I Gotta Have Faith

We learned early in the week that my Uncle had been losing a lot of blood internally. The doctors didn't know why and he had to get at least a few pints of blood before he was stable enough to get anything tested. When he did get tested, they found that he has a cancerous tumor on his colon. They say that it hasn't spread and is unusually contained in one spot. Monday the doctors are gonna map out a plan of action to deal with situation.

As I was praying this morning, I remembered the woman with the issue of blood in the Bible. She had been an outcast for a lot of her life because of her condition. As Jesus walked through town, though, she knew that if she could just touch the hem of his coat, that there was power enough in that touch to be healed.

She thirsted for his anointing, crawling under people's legs, doing whatever she needed to do to reach him before he left town. Jesus was surrounded by a large crowd of people, but when she touched him, he asked, "Who touched me?" The disciples, the people who were walking him, talking to him, asking him for his supernatural wisdom, probably cut a quick glance to each other. Peter was the only one who had the guts to say, "Hey man, the crowd is pressing against you." Jesus explained that this was more than just a touch, there was power in the touch. She came to his feet, frightened, realizing there was nowhere to go. She fell and, probably with tears in her eyes, told the people the story. Jesus response was simply, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

None of the physicians or doctors could heal her from her infirmity. She was desperate for that which gave life. It got me to thinking about living in the times that they did. They had no x-rays, EKG, none of it. They wouldn't have known cancer from Adam without opening someone up. So, was it easier or harder for them to have faith that God could heal them? I'm not really sure. Maybe. Maybe it's easier for us because we have a clear report and can pray more specifically?

In the end, I am unsure that this potential debate point even matters. The truth is that when we press through the crowds (the people who have told us we're not good enough or have hurt us intentionally or not, the whisper of Satan that only spews lies to destroy us, our thoughts that would have us compare ourselves with everyone else) and touch Jesus, we receive our healing. We receive physical healing, emotional healing, healing from the false mindsets we've held onto for some reason or another. When was the last time we were really desperate to push through and touch God?