One of the most striking stories of healing in the Gospels is that of the bleeding, or hemorrhaging woman.
Having suffered immensely for 12 years, she not only lived with physical pain, but she was also considered unclean according to the Mosaic law. This would have made her an outcast and someone to be avoided at all costs. No matter how many doctors she sought out, she only grew worse with time, spending her whole life savings along the way.
Abandoned, discarded by society, and hopeless on her own, the bleeding woman was in desperate need of healing.
And then Jesus came into the picture, and everything changed.
As the noisy crowds were pressing upon Jesus and His disciples, the bleeding woman pushed her way toward Him. Believing she only needed to touch the tassel of Jesus’ garment to be healed, she reached out. And as the strands of linen passed through her fingertips she was immediately healed of her afflictions.
Isn’t it striking? Striking that the woman had profound faith in Jesus’ ability to heal her. Striking that the healing power of God went forth through a simple and humble linen tunic. And striking that in a single instant of grace an entire life was transformed.
But I think the most striking detail of all is that this story of the bleeding woman is also the story of each one of us.
Maybe we haven’t experienced the same physical affliction as this woman, but we all have “hemorrhaging” parts of our lives and our stories that leave us feeling disqualified, ashamed, unworthy, and like an outcast.
We, too, are in desperate need of healing.
In our brokenness, we seek out many “doctors” or fixes in an attempt to numb and avoid the pain. We tend to run away, hiding these places from Jesus like we are someone who should be avoided at all costs. But Jesus has an invitation for you: Lean in. Draw near. Come as you are. Touch the strands of His tassel that are brimming with transformative grace for you.
Like the bleeding woman you will find a God who notices you in the crowd (Luke 8:47), who seeks you out (Mark 5:32), who heals you, calls you son or daughter, and fills you with abiding peace (Matthew 9:22).
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In Jesus alone can we find the healing we are searching for, and He awaits you with great anticipation, desiring nothing less than to transform your entire life with His healing grace.
If you are unsure of where to begin, start with 15 minutes of personal prayer, and if you’re already there, add 15 more. Break open Scripture, maybe even start with the story of the bleeding woman and ask Jesus to speak to you personally through His living Word. Receive Jesus often in the Eucharist and visit Him in the adoration chapel.
While the bleeding woman, like many characters in the Bible, may have only had a single encounter with Jesus in her lifetime – through the Eucharist we have the opportunity to encounter the true Physician in a profound and personal way every single day.
I promise, you won’t regret spending time with Jesus your healer, whose linen tassel is always within reach. As you do, you will soon come to find that all along as He is healing those deepest parts of your heart, He is also transforming you into a living tassel – a humble instrument of His grace – that you too may become part of the striking stories of healing in the lives of many.
