The Woman with an Issue of blood is Adapted from Matthew 9:20–22, Mark 5:25–34, and Luke 8:43–48.
Blood fell to the ground alongside her tears as she shoved her way between two young men. Both were unable to push back due to their own troubles. Although she had spent hundreds of days pining in loneliness, this time she was glad to be alone. She could cut through the crowd faster.
It was enough blood to scare most women her age, even during their cycle. But blood was nothing new to her – she had been dealing with it for over 12 years. Many days it left her anemic, with barely the energy to make it through the day. Her daily blood loss depleted the red blood cells needed to carry oxygen to her muscles. Tiredness and Weakness ruled her day. She felt useless and worthless most days. The dizziness, headaches and cold hands and feet were constantly reminding her of the condition that stole away her future.
But it was the pale yellowish skin that tipped off the others.
The Side Effects
The physical challenges were definitely difficult, but it was the other side effects of her disease that were most devastating. She had no hope for a husband. No chance of motherhood. No children to watch grow into the next generation. She couldn’t even make things right in the temple as long as she was bleeding. A woman could only enter the mikvah, or cleansing bath, seven days after she completed her menstrual cycle. She would be ecstatic if she had even one day of relief. But that was six less than enough to be accepted as ceremonially clean.
But she couldn’t let those things deter her on this day – the day the Healer came to town.
She knew if her disease were detected she’d be scorned for being among the people – an unclean woman putting others at risk. Somehow, she found the determination to push through the crowd. She felt like the energy required came from a supernatural source that day.
She had to make a way to see Him!
For twelve years she’d sought out every kind of doctor she could find. From trained medical doctors to natural healers. Once she even sought out a magic man – nothing was too far out if they had an answer for this misery. She spent her life savings. She had borrowed all she could in search of an answer. Her family avoided her as if she was no longer alive. She had come so close to giving up.
Why continue to live if there was no hope for a husband or children? Why keep fighting if she couldn’t even make her way out in public or take sacrifices to the temple? Should she continue in a life so hopeless and full of rejection?
As she walked the long path to meet the healing man she considered how to end the pain. If it didn’t work, if she was unable to get to him, if what they said wasn’t true, there was no way forward for her. She couldn’t bear the thought of continuing in the hopelessness. So she continued to push and shove her way through the line.
“Hey lady, wait your turn,” someone shouted from behind her. Another woman with only one eye knocked her to the ground. Somehow she found the strength to hoist herself back to her feet. “What if I don’t make it before he leaves,” she thought. Sweat beads formed on her forehead. She looked down at her hands and they were shaking like a leaf. She worked her way a bit closer to Him.
The Blood
And then she saw the blood begin to run down her leg toward the ground. She knew that if it were seen she would be violently pushed away from the crowd, but she couldn’t let that happen. Hope began to escape her grip. She was SO CLOSE!
There were only three people between her and her last hope for a life worth living. She fell forward and pushed the two men away. Dropping to the ground, she thrust her hand forward with all the energy she could gather. She grabbed for the beige robe and the fabric wadded up in her hand. As she fell, her head bounced off the ground. The robe slipped out of her grip.
SILENCE…
For a moment – Silence. It must have only been a few seconds, but it felt like hours. As her head cleared, she heard voices.
She squeezed her eyelids tight as the dust flew off the sandals of the others and into her eyes. One man kicked her and screamed, “Let him go lady, he’s a rabbi and you have no right to touch him.”
As she slowly opened her eyes she saw the Healer standing above her. His head turned and their eyes met.
“Who is the one who touched me?”
His student lifted his arm and swept it left to right and said, “Rabbi, look around at all the people. What do you men, who touched you?” “Someone touched me. Power flowed from me. Who was it?”
“What should I do?” she thought to herself. She didn’t take time to answer her own question. Slowly, she pushed herself to a sitting position, then standing, then falling to her knees. She dropped her head in shame inches from his feet. She noticed a drop of blood landing on the top of his foot.
“Rabbi! You are my last hope. For twelve years I have been hopeless.” She could barely voice the words from her parched throat. “I have tried everything. I have spent everything I had to find an answer.” She had nothing to lose as she told her secret among the crowd.
“Rabbi, Healer – if you are able will you heal me?”
The crowd hushed as dust began to settle all around. A man laughed loudly and spat at her from behind. They all waited in anticipation of what the Rabbi might say.
“Daughter.”
“Is he speaking to me?” she thought. Even her own father hadn’t called her daughter since the flow of blood began. She had lost all hope that anyone would think of her as family again. “No, he can’t be.” But he was looking straight into her eyes. The look on his face – the smile couldn’t lie.
“Daughter, take courage, your faith has made you well!”
She couldn’t breathe for a moment! Sitting in shock, she wondered could it be true. She couldn’t explain how she knew, but in her body she could feel it!
She was made well.
Without a thought about what the others might think of her, she began to wail. A gut wrenching wail of relief. The ladies traveling with Him came to her and wrapped their arms around her celebrating that a woman with no hope for a family had been made whole. She looked into His eyes again and He looked back with an expression that said, “you have permission to believe it’s true.” And after 12 painful years of hopelessness, she let herself believe. Hope against hope!
It’s seven days later now and I’m watching her take one step at a time down into the mikvah bath to cleanse herself for the temple. She hasn’t stopped smiling since the day she grabbed His garment. I’ve known her for years and I had forgotten what it looks like to see her smile. The scar above her left eye will always remind us of the day her head hit the ground as she thrust forward in desperation to grab the robe.
She thought she’d never take an offering to the temple again.
She thought she’d never stand underneath the Chuppah.
But everything changed the day the Healer came to town.
It’s real.
He’s real.
And he can do it for you too – if you desperately reach out to touch Him despite what the crowd might think!
