A Pathway

The account of the woman with the “issue of blood” in the Scriptures is a story that has never ceased to intrigue me. No matter how many times I read this story I always come away with something fresh. That was a woman with spunk! In her time, a woman who was menstruating was regarded as unclean. According to Lev 15:19-30 anything or anyone she touched in this condition shall be ‘unclean until evening’! This was the reason Laban could not search the tent of his daughter Rachael thoroughly for the household gods he had accused Jacob of stealing. If he had he would have found them because she was the one who stole them. But Rachael sat on these stolen gods and lied that she was menstruating (Gen 31:33-35) No Jewish man in his right mind would go near a woman in her monthly cycle.

As serious as this law was in her time, the woman with the issue of blood was not deterred. She had to see Jesus and that meant stepping out in the midst of people. There was a high probability that she could be stoned to death, but hey, death was already in her body! You cannot threaten a dead man with death! The beckoning of life far out-weighed the threat of death by stoning.

She had bled non-stop for twelve years and she needed a miracle fast or die. All the available medical options had been explored and failed and she progressively got worse. It was at this point that she heard about Jesus Christ and purposed in her heart to see Him for her healing. Life was bleeding out of her body second by second, she was thin and weak but her heart was strong and valiant like a lioness. She stepped out of her sick bed and started on her journey to meet with the great Healer, Jesus.

One problem though, Jesus was always surrounded by large crowds. How would she push her way through? Even some who were strong and healthy were just thronging around Him. But something strange happened. She noticed that every step she took towards the crowd, people drew back because they did not want to be unclean. And that was her breakthrough! Unintentionally, they made a way for her where there seemed to be no way! And suddenly she had a clear path to Jesus, just enough to touch the hem of His garment and she was healed immediately! Whenever divinity comes in contact with faith, there will surely be a miracle!

What is the moral of my narration? That which caused her exclusion from society was what made a way for her to reach the Lord! Do not waste your pain, but ride on it to the Lord. When the people drew away from her they had no idea that their rejection created the pathway for her healing! Many times we are saddened by the mistreatment and snobbery of people, but we fail to see the bright side of the story. We need to understand that man’s rejection is not God’s rejection. Do not try to 'get in' with people who make it a point to exclude you from their circles. Rather invest your time in pleasing God and connecting with Him daily, because when God calls you clean, no man can call you unclean.

Shalom!