Lessons Learned From a Broken Woman

Introduction

Luke 8:43–48 NASB 95

And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Matthew 9:20–22 NASB 95

And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.” But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.

Mark 5:25–34 NASB 95

A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

Three accounts; one story

Matthew & Luke give a 3rd person account; Mark offers 1st person insight

Desperation brings us to God

She tried everything, spent everything, and suffered all the more at the hands of man

She had nothing else to give, and nothing else to lose.

Pushing through is not easy

She is a frail and sick woman who fights her way through the crowd

She was determined to let neither internal nor external factors keep her from Jesus

Approach Jesus even if he isn’t paying attention

Jesus knows she’s coming, but she doesn’t know that fact

Sometimes it seems that God is not paying attention, but it’s an illusion

Faith brings results

Her faith brought her to Christ and brought her healing

Casual contact is different from a touch of faith

Everyone was touching Jesus, but only one was healed. Hers was a touch of faith

Sometimes Jesus touches us, but sometimes we need to touch Him.