Love Is … Healing

Wounds. We all have them.

Wounders. We have all been them.

After all, we live in a broken, wounded world.

2013 came with many wounds - the passing of my father-in-law, the passing of a grandmother, the passing of our unborn baby. And with these wounds, I became a wounder.

Ever heard the phrase, "hurt people hurt people"? It's true. (And my poor husband got the brunt.)

I think that's why this past year, I found myself hanging out with one particular girl in the New Testament a lot. I just feel like I “get” her a little, and if she knew me, she would “get” me. 

(See her full story here.)

I don’t know her name.

The Bible doesn’t tell us.

But we instantly sense her shame.

See, for 12 years Mark tells us that this woman suffered from “constant” bleeding.

A lot of scholars think it was a hemorrhage of the womb, so that means vaginal bleeding for 12 years.

Twelve years.

Constant.

And with this kind of bleeding, under the Jewish law, she was legally "unclean."

Anyone or anything she touched would be legally “unclean.”

So it may not be a stretch to assume that for 12 years this woman couldn’t attend synagogue, couldn’t hug a friend she passed in the market, couldn’t hold her husband’s hand or pick up a baby.

What would this do to your self-esteem, reputation … your heart?

Twelve years of being called “unclean.”

Twelve years of separation.

The physical wound was nothing compared to the emotional one.

Can you relate to her a little? What wounds are hurting you today?

Maybe it was her cutting words. His unfaithfulness. A dad who wasn’t emotionally involved, or a mom whose expectations you couldn’t live up to.

It could be that this Valentine’s week only brings you pain because you haven’t met him or you miss him.

And what do you do with this hurt?

Maybe you deny it.

Maybe you dwell on it.

Or maybe you, like me, turn to people or stuff to fix it.

Not too long ago I was worked up with worry. I had to go to the mall to return an item. 

I walked into the mall with one bag and walked back out with five.

Popping shopping pills.

I’m guilty.

I frequently find myself telling one girlfriend about how the other girlfriend hurt me. I call it “venting,” but let’s call it for what it is – gossip.

Rubbing a little gossip ointment on the wound.

I’m guilty.

But instead of turning to shopping, gossip, social media, a new man, job success or way too many margaritas for healing, what if we do what our friend does in Mark 5?

“She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 

She turned to Jesus.

And she didn’t just turn to Him.

She turned to Him with faith.

“I will be healed,” she thinks.

And when she does, her bleeding immediately stops.

But that’s not enough for Jesus.

Physical healing is never enough for Jesus.

“He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” 

And “he kept on looking around to see who had done it.” 

I love that word “kept.”

He kept after her until she was drawn out of the madness of the mob who marginalized her and into the presence of the God who sees her, knows her, loves her.

And He does the same with you and me.

He keeps after us.

Keeps after us until we see the success, the shopping, the new man, the new figure ... can’t cure us.

He keeps after us until we step into His presence.

His presence is healing ointment for our deepest wounds.

Because in His presence, we are seen, we are known, we are loved.

In His presence, He says to her...to you...to me,

“Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole.”