Helper 4

Mark 5:24-34

I hate going to the dentist. Like most people, I am afraid of the possible pain and discomfort that will come with the visit. On top of that is the fact that I have a very low gag threshold and can’t stand to have anything in my mouth that isn’t food. When I was a teenager one of my teeth became abscessed, my gum swelling and turning red, the tooth causing incredible pain. When the pain I was in got bad enough that anything would be an improvement I went to the dentist.

We have seen Luke’s version of this story when we examined pistis – faithfulness – under the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus is moving through a dense crowd when someone comes up behind him. Why does the woman touch the hem of Jesus’ garment? What is her attitude? What do you think she is afraid of (see verse 33)?

Two things seem very clear in this story. The first is that the woman is afraid. What she is afraid of is not clear. It could be that she fears speaking to someone as famous and powerful as Jesus.

Maybe she thought she was not important enough to merit his attention. Maybe she feared she would be rejected as the Canaanite woman was (Matthew 15:21-28). It could be that she didn’t want to bother Jesus with her troubles, knew that she could be healed by touching his cloak, and in so doing – being healed without asking – she was being a type of thief.

It is also possible that she was afraid because she was embarrassed by her condition. To get the healing she needed by speaking to Jesus, she would have to admit a need and, perhaps, go into embarrassing details in front of others.

The second thing that we know is that the woman was so desperate in her suffering that she was willing to risk rebuke, embarrassment or rejection to find healing.

And I wonder how many of us are like the woman, or like me and the dentist. How often do we wait until our problems are so bad that we just can’t stand it any longer before we turn to Christ for help?

I believe Jesus wants us to need him. I believe Jesus wants us to go to him for comfort and help. We shouldn’t wait until we are absolutely desperate before we go to our Lord for help. Nor should we think of ourselves as helpless or vulnerable, ashamed to admit the need.

Jesus welcomes us with open arms. He wants us to turn to him as much as we need. And we should turn to him first, before our troubles push us to desperation.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Do you have a need or worry that you should take before Jesus?