The Bleeding Woman (Luke 8:40-48)

For twelve long years, the bleeding woman was outside looking in. For twelve long years, she was touched by no one. When she reached out by faith to touch Jesus, in hopes of healing, Jesus calls her his daughter, and says that her faith has healed her so she can find shalom. That is, the full restoration of peace with each other and peace with God. Her healing was not a tap and go transaction, but a relational connection. She had faith that Jesus could heal her, and it was this faith that made her well.

Her faith was not blind trust or a superpower, it was trust in a person. To have faith in Jesus is to realise that he is the only one who can free us, save us, and heal us. It is not about the strength of our faith, but about the strength of the person we have faith in. Whether you feel like a somebody like Jairus, or a nobody like the bleeding woman, all of us end up on our knees begging for Jesus. Let us live our lives caring for the ones on the sidelines in truth, love, and grace.