My Role Model is... nameless

Check out Mark 5:21-42 before continuing reading this

I had studied this passage before and had heard it being preached recently but it wasn’t til a couple of days ago I realized how much this woman amazed me. When I read this passage I think of an elderly woman walking with a cane. But in all reality we don’t really know how old she is, for all we know she could be my age or slightly older. Anyway that doesn’t really matter what does matter is her faith.

The situation surrounding her story is that there was a huge crowd around Jesus pressing around him. I am not really sure what that would have looked like but it think it would have been hard to move forward or anywhere at all. This women had been bleeding for twelve years and been to multiple doctors who did nothing for her. Just imagining the pain that she would have gone through and watching her money slip away. It tells us that she had lost everything so she probably was a beggar. Maybe she had a home but it would have been empty if she did.

Then it says that she HEARD of Jesus and came to him. Yes, I realize that she would have been pretty desperate but think she just heard about him, not seeing any proof, not even knowing if the stories were true she came to him. She pushed through the crowds probably got elbowed a few times. The fight to get to Jesus would not have been easy. (personally after 12 years and no doctors that could help me I would have given up and awaited death... not much living for) But she didn’t. She fought through the crowd and all she wanted to do was TOUCH him. Just a simple touch and she KNEW that she was going to be healed. Talk about faith, Amazing, Trusting, Faith. She was asking to be healed from something that no other doctors could do. So with a shaky hand she reaches out and touches his cloak. And instantly the bleeding stopped and she was healed. I wonder what was going though this nameless woman’s mind... what was she thinking? I wonder if she tried to escape the crowd...

Jesus didn’t let her though. He called out “who touched me?” The disciples were probably looking at him if he was an idiot and asked “umm everyone?... Jesus you are surrounded by people!! How do you expect to get an answer?” but of course Jesus being how he is, asks again. And the woman probably once again had to push through the crowd, eyes on the ground, falling at his feet saying “I did Jesus. I touched your cloak”. I can see Jesus bending down to her level lifting her head so that he could see her face and telling her “Daughter, your faith has healed you. God in peace and be freed from your suffering”. A smile probably spread a cross her face and walked away confident that she was free from more then just bleeding. Her faith had healed her and nothing less.

This is why she is my role model. She had so much faith based on so little. I keep reflecting on this story and it brings me such joy and I honestly really want be like her!