12 years.
That’s how long she’d been waiting.
Her financial resources were exhausted. None of the physicians she had been to could help her.
But there was one thing she still had: hope.
Bringing Hope
In her time, rumors were spreading of a man who could heal sickness and injury. We know this because when this woman met the man, he was on his way to heal someone else. A religious leader of the day, Jarius, had approached him and asked if he would come to heal his daughter. It was clear that people, even if suspiciously, believed he could heal.
This man was Jesus of Galilee. People had mixed feelings about him, but one thing is certain: people found him when they needed him. That’s what happened for Jarius.
And that’s what happened for this woman, too.
Time For Her
“As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.”
Jesus was moving through the crowds to reach Jarius’s daughter when this woman reached out for him. If I were to guess, I’d say she probably didn’t feel bold enough to ask Jesus for help. Even if she intended to, Jarius had already asked him. His time and power were taken up. But something in her felt compelled to reach out, even if in secret. I bet she never anticipated what happened next:
“And Jesus said, ‘Who was it that touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me, for I perceive that power had gone out from me.’ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people 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.’”
She was not hidden.
And more than that, she was not hidden from him. She was his daughter.
The Freedom of Being Seen
There is both fear and freedom in being seen. Fear, because of the “what if”s surrounding the possibility of being seen yet rejected. Freedom, because of the possibility of being seen and loved. At that moment, she was seen. Jesus saw her, loved her, and he healed her.
Seen and Loved
At The Pregnancy Network, we understand how isolating life can be. We understand what it’s like to exhaust your resources and not know where to turn. We’ve made it our mission to reflect the heart of Christ by empowering you to face your unplanned pregnancy without fear. We offer free medical-grade pregnancy testing and limited OB ultrasounds administered by licensed registered nurses, pregnancy and parenting classes, and an opportunity to find a community of support through the Connect program.
It is our hope that you would feel the freedom of being seen and loved at The Pregnancy Network and, ultimately, in Christ. He alone can bring the healing and wellness you long for.
If you’d like to partner with The Pregnancy Network by praying, serving, or giving, visit ThePregnnacyNetwork.org/partner.
Chloe Boyle
Chloe is the Communications Coordinator at The Pregnancy Network.