What is my issue?

There is a beautiful story of faith and healing recorded in three of the four gospels about a woman with an issue of blood. Luke recorded as follows:

Luke 8:43-48 

43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

When we look at what is recorded about her, we don't get a lot of her life's story but we know a few things. She had spent all she had trying to get help for an issue of blood. She could not be healed by any. This issue of blood, according to the Law of Moses, required her to be deemed unclean. This meant several things. No one could touch her. She wasn't supposed to go out in public. She could not attend services at the temple or synagogue. She was to be untouchable and alone. She had no money and maybe shunned by her loved ones at this point. She was without any hope, until she heard about Jesus. Jesus was healing people; he was delivering people. She heard the stories, maybe even saw from a window. She knew he could help her. 

She risked a lot of things to go out into public in her condition. She had reached a point of desperation. She knew only Jesus could give what she needed. She was at that point that if this didn't work, she would be left completely without any other way to be healed. No one could help her. It said in Matthew's account "She said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole."  She believed he could do this miracle and made up her mind that nothing would stop her. She was driven by desperate hope to get to Jesus. She had to push through the throngs of people, breaking the Law. She reached for him and maybe even had to crawl through, but she reached and found the hem of his garment. Healing immediately flowed through. She was made whole. 

The next part of her story could have terrified her. Jesus stopped and spoke. He asked who had touched him. She knew she could be punished for being out in public. She had suffered for years and knew the risk she had taken. She had no idea how he would respond and what he would say about her touching him. She was unclean. No one wanted her to be around them much less touch them. She had to declare it. She knew she was the one who had received a great miracle. She spoke out in front of all the people trembling in fear, but she spoke. 

She then received a greater blessing. Jesus spoke words of life and love to her. "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  What powerful words. She could have been condemned for breaking the law, instead, she was called Daughter. She was comforted, She received peace. She had healing not only for the physical need, but the spiritual need as well.

Do we have an issue within us that only Jesus can heal?  I think sometimes we carry around burdens, physical or spiritual burdens, thinking no one can help us. We may even wallow in the trouble. It can even become our identity. How many people thought about that woman as that unclean woman. How often had she heard the word spoken to her, "UNCLEAN!"  That may have become an identity. But then, Jesus called her "Daughter!"  We can become so bound in a burden, disease, struggle, or a sin, that it becomes who we think we are. We are stuck. We may even lose hope that no one can do anything about it. But Jesus can. 

We have to reach a point of desperation. This will drive us to begin to reach and seek for the ONE who can save, deliver and heal. Reach for Jesus with such desperation that it no longer matters who sees us, what they may think, or what it may take to get to Him. We may even crawl to that place of prayer and reach out to find the hem of his garment. In that instant, his might power can rush into our need and heal. He can make whole what was once broken. He can restore what is lost. He can do whatever it takes to bring us to the place that we are called by a new name. Our identity is changed. Our healing is done. We will hear him say, "Be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  

How blessed we can be when we lay down the burdens at the feet of Jesus. Place it all before him and let him do the work in us that we need. Reach for Jesus and you find he is ready to lift you out of the struggle and sin. He is ready to give you what you need.