Day 5
Reading: Mark 5:21–43
SOAP: Mark 5:27–29
When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she kept saying, “If only I touch his clothes I will be healed.” At once the bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
Jesus arrived from healing a possessed man and His disciples witnessed the whole experience. He was met by Jairus, a synagogue leader, whose daughter was dying. The disciples should have believed more than anyone that Jesus could heal the sick girl. Jairus, though he did believe, needed encouragement when he received news his daughter had died.
Nestled between examples of those who should have had great faith, we find a desperate woman, one who had every reason to doubt. She had placed her faith in many doctors, all who let her down. She had no money, and, because her condition made her unclean, she was cut off from society, unable to touch another person or worship at the temple. Her faith was anything but ordinary. Reaching for only a touch of His cloak, she had no doubt Jesus could heal her. Her faith made her well.
While the disciples should have been the example of great faith, Mark used a lowly, sick woman to challenge his readers and once again ask, “Where is your faith?” When we exercise faith, we glorify our Savior. When we believe He is both willing and able to meet our needs and answer our prayers we continually answer Mark’s great question of “Who is Jesus?” with: “The Son of God.”
Lord, I doubt because I do not understand Your power and Your care for me. Help me grow in my faith. Open my eyes so I can see You work mightily in my life. Amen.