How Deep is Your Desire for Wholeness?

Go wash your hands. Did you use the anti-bacterial soap? Take off your shoes, you’ll track mud in the house. Don’t forget to do the dishes. And the laundry is piling up…go ahead and put a load in.

Most of us care about being clean. Clean is good. Clean is healthy.

But what if you couldn’t get clean? Not just your house or your clothing, but your body…your self. What if you suffered from a condition that left you in a constant state of filth and embarrassment. What then?

You may be familiar with the encounter Jesus had with the bleeding woman in Mark 5:24-34. The woman had suffered for many years with constant bleeding and had a deep need for healing. She had spent all of her money on doctors to no avail. She was likely an outcast in her social circle. Her suffering came in many layers.

The woman wanted to be healed. She knew that if she touched the hem Jesus’ cloak, there was a good chance she could become clean. But she didn’t want to be seen. She didn’t want to call attention to herself. Her desire for wholeness, however, superseded her fear and she reached out in faith.

Her hope for anonymity was blown when Jesus asked, “Who touched my clothes?” She could have run away, but she was so overwhelmed by the fact that she was healed, she fell at his feet and shared with him what happened.

What followed were a few simple sentences of love, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

Jesus took the time to stop even though he was on his way to help a dying girl. This woman mattered to him. He gave her time, attention and value. Jesus met her on every level.

By calling her daughter, he showed a relationship of love.
By letting her know that her faith made her well, he gave her dignity and respect.
By sharing peace, he gave her his blessing.
By letting her know that her suffering was over, he showed that he was all powerful and able to heal.

It is the perfect encounter of healing and making someone clean and whole on every level.

This woman’s desperation and her belief in who Jesus was, caused her to overcome all of her barriers and reach out. How might you come to Jesus in this same way?

In what area of your life do you need the deepest healing?
In what area of your life do you feel the most unclean?
What is there about you that makes you want to hide?

What would it take for you to step forward in faith…to reach to Jesus for help or healing? Let the depth of your desire for wholeness propel you forward. And when you are ready…reach out.

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