Freed from suffering
Day 292, Friday, May 30
Mark Chapter 5
One of the unusual things about the story of the woman healed from a flow of blood is that it’s an involuntary healing on the part of Jesus—the woman is healed before he is aware of her and her need.
This isn’t the only time that healing is attributed to the faith of the person being healed (like the adjacent story of healing Jairus’s daughter) or even the faith of others (like the lame man lowered through the roof by his friends to get to Jesus).
We don’t know exactly what the woman’s ailment is, but in addition to the physical pain and weakness it would cause it would also have isolated her from friends and family, as menstruation was a cause for a woman to have to avoid contact with others.
This woman is aware of Jesus’s reputation as a healer and is convinced that if she can just touch his clothing, that will be enough to heal her. She is able to get close to him in a crowd and, touching his clothing, feels the healing take place.
Rather than being angry at her presumption, Jesus reacts compassionately and tells her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Friday meditation

Proverbs 29:4-6
By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down.
Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet.
Evildoers are snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.

Prayer focus
Lord, free us from our suffering.

-Rev. Mark Fleming