Jesus - Healer of the Incurable

She had been an outcast for 12 whole years. No one would come near her...she was unclean. Had her husband divorced her? Anything and anyone she touched would become unclean, as well. She had tried all the doctors' expensive suggestions, but her condition only worsened. The Rabbis prescriptions came directly from the Talmud: "Carry a barley corn taken from the dung of a white she-donkey." How humiliating! Was her continued hemmorhaging due to secret and unforgiveable sin? She was broke, sick, rejected, and hopeless.

And then she overheard others excitedly talking from a distance. "Jesus, the Rabbi from Nazareth...he's healed the servant of a Centurion who was almost dead!" "Jesus casts out demons with a word!" "He's back in Capernaum and eveyone's going down to the Lake to see what He does next!"

But she couldn't go. She was forbidden to travel in crowds. The first recognition of her would send the familiar, heart-rending shrieks into the air, "UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!" and she would be chased away. But...she WOULD go. She would go and keep her face hidden. She would use her last ounce of strength to thread through the crowd and touch Him. No...to touch even the robe he wore. Sure a man this godly and this powerful causes all that touches Him to be CLEAN. Even one such as her.

She DID go...

He came towards her and the hundreds of others who wanted to get close enough for a front row seat when His next miracle was performed. The crush of the crowd was frightening. Was that the synagogue ruler ushering Jesus away? No matter. At the right moment, when Jesus was within arm's length...she grabbed His robe...and something happened.

12 years of bloody suffering immediately ended. For the first time in memory she felt whole, well, clean, "normal." But Jesus stopped the moment she touched Him. How did He know?! His disciples were incredulous at His question..."who touched Me?" They're ALL touching you! But someone touched Him with the touch of FAITH. He kept looking around. Power had gone out of Him; power to heal. "Who touched Me?" She knew instinctively that this One who could heal 12 years of uncleanness in a moment looked for her with an inexcapable gaze. She had to "come clean."

She fell at His feet and told Him the whole story.

Would He be angry that she brazenly touched Him with unclean hands? No, he called her "daughter."

"Your faith has saved you."

This made the difference between her touch and the mob's touch. It was the touch of faith.

What the doctors' potions and Rabbinic prescriptions could not keep from worsening...Jesus did. He cured the incurable. In a moment the unclean was made clean, the outcast was brought back into the family, the rejected was made worthy of embrace.

Jesus cures the incurable.

He cures the incurable:

• Relationship that no counselor could mend.
• Habit that no 7 or 12 steps or resolution could turn around.
• Depression that is encouragement resistant.
• Character weakness of laziness, gossip, critical spirit, anger that has ruled your life.

And He cures these things and MORE for the one who in bold, desperate faith will reach out and grab onto Him.