going through the very same stuff you are.” I don’t have it altogether and I certainly don’t have all the answers. But I do know the One Who does, and there’s nothing I love better than grabbing hold of a sister’s hand and learning how to live fully and free in Christ together.
A Note From Sharon
“We women today face many struggles and challenges trying desperately to balance our varied roles and responsibilities. If you’re like me, you’re looking for peace in the chaos of life, perspective among the cultural clattering that daily bombards us, and purpose that brings true fulfillment. I’ve discovered there’s only one place to find peace – it’s God peace; there is only one place to find a proper perspective – it’s God’s truth; and only one place to find true fulfillment – in discovering God’s purpose for my life.
One of my greatest joys has been having the privilege of watching God change women’s lives: setting the captive free, mending broken hearts, or opening the eyes of a new believer for the very first time. Whether it is a person’s first experience with the Savior or a seasoned saint growing deeper in her faith, my passion is to tell women about the truth that will set them free to be all that God has intended for them to be in Him (John 8:32; John 10:10).
My prayer for each life that I have the privilege of touching is “that they will be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).
- Sharon Jaynes
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